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Biology of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

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Childhood Leukemia

Part of the book series: Pediatric Oncology ((PEDIATRICO))

Abstract

AML is a heterogeneous and complex disease that is the culmination of the interaction between genetic and epigenetic alterations in the hematopoietic progenitors, leading to dysregulation of multiple critical signal transduction pathways, resulting in hematopoietic insufficiency due to the accumulation of immature myeloid progenitors. Despite identification of numerous cytogenetic, molecular and epigenetic alterations in AML, attempts at defining a unifying disease causing event in AML have failed. In contrast to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), in which evolution of a single event (BCR-ABL translocation) is causally associated with disease pathogenesis, such a single step process does not appear to be responsible in AML pathogenesis. In vivo studies have demonstrated that common cytogenetic alterations such as t(8;21) or inv(16) that are highly associated with AML are not sufficient for the disease pathogenesis. These findings led to the hypothesis that evolution of AML may require multiple genetic changes and that the disease may require cooperation between two or more alterations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, 1650 Orleans Street, 2M51, Baltimore, MD, 21231-1000, USA

    Robert J. Arceci

  2. Clinical Research Division, Seattle Children’s Hospital Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, D5-380, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA

    Soheil Meshinchi

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  1. Robert J. Arceci
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Correspondence to Robert J. Arceci .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, EW. Highway 4600, Bethesda, 20814, Maryland, USA

    Gregory H. Reaman

  2. Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Medical Center (CCHMC), University of Cincinnati, Burnett Avenue 3333, Cincinnati, 45229, Ohio, USA

    Franklin O. Smith

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Arceci, R.J., Meshinchi, S. (2011). Biology of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In: Reaman, G., Smith, F. (eds) Childhood Leukemia. Pediatric Oncology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13781-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13781-5_3

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