----- Original Message -----
From: Martin Auslander <fitecancer@earthlink.net>
To: mol cancer <mol-cancer@lists.meds.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 1999 6:54 AM
Subject: [MOL] Researchers Create a New Form of Therapy for Leukemia and
Lymphoma
> Good Morning My FRiends,
>
> Thought the following information might be of very positive thoughts and
> progress.
>
> Researchers Create a New Form of Therapy for Leukemia and Lymphoma
>
> July 2, 1999
>
> ST. PAUL, Minn., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers experimenting with
> cells and mice have created a new anti-leukemic drug which attacks and
> kills leukemia cells without side effects. The technique may be tested
> on humans this fall.
>
> Dr. F. M. Uckun of the Hughes Institute, St. Paul, MN, said Tuesday
> WHI-P131 is actually a rationally designed small molecule that will
> inhibit a life-maintaining enzyme, known as JAK3, in leukemic cells.
>
> "Normal tissue is not affected," he said, "Only the leukemia cells are
> going to die."
>
> Uckun, senior author of a study that appeared in the journal Clinical
> Cancer Research said the same technique can also be used for treatment
> of allergic disorders since JAK3 plays a key role in allergy as well.
>
> In the study, Uckun and his team treated human leukemia cancer cells.
> The cancer, called B-cell precursor leukemia, is the most common form of
> childhood cancer and the second most common form of acute leukemia in
> adults.
>
> Uckun said earlier studies have shown that a molecule called JAK3
> tyrosine kinase is essential for the survival of leukemia cells. The
> problem was how to completely block the action of JAK3 inside the cancer
> cells. And the solution was the novel compound WHI-P131. The development
> of WHI-P131 was aided by a 3D computer model of the protein JAK3 which
> demonstrated how the drug would interact with JAK3.
>
> Uckun said the findings suggest a treatment that included cycles of
> first the drugs, then this JAK3 inhibitor could be very effective
> against leukemia.
>
> Dr. Uckun's group now plans to seek Food and Drug Administration
> approval to test the drug on human leukemia patients. Uckun said
> clinical trials of the therapy should start this fall.
>
> Clinical Cancer Research, which published the study, is the journal of
> the American Association of Cancer Research.
>
> Reference: Sudbeck EA, Liu XP, Narla RK, Mahajan S, Ghosh S, Mao C,
> Uckun FM. Structure-based design of specific inhibitors of Janus Kinase
> 3 as apoptosis-inducing antileukemic agents. Clinical Cancer Research,
> 5:1569-1582, 1999.
>
> SOURCE Hughes Institute
>
> /CONTACT: Susan Mau Larson of Hughes Institute, 651-697-9228, ext. 679,
> or pager, 651-908-0781/
>
> God Bless,
> marty and Barb auslander
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