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 ... Read more

Gleevec was approved for treating chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) 13 months ago and the patients’ responding rate has been over a remarkable 70% (Discovery Medicine vol. 2, no. 7, June 2002). Scientists and the drug industry are inspired by the stellar performance of the drug. Now a group of companies try to develop similar cancer-specific drugs for another type of leukemia, the acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).

AML accounts for the majority of the adult leukemia cases, about 90%, far more cases than CML. About 11,000 new cases of AML are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Around 85% of these patients ... Read more