Searching for the secrets behind the progression of CLL

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Scientists at Cardiff University have been awarded £216,500 by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to investigate mutations that cause the development of leukaemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a cancer in which the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, causing a range of problems with the immune system. It develops slowly, often over many years and while it is treatable, it remains incurable.

The Cardiff team, led by Dr Duncan Baird and Dr Chris Pepper, have discovered that testing for damage at the ends of chromosomes in CLL cells is an accurate predictor of the progression of the patient’s leukaemia.

The scientists hope that by studying the DNA damage within leukaemia cells further, they will be able to find ways to slow down the progression of CLL in patients. They have already discovered that ‘telomeres’, the caps on the end of chromosomes which protect them during cell division, are gradually shortened as the CLL progresses. When the telomeres become completely dysfunctional in the CLL cells, they can fuse together during cell division, making the cells even more malignant and accelerating the cancer in the blood. 

Dr Baird, of the University’s School of Medicine, said, “Using CLL cells and the latest technology which allows us to detect tiny amounts of DNA, we will map exactly the link between chromosome damage and each stage of the cancer. The ultimate goal is to find ways to interfere with the process and develop drugs to actually stop the leukaemia progressing.”

Around 3,300 people are diagnosed with CLL in the UK every year. It is predominantly a blood cancer of later life, with most people diagnosed with CLL over 65 years old.

Cardiff University was named a ‘Centre of Excellence’ by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. The charity is currently investing £2 million into vital blood cancer research at the University.

Article sourced via the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research (UK) Website.

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Exposure to benzene at work and the risk of leukaemia.

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"A substantial number of epidemiologic studies have provided estimates of the relation between exposure to benzene at work and the risk of leukemia, but the results have been heterogeneous. To bridge this gap in knowledge, we synthesized the existing epidemiologic evidence on the relation between occupational exposure to benzene and the risk of leukemia, including all types combined and the four main subgroups acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)."

I have just found this article on the web. The results it shows makes me wonder with renewed interest if my exposure to AVTUR (Aviation Fuel) during my 12 years in the RAF had any link to my diagnosis of CLL in 2006.

To read the full report click HERE.

Twin study sheds light on leukaemia

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Published on Friday Feb 26 15:06:26 GMT 2010

Many national newspapers reported today on the story of Isabella and Olivia, four-year-old identical twins who have “unlocked the secret of leukaemia”. The papers describe how one twin was diagnosed with leukaemia and underwent chemotherapy, whereas the other twin did not develop the disease. Their unique situation of being identical twins who've had the same environment since they were conceived gave researchers an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the causes of leukaemia.

When researchers compared their bone marrow, they found that both girls had pre-leukaematic stem cells (which carry a genetic defect). However, Olivia (the twin who developed leukaemia) also carried a second mutation – a missing gene – that switched pre-leukaemia cells into full-blown leukaemia.

The Times reported that "the discovery will enable doctors to screen young leukaemia patients to establish the severity of their illness and spare some of the harrowing side effects of aggressive chemotherapy”.

The research behind these stories is an investigation of identical twins and a further laboratory study in mice that was inspired by the differences between them.

The causes of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (the most common childhood form) remain largely unknown. There has been a previous suggestion of some genetic link (with slightly increased risk in children with Down's syndrome, for example), in addition to theories about risks from radiation, drugs or infections. The study gives new insight into the mechanisms involved in the development of leukaemia in children, and opens up a new area for further study. Doctors and researchers will be particularly interested in the findings that pre-leukaemia cells could be used to screen for the disease and that further mutations appear to be needed to switch these on.

Until further research is done, it is unclear what strategies could be followed to prevent conversion to the full-blown disease, or whether this knowledge might have any influence upon the treatment of childhood leukaemia.

Story sourced via the Grantham Journal.Click HERE to visit their website.

Study weighs benefits of transplants for leukaemia

FEBRUARY 1, 2010


LONDON (Reuters) - Leukaemia patients who have blood stem cell transplants survive just as long on average as those who undergo the more invasive procedure of having a bone marrow transplant, scientists said on Monday.

But patients with acute forms the blood cancer appear to do better if they have bone marrow as opposed to blood stem cell transplants, the scientists said, suggesting that for some the benefit of the complex treatment is greater in the long run.Bone marrow transplants involve the collection of stem cells from the bone marrow -- a complicated procedure in which the patient must have a general anaesthetic and surgery.

To read the full story please click HERE to go to the CureToday.com website.

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