Cancer therapy
The present invention relates to the treatment of mixed lineage leukemia. In particular, the present invention relates to therapies involving the induction of proteolysis of the MLL fusion proteins that result from the chromosomal translocations affecting the MLL gene at 11q23.
1. A method for treating mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising: identifying said patient as having MLL; administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that is: (i) disulfiram; or (ii) diethyldithiocarbamic acid; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and inducing proteolysis of MLL fusion proteins associated with mixed lineage leukemia in said patient.
2. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises co-administering with copper.
3. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises co-administering with a thioredoxin reductase inhibitor.
4. The method according to claim 2 , which comprises co-administering with a thioredoxin reductase inhibitor.
5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the thioredoxin reductase inhibitor is Auranofin or Curcumin.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the thioredoxin reductase inhibitor is Auranofin or Curcumin.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed lineage leukemia is in a patient suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed lineage leukemia is in a patient suffering from acute lymphoblastic myeloid leukemia (AML).
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is disulfiram.