Targeting human gastrointestinal stromal tumor cells with a quadruplex-binding small molecule.

ABSTRACT: Most of human gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are driven by activating mutations in the proto-oncogene KIT, a tyrosine kinase receptor. Clinical treatment with imatinib targets the kinase domain of KIT, but tumor regrowth occurs as a result of the development of resistant mutations in the kinase active site. An alternative small-molecule approach to GIST therapy is described, in which the KIT gene is directly targeted, and thus, kinase resistance may be circumvented. A naphthalene diimide derivative has been used to demonstrate the concept of dual quadruplex targeting. This compound strongly stabilizes both telomeric quadruplex DNA and quadruplex sites in the KIT promoter in vitro. It is shown here that the compound is a potent inducer of growth arrest in a patient-derived GIST cell

SUBMITTER: Gunaratnam M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2900250 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature