Identification of ILK as a novel therapeutic target for acute and chronic myeloid leukemia

Current treatment options as well as clinical efficacy are limited for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In response to the pressing need for more efficacious treatment approaches and strategies to override drug resistance in advanced stage CML, Ph+ ALL, and AML, we investigated the effects of inhibition of ILK as a potentially novel and effective approach to treatment of these challenging malignancies. Using the small molecule ILK inhibitor, Cpd22, and ILK knockdown, we investigated the importance of ILK in the growth and viability of leukemia. Our results suggest that the ILK inhibition may be an effective treatment for CML, Ph+ ALL, and AML as a single therapy, with ILK expression levels positively correlating with the efficacy of ILK inhibition. The identification of ILK as a novel target for leukemia therapy warrants further investigation as a therapeutic approach that could be of potential clinical benefit in both acute and chronic myeloid leukemias.