University of California, San Francisco – In Partnership with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation
$195,000 over two years

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer, and thanks to decades of research, most children diagnosed today are curable. Yet children whose leukemia returns after an initial response face high-risk, hard-to-treat disease, and many do not survive long-term.

Dr. Anya Levinson, a pediatric clinical fellow at UCSF, is studying why some T-cell ALL patients are resistant to glucocorticoids, a type of steroid that normally kills leukemia cells effectively. Her research focuses on two emerging resistance mechanisms—JDP2 and STAT5B—with the goal of uncovering ways to overcome resistance and improve survivorship for children facing relapse.

The project aims to:

  1. Understand how JDP2 causes glucocorticoid resistance and identify strategies to counteract it.

  2. Test whether drugs such as ruxolitinib or the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax can overcome resistance linked to mutations in the IL7R/JAK/STAT pathway.

This research is made possible through generous support from the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, and the Westlake Wildcats “Spirit Day” initiatives, in loving memory of Danny McManus, a courageous 12-year-old athlete who lost his battle with relapsed leukemia.

By advancing understanding of glucocorticoid resistance in T-cell ALL, Dr. Levinson’s work may help prevent relapse, guide personalized therapies, and ultimately save the lives of children with this aggressive disease.

Dr. Levinson was kind enough to explain more about her research to TLC founder, Cindy Campbell. You can read their Q & A here.

Research findings published in Blood Advances, March 2023 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10362263/