Researchers from Stanford University in California believe the finding may lead to new drugs for the hard-to-treat cancer that affects babies. New data shows that GSK3 fuels a deadly white blood cell cancer that accounts for between 5 and 10 percent of child and adult leukaemias.
MLL or "mixed lineage" leukaemia is a particularly dangerous form of the disease that can either start in the lymph nodes or bone marrow. Mice tests showed that inhibiting GSK3 combated MLL leukaemias and helped treated mice to live far longer than untreated mice.
The findings indicate that GSK3 may be a good target for future leukemia drugs since attacking it may not only kill cancer cells but also speed up the growth of healthy bone marrow stem cells; researchers report their discovery in the journal Nature. However, researchers say more work is needed in this field.
