Cancer

Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting IRAK4 could help treat mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL). In HEK cells, shRNA targeting IRAK4 or an IRAK4 inhibitor tool compound increased the stability of wild-type MLL1, but not an oncogenic mutant form, compared with normal IRAK4 expression or vehicle. In MLL cells from patients, another IRAK4 inhibitor tool compound decreased proliferation compared with vehicle. In a xenograft mouse model of MLL, the IRAK4 inhibitors decreased the number of leukemic cells in the blood and increased survival. Next steps include testing the effects of additional MLL1-stabilizing compounds in MLL models.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has an IRAK4 inhibitor in Phase I testing for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...