Pathological Mechanisms of Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Interplay between Prokineticins and Histone Demethylase KDM6A in a Murine Model of Bortezomib-Induced Neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN) is a major adverse effect associated with many chemotherapeutics, including bortezomib (BTZ). Several mechanisms are involved in CIN, and recently a role has been proposed for prokineticins (PKs), a chemokine family that induces proinflammatory/pro-algogen mediator release and drives the epigenetic control of genes involved in cellular differentiation. The present study evaluated the relationships between epigenetic mechanisms and PKs in a mice model of BTZ-induced painful neuropathy. To this end, spinal cord alterations of histone demethylase KDM6A, nuclear receptors PPARα/PPARγ, PK2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β were assessed in neuropathic mice treated with the PK receptors (PKRs) antagonist PC1. BTZ treatment promoted a precocious upregulation of KDM6A, PPARs, and IL-6, and a delayed increase of PK2 and IL-1β. PC1 counteracted allodynia and prevented the increase of PK2 and of IL-1β in BTZ neuropathic mice. The blockade of PKRs signaling also opposed to KDM6A increase and induced an upregulation of PPAR gene transcription. These data showed the involvement of epigenetic modulatory enzymes in spinal tissue phenomena associated with BTZ painful neuropathy and underline a role of PKs in sustaining the increase of proinflammatory cytokines and in exerting an inhibitory control on the expression of PPARs through the regulation of KDM6A gene expression in the spinal cord.

Foot drop in patients treated with bortezomib - a case series and review of the literature

Bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) has a profound impact on quality of life, which is an important issue considering the growing number of survivors of multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. BIPN is typically symmetric, distal, "stocking and glove" distribution and predominantly consists of sensory rather than motor symptoms. In this case series, we report an acute neurotoxicity syndrome induced by bortezomib, which is clinically distinct from BIPN by not being peripheral and distal. We describe six patients that developed unilateral or bilateral foot drop attributed to bortezomib. With bortezomib discontinuation symptoms improved gradually over months to years.

Clinical significance of SIRT3 and inflammatory factors in multiple myeloma patients with bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy: a cohort study

The present study aimed to investigate the role of SIRT3 and inflammatory factors in bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (PN). This prospective observational cohort study included a total of 159 patients of multiple myeloma patients during June 2016 to June 2019. All patients received the strategy of bortezomib and dexamethasone and were further divided into the PN group and the non-PN group. Serum SIRT3, CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). During the study period, 76 (47.8%) patients developed PN. The inflammatory factors all gradually decreased and SIRT3 levels were gradually increased after treatment by bortezomib combined with dexamethasone compared with the baseline. The levels of all inflammatory factors were markedly higher, while SIRT3 levels were lower in PN patients compared with the non-PN patients at the same time point after treatment. In PN grade III patients, the serum levels of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly higher, while serum levels of SIRT3 were markedly lower than the grade I-II patients. SIRT3 was negatively correlated with CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α. After nursing treatment and reduction of bortezomib dose, the levels of SIRT3 significantly increased, while levels of inflammatory decreased in PN patients with grade III. SIRT3 and inflammatory factors showed the potential for diagnosis of bortezomib-induced PN. Besides, SIRT3, IL-6 and TNF-α were the independent risk factors for MM patients developing PN after treatment of bortezomib. Higher inflammatory factors and lower SIRT3 might be associated with the development of bortezomib-induced PN in multiple myeloma patients, which might be reversed by decreased bortezomib dose and proper nursing treatment.

Management of Adverse Events and Supportive Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Simple Summary

Multiple myeloma (MM) patients with relapsing and/or refractory (RR) disease are exposed for a prolonged time to multiple drugs, which increase the risk of toxicity. In addition to tumor response, preserving the quality of life represents an important goal for this patient population. Therefore, supportive therapy plays a pivotal role in their treatment by limiting disease- and drug-related complications. The aim of this review is to outline current standards and future strategies to prevent and treat renal insufficiency, anemia, bone disease, and infection, including COVID-19, in RRMM patients. In addition, the incidence and treatment of side effects of novel anti-MM agents will be discussed.

