Propofol enhances BCR-ABL TKIs’ inhibitory effects in chronic myeloid leukemia through Akt/mTOR suppression

The anti-cancer activities of intravenous anesthetic drug propofol have been demonstrated in various types of cancers but not in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Methods: We systematically examined the effect of propofol and its combination with BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in CML cell lines, patient progenitor cells and mouse xenograft model.