Stem cells microenvironment and its effects on leukemia treatment

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is one of the most common forms of leukemia that affects children. Although a remarkable achievement in cure rate is seen, still the percent of children is facing the risk of death due to the resistance to drug or toxic side effects of treatment. Glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone are regularly used in the treatment because of its pro-apoptotic effects. Recent studies highlighted the role of bone marrow stem cells in developing resistance and failure of the treatment and subsequently death of the patient. In this book, we demonstrated the importance of considering how combined drug treatment is different from individual drug treatment and how the bone marrow stem cells can affects drug resistance. In conclusion, our findings can increase the understands of the biological and molecular aspects of the differences between the sensitive and resistant cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the effect of the stem cell niche on the therapy which can contribute to more efficient, less toxic therapy.