Inhibition of Autophagy by Chloroquine Sensitises Lymphoma Cells to ABT-737-Induced Apoptosis

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 1625-1625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aine McCarthy ◽  
Vincent Yeung ◽  
John G. Gribben ◽  
Li Jia

Abstract Abstract 1625 Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is characterised by overexpression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. It has been recently observed that Bcl-2 also inhibits autophagy by binding and sequestering Beclin-1, an essential autophagy protein, but it is unclear whether Bcl-2 inhibits both apoptosis and autophagy in DLBCL cells. We aimed to determine the dual role of Bcl-2 in both apoptosis and autophagy in Bcl-2 positive cell lines (Su-DHL4 and CRL) and Bcl-2 negative cell lines (Su-DHL8 and Su-DHL10) using the BH3 mimetic compound ABT-737. The sensitivity of Bcl-2 positive and Bcl-2 negative cell lines to ABT-737-mediated mitochondrial depolarization (ΔΨmLOW) and cell death (DAPI positive) was assessed by flow cytometry. Treatment of the Bcl-2 positive cell lines Su-DHL4 and CRL with ABT-737 significantly increased (p<0.01) the percentage of both ΔΨmLOW cells, indicating mitochondrial damage as well as DAPI positive cells indicating cell death. Treatment with ABT-737 increased Bax activation and PARP cleavage in Bcl-2 positive cells, indicating that as expected, ABT-737-induced cell death is via apoptosis. ABT-737-induced cell death was not detected in Bcl-2 negative cell lines Su-DHL8 and Su-DHL10, demonstrating that, as expected, the sensitivity of DLBCL cell lines to ABT-737-induced apoptosis is Bcl-2 dependent. Treatment of Bcl-2 positive cells with ABT-737 also resulted in a decreased cellular co-localisation of Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 as detected by immunofluorescent staining. Degradation of p62 and LC3-II, selective substrates of autophagy, was detected by Western blotting in Bcl-2 positive but not in Bcl-2 negative cell lines after treatment with ABT-737 for 15 hours. LC3-I is a diffuse cytoplasmic protein which upon activation of autophagy becomes cleaved and lipidated to LC3-II which becomes punctate within cells. Punctuate LC3-II is a widely used marker of active autophagy. ABT-737-induced autophagosome formation was determined at an earlier time point (3 hours after ABT-737 treatment) using immune-fluorescent microscopy. ABT-737 induced increased numbers of larger punctate LC3-II in Bcl-2 positive Su-DHL4 and CRL cell lines but not in Bcl-2 negative cells, indicating that inhibition of Bcl-2 induces autophagy in Bcl-2 positive cells. We then determined whether autophagy affects ABT-737-induced apoptosis by blocking autophagy using an autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). Co-treatment with ABT-737 and CQ resulted in an increase in the percentage of ΔΨmLOW cells, DAPI positive cells and PARP cleavage compared to cells treated with ABT-737 alone in Bcl-2 positive cell lines. Combined, these results indicate that inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine further sensitises Bcl-2 positive cells to ABT-737-induced apoptosis. In summary, our results indicate that Bcl-2 inhibits autophagy in lymphoma cells by sequestering Beclin-1. Disruption of this interaction by ABT-737 induces autophagy which in turn inhibits apoptosis. Inhibition of autophagy results in increased sensitivity of Bcl-2 positive cells to ABT-737-induced apoptosis, suggesting a role for autophagy inhibitors in lymphoma treatment. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Ewald ◽  
Jessica Dittmann ◽  
Meike Vogler ◽  
Simone Fulda

AbstractDespite advances in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), prognosis of AML patients is still dismal and better treatment options are required. B-cell Lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) homology domain 3 (BH3)-mimetics are emerging as a novel class of apoptosis-inducing agents that are currently being tested for the treatment of different hematological malignancies including AML. Particularly, the selective BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-199/Venetoclax is demonstrating clinical responses and has recently been approved in combination for the treatment of AML. Compounds targeting the related protein MCL-1 have recently entered clinical trials, highlighting the urgency to compare the