Playing musical chairs with bone marrow transplantation to eliminate leukemia stem cells

Abstract

Increasing attention has been focused on the interactions between leukemia cells and their bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. We have recently shown that leukemic stem cells (LSCs) share common BM “niches” with their healthy counterparts. As a result of these shared niche requirements, human LSCs can be mobilized using existing pharmacological agents that facilitate competitive healthy reconstitution, leading to eradication of leukemia during BM transplantation.