Boosting Dasatinib's Power: How Febuxostat Fights Leukemia

Dasatinib is a key medicine for treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but some patients' cells become resistant to it. This resistance is partly due to a protein called ABCG2 that kicks dasatinib out of the cells. Febuxostat, normally used to treat gout, can block ABCG2. A recent study looked into whether febuxostat could enhance dasatinib's effectiveness in CML patients. Researchers found that patients taking both febuxostat and dasatinib responded better to the treatment. Their cells showed stronger early and long-term responses. Lab experiments also showed that febuxostat made dasatinib more effective by reducing cell growth and keeping more dasatinib inside the cells. This meant that dasatinib could better target the cancer-causing BCR::ABL1 protein. The study suggests that combining febuxostat with dasatinib could improve CML treatment and help overcome drug resistance. This is an interesting finding that could lead to better ways of treating CML.