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FLT3 Inhibitors as Therapeutic Agents in MLL Rearranged Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

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New Agents for the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract

Constitutively activated FLT3 as a consequence of mutation has rapidly become a hallmark of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). With the prompt development of several small molecule FLT3 inhibitors and the current ongoing clinical trials using such compounds, FLT3 inhibition seems well on its way to soon becoming incorporated routinely into AML treatment protocols. In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), constitutively activated FLT3 appears to be an attractive therapeutic target particularly for patients carrying unfavorable translocations of the MLL gene. Here, we review the accomplishments regarding FLT3 inhibition in AML, and in parallel describe the trailing exploration of the potential of FLT3 inhibitors as therapeutic agents in MLL rearranged ALL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Erasmus MC – Sophia Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Dr. Molewaterplein 60, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

    Rob Pieters

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  1. Ronald W. Stam
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  2. Rob Pieters
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Correspondence to Rob Pieters .

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  1. Christie Hospital, Dept. Paediatric & Adolescent Oncology, University of Manchester, Manchester, M20 4BX, United Kingdom

    Vaskar Saha

  2. , School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom

    Pamela Kearns

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

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Stam, R.W., Pieters, R. (2011). FLT3 Inhibitors as Therapeutic Agents in MLL Rearranged Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. In: Saha, V., Kearns, P. (eds) New Agents for the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8459-3_10

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