The Role of Epigenetic Changes in Benzene-Induced Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a malignant cancer in blood and bone marrow with overall survival rate about 25% in adult. The main pathological changes of AML involve the dysfunctions of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells including the abnormal proliferation, blocked differentiation and abolished apoptosis. Benzene is one of the widely used chemicals in petrol and an environmental leukaemogen that can cause AML and haematological malignancies. Although extensive research work has been conducted to investigate the health effects of benzene, the mechanisms behind the benzene-inducedleukaemogenesis remain unclear due to the complex toxicities of benzene. Genotoxic effects of the compound on hematopoietic system have been believed to be the main mechanism underlying benzene-induced leukaemogensis. Emerging evidences suggested that epigenetic modifications play an important role in the occurrence of diseases including AML. This review will summarize the recent studies based on literatures from Pubmed and discusses the role of epigenetics changes in Benzene-induced acute myeloid leukemia.