MicroRNA expression profiling in acute myeloid and chronic lymphocytic leukaemias

Marcucci, Guido; Mrózek, Krzysztof; Radmacher, Michael D.; Bloomfield, Clara D.; Croce, Carlo M.

doi:10.1016/j.beha.2009.05.003

« Previous Next »Best Practice & Research Clinical Haematology
Volume 22, Issue 2 , Pages 239-248, June 2009

MicroRNA expression profiling in acute myeloid and chronic lymphocytic leukaemias

Guido Marcucci, MD (Professor of Medicine)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Corresponding author. The Ohio State University, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, A433B Starling-Loving Hall, 320 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Tel.: +1614 293 9808; Fax: +1614 293 7527.
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Krzysztof Mrózek, MD, PhD (Research Scientist)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Michael D. Radmacher, PhD (Senior Clinical Biostatistician)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Clara D. Bloomfield, MD (Distinguished University Professor, William G. Pace III Professor of Cancer Research)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Carlo M. Croce, MD (The John W. Wolfe Chair in Human Cancer Genetics, Professor and Chairman)
- Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

Altered expression of microRNAs, a new class of noncoding RNAs that regulate messenger RNA and protein expression of target genes, has been recently demonstrated to have an essential role in the process of leukaemogenesis. Distinctive patterns of activation and/or silencing of multiple microRNAs (microRNA signatures) associated with certain cytogenetic and molecular subsets of leukaemia have been identified using genome-wide high-throughput profiling assays. This has led not only to the discovery of new molecular pathways implicated in leukaemogenesis, but also supplied prognostic information complementing that gained from cytogenetics, gene mutations and altered gene expression in acute and chronic leukaemias. We review herein results of current studies analysing changes of microRNA expression in acute myeloid leukaemia and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and discuss their potential biologic, diagnostic and prognostic relevance.

Keywords: acute myeloid leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, microRNA, prognosis, expression profiling