Tumours: link discovered between leukaemia and inflammation of the brain

Acute myeloid leukaemia can have an effect on the brain. The discovery comes from a new study by the University of Perugia, carried out thanks to the collaboration between the Departments of Philosophy, Social, Human and Education Sciences, Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology and Medicine and Surgery, the results of which were published in the scientific journal HemaSphere. The study, as emphasised by the university, 'opens up new perspectives for understanding certain cognitive and psychological symptoms observed in cancer patients'.

The investigation, as the researchers point out, showed that 'acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer, can also affect the brain'.

"It is a disease in which cancer cells grow rapidly in the blood and bone marrow," they emphasised from the university. In addition to 'its already known effects', the researchers noted that 'the disease is associated with a state of persistent inflammation in the body'.

The study, coordinated by Professor Oxana Bereshchenko, 'showed that leukaemia can alter the blood-brain barrier, i.e. the brain's protective system, by making it more permeable. In this way, cells and inflammatory signals can reach the brain and cause local inflammation in the nervous system'. Not only that, the researchers observed an increase of immune cells in the brain 'and activation of glial cells that regulate brain inflammation'. Signs of inflammation and possible indicators of nerve cell damage were also detected in leukaemia patients.

"These results suggest that leukaemia does not only affect the blood, but may have wider effects on the body, including the brain," is Professor Bereshchenko's comment. "This could contribute to symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating and mood changes, which are often reported by patients. Overall, the research 'indicates that inflammation of the brain may be a key mechanism by which leukaemia affects mental well-being'.