Key Found to How Tumor Cells Invade the Brain in Childhood Cancer

Despite great strides in treating childhood leukemia, a form of the disease called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) poses special challenges because of the high risk of leukemic cells invading the brain and spinal cord of children who relapse.

Now, a new study in the June 18, 2009, issue of the journal Nature by scientists at NYU School of Medicine reveals the molecular agents behind this devastating infiltration of the central nervous system. The finding may lead to new drugs that block these agents and thus lower the risk of relapse.

T-ALL, a blood-borne cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes, or white blood cells, strikes several hundred children and adolescents in the U.S. annually. While greater than 90% percent go into remission through a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, up to one third of this group end up relapsing. These patients are at particular risk for tumor cells to invade the brain and spinal cord, and to prevent this all patients receive chemotherapy injections into the central nervous system and in some cases cranial irradiation—approaches that cause dangerous side effects, including secondary tumors and potentially permanent cognitive and developmental deficits.

“In general, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is treatable with chemotherapy and radiation,” said Ioannis Aifantis, PhD, associate professor of pathology and co-director of the Cancer Stem Cell Program at the NYU Cancer Institute, who led the new study. “But you have a very high rate of relapse. And after the relapse, it is not treatable because the cancer occurs in tricky places like the central nervous system,” said Dr. Aifantis, who is also an Early Career Scientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Source-Eurekalert
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