[Research progress on cellular and molecular genetics of acute non-lymphocytic leukemia]

With the extensive application of cellular and molecular genetic techniques in the research of acute leukemia (AL), the diagnosis of AL type has been developed from FAB typing which was based on morphological classification in 1976 to MICM typing in 2001. This progress highlights the importance of cellular and molecular genetic changes in the diagnosis of leukemia. The cellular and molecular genetic abnormalities in acute leukemia can make the stratification of risk and give the guidance for prognosis and treatment, which is also critical for the development of new drugs. This article has focused on chromosomal abnormalities, fusion gene expression and their relationship with the leukemia diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. This article is also a concise review on several common gene mutations in cytogenetics of ANLL for the assessment of disease prognosis. In recent years, further exploration of molecular cytogenetic mechanisms of various types of leukemia in ANLL contributed to the development of new therapeutic strategy for leukemia.