Preferential induction of apoptosis of leukaemic cells by farnesol

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.