By functionally isolating stem cells (LSCs) from individuals with leukemia and parsing our their gene expression, Dick and his colleagues find that LSCs have heterogeneous surface markers and frequencies and possess a gene expression profile resembling that of normal hematopoietic stem cells. The gene expression program derived from LSCs could be a general predictor of disease outcome, stratifying risk for cytogenetically normal patients, which suggests that stemness underlies leukemia aggressiveness.
- Kolja Eppert
- Katsuto Takenaka
- John E Dick
