Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
08:31
Murine Model of Leukemia Relapse to Induction Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Published on: October 17, 2025
Darwin and evolutionary tales in leukemia. The Ham-Wasserman Lecture.
1Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom. mel.greaves@icr.ac.uk
Hematology. American Society of Hematology. Education Program
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) evolves through genetic changes, starting before birth and accumulating postnatally. This cancer
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Cancer genomics
- Pediatric oncology
Background:
- Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) evolution is typically silent until diagnosis.
- Studies utilize twin data, neonatal blood spots, and cord blood to reconstruct leukemia's natural history.
- Early genetic events, like translocations, initiate leukemia prenatally.
Discussion:
- Postnatal acquisition of copy number alterations (CNAs), primarily deletions, drives leukemia progression.
- The cytokine TGF-beta provides a selective advantage for at-risk cell expansion.
- Single-cell analysis reveals a complex, branching clonal architecture, not a linear mutation accumulation.
Key Insights:
- Leukemia initiation is common but has low clinical penetrance.
- Cancer evolution mirrors Darwinian natural selection principles.
- The complex clonal structure impacts understanding of stem cells, relapse, and treatment.
Outlook:
- Understanding ALL's evolutionary trajectory is crucial for novel therapeutic strategies.
- Investigating the role of specific genetic alterations and microenvironments is key.
- Further research into stem cell dynamics and relapse origins will inform treatment.
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