Despite significant advances in the therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) the cure rate in adults with AML is only 25% to 40%. In the last few years, major progress has been made in the understanding of the biology of this disease. The discovery of a network of recurrent chromosome and gene aberrations supports the notion that AML is a heterogeneous genetic disease and has provided insights into the leukemogenic mechanisms in distinct molecular subsets of AML. Furthermore, accumulating data indicate that certain subpopulations of AML cells so called leukemia stem cell" have high proliferative potential and self-renewal capacity similar to normal stem cells and could mediate resistance to standard anti-leukemia therapies. These concepts are being rapidly translated into the clinic and applied to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches aimed to improve substantially the outcome of AML. This session will review the recent progress made in the biology prognostication and treatment of AML with the ultimate goal of providing researchers and oncologists with useful information for delivering specific and "personalized" treatments to patients within distinct molecular subsets of AML.
New Concepts in Organ Site Research: State-of-the-Art Pathophysiology and Therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Insights into the AML stem cell; Craig T. Jordan. Univ. of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY

Recent studies of pathophysiology of AML: Implications for targeted therapies; Guido Marcucci Sr.. The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Development therapeutics in AML; Hagop Kantarjian. UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Ctr., Houston, TX

Frontline and salvage chemotherapy and targeted therapy combinations: Any promising leads?; Richard M. Stone. Dana-Farber Cancer Inst., Boston, MA,