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Downregulation of MEIS1 impairs long-term expansion of CD34+ NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia cells

Leukemia volume 26, pages 848–853 (2012)Cite this article

Mutations of the nucleophosmin gene (NPM1) occur in about 30% of all acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and cause aberrant accumulation of NPM1 in the cytoplasm of leukemic cells (NPMc+ AML).1 It is currently unclear how mutant NPM1 contributes to leukemic transformation and which molecular mechanisms underlie self-renewal of stem cells in NPMc+ AML.

In most cases the leukemia initiating cells (LICs) have been found to reside in the CD34+ fraction. As the vast majority of the leukemic cells within NPMc+ AML are negative for CD34, it remained unclear whether the generally accepted CD34+ expression profile of LICs would also apply to NPMc+ AML. Recently, this question has been addressed by two research groups. Taussig et al.2 describe that the CD34− fraction of NPMc+ AML contains cells that could engraft immunocompromised mice in all studied samples, whereas Martelli et al.3 showed that in most cases the CD34+, but not CD34− cells generated NPMc+ AML in immunocompromised mice.

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Acknowledgements

CMW is supported by a grant from the GUIDE-UMCG, EV is supported by grants from the KWF (RUG 2006-3580 and RUG 2009-4275), JJS is supported by grants from the NWO (VIDI) and KWF (RUG 2009 4275), GH is supported by grants from the NWO (VENI).

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Author notes

  1. J J Schuringa and G Huls: Shared senior authorship.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    C M Woolthuis, L Han, R N Verkaik-Schakel, D van Gosliga, E Vellenga, J J Schuringa & G Huls

  2. Department of Hematology, The First Clinical College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

    L Han

  3. Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    P M Kluin

Authors
  1. C M Woolthuis
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  2. L Han
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Correspondence to G Huls.

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Woolthuis, C., Han, L., Verkaik-Schakel, R. et al. Downregulation of MEIS1 impairs long-term expansion of CD34+ NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia cells. Leukemia 26, 848–853 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2011.277

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