The manuscript entitled “Asciminib stands out as the superior tyrosine kinase inhibitor to combine with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of CD20+ Philadelphia-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia in preclinical models” was recently published in the Haematologica journal (IF=10.1).
It is the result of cooperation between the team of Małgorzata Firczuk, PhD from the Department of Immunology MMRI PAS and research groups from the Medical University of Lodz, the Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine in Warsaw, and the Medical University of Silesia. The first author of the paper is a PhD student of MMRI PAS, Krzysztof Domka. Haematologica, founded in 1920, is one of the most prestigious journals in the field of hematology, publishing the results of clinical trials and preclinical studies of clinical importance.
The manuscript presents preclinical studies on the effectiveness of combination therapies in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with the Philadelphia chromosome. The study assessed the efficacy of different combinations of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies directed against the CD20 protein. TKIs were observed to reduce the amount of CD20 on leukemic cells, which may reduce the efficacy of anti-CD20 antibodies. In addition, individual TKIs were shown to have different effects on immune cells, such as NK cells and macrophages, which are responsible for the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies. The next-generation TKI, asciminib, has emerged as the most promising drug, as it does not inhibit immune cell function, allowing optimal anti-leukemic activity of anti-CD20 antibodies. These findings may be crucial for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, suggesting the need for precise selection of TKIs for combination therapy with monoclonal antibodies. By proposing a new therapeutic combination, the study indicates potential opportunities to improve the efficacy of treatment for this aggressive form of leukemia.
