A proteomic approach for leukemia epigenetics research
Leukemia is an epigenetically heterogeneous and chaotic disease. Choice and intensity of treatment is currently guided by cytogenetic and molecular genetic risk classifications. Yet, these incompletely predict outcomes, requiring additional information for more accurate risk stratification and response to therapy predictions. This thesis shows that proteomic profiling of epigenetic modifications has clinical implications in acute and chronic leukemia and supports the idea that epigenetic patterns contribute to a more accurate picture of the leukemic state that complements cytogenetic and molecular genetic subgrouping. A combination of these variables may offer more accurate outcome prediction and we suggest that histone methylation mark measurement at time of diagnosis might be a suitable method to improve patient outcome prediction and subsequent treatment intensity stratification in selected subgroups.