Download Rogers, Raymond A.

Raymond Rogers
BIO 212A
Take-home #6- Leukemia
Leukemia is a disease typically associated with stem cells that differentiate into white
blood cells that have been damaged during development within the bone marrow. The disease is
broken down into two types, Acute and Chronic, depending on the speed of progression (Acute
being a fast progression and Chronic being a slow progression). Leukemia is also broken down
into two subtypes, Lymphocytic and Myelogenous, depending on the location of the disease’s
production. Lymphocytic leukemia occurs in the vertebrae immune system, while Myelogenous
leukemia occurs in bone marrow that produces red blood cells and platelets, as well as white
blood cells. The four main types of Leukemia are: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute
Myelogenous Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.
Leukemia results from mutations within the DNA of the cells. It can be caused by the
activation of oncogenes or deactivation of tumor suppressor genes, viruses altering DNA strands,
chemotherapy agents used for previous cancers, and radiation. As a result, cell death, division,
and differentiation are affected. This causes a buildup of the damaged white blood cells within
the body, leading to weak immune systems. Due to the body having a hard time of killing the
diseased white blood cells, the amount in the blood increases significantly, leading to a
dangerous imbalance between white and red blood cells. Because the bone marrow is damaged,
red blood cell levels drop causing anemia, and platelet levels drop reducing clotting.
There are many treatments that can be performed depending on the type of leukemia the
patient has. The two major methods of trying to cure the disease are chemotherapy and bone
marrow transplants. Chemotherapy treatments are usually done to try and reduce the amount of
buildup of damaged white blood cells in the body, and to remove the damaged bone marrow.
Chemotherapy requires constant supervision and can last somewhere between five to fifteen
years. Bone marrow transplants are performed only for extreme cases where the bone marrow is
damaged beyond repair or the person with the disease is labeled as high-risk. The transplant
generally comes from an organ donor who has passed the U.S. Government Food and Drug
Administration regulations for quality tissue donations.
References
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (2013). Leukemia. Retrieved from:
http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/leukemia/
Medical News Today. (2012). What is Leukemia? What causes Leukemia? Retrieved from:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142595.php
Nuri M, Hafeez S. (2012). Autologous bone marrow stem cell transplant in acute myocardial
infarction. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 62(1): 2-6.
Wong P, Pongcharoen S, Pangwangthong K, Supalap K, Tapprom A, Deoisares R.(2012).
Evaluation of a cryopreservation procedure to set up a new bone marrow transplant unit using
lymphocyte proliferation test. Immunological Investigations. 41(1):97-103.