DYRK2 controls a key regulatory network in chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells

Abstract

Leukemia: Wiping out hidden reservoirs of stem cells A master regulator protein may represent a key vulnerability for the eradication of stem cell populations that drive recurrence in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). These leukemia stem cells (LSCs) remain robust and proliferative even after treatment has wiped out other reservoirs of cancer. Chun Shik Park and Daniel Lacorazza at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA, have reviewed current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that promote LSC survival, focusing on a protein called DYRK2. This protein’s normal physiological function is poorly understood, but it appears to restrain the uncontrolled proliferation of LSCs. Reduced expression of DYRK2 in these cells may play a major role in unleashing their tumorigenic potential. Agents that transiently reactivate DYRK2 could therefore prove a valuable adjunct to therapy, by promoting the deterioration and death of these cancer stem cells.