Chronic versus acute myelogenous leukemia: A question of self-renewal

• Published in: Cancer Cell 2004-12, Vol.6 (6), p.531-533
• Main Authors: Jamieson, Catriona H.M., Weissman, Irving L., Passegué, Emmanuelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; beta Catenin; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - genetics; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - pathology; Cytoskeletal Proteins - genetics; Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl - genetics; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl - metabolism; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - metabolism; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - pathology; Humans; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive - etiology; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive - genetics; Leukemia, Myeloid - etiology; Leukemia, Myeloid - genetics; Models, Biological; Myeloid Progenitor Cells - metabolism; Myeloid Progenitor Cells - pathology; Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion - genetics; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion - metabolism; Proto-Oncogenes - genetics; Proto-Oncogenes - physiology; Trans-Activators - genetics; Trans-Activators - metabolism
• ISSN: 1535-6108; 1878-3686
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2004.12.005

Leukemia stem cells are defined as transformed hematopoietic stem cells or committed progenitor cells that have amplified or acquired the stem cell capacity for self-renewal, albeit in a poorly regulated fashion. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Huntly and colleagues report a striking difference in the ability of two leukemia-associated fusion proteins, MOZ-TIF2 and BCR-ABL, to transform myeloid progenitor populations. This rigorous study supports the idea of a hierarchy among leukemia-associated protooncogenes for their ability to endow committed myeloid progenitors with the self-renewal capacity driving leukemic stem cell propagation, and sheds new light on the pathogenesis of chronic and acute myelogenous leukemias.