Method for increasing sensitivity to chemically induced terminal differentiation

摘要

The present invention provides a method of selectively inducing terminal differentiation of neoplastic cells and thereby inhibiting proliferation of such cells which comprises treating the cells so as to render them resistant to an antitumor agent and contacting the resulting resistant cells under suitable conditions with an amount of a compound effective to selectively induce terminal differentiation of such cells. The compound has a structure: [R-A ]-B-[A1-B1-]a[A2-B2-]b[A3-R1]. The invention also concerns a method of treating a patient having a tumor characterized by proliferation of neoplastic which comprises administering to the patient an amount of an antitumor agent to render the cells resistant to the antitumor agent and subsequently administering to the patient an amount of the compound effective to selectively induce terminal differentiation of such neoplastic cells and thereby inhibit their proliferation.