BCR/ABL TRANSGENIC ANIMALS AS MODELS FOR PHILADELPHIA CHROMOSOME POSITIVE CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS AND ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

摘要

The present invention relates to non-human transgenic animals which contain a transgene comprising a BCR/ABL gene fusion and which develop leukemia. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the transgenic animals exhibit a rapid induction of acute leukemia. The present invention offers the advantage of providing, for the first time, a non-human transgenic animal model system which carries the BCR/ABL gene fusion characteristic of the Philadelphia chromosome and which develops leukemia in a manner directly analogous to the clinical progression of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and/or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in humans. This model system for human leukemia may be valuable in obtaining a better understanding of CML and ALL and in developing effective therapeutic regimens.