Overcoming Microenvironment-Mediated Chemoprotection through Stromal Galectin-3 Inhibition in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

ABSTRACT: Environmentally-mediated drug resistance in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) significantly contributes to relapse. Stromal cells in the bone marrow environment protect leukemia cells by secretion of chemokines as cues for BCP-ALL migration towards, and adhesion to, stroma. Stromal cells and BCP-ALL cells communicate through stromal galectin-3. Here, we investigated the significance of stromal galectin-3 to BCP-ALL cells. We used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to ablate galectin-3 in stromal cells and found that galectin-3 is dispensable for steady-state BCP-ALL proliferation and viability. However, efficient leukemia migration and adhesion to stromal cells are significantly dependent on stromal galectin-3. Importantly, the loss of stromal galectin-3 production sensitized

SUBMITTER: Tarighat SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8624256 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature