Treatment usually involves intensive chemotherapy to normalise the blood count and remove diseased cells from the bone marrow.
Because of the side-effects, however, this is not suitable for weakened patients. A more targeted therapy might result in an improved prognosis for patients and fewer side-effects.
In their current publication in Science Translational Medicine, Sayantanee Dutta, Philipp Jost, Michael Dengler and their team present an innovative and promising therapeutic approach that could facilitate precise and selective treatment of AML in the future.
Focus on stem cells
Leukaemic stem cells are a major problem in the treatment of AML. These dormant cells have extremely efficient DNA repair mechanisms and a distinctive ability to selectively expel drugs.
They are highly resistant compared with conventional therapies. Consequently, these leukaemic stem cells play a key role in the continuance of the disease and the development of recurrences; that is, the return of the cancer.
Selective elimination of these cells might be especially advantageous for patients.
Through extensive investigations of primary samples from AML patients and different AML mouse models, Philipp Jost's team was able to show that the body's own cytokine lymphotoxin alpha has an AML-inhibiting effect and, thus, the therapeutic potential to specifically eliminate malignant leukaemic stem cells.
Lymphotoxin alpha makes use of an internal mechanism in the cell and offers clear advantages compared with conventional cytotoxic therapies.
The researchers were able to show that, in contrast to aggressive chemotherapy, which is frequently accompanied by the suppression of bone marrow, lymphotoxin alpha can inhibit cancerous cells while promoting healthy blood cells.
The findings show the clear therapeutic potential of lymphotoxin alpha, which might fundamentally change how AML is treated.
In particular, older or weakened patients who are unable to receive chemotherapy might benefit from this new approach.