Lund University: Through
a detailed study of leukaemia cells from more than 200 children, a
research group at Lund University in Sweden has discovered two new types
of childhood leukaemia. Using next-generation sequencing technology
(NGS), the researchers were able to study the genome of cancer cells,
which is how they discovered the new types of cancer. Acute
lymphoblastic leukaemia is a rare disease, but the most common form of
cancer in children. Today the treatment is very successful, but requires
heavy interventions at the risk of causing many side effects. There is
therefore a need to distinguish between different types of acute
lymphoblastic leukaemia, in order to adapt the treatment according to
the severity of each case, and to detect possible relapse.