Craig Jordan

Craig Jordan discovered that leukemia stem cells are uniquely dependent on oxidative phosphorylation rather than glycolysis, a metabolic vulnerability that can be exploited therapeutically with BCL-2 inhibition by venetoclax, which disrupts mitochondrial energy production specifically in LSCs. His work showed that venetoclax plus azacitidine combination achieves deep remissions in elderly AML patients by eradicating leukemia stem cells through metabolic disruption. He has characterized how LSCs rely on amino acid and fatty acid oxidation to fuel OXPHOS. His metabolic targeting approach has transformed AML treatment for patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy.