Cellular barcoding as a tool to investigate the clonal complexity and evolution of ALL

There remains significant controversy over the applicability of cancer stem cell models to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Recent data suggest that the propagating compartment undergoes a clonal evolution process, leading to the co-existence of several different subclones. We are aiming to provide a comprehensive picture of the clonal complexity and evolution of primary ALL samples engrafted into mice by individually marking leukaemia cells with heritable genetic markers. We achieve this using a barcoded lentiviral vectors, together with analysis of the lentiviral integration sites. These strategies allow us to a…