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Iksen, Witayateeraporn W, Hardianti B, Pongrakhananon V. Comprehensive review of Bcl-2 family proteins in cancer apoptosis: Therapeutic strategies and promising updates of natural bioactive compounds and small molecules. Phytother Res 2024; 38:2249-2275. [PMID: 38415799 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Cancer has a considerably higher fatality rate than other diseases globally and is one of the most lethal and profoundly disruptive ailments. The increasing incidence of cancer among humans is one of the greatest challenges in the field of healthcare. A significant factor in the initiation and progression of tumorigenesis is the dysregulation of physiological processes governing cell death, which results in the survival of cancerous cells. B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family members play important roles in several cancer-related processes. Drug research and development have identified various promising natural compounds that demonstrate potent anticancer effects by specifically targeting Bcl-2 family proteins and their associated signaling pathways. This comprehensive review highlights the substantial roles of Bcl-2 family proteins in regulating apoptosis, including the intricate signaling pathways governing the activity of these proteins, the impact of reactive oxygen species, and the crucial involvement of proteasome degradation and the stress response. Furthermore, this review discusses advances in the exploration and potential therapeutic applications of natural compounds and small molecules targeting Bcl-2 family proteins and thus provides substantial scientific information and therapeutic strategies for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iksen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacy, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Senior Medan, Medan, Indonesia
| | - Wasita Witayateeraporn
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Besse Hardianti
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Almarisah Madani University, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Varisa Pongrakhananon
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Preclinical Toxicity and Efficacy Assessment of Medicines and Chemicals Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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2
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Zygmunciak P, Robak T, Puła B. Treatment of Double-Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia-An Unmet Clinical Need. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1589. [PMID: 38338868 PMCID: PMC10855898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen significant improvement in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) management. Targeting B-cell lymphoma (BCL-2) and Bruton's kinase (BTK) have become the main strategies to restrain CLL activity. These agents are generally well tolerated, but the discontinuation of these therapies happens due to resistance, adverse effects, and Richter's transformation. A growing population of patients who have previously used both BTK inhibitors and BCL2 suffer from the constriction of the following regimens. This review explores the resistance mechanisms for both ibrutinib and venetoclax. Moreover, we present innovative approaches evaluated for treating double-refractory CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Zygmunciak
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; (P.Z.); (B.P.)
| | - Tadeusz Robak
- Department of Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, 93-510 Lodz, Poland
- Department of General Hematology, Copernicus Memorial Hospital, 93-510 Lodz, Poland
| | - Bartosz Puła
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; (P.Z.); (B.P.)
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3
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Leśniak M, Lipniarska J, Majka P, Lejman M, Zawitkowska J. Recent Updates in Venetoclax Combination Therapies in Pediatric Hematological Malignancies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16708. [PMID: 38069030 PMCID: PMC10706781 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax is a strongly effective B-cell lymphoma-2 inhibitor (BCL-2) with an ability to selectively restore the apoptotic potential of cancerous cells. It has been proven that in combination with immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and lower-intensity therapies such as hypomethylating agents (HMAs) or low-dose cytarabine (LDAC), the drug can improve overall outcomes for adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM), amongst other hematological malignancies, but its benefit in pediatric hematology remains unclear. With a number of preclinical and clinical trials emerging, the newest findings suggest that in many cases of younger patients, venetoclax combination treatment can be well-tolerated, with a safety profile similar to that in adults, despite often leading to severe infections. Studies aim to determine the activity of BCL-2 inhibitor in the treatment of both primary and refractory acute leukemias in combination with standard and high-dose chemotherapy. Although more research is required to identify the optimal venetoclax-based regimen for the pediatric population and its long-term effects on patients' outcomes, it can become a potential therapeutic agent for pediatric oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Leśniak
- Student Scientific Society of Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.L.); (J.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Justyna Lipniarska
- Student Scientific Society of Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.L.); (J.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Patrycja Majka
- Student Scientific Society of Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.L.); (J.L.); (P.M.)
| | - Monika Lejman
- Independent Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostics, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Joanna Zawitkowska
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
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4
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Khalsa JK, Cha J, Utro F, Naeem A, Murali I, Kuang Y, Vasquez K, Li L, Tyekucheva S, Fernandes SM, Veronese L, Guieze R, Sasi BK, Wang Z, Machado JH, Bai H, Alasfour M, Rhrissorrakrai K, Levovitz C, Danysh BP, Slowik K, Jacobs RA, Davids MS, Paweletz CP, Leshchiner I, Parida L, Getz G, Brown JR. Genetic events associated with venetoclax resistance in CLL identified by whole-exome sequencing of patient samples. Blood 2023; 142:421-433. [PMID: 37146250 PMCID: PMC10447490 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although BCL2 mutations are reported as later occurring events leading to venetoclax resistance, many other mechanisms of progression have been reported though remain poorly understood. Here, we analyze longitudinal tumor samples from 11 patients with disease progression while receiving venetoclax to characterize the clonal evolution of resistance. All patients tested showed increased in vitro resistance to venetoclax at the posttreatment time point. We found the previously described acquired BCL2-G101V mutation in only 4 of 11 patients, with 2 patients showing a very low variant allele fraction (0.03%-4.68%). Whole-exome sequencing revealed acquired loss(8p) in 4 of 11 patients, of which 2 patients also had gain (1q21.2-21.3) in the same cells affecting the MCL1 gene. In vitro experiments showed that CLL cells from the 4 patients with loss(8p) were more resistant to venetoclax than cells from those without it, with the cells from 2 patients also carrying gain (1q21.2-21.3) showing increased sensitivity to MCL1 inhibition. Progression samples with gain (1q21.2-21.3) were more susceptible to the combination of MCL1 inhibitor and venetoclax. Differential gene expression analysis comparing bulk RNA sequencing data from pretreatment and progression time points of all patients showed upregulation of proliferation, B-cell receptor (BCR), and NF-κB gene sets including MAPK genes. Cells from progression time points demonstrated upregulation of surface immunoglobulin M and higher pERK levels compared with those from the preprogression time point, suggesting an upregulation of BCR signaling that activates the MAPK pathway. Overall, our data suggest several mechanisms of acquired resistance to venetoclax in CLL that could pave the way for rationally designed combination treatments for patients with venetoclax-resistant CLL.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Exome Sequencing
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasneet Kaur Khalsa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Justin Cha
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Aishath Naeem
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Ishwarya Murali
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Yanan Kuang
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Kevin Vasquez
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Liang Li
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Svitlana Tyekucheva
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Stacey M. Fernandes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lauren Veronese
- Service de Cytogénétique Médicale, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- EA7453 CHELTER, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Romain Guieze
- EA7453 CHELTER, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Service d’Hématologie clinique et thérapie cellulaire, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Binu Kandathilparambil Sasi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Zixu Wang
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - John-Hanson Machado
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Harrison Bai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Maryam Alasfour
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - Brian P. Danysh
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Kara Slowik
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Raquel A. Jacobs
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Matthew S. Davids
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Cloud P. Paweletz
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - Gad Getz
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Jennifer R. Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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5
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Jayappa KD, Tran B, Gordon VL, Morris C, Saha S, Farrington CC, O’Connor CM, Zawacki KP, Isaac KM, Kester M, Bender TP, Williams ME, Portell CA, Weber MJ, Narla G. PP2A modulation overcomes multidrug resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia via mPTP-dependent apoptosis. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e155938. [PMID: 37166997 PMCID: PMC10313372 DOI: 10.1172/jci155938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapies such as venetoclax (VEN) (Bcl-2 inhibitor) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We previously reported that persister CLL cells in treated patients overexpress multiple antiapoptotic proteins and display resistance to proapoptotic agents. Here, we demonstrated that multidrug-resistant CLL cells in vivo exhibited apoptosis restriction at a pre-mitochondrial level due to insufficient activation of the Bax and Bak (Bax/Bak) proteins. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses with selective BH domain antagonists revealed that the pleiotropic proapoptotic protein (Bim) was prevented from activating Bax/Bak by "switching" interactions to other upregulated antiapoptotic proteins (Mcl-1, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2). Hence, treatments that bypass Bax/Bak restriction are required to deplete these resistant cells in patients. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) contributes to oncogenesis and treatment resistance. We observed that small-molecule activator of PP2A (SMAP) induced cytotoxicity in multiple cancer cell lines and CLL samples, including multidrug-resistant leukemia and lymphoma cells. The SMAP (DT-061) activated apoptosis in multidrug-resistant CLL cells through induction of mitochondrial permeability transition pores, independent of Bax/Bak. DT-061 inhibited the growth of wild-type and Bax/Bak double-knockout, multidrug-resistant CLL cells in a xenograft mouse model. Collectively, we discovered multidrug-resistant CLL cells in patients and validated a pharmacologically tractable pathway to deplete this reservoir.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Animals
- Mice
- bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Protein Phosphatase 2/genetics
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
- Apoptosis/physiology
- Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/metabolism
- Drug Resistance, Multiple
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Affiliation(s)
- Kallesh D. Jayappa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Brian Tran
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Vicki L. Gordon
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Christopher Morris
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Shekhar Saha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Caroline C. Farrington
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Caitlin M. O’Connor
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kaitlin P. Zawacki
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Krista M. Isaac
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Mark Kester
- Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, UVA, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Timothy P. Bender
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michael E. Williams
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Cancer Center, UVA, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Craig A. Portell
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, UVA School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Cancer Center, UVA, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michael J. Weber
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Cancer Center, UVA, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Goutham Narla
