What are TKI medicines and how do they work?
TKI stands for tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These are targeted therapy drugs commonly used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and some cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that have the Philadelphia chromosome.
TKIs work by blocking abnormal proteins in leukemia Show Full Answer
What are TKI medicines and how do they work?
TKI stands for tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These are targeted therapy drugs commonly used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and some cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that have the Philadelphia chromosome.
TKIs work by blocking abnormal proteins in leukemia cells. In CML, cells contain an abnormal gene called BCR-ABL1 (the Philadelphia chromosome) that tells cells to grow and divide uncontrollably. TKIs inhibit this protein, stopping the cancer cells from dividing.
Common TKI medications include:
* Imatinib (Gleevec)
* Dasatinib (Sprycel)
* Nilotinib (Tasigna, Danziten)
* Bosutinib (Bosulif)
* Ponatinib (Iclusig)
* Asciminib (Scemblix)
These are typically taken as pills once or twice daily. Some need to be taken with food, while others require fasting before and after taking them. It's crucial to take them exactly as prescribed at the same time each day.
TKIs are considered targeted therapy because they specifically attack leukemia cells with the abnormal gene while generally sparing healthy cells. This often means fewer serious side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy.
February 5
Good information is on YouTube which has nice videos showing how the BTK inhibitor chemically attaches to the bad cell. I hope everyone sees this and understands this type of medication does work and people can be healthy.
February 5
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