The Science of Childhood Cancer

Developmental Origins of Leukemia Biology

Lecture date: August 13, 2026

Elvin Wagenblast, PhD

Assistant Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Abstract

This talk explores how the developmental origins of blood-forming stem cells shape the biology, therapy response, and clinical outcomes of leukemia. Using human models spanning multiple leukemia subtypes, we demonstrate that the timing and context of when cancer-driving mutations arise during development dictates disease severity and therapeutic vulnerabilities, revealing opportunities for developmentally informed treatment strategies.