Understanding the pathogenesis of leukaemia is central to designing novel, targeted therapies. European researchers are using zebrafish as a model to delineate the molecular pathogenesis of a type of childhood leukaemia.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy with 5 000 new cases in Europe every year. The most frequent type of ALL occurs in the B lymphoblastic cell lineage and carries the ETV6/RUNX1 chromosomal translocation. RUNX1 is a key transcription factor in haematopoiesis and is associated with many types of acute leukaemia.
Further details: Zebrafish model for childhood leukaemia