Oncogenes in human leukemias

Oncogenes: a review of their clinical application

One objective of this review is to sort through and collate the recent data that suggest that human cellular oncogenes, which have been implicated as the etiologic agents in both animal and human malignancies, have also the potential to be employed as clinical tools in the struggle against cancer. For nearly 10 years, reports have been suggesting that advantage can be taken of cellular oncogenes as to their use as diagnostic and prognostic indicators of cancer and eventually as therapeutic cancer agents. It is also the purpose of this review to give an objective evaluation of these predictions. Moreover, this review will try to highlight some of the significant advances in this most rapidly evolving field of biology. Although the enormity of what has been learned about cellular oncogenes is nothing less than impressive, it is the view here that the routine implementation of oncogenes into the clinical setting will not become evident as early as the many predictions had purported.

Establishment of a human T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line with a (16;20) chromosome translocation

A new T-cell line, Loucy, was established from the peripheral blood of a patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The surface marker analysis of the cell line is OKT3+, OKT4+, THB4+, J5 +/-, OKT6-, TdT-, and HLA-DR-, indicating stage IV in T-cell lineage. Karyotype analysis revealed 45,X,5q-,t(16;20)(p12;q13). The translocation between chromosomes 16 and 20 has not been previously detected in ALL. This cell line may be of value in evaluating the role of t(16;20) in the etiology of T-ALL.