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Kotmayer L, László T, Mikala G, Kiss R, Lévay L, Hegyi LL, Gróf S, Nagy T, Barna G, Farkas P, Weisinger J, Nagy Z, Balogh A, Masszi T, Demeter J, Sulák A, Kohl Z, Alizadeh H, Egyed M, Pettendi P, Gergely L, Plander M, Pauker Z, Masszi A, Matolcsy A, Szász R, Bödör C, Alpár D. Landscape of BCL2 Resistance Mutations in a Real-World Cohort of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Venetoclax. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065802. [PMID: 36982875 PMCID: PMC10058128 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The oral, highly selective Bcl2 inhibitor venetoclax has substantially improved the therapeutic landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Despite the remarkable response rates in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease, acquired resistance is the leading cause of treatment failure, with somatic BCL2 mutations being the predominant genetic drivers underpinning venetoclax resistance. To assess the correlation between disease progression and the most common BCL2 mutations G101V and D103Y, sensitive (10−4) screening for the most common BCL2 mutations G101V and D103Y was performed in 67 R/R CLL patients during venetoclax single-agent or venetoclax–rituximab combination therapy. With a median follow-up time of 23 months, BCL2 G101V and D103Y were detected in 10.4% (7/67) and 11.9% (8/67) of the cases, respectively, with four patients harboring both resistance mutations. Ten out of eleven patients carrying BCL2 G101V and/or D103Y experienced relapse during the follow-up period, representing 43.5% of the cases (10/23) showing clinical signs of disease progression. All BCL2 G101V or D103Y variants were detected in patients receiving venetoclax as a continuous single-agent treatment while these mutations were not observed during or after fixed-duration venetoclax therapy. Targeted ultra-deep sequencing of BCL2 uncovered three additional variants in four patient samples obtained at relapse, suggesting convergent evolution and implying a cooperating role of BCL2 mutations in driving venetoclax resistance. This cohort is the largest R/R CLL patient population reported to date in which BCL2 resistance mutations were investigated. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and clinical value of sensitive screening for BCL2 resistance mutations in R/R CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Kotmayer
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás László
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mikala
- South-Pest Central Hospital, National Institute of Hematology and Infectology, 1097 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Richárd Kiss
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Luca Lévay
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lajos László Hegyi
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stefánia Gróf
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Nagy
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gábor Barna
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Farkas
- Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Júlia Weisinger
- Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Nagy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Alexandra Balogh
- Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Masszi
- Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judit Demeter
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adrienn Sulák
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology Center, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Kohl
- 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Centre, University of Pécs, 7622 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Hussain Alizadeh
- 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Centre, University of Pécs, 7622 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Miklós Egyed
- Kaposi Mór University Teaching Hospital of County Somogy, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Piroska Pettendi
- Hetényi Géza Hospital, Clinic of County Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, 5000 Szolnok, Hungary
| | - Lajos Gergely
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Márk Plander
- Markusovszky University Teaching Hospital, 9700 Szombathely, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Pauker
- Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Hospital and University Teaching Hospital, 3515 Miskolc, Hungary
| | - András Masszi
- National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Matolcsy
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Solna, Sweden
| | - Róbert Szász
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Csaba Bödör
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence: (C.B.); (D.A.); Tel.: +36-1-459-1500 (C.B. & D.A)
| | - Donát Alpár
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence: (C.B.); (D.A.); Tel.: +36-1-459-1500 (C.B. & D.A)
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7
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Concurrent Inhibition of Akt and ERK Using TIC-10 Can Overcome Venetoclax Resistance in Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020510. [PMID: 36672458 PMCID: PMC9856512 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor, has proven to be effective in several hematological malignancies, including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, development of venetoclax resistance is inevitable and understanding its underlying molecular mechanisms can optimize treatment response. We performed a thorough genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic analysis of venetoclax-sensitive and resistant MCL cell lines, also evaluating the role of the stromal microenvironment using human and murine co-cultures. In our model, venetoclax resistance was associated with abrogated TP53 activity through an acquired mutation and transcriptional downregulation leading to a diminished apoptotic response. Venetoclax-resistant cells also exhibited an upregulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, and pharmacological inhibition of Akt and ERK with TIC-10 led to cell death in all venetoclax-resistant cell lines. Overall, we highlight the importance of targeted therapies, such as TIC-10, against venetoclax resistance-related pathways, which might represent future therapeutic prospects.
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8
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Shao X, Meng X, Yang H, Wang X, Qin L, Shen G, Xi X, Zhao H, Macip S, Chen Y. IFN-γ enhances CLL cell resistance to ABT-199 by regulating MCL-1 and BCL-2 expression via the JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway. Leuk Lymphoma 2023; 64:71-78. [PMID: 36222521 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2022.2131408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although clinical outcomes of CLL have improved with the use of BCL-2 inhibitor, ABT-199, acquired resistance eventually occurs in many cases, which leads to CLL disease progression. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that mediate this relapse is important to design improved therapies. Herein, we report that cytokine IFN-γ, secreted by dysfunctional T cells, enhanced CLL cells resistance to ABT-199. IFN-γ stimulation significantly increased the expression of BCL-2, MCL-1 and BCL-xL. Blocking JAK1/2-STAT3 signaling pathway impaired the expression of these anti-apoptotic proteins after IFN-γ stimulation. The combination of ABT-199 with JAK1/2 inhibitor Ruxolitinib or STAT3 inhibitors Stattic and C188-9 increased malignant B cell death. In summary, we show that IFN-γ enhanced CLL cells resistance to ABT-199 at least in part by up-regulating BCL-2, MCL-1 and BCL-xL expression via JAK1/2-STAT3 pathway, and thus blocking this pathway with inhibitors increased ABT-199 efficiency to induce CLL cell apoptosis, suggesting a potential therapeutically relevant combination to overcome ABT-199 resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoya Shao
- School of Basic Medical Science, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Luoyang, China
| | - Xueqiong Meng
- School of Basic Medical Science, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Haiping Yang
- First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xinxin Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Ling Qin
- First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Guomin Shen
- School of Basic Medical Science, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiaoping Xi
- First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Huijuan Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Science, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Salvador Macip
- Mechanisms of Cancer and Ageing Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.,FoodLab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yixiang Chen
- School of Basic Medical Science, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Luoyang, China
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9
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Sarapura Martinez VJ, Buonincontro B, Cassarino C, Bernatowiez J, Colado A, Cordini G, Custidiano MDR, Mahuad C, Pavlovsky MA, Bezares RF, Favale NO, Vermeulen M, Borge M, Giordano M, Gamberale R. Venetoclax resistance induced by activated T cells can be counteracted by sphingosine kinase inhibitors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1143881. [PMID: 37020867 PMCID: PMC10067719 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1143881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with venetoclax-based regimens has demonstrated efficacy and a safety profile, but the emergence of resistant cells and disease progression is a current complication. Therapeutic target of sphingosine kinases (SPHK) 1 and 2 has opened new opportunities in the treatment combinations of cancer patients. We previously reported that the dual SPHK1/2 inhibitor, SKI-II enhanced the in vitro cell death triggered by fludarabine, bendamustine or ibrutinib and reduced the activation and proliferation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. Since we previously showed that autologous activated T cells from CLL patients favor the activation of CLL cells and the generation of venetoclax resistance due to the upregulation of BCL-XL and MCL-1, we here aim to determine whether SPHK inhibitors affect this process. To this aim we employed the dual SPHK1/2 inhibitor SKI-II and opaganib, a SPHK2 inhibitor that is being studied in clinical trials. We found that SPHK inhibitors reduce the activation of CLL cells and the generation of venetoclax resistance induced by activated T cells mainly due to a reduced upregulation of BCL-XL. We also found that SPHK2 expression was enhanced in CLL cells by activated T cells of the same patient and the presence of venetoclax selects resistant cells with high levels of SPHK2. Of note, SPHK inhibitors were able to re-sensitize already resistant CLL cells to a second venetoclax treatment. Our results highlight the therapeutic potential of SPHK inhibitors in combination with venetoclax as a promising treatment option for the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria J. Sarapura Martinez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Brenda Buonincontro
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Chiara Cassarino
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juliana Bernatowiez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Colado
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gregorio Cordini
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Servicio de Hematología, Hospital de Clínicas, José de San Martín, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria del Rosario Custidiano
- Departamento de Hematología y Unidad de Trasplante Hematopoyético, Instituto Alexander Fleming, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Mahuad
- Servicio de Hematología, Hospital Alemán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Nicolás O. Favale
- Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas “Profesor Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini” (IQUIFIB), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mónica Vermeulen
- Laboratorio de Células Presentadoras de Antígeno y Respuesta Inflamatoria, IMEX-CONICET-ANM, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mercedes Borge
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mirta Giordano
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Romina Gamberale
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Oncológica, Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)- Academia Nacional de Medicina (ANM), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Romina Gamberale,
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10
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Sullivan GP, Flanagan L, Rodrigues DA, Ní Chonghaile T. The path to venetoclax resistance is paved with mutations, metabolism, and more. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabo6891. [PMID: 36475901 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo6891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Venetoclax is a B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2)-selective antagonist used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Although this has been a promising therapeutic option for these patients, many of these patients develop resistance and relapsed disease. Here, we summarize the emerging mechanisms of resistance to venetoclax treatment, discuss the promising combination strategies, and highlight the combinations that are currently in clinical trials. Efforts to understand mechanisms of resistance are critical to advance the development of new targeted therapeutic strategies and further our understanding of the biological functions of BCL-2 in tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme P Sullivan
- Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Lyndsey Flanagan
- Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Daniel Alencar Rodrigues
- Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Tríona Ní Chonghaile
- Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Centre for Systems Medicine, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
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11
