Role of CXCL12-Expressing Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Niches in Maintaining Treatment-Resistant Leukemia Stem Cells

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) results from hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transformation by the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), although effective in inducing remissions in CML, fail to eradicate leukemia stem cells (LSC) which persist as source of relapse. LSC resistance to TKI-treatment occurs through kinase-independent mechanisms, which include alterations in intrinsic cell-regulatory mechanisms as well as signals...