title: CXCL12/CXCR4 axis in the pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): a possible therapeutic target.
abstract: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the commonest childhood malignancy, accounting for approximately 80 % of leukemia in the pediatric group, and its etiology is unknown. This neoplasia is characterized by male predominance, high-risk features and poor outcome, mainly in recurrence patients and adults. In recent years, advances in the success of childhood ALL treatment were verified, and the rate of cure is over 80 % of individuals. However, there is a considerable scope for improving therapeutic outcome in this neoplasia. Improvements in ALL therapy might readily be achieved by developing additional biomarkers that can predict and refine prognosis in patients with ALL. In normal hematopoietic cells, cytokines provide the stimulus for proliferation, survival, self-renewal, differentiation and functional activation. Abnormalities of cytokines are characteristic in all forms of leukemia, including ALL. The stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1 or CXCL12) is a member of the CXC chemokine family that binds to CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). The CXCL12/CXCR4 axis appears to play a role in dissemination of solid tumors and hematopoietic diseases. Understanding the mechanisms by which ALL cells are disseminated will provide additional information to expand therapeutic approach. Therefore, this review summarizes information relating to ALL cell biology, focusing specifically in a cytokine receptor important axis, CXCL12/CXCR4, that may have implications for novel treatment strategies to improve life expectancy of patients with this neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Hematology, Department of Pathology, Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Health Sciences Center, State University of Londrina, Av. Robert Koch, 60, Vila Operária, Londrina, PR, 86038-440, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aparecida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Lourdes Perim
authors.forename: Marla Karine
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Amarante
authors.forename: Roberta Losi
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Guembarovski
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo Coral
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Maria Angelica Ehara
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4