Chronic granulocytic leukaemia: a defect in cellular interactions between stromal and haemopoietic stem cells?

Chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) is regarded as a myeloproliferative disorder; in the chronic phase, the disease is characterized by excessive proliferation of myeloid cells apparently in the absence of any physiological demand. The reason(s) why and how this purposeless proliferation of myeloid cells begins remains to be elucidated. Recent studies on cellular interaction between stromal and haemopoietic stem cells (HSC) suggests that the stromal cells exert some form of regulatory influence on the growth and differentiation of HSC. In this communication it is postulated that CGL may be the result of a defect in cellular interactions between the stromal and haemopoietic stem cells.