The role of chromosome translocations in T cell acute leukemia.

A variety of unique chromosome translocations are found in the malignant cells of patients with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Molecular analysis of these translocations has implicated nine different proto-oncogenes in the pathogenesis of T-ALL. Despite the apparent genetic complexity of this disease, recent studies have uncovered a common pathway of T-ALL development that involves two distinct families of transcription factors.