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imatinib

Gleevec, imatinib mesylate , STI-571

Imatinib mesylate (STI 571, Gleevec) is an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinases c-kit, PDGFR and the fusion protein BCR/ABL. Imatinib also blocks the stem cell factor SCF receptor or c-KIT loop.

Imatinib is a small-molecule ABL kinase inhibitor. It is a highly effective therapy for early-phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), which has constitutively active ABL kinase activity owing to the expression of the BCR-ABL fusion protein.

Therapeutics

- significant response in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)

Videos

- Gleevec action

- Gleevec mechanism of Action

References

- O’hare T, Corbin AS, Druker BJ. Targeted CML therapy: controlling drug resistance, seeking cure. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2006 Feb;16(1):92-9. PMID: 16343892

- Klein S, McCormick F, Levitzki A. Killing time for cancer cells. Nat Rev Cancer. 2005 Jul;5(7):573-80. PMID: 15965492

- Mohty M, Blaise D, Olive D, Gaugler B. Imatinib: the narrow line between immune tolerance and activation. Trends Mol Med. 2005 Sep;11(9):397-402. PMID: 16087402

- Hannah AL. Kinases as drug discovery targets in hematologic malignancies. Curr Mol Med. 2005 Nov;5(7):625-42. PMID: 16305489

- Savage DG, Antman KH. Imatinib mesylate—a new oral targeted therapy. N Engl J Med. 2002 Feb 28;346(9):683-93. PMID: 11870247