Use of animal models for the treatment of leukemias: Efficacy of DNA vaccination combined with ATRA.
Extract: By identifying the proteins (normal or oncogenic), which participate in the development of malignant diseases, we can identify novel targeted therapies to either stabilize or treat the disease. The approach is common to all: identification of targets, establishment of models, definition of pre-requisites for clinical transfer and surrogate markers for evaluation of in vivo efficacy. We have used animal models of myeloid leukemia using a genetic approach in order to understand the biology of leukemogenesis and to develop targeted approaches to therapy. These models are now developed and are ready for testing various different therapeutic strategies. There are good molecular targets for other malignancies and several new drugs are in clinical trials. Our work on the development of DNA vaccines represents, what we hope will be, the beginning of a challenging era in immunotherapy. Our results in the acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) model, a subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), show that DNA vaccination combined with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) results in a survival advantage.
Padua
Rose Ann
RA
Department of Hematological Medicine, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9NU, UK.
Chomienne
Christine
C