Transcriptional network control of normal and leukaemic haematopoiesis.

Transcription factors (TFs) play a key role in determining the gene expression profiles of stem/progenitor cells, and defining their potential to differentiate into mature cell lineages. TF interactions within gene-regulatory networks are vital to these processes, and dysregulation of these networks by TF overexpression, deletion or abnormal gene fusions have been shown to cause malignancy. While investigation of these processes remains a challenge, advances in genome-wide technologies and growing interactions between laboratory and computational science are starting to produce increasingly accurate network models.

Adenoviremia has limited clinical impact in the majority of patients following alemtuzumab-based allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adults.

Background: Adenovirus infection is a potentially serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and has been reported to occur more frequently following T-cell-depleted reduced-intensity HSCT. However, the true incidence and clinical significance as well as the relationship of disease to viremic titer remain unclear due to wide variation in study populations and methodology.

Methods: We performed weekly surveillance blood testing by quantitative polymerase chain reaction on all adult recipients of alemtuzumab-based reduced-intensity HSCT at our institution between January 2008 and January 2011.

Outcomes in older adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL): results from the international MRC UKALL XII/ECOG2993 trial.

Although the incidence rate of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is slightly higher in older than in younger adults, response rates to induction chemotherapy and survival rates are poorer. The contribution of disease-related versus treatment-related factors remains unclear. We analysed 100 older patients (aged 55-65 years) treated on the UKALLXII/ECOG2993 trial compared with 1814 younger patients (aged 14-54 years).