Dr. Koka, in collaboration with Dr. Brigitte Dudouet, is researching if the gene therapy approaches that address cytopenias (loss of blood cells) in HIV-1 infection can inadvertently cause any type of cancer or malignancy, including leukemia.

Their research addresses the issues of uncontrolled proliferation as a result of leukemia or tumorigenic angiogenesis of the STAT5/c-mpl gene expressing hematopoietic progenitor stem cells in the SCID-hu mice and to ensure human progenitor cell / mouse host protection. STAT5 and c-mpl genes are respectively in self-renewal and differentiation of these stem cells.

Drs. Koka and Dudouet monitor both the implanted conjoint human Thy/Liv hematopoietic organ and the SCID mouse host itself for possible evidence of malignant transformation, as an undesirable outcome of our c-mpl and STAT5 gene expression. Progenitor cell/host protection will be determined by detection for evidence of transplantable leukemia initiating progenitor stem cells, and malignant murine breast/mammary stem cells. These evaluations of protection of human hematopoietic progenitor and mouse host cells will mark a significant approach to monitor the gene expression regulatory strategies for undesirable proliferation of the human or mouse cells.

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