Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) affects both children and adults, but children have better chances to be cured, with long-term survival rates over 85% compared to 50-75% in adults. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital conducted a comprehensive study to understand the biological causes driving this difference.
The work, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology , provides a blueprint for understanding B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common form of the disease. Our study provides a pharmacological and biological explanation of why the survival rate of ALL becomes progressively worse as age increases." Jun J.
Yang, PhD, Study Corresponding Author and Vice-Chair, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ALL affects the blood and bone marrow by overproducing immature lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Scientists have long observed age-related differences in B-ALL outcomes, but the reasons why remained unclear.
"ALL is one of few cancers that can occur throughout development, but in adults it is significantly more lethal," Yang said. "Many of us have assumed that adult ALL may be differentially resistant to standard treatments, but it had never been tested comprehensively until our study." Drug sensitivity across age groups The researchers examined 767 children and 309 adults diagnosed with B-ALL, assessing the leukemia cells' sensitivity to 21 drugs.
Through this work they iden.