MicroRNAs in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Small players with huge potential

摘要: textabstractHematopoiesis is a dynamic balance of cellular proliferation, survival, apoptosis and differentiation in which the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell gives rise to lymphoid and myeloid precursors blood cells. The B-lymphoid precursor sequentially differentiates from proB-cells into common/preB-cells and fi nally yields mature B-lymphocytes. T-lymphoid precursor generates thymocytes or proT-cells that further differentiate T-lymphocytes. The myeloid granulocytes, monocytes, platelets erythrocytes. This process under tight surveillance by regulators including transcription factors, cytokines and growth factors. In case defects and/or oncogenic hits maturing hematopoietic cell, cells may arrest at different levels maturation. Leukemia grow exponentially with limited differentiation thereby suppressing development normal blood bone marrow. As consequence leukemia patients suffer from fatigue (shortage erythrocytes anemia), infections (shortage lymphocytes and granulocytes) bleeding (low platelet numbers). Despite fact multiple consecutive events are required for leukemia, clinical symptoms associated with acute occur rather abrupt progression disease very fast if not treated instantly.