John Kersey, M.D., Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Minnesota

Professor and CCRF Land Grant Chair
Laboratory Medicine/Pathology and Pediatrics
Director, University of Minnesota Cancer Center
Ph: (612) 625-4659
Fax: (612) 626-3069
e-mail: kerse001@umn.edu website

Research Interests

Biomedical Research Interests related to the Institute of Human Genetics.

Childhood and infant leukemia containing the MLL-AF4 and MLL-AF9 fusion oncogene; genetics, and bone-marrow transplantation.

Dr. Kersey directs basic translational and clinical research programs studies. His fundamental research in childhood leukemia and acute leukemia of infancy with particular emphasis on the leukemia with a translocation of chromosomes 4 and 11, which is the most common subtype among infants. His group is using monoclonal antibodies and molecular techniques to characterize the MLL and AF4 genes located at the chromosome exchange breakpoints, examining how the genes are altered and the resulting "fusion" gene product. They are also studying the proteins of the chromosomes 4 and 11 breakpoint genes in normal cellular development. In related studies, Kersey is analyzing the biological characteristics of infant leukemia, trying to understand why and how their leukemia develops, which researchers believe occurs in utero, and why they have such a poor prognosis.

SCID mice are being used to follow the development of infant leukemia, which is proving to be helpful in understanding the its pathobiology, and also for therapeutic and preclinical studies. In recent studies they are producing mice that contain the MLL-AF4 and MLL-AF9 fusion oncogenes.

website

http://www.cancer.umn.edu

Clinical Service

Dr. Kersey is director of the University's Cancer Center and is active in the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program.

Techniques

Molecular and cellular biology, monoclonal antibodies, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, SCID mice.

Recent Publications

• Hilden JM, Frestedt JL and Kersey JH. Molecular analysis of infant acute leukemia. Leukemia & Lymphoma 25:191-199, 1997.
• Kersey JH. Fifty years of studies of the biology and therapy of childhood leukemia. Blood 90:4243-4251, 1997.
• Kersey JH, Wang D and M Oberto. Resistance of t(4;11)(MLL-AF4 fusion gene) leukemias to stress-induced cell death: Possible mechanism for extensive extramedullary accumulation of cells and poor prognosis. Leukemia 12:1561-1564, 1998.
• Li Q, Frestedt JL and JH Kersey. AF4 encodes a ubiquitous protein that in both native and MLL-AF4 fusion types localizes to subnuclear compartments. Blood 92: 3841-3847, 1998.
• Hudson WA, Li Q, Le C and JH Kersey. Xenotransplantation of human lymphoid malignancies is optimized in mice with multiple immunologic defects. Leukemia 12: 2029-2033, 1998.
• Liu B, Li Q J Kersey. Inhibition of hematopoietic Differentiation by the MLL-AF4 oncogene. Blood 94s, 56a, 1999. Revised Jan., 2001.