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Avsec D, Škrlj Miklavčič M, Burnik T, Kandušer M, Bizjak M, Podgornik H, Mlinarič-Raščan I. Inhibition of p38 MAPK or immunoproteasome overcomes resistance of chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells to Bcl-2 antagonist venetoclax. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:860. [PMID: 36209148 PMCID: PMC9547871 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05287-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a hematological neoplasm of CD19-positive mature-appearing B lymphocytes. Despite the clinical success of targeted therapies in CLL, the development of resistance diminishes their therapeutic activity. This is also true for the Bcl-2 antagonist venetoclax. We investigated the molecular mechanisms that drive venetoclax resistance in CLL, with a clear focus to provide new strategies to successfully combat it. Activation of CLL cells with IFNγ, PMA/ionomycin, and sCD40L diminished the cytotoxicity of venetoclax. We demonstrated that the metabolic activity of cells treated with 1 nM venetoclax alone was 48% of untreated cells, and was higher for cells co-treated with IFNγ (110%), PMA/ionomycin (78%), and sCD40L (62%). As of molecular mechanism, we showed that PMA/ionomycin and sCD40L triggered translocation of NFκB in primary CLL cells, while IFNγ activated p38 MAPK, suppressed spontaneous and venetoclax-induced apoptosis and induced formation of the immunoproteasome. Inhibition of immunoproteasome with ONX-0914 suppressed activity of immunoproteasome and synergized with venetoclax against primary CLL cells. On the other hand, inhibition of p38 MAPK abolished cytoprotective effects of IFNγ. We demonstrated that venetoclax-resistant (MEC-1 VER) cells overexpressed p38 MAPK and p-Bcl-2 (Ser70), and underexpressed Mcl-1, Bax, and Bak. Inhibition of p38 MAPK or immunoproteasome triggered apoptosis in CLL cells and overcame the resistance to venetoclax of MEC-1 VER cells and venetoclax-insensitive primary CLL cells. In conclusion, the p38 MAPK pathway and immunoproteasome represent novel targets to combat venetoclax resistance in CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damjan Avsec
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marja Škrlj Miklavčič
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tilen Burnik
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maša Kandušer
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maruša Bizjak
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Helena Podgornik
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ,grid.29524.380000 0004 0571 7705University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Haematology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Mlinarič-Raščan
- grid.8954.00000 0001 0721 6013University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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12
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Chiodin G, Drennan S, Martino EA, Ondrisova L, Henderson I, del Rio L, Tracy I, D’Avola A, Parker H, Bonfiglio S, Scarfò L, Sutton LA, Strefford JC, Forster J, Brake O, Potter KN, Sale B, Lanham S, Mraz M, Ghia P, Stevenson FK, Forconi F. High surface IgM levels associate with shorter response to ibrutinib and BTK bypass in patients with CLL. Blood Adv 2022; 6:5494-5504. [PMID: 35640238 PMCID: PMC9631698 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells have variably low surface IgM (sIgM) levels/signaling capacity, influenced by chronic antigen engagement at tissue sites. Within these low levels, CLL with relatively high sIgM (CLLhigh) progresses more rapidly than CLL with low sIgM (CLLlow). During ibrutinib therapy, surviving CLL cells redistribute into the peripheral blood and can recover sIgM expression. Return of CLL cells to tissue may eventually recur, where cells with high sIgM could promote tumor growth. We analyzed time to new treatment (TTNT) following ibrutinib in 70 patients with CLL (median follow-up of 66 months) and correlated it with pretreatment sIgM levels and signaling characteristics. Pretreatment sIgM levels correlated with signaling capacity, as measured by intracellular Ca2+ mobilization (iCa2+), in vitro (r = 0.70; P < .0001). High sIgM levels/signaling strongly correlated with short TTNT (P < .05), and 36% of patients with CLLhigh vs 8% of patients with CLLlow progressed to require a new treatment. In vitro, capacity of ibrutinib to inhibit sIgM-mediated signaling inversely correlated with pretherapy sIgM levels (r = -0.68; P = .01) or iCa2+ (r = -0.71; P = .009). In patients, sIgM-mediated iCa2+ and ERK phosphorylation levels were reduced by ibrutinib therapy but not abolished. The residual signaling capacity downstream of BTK was associated with high expression of sIgM, whereas it was minimal when sIgM expression was low (P < .05). These results suggested that high sIgM levels facilitated CLL cell resistance to ibrutinib in patients. The CLL cells, surviving in the periphery with high sIgM expression, include a dangerous fraction that is able to migrate to tissue and receive proliferative stimuli, which may require targeting by combined approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Chiodin
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Drennan
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- T-Cypher Bio, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Enrica A. Martino
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Haematology, Azienda Ospedaliera di Cosenza, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Laura Ondrisova
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Molecular Medicine, CEITEC Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Isla Henderson
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Luis del Rio
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Tracy
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa D’Avola
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Parker
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Bonfiglio
- Strategic Research Program on CLL and B-cell Neoplasia Unit, Experimental Oncology, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele and IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Lydia Scarfò
- Strategic Research Program on CLL and B-cell Neoplasia Unit, Experimental Oncology, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele and IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Lesley-Ann Sutton
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; and
| | - Jonathan C. Strefford
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jade Forster
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Brake
- Haematology Department, Cancer Care Directorate, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen N. Potter
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Sale
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Lanham
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Marek Mraz
- Molecular Medicine, CEITEC Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Ghia
- Strategic Research Program on CLL and B-cell Neoplasia Unit, Experimental Oncology, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele and IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Freda K. Stevenson
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Forconi
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Haematology Department, Cancer Care Directorate, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
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13
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Chen Z, Simon-Molas H, Cretenet G, Valle-Argos B, Smith LD, Forconi F, Schomakers BV, van Weeghel M, Bryant DJ, van Bruggen JA, Peters FS, Rathmell JC, van der Windt GJ, Kater AP, Packham G, Eldering E. Characterization of metabolic alterations of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the lymph node microenvironment. Blood 2022; 140:630-643. [PMID: 35486832 PMCID: PMC10118070 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021013990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered metabolism is a hallmark of both cell division and cancer. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells circulate between peripheral blood (PB) and lymph nodes (LNs), where they receive proliferative and prosurvival signals from surrounding cells. However, insight into the metabolism of LN CLL and how this may relate to therapeutic response is lacking. To obtain insight into CLL LN metabolism, we applied a 2-tiered strategy. First, we sampled PB from 8 patients at baseline and after 3-month ibrutinib (IBR) treatment, which forces egress of CLL cells from LNs. Second, we applied in vitro B-cell receptor (BCR) or CD40 stimulation to mimic the LN microenvironment and performed metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses. The combined analyses indicated prominent changes in purine, glucose, and glutamate metabolism occurring in the LNs. CD40 signaling mostly regulated amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), and energy production. BCR signaling preferably engaged glucose and glycerol metabolism and several biosynthesis routes. Pathway analyses demonstrated opposite effects of in vitro stimulation vs IBR treatment. In agreement, the metabolic regulator MYC and its target genes were induced after BCR/CD40 stimulation and suppressed by IBR. Next, 13C fluxomics performed on CD40/BCR-stimulated cells confirmed a strong contribution of glutamine as fuel for the TCA cycle, whereas glucose was mainly converted into lactate and ribose-5-phosphate. Finally, inhibition of glutamine import with V9302 attenuated CD40/BCR-induced resistance to venetoclax. Together, these data provide insight into crucial metabolic changes driven by the CLL LN microenvironment. The prominent use of amino acids as fuel for the TCA cycle suggests new therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghao Chen
- Experimental Immunology
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Helga Simon-Molas
- Experimental Immunology
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gaspard Cretenet
- Experimental Immunology
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Beatriz Valle-Argos
- Curve Therapeutics, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Lindsay D. Smith
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Ploughshare Innovations Limited, Porton Science Park, Porton Down, UK
| | - Francesco Forconi
- Department of Haematology, Southampton University Hospital Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Bauke V. Schomakers
- Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases
- Core Facility Metabolomics, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michel van Weeghel
- Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases
- Core Facility Metabolomics, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dean J. Bryant
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jaco A.C. van Bruggen
- Experimental Immunology
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fleur S. Peters
- Experimental Immunology
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Arnon P. Kater
- Hematology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Graham Packham
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Eric Eldering
- Experimental Immunology
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Tipping the balance: toward rational combination therapies to overcome venetoclax resistance in mantle cell lymphoma. Leukemia 2022; 36:2165-2176. [PMID: 35725771 PMCID: PMC9418002 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01627-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), an aggressive, but incurable B-cell lymphoma, is genetically characterized by the t(11;14) translocation, resulting in the overexpression of Cyclin D1. In addition, deregulation of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins BCL-2, B-cell lymphoma-extra large (BCL-XL), and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) is highly common in MCL. This renders these BCL-2 family members attractive targets for therapy; indeed, the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (ABT-199), which already received FDA approval for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), shows promising results in early clinical trials for MCL. However, a significant subset of patients show primary resistance or will develop resistance upon prolonged treatment. Here, we describe the underlying mechanisms of venetoclax resistance in MCL, such as upregulation of BCL-XL or MCL-1, and the recent (clinical) progress in the development of inhibitors for these BCL-2 family members, followed by the transcriptional and (post-)translational (dys)regulation of the BCL-2 family proteins, including the role of the lymphoid organ microenvironment. Based upon these insights, we discuss how rational combinations of venetoclax with other therapies can be exploited to prevent or overcome venetoclax resistance and improve MCL patient outcome.
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15
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Kater AP, Levin MD, Dubois J, Kersting S, Enggaard L, Veldhuis GJ, Mous R, Mellink CHM, van der Kevie-Kersemaekers AMF, Dobber JA, Poulsen CB, Frederiksen H, Janssens A, Schjødt I, Dompeling EC, Ranti J, Brieghel C, Mattsson M, Bellido M, Tran HTT, Nasserinejad K, Niemann CU. Minimal residual disease-guided stop and start of venetoclax plus ibrutinib for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (HOVON141/VISION): primary analysis of an open-label, randomised, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol 2022; 23:818-828. [DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(22)00220-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Ji T, Margulis BA, Wang Z, Song T, Guo Y, Pan H, Zhang Z. Structure-Based Design and Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Small Molecules Inhibiting Bcl-2 Family Members. Pharm Chem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11094-022-02639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW While the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has improved significantly over the last 30 years, the majority of adult patients will have their disease relapse. The BCL-2 gene was initially discovered from follicular lymphoma research; however, the BH3 family of proteins has is emerging to be crucial in patients with ALL due to their reliance on the balance of these pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins in the BH3 family. We discuss apoptosis in ALL, the reliance mechanisms, drug development in this space, and areas for future research. RECENT FINDINGS The first drugs that were developed to inhibit the BCL-2 pathway include both venetoclax (BCL-2 specific inhibitor) and navitoclax (BCL-2, BCL-XL, and BCL-W). These drugs show promise and have obtained complete remissions, minimal residual disease negative status, and have been used as a bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. There are multiple ongoing clinical trials looking to assess the use of BCL-2 inhibition with chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and bi-specific T-cell engager therapies not only in both frontline and relapsed refractory ALL but also in consolidation and maintenance phases. There is still a large need for improvement of ALL outcomes in adult patients. Research has shown that ALL depends on the BCL-2 family of proteins for cell survival and proliferation. Targeting this pathway with BCL-2 inhibition has led to encouraging results, and future research is aimed at incorporating this targeted therapy into current treatment paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley M Smith
- Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Daniel R Reed
- Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, USA.
