Abstract
The idea that within the bulk of leukemic cells there are immature progenitors which are intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy and able to repopulate the tumor after treatment is not recent. Nevertheless, the term leukemia stem cells (LSCs) has been adopted recently to describe these immature progenitors based on the fact that they share the most relevant features of the normal hematopoetic stem cells (HSCs), i.e. the self-renewal potential and quiescent status. LSCs differ from their normal counterparts and from the more differentiated leukemic cells regarding the default status of pathways regulating apoptosis, cell cycle, telomere maintenance and transport pumps activity. In addition, unique features regarding the interaction of these cells with the microenvironment have been characterized. Therapeutic strategies targeting these unique features are at different stages of development but the reported results are promising. The aim of this review is, by taking acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a bona fide example, to discuss some of the mechanisms used by the LSCs to survive and the strategies which could be used to eradicate these cells.
Keywords: Leukemia stem cells, acute myeloid leukemia, bone marrow microenvironment
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Targeting the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells
Volume: 10 Issue: 2
Author(s): Alexandre Krause, Luciana M. Fontanari Krause and Eduardo M. Rego
Affiliation:
Keywords: Leukemia stem cells, acute myeloid leukemia, bone marrow microenvironment
Abstract: The idea that within the bulk of leukemic cells there are immature progenitors which are intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy and able to repopulate the tumor after treatment is not recent. Nevertheless, the term leukemia stem cells (LSCs) has been adopted recently to describe these immature progenitors based on the fact that they share the most relevant features of the normal hematopoetic stem cells (HSCs), i.e. the self-renewal potential and quiescent status. LSCs differ from their normal counterparts and from the more differentiated leukemic cells regarding the default status of pathways regulating apoptosis, cell cycle, telomere maintenance and transport pumps activity. In addition, unique features regarding the interaction of these cells with the microenvironment have been characterized. Therapeutic strategies targeting these unique features are at different stages of development but the reported results are promising. The aim of this review is, by taking acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a bona fide example, to discuss some of the mechanisms used by the LSCs to survive and the strategies which could be used to eradicate these cells.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Krause Alexandre, Fontanari Krause M. Luciana and Rego M. Eduardo, Targeting the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2010; 10 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152010790909281
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152010790909281 |
Print ISSN 1871-5206 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5992 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Induction of cell death in cancer cells by modulating telomerase activity using small molecule drugs
Telomeres are distinctive but short stretches present at the corners of chromosomes and aid in stabilizing chromosomal makeup. Resynthesis of telomeres supported by the activity of reverse transcriptase ribonucleoprotein complex telomerase. There is no any telomerase activity in human somatic cells, but the stem cells and germ cells undergone telomerase ...read more
Role of natural compounds as anti anti-cancer agents
Cancer is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy remains an important approach in treatment o f several types of cancers, even though ...read more
Signaling and enzymatic modulators in cancer treatment
Cancer accounts for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022 and is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are the most important approach for the treatment of several ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
MicroRNA Therapeutics: The Emerging Anticancer Strategies
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Cellular and Humoral Responses following Minimally Invasive Surgery: Role of Reactive Oxygen Species
Current Metabolomics Writers and Erasers of Histone Lysine methylation with Clinically Applied Modulators: Promising Target for Cancer Therapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design Selective Inhibitors of Zinc-Dependent Histone Deacetylases. Therapeutic Targets Relevant to Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Bladder Cancer and Stem Cells
Current Signal Transduction Therapy PARP Inhibitor Development for Systemic Cancer Targeting
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Membrane Tyrosine Kinase Receptors Kit and FLT3 are an Important Targets for the Therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews A Review of Depsipeptide and Other Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Clinical Trials
Current Pharmaceutical Design Experimental Strategies in Autoimmunity: Antagonists of Cytokines and their Receptors, Nanocarriers, Inhibitors of Immunoproteasome, Leukocyte Migration and Protein Kinases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Targeting of Leukemia-Initiating Cells to Develop Curative Drug Therapies: Straightforward but Nontrivial Concept
Current Cancer Drug Targets A Review of the Primer Approximation Multiplex PCR (PAMP) Technique for Detecting Large Scale Cancer Genomic Lesions
Current Bioinformatics Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacology Disconnection of Herbal Medicines and its Potential Solutions with Cellular Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Strategy
Current Drug Metabolism When Neighbors Talk: Colon Cancer Cell Invasion and Tumor Microenvironment Myofibroblasts
Current Drug Targets Insertional Mutagenesis by Retroviral Vectors: Current Concepts and Methods of Analysis
Current Gene Therapy Novel Therapeutic Approaches Targeting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and its Receptors in Haematological Malignancies
Current Cancer Drug Targets Sphingolipid Metabolism and Leukemia: A Potential for Novel Therapeutic Approaches
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Cell Hierarchy, Metabolic Flexibility and Systems Approaches to Cancer Treatment
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Exploring and Exploiting Biologically Relevant Chemical Space
Current Drug Targets Medicinal Plants from Peru: A Review of Plants as Potential Agents Against Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Flavonoid-Based Cancer Therapy: An Updated Review
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry