Glucocorticoid-induced alterations in mitochondrial membrane properties and respiration in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Mitochondria are signal-integrating organelles involved in cell death induction. Mitochondrial alterations and reduction in energy metabolism have been previously reported in the context of glucocorticoid (GC)-triggered apoptosis, although the mechanism is not yet clarified. We analyzed mitochondrial function in a GC-sensitive precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) model as well as in GC-sensitive and GC-resistant T-ALL model systems.