Co-activation of AMPK and mTORC1 as a new therapeutic option for acute myeloid leukemia.

We report the therapeutic potential of GSK621, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist, in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). GSK621-induced cytotoxicity is restricted to AML cells compared to normal hematopoietic progenitors due to a unique synthetic lethal interaction of co-activation of AMPK and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) that involves the stress response pathway. AMPK activation thus represents an attractive perspective for cancer therapy.