Τhe scientific project IGpath is funded by the European Commission within the framework of the European Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships IF-EF (MSCA-IF-2017-EF, grant agreement No 796491). The project with full name “Dissecting the functional pathways of B cell receptor immunoglobulin in antigen driven mature B cell Lymphomas” is deployed by the Postdoctoral Researcher, Dr. Maria Gounari (fellow), under the supervision of the Director of the INAB, Dr. Kostas Stamatopoulos (Supervisor-Coordinator) and will run from 2018 to 2020.
IGpath aspires to offer novel insight into the pathogenesis of mature B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) and thus contribute to the advancement of precision medicine in this particular biomedical domain. IGpath is an original multidisciplinary project combining innovative methodologies [next generation sequencing (NGS), bioinformatics, biochemical assays] and expertises (molecular, cellular and structural biology; bioinformatics; immunology; clinical hematology; biostatistics) with the aim of dissecting B cell receptor (BcR) Immunoglobulin (IG)-related mechanisms and processes implicated in the pathogenesis of mature B-NHLs. The focus will be on splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and monoclonal B lymphocytosis (MBL), a pre-malignant condition that is considered as a potential precursor state to CLL. IGpath has true translational potential through identifying the immune processes underlying mature B-NHL development and evolution, including causative agents linked to disease epidemiology. The knowledge acquired through IGpath is anticipated to leverage our understanding of microenvironmental interactions in the natural history of B-NHLs with implications for improved monitoring of populations at risk (e.g. individuals with MBL or particular chronic infections) and innovative treatment interventions targeting fundamental pathophysiological processes rather than generic cancer-associated mechanisms.