High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia

To improve treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a better understanding of disease development is needed to tailor new therapies. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is highly expressed in leukaemia cells from the majority of paediatric patients with B-lineage ALL (pre-B ALL). CT...

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Main Authors: Wells, J., Howlett, M., Halse, H., Heng, J., Ford, J., Cheung, Laurence, Samuels, A., Crook, M., Charles, A., Cole, C., Kees, U.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/59373
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author Wells, J.
Howlett, M.
Halse, H.
Heng, J.
Ford, J.
Cheung, Laurence
Samuels, A.
Crook, M.
Charles, A.
Cole, C.
Kees, U.
author_facet Wells, J.
Howlett, M.
Halse, H.
Heng, J.
Ford, J.
Cheung, Laurence
Samuels, A.
Crook, M.
Charles, A.
Cole, C.
Kees, U.
author_sort Wells, J.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description To improve treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a better understanding of disease development is needed to tailor new therapies. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is highly expressed in leukaemia cells from the majority of paediatric patients with B-lineage ALL (pre-B ALL). CTGF is a matricellular protein and plays a role in aggressive cancers. Here we have genetically engineered leukaemia cells to modulate CTGF expression levels. Elevated CTGF levels accelerated disease dissemination and reduced survival in NOD/SCID mice. In vitro studies showed that CTGF protein induces stromal cell proliferation, promotes adhesion of leukaemia cells to stromal cells and leads to overexpression of genes associated with cell cycle and synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM). Corresponding data from our leukaemia xenograft models demonstrated that CTGF leads to increased proliferation of non-leukaemia cells and deposition of ECM in the bone marrow. We document for the first time a functional role of CTGF in altering disease progression in a lymphoid malignancy. The findings provide support for targeting the bone marrow microenvironment in aggressive forms of leukaemia.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-593732018-02-13T02:11:19Z High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia Wells, J. Howlett, M. Halse, H. Heng, J. Ford, J. Cheung, Laurence Samuels, A. Crook, M. Charles, A. Cole, C. Kees, U. To improve treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a better understanding of disease development is needed to tailor new therapies. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is highly expressed in leukaemia cells from the majority of paediatric patients with B-lineage ALL (pre-B ALL). CTGF is a matricellular protein and plays a role in aggressive cancers. Here we have genetically engineered leukaemia cells to modulate CTGF expression levels. Elevated CTGF levels accelerated disease dissemination and reduced survival in NOD/SCID mice. In vitro studies showed that CTGF protein induces stromal cell proliferation, promotes adhesion of leukaemia cells to stromal cells and leads to overexpression of genes associated with cell cycle and synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM). Corresponding data from our leukaemia xenograft models demonstrated that CTGF leads to increased proliferation of non-leukaemia cells and deposition of ECM in the bone marrow. We document for the first time a functional role of CTGF in altering disease progression in a lymphoid malignancy. The findings provide support for targeting the bone marrow microenvironment in aggressive forms of leukaemia. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/59373 10.1038/onc.2015.525 Nature Publishing Group restricted
spellingShingle Wells, J.
Howlett, M.
Halse, H.
Heng, J.
Ford, J.
Cheung, Laurence
Samuels, A.
Crook, M.
Charles, A.
Cole, C.
Kees, U.
High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
title High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
title_full High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
title_fullStr High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
title_full_unstemmed High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
title_short High expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
title_sort high expression of connective tissue growth factor accelerates dissemination of leukaemia
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/59373