Gatekeeper pathways and cellular background in the pathogenesis and therapy of AML

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is characterized by the accumulation of immature cells due to disturbed differentiation and proliferation of the myeloid lineage. Genetic alterations affecting transcription factors and receptor tyrosine kinases have been identified in AML and causally linked to the disease. The goal of this review is to address the role of the different genetic alterations in self-renewal and proliferation and to discuss the cellular background in which these events occur during the pathogenesis of AML. Data from AML samples, clinical studies and mouse models for AML will be used to support the different theories regarding the leukemogenesis of AML. Finally, this review wants to highlight the implication of these findings for the therapy of AML