Farnesol preferentially inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of tum
our-derived but not non-transformed cell lines. We investigated whether far
nesol induces apoptosis of blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukaemi
a (AML) and leukaemic cell lines, as compared with normal, human primary ha
emopoietic cells, We show that 30 mu M farnesol causes apoptosis of leukaem
ic cell lines of T- and B-lymphocyte, myeloid or erythroid lineages and pri
mary blasts obtained from patients with AML. However, the same concentratio
n did not kill primary monocytes, or quiescent or proliferating T-lymphocyt
es. We conclude that farnesol selectively kills AML blasts and leukaemic ce
ll lines in preference to primary haemopoietic cells. (C) 2000 Federation o
f European Biochemical Societies.