Selinexor overcomes hypoxia-induced drug resistance in multiple myeloma

Increased levels of the nuclear export protein, exportin 1 (XPO1), were demonstrated in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Targeting XPO1 with selinexor (the selective inhibitor of nuclear export; SINE compound KPT-330) demonstrates broad antitumor activity also in patient cells resistant to bortezomib; hence, it is a promising target in MM patients. Hypoxia is known to mediate tumor progression and drug resistance (including bortezomib resistance) in MM cells. In this study, we tested the effects of selinexor alone or in combination with bortezomib in normoxia and hypoxia on MM cell survival and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, selinexor alone decreased survival and increased apoptosis, resensitizing MM cells to bortezomib. In vivo, we examined the effects of selinexor alone on tumor initiation and tumor progression, as well as selinexor in combination with bortezomib, on tumor growth in a bortezomib-resistant MM xenograft mouse model. Selinexor, used as a single agent, delayed tumor initiation and tumor progression, prolonging mice survival. In bortezomib-resistant xenografts, selinexor overcame drug resistance, significantly decreasing tumor burden and extending mice survival when combined with bortezomib

The role of hypoxia in cancer progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy

Hypoxia is a non-physiological level of oxygen tension, a phenomenon common in a majority of malignant tumors. Tumor-hypoxia leads to advanced but dysfunctional vascularization and acquisition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype resulting in cell mobility and metastasis. Hypoxia alters cancer cell metabolism and contributes to therapy resistance by inducing cell quiescence. Hypoxia stimulates a complex cell signaling network in cancer cells, including the HIF, PI3K, MAPK, and NFĸB pathways, which interact with each other causing positive and negative feedback loops and enhancing or diminishing hypoxic effects. This review provides background knowledge on the role of tumor hypoxia and the role of the HIF cell signaling involved in tumor blood vessel formation, metastasis, and development of the resistance to therapy. Better understanding of the role of hypoxia in cancer progression will open new windows for the discovery of new therapeutics targeting hypoxic tumor cells and hypoxic microenvironment

Molecularly targeted therapies in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy that remains incurable because most patients will eventually relapse or become refractory to the treatments. Although the treatments have improved, the major problem in MM is the resistance to therapy. Novel agents are currently in development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MM, including immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, cell signaling targeted therapies, and strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment. We have previously reviewed in detail the contemporary immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies therapies for MM. Therefore, in this review, we focused on the role of molecular targeted therapies in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, including cell signaling targeted therapies (HDAC, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, p38 MAPK, Hsp90, Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, and cell cycle) and strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment (hypoxia, angiogenesis, integrins, CD44, CXCR4, and selectins). Although these novel agents have improved the therapeutic outcomes for MM patients, further development of new therapeutic agents is warranted

Novel Tumor Suppressor Function of Glucocorticoid-Induced TNF Receptor GITR in Multiple Myeloma

Glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR) plays a crucial role in modulating immune response and inflammation, however the role of GITR in human cancers is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that GITR is inactivated during tumor progression in Multiple Myeloma (MM) through promoter CpG island methylation, mediating gene silencing in primary MM plasma cells and MM cell lines. Restoration of GITR expression in GITR deficient MM cells led to inhibition of MM proliferation in vitro and in vivo and induction of apoptosis. These findings were supported by the presence of induction of p21 and PUMA, two direct downstream targets of p53, together with modulation of NF-κB in GITR-overexpressing MM cells. Moreover, the unbalanced expression of GITR in clonal plasma cells correlated with MM disease progression, poor prognosis and survival. These findings provide novel insights into the pivotal role of GITR in MM pathogenesis and disease progression

IL-10R inhibition reprograms tumor-associated macrophages and reverses drug resistance in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the cancer of plasma cells within the bone marrow and remains incurable. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) within the tumor microenvironment often display a pro-tumor phenotype and correlate with tumor proliferation, survival, and therapy resistance. IL-10 is a key immunosuppressive cytokine that leads to recruitment and development of TAMs. In this study, we investigated the role of IL-10 in MM TAM development as well as the therapeutic application of IL-10/IL-10R/STAT3 signaling inhibition. We demonstrated that IL-10 is overexpressed in MM BM and mediates M2-like polarization of TAMs in patient BM, 3D co-cultures in vitro, and mouse models. In turn, TAMs promote MM proliferation and drug resistance, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, inhibition of IL-10/IL-10R/STAT3 axis using a blocking IL-10R monoclonal antibody and STAT3 protein degrader/PROTAC prevented M2 polarization of TAMs and the consequent TAM-induced proliferation of MM, and re-sensitized MM to therapy, in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, our findings suggest that inhibition of IL-10/IL-10R/STAT3 axis is a novel therapeutic strategy with monotherapy efficacy and can be further combined with current anti-MM therapy, such as immunomodulatory drugs, to overcome drug resistance. Future investigation is warranted to evaluate the potential of such therapy in MM patients

Inhibition of P-Selectin and PSGL-1 Using Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies Increases the Sensitivity of Multiple Myeloma Cells to Bortezomib

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy localized in the bone marrow. Despite the introduction of novel therapies majority of MM patients relapse. We have previously shown that inhibition of P-selectin and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) play a key role in proliferation of MM and using small-molecule inhibitors of P-selectin/PSGL-1 sensitized MM cells to therapy. However, these small-molecule inhibitors had low specificity to P-selectin and showed poor pharmacokinetics. Therefore, we tested blocking of P-selectin and PSGL-1 using functional monoclonal antibodies in order to sensitize MM cells to therapy. We have demonstrated that inhibiting the interaction between MM cells and endothelial and stromal cells decreased proliferation in MM cells and in parallel induced loose-adhesion to the primary tumor site to facilitate egress. At the same time, blocking this interaction in vivo led to MM cells retention in the circulation and delayed homing to the bone marrow, thus exposing MM cells to bortezomib which contributed to reduced tumor growth and better mice survival. This study provides a better understanding of the biology of P-selectin and PSGL-1 and their roles in dissemination and resensitization of MM to treatment