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Summing up cancer stem cells | Nature

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Chronic myeloid leukaemia is associated with the oncogene BCR-ABL. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib (Gleevec), in the news as the first molecularly targeted anticancer drug, acts by impairing the function of this oncogene. A study of 169 patients receiving imatinib followed the kinetics of BCR-ABL in order to develop a mathematical model of the in vivo kinetics of a cancer. Imatinib reduced the rate of leukaemic cell production, but did not appear to deplete a population of leukaemic stem cells. The model also indicates when multiple drug therapy might be more effective than imatinib alone.

News & Views Published: 29 June 2005 Cancer biology Brian J. P. Huntly1,2 & D. Gary Gilliland1,2 Nature volume 435, pages 1169–1170 (2005) Cite this article 2639 Accesses 108 Citations 6 Altmetric Metrics details Are current cancer drugs targeted at the wrong kinds of cells? A pioneering approach to the development of treatments uses a mathematical model to follow how different types of tumour cells respond to therapy. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access options Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 52 print…

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