While both genes are involved in ESCs, kidney development and leukemogenesis, SALL1 is best studied for its essential role in kidney development, and PTEN is known as a key regulator in leukemic stem cells.
Our novel finding provides insight into the mechanism(s) of SALL4 functions in kidney development and leukemogenesis.
Two genes that have been implicated in ESC, kidney development and leukemogenesis, PTEN and SALL1, were identified as potential SALL4 downstream target genes.
Together, these characteristics indicate that SALL4 is a critical gene for ESC properties, kidney development, and leukemogenesis, and is involved in the biological functions of various types of stem cells.
Importantly, the orthologs of four of them have a role in mammalian blood development and leukemogenesis.
Accumulating evidence indicates that miRNAs play crucial roles in myeloid development and leukemogenesis.
Of these, 9 genes were not previously reported to function in Drosophila hematopoiesis, and 4 of them have mammalian orthologs with a role in blood development and leukemogenesis.
PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene and essential for both normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis [28] [30].
Our results, combined with previous reports of FHL2 being associated with adverse prognosis in different cancers as well as acting on the cell cycle program, thus regulating cell proliferation and cell differentiation, suggest that there might be a common oncogenic pathway in the development and progression of leukemogenesis as well as in tumorigenesis.
This leads to an overwhelming body of exciting novel findings providing insight into (1) the genetic heterogeneity of the disease with marked genetic subsets, (2) the mechanisms by which aberrant T-cell development drive leukemogenesis and (3) emerging opportunities for novel therapeutic interventions.
