Leukemia cells and the immune system: mechanisms of interaction
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Leukemia cells and the immune system: mechanisms of interaction
Human leukemias are cancers that occur when a person’s bone marrow makes more white blood cells than normal. These leukemic cells often crowd out healthy cells in the bone marrow, which can lead to anemia and infections. The most common type of leukemia is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Leukemia cells are mostly made up of immature white blood cells called blast cells, which have not yet developed into mature white blood cells called neutrophils or lymphocytes. These blast cells make up 90% of all cancerous blood cells.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes and is characterized by uncontrolled growth of these immature white blood cells. It usually occurs in children but can also affect adults.
There are two main types of ALL: lymphoblastic and lymphocytic. Lymphoblastic ALL accounts for approximately 75% of cases while lymphocytic accounts for 25%. The cause of ALL remains unknown but genetics may play a role as some studies have shown that people who have certain genetic mutations are more likely to develop this disease than others without those mutations; this suggests that genetic factors may influence risk factors such as exposure to radiation
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