Highlighted Publications

A CRISPR-Based Humanized Model Reveals Cooperative Role of STAG2 Loss in Familial GATA2-Deficient MDS Progression

bioRxiv [Preprint], Feb 02, 2026

In this preprint, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-engineered humanized model of familial GATA2-deficient myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to define how STAG2 loss cooperates in disease progression. Genome editing of primary human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells followed by xenotransplantation demonstrates that STAG2 loss enhances stem cell persistence and myeloid skewing in the context of GATA2 deficiency. Single-cell analyses identify transcriptional programs linked to stemness and inflammatory signaling, providing mechanistic insight into high-risk GATA2-mutant MDS evolution.

Ontogeny Dictates Oncogenic Potential, Lineage Hierarchy, and Therapy Response in Pediatric Leukemia

Cancer Discovery, Dec 10, 2025

In this recently published study, we investigated the role of the NUP98-NSD1 fusion oncogene in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), demonstrating that its expression in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells leads to leukemic transformation. We further elucidated that the oncogenic potential of NUP98-NSD1 is influenced by the ontogeny of the cells, highlighting the importance of developmental context in leukemia pathogenesis.

Overcoming B-ALL Resistance to Targeted and Immune Therapies by Rational Combination Strategies

Blood Cancer Discovery, May 02, 2025

We recently wrote a review on overcoming resistance to targeted and immune therapies in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), highlighting rational combination strategies aimed at improving patient outcomes. The article emphasizes integration of targeted therapies, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and venetoclax, with immunotherapies like bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and CAR T-cells. It discusses mechanisms of resistance, including antigen escape and signalling pathway adaptations, and outlines novel combination approaches to enhance therapeutic efficacy and durability, significantly advancing translational hematology research

Publications Archive

A CRISPR-Based Humanized Model Reveals Cooperative Role of STAG2 Loss in Familial GATA2-Deficient MDS Progression

bioRxiv [Preprint], Feb 02, 2026

Freed G, Quijada-Álamo M, Lee L, Podar N, Autar S, Carcamo S, Fiore P, Wang K, Martinez IG, Zhang M, Saniei S, Chao C, Mekerishvili L, Diaz Z, Ma S, Hasson D, Wagenblast E

Ontogeny Dictates Oncogenic Potential, Lineage Hierarchy, and Therapy Response in Pediatric Leukemia

Cancer Discovery, Dec 10, 2025

Wang K, Saniei S, Poddar N, Martinez IG, Chao C, Autar S, Fiore P, Carcamo S, Sreenath M, Peplinski JH, Ries RE, Mei AHC, Rahman NA, Mekerishvili L, Quijada-Álamo M, Freed G, Zhang M, Lachman K, Diaz Z, Gonzalez MM, Zhang J, Pham G, Filipescu D, Berisa M, Balestra T, Wheeler N, Reisz JA, D'Alessandro A, Puleston DJ, Bernstein E, Chipuk JE, Wunderlich M, Tasian SK, Marcellino BK, Glass IA, BDRL, Sturgeon CM, Landau DA, Chen Z, Papapetrou EP, Izzo F, Meshinchi S, Hasson D, Wagenblast E

Learning the cellular origins across cancers using single-cell chromatin landscapes

Nature Communications, Dec 10, 2025

Bairakdar MD, Lee W, Giotti B, Kumar A, Stancl P, Wagenblast E, Hambardzumyan D, Polak P, Karlic R, Tsankov AM

Overcoming B-ALL Resistance to Targeted and Immune Therapies by Rational Combination Strategies

Blood Cancer Discovery, May 02, 2025

Quijada-Álamo M, Freed G, Wagenblast E

Insights on Future Directions in Cancer Research from the 2025 AACR NextGen Stars

Cancer Discovery, May 02, 2025

Chan EM, Chhabra Y, Dixon KO, Durbin AD, Färkkilä A, Jeyasekharan AD, Keckesova Z, Prensner JR, Wagenblast E, Xie SZ, Zhao D

Models to Study Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Current Opinion in Hematology, Mar 01, 2025

Chao C, Martinez IG, Wagenblast E

FLT3 is genetically essential for ITD-mutated leukemic stem cells but dispensable for human hematopoietic stem cells

Blood, Jan 26, 2025

Araújo JL, Wagenblast E, Voisin V, McLeod J, Gan OI, Bansal S, Jin L, Mitchell A, Gratton B, Cutting SK, Arruda A, Doedens M, Travas A, Kim DDH, Capo-Chichi JM, Abelson S PhD, Minden MD, Wang JC, Sobrinho-Simões MA, Pinto-do-Ó P, Lechman ER, Dick JE

Cholesterol mobilization regulates dendritic cell maturation and the immunogenic response to cancer

Nature Immunology, Jan 26, 2025

Belabed M, Park MD, Blouin CM, Balan S, Moon CY, Freed G, Quijada-Álamo M, Peros A, Mattiuz R, Reid AM, Yatim N, Boumelha J, Azimi CS, LaMarche NM, Troncoso L, Amabile A, Le Berichel J, Chen ST, Wilk CM, Brown BD, Radford KJ, Ghosh S, Rothlin CV, Yvan-Charvet L, Marron TU, Puleston DJ, Wagenblast E, Bhardwaj N, Lamaze C, Merad M

An inflammatory state defines a high-risk T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia subgroup

Science Translational Medicine, Jan 26, 2025

Gower M, Li X, Aguilar-Navarro AG, Lin B, Fernandez M, Edun G, Nader M, Rondeau V, Arruda A, Tierens A, Eames Seffernick A, Pölönen P, Durocher J, Wagenblast E, Yang L, Lee HS, Mullighan CG, Teachey D, Rashkovan M, Tremblay CS, Herranz D, Itkin T, Loghavi S, Dick JE, Schwartz G, Perusini MA, Sibai H, Hitzler J, Gruber TA, Minden M, Jones CL, Dolgalev I, Jahangiri S, Tikhonova AN

The crossroads of clonal evolution, differentiation hierarchy and ontogeny in leukemia development

Blood Cancer Discovery, Dec 12, 2024

Sturgeon CM, Wagenblast E, Izzo F, Papapetrou EP