Infantile leukemia and soybeans — a hypothesis
Infantile leukemia and soybeans--a hypothesis [editorial]
Abe T
Leukemia 1999, 13:317-20
Abstract
Recent molecular-genetic studies have revealed that in the majority
of patients with secondary leukemia induced by topoisomerase II (topo
II) inhibitors and also with infantile acute leukemia (IAL), the
breakpoints are clustered within scaffold attachment regions (SARs) of
3'-MLL-bcr near exon 9.
Genistein, abundant in soybeans, is reported to be a potent
nonintercalative topo II inhibitor. It interferes with the break-reseal
reaction of topo II by stabilizing a cleavable complex, which in the
presence of detergents, results in DNA strand breaks.
The present study revealed that genistein induced chromatid-type
aberrations, in which chromatid exchanges are often observed.
Genistein seems to act in a manner very similar to that of VP-16,
although the latter is reported to produce both chromatid- and
chromosome-type aberrations.
In view of this pharmacological similarity between genistein and
VP-16, and also the similarity of breakpoint clustering regions within
the MLL gene in reported cases with secondary leukemia and IAL,
genistein may be largely responsible for the development of IAL.
|