French study looks at B-cell side populations

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Small study from France indicates that CLL patients have a side population (SP)

of B- cells that are resistant to conventional treatments, such as Fludarabine,

Bendamustine or Rituximab.

In bloods samples from pre-treated patients it was found that patients treated

with Fludarabine (16/18 cases) or Bendamustine (5/7 cases) resulted in complete

elimination of non-SP, whereas cells displaying the SP phenotype were the only

surviving type.

Further it was found that chemotherapy by Fludarabine selected not only innate

SP cells but also induced some acquired SP cells, which arose from non-SP by

drug-driven evolution.

It was also noted that the SP levels increased in patients a year after

treatment...

Article and more: http://cllcanada.ca

Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20827287

(This may might explain why patients become refractory to Fludarabine ~ chris)