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18
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Atene CG, Fiorcari S, Mesini N, Alboni S, Martinelli S, Maccaferri M, Leonardi G, Potenza L, Luppi M, Maffei R, Marasca R. Indoleamine 2, 3-Dioxygenase 1 Mediates Survival Signals in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia via Kynurenine/Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Mediated MCL1 Modulation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:832263. [PMID: 35371054 PMCID: PMC8971515 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.832263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) metabolic circuitry, comprising the first tryptophan (Trp) catabolite L-kynurenine (Kyn) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), has emerged as a mechanism of cancer immune evasion. Here, we investigated the functional role of the IDO1/Kyn/AHR axis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Our data show that CLL cells expressed an active form of the IDO1 enzyme and microenvironmental stimuli can positively modulate its expression. Interferon (IFN)-γ induces IDO1 expression through the Jak/STAT1 pathway and mediates Kyn production concomitantly with Trp consumption in CLL-conditioned media, while INCB018424 (ruxolitinib), a JAK1/2 inhibitor, impaired both effects. To characterize the involvement of IDO1 in leukemic cell maintenance, we overexpressed IDO1 by vector transfection measuring enhanced resistance to spontaneous apoptosis. IDO1 pro-survival influence was confirmed by treating CLL cells with Kyn, which mediated the increase of induced myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (MCL1). Conversely, AHR silencing or its blockade via CH-223191 improved the apoptosis of leukemic clones and mitigated MCL1 expression. Moreover, Kyn-treated CLL cells are less affected by the pro-apoptotic effect of ABT-199 (venetoclax), while CH-223191 showed synergistic/additive cytotoxicity with this drug. Lastly, targeting directly MCL1 in CLL cells with AMG-176, we abrogate the pro-survival effect of Kyn. In conclusion, our data identify IDO1/Kyn/AHR signaling as a new therapeutic target for CLL, describing for the first time its role in CLL pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Giacinto Atene
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Fiorcari
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolò Mesini
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Alboni
- Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Martinelli
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Monica Maccaferri
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Leonardi
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Leonardo Potenza
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Mario Luppi
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Rossana Maffei
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Roberto Marasca
- Hematology Section, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Hematology Section, Policlinico, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (A.O.U.) of Modena, Modena, Italy
- *Correspondence: Roberto Marasca,
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Dual BTK/SYK inhibition with CG-806 (luxeptinib) disrupts B-cell receptor and Bcl-2 signaling networks in mantle cell lymphoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:246. [PMID: 35296646 PMCID: PMC8927405 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04684-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling is a key driver in lymphoid malignancies. Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors that disrupt BCR signaling have received regulatory approvals in therapy of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, responses are incomplete and patients who experience BTK inhibitor therapy failure have dire outcomes. CG-806 (luxeptinib) is a dual BTK/SYK inhibitor in clinical development in hematologic malignancies. Here we investigated the pre-clinical activity of CG-806 in MCL. In vitro treatment with CG-806 thwarted survival of MCL cell lines and patient-derived MCL cells in a dose-dependent manner. CG-806 blocked BTK and SYK activation and abrogated BCR signaling. Contrary to ibrutinib, CG-806 downmodulated the anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL, abrogated survival of ibrutinib-resistant MCL cell lines, and partially reversed the pro-survival effects of stromal microenvironment-mimicking conditions in primary MCL cells. Dual BTK/SYK inhibition led to mitochondrial membrane depolarization accompanied by mitophagy and metabolic reprogramming toward glycolysis. In vivo studies of CG-806 demonstrated improved survival in one of the two tested aggressive MCL PDX models. While suppression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins and NFκB signaling correlated with in vivo drug sensitivity, OxPhos and MYC transcriptional programs were upregulated in the resistant model following treatment with CG-806. BAX and NFKBIA were implicated in susceptibility to CG-806 in a whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 library screen (in a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell line). A high-throughput in vitro functional drug screen demonstrated synergy between CG-806 and Bcl-2 inhibitors. In sum, dual BTK/SYK inhibitor CG-806 disrupts BCR signaling and induces metabolic reprogramming and apoptosis in MCL. The Bcl-2 network is a key mediator of sensitivity to CG-806 and combined targeting of Bcl-2 demonstrates synergy with CG-806 warranting continued exploration in lymphoid malignancies.
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20
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Yi X, Jain N, Iles LR, Ayres ML, Wierda WG, Gandhi V. Targeting Mcl-1 by AMG-176 During Ibrutinib and Venetoclax Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Front Oncol 2022; 12:833714. [PMID: 35273915 PMCID: PMC8901605 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.833714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway and Bcl-2 family prosurvival proteins, specifically Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, are functional in the pathobiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A pivotal and apical molecule in the BCR pathway is Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). Together, BTK, Bcl-2, and Mcl-1 participate in the maintenance, migration, proliferation, and survival of CLL cells. Several ongoing and published clinical trials in CLL reported high rates of remission, namely, undetectable measurable residual disease (u-MRD) status with combined BTK inhibitor ibrutinib and Bcl-2 antagonist, venetoclax. While the majority of patients achieve complete remission with undetectable-measurable residual disease, at least one third of patients do not achieve this milestone. We hypothesized that cells persistent during ibrutinib and venetoclax therapy may be sensitive to combined venetoclax and Mcl-1 inhibitor, AMG-176. To test this hypothesis, we took peripheral blood samples at baseline, after Cycle 1 and Cycle 3 of ibrutinib monotherapy, after one week and 1 cycle of ibrutinib plus venetoclax therapy. These serial samples were tested for pharmacodynamic changes and treated in vitro with AMG-176 or in combination with venetoclax. Compared to C1D1 cells, residual cells during ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment were inherently resistant to endogenous cell death. Single agent exposure induced some apoptosis but combination of 100 nM venetoclax and 100 or 300 nM of AMG-176 resulted in 40–100% cell death in baseline samples. Cells obtained after four cycles of ibrutinib and one cycle of venetoclax, when treated with such concentration of venetoclax and AMG-176, showed 10–80% cell death. BCR signaling pathway, measured as autophosphorylation of BTK was inhibited throughout therapy in all post-therapy samples. Among four anti-apoptotic proteins, Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 decreased during therapy in most samples. Proapoptotic proteins decreased during therapy. Collectively, these data provide a rationale to test Mcl-1 antagonists alone or in combination in CLL during treatment with ibrutinib and venetoclax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nitin Jain
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - LaKesla R Iles
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mary L Ayres
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - William G Wierda
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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Guo Y, Pei H, Lu B, Zhang D, Zhao Y, Wu F, Sun H, Huang J, Li P, Yi C, Zhu C, Pan Y, Wu S, Chen C, Xu X, Chen Y. Aberrantly expressed Wnt5a in nurse-like cells drives resistance to Venetoclax in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:82. [PMID: 35210425 PMCID: PMC8873424 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-00884-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of neoplastic B lymphocytes with high levels of Wnt5a in the plasma. Currently, the cell source of Wnt5a remains controversial. The receptor of Wnt5a is ROR1, whose expression is associated with disease progression and resistance to venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of CLL. In this study, we found that the levels of Wnt5a in the plasma of CLL patients were positively correlated with absolute monocyte counts, but not lymphocyte counts. We cultured monocyte-derived nurse-like cells (NLCs) from patients with CLL, and detected Wnt5a expressed in NLCs. Flow cytometry and transwell assays showed that the antibody neutralizing Wnt5a inhibited the enhanced survival and migration in CLL cells co-cultured with NLCs. Furthermore, we performed a drug screening with CLL cells cultured with or without NLCs with a library containing 133 FDA-approved oncology drugs by using high-throughput flow cytometry. We observed a significant resistance to venetoclax in CLL cells co-cultured with NLCs. Immunoblot revealed the activation of NF-κB with enhanced expression of MCL-1 and BCL-XL in CLL cells co-cultured with NLCs. Neutralizing Wnt5a or blocking NF-κB pathway significantly decreased the expression of MCL-1 and BCL-XL, which leads to enhanced sensitivity to venetoclax in CLL cells co-cultured with NLCs. In conclusion, our data showed that NLCs could be one of the sources of Wnt5a detected in patients with CLL, and Wnt5a-induced NF-κB activation in the CLL microenvironment results in resistance to venetoclax in CLL cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Guo
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Hanzhong Pei
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Bo Lu
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Dengyang Zhang
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuming Zhao
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Fuqun Wu
- Clinical laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Honghua Sun
- Clinical laboratory, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Junbin Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Peng Li
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Chenju Yi
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengming Zhu
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Yihang Pan
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Shunjie Wu
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Chun Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xiaojun Xu
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yun Chen
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
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22
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Forconi F, Lanham SA, Chiodin G. Biological and Clinical Insight from Analysis of the Tumor B-Cell Receptor Structure and Function in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:663. [PMID: 35158929 PMCID: PMC8833472 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The B-cell receptor (BCR) is essential to the behavior of the majority of normal and neoplastic mature B cells. The identification in 1999 of the two major CLL subsets expressing unmutated immunoglobulin (Ig) variable region genes (U-IGHV, U-CLL) of pre-germinal center origin and poor prognosis, and mutated IGHV (M-CLL) of post-germinal center origin and good prognosis, ignited intensive investigations on structure and function of the tumor BCR. These investigations have provided fundamental insight into CLL biology and eventually the mechanistic rationale for the development of successful therapies targeting BCR signaling. U-CLL and M-CLL are characterized by variable low surface IgM (sIgM) expression and signaling capacity. Variability of sIgM can in part be explained by chronic engagement with (auto)antigen at tissue sites. However, other environmental elements, genetic changes, and epigenetic signatures also contribute to the sIgM variability. The variable levels have consequences on the behavior of CLL, which is in a state of anergy with an indolent clinical course when sIgM expression is low, or pushed towards proliferation and a more aggressive clinical course when sIgM expression is high. Efficacy of therapies that target BTK may also be affected by the variable sIgM levels and signaling and, in part, explain the development of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Forconi
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (S.A.L.); (G.C.)
