Studies on the mechanisms of chemical leukaemogenesis

Following a single injection of MNU into "intact" mice, a high incidence of leukaemia (90%) is obtained, with a 50% induction time of 200 days. Immunological studies indicate that the θ antigen is expressed on the leukaemic cells. Thymectomized MNU treated mice had a 50% induction time of 500 days, and the incidence was somewhat lower. Leukaemias failed to develop in MNU treated T lymphocyte deficient animals and in lethally irradiated, or thymectomized lethally irradiated mice reconstituted with MNU treated bone marrow. It is suggested that the T lymphocytes rather than the haemopoietic stem cells or pre-T cells are the "target cells" in MNU leukaemogenesis.