MicroRNA-based methods and compositions for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

1. A method of determining survival prognosis in a subject with AML, comprising:

measuring the level of at least one miR-20 gene product in a test sample from a subject with AML, and

determining the subject's survival prognosis,

wherein if the level of the miR-20 gene product in the test sample is higher relative to the level of a corresponding miR-20 gene product in a control sample, the subject is determined to have a shorter overall survival prognosis.

2. The method of claim 1 , which further comprises measuring the level of a miR selected from the group consisting of: miR-25, miR-191, miR-199a, and miR-199b and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the level of the at least one miR gene product in the test sample is less than the level of the corresponding miR gene product in the control sample.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the level of the at least one miR gene product in the test sample is greater than the level of the corresponding miR gene product in the control sample.

5. A method of determining the prognosis of a subject with acute myeloid leukemia, comprising

measuring the level of at least one miR-20 gene product in a test sample from said subject, wherein:

the miR-20 gene product is associated with an adverse prognosis in AML; and

an increase in the level of the at least one miR-20 gene product in the test sample, relative to the level of a corresponding miR-20 gene product in a control sample, is indicative of an adverse prognosis.

6. A method of diagnosing whether a subject has, or is at risk for developing, shorter overall survival-type AML, comprising:

(1) reverse transcribing miR-20 RNA from a test sample obtained from the subject to provide a set of target oligodeoxynucleotides;

(2) hybridizing the target oligodeoxynucleotides to a microarray comprising miR-20miRNA-specific probe oligonucleotides to provide a hybridization profile for the test sample; and

(3) comparing the test sample hybridization profile to a hybridization profile generated from a control sample,

wherein an increase in the signal of at least one miR-20 miRNA is indicative of the subject either having, or being at risk for developing, shorter overall survival-type AML.

7. A method of diagnosing whether a subject has, or is at risk for developing, AML with an adverse prognosis in a subject, comprising:

(1) reverse transcribing miR-20 RNA from a test sample obtained from the subject to provide a set of target oligodeoxynucleotides;

(2) hybridizing the target oligodeoxynucleotides to a microarray comprising miR-20 miRNA-specific probe oligonucleotides to provide a hybridization profile for said test sample; and

(3) comparing the test sample hybridization profile to a hybridization profile generated from a control sample,

wherein an increase in the signal is indicative of the subject either having, or being at risk for developing, AML with an adverse prognosis.