The Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology University Hospital Motol is engaged not only in treatment and education, but also in clinical and laboratory research in paediatrc hematology and oncology. The diagnostical and research laboratories are connected with the Laboratory centre of the DPHO (LC DPHO - head Dr. Jan Trka).

Main investigational theses are:

• monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) in children with acute leukemia and some solid tumors (neuroblastoma, tumors of Ewing sarcoma group)



• prenatal origin of acute leukaemia



• function of fusion gene TEL/AML1 and its part in leukemogenesis



• genome changes in solid tumors in connection to chemoresistence and prognosis



• experimental anti-tumor therapy (histone deacetylase inhibitors, oncolytic viruses, ellipticin, antiangiogenous therapy, NALLADASe inhibitors)

Laboratories perform molecular-genetic screening of prognostic relevant hybrid genes for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia from the entire Czech Republic; detection of prognostic markers in children with neuroblastoma and MRD detection in neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma.

More information about leukaemia investigation can be found on the CLIP (Childhood Leukaemia Investigation Prague) web sites.