What It Takes to Make a White Blood Cell Could Unlock New Cancer Treatments

Scientists identified progranulin and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway as key drivers of blood-cell maturation.

Studies in zebrafish and human leukemia cells showed the signal helps immature myeloid cells develop into macrophages.

Restoring this missing signal could push leukemia cells out of their disease-driving immature state.

The findings point to a new differentiation-based treatment strategy that could limit uncontrolled leukemia growth.