Cancer Stem Cells in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) is a haematological malignancy that is identified by the presence of a fusion oncogene, BCR-ABL, which is a constitutive tyrosine kinase. The discovery of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) over that past decade has resulted in significantly improved survival rates and disease management in CML patients. However, a subpopulation of BCR-ABL1+ cells in the niche are found which exhibit stem cell-like features, such as self-renewal and quiescence. These CML stem cells (LSCs) have been shown to be insensitive to TKIs treatment and are capable of deriving the disease during the relapse. Consequently, the elimination of LSCs is a primary goal of current research.