Stem cell origins of leukaemia and curability.
It is suggested that most childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemias and some other paediatric cancers are chemo-curable because they arise in stem cell populations that are functionally transient, chemosensitive and programmed for apoptosis. Most adult acute leukaemias are chemo-incurable at least in part because they originate in relatively drug resistant stem cells with extensive self-renewal capacity. The latter property in turn increases the probability of clones evolving with multi-drug resistance. Particular mutations may superimpose additional adverse features on leukaemic cells.
Greaves
M F
MF
Leukaemia Research Fund Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, London, UK.
D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology