One of the ALDH family genes, ALDH1A2, is aberrantly expressed in more than 50% of cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This study revealed that ALDH1A2 protects against intracellular stress and promotes T-ALL cell metabolism and survival. ALDH1A2 overexpression enables leukemic clones to sustain a hyper-proliferative state driven by oncogenes.

This study found that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells subsets express estrogen receptors, and that signaling is activated by estradiol and estetrol. Estetrol enhanced human reconstitution in immunodeficient mice directly, by modulating human hematopoietic progenitor properties, and indirectly, by interacting with the bone marrow niche. This might have particular relevance for improving hematopoietic recovery after myeloablative conditioning, especially when limited numbers of HSPC are available.