Predicting effects of kinase inhibitor in therapy for myeloid malignancies - the challenges in capturing disease heterogeneity

Protein kinase inhibitors have proved to be effective and well tolerated in special form of malignant diseases in which targeted kinases play a central role in the development and progression of the malignant clone. In addition, the development of acquired drug resistance, due to new mutations or clonal evolution, during treatment is common. Methods for measuring the activity and predicting the efficacy of such compounds are warranted for evaluating individual responses to treatment, particularly in a context of widespread pre-clinical and clinical studies of protein kinase inhibitors in patients with heterogeneous myeloid malignancies.