Year 4

Acute myeloid leukemia is a group of serious blood malignant diseases. The treatment outcome is poor, in large part, due to the fact that a small group of cells named leukemia stem cells can survive treatment, regenerate more leukemic cells and cause recurrence. This project aims to improve the treatment outcomes of acute leukemia by eradicating leukemia stem cells. We identified one molecule that can specifically bind to leukemia stem cells. We also developed nanoparticles that are small particles with the size of about 1/100th of one micron (much smaller than the width of a human hair). Inside of these nanoparticles, we can load chemotherapeutic drugs, such as daunorubicin that is one of the two drugs used for the upfront treatment of acute leukemia. When we attached the stem cell-targeting molecules on the surface of nanoparticles, these nanoparticles work like “small missiles” that can seek and delivery daunorubicin into leukemia stem cells. We have shown that these “smart” nanoparticle can delivery chemotherapeutic drug daunorubicin to leukemia cells directly isolated from clinical patient specimens, and kills these cells more efficient that the regular nanoparticles. Therefore, these “smart” nanoparticles can potentially target leukemia stem cells, and eradicate leukemia from the very root. Furthermore, chemotherapeutic drugs formulated in these nanoparticles are less toxic, suggesting that high-dose chemotherapeutic drugs can be given to patients to treat leukemia without increasing the horrendous toxicity associated with regular chemotherapy.