Crlf2 blocking peptide

BCR-ABL1-like B-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (BCR-ABL1-like B-ALL), also known as Philadelphia-like (Ph-like) ALL, is a neoplasm of B-lineage lymphoblasts characterized by a pattern of gene expression similar to that of B-ALL with the BCR-ABL1 translocation but lacking the BCR-ABL1 fusion protein. The diagnosis of BCR-ABL1-like B-ALL is associated with a high rate of relapse and poor clinical outcomes. In recognition of the difficulty in screening these leukemias for diagnostic workup, the 2016 update/revision to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 edition included BCR-ABL1-like B-ALL as a provisional entity. This review addresses the various clinical considerations and methodologies currently used in the pathologic diagnosis, subclassification, and molecular characterization of cases of BCR-ABL1-like B-ALL, with particular attention paid to emerging methods useful in identification of molecular lesions potentially amenable to targeted therapy.

Persistent minimal residual disease (MRD) after consolidation may indicate chemotherapy insensitivity in B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BP-ALL). Given the strong association of MRD and outcome in non-Down syndrome (non-DS) BP-ALL, it is likely that MRD levels are also of prognostic significance in DS BP-ALL. We report here the successful use of blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager antibody construct, in a patient with DS BP-ALL and persistent MRD at the end of consolidation. Blinatumomab has been shown to have excellent results in patients with relapsed/refractory BP-ALL. This patient had no significant toxicity and achieved MRD negativity after only one cycle of blinatumomab.