First Author | Fehniger TA | Year | 2001 |
Journal | J Exp Med | Volume | 193 |
Issue | 2 | Pages | 219-31 |
PubMed ID | 11208862 | Mgi Jnum | J:67478 |
Mgi Id | MGI:1930720 | Doi | 10.1084/jem.193.2.219 |
Citation | Fehniger TA, et al. (2001) Fatal leukemia in interleukin 15 transgenic mice follows early expansions in natural killer and memory phenotype CD8+ T cells. J Exp Med 193(2):219-31 |
abstractText | Inflammation likely has a role in the early genesis of certain malignancies. Interleukin (IL)-15, a proinflammatory cytokine and growth factor, is required for lymphocyte homeostasis. Intriguingly, the expression of IL-15 protein is tightly controlled by multiple posttranscriptional mechanisms. Here, we engineered a transgenic mouse to overexpress IL-15 by eliminating these posttranscriptional checkpoints. IL-15 transgenic mice have early expansions in natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Later, these mice develop fatal lymphocytic leukemia with a T-NK phenotype. These data provide novel evidence that leukemia, like certain other cancers, can arise as the result of chronic stimulation by a proinflammatory cytokine. |