Improving imatinib delivery to central nervous system.

摘要

The recent article by Isobe et al. points to a problem in chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) treatment for which a solution may be at hand. In CML patients monotherapy with imatinib mesylate occasionally leads to isolated central nervous system (CNS) blast crisis in presence of peripheral blood complete remission, a situation seen occasionally also in Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph' + ALL). Leis et al. reported isolated CNS relapse occurred in five out of 24 patients with CML lymphoid blast crisis, Ph' + ALL or CML with biphenotypic markers treated on imatinib protocols.5