A new study by the researchers of Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry have reported to develop an approach, where researchers made leukemic stem cells (cell that causes leukemia) weak especially by extricating these cells from their niches.
Moreover, blood cells have a restricted lifespan that are lost during bleeding or are used during infections that are required to be replaced continuously, which is fulfilled by hematopoietic stem cells present in the bone marrow. Moreover, these hematopoietic stem cells can develop into any type of blood cell. Additionally, in the case of chronic myeloid leukemia, hematopoietic stem cell encounters a genetic mutation due to recombination of chromosome number 9 and 22, which causes gene building blocks to fuse. The inaccurately accumulated chromosome is known as Philadelphia chromosome and anchorages the construction manual for BCR-ABL oncogene.
A leukemic stem cell creates an environment which is called malignant niche and to endure in this tumor-promoting niche, leukemic stem cell utilizes integrins to attach itself to a framework of extracellular proteins, also known as extracellular matrix, and with surrounding cells. Furthermore, in the leukemic stem cell, functionality of the integrins is enabled by an intracellular protein, ‘Kindlin’.
Peter Krenn, first author, stated, "In our current study we have developed a new therapeutic approach to treat chronic myeloid leukemia in mice. However, the principle of the therapy is universally valid. The inhibited Kindlin-3 production and consequent loss of integrin function prevents the cancer cells from being able to adhere and settle in tumor-promoting niches. I assume that this method will also prevent the cancer cells of other types of leukemia from settling and that these diseases could thus become much more treatable."