Ksenia Matlawska-Wasowska Lab
Hosting: Interview Room
Department: Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology
Lab Description
The Matlawska-Wasowska Lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms driving T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) progression, extramedullary dissemination, and central nervous system (CNS) infiltration. The lab integrates molecular and cell biology, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and in vivo modeling to uncover the factors that promote leukemia survival, migration, and treatment resistance. Key research areas include:
- CNS Involvement in T-ALL: Investigating the role of CXCR3-CXCL10 signaling and inflammatory cues in leukemic cell migration and retention in the meninges, aiming to develop targeted CNS-directed therapies.
- Leukemia Metabolism and Transcriptional Regulation: Studying how RUNX2-driven metabolic reprogramming influences leukemia aggressiveness and chemotaxis, with a focus on glycolysis, hypoxia, and mTOR pathways.
- Therapeutic Targeting of High-Risk T-ALL: Exploring novel monoclonal antibodies, immunotoxins, and small-molecule inhibitors to improve treatment outcomes in pediatric and adult patients.
- Single-Cell and Spatial Omics Approaches: Utilizing cutting-edge single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), CRISPR/Cas9 screens, and 3D in vitro models to dissect leukemia-stroma interactions in the tumor microenvironment.
The lab is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) R01 grants and actively collaborates with the Children's Oncology Group (COG) to develop CSF biomarkers for T-ALL CNS involvement in upcoming clinical trials.
Fun Fact about the PI
I am a crazy cat lady!