His group is currently studying how those genes function by mutating the genes and studying structure-function relationships. These small proteins help regulate leukocyte migration. As such, they are important in the immune response. They help stimulate an NK-mediated immune response against those malignancies. We have also isolated two novel zebrafish chemokines.
Studies are under way in zebrafish to learn if they regulate cell migration during development.
Zebrafish is an excllent model to study the developmental effects of chemokines, as there are many well known developmental markers and mutations that can be analyzed. These patients all have translocations involving the AML1 oncogene. We have cloned one such translocation, and are in the process of cloning the others. These translocations lend insight into how leukemia develops, and how it progresses. Cripe, L. and Hromas, R. Malignant Disorders of megakaryocytes.