different BH3-mimetics and identify the most promising antiapoptotic target in AML. We performed a side-by-side comparison of different highly selective and potent BH3-mimetics targeting BCL-2 (ABT-199), MCL-1 (S63845) or BCL-xL (A1331852) in a panel of AML cell lines and primary patient cells. Gene knockdown using siRNAs was utilized to investigate the functional relevance of BCL-2 proteins. Western blotting and immunoprecipitations were used to explore the influence of BH3-mimetics on interactions between pro- and antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins. A1331852 induced apoptosis only in selected cases, indicating that BCL-xL is not a very promising therapeutic target in AML. However, S63845 displayed higher potency than ABT-199, with more cell lines and primary cells responding to S63845 than to ABT-199. MCL-1 dependency in AML cells was confirmed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of MCL-1, which was sufficient to induce apoptosis. S63845-induced cell death was accompanied by a displacement of the BH3-only protein BIM as well as BAK, resulting in BAK-dependent apoptosis. In contrast, ABT-199-induced cell death was mediated by BAX rather than BAK, indicating distinct non-redundant molecular functions of BCL-2 and MCL-1 in AML. Our study reveals that MCL-1 may be a more prevalent therapeutic target than BCL-2 in AML and identifies BIM and BAK as important mediators of S63845-induced apoptosis in AML.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 4630-4630
Author(s):  
Marion Travert ◽  
Patricia Ame-Thomas ◽  
Thierry Fest ◽  
Céline Pangault ◽  
Gilbert Semana ◽  
...  

Abstract Follicular lymphoma are characterized by the rearrangement of the bcl-2 gene, present in more than 90% of patients. Over-expression of the bcl-2 protein resulting from this translocation is associated with the inability to eradicate the lymphoma, by inhibiting apoptosis. Despite the median survival ranges from 8 to 15 years, leading to the designation of indolent lymphoma, patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma are not cured with current therapeutic options. Numerous reports have shown that Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) can induce apoptosis in a wide variety of transformed cell lines of diverse lineage, but does not appear to kill normal cells, even though TRAIL mRNA is expressed at significant levels in most normal tissues. As cell death induced by TRAIL occurs almost exclusively in tumor cells, it suggests that this drug is safe to use as an antitumor therapy. We therefore investigated the efficiency of this cytokine to induce apoptosis in germinal center derived B cell lymphoma, despite bcl-2 over-expression. Our study was also designed to evaluate the role of CD40L, one of the main differentiation signal involved in B cell maturation during the germinal center reaction, on the regulation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. This study was performed on three germinal center derived tumor cell lines (BL2, VAL and RL), and on normal and tumor primary cells obtained from human tonsils and lymph nodes. Our data show that normal B lymphocytes obtained from tonsil biopsies are resistant to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, when B lymphoma cells issued from lymph node of numerous patients are significantly sensitive to the cytokine. When we treat these lymphoma cells with trimeric huCD40L, we partly rescue these cells from spontaneous apoptosis which naturally occurs after few days of culture, and reverse by 50% TRAIL-mediated apoptosis when cells were co-treated with huCD40L for 16 hours. Similar results were reproduced on some germinal center derived cell lines. BL2 was indeed found highly sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis following a 24 hour exposure. On the opposite, VAL and RL were almost insensitive. We have demonstrate that apoptosis is exclusively mediated by TRAIL-R1 in BL2. Analysis of signalling pathways revealed that the protection to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by CD40L is due to some specific anti-apoptotic molecules that will be described. Genes encoding these molecules are targets of the NFκB signalling pathway activated by CD40L. Our results suggest that activation of NFκB and induction of anti-apoptotic molecules by CD40L play an important role in the protection of germinal center derived B cell lymphomas against apoptosis. Then, NFκB inhibitors may be wise to use in clinical trials in conjunction with TRAIL against follicular lymphomas.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 2710-2710
