Clinical responses to sildenafil in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.
Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) is an incurable B-cell malignancy. Interestingly, an unusual response activity was observed in 5 patients with WM that appeared related to their use of sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor used to treat erectile dysfunction. One patient demonstrated a complete remission, and 4 other patients demonstrated less dramatic, but also unexpected, responses associated with sildenafil. In view of these findings, WM tumor cells were culture-sorted with sildenafil at pharmacologically achievable levels and apoptosis was demonstrated in tumor cells from all 5 patients. These studies suggest that sildenafil may be an active agent in the treatment of WM.
Treon
Steven P
SP
Bing Program for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, nLG102, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. steven_treon@dfci.harvard.edu
Tournilhac
Olivier
O
Branagan
Andrew R
AR
Hunter
Zachary
Z
Xu
Lian
L
Hatjiharissi
Evdoxia
E
Santos
Daniel D
DD
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011687:Purines; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate