Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a chronic myeloproliferative illness with an incidence of 1-2 cases per 100,000 people and an estimated 6,000 new patients diagnosed each year.This work identifies both known and new miRNAs in naïve hematopoietic stem cells and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) stem cells using IonTorrent Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. Using miRNA profiling, significant differences in miRNA expression were found; certain miRNAs linked with epigenetic regulation and promoter methylation. The function of differently expressed miRNAs in drug resistance mechanisms was investigated using both functional assays and quantitative RT-PCR. Apart from giving fresh understanding of the epigenetic terrain of CML, the results imply possible therapeutic targets to fight drug resistance in CML stem cells. This work clarifies miRNA-mediated control in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and emphasizes the relevance of epigenetic elements in therapy of this disease.
