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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : March 25, 2014 12:42 PM IST
Children who are born with fusion of two specific chromosomes are more prone to suffer from Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a common childhood cancer. The researchers found that this type of fusion, known as a Robertsonian translocation, increases a person's risk of developing the rare leukemia by 2,700 fold. 'Although rare, people who carry this specific joining together of chromosomes 15 and 21 are specifically and massively predisposed to this form of leukemia,' said Christine Harrison, a professor at Newcastle University. (Read: Scientists discover gene that can turn off leukaemia stem cells)
This form of ALL - called iAMP21 ALL - requires more intensive treatment than many other types. The scientists used modern DNA analysis methods to reconstruct the sequence of genetic events that lead to iAMP21 ALL. 'We have been able to map the roads the cells follow in their transition from a normal genome to a leukaemia genome,' Harrison said. The team developed new insights for analysing genome data that can reveal the sequence of complicated genetic changes that cause a healthy cell to become cancerous. (Read: Immunity at work 24/7 to kill blood cancer cells)
They can now take a cancer cell at one point in time and deduce the relative timing and patterns of mutational events that occurred in that cell's life history. 'The method we have developed can now be used to investigate genetic changes in all cancer types,' noted Yilong Li from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, a genome research institute in Britain. (Read: Better approach to treating CLL, chronic leukemia soon?)
What is leukemia?
Cancers affecting the blood, bone marrow and lymphatic system are called blood cancers. They affect the production and function of blood cells. The three main types of blood cancers are leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Cancer of white blood cells is known as leukaemia. In acute leukaemia, the young white blood cells do not mature properly but multiply in number very fast. Hence, there are a large number of immature white cells which cannot fight infections. In chronic leukaemia, even though the white blood cells mature, they are abnormal and are hence unable to fight infections. The abnormal white blood cells take over the bone marrow thus reducing its capacity to produce red blood cells and platelets. This leads to anaemia and bleeding.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system a system composed of lymph nodes of the body which produce immune cells. There is increased and uncontrolled production of abnormal lymphocytes which impairs the immune system. Swelling of lymph nodes is the most common sign. Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the two main types. (Read: Leukaemia the blood cancer)
With inputs from IANS
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