Background and Significance

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a severe malignancy characterized by the accumulation of immature myeloid progenitors, or “blasts,” in the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB). This accumulation disrupts normal blood cell production, leading to symptoms like fatigue, frequent infections, and bleeding. AML is the most prevalent acute leukaemia in adults, with a significant relapse rate and poor long-term survival.

A major contributor to AML relapse is a subset of cells resistant to chemotherapy, supported by the bone marrow microenvironment (BMME). Within the BMME, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) play a critical role in maintaining normal blood cell development. However, in AML, these MSCs are hijacked to support leukaemia cells, promoting drug resistance and disease persistence.

Project Aim

The project aims to optimise the co-culture of patient-derived AML blasts with the patient’s own MSCs. This will help understand the mechanisms by which AML cells remodel the BMME to evade therapy. The co-culture system will serve as a crucial tool for ongoing and future research in the Simoes Lab at BSMS, particularly in the study of chemo-resistant cells and the interactions within the BMME.

Impact

This project will establish a robust co-culture system to study the interactions between AML blasts and MSCs. It will provide insights into the mechanisms of drug resistance and support ongoing research aimed at improving AML treatment outcomes.