CRC 1709 postdoctoral researcher Enise Ceran is the first author of a new study published in Blood, demonstrating how single-cell measurable residual disease (scMRD) profiling can identify patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are most likely to benefit from targeted CXCR4 inhibition after remission. The project was conducted in the laboratory of CRC 1709 Principal Investigator Carsten Müller-Tidow and forms part of the B06 research project.
Relapse remains the leading cause of treatment failure in AML, partly because residual leukemic cells persist within the protective bone marrow microenvironment. In this multicentre, randomized Phase II clinical trial, patients received standard consolidation chemotherapy together with either the CXCR4 inhibitor Motixafortide or placebo. While the treatment did not improve relapse-free survival across the entire study population, single-cell analyses revealed that patients with high CXCR4 expression experienced a significantly reduced risk of relapse following CXCR4 inhibition.
The study demonstrates the value of combining single-cell MRD profiling with biomarker-guided patient stratification to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from targeted therapies. This precision medicine approach may enable more effective post-remission treatment strategies for AML while improving our understanding of the interactions between leukemic cells and the bone marrow microenvironment.
The findings closely align with the scientific objectives of CRC 1709 by highlighting the importance of cellular heterogeneity, the bone marrow niche, and single-cell technologies in understanding leukemia plasticity and improving therapeutic strategies. By combining a randomized clinical trial with single-cell biological analyses, the study bridges clinical research and translational biology, providing new insights into biomarker-guided treatment strategies in AML.
Interested in learning more? Read the full publication here: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2025032033
