Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, also known as acute lymphocytic
leukemia or acute lymphoid leukemia, is a form of cancer of the white
blood cells. It is characterized by the overproduction and accumulation of
cancerous, immature white blood cells, known as lymphoblasts.
Despite
treatment improvement, T-cell leukemia remains fatal in 20% of
pediatric and 50% of adult patients. Both CX-4945 and JQ1 are in
clinical trials now as single agents to treat solid and hematological
cancers.
‘Two Phase 1 drugs (CX-4945 and JQ1) can work together to efficiently kill T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells while having minimal impact on normal blood cells.’
Researchers have determined that these two Phase 1 drugs (CX-4945 and JQ1)
can work together to efficiently kill T-cell acute lymphoblastic
leukemia cells while having minimal impact on normal blood cells.
Although both drugs were previously tested as single agents in
clinical trials to treat cancers, the success of the combined actions on
cancer cells was previously unknown until now. The findings appear in
the journal
Haematologica.
"Previous studies provided us a rationale to test the combination of
CX-4945 and JQ1 on refractory/relapsed T-cell leukemia," said
corresponding author Hui Feng, assistant professor of
pharmacology & experimental therapeutics at Boston University School
of Medicine (BUSM). "Our findings suggest that the combination
treatment of CX-4945 and JQ1 could be an effective strategy to target
refractory/relapsed T-cell leukemia," she added.
According to the researchers the efficacy of using a combination of
JQ1 and CX-4945 in treating other cancers should also be investigated.
Source: Eurekalert
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