Abstract

Relapsed/refractory (RR) multiple myeloma (MM) patients are a fragile population because of prolonged drug exposure and advanced age. Preserving a good quality of life is of high priority for these patients and the treatment of disease- and treatment-related complications plays a key role in their management. By preventing and limiting MM-induced complications, supportive care improves patients’ outcome. Erythropoietin-stimulating agents and bisphosphonates are well-established supportive strategies, yet novel agents are under investigation, such as anabolic bone agents and activin receptor-like kinase (ALK) inhibitors. The recent dramatic changes in the treatment landscape of MM pose an additional challenge for the routine care of RRMM patients. Multidrug combinations in first and later lines increase the risk for long-lasting toxicities, including adverse cardiovascular and neurological events. Moreover, recently approved first-in-class drugs have unique side-effect profiles, such as ocular toxicity of belantamab mafodotin or gastrointestinal toxicity of selinexor. This review discusses current standards in supportive treatment of RRMM patients, including recommendations in light of the recent SARS-CoV-19 pandemic, and critically looks at the incidence and management of side effects of standard as well as next generation anti-MM agents.

The Antagonism of the Prokineticin System Counteracts Bortezomib Induced Side Effects: Focus on Mood Alterations

The development of neuropathy and of mood alterations is frequent after chemotherapy. These complications, independent from the antitumoral mechanism, are interconnected due to an overlapping in their processing pathways and a common neuroinflammatory condition. This study aims to verify whether in mice the treatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (BTZ), at a protocol capable of inducing painful neuropathy, is associated with anxiety, depression and supraspinal neuroinflammation. We also verify if the therapeutic treatment with the antagonist of the prokineticin (PK) system PC1, which is known to contrast pain and neuroinflammation, can prevent mood alterations. Mice were treated with BTZ (0.4 mg/kg three times/week for 4 weeks); mechanical allodynia and locomotor activity were evaluated over time while anxiety (dark light and marble burying test), depression (sucrose preference and swimming test) and supraspinal neuroinflammation were checked at the end of the protocol. BTZ treated neuropathic mice develop anxiety and depression. The presence of mood alterations is related to the presence of neuroinflammation and PK system activation in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus with high levels of PK2 and PKR2 receptor, IL-6 and TNF-α, TLR4 and an upregulation of glial markers. PC1 treatment, counteracting pain, prevented the development of supraspinal inflammation and depression-like behavior in BTZ mice.

26S Proteasome Non-ATPase Regulatory Subunits 1 (PSMD1) and 3 (PSMD3) as Putative Targets for Cancer Prognosis and Therapy

Ever since the ubiquitin proteasome system was characterized, efforts have been made to manipulate its function to abrogate the progression of cancer. As a result, the anti-cancer drugs bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib targeting the 26S proteasome were developed to treat multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, among others. Despite success, adverse side effects and drug resistance are prominent, raising the need for alternative therapeutic options. We recently demonstrated that knockdown of the 19S regulatory components, 26S proteasome non-ATPase subunits 1 (PSMD1) and 3 (PSMD3), resulted in increased apoptosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells, but had no effect on normal controls, suggesting they may be good targets for therapy. Therefore, we hypothesized that PSMD1 and PSMD3 are potential targets for anti-cancer therapeutics and that their relevance stretches beyond CML to other types of cancers. In the present study, we analyzed PSMD1 and PSMD3 mRNA and protein expression in cancerous tissue versus normal controls using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), comparing expression with overall survival. Altogether, our data suggest that PSMD1 and PSMD3 may be novel putative targets for cancer prognosis and therapy that are worthy of future investigation.

Modulation by Ozone Therapy of Oxidative Stress in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: The Background for a Randomized Clinical Trial

(1) Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) decreases the quality of life of patients and can lead to a dose reduction and/or the interruption of chemotherapy treatment, limiting its effectiveness. Potential pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of CIPN include chronic oxidative stress and subsequent increase in free radicals and proinflammatory cytokines. Approaches for the treatment of CIPN are highly limited in their number and efficacy, although several antioxidant-based therapies have been tried. On the other hand, ozone therapy can induce an adaptive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory response, which could be potentially useful in the management of CIPN. (2) Methods: The aims of this works are: (a) to summarize the potential mechanisms that could induce CIPN by the most relevant drugs (platinum, taxanes, vinca alkaloids, and bortezomib), with particular focus on the role of oxidative stress; (b) to summarize the current situation of prophylactic and treatment approaches; (c) to describe the action mechanisms of ozone therapy to modify oxidative stress and inflammation with its potential repercussions for CIPN; (d) to describe related experimental and clinical reports with ozone therapy in chemo-induced neurologic symptoms and CIPN; and (e) to show the main details about an ongoing focused clinical trial. (3) Results: A wide background relating to the mechanisms of action and a small number of experimental and clinical reports suggest that ozone therapy could be useful to prevent or improve CIPN. (4) Conclusions: Currently, there are no clinically relevant approaches for the prevention and treatment of stablished CIPN. The potential role of ozone therapy in this syndrome merits further research. Randomized controlled trials are ongoing.