Hedgehog activation in CLL

Abstract

In this issue of Blood, Ghia et al observe that a proportion of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) harbor mutations in genes involved in the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway resulting in expression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1). They also find that GLI1 is expressed in CLL cells without evidence of Hh mutations and that the high GLI1 levels correlate with disease progression.