Oncogene
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Comparative Study
Growth inhibition and modulation of kinase pathways of small cell lung cancer cell lines by the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI 571.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive cancer characterized by several autocrine growth mechanisms including stem cell factor and its receptor c-Kit. In order to arrive at potentially new and novel therapy for SCLC, we have investigated the effects of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, STI 571, on SCLC cell lines. It has been previously reported that STI 571 does not only inhibit cellular Abl tyrosine kinase activity but also the PDGF receptor and c-Kit tyrosine kinases at similar concentrations (approximately 0.1 microM). ⋯ These data imply that STI 571 inhibits growth of SCLC cells through a mechanism that involves inactivation of the tyrosine kinase c-Kit. The effectiveness of STI 571 in this study suggests this drug may be useful in a clinical trial, for patients with SCLC. Oncogene (2000) 19, 3521 - 3528