Chronic lymphatic leukemia, new treatments

The prestigious scientific journal Nature Medicine has very recently published a scientific study carried out by Researchers from the Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS based on new hopeful findings regarding the lymphatic leukemia chronicle or chronic lymphocytic (CLL).

What is Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia?

It is a common type of neoplasm or hematological cancer due to the abnormal proliferation of B lymphocytes, which progressively infiltrate the bone marrow, lymphatic tissues (lymph nodes and spleen) and other organs such as the liver.

It is the second most common type of in adults, specifically it is the most common leukemia in western countries (30% of all leukemias) being a rare disease in eastern countries. In Spain each year around 30 new cases per million inhabitants are diagnosed. Its incidence increases with age, it affects mainly older people, with a mean age at diagnosis of 70 years, however, it is not unusual to make the diagnosis in younger individuals (only 20% of cases), being exceptional in children .

How does it manifest?

In more than half of the cases, the patients are asymptomatic at the beginning and their diagnosis is based solely on a routine diagnosis in which there is a pathological increase in lymphocytes. Progress very slowly. It is the only leukemia in which a higher incidence has been described among family members (5%). In addition to the particular evolution of each patient, there are markers that highly condition the prognosis of this disease.

These altered B lymphocytes are unable to fulfill their immune function, they also have a longer life so they are detected in the bloodstream and in the bone marrow causing a decrease in the rest of blood series (rest of leukocytes, red blood cells and platelets) . The clinical manifestations of the disease are a consequence of said infiltration that displaces the normal elements of the blood and prevents the correct functioning of the affected organs. This carries a risk of infection (due to abnormal lymphocytes), anemia (due to decreased red blood cells), and easy bleeding (due to decreased platelets or thrombopenia).

The study of chronic lymphatic leukemia

Now, a study has deciphered the entire genome (genes contained in the chromosomes) of thechronic lymphatic leukemia and a high resolution map of their functions. More than 500 new alterations in genome function have been identified that are specific to chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Comparing this map of leukemia to that of healthy cells reveals hundreds of regions that change their functionality with disease.

This is an unprecedented study in cancer genomic research. It lasted three years and involved 51 researchers (from 23 centers in 6 countries). Advanced biotechnology techniques have been used and with them the researchers have been able to identify a total of 12 different functions. In addition, the experts discovered that only three families of proteins seem to be involved in the changes produced in the genome of the. For this reason, the research opens the door to new therapeutic alternatives that are currently under study and whose purpose is the inhibition of these proteins to stop the progression of the disease (this therapy could reverse the functional alterations in leukemia).

A gateway to new treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Likewise, the most effective combination of drugs is being studied to minimize the appearance of the dreaded side effects, especially in the elderly population. At present, thechronic lymphatic leukemia it is treated with chemotherapy and / or biological therapy (monoclonal antibodies), and bone marrow transplantation. Splenectomy (removal of the spleen) is in disuse.

Current chemotherapy is very aggressive since it acts on cancer cells and healthy cells. In addition, other concomitant treatments are necessary to combat complications (antibiotic for infections, blood transfusions for anemia, and plasma for thrombopenia).

There can be no talk of a cure, except in the favorable results of bone marrow transplantation.