Opposing roles of KIT and ABL1 in the therapeutic response of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) cells to imatinib mesylate.

ABSTRACT: Most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are caused by activating mutations of the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase. The small molecule inhibitor imatinib mesylate was initially developed to target the ABL1 kinase, which is constitutively activated through chromosomal translocation in BCR-ABL1-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Because of cross-reactivity of imatinib against the KIT kinase, the drug is also successfully used for the treatment of GIST. Although inhibition of KIT clearly has a major role in the therapeutic response of GIST to imatinib, the contribution of concomitant inhibition of ABL in this context has never been explored. We show here that ABL1 is expressed in the majority of GISTs, including human GIST cell lines. Using siRNA-mediated knockdown, we demonstrate that deple

SUBMITTER: Rausch JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5354847 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature