Imatinib and the Treatment of Fibrosis: Recent Trials and Tribulations

Posted by rob on November 22, 2010 under Uncategorized | Comments are off for this article

Abstract  Imatinib mesylate has become a therapy of interest for the treatment of systemic sclerosis because of its ability to inhibit
c-Abl and platelet-derived growth factor receptor, tyrosine kinases involved in profibrotic pathways. Preclinical data using
in vitro and murine models of fibrosis have demonstrated the antifibrotic properties of imatinib. Imatinib is currently used
widely in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and other conditions, and a large
amount of information is available regarding the safety of the medication in these patient populations. Whether imatinib will
be tolerable or effective in the treatment of systemic sclerosis is the subject of several investigations. The aim of this
review is to summarize thi…
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