Bruton's tyrosine kinase: potential target in human multiple myeloma.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a Tec family non-receptor tyrosine kinase that is required for B cell development, is critical for the initiation and maintenance of human B-cell malignancies. However, the expression of BTK and the role that BTK plays in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM) remain seldom reported. In this study we examined the expression and screened for gene mutations of BTK in MM cells.

Biologic activity of triptolide in t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia cells.

Triptolide is a compound isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Tripterygium wilfordii that shows potent anti-tumor activities, but its effects on acute myeloid leukemia with t(8;21) remain unclear. Here we report that triptolide inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner of t(8;21)-bearing Kasumi-1, SKNO-1 and CD34+ cells harvested from bone marrow samples of patients with t(8;21) leukemia. We show that triptolide triggers cleavage of the resultant AML1-ETO fusion protein of t(8;21), and causes downregulation of C-KIT followed by inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling.