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Scientists Identify Gene Abnormality Present in Childhood Leukemia |
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Scientists from the Parker Hughes
Cancer Center at the Children's Cancer Group have
determined that the Ikaros
gene plays a role in the development of childhood
acute lymphoblastic leukemia
(ALL). The results of this study are published in
the December issue of the
Journal of Clinical Oncology, official journal of
the American Society of
Clinical Oncology. In this study, scientists
looked at the cells of 70
children with ALL and in each case found high
levels of defective forms of the
Ikaros protein.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of cancer in children. A better understanding of the biological basis of ALL could lead to the development of innovative and more effective treatment programs for patients with this distinct form of leukemia. Pharmaceutical interventions aimed at correcting the errors in the expression of the Ikaros gene may provide the basis for new prevention programs against childhood ALL. The detection of Ikaros abnormalities as leukemia-specific indicators of disease burden may facilitate the evaluation and monitoring of the quality of remission in children with ALL who are enrolled in contemporary treatment programs. The Hughes Institute (http://www.hughesinstitute.org), located in Roseville, Minn., is a non-profit research organization dedicated to combating cancer, AIDS, and diseases of the immune system. Reference: Sun L, Sensel M, Sather H, Navara C, Nachman J, Steinherz PG, Gaynon PS, Seibel N, Mao C, Vassilev A, Reaman GH, Uckun FM. Expression of Aberrantly Spliced Oncogenic Ikaros Isoforms in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 17(12):3753-3766, 1999. Dec. 8, 1999 |
