Waisman - 2

in overcoming the immaturity and abnormalities in the bone
marrow due to the leukemic processes.
Prior to the advent of these specific anti-
metabolites, children survived on an average of five and
one-half months, but with the use of these drugs and great-
er experience during the past nine years, it has been pos-
sible to prolong life in most cases beyond one year of
age to an average of about fifteenmonths. These child-
ren are given pain-free existence and normal activity and
can even attend school during the period of remission from
the disease.
In an effort to understand the mode of action
of these drugs and to obtain even better responses and
more lengthy remissions in these patients, we embarked on
a biochemical and metabolic study of the amino acid and
protein metabolism in both leukemic patients and in rats
with experimental leukemia. Qualitative studies showed
earlier that certain amino acids, the essential building
blocks of proteins, were higher in patients with leukemia
than in normal patients.
Now it has been demonstrated by J. J. Kelley
in Dr. Waisman's laboratory using quantitative methods,
that certain amino acids in leukemic blood are always
elevated.
Paper chromatographic methods have shown that
leukemic patients' blood contains more glutamic acid,
phenylalanine, and leucineo
Adult patients with chronic myelogenous and