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Hong Kong researchers make breakthrough discovery in identifying child leukaemia patients at greater risk of relapse
- Children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia found to be twice as likely to relapse if bone marrow samples have CD9 protein present
- ‘We hope the presence of CD9 can be an identifier of treatment failure and lower the risk of relapse, improving survival rates,’ expert says
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Child leukaemia patients whose bone marrow samples contain a particular protein are at greater risk of relapse, which could pave the way for medical intervention and increased survival rates, a Hong Kong study has found.
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Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Wednesday said children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were found to be twice as likely to relapse if their bone marrow samples had the CD9 protein.
The CD9 protein, found on the surface of several cell types, has been associated with cancer progression.
ALL, which accounts for almost a third of all cancers diagnosed in children, is the most common type in Hong Kong, with about 50 new patients every year.
Treatment at present includes chemotherapy but more severe cases require bone marrow transplants or even gene therapy.
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