The Philadelphia chromosome

By Jessica Wapner

Subjects: Gene therapy, Genetic aspects, Medical care, united states, Leukemia, Genetic Therapy, Research, Chronic diseases, Therapy, Cancer, Genetics, Chronic myeloid leukemia, Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl, Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive, Myeloid Leukemia, Imatinib, Mutation (Biology), History, Philadelphia Chromosome

Description: This work discusses the history of a genetic mutation, discovered in 1959, that causes chronic myeloid leukemia, and traces the research and breakthroughs that led to the creation of a drug that makes this once-fatal illness now treatable. It focuses on what is widely viewed as the 'poster child' of rational drug development in the cancer research world. The history of the founding of a genetic mutant chromosome in the indication of Chronic myeloid leukemia disease, and the subsequent development of "Gleevec," is the keynote of this publication.