An evolutionary journey across the CLL course

Host

Ana Queirós, PhD, Myeloma Lymphoma Research Group

Venue

Seminar Room

Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy of CD5+ B cells, the most common adult leukemia in Western countries, incurable, and characterized by a high biological and clinical heterogeneity. CLL is also a paradigmatic model to study cancer from an evolutionary perspective. Increasing evidence suggests that CLL may originate from oligo- or multiclonal expansions, seeding multiple, potentially independent leukemic clones. Despite this initial diversity, most patients ultimately show dominance of a single clone, which drives disease progression and underlies the clinical diagnosis. After diagnosis, the clinical course varies widely. Some patients experience indolent, stable disease for years, whereas others show rapid progression requiring early treatment. In 5-10% of cases, CLL transforms into an aggressive lymphoma, usually diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a process known as Richter transformation (RT), conferring a dismal prognosis. This talk will explore how single cell genomics –including targeted single-cell DNA-seq, single-cell whole genome sequencing, and single-cell RNA-seq– provides new insights into the origin and evolutionary trajectories of CLL and RT.

Bio

Dr. Ferran Nadeu is a junior researcher at IDIBAPS (Barcelona). He pursued a PhD and post-doctoral fellowship in Dr. Elías Campo’s lab, and a short stay at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. He has authored >90 publications in leading journals (Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Blood, Nature Communications), contributing major insights into Richter transformation, CLL genomics, and molecular characterization of other B‑cell neoplasms. He developed the IgCaller algorithm and the all‑CLL sequencing solution, now licensed internationally. Since 2021, Dr. Nadeu has secured over €2.5M in competitive funding, received multiple awards for young investigators, and delivered invited talks at major hematology and genomics meetings. His research focuses on understanding the (immuno)genomic determinants of B-cell leukemia/lymphoma initiation, diversification, and progression before and after therapy through the use of novel methodologies and bioinformatic tools.

Register here.

About CR Colloquia Series

Champalimaud Research (CR) Colloquia Series is a seminar programme organised by the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown to promote the discussion about the most interesting and significant questions in neuroscience and physiology & cancer with appointed speakers by the CR Community.