Author(s):  
Shuo Yang ◽  
Andrew M Evens ◽  
Savita Bhalla ◽  
Sheila Prachand ◽  
Amareshwar Singh ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 2710 Poster Board II-686 Introduction/Background: Andrographolide is a diterpenoid lactone isolated from Andrographis paniculata (King of Bitters), an important herbal medicine used in China and other Asian countries to treat a range of diseases, such as respiratory infection, fever, bacterial dysentery and diarrhea. The major bioactive component extracted from Andrographis paniculata is andrographolide. The three hydroxyls at C-3, C-19 and C-14 are responsible for its biological activities. Recently, the anti-cancer properties of andrographolide have been recognized, and it has been tested in human patients. We hypothesized that the mechanism of cell death may depend on caspase activation and mitochondrial mediated cell death pathways. Methods: Using cells lines Ramos (p53 mutated Burkitts lymphoma (BL)), HF-1 (follicular lymphoma (FL)), SUDHL-4 (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)) and Granta (mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)) we measured cellular cytotoxicity by MTT and apoptosis and quantified by Annexin V-FITC and PI with flow cytometry using FACS. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined by oxidation of H2DCFDA to dichlorofluorescein (DCF) and quantified by fluorescence intensity and read by flow cytometry. We investigated the mechanism of apoptosis in lymphoma cell lines and patient samples by measuring caspase activation and PARP cleavage by Western blot and Bax conformational change by immunoflourescence. Further, we dissected the influence of the Bax/Bak pathway by using Bax−/−/Bak−/− mouse endothelial fibroblasts (MEFS). Results: We found that andrographolide inhibited survival in all cell lines and was dose and time dependent (IC50 from 15-40uM in cell lines), and was accompanied by ROS production. Cell death was a result of apoptosis and was also dose and time dependent and inhibited by the anti- oxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK and enhanced by the glutathione (GSH) depleting agent buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and accompanied by PARP cleavage. Similar data were extant in fresh samples from patients with FL, DLBCL, and MCL and there was activation of caspases 3, 8 and 9 in all cell lines and in all patient samples. In order to determine if mitochondrial pathways are involved in cell death, we studied Bax conformational change with the 6A7 monoclonal antibody, which specifically binds Bax protein with conformational change. We found that andrographolide induced Bax conformational change in SUDHL4 and HF1 and similarly in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma pt samples and that this was accompanied by translocation of Bax to the mitochondria in SUDHL-4 (Figure bottom left) and HF-1 (Figure bottom right). Next, using mouse endothelial fibroblast (MEFs) Bax/Bak knockouts (MEFBAX−/−/BAK−/−), we found that andrographolide-induced apoptosis (Figure top left) and change in mitochondrial membrane potential (Figure top right) was mediated through Bax/Bak. Conclusion: This is the first demonstration that andrographolide causes ROS-dependent apoptosis in lymphoma cell lines and in primary tumor samples, and the mechanism appears to proceed through intrinsic and extrinsic caspase pathways and is associated with Bax/Bak mitochondrial translocation. Further studies of diterpenoid lactones in lymphoma are warranted. Disclosures: Gordon: Cure Tech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 2381-2381
Author(s):  
Kanutte Huse ◽  
Marianne B. Eide ◽  
Christian Kersten ◽  
Erlend B. Smeland ◽  
June H. Myklebust

