Lineage choice decisions in B-cell development and leukemia

Every tissue in the body is founded by a particular type of cell that is termed stem cell. These cells are generally presumed to be tissue-specific and, as such, are also responsible for maintenance of the tissue throughout the lifespan of an organism. There are two fundamental aspects to the regular behaviour of tissues during their genesis and thereafter. The offspring of stem cells divide in a manner that is controlled to the social benefit of the organism to generate/ensure the bulk of tissue that is required. These dividing cells mature: they acquire individual characteristics to enable them to perform a unique function within the tissue. Within cancer cells aspects of this normal physiology are distorted. This means the many strands to understanding of the behaviour of normal cells cannot be loosened from the strands of efforts to unravel what goes wrong in cancer.