New Investigator Research Grant Program

The process of blood cell development is tightly controlled by regulatory proteins. When these regulatory systems go astray, too many and incorrect types of blood cells can be produced, resulting in blood cancers. LNK is a protein that acts like a brake on blood-cell production, keeping cell growth in check. Patient data suggests that malfunctions in LNK, specifically mutations that disable it, might be a driving force behind some blood cancers.

Despite the growing body of evidence that LNK plays an important role in some blood cancers, in particular Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, we lack a clear understanding of how LNK performs its regulatory activities. Understanding how LNK functions in healthy blood cell development and how its malfunction contributes to cancer is crucial. By understanding the function of LNK, we pave the way for potential future interventions in patients with mutant LNK.