- Department of Haematology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Stuart A. Lanham
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (S.A.L.); (G.C.)
| | - Giorgia Chiodin
- School of Cancer Sciences, Cancer Research UK and NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; (S.A.L.); (G.C.)
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23
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Fiorcari S, Maffei R, Atene CG, Mesini N, Maccaferri M, Leonardi G, Martinelli S, Paolini A, Nasillo V, Debbia G, Potenza L, Luppi M, Marasca R. Notch2 Increases the Resistance to Venetoclax-Induced Apoptosis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells by Inducing Mcl-1. Front Oncol 2022; 11:777587. [PMID: 35070982 PMCID: PMC8770925 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.777587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has experienced a clinical revolution—thanks to the discovery of crucial pathogenic mechanisms. CLL is still an incurable disease due to intrinsic or acquired resistance of the leukemic clone. Venetoclax is a Bcl-2 inhibitor with a marked activity in CLL, but emerging patterns of resistance are being described. We hypothesize that intrinsic features of CLL cells may contribute to drive mechanisms of resistance to venetoclax. We analyzed the expression of Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4), Notch2, and Mcl-1 in a cohort of CLL patients. We evaluated CLL cell viability after genetic and pharmaceutical modulation of Notch2 expression in patients harboring trisomy 12. We tested venetoclax in trisomy 12 CLL cells either silenced or not for Notch2 expression or in combination with an inhibitor of Mcl-1, AMG-176. Trisomy 12 CLL cells were characterized by low expression of IRF4 associated with high levels of Notch2 and Mcl-1. Notch2 and Mcl-1 expression determined protection of CLL cells from spontaneous and drug-induced apoptosis. Considering the involvement of Mcl-1 in venetoclax resistance, our data demonstrated a contribution of high levels of Notch2 and Mcl-1 in a reduced response to venetoclax in CLL cells carrying trisomy 12. Furthermore, reduction of Mcl-1 expression by silencing Notch2 or by treatment with AMG-176 was able to restore the response of CLL cells to venetoclax. The expression of Notch2 identifies a subset of CLL patients, mainly harboring trisomy 12, characterized by high levels of Mcl-1. This biological mechanism may compromise an effective response to venetoclax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Fiorcari
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Rossana Maffei
- Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Claudio Giacinto Atene
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolò Mesini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Monica Maccaferri
- Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Leonardi
- Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Martinelli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Ambra Paolini
- Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Nasillo
- Diagnostic Hematology and Clinical Genomics Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Modena (AUSL)/Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena (AOU) Policlinico, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulia Debbia
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Leonardo Potenza
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Mario Luppi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
| | - Roberto Marasca
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Hematology Unit, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda-Ospedaliero Universitaria (AOU) of Modena, Policlinico, Modena, Italy
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24
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He Y, Sun MM, Zhang GG, Yang J, Chen KS, Xu WW, Li B. Targeting PI3K/Akt signal transduction for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:425. [PMID: 34916492 PMCID: PMC8677728 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00828-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 374] [Impact Index Per Article: 124.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway plays a crucial role in various cellular processes and is aberrantly activated in cancers, contributing to the occurrence and progression of tumors. Examining the upstream and downstream nodes of this pathway could allow full elucidation of its function. Based on accumulating evidence, strategies targeting major components of the pathway might provide new insights for cancer drug discovery. Researchers have explored the use of some inhibitors targeting this pathway to block survival pathways. However, because oncogenic PI3K pathway activation occurs through various mechanisms, the clinical efficacies of these inhibitors are limited. Moreover, pathway activation is accompanied by the development of therapeutic resistance. Therefore, strategies involving pathway inhibitors and other cancer treatments in combination might solve the therapeutic dilemma. In this review, we discuss the roles of the PI3K/Akt pathway in various cancer phenotypes, review the current statuses of different PI3K/Akt inhibitors, and introduce combination therapies consisting of signaling inhibitors and conventional cancer therapies. The information presented herein suggests that cascading inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, either alone or in combination with other therapies, are the most effective treatment strategy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Miao Miao Sun
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathology, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guo Geng Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kui Sheng Chen
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathology, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Wen Wen Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Bioengineering Medicine, National Engineering Research Center of Genetic Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Bin Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
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25
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Combined ibrutinib and venetoclax treatment vs single agents in the TCL1 mouse model for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood Adv 2021; 5:5410-5414. [PMID: 34555843 PMCID: PMC9153000 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021004861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The covalent inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase ibrutinib and the specific Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax are both highly efficacious single agent drugs in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Based on their complementary modes of action, ibrutinib and venetoclax are hypothesized to act in synergistic fashion. Currently, it is unclear whether combined treatment is indeed superior to continuous single agent treatment, and what mechanisms could underlie resistance to combination treatment. In addition, effects of such treatment on the skewed T cell compartment characteristic for CLL are as yet unknown. In the murine Eµ-TCL1 adoptive transfer model, resembling aggressive CLL, we found that combined treatment resulted in deepest responses with longest duration due to a combination of decreased proliferation and increased induction of apoptosis. In addition, alterations in T cell subsets were most prominent upon combination treatment with increased naïve cells and reduced effector memory cells. Remarkably, effects of single agents but also combination treatment were eventually interrupted by relapse, and we found downregulation of BIM expression as a plausible cause of acquired drug resistance. Nevertheless, in this murine model, combination of venetoclax and ibrutinib has increased efficacy over single agents accompanied by a restoration of the T cell compartment.
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Extrinsic interactions in the microenvironment in vivo activate an antiapoptotic multidrug-resistant phenotype in CLL. Blood Adv 2021; 5:3497-3510. [PMID: 34432864 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax has yielded exceptional clinical responses in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, de novo resistance can result in failure to achieve negative minimal residual disease and predicts poor treatment outcomes. Consequently, additional proapoptotic drugs, such as inhibitors of Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL, are in development. By profiling antiapoptotic proteins using flow cytometry, we find that leukemic B cells that recently emigrated from the lymph node (CD69+/CXCR4Low) in vivo are enriched for cell clusters simultaneously overexpressing multiple antiapoptotic proteins (Mcl-1High/Bcl-xLHigh/Bcl-2High) in both treated and treatment-naive CLL patients. These cells exhibited antiapoptotic resistance to multiple BH-domain antagonists, including inhibitors of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bcl-xL, when tested as single agents in a flow cytometry-based functional assay. Antiapoptotic multidrug resistance declines ex vivo, consistent with resistance being generated in vivo by extrinsic microenvironmental interactions. Surviving "persister" cells in patients undergoing venetoclax treatment are enriched for CLL cells displaying the functional and molecular properties of microenvironmentally induced multidrug resistance. Overcoming this resistance required simultaneous inhibition of multiple antiapoptotic proteins, with potential for unwanted toxicities. Using a drug screen performed using patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultured in an ex vivo microenvironment model, we identify novel venetoclax drug combinations that induce selective cytotoxicity in multidrug-resistant CLL cells. Thus, we demonstrate that antiapoptotic multidrug-resistant CLL cells exist in patients de novo and show that these cells persist during proapoptotic treatment, such as venetoclax. We validate clinically actionable approaches to selectively deplete this reservoir in patients.
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27
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Venetoclax-resistant CLL cells show a highly activated and proliferative phenotype. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:979-987. [PMID: 34467417 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03043-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Venetoclax treatment has demonstrated efficacy and a safety profile in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, however the emergence of resistant cells is a current complication. We and others, previously reported that the activation of CLL cells by signals that mimic microenvironment stimuli favors the upregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins from B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family that are not targeted by venetoclax, reducing malignant cell sensitivity to the drug. We here studied venetoclax-resistant CLL cells generated in vitro by autologous activated T lymphocytes, and found that they showed an aggressive phenotype characterized by increased expression of activation and proliferation markers. Moreover, surviving cells expressed high levels of B cell lymphoma-extra-large (BCL-XL) and/or myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1), and a sustained resistance to a second treatment with the drug. Interestingly, the spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor entospletinib, and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) inhibitor idelalisib, reduced T cell activation, impaired the generation of leukemic cells with this aggressive phenotype, and were able to restore CLL sensitivity to venetoclax. Our data highlight a novel combination to overcome resistance to venetoclax in CLL.
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28
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Lew TE, Tam CS, Seymour JF. How I treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia after venetoclax. Blood 2021; 138:361-369. [PMID: 33876212 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020008502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax-based regimens have expanded the therapeutic options for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), frequently achieving remissions with undetectable measurable residual disease and facilitating time-limited treatment without chemotherapy. Although response rates are high and durable disease control is common, longer-term follow-up of patients with relapsed and refractory disease, especially in the presence of TP53 aberrations, demonstrates frequent disease resistance and progression. Although the understanding of venetoclax resistance remains incomplete, progressive disease is typified by oligoclonal leukemic populations with distinct resistance mechanisms, including BCL2 mutations, upregulation of alternative BCL2 family proteins, and genomic instability. Although most commonly observed in heavily pretreated patients with disease refractory to fludarabine and harboring complex karyotype, Richter transformation presents a distinct and challenging manifestation of venetoclax resistance. For patients with progressive CLL after venetoclax, treatment options include B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors, allogeneic stem cell transplantation, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, and venetoclax retreatment for those with disease relapsing after time-limited therapy. However, data to inform clinical decisions for these patients are limited. We review the biology of venetoclax resistance and outline an approach to the common clinical scenarios encountered after venetoclax-based therapy that will increasingly confront practicing clinicians.
