[The era of molecular genetics. New perspectives in hematology].

The unprecedently swift developments in molecular genetics opened up a new era in haematology. The regulation of the expression of globin genes and its coordination with the expression of genes coding for other red cell specific proteins, as well as molecular genetics of some intrinsic haemolytic anaemias and the clinically important recent results revealing the genetic regulation of iron metabolism are discussed. New unfolding concepts of the physiological regulation of the haemopoetic stem cell and the multistep development of its malignant transformation are reported. The unlimited possibilities rendered by the rDNA technology in diagnostics and therapy of haematological diseases is pointed out. The present state of art of gene therapy including the first trials with gene transplantation in humans is discussed.