Abstract Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to the TGF-β superfamily, and mediate their effects mainly through the Smad signalling pathway. Whereas TGF-β is well established as one of the most potent negative regulators in hematopoietic cells, the role of BMPs remains more elusive. We have previously shown that BMP-6 inhibits the growth of naïve and memory human B cells. As high BMP-6 mRNA expression is associated with poor outcome in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL; Rosenwald et al, N Engl J Med 2002), we hypothesized that resistance towards BMP-induced growth inhibition is a possible mechanism for lymphomagenesis. In the current study, 7 B cell lymphoma cell lines (representing Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and DLBCL) and tumour material from lymphoma patients were investigated to unravel the role of BMPs in lymphomas. We analyzed the expression of BMP receptors by FACS analysis, and found variable expression of the BMP receptor type I (Alk2, Alk3 and Alk6) and type II (BMP RII, Activin RIIA and RIIB) among the cell lines and in primary lymphoma cells, suggesting variable binding of BMPs. We next investigated the effect of BMP-2, BMP-4, BMP-6 and BMP-7 on proliferation and survival of B lymphoma cell lines, and found 2 of 7 cell lines to be resistant towards BMP-2 and BMP-4 induced growth inhibition. In contrast, 4 of 7 and 7 of 7 cell lines were resistant to BMP-6 and BMP-7 induced growth inhibition, respectively. In Sudhl6 cells that were highly sensitive to BMP-2 and BMP-6 induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation, we demonstrated that the cytokines IL-10, CD40 Ligand and BLyS were able to counteract the negative effects induced by BMPs, while IL-2 and IL-4 were not. On the contrary, both BMP-2 and BMP-6 greatly increased anti-IgM activation induced apoptosis. In resistant lymphoma cells, the BMPs were not able to induce detectable levels or induced low levels of phosphorylated SMAD1/5/8 compared to sensitive cell lines. Low or no increase in phosphorylation of SMAD1/5/8 induced by BMPs could only partly be explained by low/ undetectable expression of BMP receptors. Hence, upregulation of inhibitory Smads (Smad6, Smad7) or mutations in receptors or Smads represent other possible mechanisms for resistance to BMPs in lymphomas, and this is currently under investigation. We also investigated if the lymphoma cells produced BMPs themselves and found that 5 of 7 cell lines and 3 of 5 primary lymphomas produced significant amounts of BMP-7. Some lymphoma cells also had detectable levels of BMP-4 and BMP-6. Our findings that lymphoma cells are resistant towards BMP-7 and to some degree BMP-6 induced growth inhibition, whereas they produce these cytokines, suggest that resistance towards BMP induced signalling in B cell lymphomas can contribute to increased tumour growth.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3939-3939
Author(s):  
Juan Gu ◽  
Patil Ritesh ◽  
Cory Mavis ◽  
George Deeb ◽  
John Gibbs ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3939 The use of proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib (BTZ) has generated much excitement as a potential therapeutic approach capable of effectively treating resistant/refractory lymphoid neoplasm. Clinical outcomes in multiple myeloma and relapsed mantle cell lymphoma demonstrate that these novel agents can overcome resistance demonstrated by a lack of antitumor activity to traditional salvage chemotherapeutic agents. Our group of investigators have demonstrated that proteasome inhibition using BTZ can increase pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member expression and restore chemotherapy sensitivity in rituximab-chemotherapy resistant cell lines (RRCL). To further develop therapeutic strategies targeting the proteasome system, we studied the anti-tumor activity and mechanisms-of-action of MLN2238, a novel irreversible proteasome inhibitor, in pre-clinical lymphoma models. Experiments were conducted in rituximab-chemotherapy sensitive cell lines (RSCL), RRCL, and in tumor cells derived from patients with de novo or relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma. Cells were exposed in vitro and/or ex vivo to escalating doses of MLN2238 or BTZ (0.1-10nM) +/− caspase inhibitors (zVAD-fmk or Q-VD-OPh) for 24, 48 and 72h. Differences in mitochondrial potential and cell proliferation were determined by alamar blue reduction using a kinetic assay; changes in ATP content (apoptosis) were determined using the Cell Titer Glow assay. Effects on cell cycle were analyzed by the FASCan DNA method. In addition, lymphoma cells were exposed to MLN2238 or BTZ +/− doxorubicin, gemcitabine or paclitaxel and cell viability was evaluated as described above. In vitro, MLN2238 exhibited more potent concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity