ALL emerges from relapse

Separate teams led by researchers from New York University and Columbia University have identified mutations in 5ʹ-nucleotidase cytosolic II that predict relapse, drug resistance and poor prognosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.^1,2 Inhibiting the enzyme could improve disease outcomes and sensitize some relapsed patients to marketed acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapies.

Current treatment regimens for ALL involve first-line chemotherapy followed by maintenance therapy that includes the purine analogs 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and 6-tioguanine (6-TG)...