Receptor tyrosine kinase alterations in AML - biology and therapy

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of leukemia in adults, and despite some recent progress in understanding the biology of the disease, AML remains the leading cause of leukemia-related deaths in adults and children. AML is a complex and heterogeneous disease, often involving multiple genetic defects that promote leukemic transformation and drug resistance. The cooperativity model suggests that an initial genetic event leads to maturational arrest in a myeloid progenitor cell, and subsequent genetic events induce proliferation and block apoptosis. Together, these genetic abnormalities lead to clonal expansion and frank leukemia. The purpose of this chapter is to review the biology of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) in AML, exploring how RTKs are being used as novel prognostic factors and potential therapeutic targets.