title: Leukaemogenesis: a postulated mechanism involving tyrosine protein kinase and DNA topoisomerase.
abstract: The weight of available evidence suggests that leukaemogenesis is a multi-step, complex process. Since there are different types of leukaemia, it seems likely that a variety of distinct molecular mechanisms are involved, arising from different combinations of genetic defects. It is not therefore surprising that studies at genetic, karyotypic, biochemical, cellular and clinical levels all reveal considerable heterogeneity of abnormalities. An attempt to define associations between abnormalities at these different levels in the myeloid leukaemias, led to a new hypothesis which provides a link between activation of the tyrosine kinase group of oncogenes and two components of multi-step leukaemogenesis: reduced differentiation and the tendency for acquisition of further genetic changes.
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D009857:Oncogenes; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I