Modifying an Anti-Cancer Drug Makes it More Specific

Imatinib (marketed as Gleevec in the US and Glivec in Europe and Australia) is used to treat various cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). It can be used to treat these two distinct types of cancer because they are caused by related proteins — tyrosine kinases. However, this lack of specificity for a single protein means that imatinib can also inhibit tyrosine kinases that mediate normal bodily functions and it has been reported that in some patients this causes a toxic effect on the heart.