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MESH Headings
- Allografts
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/therapeutic use
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/therapy
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
- Sulfonamides/therapeutic use
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Lew
- Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia; and
| | - Constantine S Tam
- Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - John F Seymour
- Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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29
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Overcoming of Microenvironment Protection on Primary Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells after Treatment with BTK and MDM2 Pharmacological Inhibitors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:2439-2451. [PMID: 34287267 PMCID: PMC8293193 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol28040223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), the interaction between leukemic cells and the microenvironment promotes tumor cell survival. The Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib is one of the first-in-class molecules for the treatment of B-CLL patients; however, the emerging mechanisms of resistance to ibrutinib call for new therapeutic strategies. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the ability of ibrutinib plus the MDM2-inhibitor nutlin-3 to counteract the tumor microenvironment protective effect. We observed that primary B-CLL cells cultivated in microenvironment mimicking conditions were protected from apoptosis by the up-regulation of c-MYC and of p53. In the same setting, combined treatments with ibrutinib plus nutlin-3 led to significantly higher levels of apoptosis compared to the single treatments, counteracting the c-MYC up-regulation. Moreover, the combination induced high p53 levels and a significant dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, together with BAX cleavage in the more active p18 form and phospho-BAD down-regulation, that are key components of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, enhancing the apoptosis level. Our findings propose a new therapeutic strategy to overcome the tumor microenvironment protection involved in B-CLL resistance to drugs, with possible clinical implications also for other hematologic and solid tumors for which ibrutinib is considered a therapeutic option.
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30
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Lam V, Best S, Kittai A, Orand K, Spurgeon SE, Liu T, Danilov AV. Proapoptotic and immunomodulatory effects of SYK inhibitor entospletinib in combination with obinutuzumab in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 88:836-841. [PMID: 34196037 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is indispensable in B-cell receptor signalling. SYK inhibitor entospletinib demonstrated clinical efficacy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). However, pharmacodynamic effects of SYK inhibition in CLL cells and immunomodulatory effects of B-cell receptor-signalling inhibitors in patients with CLL are poorly understood. We conducted a phase 2 trial of entospletinib in combination with obinutuzumab, an anti-CD20 antibody, in 17 patients with relapsed/refractory CLL. Pharmacodynamic analysis demonstrated that treatment with entospletinib led to rapid downmodulation of pSTAT3 and the anti-apoptotic protein MCL1 in CLL cells. Meanwhile, 6 months of combination therapy was accompanied by a reduction in interferon-γ secretion in CD4+ T-cells and a reversal of exhausted phenotype, as evidenced by downregulation of PD-1. Thus, SYK inhibition downmodulates MCL-1 and partially restores T-cell immunity in CLL. Trial registration number NCT03010358.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vi Lam
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Scott Best
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Kirsten Orand
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Stephen E Spurgeon
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tingting Liu
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Alexey V Danilov
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA.,Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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31
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Review of Venetoclax in CLL, AML and Multiple Myeloma. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11060463. [PMID: 34073976 PMCID: PMC8225137 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11060463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax is a highly selective and effective B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitor, which is able to reinstate the apoptotic potential of cancer cells. With its full repertoire yet to be explored, it has changed the therapeutic landscape in haematological malignancies, and most particularly chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and multiple myeloma (MM). In CLL, it has shown remarkable efficacy both as monotherapy and in combination therapy. Based on data from MURANO and CLL14 studies, fixed-duration combination therapy of venetoclax with anti-CD20 antibody is now the standard of care in numerous countries. In AML, although of limited efficacy as a single agent, venetoclax combination therapy has demonstrated encouraging outcomes including rapid, durable responses and acceptable toxicity, particularly in the older, unfit patient population. Multiple myeloma with translocation (t)(11;14) harbours high BCL-2/ myeloid cell leukaemia sequence-1 (MCL-1) and BCL-2/BCL-XL ratio and is, therefore, particularly suited for venetoclax-based therapy. Despite a wide ranging and evolving clinical role in these diseases, venetoclax treatment is not curative and, over time, clonal evolution and disease relapse appear to be the norm. While a variety of distinct resistance mechanisms have been identified, frequently emerging in a sub-clonal pattern, the full picture is yet to be characterised. Further illumination of the complex interplay of various factors is needed to pave the way for rational combination therapies aimed at circumventing resistance and improving durability of disease control. Serial molecular studies can aid in identification of new prognostically significant and/or targetable mutations.
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32
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Overcoming resistance to targeted therapies in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood Adv 2021; 5:334-343. [PMID: 33570649 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Insight into the critical role of B-cell receptor signaling for the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) led to the development of targeted therapies directed at key regulators of cell survival. Agents targeting B-cell lymphoma-2 protein, Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase are approved for treatment of CLL, and have significantly improved the disease management. Nevertheless, acquired resistance to the targeted therapies is a challenge still to be resolved. The mechanisms underlying resistance are becoming clearer, and include secondary mutations within the drug target and activation of bypass pathways. This knowledge has allowed development of strategies to prevent and overcome treatment resistance. Approaches to prevent resistance include targeting bypass mechanisms by combination therapies, temporally sequencing of therapies, improved clinical trial designs, and real-time monitoring of patient response. A rational design of drug sequencing may secure effective treatment options at the relapsed setting. Next-generation inhibitors and bispecific antibodies have the potential to overcome resistance to the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib. Immunotherapy, including chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell therapy, is explored for relapsed CLL. Here, recent advances that have contributed to the understanding of resistance to targeted therapies in CLL are discussed. Strategies for managing resistance are reviewed, including translational, real-world, and clinical perspectives.
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33
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B Cell Receptor signaling and genetic lesions in TP53 and CDKN2A/CDKN2B cooperate in Richter Transformation. Blood 2021; 138:1053-1066. [PMID: 33900379 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020008276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
B cell receptor (BCR) signals play a critical role in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but their role in regulating CLL cell proliferation has still not been firmly established. Unlike normal B cells, CLL cells do not proliferate in vitro upon engagement of the BCR, suggesting that CLL cell proliferation is regulated by other signals from the microenvironment, such as those provided by Toll-like receptors or T cells. Here, we report that BCR engagement of human and murine CLL cells induces several positive regulators of the cell cycle, but simultaneously induces the negative regulators CDKN1A, CDKN2A and CDKN2B, which block cell cycle progression. We further show that introduction of genetic lesions that downregulate these cell cycle inhibitors, such as inactivating lesions in CDKN2A, CDKN2B and the CDKN1A regulator TP53, leads to more aggressive disease in a murine in vivo CLL model and spontaneous proliferation in vitro that is BCR-dependent but independent of costimulatory signals. Importantly, inactivating lesions in CDKN2A, CDKN2B and TP53 frequently co-occur in Richter syndrome, and BCR stimulation of human Richter syndrome cells with such lesions is sufficient to induce proliferation. We also show that tumor cells with combined TP53 and CDKN2A/2B abnormalities remain sensitive to BCR inhibitor treatment and are synergistically sensitive to the combination of a BCR and CDK4/6 inhibitor both in vitro and in vivo. These data provide evidence that BCR signals are directly involved in driving CLL cell proliferation and reveal a novel mechanism of Richter transformation.
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34
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Held L, Siu C, Shadman M. Venetoclax as a therapeutic option for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: the evidence so far. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 22:655-665. [PMID: 33645381 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1882421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Venetoclax, an oral, BCL-2 inhibitor, is approved by the FDA for treatment of CLL in all lines of therapy. Data from landmark studies, including the CLL14 and MURANO trials, demonstrated marked improvement in clinical outcomes compared to chemoimmunotherapy when venetoclax was used in combination with CD20 monoclonal antibodies for fixed treatment duration. AREAS COVERED This article reviews the mechanism of action of venetoclax and discusses how curtailing the BCL signaling pathway undermines CLL pathophysiology. The authors also give their clinical experience with the drug, with emphasis on assessing and managing the risk of venetoclax-associated tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). EXPERT OPINION Venetoclax has positioned itself as one of the primary treatment options for CLL, given the consistent efficacy and deep remissions it has elicited across multiple settings of the disease with a time-limited schedule. Accurate TLS risk evaluation and stringent adherence to the dose-escalation protocols will help optimize patient outcomes. Finally, we expect that current and future studies will (1) ascertain the ideal treatment duration using the minimal residual disease state as a guide and (2) help us understand the optimal role of venetoclax in combination or in sequence with other novel targeted therapies in the treatment of CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Held
- School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Hematologic Malignancies, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chloe Siu
- School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Hematologic Malignancies, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mazyar Shadman
- School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Hematologic Malignancies, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA, USA.,Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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35
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BTK inhibitor therapy is effective in patients with CLL resistant to venetoclax. Blood 2021; 135:2266-2270. [PMID: 32244251 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020004782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly active BTK inhibitors (BTKis) and the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax have transformed the therapeutic landscape for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Results of prospective clinical trials demonstrate the efficacy of venetoclax to salvage patients with disease progression on BTKis, but data on BTKi therapy after disease progression on venetoclax are limited, especially regarding durability of benefit. We retrospectively evaluated the records of 23 consecutive patients with relapsed/refractory CLL who received a BTKi (ibrutinib, n = 21; zanubrutinib, n = 2) after stopping venetoclax because of progressive disease. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and median overall survival after BTKi initiation were 34 months (range, <1 to 49) and 42 months (range, 2-49), respectively. Prior remission duration ≥24 months and attainment of complete remission or undetectable measurable residual disease on venetoclax were associated with longer PFS after BTKi salvage (P = .044 and P = .029, respectively). BTKi therapy achieved durable benefit for patients with the BCL2 Gly101Val venetoclax resistance mutation (estimated 24-month PFS, 69%). At a median survivor follow-up of 33 months (range, 2-53), 11 patients remained on BTKi and 12 had stopped therapy because of disease progression (n = 8) or toxicity (n = 4). Our findings indicate that BTKi therapy can provide durable CLL control after disease progression on venetoclax.
