Stem Cells which Cause Childhood Leukaemia Found
16 January 2008 - A breakthrough study of identical twins has for the first time confirmed the existence of cancer stem cells that cause the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) – backing evidence that this childhood cancer starts in the womb. The research should lead to less aggressive treatment for childhood ALL and provides the hope of new, more effective drugs.
The new research, published in the journal Science, shows that pre-cancerous stem cells arise from an abnormal fusion of two genes during the mother's pregnancy to create a hybrid protein called 'TEL-AML1'. This genetic mistake can set in motion a series of events that cause the cells to become leukaemic. The authors confirmed their findings in twin girls by putting the TEL-AML1 gene into human cord blood cells, which were then transplanted into mice that had no immune system. They found that the pre-leukaemic stem cells found in both twins also became established in the bone marrow of the mice. This proved the 'self renewing' nature of the cells and confirmed a direct link between the specific genetic malfunction and leukaemia.
Professor Mel Greaves, from The Institute of Cancer Research and co-author of the paper, added: "This study of a twin pair discordant for leukaemia has identified the critical stem cells that initiate the disease and maintain it in a covert state for several years. We suspect that these cells can escape conventional chemotherapy and cause relapse during or after treatment. These are the cells that dictate disease course and provide the bull's eye to target with new therapies."
Professor Mel Greaves leads the Aetiology of Leukaemia Team in the Section of Haemato-Oncology at The Institute.
