IDIBELL, ICREA researcher and Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona, has shown how a mutation in a gene results the activation of a gene that triggers leukaemia.

"Recently it has been discovered the existence of mutations in the DNMT3A gene in leukaemia. It seemed that history stopped here. But this gene is responsible for silencing other genes that should not be active in the cell; so we wonder which DNA sequence was being 'awakened' by this mutation in leukaemia" explained Manel Esteller, director of the study.

"By analysing the entire genome of leukaemia cells carrying the mutation, we realised that the activated target gene was called oncogene MEIS1. This is a powerful gene inducing acute myeloid leukaemia, for which its pre-leukaemia function was known, but not as it gets underway. The mutation of another gene explains it" says the researcher.

"We can imagine it as a house of cards. If you remove the card from the bottom row (DNMT3A) the upper layers will collapse too, such as oncogene MEIS1. The finding, in addition to its usefulness in predicting patients with poor prognosis leukaemia, suggests that this subtype of leukaemia may be sensitive to drugs that already target the two genes studied".

Source: Idibell-Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute