Laura Hilton, PhD

Staff Scientist @BCCancer. Lymphoma genomics and precision medicine. She/Her. Opinions my own. 🇨🇦

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

Our recommendation: Unbalanced break apart MYC FISH patterns should be interpreted and reported as positive for MYC-R when diagnosing HGBCL-DH-BCL2.

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

Informal poll: How does your cytogenetics lab report unbalanced MYC FISH rearrangement (R) patterns?

Our latest paper in Blood, led by PhD student Brett Collinge, shows why these should be interpreted as rearrangement-positive: 🧵

https://t.co/32QbWDm0A9

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

Furthermore, these HGBCL-DH-BCL2 tumors with unbalanced MYC-R are MYC-IHC positive, have high MYC mRNA levels, and are frequently positive for the dark zone signature. These data show similar biological consequences of unbalanced MYC-R as balanced ones in HGBCL-DH-BCL2.

[Dr. Angela Rasmussen @angie_rasmussen]

Every time there’s a Marburg or Ebola virus outbreak, my feed instantly fills with filovirus fear porn.

It’s airborne! Deadliest virus ever! OMG IT’S IN EUROPE! Pandemic imminent!

These takes are at best wrong & at worst anti-scientific and racist.

Here are some facts.

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

Congrats @morinryan, well deserved! 👏🏻

[Research at Canadian Cancer Society @CCSResearch]

Congrats to Dr Ryan Morin, co-recipient of the @cancersociety Bernard and Francine Dorval Prize.

This award is given to investigators whose contributions to basic biomedical research have the potential to lead or have led to improved understanding of cancer treatments and cures.

[Encyclopaedia Britannica @Britannica]

Let's be sensitive to our language choices this week!

[David Russler-Germain, MD/PhD @dgermain21]

Glad to see our study in print! @LabFehniger @obigriffith @malachigriffith @SitemanCenter @WashUOnc

[Sam Pollard @samTpollard]

Feeling very fortunate to have worked with this incredible team, including patients and @CleoNetwork patient partners!!! @BCCancer @DeirdreWeymann @emanuelkrebs @howiel2013 @AnnaHermansen @CherylHoMD1 @YvonneBombard @HannaRadOnc

[Neil Renic @NC_Renic]

The ways in which How

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

See the excellent commentary by Ralf Küppers for a clear summary and additional context! https://t.co/djxm0KyHXq

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

We hypothesized that more widespread SHM in DH-BCL2 could create more opportunities for MYC-R. Consistent with this, we found elevated SHM at IG and non-IG loci, as well as at Eµ and class switch acceptor regions, in DH-BCL2 compared to BL, FL, and DLBCL.

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

Thus, the architecture of MYC-R in DH-BCL2 is explained by motive (preserving BCR and BCL2-IGH expression) and opportunity (more SHM across MYC partner loci). This work was brought to you by the incredible LLMPP team and @NIH @cancersociety @tfri_research @CIHR_IRSC

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

When MYC-R do involve IGH, it’s usually Eµ or the variable region in BL and DLBCL, but almost always involves the constant gene region of IGH in DH-BCL2, most often IGHE. What drives these differences?

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

In contrast, MYC-R are very different in DH-BCL2. MYC-R in BL and single-hit DLBCL involve IGH in 70-80% of cases, while >50% of MYC-R involve non-IG loci (including BCL6, PAX5, RFTN1, etc.) in DH-BCL2.

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

Out today in @bloodjournal: Our study on the architecture of MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 rearrangements (R) across >800 mature B-cell lymphomas! Key question: are MYC-R different in HGBCL-DH-BCL2 vs. single-hit lymphomas, and if yes, why?

https://t.co/L8T2IJFOTi

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

But first, we looked at BCL2-R across FL, DLBCL, and HGBCL-DH-BCL2. BCL2-R are remarkably consistent. We show that somatic hypermutation (SHM) of BCL2 only occurs in BCL2-R and is a very accurate proxy for the presence of a BCL2-R.

[Laura Hilton, PhD @lk_hilton]

It's an honour to join this incredible team and to contribute to all they do for women in lymphoma!

[Women in Lymphoma - [email protected] @WomenInLymphoma]

Congratulations and welcome to WiL's new *Emerging* Steering Committee members! 🌏🩺
@lk_hilton @laura_korin @Dr_KatLewis @SabrinaRanero
#MaiaAnaniashvilli #AdalgisaCondoluci
#lymphoma #lymsm