Key player found for transient leukaemia seen more commonly in babies with Down syndrome

Between 5 and 10 percent of babies with Down syndrome develop a transient form of leukemia that usually resolves on its own. However, for reasons that haven't been clear, 20 to 30 percent of these babies progress to a more serious leukemia known as Down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (DS-AMKL), which affects the blood progenitor cells that form red blood cells and platelets. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have found a gene regulator they believe to be a key player in DS-AMKL, advancing understanding of how the disease develops and how to treat it.

The study findings, published in the March 1 issue of Genes and Development, may also help in understanding other forms of leukemia, the researchers say. Click here to read the full text of the news release from Children's Hospital, Boston.

Citation:
Jan-Henning Klusmann, Zhe Li, Katarina Bahmer, Aliaksandra Maroz, Mia Lee Koch, Stephan Emmrich, Frank J. Godinho, Stuart H. Orkin, Dirk Reinhardt. miR-125b-2 is a potential oncomiR on human chromosome 21 in megakaryoblastic leukemia. Genes and Development March 1, 2010: 24(5)

The full text of the article is available free online from the journal's website, here, either as a web page or a .pdf file.