Scientists from the Salamanca Biomedical Research Institute (IBSAL) and the University of Salamanca (USAL) have demonstrated the effectiveness of a new therapeutic strategy against acute myeloid leukemiathe most common in adults and the one with the worst prognosis. The Hematology Service of the city’s University Care Complex has collaborated in the research.
Researchers have proven that the simultaneous inhibition of NOX2, the NOX family of proteins, and glycolysis reduces malignant cell proliferation in this hematological cancer and also improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy. The study, validated in a panel of cell lines, on patient and animal samples, has been published in the journal Biomarker Research and also offers research options to treat resistance to conventional treatment.
The research, led by the Redox Signaling in Hematological Neoplasias group of IBSAL and USAL, directed by Ángel Hernández and whose first authors are Carla Ijurko and Marta Romo. The study reveals that this combined inhibition improves the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy which has been used since the 70s against this type of leukemia.
Although it can appear at any age, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has a mean age of diagnosis of 68 years and Around 1600-1900 cases are recorded each year in Spain. Currently, there is an upward trend due to the aging of the population.
His poor prognosis, with an overall 5-year survival rate of 30%requires greater research efforts to identify better diagnostic markers and development of new therapies aimed at specific targets to advance early and more effective treatments due to their aggressiveness.
Subgroups of patients most benefited
This IBSAL group had already demonstrated in two previous studies that the expression of NOX2 in acute myeloid leukemia is a very important prognostic factor when is related to genes that regulate cellular metabolism. “Previously, we discovered a panel of genes with which we are able to determine the prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia, and the next step was to ask ourselves if we could use this information at a therapeutic level,” explained Hernández.
With this new research, have validated the inhibition of NOX2 and glycolysis as an effective treatment against AML. This occurs both in cell line models and in primary bone marrow samples derived from patients with the disease and in an animal model.
“We have seen that, in general, patients with acute myeloid leukemia have altered NOX2 expression levels. Precisely, this treatment that we propose It is more effective the higher these levels are“Ijurko stated.
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