and inhibition of cell proliferation in RSCL, RRCL, as well as primary lymphoma cells than BTZ. In vitro exposure of RSCL and RRCL to MLN2238 potentiated the cytotoxic effects of gemcitabine, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel and overcame the acquired resistance to chemotherapy drugs in RRCL in a dose-dependent manner. Co-incubation of RSCL with bortezomib, or MLN2232 and either pan-caspase inhibitor led to a significant decrease in BTZ- or MLN2232-induced cell death. In contrast, neither zVAD-fmk nor Q-VD-OPh was capable of blocking BTZ- or MLN2232-induced cell death of RRCL. Our data suggest that BTZ and MLN2238 are also capable of inducing caspase-independent cell death in RRCL. To this regard, we found differences that RRCL are more likely to be in S phase in resting conditions when compared to RSCL. In vitro exposure of RRCL cells to MLN2232 (and to a much lesser degree BTZ) reduced RRCL S-phase and induced arrest at G2/M phase. Collectively, these data suggest that MLN2238 is a potent proteasome inhibitor active in rituximab-chemotherapy sensitive or resistant cell models and potentiates the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapy agents. MLN2232 appears to posses several mechanisms-of-action (induction of apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest) and has the potential of becoming a novel and potent target-specific therapeutic agent in the future treatment of therapy-resistant B-cell lymphoma. (Research, in part, supported by a NIH grant R01 CA136907-01A1 awarded to Roswell Park Cancer Institute). Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 3729-3729
Author(s):  
Daniela Buglio ◽  
Manuela Lemoine ◽  
Jaymie Estrella ◽  
Sattva S. Neelapu ◽  
Richard Eric Davis ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3729 The serine/threonine kinase Akt plays a critical signaling role downstream of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and is important in promoting cell survival and inhibiting apoptosis. Indeed, Akt activation and overexpression is often associated with resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Previous studies demonstrated the potential therapeutic value of targeting the PI3K pathway in lymphoma, as both the selective PI3Kδ inhibitor CAL-101, and everolimus and temsirolimus, which target PI3K and mTOR, produce clinical responses in a variety of lymphomas. We evaluated the effect of the novel allosteric Akt inhibitor, MK-2206, in a panel of lymphoma cell lines and primary lymphoma cells. We found that Akt, and activated pAkt, are highly expressed in lymphoma cells. After 72 hours of incubation, the Akt inhibitor MK-2206 demonstrated antiproliferative activity in a variety of lymphoma cell lines, with an IC50 ranging between 0.1 and 5μM. There was no correlation between pre-treatment levels of pAKT, PI3K isoforms, or PTEN protein expression and sensitivity to MK-2206. Within the diffuse large B cell lymphoma cell lines, those of GCB cell of origin were more sensitive to MK-2206, compared with the ABC-derived cell lines. Resistant cell lines tended to had weak or absent expression of p-GSK3 and p-4EBPI. Mechanistically, MK-2206 treatment decreased the level of p-Akt (Ser473), and p-Akt (Thr308), irrespective of drug sensitivity. Furthermore, MK-2206 decreased the phosphorylation level of Akt downstream targets, including p-GSK3 beta and p-PRAS40, upregulated p27. and dephosphorylated p70S6K. Moreover, MK-2206 treatment decreased HIF-1 alpha and VEGF expression. Depending on the cell of origin, the antiproliferative effect resulted from cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, autophagy, orapoptosis. MK-2206 showed synergistic effect in combination with the HDAC inhibitor, Vorinostat. Using pathway-specific protein arrays focusing on apoptosis, kinases, and transcription factors, the combination of MK-2206 and Vorinostat effectively altered p53 and p27 levels, which were associated with increased PARP cleavage and induction of apoptosis. Our data demonstrate that AKT is a promising target for the treatment of lymphoma, and provide a rationale for an ongoing trial, evaluating MK-2206 for the treatment of patients with relapsed lymphoma. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1366-1366
Author(s):  
Katia Beider ◽  
Evgenia Rosenberg ◽  
Valeria Voevoda ◽  
Hanna Bitner ◽  
Yaarit Sirovsky ◽  
...  

