Abstract:
The present study sought to develop an immunocytochemistry protocol in
order to explore the influence of the transcription factor, TAL1, in inhibiting
apoptosis in Jurkat cells during treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent,
etoposide. TAL1 is ectopically expressed in 60% of T-cell acute lymphoblastic
leukemia cases, of which primary resistant and relapsed variants maintain a poor
patient prognosis due to ineffective chemotherapeutic treatments. This study has
resulted in the successful development of an immunocytochemistry protocol with
the potential to help further oncological research. This protocol will be used to
help reveal the role of TAL1 in modulating the expression and function of deathassociated
proteins, such as Bcl-XL, NFKβ/p65, and PARP in future studies.
Elucidating the role of TAL1 in facilitating apoptotic resistance may help to
identify potential novel targets for more affective chemotherapy treatments