Stop signal for leukemia stem cells
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 - 14:30
in Health & Medicine
Scientists have discovered that hyperactive signaling of a particular growth factor called IGF1 promotes T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL). When the investigators blocked this factor, blood cancer cells ceased to growth further. Moreover, the cancer stem cells lost their capability to self-renew. Inhibitors of this growth factor are already available and might help to enhance treatment of this type of leukemia and prevent recurrence.