Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical features | Diagrams / tables | Microscopic (histologic) imagesCite this page: Pernick N. ABL. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsabl.html. Accessed January 17th, 2021.
Definition / general
- Also called c-abl
- Gene at 9q34.1, named after ABelson murine Leukemia virus
- Abelson family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, ABL1 and ABL2, transduces diverse extracellular signals to protein networks that control proliferation, survival, migration and invasion (Nat Rev Cancer 2013;13:559)
- Dysregulated tyrosine kinase activates a network of signals that contributes to cytokine independent growth, resistance to apoptosis and genetic instability (Cancer Control 2009;16:100)
- Also regulates BMP2 induced osteogenesis (J Biol Chem 2013;288:24503)
Clinical features
- Commonly overexpressed in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), due to t(9;22)(q34;q11), the Philadelphia chromosome, which produces the BCR-ABL fusion gene; BCR-ABL transcript can be demonstrated with RT-PCR
- Also occurs in Philadelphia chromosome+ AML, a rare aggressive leukemia distinct from CML (Am J Clin Pathol 2007;127:642) and Philadelphia chromosome+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program 2009;371:81)
- Not present in atypical CML, juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, other chronic myeloid neoplasms
- Inhibited by imatinib mesylate (Gleevec, STI571), a treatment for CML
- Overexpression of c-Abl predicts unfavorable outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer (Gynecol Oncol 2013;131:69)