title: STI-571 must select for drug-resistant cells but 'no cell breathes fire out of its nostrils like a dragon'.
abstract: Seemingly disappointing, the Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitor STI-571 shares an 'unfortunate' characteristic with conventional cancer drugs: the development of drug resistance. I argue that the resistance must develop even faster to STI-571 than to conventional drugs, because STI-571 is so effective. This is predictable, but is it inevitable? And how do mechanisms of resistance in relapse depend on a degree of remission. In addition to mutation rate and number of tumor cells, one additional factor determines relapse vs. 'extinction' of the leukemia cell population.
authors.affiliation: Medicine Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Blagosklonny
mesh_terms: D001549:Benzamides; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl