Project 1: Biomarkers of chemical exposure and leukemia risk

Leukemia is the most common cancer in children. This project builds on the large Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study. The goal is to determine how environmental chemicals, including benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, contribute to causing leukemia. The project uses new "omics" methods that detect expression of genes and creation of proteins to better separate out different forms of leukemia. The project will determine whether these different forms, or "subtypes," of leukemia may have different causes. If different forms have different causes, applying "omics" methods may make it easier to see associations between exposure and effects because these can be assessed separately. The project will also measure certain chemicals in blood and compare these results to results from surveys of households to identify environmental factors of interest. It will use novel markers to assess cumulative exposure to chemicals as well.

Impacts of Low-Level Benzene Exposure, January 5, 2006
http://www-apps.niehs.nih.gov/sbrp/
 
Multidisciplinary Studies of the Origins of Childhood Leukemia, November 6, 2002
http://www-apps.niehs.nih.gov/sbrp/
 
Possible Explanation for Disease Susceptibility to Benzene Exposure, November 11, 1997
http://www-apps.niehs.nih.gov/sbrp/