B-ALL (B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) is the most common pediatric cancer, with 5-year survival rates reaching 85% or higher due to highly effective glucocorticoid-based treatments. However, a subtype of B-ALL, frequently found in infants under one year old, shows poor response to glucocorticoids, resulting in a grim prognosis and survival rates below 30%.
This glucocorticoid-resistant B-ALL subtype is characterized by the rearrangement of the MLL gene. This genetic alteration involves a segment of DNA with the MLL gene relocating to a different part of the genome, a common occurrence in cancer cells. The location of the relocated fragment can have significant consequences. In most cases of B-ALL with MLL rearrangements (MLLr B-ALL), the MLL gene fuses with another gene, AF4, creating a new fusion protein (MLL-AF4) with abnormal activities.
This glucocorticoid-resistant B-ALL subtype is characterized by the rearrangement of the MLL gene. This genetic alteration involves a segment of DNA with the MLL gene relocating to a different part of the genome, a common occurrence in cancer cells. The location of the relocated fragment can have significant consequences. In most cases of B-ALL with MLL rearrangements (MLLr B-ALL), the MLL gene fuses with another gene, AF4, creating a new fusion protein (MLL-AF4) with abnormal activities.
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