Mice without the ARID4A and ARID4B genes were seen to develop AML in a similar fashion as humans, according to paper in JNCI.
Mice lacking both copies of the ARID4A gene and one copy of the ARID4B gene develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to Baylor College of Medicine scientists. They suggest that these mice could provide an animal model for preleukemic and leukemic conditions.
The group bred the mice without the genes and monitored the animals’ health through repeated blood cell counts and molecular tests on blood and bone marrow cells. The mutant mice developed a myeloproliferative disorder that resembled chronic myeloid-monocytic leukemia. Then the animals progressed to AML. The pattern of disease progression in the animals resembled the course of the disease in humans.
The study can be found in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
