Cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic action of MjTX-I, a phospholipase A2 isolated from snake venom, towards leukemic cells.

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm marked by increased myeloproliferation and presence of leukemic cells resistant to apoptosis. The current first-line therapy for CML is administration of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib mesylate, dasatinib or nilotinib. Although effective to treat CML, some patients have become resistant to this therapy, leading to disease progression and death.