| abstract |
The invention provides a method for the treatment of Ph+ leukemia in a patient comprising administering to the patient (i) a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and (ii) an agent which selectively binds to a cell surface receptor expressed on Ph+ leukemic stem cells. The invention further provides for the use of (i) and (ii) in, or in the manufacture of a medicament for, the treatment of Ph+ leukemia in a patient; and a composition for the treatment of Ph+ leukemia in a patient comprising (i) and (ii); and kits comprising (i) and (ii). In some embodiments, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor is or is not imatinib; or is selected from the group consisting of dasatinib, nilotinib, bosutinib, axitinib, cediranib, crizotinib, damnacanthal, gefitinib, lapatinib, lestaurtinib, neratinib, semaxanib, sunitinib, toceranib, tyrphostins, vandetanib, vatalanib, INNO-406, AP24534, XL228, PHA-739358, MK-0457, SGX393 and DC2036; or is selected from the group consisting of dasatinib and nilotinib. In some embodiments, the agent binds to a receptor involved in signalling by at least one of IL-3, G-CSF and GM-CSF. In some embodiments, the agent is a mutein selected from the group consisting of IL-3 muteins, G-CSF muteins and GM-CSF muteins. In some embodiments, the mutein is an IL-3 mutein. In some embodiments, the agent is a soluble receptor which is capable of binding to IL-3. |