A sequential approach with imatinib, chemotherapy and transplant for adult Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia: final results of the GIMEMA LAL 0904 study.

In the GIMEMA LAL 0904 protocol, adult Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients were treated with chemotherapy for induction and consolidation, followed by maintenance with imatinib. The protocol was subsequently amended and imatinib was incorporated in the induction and post-remission phase together with chemotherapy. Due to the toxicity of this combined approach, the protocol was further amended to a sequential scheme based on imatinib plus steroids as induction, followed by consolidation with chemotherapy plus imatinib and, when applicable, by a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

c-Myc Modulation and Acetylation Is a Key HDAC Inhibitor Target in Cancer.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are promising anticancer drugs. Although some HDACi have entered the clinic, the mechanism(s) underlying their tumor selectivity are poorly understood. Using gene expression analysis, we define a core set of six genes commonly regulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts and cell lines.