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36
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Haselager MV, Kielbassa K, Ter Burg J, Bax DJC, Fernandes SM, Borst J, Tam C, Forconi F, Chiodin G, Brown JR, Dubois J, Kater AP, Eldering E. Changes in Bcl-2 members after ibrutinib or venetoclax uncover functional hierarchy in determining resistance to venetoclax in CLL. Blood 2020; 136:2918-2926. [PMID: 32603412 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells cycle between lymph node (LN) and peripheral blood (PB) and display major shifts in Bcl-2 family members between those compartments. Specifically, Bcl-XL and Mcl-1, which are not targeted by the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax, are increased in the LN. Because ibrutinib forces CLL cells out of the LN, we hypothesized that ibrutinib may thereby affect expression of Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 and sensitize CLL cells to venetoclax. We investigated expression of Bcl-2 family members in patients under ibrutinib or venetoclax treatment, combined with dissecting functional interactions of Bcl-2 family members, in an in vitro model of venetoclax resistance. In the PB, recent LN emigrants had higher Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 expression than did cells immigrating back to the LN. Under ibrutinib treatment, this distinction collapsed; significantly, the pretreatment profile reappeared in patients who relapsed on ibrutinib. However, in response to venetoclax, Bcl-2 members displayed an early increase, underlining the different modes of action of these 2 drugs. Profiling by BH3 mimetics was performed in CLL cells fully resistant to venetoclax due to CD40-mediated induction of Bcl-XL, Mcl-1, and Bfl-1. Several dual or triple combinations of BH3 mimetics were highly synergistic in restoring killing of CLL cells. Lastly, we demonstrated that proapoptotic Bim interacts with antiapoptotic Bcl-2 members in a sequential manner: Bcl-2 > Bcl-XL > Mcl-1 > Bfl-1. Combined, the data indicate that Bcl-XL is more important in venetoclax resistance than is Mcl-1 and provide biological rationale for potential synergy between ibrutinib and venetoclax.
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MESH Headings
- Adenine/administration & dosage
- Adenine/analogs & derivatives
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/administration & dosage
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic/drug effects
- Humans
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Male
- Piperidines/administration & dosage
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/biosynthesis
- Sulfonamides/administration & dosage
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco V Haselager
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karoline Kielbassa
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Ter Burg
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danique J C Bax
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stacey M Fernandes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Jannie Borst
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Constantine Tam
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; and
| | - Francesco Forconi
- Cancer Sciences and Haematology Department, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Giorgia Chiodin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Jennifer R Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Julie Dubois
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arnon P Kater
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Eldering
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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37
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Bolomsky A, Vogler M, Köse MC, Heckman CA, Ehx G, Ludwig H, Caers J. MCL-1 inhibitors, fast-lane development of a new class of anti-cancer agents. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:173. [PMID: 33308268 PMCID: PMC7731749 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-01007-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell death escape is one of the most prominent features of tumor cells and closely linked to the dysregulation of members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Among those, the anti-apoptotic family member myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) acts as a master regulator of apoptosis in various human malignancies. Irrespective of its unfavorable structure profile, independent research efforts recently led to the generation of highly potent MCL-1 inhibitors that are currently evaluated in clinical trials. This offers new perspectives to target a so far undruggable cancer cell dependency. However, a detailed understanding about the tumor and tissue type specific implications of MCL-1 are a prerequisite for the optimal (i.e., precision medicine guided) use of this novel drug class. In this review, we summarize the major functions of MCL-1 with a special focus on cancer, provide insights into its different roles in solid vs. hematological tumors and give an update about the (pre)clinical development program of state-of-the-art MCL-1 targeting compounds. We aim to raise the awareness about the heterogeneous role of MCL-1 as drug target between, but also within tumor entities and to highlight the importance of rationale treatment decisions on a case by case basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnold Bolomsky
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Meike Vogler
- Department of Clinical Hematology, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, CHU De Liège, 35, Dom Univ Sart Tilman B, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Murat Cem Köse
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Caroline A Heckman
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland-FIMM, HiLIFE-Helsinki Institute of Life Science, iCAN Digital Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Grégory Ehx
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Heinz Ludwig
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jo Caers
- Department of Clinical Hematology, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, CHU De Liège, 35, Dom Univ Sart Tilman B, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
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38
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Laurenti L, Efremov DG. Therapeutic Targets in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113259. [PMID: 33158264 PMCID: PMC7694246 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Laurenti
- Department of Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (D.G.E.)
| | - Dimitar G. Efremov
- Molecular Hematology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 34149 Trieste, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.L.); (D.G.E.)
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39
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Yue X, Chen Q, He J. Combination strategies to overcome resistance to the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax in hematologic malignancies. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:524. [PMID: 33292251 PMCID: PMC7597043 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01614-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Venetoclax has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration since 2016 as a monotherapy for treating patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia having 17p deletion. It has led to a breakthrough in the treatment of hematologic malignancies in recent years. However, unfortunately, resistance to venetoclax is inevitable. Multiple studies confirmed that the upregulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) family mediated by various mechanisms, such as tumor microenvironment, and the activation of intracellular signaling pathways were the major factors leading to resistance to venetoclax. Therefore, only targeting BCL2 often fails to achieve the expected therapeutic effect. Based on the mechanism of resistance in specific hematologic malignancies, the combination of specific drugs with venetoclax was a clinically optional treatment strategy for overcoming resistance to venetoclax. This study aimed to summarize the possible resistance mechanisms of various hematologic tumors to venetoclax and the corresponding clinical strategies to overcome resistance to venetoclax in hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoYan Yue
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. 79, Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qingxiao Chen
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. 79, Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - JingSong He
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No. 79, Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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40
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IBL-202 is synergistic with venetoclax in CLL under in vitro conditions that mimic the tumor microenvironment. Blood Adv 2020; 4:5093-5106. [PMID: 33085757 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2019001369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The B-cell receptor signaling pathway and dysregulation of the Bcl-2 family of proteins play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Despite significant advances in the treatment of the disease, relapse and drug resistance are not uncommon. In the current study, we investigated the dual PI3/PIM kinase inhibitor IBL-202 in combination with venetoclax as a treatment option for CLL using both primary CLL cells and TP53-deficient OSU-CLL cells generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. IBL-202 and venetoclax were highly synergistic against primary CLL cells cocultured with CD40L fibroblasts (combination index [CI], 0.4, at a fractional effect of 0.9) and TP53-knockout (KO) OSU-CLL cells (CI, 0.5, at a fractional effect of 0.9). Synergy between the drugs was consistent, with a significant (P < .05) reduction in the 50% inhibitory concentration for both drugs. IBL-202 and venetoclax in combination induced cell-cycle arrest and slowed the proliferation of both wild-type and TP53-KO cell lines. The drug combination inhibited AKT phosphorylation, reduced expression of Bcl-xL and NF-κB, and increased the Noxa/Mcl-1 ratio. Downregulation of CXCR4 was consistent with inhibition of the SDF-1α-induced migratory capacity of CLL cells. Synergy between IBL-202 and venetoclax against primary CLL cells cultured under conditions that mimic the tumor microenvironment suggests this drug combination may be effective against CLL cells within the lymph nodes and bone marrow. Furthermore, the efficacy of the combination against the TP53-KO OSU-CLL cell line suggests the combination may be a highly effective treatment strategy for high-risk CLL.
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BDA-366, a putative Bcl-2 BH4 domain antagonist, induces apoptosis independently of Bcl-2 in a variety of cancer cell models. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:769. [PMID: 32943617 PMCID: PMC7498462 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02944-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Several cancer cell types, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) upregulate antiapoptotic Bcl-2 to cope with oncogenic stress. BH3 mimetics targeting Bcl-2's hydrophobic cleft have been developed, including venetoclax as a promising anticancer precision medicine for treating CLL patients. Recently, BDA-366 was identified as a small molecule BH4-domain antagonist that could kill lung cancer and multiple myeloma cells. BDA-366 was proposed to switch Bcl-2 from an antiapoptotic into a proapoptotic protein, thereby activating Bax and inducing apoptosis. Here, we scrutinized the therapeutic potential and mechanism of action of BDA-366 in CLL and DLBCL. Although BDA-366 displayed selective toxicity against both cell types, the BDA-366-induced cell death did not correlate with Bcl-2-protein levels and also occurred in the absence of Bcl-2. Moreover, although BDA-366 provoked Bax activation, it did neither directly activate Bax nor switch Bcl-2 into a Bax-activating protein in in vitro Bax/liposome assays. Instead, in primary CLL cells and DLBCL cell lines, BDA-366 inhibited the activity of the PI3K/AKT pathway, resulted in Bcl-2 dephosphorylation and reduced Mcl-1-protein levels without affecting the levels of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL. Hence, our work challenges the current view that BDA-366 is a BH4-domain antagonist of Bcl-2 that turns Bcl-2 into a pro-apoptotic protein. Rather, our results indicate that other mechanisms beyond switching Bcl-2 conformation underlie BDA-366's cell-death properties that may implicate Mcl-1 downregulation and/or Bcl-2 dephosphorylation.
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Zou HS, Yi SH, Qiu LG. [Resistance mechanisms and treatment strategies of Venetoclax in chronic lymphocytic leukemia]. ZHONGHUA XUE YE XUE ZA ZHI = ZHONGHUA XUEYEXUE ZAZHI 2020; 41:783-787. [PMID: 33113617 PMCID: PMC7595867 DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-2727.2020.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H S Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - S H Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - L G Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
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Abstract
Agents that specifically target pathologic mechanisms of survival have now been approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in both the treatment-naive and relapsed/refractory settings. These 4 agents include the Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib, the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 inhibitor venetoclax, and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitors idelalisib and duvelisib. Although clinical outcomes are improved with all of these inhibitors, acquired resistance does occur and leads to progression of disease. Resistance to targeted therapy can occur through direct mutations of the target or through the overexpression of alternative cell survival pathways not affected by the specific inhibitor. Determining which patients will develop resistance, why resistance occurs, how to overcome resistance, and when to test for resistance are all subjects of ongoing research. In this review, we describe the current data relative to the development of resistance to targeted therapies in CLL.
