Characterizing the In Vivo Role of Candidate Leukemia Stem Cell Genes

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease caused by multiple distinct genomic events in the hematopoietic stem cell and progenitor compartment. To gain insight into the link between genetic mutations in AML and their clinical significance, AML mouse models are often employed. However, the breeding of genetically modified mouse models is a resource-intensive and time-consuming endeavor. Here, we describe a viral-based protocol to study the role of candidate leukemia stem cell (LSC) genes. Transplantation of virally transduced oncogenic drivers for AML with virally altered expression of candidate leukemia associated genes in murine primary bone marrow cells, is an effective alternative method to assess the impact of cooperating mutations in AML.