Predicting Chemotherapy Resistance in AML

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia and is characterized by a wide variety of distinct cytogenetic and molecular subgroups that impact upon response and survival. Despite decades of trials trying to improve short- and long-term responses, outcomes have been stubbornly stable. Thus, the problem of chemotherapy resistance remains unsolved. Indeed, the use of novel targeted agents has uncovered new mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance. In this review, we will cover past work of primary treatment resistance, new resistance mechanisms in de novo AML, functional mechanism of resistance inherent to the leukemic blasts, and resistance mechanisms attributed to host factors and also review acquired mechanisms of resistance.