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Zhang H, Nakauchi Y, Köhnke T, Stafford M, Bottomly D, Thomas R, Wilmot B, McWeeney SK, Majeti R, Tyner JW. Integrated analysis of patient samples identifies biomarkers for venetoclax efficacy and combination strategies in acute myeloid leukemia. NATURE CANCER 2020; 1:826-839. [PMID: 33123685 PMCID: PMC7591155 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-020-0103-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Deregulation of the BCL2 gene family plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The BCL2 inhibitor, venetoclax, has received FDA approval for the treatment of AML. However, upfront and acquired drug resistance ensues due, in part, to the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of AML, highlighting the importance of identifying biomarkers to stratify patients onto the most effective therapies. By integrating clinical characteristics, exome and RNA sequencing, and inhibitor data from primary AML patient samples, we determined that myelomonocytic leukemia, upregulation of BCL2A1 and CLEC7A, as well as mutations of PTPN11 and KRAS conferred resistance to venetoclax and multiple venetoclax combinations. Venetoclax in combination with an MCL1 inhibitor AZD5991 induced synthetic lethality and circumvented venetoclax resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijiao Zhang
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR
| | - Yusuke Nakauchi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Cancer Institute, and Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Thomas Köhnke
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Cancer Institute, and Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Melissa Stafford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Cancer Institute, and Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Daniel Bottomly
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR
| | - Rozario Thomas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Cancer Institute, and Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Beth Wilmot
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR
| | - Shannon K. McWeeney
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR
| | - Ravindra Majeti
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Cancer Institute, and Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Jeffrey W. Tyner
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR
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Arthur R, Valle-Argos B, Steele AJ, Packham G. Development of PROTACs to address clinical limitations associated with BTK-targeted kinase inhibitors. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2020; 1:131-152. [PMID: 32924028 PMCID: PMC7116064 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2020.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a common form of leukemia and is dependent on growth-promoting signaling via the B-cell receptor. The Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an important mediator of B-cell receptor signaling and the irreversible BTK inhibitor ibrutinib can trigger dramatic clinical responses in treated patients. However, emergence of resistance and toxicity are major limitations which lead to treatment discontinuation. There remains, therefore, a clear need for new therapeutic options. In this review, we discuss recent progress in the development of BTK-targeted proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) describing how such agents may provide advantages over ibrutinib and highlighting features of PROTACs that are important for the development of effective BTK degrading agents. Overall, PROTACs appear to be an exciting new approach to target BTK. However, development is at a very early stage and considerable progress is required to refine these agents and optimize their drug-like properties before progression to clinical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Arthur
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD Southampton, UK
| | - Beatriz Valle-Argos
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD Southampton, UK
| | - Andrew J. Steele
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD Southampton, UK
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Highfield Campus, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, UK
| | - Graham Packham
- Cancer Research UK Centre, Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO16 6YD Southampton, UK
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A novel derivative of valepotriate inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway and causes Noxa-dependent apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2020; 41:835-842. [PMID: 32047260 PMCID: PMC7470838 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-019-0354-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural compound valepotriate exhibits inhibitory activity against a number of cancers, but the effect of valepotriate against pancreatic cancer is unclear, and the structure–activity relationship of valepotriate has not been characterized. In this study, we performed a structure-based similarity search and found 16 hit compounds. Among the 16 hits, (1S,6S,7R)-6-(acetyloxy)-1-[(3-methylbutanoyl)oxy]-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-spiro[cyclopenta[c]pyran-7,2’-oxiran]-4-ylmethyl 3-methylbutanoate (denoted as Amcp) exhibited superior anticancer activity against human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells. The anti-proliferation activity of Amcp was validated in human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells in vitro. Amcp more effectively induced apoptosis in BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells than gemcitabine. At a concentration of 15 μM, Amcp significantly suppressed the PI3K/AKT pathway and disrupted the mitochondrial membrane equilibrium through modulation of Noxa and Mcl-1 balance in both cell lines. Meanwhile, knockdown of Noxa substantially attenuated Amcp-induced reduction of cell viability and anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 level in BxPC-3 cells. In addition, Amcp showed synergistic anticancer effects when combined with gemcitabine in BxPC-3 cells. To conclude, this work not only suggests that Amcp possesses a dual-inhibitory activity towards PI3K/AKT pathway and Mcl-1, but also enlightens further development of bioactive valepotriate derivatives.
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Mechanisms of B Cell Receptor Activation and Responses to B Cell Receptor Inhibitors in B Cell Malignancies. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061396. [PMID: 32481736 PMCID: PMC7352865 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The B cell receptor (BCR) pathway has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in a number of common B cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, marginal zone B cell lymphoma, and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. This finding has resulted in the development of numerous drugs that target this pathway, including various inhibitors of the kinases BTK, PI3K, and SYK. Several of these drugs have been approved in recent years for clinical use, resulting in a profound change in the way these diseases are currently being treated. However, the response rates and durability of responses vary largely across the different disease entities, suggesting a different proportion of patients with an activated BCR pathway and different mechanisms of BCR pathway activation. Indeed, several antigen-dependent and antigen-independent mechanisms have recently been described and shown to result in the activation of distinct downstream signaling pathways. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the mechanisms responsible for the activation of the BCR pathway in different B cell malignancies and to correlate these mechanisms with clinical responses to treatment with BCR inhibitors.
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Lew TE, Anderson MA, Seymour JF. Promises and pitfalls of targeted agents in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2020; 3:415-444. [PMID: 35582452 PMCID: PMC8992498 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2019.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Targeted agents have significantly improved outcomes for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, particularly high-risk subgroups for whom chemoimmunotherapy previously offered limited efficacy. Two classes of agent in particular, the Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., ibrutinib) and the B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor, venetoclax, induce high response rates and durable remissions in the relapsed/refractory and frontline settings. However, maturing clinical data have revealed promises and pitfalls for both agents. These drugs induce remissions and disease control in the majority of patients, often in situations where modest efficacy would be expected with traditional chemoimmunotherapy approaches. Unfortunately, in the relapsed and refractory setting, both agents appear to be associated with an inevitable risk of disease relapse and progression. Emerging patterns of resistance are being described for both agents but a common theme appears to be multiple sub-clonal drivers of disease progression. Understanding these mechanisms and developing effective and safe methods to circumvent the emergence of resistance will determine the longer-term utility of these agents to improve patients' quality and length of life. Rational drug combinations, optimised scheduling and sequencing of therapy will likely hold the key to achieving these important goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. Lew
- Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville 3050, Australia
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3050, Australia
| | - Mary Ann Anderson
- Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville 3050, Australia
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3050, Australia
| | - John F. Seymour
- Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville 3050, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3050, Australia
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Tibaldi E, Federti E, Matte A, Iatcenko I, Wilson AB, Riccardi V, Pagano MA, De Franceschi L. Oxidation Impacts the Intracellular Signaling Machinery in Hematological Disorders. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9040353. [PMID: 32344529 PMCID: PMC7222375 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9040353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic coordination between kinases and phosphatases is crucial for cell homeostasis, in response to different stresses. The functional connection between oxidation and the intracellular signaling machinery still remains to be investigated. In the last decade, several studies have highlighted the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as modulators directly targeting kinases, phosphatases, and downstream modulators, or indirectly acting on cysteine residues on kinases/phosphatases resulting in protein conformational changes with modulation of intracellular signaling pathway(s). Translational studies have revealed the important link between oxidation and signal transduction pathways in hematological disorders. The intricate nature of intracellular signal transduction mechanisms, based on the generation of complex networks of different types of signaling proteins, revealed the novel and important role of phosphatases together with kinases in disease mechanisms. Thus, therapeutic approaches to abnormal signal transduction pathways should consider either inhibition of overactivated/accumulated kinases or homeostatic signaling resetting through the activation of phosphatases. This review discusses the progress in the knowledge of the interplay between oxidation and cell signaling, involving phosphatase/kinase systems in models of globally distributed hematological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Tibaldi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (E.T.); (M.A.P.)
| | - Enrica Federti
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (E.F.); (A.M.); (I.I.); (A.B.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Alessandro Matte
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (E.F.); (A.M.); (I.I.); (A.B.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Iana Iatcenko
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (E.F.); (A.M.); (I.I.); (A.B.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Anand B. Wilson
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (E.F.); (A.M.); (I.I.); (A.B.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Veronica Riccardi
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (E.F.); (A.M.); (I.I.); (A.B.W.); (V.R.)
| | - Mario Angelo Pagano
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (E.T.); (M.A.P.)
| | - Lucia De Franceschi
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona and AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (E.F.); (A.M.); (I.I.); (A.B.W.); (V.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-045-812-4401
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is now recognised as a heterogenous disease with a variety of clinical outcomes. Here we summarise the way it is currently stratified according to genetic risk and patient characteristics and the treatment approaches used for these different subgroups. RECENT FINDINGS Certain patients appear to sustain MRD negativity after combination chemoimmunotherapy, leading to the suggestion that their CLL may be cured. However, 17p-deleted, p53-mutated or IGHV-UM subgroups are generally resistant to FCR, and much better responses are seen with ibrutinib and venetoclax, frequently inducing MRD negativity that hopefully will be translated into durable remissions. Small molecule inhibitors have already revolutionised CLL treatment. Going forward, we anticipate their use in the majority of patients, early after diagnosis and with curative intent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Milne
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS UK
- Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE UK
| | - Beattie Sturrock
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS UK
- Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE UK
| | - Timothy Chevassut
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9PS UK
- Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE UK
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