title: Towards an understanding of the biology and targeted treatment of paediatric relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
abstract: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer and for those children who relapse, prognosis is poor and new therapeutic strategies are needed. Recurrent pathways implicated in relapse include RAS, JAK STAT, cell cycle, epigenetic regulation, B cell development, glucocorticoid response, nucleotide metabolism and DNA repair. Targeting these pathways is a rational therapeutic strategy and may deliver novel, targeted therapies into the clinic. Relapse often stems from a minor clone present at diagnosis and thus analysis of persisting leukaemia during upfront therapy may allow targeted drug intervention to prevent relapse.
authors.affiliation: Newcastle Cancer Centre at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Julie A E
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Irving
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004260:DNA Repair; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
keywords: childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; relapse; targeted therapies