What are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)?
TKIs are targeted therapy drugs used to treat certain types of leukemia, particularly chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). They work by blocking abnormal proteins in cancer cells that cause them to grow and divide too quickly.
Most people with CML have a genetic change called the Show Full Answer
What are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)?
TKIs are targeted therapy drugs used to treat certain types of leukemia, particularly chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). They work by blocking abnormal proteins in cancer cells that cause them to grow and divide too quickly.
Most people with CML have a genetic change called the Philadelphia chromosome, which creates an abnormal protein called BCR-ABL. TKIs specifically target and block this protein, helping to stop leukemia cells from multiplying.
Common TKIs for CML include:
- Imatinib (Gleevec)
- Dasatinib (Sprycel)
- Nilotinib (Tasigna)
- Bosutinib (Bosulif)
- Ponatinib (Iclusig)
- Asciminib (Scemblix)
TKIs are usually taken as daily pills and are the most common treatment for chronic-phase CML. They can also be used for some cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that have the Philadelphia chromosome.
One advantage of TKIs is that they target cancer cells specifically, which typically means fewer serious side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy since healthy cells are generally spared.
February 2
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