title: Leukaemic stem cells.
abstract: All haemopoietic cell lineages arise from multipotential self-renewing stem cells that give rise to committed progenitor cells. These progenitor cells subsequently differentiate into more lineage-committed cells with a restricted range of plasticity. A hierarchical order is considered to exist, where lineage commitment and differentiation are thought to be irreversible. As cells differentiate, they gradually lose the ability to self-renew. The most primitive haemopoietic progenitor cells have the ability to reconstitute long-term haemopoiesis in myeloablated recipients. However, as cells differentiate, there is an orchestrated silencing of some genes and activation of others, resulting in lineage commitment and generally a reduction in proliferative ability. Here, we discuss potential differences between normal and leukaemic stem cells, some of which may have therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, Bristol, UK. allison.blair@nbs.nhs.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pamphilon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000166:cytology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs / Q000196:embryology; D015195:Drug Design; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012756:Sheep / Q000196:embryology; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion