title: Signal transduction inhibitors (STI571): molecularly targeted therapy.
abstract: The therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome in the clonal hematopoietic stem cells, has changed dramatically in the last year with the development of a specific inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase. This medication, STI571 or imatinib, was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for CML patients refractory or intolerant to interferon. The medication has the potential to rapidly reverse the clinical and hematologic abnormalities of CML and is the paradigm of molecularly targeted therapy. STI571 is the first agent in Oncology that directly targets the molecular basis of a malignant disease, changing the way that we will treat these conditions in the future. This new field of molecular and cellular biology has the possibility of controlling not only malignant conditions but also diseases treated by other medical specialties.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, San Juan Veterans Affairs Hospital, 10 Casia St., San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921.
authors.forename: Yasmín
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Corujo
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cáceres
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl