leukaemia Archives

Unlocking the mechanism of action of arsenic trioxide in leukaemia

Written by

Image of cells under a microscope. One cell is much larger and purple, with a green arrow pointing to it. Researchers have identified the mechanism behind treatment for APL (a type of leukaemia) with ATO - arsenic trioxide - and vitamin A.

The blood cancer acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) has recently been transformed from a fatal condition to a curable one, thanks to the development of treatments including vitamin A1 and arsenic trioxide (ATO). Although very effective, the mechanism of action of ATO has remained unclear until now. Changing this is Professor Paul B Tchounwou and his team at Jackson State University, […]

Vitamin A: Seeing into the past, the present and the future

Written by

Why is Vitamin A critical to animal and human health, and what functions does it have in the body other than in vision? In this thought-provoking and informative interview, neuroscientist and Professor at Harvard University John Dowling takes us through the history of research into the topic, from the first mention of night blindness in 3500 BC to current and […]

Off-the-shelf immunotherapy could lead to more accessible cancer treatment

Written by

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that harnesses the immune system to destroy cancerous cells. Dr Li Zhang and colleagues at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and the University of Toronto, are pioneering a new type of “off-the-shelf” treatment using a type of immune cell—a double negative T (DNT) cell. Dr Zhang‘s work shows that DNT cells are a […]

A shining light in the fight against childhood leukaemia?

Written by

Dr C. James Lim, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, as well as Investigator at the Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program at British Columbia Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada. His research group aims to unravel the mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to chemotherapy in childhood malignancies, with the goal of identifying new treatment […]