 The TEL/JAK2 chromosomal translocation (t(9;12)(p24;p13)) is associated with T cell childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.     ///    Amifostine could promote apoptosis or lower the threshold for apoptosis induction dependent on TEL/JAK2 activation..     ///    TEL-mediated oligomerization of the TEL/JAK2 proteins results in the constitutive activation of the tyrosine kinase activity.     ///    "Moreover, TEL/JAK2 tyrosine kinase might be involved in cellular response to DNA damage. "    ///    TEL/JAK2 tyrosine kinase inhibits DNA repair in the presence of amifostine..     ///    Leukemia cells expressing TEL/JAK2 tyrosine kinase become resistant to anti-neoplastic drugs.     ///    Because TEL/JAK2-transformed cells can be considered as model cells for certain human leukemias and lymphomas we anticipate an enhancement of idarubicin cytotoxicity by amifostine in these diseases.     ///    Idarubicin induced DNA damage in both cell types but amifostine reduced its extent in control non-transformed BaF3 cells and enhanced it in TEL/JAK2-transformed cells.     ///    We investigated the effects of amifostine on idarubicin-induced DNA damage and repair in murine pro-B lymphoid BaF3 cells and BaF3-TEL/JAK2-transformed cells using alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay).     ///    The TEL/JAK2 fusion protein contains the JAK2 catalytic domain and the TEL-specific oligomerization domain. 