hOCT1 gene expression predict for optimal response to Imatinib in Tunisian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Purpose Imatinib mesylate (IM) is considered as a highly effective therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. However, a minority of patients fail to achieve optimal response due to impaired bioavailability of IM. The human organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1; SLC22A1) has been reported to be the main influx transporter involved in IM uptake into CML cells. Genetic variants and/or hOCT1 expression changes may influence IM response. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of both hOCT1 polymorphisms located in exon 7 and hOCT1 mRNA levels on the clinical outcome in CML patients.