Imatinib and dasatinib for histiocytosis – pro
Histiocytosis is an excessive number of histiocytes and it is used to refer to a group of rare diseases which share this as a characteristic. The histiocytes may infiltrate skin, bone, muscles, and vital organs, such as the liver, lung, spleen, and hematopoietic system. The disease is somewhat similar to cancer, and treatment often involves radiation and chemotherapy.
It often possesses a c-kit mutation and there are several case reports of using a related drug, imatinib for Langerhans histiocytosis. There are also reports of the use of dasatinib, a closely related drug. One phase II study found it to be effective for patients with histiocytosis ahe D816V negative patients did ntor espond to imatinib. There is also preclinical evidence that D816V mutation negative patients will respond to dasatinib but not imatinib.
Considering the rarity of D816V negative patients with systemic histiocytosis, the avaialble literature evidence should be consdered to support its use.
Christina Wagner; Henrik Mohme; Tanja Kromer-Olbrisch; Rudolf Stadler; Sergij Goerdt; Hjalmar Kurzen
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: Treatment Failure With Imatinib
Arch Dermatol. 2009;145(8):949-950.
CORRESPONDENCE
Montella, Liliana, Insabato, Luigi, Palmieri, Giovannella
Imatinib Mesylate for Cerebral Langerhans’-Cell Histiocytosis
N Engl J Med 2004 351: 1034-1035
Verstovsek S, et al, Pahse II study of dastinib in PH chromosome negative acute and chronci myeloid diseaes, inclusing systemic histiocytosis, Clin Cancer Res 2008 15;14:12:3906-15.
Shah NP et al, Dasatinib inhibits KITD86V, an imatinib resistant activating mutation that tiggers neoplastic growth in most patients with systemic mastocytosis, Blood 2006 1:108;(1):286-91
Christina Wagner; Henrik Mohme; Tanja Kromer-Olbrisch; Rudolf Stadler; Sergij Goerdt; Hjalmar Kurzen
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: Treatment Failure With Imatinib
Arch Dermatol. 2009;145(8):949-950.
CORRESPONDENCE
Montella, Liliana, Insabato, Luigi, Palmieri, Giovannella
Imatinib Mesylate for Cerebral Langerhans’-Cell Histiocytosis
N Engl J Med 2004 351: 1034-1035