Danish Research Identifies Promising New Target for Preventing CNS Relapse in ALL

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) frequently disseminates to the central nervous system (CNS), and a substantial proportion of relapses involve CNS disease. At the same time, effective treatment of CNS leukemia remains challenging, as many therapeutic agents—including newer drugs—have limited ability to cross the blood–brain barrier. Previous studies in experimental models have suggested a potential role for several proteins in CNS involvement and relapse in ALL, but studies of leukemic cells in the CSF of patients with ALL are missing. The aim of this Danish study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying CNS dissemination and relapse in patients with ALL through single cell transcriptomics of leukemic cells in bone marrow and CSF. Based on its findings, the study identifies a highly promising therapeutic target for patients at high risk of CNS relapse