Research from Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences yields new data on chronic lymphocytic leukemia therapy
March 16th, 2009
2009 MAR 16 -- Data detailed in 'Rapamycin shows anticancer activity in primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in vitro, as single agent and in drug combination' have been presented. According to a study from Uppsala, Sweden, "The mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor rapamycin and its analogues show promising anticancer activity in various experimental tumor models and are presently evaluated in clinical trials. We, here, evaluated the in vitro activity of rapamycin with regard to tumor-type specificity and possible mechanisms of drug resistance in 97 tumor cell samples from patients and in a resistance-based cell line panel, using the fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay."
"Rapamycin was dose-dependently cytotoxic in patient tumor cells and in cell lines. In primary cells, rapamycin was more active in hematological than in solid tumor samples, with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute lymphocytic leukemia being the most sensitive tumor types. Considerable inter-individual differences in sensitivity were apparent among CLL samples, but no difference was observed between IGHV mutated and unmutated CLL samples, whereas a tendency to lower rapamycin sensitivity was indicated for samples displaying poor-prognostic genomic markers. Combination experiments in CLL cells indicated that rapamycin acted synergistically with vincristine, cisplatin, chlorambucil and taxotere," wrote A. Aleskog and colleagues, Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences.
The researchers concluded: "These results and the clinically-experienced good tolerance to rapamycin analogues encourage clinical studies of rapamycin in CLL treatment as single agent but also in combination with, e.g., vincristine and chlorambucil."
Aleskog and colleagues published their study in Leukemia & Lymphoma (Rapamycin shows anticancer activity in primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells in vitro, as single agent and in drug combination. Leukemia & Lymphoma, 2008;49(12):2333-43).
For more information, contact A. Aleskog, Uppsala University Hospital, Dept. of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Publisher contact information for the journal Leukemia & Lymphoma is: Nature Publishing Group, 345 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1707, USA.
