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Intermittent targeting as a tool to minimize toxicity of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy

Nature Clinical Practice Oncology volume 6, pages 68–69 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy has revolutionized the outcome of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and has transformed a fatal disease into a chronic condition for most patients. At present, the therapeutic armamentarium against CML includes imatinib for newly diagnosed patients, and dasatinib and nilotinib, which have both received marketing approval, for imatinib-resistant and imatinib-intolerant disease. Research efforts are now focused on how to optimize therapeutic strategies in an attempt to improve clinical results further, counteract the development of drug resistance and reduce adverse effects. A randomized, international, phase III study of dasatinib dose and schedule optimization in imatinib-resistant and imatinib-intolerant patients with CML has demonstrated that intermittent target inhibition can preserve therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity. This finding has important implications, not only for patients with CML, but also for the development of targeted therapies for human malignancies in general.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. G Martinelli is Professor of Hematology and Head of the Molecular Biology Unit at the Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences; S Soverini and I Iacobucci are Post-Doctoral Research Fellows at the Molecular Biology Unit at the Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences; M Baccarani is Full Professor of Hematology and Head of the Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences, all at the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,

    Giovanni Martinelli, Simona Soverini, Ilaria Iacobucci & Michele Baccarani

  2. S Soverini and I Iacobucci are Post-Doctoral Research Fellows at the Molecular Biology Unit at the Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences,

    Giovanni Martinelli, Simona Soverini, Ilaria Iacobucci & Michele Baccarani

Authors
  1. Giovanni Martinelli
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  2. Simona Soverini
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  3. Ilaria Iacobucci
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  4. Michele Baccarani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanni Martinelli.

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Competing interests

G Martinelli is on the Speakers bureau for Bristol-Myers Squibb. Simona Soverini, Ilaria Iacobucci and Michele Baccarani declared no competing interests.

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Martinelli, G., Soverini, S., Iacobucci, I. et al. Intermittent targeting as a tool to minimize toxicity of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 6, 68–69 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncponc1276

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncponc1276

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