title: Curing chronic myeloid leukemia.
abstract: The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeted against the BCR-ABL1 oncoprotein has proven remarkably successful in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and long-term survival has become a reality. Despite this outstanding progress, detection of minimal residual disease precludes therapy termination in most TKI-receiving patients. CML has thus turned into a chronic illness, raising concerns about long-term safety, medication adherence, and health care costs. Although treatment cessation may be feasible in few selected patients achieving deep molecular responses, a definitive cure remains elusive owing to the discovery that TKIs spare quiescent leukemic stem cells (LSC). Understanding mechanisms underlying LSC behavior in TKI-treated patients may provide important clues to develop an array of strategies that ensure the complete destruction of LSC reservoirs and thereby offer CML patients a definitive cure.
authors.affiliation: Service des Maladies du Sang et EA3518, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP, Paris, France. delphine.rea@sls.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rousselot
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guilhot
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guilhot
authors.forename: François-Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Mahon
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases