Acute Leukemias VII [electronic resource] : Experimental Approaches and Novel Therapies /

In the last few years there has been a dramatic increase in the knowledge about the biology of acute leukemias and, in particular, of the underlying genetic and molecular events. These processes lead to the deregulation of central transcription factors and genes regulating cell proliferation and differentiation and ultimately determine the response to chemotherapy and the long-term prognosis of patients suffering from these disorders. The increasing insights into the biology of acute leukemias also provide the basis for new pathogenetically oriented therapeutic strategies which aim at interfering with pathologically activated gene products or augmenting the antileukemic immune response. They give also new information about the mechanisms of action of conventional treatments and, in particular, cytostatic agents and thus allow drug regimens to be optimized. In Acute Leukemia VII - Experimental Approaches and Novel Therapies these topics are updated by leading scientists and clinicians around the world. The high quality of contributions makes this book a useful state-of-the-art report for both clinical oncologists and basic scientists and provides a comprehensive overview of the most recent achievements which translate into new treatment strategies and, hence, an improved outlook for patients suffering from acute leukemias.