Myeloid leukemias are among the most aggressive blood cancers and have low survival rates. Today, leukemia patients undergo genetic analysis to identify mutations and select the most appropriate treatment. However, even among patients with the same mutation, disease progression and response to therapy can vary significantly.
A study led by ICREA researcher Dr. Alejo Rodríguez-Fraticelli at IRB Barcelona, and funded by Fundación CRIS contra el cáncer, has now revealed these differences can be explained by the fact that not all blood stem cells respond in the same way when they acquire a mutation, and the previous “state” of the cell influences the development of cancer.
In this regard, the researchers have identified two cell types-one “stronger” and the other more “sensitive” to inflammatory…