Abstract Acquired or de novo resistance to the traditional and novel anti-multiple myeloma (MM) agents remains a major treatment obstacle, therefore novel therapies are in need. Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (WIP1) is an oncogenic serine/threonine phosphatase implicated in silencing of cellular responses to genotoxic stress. WIP1 overexpression was documented in various solid cancers in correlation with aggressive features and poor prognosis. Thus, we studied WIP1 in MM addressing its potential role in mediating resistance and aggressive phenotype. Increased expression of WIP1 was detected in MM cell lines (n=8) and primary samples (n=18) at both mRNA and protein level as compared with normal PBMCs (n=5). Furthermore, a positive correlation between WIP1 and CXCR4 levels (p<0.02, R2=0.5) was revealed. The latter is a well-known oncogenic receptor in MM. WIP1 expression levels were significantly up-regulated following bortezomib (Bort) treatment. Using MM cell lines with acquired resistance to Bort (RPMI8226BortRes and CAGBortRes), a higher induction of WIP1 upon Bort exposure could be demonstrated, suggesting a possible role for WIP1 in the acquisition of MM drug resistance to proteasome inhibitors. WIP1 was also upregulated in MM cells cultured on human BM stroma (BMSC) known to protect the tumor cells from Bort-induced apoptosis, further supporting its function in mediating resistance. GSK2830371 (GSK), a novel allosteric inhibitor of WIP1, significantly suppressed MM cells proliferation (p<0.01) and induced apoptosis, as demonstrated by phosphatidylserine externalization, mitochondrial depolarization (ψm), caspase 3 and PARP cleavage, and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, combined treatment with GSK and Bort synergistically potentiated cell death in both Bort-sensitive and resistant MM cells and overcame BMSC protection (CI<0.5). The robust apoptosis induced by Bort/GSK treatment was accompanied by increased mitochondrial ROS accumulation, subsequent mitochondrial destabilization and extensive DNA damage. GSK treatment resulted in a reduction of WIP1 basal expression and abrogated WIP1 induction upon Bort treatment. Thus, we defined that GSK can regulate WIP1 expression in MM cells. To determine the molecular mechanism of Bort/GSK synergism we performed gene and protein expression analysis. Combination of both agents significantly reduced expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as cIAP1, cIAP2, XIAP and Survivin. Previous studies indicate that maintaining IAPs expression is part of an adaptive unfolded protein response that promotes MM survival upon Bort-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Therefore, it is conceivable that targeting IAPs upon WIP1 inhibition may overcome protective responses, inducing unresolved ER stress and MM cell death. Indeed, we found that combination of Bort and GSK significantly enhanced ER stress, as indicated by increase in the pro-apoptotic factors ATF4, CHOP and GADD34. Concomitantly, mitosis-inducing factors Cyclin B1, CDK1 and PLK1 were prominently reduced upon Bort/GSK treatment. To assess the potential role of p53 activation in GSK-mediated effects, p53-stabilizing agents nutlin3a and PRIMA1 were applied in combination with WIP1 inhibition. We observed a significant (p<0.01) increase in the responsiveness of both p53WT and p53mut MM cells to GSK-mediated apoptosis. Consistently, combined GSK/Bort treatment upregulated p53 targets, including PUMA, NOXA, GADD45A and p21 genes. These data suggest that p53 may potentiate the WIP1 inhibition mediated stress induction. Finally, we assessed the signaling pathways that may be involved in WIP1 mediated cessation of stress response. GSK profoundly augmented Bort-induced phosphorylation of JNK and c-Jun, without affecting p38 phosphorylation. Accordingly, JNK inhibitor SP600125 successfully reverted both the apoptosis and the downregulation of IAPs induced by Bort/GSK treatment. Altogether, these results identify pro-apoptotic JNK/c-Jun signaling being preferential target of WIP1 in the process of dampening Bort-induced stress response. To conclude, we disclose the role of WIP1 in blunting stress response and promoting resistance to bortezomib. Collectively, WIP1 suppression prevents MM cell adaptation and recovery upon ER stress. These findings may provide the scientific basis for a novel combinatorial anti-myeloma therapy. Disclosures Peled: Cellect Biotherapeutics Ltd: Consultancy.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 234-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tait D. Shanafelt ◽  
