Inhibition of FLT3 in MLL. Validation of a therapeutic target identified by gene expression based classification

Armstrong SA, Kung AL, Mabon ME, Silverman LB, Stam RW, Den Boer ML, Pieters R, Kersey JH, Sallan SE, Fletcher JA, et al. Inhibition of FLT3 in MLL. Validation of a therapeutic target identified by gene expression based classification. Cancer Cell. 2003;3:173–83.

NOTES

Armstrong, Scott AKung, Andrew LMabon, Meghann ESilverman, Lewis BStam, Ronald WDen Boer, Monique LPieters, RobKersey, John HSallan, Stephen EFletcher, Jonathan AGolub, Todd RGriffin, James DKorsmeyer, Stanley JengK08 CA 92551/CA/NCI NIH HHS/P01 CA 68484/CA/NCI NIH HHS/Comparative StudyResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.Cancer Cell. 2003 Feb;3(2):173-83. doi: 10.1016/s1535-6108(03)00003-5.

Abstract

We recently found that MLL-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemias (MLL) have a unique gene expression profile including high level expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3. We hypothesized that FLT3 might be a therapeutic target in MLL and found that 5 of 30 MLLs contain mutations in the activation loop of FLT3 that result in constitutive activation. Three are a newly described deletion of I836 and the others are D835 mutations. The recently described FLT3 inhibitor PKC412 proved cytotoxic to Ba/F3 cells dependent upon activated FLT3 containing either mutation. PKC412 is also differentially cytotoxic to leukemia cells with MLL translocations and FLT3 that is activated by either overexpression of the wild-type receptor or mutation. Finally, we developed a mouse model of MLL and used bioluminescent imaging to determine that PKC412 is active against MLL in vivo.
Last updated on 02/17/2021