JLE

Bulletin du Cancer

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Acute promyelocytic leukemia, histone deacetylase and response to retinoïds Volume 85, issue 4, Avril 1998

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Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) originate from chromosomal translocations generating two types of fusion proteins both involving the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and either the gene PML (t(15;17)) or PLZF (t(11;17)). Recent publications cast a new light on the detailed molecular mechanism underlying the oncogenic activity of these fusion proteins which block myeloid terminal differentiation by recruiting histone deacetylases to the promoters of target genes through co-repressor proteins. They also explain the different responses to treatment by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) of these two variants which are otherwise clinically indistinguishable.