Yean K. Lee ◽  
Susan M. Geyer ◽  
Deanna Grote ◽  
Mary Stenson ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND: We have demonstrated the green tea extract epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has anticancer activity in primary CLL B-cells (Lee, Blood 2004). After dissemination of our in vitro findings by the lay press, many patients with CLL and other low grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) began using over the counter green tea extracts as an alternative treatment strategy. We recently reported a case series of 3 patients with CLL and 1 patient with follicular lymphoma who appeared to derive objective clinical benefit from such treatment (Shanafelt, Leukemia Research 2006). Based on these findings EGCG has entered clinical testing for treatment of CLL at Mayo Clinic. Here we explore the in vitro antitumor activity of EGCG against other types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. METHODS: Five established human B-cell lymphoma cell lines (HT, DOHH2, KARPAS, Ramos, RL) and primary lymphoma cells from 7 patients with various B-cell NHL sub-types [DLBC, FL, SMZ (2), MCL, SLL(2)] were used to evaluate the in vitro sensitivity of human lymphoma cells to EGCG. Freshly isolated primary lymphoma cells harvested in suspension from lymph nodes/spleen were obtained from patients with NHL who provided written informed consent. All patients were untreated at the time of biopsy. Lymphoma cell lines and primary lymphoma cells (n=7) were cultured with increasing doses of purified EGCG (3.12–50 ug/ml) for 24–72 hrs. Viability was assessed by using annexin/PI staining by FACS analysis. RESULTS: EGCG-induced dose dependent cell death in both established human B-cell lymphoma cell lines (average LD50 at 24 hrs between 25–50 ug/mL) and primary NHL cells (average LD50 at 24 hrs between 25–50ug/mL). In contrast, EGCG had minimal effect on purified normal B-cells (n=3) at the highest doses tested (50 ug/mL). By immunoblotting, EGCG-induced death in primary cells and cell lines was associated with PARP cleavage, suggesting the agent induced apoptotic cell death. Despite this finding, EGCG had no effect on levels of MCL-1, XIAP, or Bcl-1 by either immunoblot or FACS analysis. Based on reports that EGCG induces cell death in some cancer cell types through generation of oxidative stress (Furukawa, 2003; Nakazato, 2005), we explored this mechanism in lymphoma cells. To determine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was necessary for EGCG-induced cell death, lymphoma cell lines were cultured with or without catalase (which catalyzes the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen) for 30 min prior to subsequent 24 hr EGCG exposure (50 and 100 mg/ml). Pre-treatment with catalase (100 U) provided dramatic protection against cell death in both primary NHL cells and NHL cell lines suggesting that EGCG-induced cell death in lymphoma cells is dependent on ROS generation (Fig. 1 shows an example for a patient with mantle cell lymphoma and a patient with splenic marginal zone lymphoma). CONCLUSION: EGCG has in vitro anti-tumor activity against a variety of B-cell NHLs. Given its known favorable toxicity profile in vivo, EGCG is an attractive agent for clinical testing in patients with indolent NHL who otherwise are currently being managed with observation. Figure Figure


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 4752-4752
Author(s):  
Maria K. Angelopoulou ◽  
Konstantinos Lilakos ◽  
Vassilios Salpeas ◽  
Sotirios Sachanas ◽  
Penelope Korkolopoulou ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction: Survivin is a member of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins and has recently gained attention as a possible therapeutic target in malignancies, due to its dual role both as an antiapoptotic protein and as a cell cycle regulator. It is overexpressed in malignant cells and confers resistance to chemotherapy and other stimuli triggering apoptosis. Z-Guggulsterone (Z-GGS) is a plant sterol, which has been used in inflammatory conditions and has been recognized as a potent NF-kB suppressor. Since Survivin, as well as other antiapoptotic proteins, are under NFkB regulation, we studied