Chronic myeloid leukemia-still a few questions.
The study of chronic myeloid leukemia has yielded many insights, especially after the discovery of the Ph chromosome, into the pathogenesis of leukemia and other forms of malignant disease. Most recently, knowledge of the central function of the BCR-ABL fusion gene led to the development of a small molecule, imatinib, that has proved remarkably effective at reducing the number of leukemia cells in individual CML patients and promises to prolong life substantially in comparison with earlier treatments. However, many questions relating to this exciting new agent remain unanswered, for example, how exactly it works, how patients develop resistance and what can be done to prevent or delay its onset, and whether any patient can really be "cured" by its use.
Goldman
John M
JM
Imperial College London, England, London, UK. jgoldman@imperial.ac.uk
D001549:Benzamides; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001549:Benzamides; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl