Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto is utilizing LSC17, a biomarker found in Leukemia Stem Cells, to determine if conventional treatments will be effective. If present, the biomarker causes greater chance of relapse. LSC17 causes makes cells dormant, allowing them to avoid effects of chemotherapy, developing after presumed remission.
Here Are The Details:
- Stem cells from blood and bone marrow are tested for LSC17 and given a score based on predicted treatment response.
- Patients identified with LSC17 might be better off skipping standard treatments and begin participation in clinical trials.
- Nanostring’s developed LSC17 test will be used in Princess Margaret run clinical trials to evaluate the “stemness” score
This new biomarker would be a huge breakthrough for patients suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukemia as it is one of the more deadly forms of leukemia. AML has a 20-30% five-year survival rate, metastasizing quickly and difficult to contain.
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