Underlying mechanisms of hematologic malignancies revealed by gene expression profiling

Gene expression profiling is transforming the classification of hematologic malignancies by defining disease entities based on shared genetic lesions. Surprising findings have come from these studies. First, gene expression profiles in samples at diagnosis predict drug resistance and clinical outcome, indicating that the response to treatment is an intrinsic characteristic of the malignancy. Secondly, quantitative differences in gene expression can accurately measure complex cellular functions such as proliferation or tumor–host interactions and identify more aggressive disease even within diagnostically homogeneous groups.

Section editor:John Tisdale – National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA