Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Feb 22;11(2):41.
doi: 10.1038/s41408-021-00425-3.

Acute myeloid leukemia: current progress and future directions

Hagop Kantarjian  1 , Tapan Kadia  2 , Courtney DiNardo  2 , Naval Daver  2 , Gautam Borthakur  2 , Elias Jabbour  2 , Guillermo Garcia-Manero  2 , Marina Konopleva  2 , Farhad Ravandi  2
Affiliations
Review

Acute myeloid leukemia: current progress and future directions

Hagop Kantarjian et al. Blood Cancer J. .

Abstract

Progress in the understanding of the biology and therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is occurring rapidly. Since 2017, nine agents have been approved for various indications in AML. These included several targeted therapies like venetoclax, FLT3 inhibitors, IDH inhibitors, and others. The management of AML is complicated, highlighting the need for expertise in order to deliver optimal therapy and achieve optimal outcomes. The multiple subentities in AML require very different therapies. In this review, we summarize the important pathophysiologies driving AML, review current therapies in standard practice, and address present and future research directions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Dr. H.K. reports research grants and honoraria from AbbVie, Amgen, Ascentage, BMS, Daiichi-Sankyo, Immunogen, Jazz, Novartis, Pfizer, and Sanofi; honoraria from Actinium (Advisory Board), Adaptive Biotechnologies, Aptitude Health, BioAscend, Delta Fly, Janssen Global, Oxford Biomedical, and Takeda. Dr. T.K. reports grant or research support from BMS, Celgene, Pfizer, Amgen, Jazz, AstraZeneca, and Genetech; consultant fees from Agios, Jazz, Genetech, and Novartis. Dr. C.D. reports research support to institution from Abbvie, Agios, Bayer, Calithera, Cleave, BMS/Celgene, Daiichi-Sankyo and ImmuneOnc; consultant/advisory boards with Abbvie, Agios, Celgene/BMS, Daiichi-Sankyo, ImmuneOnc, Novartis, Takeda and Notable Labs. Dr. N.D. reports research funding from Daiichi-Sankyo, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Gilead, Sevier, Genentech, Astellas, Daiichi-Sankyo, Abbvie, Hanmi, Trovagene, FATE, Amgen, Novimmune, Glycomimetics, and ImmunoGen and has served in a consulting or advisory role for Daiichi-Sankyo, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Novartis, Celgene, AbbVie, Astellas, Genentech, Immunogen, Servier, Syndax, Trillium, Gilead, Amgen, and Agios. G.B. reports research funding from Bristol‐Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Scientific Affairs, Eli Lilly and Company, Cyclacel, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Oncoceutics, Arvinas, Cantargia, PTC Therapeutics, Argenx, BioTheryX, and Bioline and personal fees from PTC Therapeutics, Argenx, BioTheryX, and Bioline. Dr. E.J. reports research grants and advisory rolls with AbbVie, Adaptive Biotechnologies, Amgen, BMS, Pfizer and Takeda, and advisory roll with Genetech. Dr. M.K. reports grants and other from AbbVie, Genentech, F. Hoffman La-Roche, Stemline Therapeutics, Amgen, and Forty-Seven. G.G.‐M. has received grants from and acted in an advisory role for Celgene; has received grants and personal fees from Amphivena Therapeutics and Astex; and has received grants from Helsinn, Novartis, AbbVie, Onconova, H3 Biomedicine, and Merck for work performed outside of the current study. Dr. M.K. reports grants from Kisoji, Eli Lilly, Cellectis, Calithera, Ablynx, Agios, Ascentage, Astra Zeneca, other from Reata Pharmaceutical, Rafael Pharmaceutical, Sanofi. In addition, Dr. M.K. has US patents wityh Reara and Eli Lilly (US 7,795,305 B2 and a patent 62/993,166). Dr. F.R. reports research funding from BMS, Amgen, Xencor, Macrogenics, Orsenix, Abbvie, Prelude, Astex; consultancy and honoraria from Celgene, BMS, Amgen, Astellas, Xencor, Agios, AstraZeneca, and Orsenix.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Survival of de novo acute myeloid leukemia at MD Anderson (1970–2017) by Age and Treatment Era: Left panel: age<60 years; Right panel: age 60+ years.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Survival of acute promyelocytic leukemia at MD Anderson (1970–2020).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Survival of core-binding factor acute myeloid leukemia at MD Anderson (1970–2020).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Therapy of AML.
A standard of care; B MD Anderson approach in young/fit patients, and C in older patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kantarjian H. Acute myeloid leukemia–major progress over four decades and glimpses into the future. Am. J. Hematol. 2016;91:131–145. doi: 10.1002/ajh.24246. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Short NJ, Rytting ME, Cortes JE. Acute myeloid leukaemia. Lancet. 2018;392:593–606. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31041-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kadia TM, Ravandi F, Cortes J, Kantarjian H. Toward individualized therapy in acute myeloid leukemia: a contemporary review. JAMA Oncol. 2015;1:820–828. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.0617. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kadia TM, Ravandi F, O’Brien S, Cortes J, Kantarjian HM. Progress in acute myeloid leukemia. Clin. Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2015;15:139–151. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2014.08.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dohner H, Weisdorf DJ, Bloomfield CD. Acute myeloid leukemia. N. Engl. J. Med. 2015;373:1136–1152. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1406184. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances