Learning About Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia
A new study by Institute scientists has provided key insights into the molecular events that cause a deadly type of leukaemia, opening up new possibilities for the development of future treatments. Their findings appear in a paper published in Cancer Cell.
Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) is a cancer of the bone marrow. Most cases involve the over expression of a particular gene, called PML/RAR? oncogene, which is formed by genetic material exchange between two chromosomes. The result gives rise to a mutant fusion protein which interferes with gene expression and prevents white blood cells from behaving normally, eventually causing them to become cancerous.
Lead researcher, Dr Eric So of The Institute of Cancer Research, commented: "These findings not only identify the key elements and potential avenues for therapeutic targeting of this type of leukaemia but also shed light on the detailed mechanisms associated with the mis-regulation of genes in leukaemia."
Read more about Dr So's work in The Institute's Annual Research Report 2006. His article Oncogenic transcription factors in normal and cancer stem cells discusses the roles of various oncogenic transcription factors in both normal and cancer stem cells.
Find out more about Dr So's research
