The Biology Project
Cell Signaling > Problem
12: Cancer Therapy
A new drug, STI-571 or Gleevec specifically inhibits the Abl tyrosine
kinase that is mutated in chronic myeloid leukemia. Treating patients
with the drug dramatically improves survival, but people with a "blast
crisis" form of the cancer begin to develop resistance. Which of
the following statements are important conclusions from studies on the
use of STI-571 in cancer treatment?
||Inhibiting signaling pathways can benefit people with cancer.
||Rapidly dividing cancer cells that have lost checkpoint
systems insuring genome fidelity can develop resistance to specific
Acquisition of resistance to STI-571 shows that the same specific
enzyme changes occur, suggesting that developing new drugs that
target mutations leading to resistance may further improve patient
All of the above.
Yes, the new results are very promising
for some forms of cancer. Many believe this is the first of
drugs that target the specific signaling pathways that are altered
by mutation in cancer. It will still be necessary to develop
treatments for further mutations, especially when the cancer
is rapidly dividing and has altered properties.
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