Scientist Find Possible Mutation For Leukemia That Starts In Womb

In an article from BBC News Health, scientists may have found the source of a mutation in the genomes of two twins that causes acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, which makes white blood cells cancerous and is the most common leukemia in children. The leukemia-triggering mutation ETV6-RUNX1 was found by sequencing the entire genome of the twins who developed ALL around the age of four. The scientists believe that the mutation arises in the womb due to it being the only mutation that is common between the twins. They also believe that the mutation occurred in one of the twins in the womb and then spread to the other twin through shared circulation from one fetus to the other.

Leukemia is one of the most common cancers that can occur in children, with ALL being the most common form of leukemia diagnosed. While the genes that can trigger the disease are already know, the steps that cause the leukemia were not. That is what makes this research so interesting due to the fact that they may have found the base mutation of the disease and that it occurs while the child is still in the womb. While ALL in children is a treatable form of cancer, the side-effects are brutal and still aren’t always successful. The researchers hope that finding the root of this cancer will help in the development of a drug or treatment to stop the mutation where it starts.