Potential role of sorafenib in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

The identification of aberrant cellular pathways and dysfunctional molecules important in neoplastic transformation has begun to provide us with a number of targets for drug development. It is likely that many of these agents will be incorporated into our existing treatment strategies that include cytotoxic agents. Sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor has been approved in the United States for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma as well as hepatocellular cancer. Its potential role in hematological malignancies, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is under evaluation. Here we describe the biological pathways in AML that are the potential targets of sorafenib action and discuss the early clinical data with the agent in solid tumors and AML.