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Alachkar H, Mutonga MBG, Metzeler KH, Fulton N, Malnassy G, Herold T, Spiekermann K, Bohlander SK, Hiddemann W, Matsuo Y, Stock W, Nakamura Y. Preclinical efficacy of maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK) inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncotarget 2015; 5:12371-82. [PMID: 25365263 PMCID: PMC4323011 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK), which was reported to be frequently up-regulated in various types of solid cancer, plays critical roles in formation and maintenance of cancer stem cells. However, little is known about the relevance of this kinase in hematologic malignancies. Here we report characterization of possible roles of MELK in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MELK is expressed in AML cell lines and AML blasts with higher levels in less differentiated cells. MELK is frequently upregulated in AML with complex karyotypes and is associated with worse clinical outcome. MELK knockdown resulted in growth inhibition and apoptosis of leukemic cells. Hence, we investigated the potent anti-leukemia activity of OTS167, a small molecule MELK kinase inhibitor, in AML, and found that the compound induced cell differentiation and apoptosis as well as decreased migration of AML cells. MELK expression was positively correlated with the expression of FOXM1 as well as its downstream target genes. Furthermore, MELK inhibition resulted in downregulation of FOXM1 activity and the expression of its downstream targets. Taken together, and given that OTS167 is undergoing a phase I clinical trial in solid cancer, our study warrants clinical evaluation of this compound as a novel targeted therapy for AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houda Alachkar
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Klaus H Metzeler
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), München, Germany. Clinical Cooperative Group Leukemia, Helmholtz Center Munich for Environmental Health, München, Germany
| | - Noreen Fulton
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Tobias Herold
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), München, Germany. Clinical Cooperative Group Leukemia, Helmholtz Center Munich for Environmental Health, München, Germany
| | - Karsten Spiekermann
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), München, Germany. Clinical Cooperative Group Leukemia, Helmholtz Center Munich for Environmental Health, München, Germany
| | - Stefan K Bohlander
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Wolfgang Hiddemann
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU), München, Germany. Clinical Cooperative Group Leukemia, Helmholtz Center Munich for Environmental Health, München, Germany
| | - Yo Matsuo
- OncoTherapy Science, Inc., Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Wendy Stock
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Lukianova-Hleb EY, Mutonga MBG, Lapotko DO. Cell-specific multifunctional processing of heterogeneous cell systems in a single laser pulse treatment. ACS Nano 2012; 6:10973-81. [PMID: 23167546 PMCID: PMC3528843 DOI: 10.1021/nn3045243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Current methods of cell processing for gene and cell therapies use several separate procedures for gene transfer and cell separation or elimination, because no current technology can offer simultaneous multifunctional processing of specific cell subsets in highly heterogeneous cell systems. Using the cell-specific generation of plasmonic nanobubbles of different sizes around cell-targeted gold nanoshells and nanospheres, we achieved simultaneous multifunctional cell-specific processing in a rapid single 70 ps laser pulse bulk treatment of heterogeneous cell suspension. This method supported the detection of cells, delivery of external molecular cargo to one type of cells and the concomitant destruction of another type of cells without damaging other cells in suspension, and real-time guidance of the above two cellular effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin B. G. Mutonga
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, TX 77005, USA
| | - Dmitri O. Lapotko
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, TX 77005, USA
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