1. ¹Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA
2. ²Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
3. ³Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, USA

Correspondence: Dr SA Armstrong, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Karp Family Research Laboratories, 1 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA 02215, USA. E-mail: Scott.Armstrong@childrens.harvard.edu

Received 30 January 2009; Accepted 5 February 2009; Published online 26 March 2009.

Abstract

Recent years have seen great advances in the understanding of epigenetic gene regulation. Many of the molecular players involved have recently been identified and are rapidly being characterized in detail. Genome scale studies, using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by expression arrays ('ChIP-Chip') or next generation sequencing ('ChIP-Seq'), have been applied to the study of transcription factor binding, DNA methylation, alternative histone use, and covalent histone modifications such as acetylation, ubiquitination and methylation. Initial studies focused on yeast, and embryonic stem cells. Genome-wide studies are now also being employed to characterize cancer and specifically leukemia genomes, with the prospect of improved diagnostic accuracy and discovery of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we review some of the epigenetic modifications and their relevance for leukemia.