T-cell leukemia: from basic understanding towards targeted therapeutics

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia originate from early developing T-cells in the thymus. Here, first driving oncogenic rearrangements provide a pathogenic state that freeze cells at specific stages of thymocyte development. Further acquisition of mutations involving various cellular processes and important signaling pathways give rise to a fulminant leukemia. Current treatment consist of high intensity combination chemotherapy that leads to cure in approximately 70 to 80 percent of the patients, while patients who relapse have a very poor outcome despite bone marrow transplantation. Research in my research group is focused on the improved understanding of pathogenic mechanisms in T-ALL of which some result in acquired resistance towards treatment. Improved understanding has led to the identification of various molecular targets for therapeutic intervention, and especially those targets that make leukemia cells resistant to steroid treatment, a cornerstone drug in the treatment of ALL.