PR
Newswire July 01, 1999 ST. PAUL, Minn., Jul 1, 1999 /PRNewswire
via COMTEX/ -- Researchers experimenting with cells and mice have
created a new anti-leukemic drug which attacks and kills leukemia
cells without side effects. The technique may be tested on humans
this fall.
Dr.
F. M. Uckun of the Hughes Institute, St. Paul, MN, said Tuesday
WHI-P131 is actually a rationally designed small molecule that
will inhibit a life-maintaining enzyme, known as JAK3, in leukemic
cells.
"Normal
tissue is not affected," he said, "Only the leukemia cells are
going to die."
Uckun,
senior author of a study that appeared in the journal Clinical
Cancer Research said the same technique can also be used for treatment
of allergic disorders since JAK3 plays a key role in allergy as
well.
In
the study, Uckun and his team treated human leukemia cancer cells.
The cancer, called B-cell precursor leukemia, is the most common
form of childhood cancer and the second most common form of acute
leukemia in adults.
Uckun
said earlier studies have shown that a molecule called JAK3 tyrosine
kinase is essential for the survival of leukemia cells. The problem
was how to completely block the action of JAK3 inside the cancer
cells. And the solution was the novel compound WHI-P131. The development
of WHI-P131 was aided by a 3D computer model of the protein JAK3
which demonstrated how the drug would interact with JAK3.
Uckun
said the findings suggest a treatment that included cycles of
first the drugs, then this JAK3 inhibitor could be very effective
against leukemia.
Dr.
Uckun's group now plans to seek Food and Drug Administration approval
to test the drug on human leukemia patients. Uckun said clinical
trials of the therapy should start this fall.
Clinical
Cancer Research, which published the study, is the journal ofthe
American Association of Cancer Research.
Reference:
Sudbeck EA, Liu XP, Narla RK, Mahajan S, Ghosh S, Mao C, Uckun
FM. Structure-based design of specific inhibitors of Janus Kinase
3as apoptosis-inducing antileukemic agents. Clinical Cancer Research,
5:1569-1582, 1999.
SOURCE
Hughes Institute (C) 1999 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.prnewswire.com
CONTACT: Susan Mau Larson of Hughes Institute, 651-697-9228, ext.
679, or pager, 651-908-0781
GEOGRAPHY:
Minnesota
INDUSTRY
CODE: MTC
HEA
SUBJECT
CODE: PDT
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