Targeting cell cycle in leukemia: "Is palbociclib the game-changer?": A review

Leukemia is a complex and heterogeneous disease, making it challenging to determine the correct treatment. Over the past few decades, there have been few changes in standard medical care. To mitigate this problem, several potential small molecules that target the disease at the molecular level are being investigated for their clinical significance in leukemia treatment. Among them, the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor palbociclib emerges as a promising therapeutic candidate targeting CDK4/6. Although palbociclib was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of HER2-negative and HR-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer, its potential in leukemia is still under research. Furthermore, CDK6 has been discovered to have essential roles in leukemic cells beyond its involvement in cell cycle progression, making it a notable target in leukemia. This review comprehensively analyses existing literature on the effectiveness and safety of using palbociclib alone or in combination with other treatments in preclinical and clinical leukemia investigations.