scholarly journals Endogenous and combination retinoids are active in myelomonocytic leukemias

Haematologica ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Orsola Di Martino ◽  
Haixia Niu ◽  
Gayla Hadwiger ◽  
Heikki Kuusanmaki ◽  
Margaret A. Ferris ◽  
...  

Retinoid therapy transformed response and survival outcomes in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but has demonstrated only modest activity in non-APL forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The presence of natural retinoids in vivo could influence the efficacy of pharmacologic agonists and antagonists. We found that natural RXRA ligands, but not RARA ligands, were present in murine MLL-AF9-derived myelomonocytic leukemias in vivo and that the concurrent presence of receptors and ligands acted as tumor suppressors. Pharmacologic retinoid responses could be optimized by concurrent targeting RXR ligands (e.g. bexarotene) and RARA ligands (e.g. all-trans retinoic acid, ATRA), which induced either leukemic maturation or apoptosis depending on cell culture conditions. Co-repressor release from the RARA:RXRA heterodimer occurred with RARA activation, but not RXRA activation, providing an explanation for the combination synergy. Combination synergy could be replicated in additional, but not all, AML cell lines and primary samples, and was associated with improved survival in vivo, although tolerability of bexarotene administration in mice remained an issue. These data provide insight into the basal presence of natural retinoids in leukemias in vivo and a potential strategy for clinical retinoid combination regimens in leukemias beyond acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 2862-2864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Cassinat ◽  
Sylvie Chevret ◽  
Fabien Zassadowski ◽  
Nicole Balitrand ◽  
Isabelle Guillemot ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) blasts possess a unique sensitivity to the differentiating effects of all-transretinoic acid (ATRA). Multicenter trials confirm that the combination of differentiation and cytotoxic therapy prolongs survival in APL patients. However relapses still occur, and exquisite adaptation of therapy to prognostic factors is essential to aim at a possible cure of the disease. A heterogeneity was previously reported in the differentiation rate of patients' APL blasts, and it was postulated that this may reflect the in vivo heterogeneous outcome. In this study, it is demonstrated that patients of the APL93 trial whose leukemic cells achieved optimal differentiation with ATRA in vitro at diagnosis had a significantly improved event-free survival (P = .01) and lower relapse rate (P = .04). This analysis highlights the importance of the differentiation step in APL therapy and justifies ongoing studies aimed at identifying novel RA-differentiation enhancers.


Oncotarget ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (29) ◽  
pp. 46028-46041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Atashrazm ◽  
Ray M. Lowenthal ◽  
Joanne L. Dickinson ◽  
Adele F. Holloway ◽  
Gregory M. Woods

Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1916-1919 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Elliott ◽  
K Taylor ◽  
S White ◽  
R Rodwell ◽  
P Marlton ◽  
...  

Abstract Using X-linked clonal analysis, mechanism of action of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) was sought in a 16-year-old female with relapsed clonally evolved acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), who achieved complete remission. On ATRA, metamorphosis of peripheral blood leukemic promyelocytes to mature neutrophils was observed, despite the persistence of t(15;17) in 100% of bone marrow metaphases. DNA was extracted from fractionated serial blood specimens, collected at diagnosis, in first complete remission (CR), relapse, and during ATRA treatment. Using a phosphoglycerokinase (PGK) probe, the patient was heterozygous for both Bgl I and Bst XI PGK polymorphisms. Methylation analysis showed monoclonal leukemic promyelocytes with a polyclonal first CR achieved by standard chemotherapy. Subsequent examination, in relapse, of granulocytes appearing during ATRA treatment showed these to be monoclonal, proving these were derived from the neoplastic clone. The X-linked clonal analysis methodology has provided in vivo evidence of cellular differentiation as the mechanism of action of ATRA. Parallel studies of cytogenetic and clonal analysis showed a regression of the t(15;17) cytogenetic abnormality and return of a polyclonal PGK methylation pattern in 5 weeks, indicating a repopulation of marrow by normal stem cells. As standard cytogenetic techniques are inappropriate for nondividing cells, X-linked clonal analysis provides a marker system to allow insight into mechanism of drug action in malignant hematologic disease.


Blood ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 76 (9) ◽  
pp. 1704-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Castaigne ◽  
C Chomienne ◽  
MT Daniel ◽  
P Ballerini ◽  
R Berger ◽  
...  

Abstract Twenty-two patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were treated with all-trans retinoic acid (RA, 45 mg/m2 per day) for 90 days. Of the 22, four patients were previously untreated, two were resistant after conventional chemotherapy, and 16 were in first (n = 11), second (n = 4), or third (n = 1) relapse. We observed 14 complete response, four transient responses, one failure, and three early deaths. Length of hospitalization and number of transfusions were notably reduced in complete responders. Correction of coagulation disorders and an increase of WBCs were the first signs of all-trans RA efficacy. Morphologic analysis performed at days 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 showed that complete remissions were obtained without bone marrow (BM) hypoplasia. Presence of Auer rods in the maturing cells confirmed the differentiation effect of the treatment. At remission, the t(15;17) initially present in 20 patients was not found. The in vitro studies showed a differentiation in the presence of all-trans RA in 16 of the 18 tested cases. The single nonresponder to all trans RA in vitro did not respond in vivo. Adverse effects of RA therapy--skin and mucosa dryness, hypertriglyceridemia, and increase of hepatic transaminases-- were frequently noted. We also observed bone pain in 11 patients and hyperleukocytosis in four patients. Whether maintenance treatment consisted of low-dose chemotherapy or all-trans RA, early relapses were observed. Five patients are still in complete remission (CR) at 4 to 13 months. Our study confirms the major efficacy of all-trans RA in M3, even in relapsing patients. Remissions are obtained by a differentiation process.


Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongkui Jing ◽  
Long Wang ◽  
Lijuan Xia ◽  
Guo-qiang Chen ◽  
Zhu Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract All-trans retinoic acid (tRA) and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) induce non–cross-resistant complete clinical remission in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia with t(15;17) translocation and target PML-RARα, the leukemogenic protein, by different pathways suggesting a possible therapeutic synergism. To evaluate this possibility, this study examined the effect of As2O3 on tRA-induced differentiation and, conversely, the effect of tRA on As2O3-induced apoptosis. As2O3 at subapoptotic concentrations (0.5 μM) decreased tRA-induced differentiation in NB4 cells but synergized with atRA to induce differentiation in tRA-resistant NB4 subclones MR-2 and R4 cells as measured by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and tRA-inducible genes (TTGII, RARβ, RIG-E). tRA cleaved PML-RARα into distinct fragments in NB4 but not in tRA-resistant MR-2 or R4 cells, whereas As2O3 completely degraded PML-RARα in all 3 cell lines. As2O3-induced apoptosis was decreased by tRA pretreatment of NB4 cells but not of R4 cells and was associated with a strong induction of Bfl-1/A1 expression, a Bcl-2 protein family member. Severe combined immunodeficient mice bearing NB4 cells showed an additive survival effect after sequential treatment, but a toxic effect was observed after simultaneous treatment with tRA and As2O3. These data suggest that combined As2O3 and tRA treatment may be more effective than single agents in tRA-resistant patients. Although in vitro data do not always translate to in vivo response, toxicity and potential drug antagonism may be diminished by decreasing the concentration of As2O3 when given at the same time with therapeutic levels of tRA.


Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 1065-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Petti ◽  
Francesco Fazi ◽  
Massimo Gentile ◽  
Daniela Diverio ◽  
Paolo De Fabritiis ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute leukemia with the t(11;17) expressing the PLZF-RARαgene fusion is a rare variant of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) that has been associated with poor clinical response to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) treatment. However, some recent reports have put into question the absolute refractoriness of this leukemia to ATRA. We describe here a patient withPLZF/RARα APL who was treated at relapse with ATRA and low-dose hydroxyurea. Complete hematologic remission was obtained through differentiation of leukemic blasts, as proven by morphologic, immunophenophenotypic, and genetic studies carried out in sequential bone marrow samples. Moreover, in vitro studies indicated that blast differentiation was potentiated by the addition of the histone deacetylase inhibitor tricostatin A, but not of hydroxyurea, to ATRA. Our findings indicate that the maturation block may be overcome and terminal differentiation obtained in this leukemia subset and support the view that sensitivity/refractoriness of this form to ATRA should be revisited.


1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2517-2523 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Agadir ◽  
M Cornic ◽  
P Lefebvre ◽  
B Gourmel ◽  
M Jérôme ◽  
...  

PURPOSE This study investigated the in vitro pharmacologic behavior and disposition kinetics of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in acute myeloid leukemic (AML) cells, their sensitivity to its differentiating effect, and the in vivo response of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients after therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fresh leukemic cells from 14 AML patients (nine APL and five non-APL), were incubated in suspension culture in the absence or presence of 10(-6) mol/L ATRA. Intracellular ATRA concentration and ATRA metabolism was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS Immediate uptake is observed with maximal intracellular levels (Cmax) achieved after 24 hours of incubation. At this time, ATRA levels were variable, ranging from 20 to 230 pmol/10(6) cells (median, 100 pmol/10(6) cells). Comparison of ATRA intracellular levels with the in vitro response of patients' cell samples as measured by the percentage of nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT)-positive cells after a 3-day incubation period allowed us to discriminate a group of APL patients (n = 6) with high Cmax (group A; median, 200 pmol/10(6) cells) and maximal differentiation at day 3 (median, 80%), and a group of patients (n = 8, three APL and five non-APL) with low Cmax (group B; median, 35 pmol/10(6) cells) and poor in vitro response (median, 40%; APL cases only). Interestingly, all APL patients, except one included in group A (rapid in vitro ATRA uptakers), achieved a complete remission. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that intracellular ATRA concentrations are determinant for ATRA response and should be taken into account when monitoring the efficacy of ATRA differentiation therapeutic trials in malignant disorders.


Blood ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 1080-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Lanotte ◽  
V Martin-Thouvenin ◽  
S Najman ◽  
P Balerini ◽  
F Valensi ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a well-defined entity among acute leukemia, cytogenetically characterized by a t(15;17) (q22;q11–12) translocation. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that all-trans retinoic acid (RA) treatment restores cell maturation. We have isolated the first permanent cell line with t(15;17), derived from the marrow of a patient with APL in relapse. The establishment of the cell line, its morphologic, karyotypic, and immunohistochemical features are reported. RA induced cell line maturation. Cells strongly expressed myeloid markers, but also some T-cell markers. Additional karyotypic abnormalities, a 12p rearrangement and the possible presence of a homogeneous staining region (HSR) on 19q+ are discussed both in relation to T-cell (CD2, CD4) and monocyte (CD9) markers, and to the acquired cell growth autonomy. The cell line represents a remarkable tool for biomolecular studies.


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