The importance of molecular biology in hematologic disorders

RESUMO

The advances in molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology have permitted the understanding of numerous diseases. Some of the earliest advances have occurred in the field of hematology when these approaches revealed genetic alterations in the hemoglobin gene of patients with sickle-cell anemia and thalassemias. In the field of onco-hematology, these powerful tools allowed to identify the chemical and biological changes that happen during the transformation of normal to malignant cells. Futhermore, it has led to the development of new agents for cancer therapy, such as interleukins and interferons. We describe here basic concepts of molecular biology, and the effect this technology had on the diagnostic capabilities for defining, diagnosing, and predicting the natural history of hematologic diseases.