CRLF2 Defects in Down Syndrome-Associated Leukemia

ALL is the most common childhood cancer, with a cure rate of 85% in children. Children with DS are approximately 10-20 times more likely to develop leukemia than non-DS children.

Charles Mullighan and colleagues report that a recurrent chromosomal deletion that leads to the P2RY8-CRLF2 fusion is found in 7% of individuals with B-progenitor ALL and 53% of individuals with Down syndrome-associated ALL. The fusion leads to elevated activity of the CRLF2 gene, which may contribute to the increased risk of ALL in children with DS.

Author Contact:

Charles G. Mullighan (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA)
E-mail: charles.mullighan@stjude.org

Abstract available online.

(C) Nature Genetics press release.

Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza