Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD – University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus
The discussion revolved around patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that had a gene expression signature similar to Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL (Ph+ ALL) but lacked the characteristic genetic abnormalities. This subgroup, referred to as “PH-like ALL,” comprised around 20-30% of ALL cases, with a higher prevalence in pediatric patients.
The presentation delved into the genetic and molecular characteristics of PH-like ALL. The genetic lesions were found to be diverse, driven by kinase activation pathways, and they were categorized into various groups. Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD discussed various diagnostic approaches to identify these genetic lesions, including flow cytometry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and gene expression analysis.