Targeted elimination of leukemic stem cells

Phil. nat. Sabine Höpner, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern. Courtesy of Sabine Höpner - Cancer research has discovered a further mechanism to combat leukemia: a research team has succeeded in identifying an important signaling pathway for regulating leukemic stem cells. With this discovery, the researchers are expanding the arsenal of potentially highly effective drugs against leukemias ("blood cancers"). Leukemia is caused by leukemic stem cells which are resistant to most known therapies. Relapses are also due to this resistance.