New Discoveries and Honors in Cancer Research

Read the latest cancer research and recognition from the members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle.
April 5, 2012
Targeting leukemia stem cells

Scott A. Armstrong, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘03-‘08) of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston, and colleagues, reported the role of a protein called β-catenin in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) stem cells. They demonstrated that reducing β-catenin in combination with treatment with Gleevec/imatinib decreases CML stem cells in mice, without harming healthy cells. These findings, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, suggest that this combination therapy may prevent recurrence of AML disease in patients.