A New Hope: Pyridine Compounds Fighting Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow. One of the main culprits behind AML is a gene called FLT3. When this gene gets messed up, it can make the cancer grow faster. Scientists have been trying to find ways to stop FLT3 from helping the cancer. In search of a solution, scientists took a molecule called compound 2 and used it as a starting point. They designed and made a bunch of new molecules with a special part called a pyridine. These molecules also had a little tag called a 1, 2, 3-triazole.Tests showed that these new molecules could kill leukemia cells really well. One of these molecules, called 12y, was the best at stopping the cancer cells from growing. It could block FLT3 and another bad guy called VEGFR2. When 12y was used on cancer cells, it turned off two important signals in the cells. This made the cells stop growing and also made them self-destruct. Plus, 12y could be taken by mouth and didn't have any bad side effects. It even helped mice with leukemia live longer. This discovery might help scientists find new ways to fight AML by targeting FLT3.