Molecular biology of acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been extensively studied and characterized at a molecular level. The identification and characterization of molecular lesions associated with ALL has led to advances in classification and prognosis of ALL, which in turn has been useful in stratifying ALL patients for treatment purposes. However, perhaps of greater long-term significance are insights into the mechanisms of leukemogenesis that have been provided by characterization of ALL at a molecular level. This review focuses on general themes and mechanisms of disease, concentrating on recent advances in the field, including the relationship of deregulated transcription factors to ALL, probable mechanisms of lymphoid translocations, and newly characterized genetic lesions, such as those involving tumor suppressor genes, 11q23 abnormalities, and 12p12 abnormalities.