Loading

Commentary Open Access
Volume 2 | Issue 3 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.46439/cancerbiology.2.028

FHIT as a biomarker for early screening of adult T-cell leukemia

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
+ Affiliations - Affiliations

Corresponding Author

 Christophe Nicot, cnicot@kumc.edu

Received Date: July 13, 2021

Accepted Date: August 12, 2021

Abstract

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is an incurable leukemia deriving from human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-I) infected cells. In our most recent study, we discovered that methylation of the tumor suppressor, fragile histidine triad gene (FHIT), exists in the majority of acute and chronic ATL patients. Methylation was seen in non-tumorigenic cells, in cells with low levels of HTLV-I integrated DNA, in longitudinal samples from HTLV-I carriers, in a percentage of HTLV-I carriers, and in direct descendants of ATL patients. Overall, this suggests that FHIT methylation is likely present in patients, prior to HTLV-I infection, and predisposes HTLV-I carriers to ATL development. In this commentary we discuss the importance of developing diagnostic tools for the early detection of FHIT methylation and the possibility that prior FHIT methylation may predispose any individual to the development of cancer.

Author Information X