Computational and Biological Investigations on Abl1 Tyrosine Kinase: A Review

Masilamani Elizabeth Sobhia1, G Siva Kumar1, Antara Mallick1

  • 1Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S. Nagar, India.

Current Drug Targets
|October 14, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Drug resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a major concern. New molecular entities and computational methods offer promising strategies for developing effective Abl1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors to overcome resistance and improve long-term survival.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Abl1 tyrosine kinase is a validated target for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
  • Drug resistance to existing therapies, including TKIs, is a significant clinical challenge in CML.
  • Limited long-term survival benefits are observed with current second and third-generation TKIs against resistant CML forms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current therapies for CML targeting Abl1 tyrosine kinase.
  • To explore mechanisms of drug resistance, including point mutations.
  • To summarize novel therapeutic strategies, including natural products and small molecule inhibitors, for overcoming Abl1 resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of available therapies, point mutations, and structure-activity relationships of Abl1 inhibitors.
  • Summary of computational, experimental, and biological studies on drug resistance mechanisms.
  • Analysis of ADMET parameters for existing drugs and novel inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • Second and third-generation TKIs show improved responses but do not significantly prolong long-term survival in resistant CML.
  • Natural product derivatives and organic small molecules represent potential avenues for new CML therapies.
  • Computational and molecular biology studies are crucial for understanding resistance and designing new inhibitors.

Conclusions:

  • Selective targeting of Abl1 tyrosine kinase at the molecular level is a promising strategy to combat drug resistance in CML.
  • Further research into novel compounds and resistance mechanisms is essential for advancing CML treatment.
  • Integrating computational and experimental approaches can accelerate the discovery of effective CML therapies.