Albert de la Chapelle, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics

646 Tzagournis Medical Research Facility
420 West 12^th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 688-4781
Fax: (614) 688-4772
albert.delachapelle@osumc.edu

Special Interests

Dr. de la Chapelle’s research focuses on the genetic predisposition to cancer.  New genes responsible for colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia are sought.  A particular target in acute myeloid leukemia aims at elucidating the molecular mechanisms in cases where the leukemic blast cells have clonal trisomy for chromosome 8.  Mutations and polymorphisms in known genes and previously unrecognized genes predisposing to cancer are evaluated.  Genetic testing in the management and counseling of cancer patients is investigated.  A large study is conducted with the aim of determining what proportion of all colorectal and endometrial cancers are hereditary, in particular, due to HNPCC.  A project focuses on cancer incidence and prevention in Ohio’s Amish population and aims at introducing molecular screening for HNPCC in all patients with newly diagnosed colorectal and endometrial cancer.  New therapeutic agents are sought for papillary thyroid cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Education

MD, University of Helsinki, FI, 1957
PhD, Human Genetics, Univ. of Helsinki, FI, 1962
Internship/Residency: University of Helsinki, FI, 1965
Subspecialty Training: University of Helsinki, FI, 1986
Postdoctoral Training: Biochemistry, Columbia University, 1968

Select Publications

Aaltonen LA, Salovaara R, Kristo P, Canzian F, Hemminki A, Peltomäki P, Chadwick RB, Kääriänen H, Percesepe A, Ahtola H, Härkönen N, Julkunen R, Kangas E, Ojala S, Tulikoura J, Valkamo E, Eskelinen M, Järvinen H, Mecklin JP, de la Chapelle A: Incidence of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer and the feasibility of molecular screening for the disease. New Engl J Med 338:1481-1487, 1998

Tanner SM, Austin JL, Leone G, Rush LJ, Plass C, Heinonen K, Mrozek K, Sill H, Knuutila S, Kolitz JE, Archer KJ, Caligiuri MA, Bloomfield CD, de la Chapelle A: BAALC, the human member of a novel mammalian neuroectoderm gene lineage, is implicated in hematopoiesis and acute leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:13901-13096, 2001

Huang Y, Prasad M, Lemon WJ, Hampel H, Wright FA, Kornacker K, LiVolsi V, Frankel W, Kloos RT, Eng C, Pellegata NS, de la Chapelle A: Gene expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma reveals highly consistent profiles. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:15044-15049, 2001

Tanner SM, Aminoff M, Wright FA, Liyanarachchi S, Kuronen M, Saarinen A, Massika O, Mandel H, Broch H, de la Chapelle A: Amnionless, essential for mouse gastrulation, is mutated in recessive hereditary megaloblastic anemia. Nature Genet 33:426-429, 2003

Lynch HT, Coronel SM, Okimoto R, Hampel H, Sweet K, Lynch JF, Barrows A, Wijnen J, van der Klift H, Franken P, Wagner A, Fodde R, de la Chapelle A: A founder mutation of the MSH2 gene and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer in the United States. JAMA 291:718-724, 2004

Baldus CD, Liyanarachchi S, Mrozek K, Auer H, Tanner SM, Guimond M, Ruppert AS, Mohamed N, Davuluri RV, Caligiuri MA, Bloomfield CD, de la Chapelle A: Acute myeloid leukemia with complex karyotypes and abnormal chromosome 21:amplification discloses overexpression of APP, ETS2 and ERG genes, PNAS 101:3915-3920, 2004

Tanner SM, Li Z, Perko JD, Oner C, Cetin M, Altay C, Yurtsever Z, David KL, Faivre L, Ismail EA, Grasbeck R, de la Chapelle A: Hereditary juvenile cobalamin deficiency caused by mutations in the intrinsic factor gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 102:4130-4133, 2005

Hampel H, Frankel WL, Martin E, Arnold M, Khanduja K, Kuebler P, Nakagawa H, Sotamaa K, Prior TW, Westman J, Panescu J, Fix D, Lockman J, Comeras I, de la Chapelle A: Screening for the Lynch Syndrome (Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer) New Engl J Med 352:1851-1860, 2005

He H, Jazdzewski K, Li W, Liyanarachchi S, Nagy R, Volinia S, Calin GA, Liu C-G, Franssila K, Suster S, Kloos RT, Croce CM, de la Chapelle A: The role of micro-RNA genes in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:19075-19080, 2005

Hampel H, Frankel W, Panescu J, Lockman J, Sotamaa K, Fix D, Comeras I, LaJeunesse J, Nakagawa H, Westman JA, Prior TW, Clendenning M, Penzone P, Lombardi J, Dunn P, Cohn D, Copeland L, Eaton L, Fowler J, Lewandowski G, Vaccarello L, Bell J, Reid G, de la Chapelle A: Screening for Lynch Syndrome (HNPCC) among endometrial cancer patients. Cancer Res 66:7810-7817, 2006

Raval A, Tanner S, Byrd J, Angerman E, Perko J, Chen S-S, Grever M, Lucas D, Matkovic J, Lin T, Kipps T, Murry F, Weisenburger D, Sanger W, Lynch J, Watson P, Jansen M, Yoshinaga Y, Rosenquist R, de Jong P, Coggill P, Beck S, Lynch H, de la Chapelle A, Plass C: Down-regulation of death associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cell 129:879-890, 2007.