Hematology Times
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Pediatric HematologyT-ALL outcomes predicted by 5-gene classifier
Bone marrow aspirate
showing ALL The prognostic potential of gene markers for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is being investigated in a large international Children’s Oncology Group (COG) study. The markers gained attention after a team of researchers used gene-profiling technology to model a 5-gene classifier that accurately predicted clinical outcomes in 50 T-ALL patients. Their findings are published in the open access journal Molecular Cancer. The study also yielded insight into the biological mechanisms leading to relapse in T-ALL, which may assist in the identification of new therapy targets. ... [Read Article] Low blood oxygen effects on young SCD
Sickle cells
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis and other institutions have found that children with sickle cell disease (SCD) who also have lower blood oxygen levels while sleeping and awake are most likely to have heart abnormalities. Studies of echocardiograms of children with SCD found ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, both of which are associated with early death in adults with SCD. It remains unclear if these conditions have the same implications for children. ... [Read Article] Use of MRD/ALC for more accurate prognosis
Patrick Zweidler-McKay, MD, PhD
A new study from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center suggests the use of the minimal residual disease (MRD) indicator and the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) provides more accurate treatment outcome predictions in pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia patients (ALL) than the MRD alone. “MRD is an important tool for predicting prognosis,” said Patrick Zweidler-McKay, MD, PhD, at Children’s Cancer Hospital in Houston, “but it misses a subgroup of patients who, despite having low MRD, still are at high risk for relapse.” ... [Read Article] Two distinct subgroups of JMML identified
CMML cells
Researchers recently identified 2 distinct clinical subgroups of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) using gene expression profiling. The 2 subgroups have clearly different outcomes regardless of treatment, even including the recommended therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Silvia Bresolin, of the University of Padua in Italy, and researchers from Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and Denmark, suggest that GEP-based profiling could help physicians make therapeutic decisions. They reported the findings March 15 online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. ... [Read Article] Gene regulator may solve leukemia mysteries
 A recent study suggests a gene regulator, miR-125b-2, may be a key factor in the development of Down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (DS-AMKL). A transient form of leukemia commonly develops in 5% to 10% of babies with Down syndrome and usually resolves itself, but in 20% to 30% of cases, it progresses to DS-AMKL for reasons previously unknown. Recent findings shed light on miR-125b-2 and how overexpression of the microRNA in DS-AMKL cells could explain disease progression in some patients. ... [Read Article] |
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