In this project, Grégory and his team study acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common and aggressive form of hematologic cancer in adults. Although chemotherapy induces high remission rates, the majority of patients relapse within months or years after treatment. This relapse is caused by the survival of resistant AML cells, known as drug-tolerant persisters (DTPs), which remain in the patients’ bone marrow. The factors enabling their survival during chemotherapy are still poorly understood.
In this project, they will investigate the role of two elements that may be crucial for this survival. The first is cytokine signaling, pro-inflammatory proteins produced by immune cells that could, counterintuitively, promote the survival of DTPs. The second factor is T-cell recognition. In principle, T cells are expected to identify and eliminate DTPs, but it is possible that the cytokines they produce instead allow DTPs to evade immune detection.
Ultimately, this project will identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for relapse in acute myeloid leukemia and improve our understanding of how to enhance the response to current treatments for this disease.
Thanks to this mandate, Grégory will be able to build a specialized team within the laboratory dedicated to studying cytokines and applying omics-based technologies.
About Grégory
Grégory Ehx is a F.R.S.–FNRS Research Associate and the leader of the Translational Immunology & Leukemia (TIL) group within the Hematology Laboratory. His research focuses on interactions between cancer and immune cells, with the goal of strengthening immunity against acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After obtaining a Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology (ULiège), he completed a PhD investigating the role of regulatory T cells in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In 2018, he joined the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) in Canada, where he studied AML-specific tumor antigens and developed a computational pipeline to identify them. Upon returning to Belgium, he established his laboratory at the GIGA Institute, where he began an in-depth characterization of immune mechanisms involved in AML relapse, supported in part by a WELBIO grant awarded in 2024.
Incentive grant for scientific research - MIS
Funding instrument to support young permanent researchers who seek to develop a scientific unit focusing on a future-oriented area within their university.
The research programme should be characterised by its originality and its innovativeness as well as by its scientific autonomy from the works of the laboratory where the applicant is involved. This programme should eventually enable the researcher to acquire their independence in a “flagship” laboratory.
The MIS is granted for a duration of three years for a total amount of 450,000 euros.
Contact
Grégory Ehx
