Genetics, Epigenetics, and Leukemia

In this issue of the Journal, Ley and colleagues1 report that somatic mutations in a gene encoding a DNA methyltransferase, DNMT3A, are common in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). They also report that these mutations are associated with discrete molecular and cytogenetic features that have prognostic significance. These findings have implications for clinical investigators, for researchers working to characterize the molecular mechanisms that contribute to leukemic growth, and, more broadly, for illuminating mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming in cancer cells.Ley et al. sequenced the genome of leukemia cells from a patient with AML and observed a DNMT3A mutation. They . . .