Research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists has identified a possible lead in treatment of two childhood leukemia subtypes known for their dramatic loss of chromosomes and poor treatment outcomes. The findings also provide the first evidence of the genetic basis for this high-risk leukemia, which is known as hypodiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Normal human cells have 46 chromosomes, half from each parent, but hypodiploid ALL is characterized by fewer than 44 chromosomes. Chromosomes are highly condensed pieces of DNA, the molecule that carries the inherited instructions for assembling and sustaining a person. The research appears in the journal Nature Genetics. Read more here.
Study mentioned: Holmfeldt L, et al. The genomic landscape of hypodiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nat Genet. 2013 Jan 20. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23334668
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