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Targeted Approaches for the Treatment of Thrombocytopenia

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence: George D. Demetri, M.D., Director, Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Sarcoma Center, 44 Binney Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-6084, USA. Telephone: 617-632-3985; Fax: 617-632-3408; e-mail: Gdemetri{at}partners.org

Molecular targeting of novel therapies has the promise of inducing very specific biologic effects. In clinical hematology and oncology, molecular targeting of specific cell surface receptors with erythropoietin, G-CSF, or GM-CSF has been used to stimulate erythropoiesis and granulopoiesis, respectively. Although anemia and neutropenia can be corrected with targeted therapy, safe and effective treatment of thrombocytopenia remains an unmet medical need. While platelet transfusions still represent the standard of care for severe thrombocytopenia, there are several negative aspects associated with their use, including issues of availability, transient effectiveness, costs, adverse effects, negative perception by patients, and infection considerations. Despite extensive investigations of cytokines which act primarily on primitive levels of hematopoiesis, pharmacologic interventions to date have failed to elevate platelet counts in a reliable, highly effective, and well-tolerated fashion. Recombinant human interleukin-11 has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia but has only modest efficacy and significant side effects. The identification of c-Mpl as the thrombopoietin receptor has opened new avenues for the therapeutic manipulation of thrombopoiesis. The development of specific c-Mpl ligands, including recombinant human thrombopoietin (rHuTPO), has allowed investigators to target this receptor for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia and other medical disorders characterized by extremely low platelet counts. As a potent stimulator of platelet production, rHuTPO has the potential to reduce the need for platelet transfusions and their attendant complications.

Key Words. c-Mpl • Thrombocytopenia • Thrombopoietin • Thrombopoiesis • Platelet transfusion

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