Protein discovery could open door for leukaemia treatments

Scientists have identified a protein which plays a key role in the development of leukaemia stem cells, a discovery which could pave the way for new treatment options.

A team from King's College London have found that suppressing the blood-borne protein beta-catenin can cause leukaemia stem cells to be reverted to a pre-leukaemic stage, as well as reversing the effects of drug resistance in these cells.

Previously, it was unknown that this protein had any link to the development of stem cells in acute leukaemia, making it a potentially critical new therapeutic target.

Professor Eric So, who led the study, said the discovery could potentially lead to the creation of treatments that combat the disease while leaving healthy blood cells relatively unaffected.

"Much more research needs to be done before we can adopt this approach in treating people with leukaemia, but the findings of this study do look promising," he added.

According to Cancer Research UK, leukaemia is the 12th most common cancer in Britain, with around 7,000 people diagnosed with the disease in 2007.