Open AccessBone marrow microenvironment: The guardian of leukemia stem cells
Author(s) -
Mohammad Houshmand,
Teresa MorteraBlanco,
Paola Circosta,
Narjes Yazdi,
Alireza Kazemi,
Giuseppe Saglio,
Mahin Nikougoftar Zarif
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
world journal of stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.907
H-Index - 18
ISSN - 1948-0210
DOI - 10.4252/wjsc.v11.i8.476
Subject(s) - stem cell , leukemia , paracrine signalling , bone marrow , cancer stem cell , myeloid leukemia , population , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , progenitor cell , biology , medicine , receptor , environmental health
Bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) is the main sanctuary of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) and protects these cells against conventional therapies. However, it may open up an opportunity to target LSCs by breaking the close connection between LSCs and the BMM. The elimination of LSCs is of high importance, since they follow cancer stem cell theory as a part of this population. Based on cancer stem cell theory, a cell with stem cell-like features stands at the apex of the hierarchy and produces a heterogeneous population and governs the disease. Secretion of cytokines, chemokines, and extracellular vesicles, whether through autocrine or paracrine mechanisms by activation of downstream signaling pathways in LSCs, favors their persistence and makes the BMM less hospitable for normal stem cells. While all details about the interactions of the BMM and LSCs remain to be elucidated, some clinical trials have been designed to limit these reciprocal interactions to cure leukemia more effectively. In this review, we focus on chronic myeloid leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia LSCs and their milieu in the bone marrow, how to segregate them from the normal compartment, and finally the possible ways to eliminate these cells.