Mechanisms driving immunosuppression in chronic myeloid leukemia are mostly unknown. We show that leukemic extracellular vesicles (EVs) target lymphocytes and amplify suppressive function of thymic regulatory T cells, by driving expression of Foxp3 transcription factor. This could facilitate expansion of leukemic cells outside the bone marrow, leading to blast crisis.
Keywords: Foxp3; chronic myeloid leukemia; extracellular vesicles; immunosuppression; regulatory T cells.
© 2019 The Authors. European Journal of Immunology published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.