# BCR::ABL1 (Philadelphia chromosome)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/bcr-abl/  
OnCo record `bcr-abl` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The fusion that defines chronic myeloid leukaemia and a quarter of adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; the first cancer driver ever switched off by a pill.

## Summary

t(9;22) creates a constitutively active ABL1 kinase. Imatinib (2001) transformed CML; dasatinib, nilotinib, bosutinib, ponatinib (covers T315I), and the allosteric STAMP inhibitor asciminib followed. In Ph+ ALL (~25% of adult B-ALL, rising with age), TKI plus chemotherapy or, increasingly, TKI plus blinatumomab without chemotherapy (D-ALBA) achieves deep molecular remissions and is reducing the need for transplant.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-07
- Tags: driver; fusion; kinase
- Symbol: BCR-ABL1
- Class: kinase
- Biology: BCR-ABL is a constitutively active tyrosine kinase that switches on RAS, PI3K, and STAT5. Kinase-domain mutations (T315I gatekeeper) drive TKI resistance.
- Where found: CML (~100%); Adult B-ALL (~25%; >40% over age 60); Paediatric B-ALL (~3%)

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_chromosome
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_chromosome

## Connected records

- biomarkers: [BCR::ABL1 T315I](https://onco.cc/biomarkers/bcr-abl1-t315i/), [BCR::ABL1 transcript (Philadelphia chromosome, quantitative PCR)](https://onco.cc/biomarkers/bcr-abl1-transcript/)
- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)](https://onco.cc/cancers/cml/), [Chronic myeloid leukaemia, accelerated and blast phase](https://onco.cc/cancers/cml-advanced-phase/), [Chronic myeloid leukaemia, chronic phase](https://onco.cc/cancers/cml-chronic-phase/), [Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph-like or BCR::ABL1-like ALL)](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-ph-like/), [Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children (Ph-positive ALL)](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-paediatric-ph-positive/)
- drugs: [Asciminib](https://onco.cc/drugs/asciminib/), [Bosutinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/bosutinib/), [Dasatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/dasatinib/), [Flumatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/flumatinib/), [Imatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/imatinib/), [Nilotinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/nilotinib/), [Olverembatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/olverembatinib/), [Omacetaxine mepesuccinate](https://onco.cc/drugs/omacetaxine/), [Ponatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/ponatinib/)
- pathways: [BCR::ABL1 (Philadelphia chromosome)](https://onco.cc/pathways/bcr-abl1-signalling/), [Chronic myeloid leukaemia (KEGG map)](https://onco.cc/pathways/cml-signalling/), [Drivers, passengers & the two-hit model](https://onco.cc/pathways/oncogene-activation-two-hit/), [PI3K / AKT / mTOR](https://onco.cc/pathways/pi3k-akt-mtor/), [RAS / RAF / MEK / ERK (MAPK)](https://onco.cc/pathways/ras-mapk/), [Resistance routes: how a blocked pathway comes back](https://onco.cc/pathways/resistance-routes-map/)
- terms: [Aneuploidy and chromosomal instability as the cause of cancer](https://onco.cc/terms/aneuploidy-theory-of-cancer/), [BCR::ABL1 kinase domain mutations (T315I and others)](https://onco.cc/terms/abl1-kinase-domain-mutations/), [Ph-positive ALL](https://onco.cc/terms/ph-positive-all/), [Somatic mutation theory of cancer](https://onco.cc/terms/somatic-mutation-theory/)
- trials: [D-ALBA (GIMEMA LAL2116)](https://onco.cc/trials/d-alba/), [PhALLCON](https://onco.cc/trials/phallcon/)
- targets: [ABL1](https://onco.cc/targets/abl1/), [LYN kinase](https://onco.cc/targets/lyn/), [STAT5 (STAT5A, STAT5B)](https://onco.cc/targets/stat5/)
- people: [Brian Druker](https://onco.cc/people/brian-druker/), [Bud Romine](https://onco.cc/people/bud-romine/), [Charles L. Sawyers](https://onco.cc/people/charles-sawyers/), [Janet Rowley](https://onco.cc/people/janet-rowley/), [Owen N. Witte](https://onco.cc/people/owen-witte/)
- key papers: [First imatinib trial: a pill that switched off the enzyme driving chronic myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-druker-imatinib-phase1-nejm-2001/), [IRIS: imatinib versus interferon plus cytarabine as first treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-iris-imatinib-nejm-2003/)
- institutions: [Fox Chase Cancer Center](https://onco.cc/institutions/fox-chase/), [OHSU Knight Cancer Institute](https://onco.cc/institutions/ohsu-knight/), [University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center](https://onco.cc/institutions/uchicago-cancer/)
- companies: [Ascentage Pharma](https://onco.cc/companies/ascentage-pharma/)

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