Research and Future
Intense research to develop a better treatment option is being carried out by various Research groups.
- In the year 2005, favourable results of vaccination were reported with the fusion protein synthesised by the BCR-abl gene, in patients with the stable form of the disease.
- To research the disease, short segments of DNA, called oligomers, which block the BCR-ABL gene, were developed that suppressed the formation of leukemia cells without affecting the development of the normal bone marrow cells. These, along with other experimental techniques may lead to future treatments for CML.
- Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are reporting the pioneer study. According to this study, a vaccine using PR1 peptide can produce a complete molecular remission in some patients. This peptide is found to be abnormally expressed on myeloid leukemia cells.
- Active clinical trial is being carried out for two other drugs, ceflatonin and nilotinib.These drugs are designed to help CML patients who are resistant to imatinib.
- Different combinations of treatment modalities are being investigated.
