1. Bethany LaVergne and Curt Phifer, Ph.D. at Northwestern State University Fabiola Gomez, Ph.D. and Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D.; MD Anderson Cancer Center

2.  “A disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues” (NCI dictionary)  Enhanced survival mechanisms  difficult to kill cancer cells  Physical, emotional, and financial impact  Prevention and treatment protocols for many cancers are available

3.  Leukemia = cancer of the blood  Lymphocytic = B-lymphocytes  Chronic = slow, gradual development  Patients are 60-80 years old; rarely under 40  Complications with immune system  Family history is good predictor of risk  Elevated levels of Bcl- 2 and Pim kinase

5.  ABT- 737 (Abbot Labs) binds to and sequesters Bcl- 2  AZD- 1208 (Astra Zeneca) inhibits Pim kinase function

7.  Blood samples were obtained from 7 CLL patients and 1 healthy blood donor  Mononuclear cells (including B-lymphocytes) were isolated from blood  Each sample was treated 24 hours total  Cell death determined by Annexin V/Propidium iodide staining  Additive, Antagonistic, and Synergistic

8.  1 nm was used in combination treatments  3 μM and 10 μM AZD- 1208 were determined sufficient by a similar experiment

9. 1 nM ABT- 737 3 μM AZD- 1208 10 μM AZD- 1208 1 nM ABT- 737 + 3 μM AZD- 1208 1 nM ABT- 737 + 10 μM AZD- 1208

10. 1 nM ABT- 737 3 μM AZD- 1208 10 μM AZD- 1208 1 nM ABT- 737 + 3 μM AZD- 1208 1 nM ABT- 737 + 10 μM AZD- 1208 No treatment DMSO

11.  Variation between samples  Additive results at best  Highest % cell death induced: 40% from 1 nM ABT- 737 + 10 μM AZD- 1208

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