Looking toward the future: novel strategies based on molecular pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

There has been exponential growth in our understanding of the pathobiology of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) leading to the discovery of new prognostic markers and potential new treatment strategies. The inferior treatment outcome observed in adults with ALL in comparison with children with ALL means that new therapeutic approaches are required, preferably based on novel molecular insights. In this concluding article, the important themes that have been discussed in earlier articles are reviewed. Looking toward the future, the authors highlight several of the new therapeutic agents and discuss some of the recently described molecular genetic aberrations that might serve as therapeutic targets for future drug development.