There is experimental and observational evidence that the
cells of the leukemic
clone in
acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have different
phenotypes even though they share the same somatic
mutations. The
organization of the malignant
clone in AML has many similarities to normal
hematopoiesis, with
leukemia stem cells (LSCs) that sustain
leukemia and give rise to more differentiated
cells. LSCs,
similar to normal
hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), are those
cells that are able to give rise to a new leukemic
clone when transplanted into a recipient. The
cell of origin of
leukemia (COL) is defined as the normal
cell that is able to transform into a
leukemia cell. Current evidence suggests that the COL is distinct from the LSC. Here, we
will review the current
knowledge about LSCs and the COL in AML.