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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Pre-clinical Evaluation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Treatment of Acute Leukemia
Published on: September 19, 2013
[Expression of Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) in leukemias and its clinical implication]
Objective:
To elucidate the expression of Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) in leukemias and its clinical implication.
Methods:
Expression of WT1 mRNA was detected in four leukemia cell lines, 25 AML patients, 11 ALL patients, 9 CML patients, 15 healthy subjects and 10 non-blood diseases patients by using RT-PCR.
Results:
WT1 mRNA expression was revealed in K562, HL-60 and TF-1 cell lines, 21 of 25 (84%) AML patients, 8 of 11 (73%) ALL patients, 2 CML patients in blast crisis and 1 of 7 CML patients in accelerated and chronic phase. WT1 mRNA was undetectable in PBMNC from 15 healthy subjects and in bone marrow cells from 10 non-blood diseases patients.
Conclusion:
WT1 gene is expressed in the majority of acute leukemias and thus is involved in human leukemogenesis. WT1 is also a new important marker for monitoring MRD in acute leukemias.
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