A gene expression profile associated with relapse of cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia is enriched for leukemia stem cell genes

Relapse, associated with therapy resistance, is a major clinical problem in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), yet little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using genome wide gene expression profiling on 11 paired samples from diagnosis and relapse, we show that the expression of a substantial number of genes was altered in a highly consistent manner between these disease stages. Furthermore, the relapse associated gene expression profile was significantly enriched for leukemia stem cell (LSC) genes, indicating that recurring AML is characterized by increased stemness, and supporting the concept that it is due to the outgrowth of chemotherapy resistant LSCs.

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Hackl H, Steinleitner K, Lind K, Hofer S, Tosic N, Pavlovic S, Suvajdzic N, Sill H, Wieser R