In 2016 about 565,000 Americans will die of cancer. Lowering this number will require improved therapeutics targeting specific molecular defects. An example is the chemotherapeutic drug Imatinib, sold under the brand name Gleevac<sup>TM</sup>, which is used to successfully treat several different types of cancer with minimal side effects. The drug targets cancer cells by blocking the activity of hyperactive tyrosine kinases. In an attempt to specifically target cancers with deregulated p27kip1, we evaluated the effects of Imatinib on mouse fibroblasts with and without the p27 protein. Cells were incubated with Imatinib for various times and the effects on cell viability were determined using a resazurin-based fluorescent assay. The ability of Imatinib to influence metabolic pathways was also investigated by measuring ATP levels using a luciferase-based assay. Results indicated that Imatinib had differential effects on cells with and without p27kip1, indicating that p27 disruption might deregulate tyrosine kinases targeted by the drug.

Imatinib activity against cells lacking the tumor suppressor p27Kip1

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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