Treatment of Incurable Blood Cancer on the Anvil

A conceptually new model for the development and progression of multiple myeloma has been presented by researchers from Uppsala University.

A conceptually new model for the development and progression of multiple myeloma has been presented by researchers from Uppsala University. Myeloma is one of the most common blood cancers, and at present considered to be incurable.

Using large cohorts of myeloma patients, the researchers have identified a profile of genes that are silenced by epigenetic mechanisms in the malignant plasma cell.

Multiple Myeloma / Plasma Cell Myeloma–Symptoms-Treatment-Prognosis-Support Group
Multiple Myeloma caught public attention when model turned actress Lisa Ray, who worked in Deepa Mehta’s ‘Water’ , declared that she had the incurable Multiple Myeloma.

"This silencing may lead to the uncontrolled growth of the malignant cells," said Helena Jernberg Wiklund, one of the investigators in the study.

The silenced gene profile was compared and contrasted to normal plasma cells, which are highly specialised and for which growth and lifetime is tightly controlled.

The silenced genes have a common denominator in being targets and controlled by the Polycomb repressor complex (PcG).

About Leukemia
Encyclopedia section of medindia gives general information about Leukemia

This complex has previously been implicated in self-renewal and division of normal embryonic stem cells.

In the study, the researchers found that inhibitors of PcG also could decrease the growth of tumour cells in an animal model of myeloma.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Incidence Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Prognosis
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the cancer of white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts. It is the most common of all childhood cancers and can be fatal in weeks if left untreated.

"A new strategy for treating multiple myeloma could be to develop drugs that are targeted to the PcG complex, leading to reactivation of the silenced gene profile", said Helena Jernberg Wiklund.

The study is published in the latest edition of the on-line journal PLoS ONE.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment-Prognosis-FAQs
Acute myeloid Leukemia, more popularly known by its abbreviated form AML, is a fast- evolving leukemia that affects both children and adults alike

Source-ANI