Recently advances in cancer genomics revealed the unexpected high frequencies of epigenetic abnormalities in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Accumulating data suggest that these leukemia-associated epigenetic factors play critical roles in both normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia stem cells (LSCs). In turn, these abnormalities result in susceptibilities of LSC and related diseases to epigenetic inhibitors. In this chapter, we will focus on the mutations of epigenetic factors in AML, their functional roles and mechanisms in normal hematopoiesis and leukemia genesis, especially in LSC, and potential treatment opportunities specifically for AML with epigenetic dysregulations.
Keywords: AML; Epigenetic changes; Leukemia stem cell.