HACKENSACK, N.J., May 19 /PRNewswire/ — A Phase I clinical
trial of SNS-032, one of the first in a new class of drugs that
inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases, demonstrated the drug’s safety
and potential clinical action against advanced chronic lymphocytic
leukemia (CLL). Cyclin-dependent kinases are enzymatic proteins
that are integrally involved in cellular metabolism, renewal and
signaling, and are thought to play key roles in the growth of
cancers. The drug did not demonstrate any clinical effect
against advanced multiple myeloma, although researchers hope it
might still prove to have some benefit against this blood cancer as
part of combination therapy. The paper is published online in the
Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“No drugs that target this cancer mechanism are on the market
today,” says study author David S.
Siegel, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Chief, Multiple Myeloma, John
Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center.
“I am hopeful that larger studies will show that this
targeted therapy is useful against a number of advanced B cell
malignancies.”
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma are both
considered B cell malignancies, as they attack these cells, also
known as B lymphocytes. B lymphocytes are white blood cells
that develop in the bone marrow and make antibodies that protect
the immune system. Both types of blood cancer leave their victims
susceptible to infections and other serious complications. While
there are treatments for both cancers, there is no cure, and more
effective treatments are needed.
“At the John Theurer Cancer Center we are committed to exploring
new treatment options for rare cancers, such as multiple myeloma
and CLL,” said Andrew L. Pecora,
M.
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