Synthetic miR-142 Prevents Transformation of CML

Guido Marcucci, MD, of the Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research at the City of Hope Cancer Center, discussed the results of a study on mutations in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

“We wanted to understand what was the mechanism by which eventually the CML transforms into blast crisis,” Dr. Marcucci stated.

The research team analyzed the RNA of CML cells and found that miR-142, an RNA molecule that regulates cell metabolism, was missing. Researchers developed a synthetic version of miR-142 that prevented CML transformation in mice, and found that the mice lived much longer and were even cured. Combining tyrosine kinase inhibitors with the synthetic miR-142 increased its antileukemic activity.

“Just by changing the metabolism, we were able to transform the phenotype of the leukemia stem cells from a chronic phase into blast crisis,” Dr. Marcucci said