Hematopoiesis News Volume 2.28 | Jul 19 2011

FOUND: An Achilles Heel of Blood Cancers
Scientists have identified a previously unknown gene involved in the beginning life cycle and spread of leukemias. [Press release from BC Cancer Agency discussing online prepublication in Cancer Cell]

Protein May Help Diagnose and Treat Lymphoma in People and Dogs
A protein that appears to play a key role in the formation of lymphoma and other tumors by inhibiting a tumor-suppressing gene has been identified by a team of veterinary and human medicine researchers. [Press release from the University of California, Davis discussing online prepublication in Genes & Development]

Research May Prevent Childhood Leukemia
Researchers have identified genes that may be important for preventing childhood leukemia. [Press release from The University of Western Ontario discussing online prepublication in Blood]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

Cell of Origin in AML: Susceptibility to MN1-Induced Transformation Is Regulated by the MEIS1/AbdB-Like HOX Protein Complex
Scientists characterized the cell of origin and its critical pathways in MN1-induced leukemias. [Cancer Cell]

Tumor Necrosis Factor Restricts Hematopoietic Stem Cell Activity in Mice: Involvement of Two Distinct Receptors
Researchers demonstrate that tumor necrosis factor-α is a cell-extrinsic and potent endogenous suppressor of normal hematopoietic stem cell activity in vivo in mice. [J Exp Med]

Translational Repression of p53 by RNPC1, a p53 Target Overexpressed in Lymphomas
Scientists identified RNPC1, a p53 target and a RNA-binding protein, as a critical regulator of p53 translation. [Genes Dev]

MSI2 Protein Expression Predicts Unfavorable Outcome in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
In order to test MSI2 as a new prognostic marker, researchers measured MSI2 protein level by immunohistochemistry in 120 AML patients. [Blood]

Deletion of Genes Encoding PU.1 and Spi-B in B Cells Impairs Differentiation and Induces Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Investigators hypothesized that PU.1 function in B cell differentiation is complemented by the related E26-transformation specific transcription factor Spi-B. [Blood]

Differential Niche and Wnt Requirements During Acute Myeloid Leukemia Progression
Scientists used a syngeneic retroviral model of MLL-AF9 induced acute myeloid leukemia to evaluate leukemia stem cell-microenvironment interactions in vivo. [Blood]

Gene Expression Profiling in the Leukemic Stem Cell-Enriched CD34⁺ Fraction Identifies Target Genes That Predict Prognosis in Normal Karyotype AML
In order to identify acute myeloid leukemia (AML) CD34⁺-specific gene expression profiles, mononuclear cells from AML patients (n=46) were sorted into CD34⁺ and CD34⁻ subfractions, and genome-wide expression analysis was performed using Illumina BeadChip Arrays. [Leukemia]

Gfer Is a Critical Regulator of HSC Proliferation
Researchers extended their study to demonstrate an association between growth factor erv1-like (Gfer) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) proliferation. [Cell Cycle]

HOXA4 Induces Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells In Vitro and Confers Enhancement of Pro-B-Cells In Vivo
Investigators measured the ability of HOXA4 to promote ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors using retroviral mediated overexpression. [Stem Cells Dev]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Acceptable HLA-Mismatching in Unrelated Donor Bone Marrow Transplantation for Patients with Acquired Severe Aplastic Anemia
Scientists retrospectively analyzed the impact of HLA mismatching (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1) using molecular typing on transplant outcome for 301 patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia who received unrelated bone marrow transplantation through the Japan Marrow Donor Program. [Blood]

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for CD3δ Deficiency
The objective of this study is to study the outcome of CD3δ deficiency by using various modalities of stem cell transplantation. [J Allergy Clin Immunol]

AAML03P1, a Pilot Study of the Safety of Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin in Combination with Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia
The Children’s Oncology Group AAML03P1 trial sought to determine the safety of adding 2 doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin, a humanized anti-CD33 antibody-targeted agent, to intensive chemotherapy during remission induction and postremission intensification for children with de novo acute myeloid leukemia. [Cancer]

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Awards Two Major Grants to Researchers at Harvard and Cambridge
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society announced it has awarded two new Marshall A. Lichtman Specialized Center of Research grants to Frederick W. Alt, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, and Anthony Green, M.D., Ph.D., University of Cambridge. [PR Newswire]

Seattle Genetics Announces Unanimous Recommendations from FDA Advisory Committee in Favor of Accelerated Approval of ADCETRIS™ for Post-Transplant Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma and Relapsed or Refractory Systemic ALCL
Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced that the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 10-0 to recommend that the FDA grant accelerated approval of ADCETRIS™ (brentuximab vedotin) for the treatment of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who relapse after autologous stem cell transplant. [Seattle Genetics, Inc. Press Release]

FDA Accepts DACOGEN^® (Decitabine) sNDA Submission in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
SuperGen, Inc. announced that Eisai Inc. released information that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) seeking approval of DACOGEN^® (decitabine) for injection in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. [SuperGen, Inc. Press Release]

BioMarin Initiates Phase I Trial for BMN 673 in Patients with Advanced Hematological Malignancies
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase I trial for BMN 673, a poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with advanced hematological malignancies. [BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. Press Release]

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)
 
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)
 
European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

NEW The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for Cancer Research: Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
July 30-August 5, 2011
Vail, United States

NEW The EMBO Meeting 2011
September 10-13, 2011
Vienna, Austria

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the hematopoietic community

Post Doctoral Fellow (MedImmune)

Laboratory Project Scientist (University of California, San Diego)

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