the effect of Z-GGS on two B-cell lymphoma cell lines. Methods: DB and HT cell lines were treated with increasing concentrations (10μM, 20μM and 30μM) of Z-GGS, for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Survivin expression was tested with Flow Cytometry and Survivin transcripts were measured with quantitative real time PCR using the Universal Probe Library hydrolysis probes and expressed as Survivin/abl ratio. Cell viability was assessed with the MTT assay. Results: Both cell lines were positive for Survivin at baseline by flow cytometry (66% of total cells for DB and 95% for HT). Treatment of DB cells with 10, 20 and 30μM Z-GGS resulted in a 44%, 49% and 68% reduction of Survivin expression at 24 hours, respectively, whereas the effect on HT was less prominent with a 10% reduction at 24 hours with 30μM Z-GGS. Survivin transcripts decreased as well, with the maximum effect observed at 72 hours with 30μM Z-GGS for both cell lines: Survivin/abl was 0.009 for untreated cells vs 0.0008 with 30μM Z-GGS for DB cells and 0.0135 vs 0.0005 for HT cells. Linearity was observed for increasing concentrations of Z-GGS at 72 hours. Cell viability was practically unaffected at any time point with 10 and 20μM Z-GGS for both cell lines, whereas 30 μM Z-GGS resulted in a 63% and 78% cell death at 48 and 72 hours respectively for DB cells and 67% and 83% for HT cells. Conclusions: The steroid Z-GGS downregulates Survivin expression in B-lymphoma cells in vitro and induces cell death at 30μM concentration. Further experiments will clarify its possible role in the treatment of B-cell malignancies.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 4926-4926
Author(s):  
Kelly J Walkovich ◽  
Xuwen Liu ◽  
Anne L McCollom ◽  
Colin S Duckett

Abstract Abstract 4926 CD30 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family that is normally found on the cell surface of a small subset of activated lymphocytes but is overexpressed on the surface of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and Hodgkins lymphoma (HL) cells. Although many drugs exist that treat lymphomas by triggering the intrinsic cell death pathway, current chemotherapeutic regimens are limited by unwanted side effects, including secondary malignancies that limit event-free survival. The tumor-restricted overexpression of CD30 makes it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Depending on the cellular context, CD30 stimulation has been linked to cell death, cell cycle arrest, or paradoxically, proliferation. In ALCL tumor cell lines, CD30 stimulation activates both the canonical and noncanonical NF-kB pathways while in HL tumor cell lines, CD30 stimulation only slightly enhances NF-kB activity above constitutive levels, implying a role for NF-kB in determining the sensitivity or resistance of lymphoma cells to CD30-induced apoptosis. In addition, IAP antagonists, small synthetic compounds that mimic the structure of the second mitochondrial activator of caspase (Smac) and target IAP molecules that affect the activation of the non-canonical NF-kB pathway, induce apoptosis and/or sensitize cells to death via secondary signals such as TNF. This suggests that the modulation of IAP levels, and consequently regulation of the non-canonical NF-kB pathways, may also have a role in determining tumor cell death. Using representative ALCL and HL tumor cell lines, we have found that CD30 stimulation via its physiologically ligand in combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents results in increased efficacy in tumor cell death in the majority of ALCL cell lines but not HL cell lines. Similarly, IAP antagonists in combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents also resulted in enhanced tumor cell death in most ALCL but not HL cell lines. This augmentation of tumor cell death suggests that CD30-induced apoptosis and IAP antagonist-induced killing may have important consequences in the clinical treatment of CD30 positive malignancies. Currently, we are further investigating the role of both CD30 stimulation via its physiological ligand and IAP antagonists in impacting the activation of the canonical and noncanonical NF-kB pathways alone and in combination with currently utilized chemotherapeutic agents to modulate the apoptotic threshold in CD30 positive lymphoma cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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