A study of four-year-old twin girls has identified a rogue cell which is the root cause of childhood leukaemia.
The finding could mean more specific and less intensive treatments for all children with the blood cancer.
Both twins were found to have the "pre-leukaemic" cells in their bone marrow, although to date only one has developed leukaemia.
UK researchers reported in Science that a second genetic mutation is needed for full-blown disease to develop.
Leukaemia occurs when large numbers of white blood cells take over the bone marrow leaving the body unable to produce enough normal blood cells.
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