Acute leukemia’s

Mutations can create unregulated growth and replication of hemato-lymphopeitic cells. Acute leukemia’s of various sources and of various chromosomal impairments can be classified as to the state of cell differentiation in which the dis-regulation has been generated.



-90% of leukemias are initiated by specific chromosomal segmental translocations or inversions (somatic cell rearrangement). I.e.: Chronic Myologenmous Leukemia, translocation between chromosome 9 and 22 (t9;22 q34:q11). This will yield the Philadelphia fusion chromosome. This disrupts the protoncogene. At the fusion function the abl oncongene is fused with the bcr oncongene so that there is an activation of a tyrosine kinase gene product. This kinase will drive the myeloid cells into a leukemic state and keep them there so that they are replicating. GLEEVEC drug, sits in the active site of the tyrosine kinase and will inhibit its action, this can be used to treat this disease.

Category: Medical Subject Notes , Pathology Notes