Targeting FLT3 for treating diseases: FLT3 inhibitors

Abstract

FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) expressed mainly in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and often mutated in hematological tumors, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). A variety of FLT3 inhibitors have been approved and adopted for the treatment of AML. However, these suffer resistance problems, and further studies are needed. Here, we review the current status of research on FLT3 inhibitors in AML, discuss the occurrence of resistance, and suggest approaches to overcome such resistance.