Leukemia (Ph+): diagnosis and treatment

Abstract

Chronic myelogenous leukemia is considered as an exemplary for the development of molecular targeted therapies due to its pathogenesis. This disease is characterized by the presence of Philadelphia chromosome (PH+), a product of the reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, which causes the BCR- Abl gene. The appearance of this gene in the cellsgives rise to an oncoprotein that allows a leukemic transformation a marked decreased sensitivity to regulation letting clonal expansion manifest. In addition, this oncoprotein intervenes in myriad mechanism of differentiation and activates survival pathways. The development of Imatinib treating thisdisease blocks the action of the oncoprotein and puts into practice different techniques of molecular biology in order to define parameters of response and progression of such disease; this allows decision making regarding therapeutic changes in patients who are at risk of progression associated to Imatinib resistance, and it monitors patients with a complete and higher molecular.