Heterogeneity in chronic myeloid leukaemia dynamics during imatinib treatment: role of immune responses.
Previous studies have shown that during imatinib therapy, the decline of chronic myeloid leukaemia BCR-ABL transcript numbers involves a fast phase followed by a slow phase in averaged datasets. Drug resistance leads to regrowth. In this paper, variation of treatment responses between patients is examined. A significant positive correlation is found between slopes of the fast and the slow phase of decline. A significant negative correlation is found between slopes of the slow phase of decline and the regrowth phase. No correlation is found between slopes of the fast phase of decline and the regrowth phase. A mathematical model that is successfully fitted to diverse clinical profiles explains these correlations by invoking the immune response as a key determinant of tumour decline during treatment. Boosting immunity during drug therapy could enhance the response to treatment in patients.
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92607, USA. dwodarz@uci.edu
Dominik
D
Wodarz
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate