About 6 , 000 Americans each year come_down with CML , a disease characterized by an excessive proliferation of white blood cells. Over time , those cells shut_down the body's immune system and cause death. STI-571 targets the enzyme that causes the excessive white blood cells and leaves other cells alone. The drug has produced few side effects , and in the first phase of trials , 31 of 31 patients at the effective dose saw their blood counts return to normal within a month.
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