Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 21, 2026

VDJ-Seq: Deep Sequencing Analysis of Rearranged Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Gene to Reveal Clonal Evolution Patterns of B Cell Lymphoma
Published on: December 28, 2015
Clonal evolution in leukemia
Adolfo A Ferrando1,2,3, Carlos López-Otín4,5
1Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract:
Human leukemias are liquid malignancies characterized by diffuse infiltration of the bone marrow by transformed hematopoietic progenitors. The accessibility of tumor cells obtained from peripheral blood or through bone marrow aspirates, together with recent advances in cancer genomics and single-cell molecular analysis, have facilitated the study of clonal populations and their genetic and epigenetic evolution over time with unprecedented detail. The results of these analyses challenge the classic view of leukemia as a clonal homogeneous diffuse tumor and introduce a more complex and dynamic scenario. In this review, we present current concepts on the role of clonal evolution in lymphoid and myeloid leukemia as a driver of tumor initiation, disease progression and relapse. We also discuss the implications of these concepts in our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms involved in leukemia transformation and therapy resistance.
Related Concept Videos
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
Lineage Commitment
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Disorders of Leukocytes
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune...
Differentiation of Common Myeloid Progenitor Cells

