Tracking leukemic residuals: dissecting the inverse relationship between CD26+ stem cells and extracellular <i>BCR::ABL1</i> transcript in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) persists due to leukemic stem cells, notably the CD26+ subset. We investigated correlations between circulating CD26+ leukemic stem cells (LSCs) and BCR::ABL1 transcripts in an extracellular vesicle-enriched secretome (EVES) from plasma samples of 44 CML patients. EVES were characterized and BCR::ABL1 quantified via digital PCR. We observed an inverse correlation between CD26+LSC counts and EVES BCR::ABL1 levels, especially in deep molecular responders (DMR). CD26+LSCs were elevated in patients in treatment-free remission (TFR), while EVES BCR::ABL1 levels were higher in those receiving therapy. These findings suggest distinct dynamics between LSC populations and vesicle-mediated transcript release, with potential implications for CML monitoring and prognosis.
Authors
- Claudia Ielo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2295-7321)
- Monica Bocchia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3538-3913)
- Simona Bernardi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3494-2624)
- Lucia Paolini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4410-5272)
- Mirko Farina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2980-9028)
- Michele Malagola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0907-130X)
- Domenico Russo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4458-6261)
- Elisabetta Abruzzese (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5228-6491)
- Anna Sicuranza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5840-2956)
- Valentina Mangolini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5548-7405)
- Alessandro Leoni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2177-2064)
- Paola Pacelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5838-1123)
- Massimo Breccia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1163-6162)
- Alessia Cavalleri
- Silvia Mutti
- Teresa Miracapillo
- Camilla Turriziani
Institutions
- Policlinico Umberto I (IT)
- Brescia University (US)
- Gene Therapy Laboratory (FR)
- Surgical Specialties (Canada) (CA)
- Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale degli Spedali Civili di Brescia (IT)
- Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation (IT)
- Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese (IT)
- St. Eugenio Hospital (IT)
- University of Brescia (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Stem Cells Translational Medicine
- Published
- 2025-11-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/stcltm/szaf062
- Primary Topic
- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- European Commission