ISTOCK, SHAWN_HEMPEL Researchers have halted the progression of leukemia in mice by restoring the enzyme TET2 in hematopoietic stem cells, either by reestablishing its gene expression in transgenic mice or by promoting the protein’s function with high doses of vitamin C.
In their study, published today (August 17) in Cell, the authors found that the absence of this protein continuously drives a pre-leukemic state in hematopoietic stem cells, while its renewed presence can arrest leukemia progression. Notably, they also showed that boosting TET2’s enzymatic activity with vitamin C can make up for diminished amounts of the protein in deficient mice.
This is a “very important study that will definitely have a very lasting impact on the field,” says Ulrich Steidl of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine who was not involved in the study. It will likely “inspire a lot of scientists and translational investigators to think about similar strategies and to go after these pre-leukemic stem cells, which, in my opinion will be critical if ...
