Concise Review: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Stem Cell Niche and Response to Pharmacologic Treatment.

ABSTRACT: Nowadays, more than 90% of patients affected by chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) survive with a good quality of life, thanks to the clinical efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Nevertheless, point mutations of the ABL1 pocket occurring during treatment may reduce binding of TKIs, being responsible of about 20% of cases of resistance among CML patients. In addition, the presence of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) represents the most important event in leukemia progression related to TKI resistance. LSCs express stem cell markers, including active efflux pumps and genetic and epigenetic alterations together with deregulated cell signaling pathways involved in self-renewal, such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog. Moreover, the interaction with the bone marrow microenvironment, also kn

SUBMITTER: Arrigoni E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5827745 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature