The twins help find the culprit causing white blood disease

Two 4-year-old girls with identical twins have helped scientists discover breakthroughs in leukemia. Research can provide effective therapies that are less toxic to all children with leukemia.

Both girls have " precancerous " cells in the bone marrow, but only one baby develops cancer. When investigating the differences between the two children, British researchers found that a second gene mutation was needed, the disease was new.

White blood disease (or leukemia, leukemia) occurs when a large number of white blood cells occupy the bone marrow, causing the body to not produce enough normal red blood cells. The disease accounts for half of all childhood cancers.

Two babies Olivia and Isabella.(Photo: Times)

Baby Olivia Murphy, from Bromley in Kentucky, USA, has developed acute leukemia since she was 2 years old, but so far her twin sister, Isabella, is still healthy. The researchers found that both children had " pre-leukemia stem cells " containing a gene mutation that formed when DNA strands were broken and reconnected at another point . These pre-lymphocytes have moved from small to small in the uterus.

However, the disease only occurs when another gene mutation occurs during childhood. This second mutation, possibly caused by infection, appears in Olivia but not with Isabella. Doctors have checked Isabella regularly to look for signs of cancer, but once she reaches adolescence, it is believed that those bad mutant cells will disappear.

About 1% of the population is born with white blood cells. In particular, only 1% received the second "nudge" to lead to cancer.

" Now we have recognized this cell, hoping we can find its Achilles heel to attack, " said lead researcher Tariq Enver.

Currently, children with blood cancer are often treated with very severe chemotherapy, sometimes overdose, causing long-term side effects. It is hoped that in the future it will be possible to check when toxic cells have been destroyed to terminate the treatment early, to avoid harm caused by excessive and excessive use of drugs.

T. An