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Leukaemia stem cells and the evolution of cancer-stem-cell research

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 5, pages 311–321 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Many cancers seem to depend on a small population of 'cancer stem cells' for their continued growth and propagation. The leukaemia stem cell (LSC) was the first such cell to be described. The origins of these cells are controversial, and their biology — like that of their normal-tissue counterpart, the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) — is still not fully elucidated. However, the LSC is likely to be the most crucial target in the treatment of leukaemias, and a thorough understanding of its biology — particularly of how the LSC differs from the HSC — might allow it to be selectively targeted, improving therapeutic outcome.

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Figure 1: Acute myelogenous leukaemia forms a stem-cell hierarchy.
Figure 2: Ontogeny of haematopoietic cells and candidate leukaemia stem cells.
Figure 3: The Notch signalling pathway.
Figure 4: Targeting leukaemia stem cells.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the members of the Gilliland lab for helpful discussion. D.G.G. is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and is a Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist. B.J.P.H is a Senior Clinical Fellow of the Leukaemia Research Fund (UK).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, 02115, MA, USA

    Brian J. P. Huntly

  2. the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02115, MA, USA

    D. Gary Gilliland

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  1. Brian J. P. Huntly
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  2. D. Gary Gilliland
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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Related links

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DATABASES

Cancer.gov

acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

acute myelogenous leukaemia

chronic myelogenous leukaemia

Entrez Gene

ABL

BCR

HOX11

HOX11L2

HOXA9

HOXB4

HOXD13

NOTCH1

NUP98

FURTHER INFORMATION

Gilliland laboratory

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Huntly, B., Gilliland, D. Leukaemia stem cells and the evolution of cancer-stem-cell research. Nat Rev Cancer 5, 311–321 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc1592

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