CD26/DPP-4 in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• CD26 expression is altered in various cancers.
• CD26 is identified as a specific marker for leukemia stem cells (LSCs) in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).
• CD26 is absent on normal hematopoietic stem cells and LSCs in other myeloid neoplasms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate CD26 as a specific marker for CML LSCs.
• To evaluate the presence of CD26+ LSCs in CML patients at diagnosis and during treatment.
• To explore the potential of CD26+ LSCs as a biomarker for monitoring therapeutic response in CML.

Main Methods:

• Flow cytometry assays were used to detect CD26 expression on LSCs.
• Peripheral blood (PB) samples from diagnosed Chronic-Phase CML patients were analyzed.
• Analysis included patients undergoing Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) treatment.

Main Results:

• CD26+ LSCs were detected in all evaluated PB samples of CML patients at diagnosis.
• Circulating CD26+ LSCs were found in most CML patients on TKI treatment, irrespective of molecular response depth.
• Higher numbers of CD26+ LSCs at diagnosis correlated with poorer treatment response in preliminary data.

Conclusions:

• CD26 is confirmed as a specific marker for CML.
• CD26+ LSCs persist during TKI therapy, even with deep molecular responses.
• CD26+ LSCs show potential as a biomarker for monitoring CML therapeutic efficacy.