SYK inhibition targets acute myeloid leukemia stem cells by blocking their oxidative metabolism

Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is an important oncogene and signaling mediator activated by cell surface receptors crucial for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) maintenance and progression. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of SYK in AML cells leads to increased differentiation, reduced proliferation, and cellular apoptosis. Herein, we addressed the consequences of SYK inhibition to leukemia stem-cell (LSC) function and assessed SYK-associated pathways in AML cell biology. Using gain-of-function MEK kinase mutant and constitutively active STAT5A, we demonstrate that R406, the active metabolite of a small-molecule SYK inhibitor fostamatinib, induces differentiation and blocks clonogenic potential of AML cells through the MEK/ERK1/2 pathway and STAT5A transcription factor, respectively. Pharmacological inhibition of SYK with R406 reduced LSC compartment defined as CD34+CD38-CD123+ and CD34+CD38-CD25+ in vitro, and decreased viability of LSCs identified by a low abundance of reactive oxygen species. Primary leukemic blasts treated ex vivo with R406 exhibited lower engraftment potential when xenotransplanted to immunodeficient NSG/J mice. Mechanistically, these effects are mediated by disturbed mitochondrial biogenesis and suppression of oxidative metabolism (OXPHOS) in LSCs. These mechanisms appear to be partially dependent on inhibition of STAT5 and its target gene MYC, a well-defined inducer of mitochondrial biogenesis. In addition, inhibition of SYK increases the sensitivity of LSCs to cytarabine (AraC), a standard of AML induction therapy. Taken together, our findings indicate that SYK fosters OXPHOS and participates in metabolic reprogramming of AML LSCs in a mechanism that at least partially involves STAT5, and that SYK inhibition targets LSCs in AML. Since active SYK is expressed in a majority of AML patients and confers inferior prognosis, the combination of SYK inhibitors with standard chemotherapeutics such as AraC constitutes a new therapeutic modality that should be evaluated in future clinical trials

Statins Impair Antitumor Effects of Rituximab by Inducing Conformational Changes of CD20

Jakub Golab and colleagues found that statins significantly decrease rituximab-mediated complement-dependent cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against B cell lymphoma cells

ARMS-PCR for detection of BRAF V600E hotspot mutation in comparison with Real-Time PCR-based techniques

BRAF mutation testing is one of the best examples how modern genetic testing may help to effectively use targeted therapies in cancer patients. Since many different genetic techniques are employed to assess BRAF mutation status with no available comparison of their sensitivity and usefulness for different types of samples, we decided to evaluate our own PCR-based assay employing the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR) to detect the most common hotspot mutation c. T1799A (p. V600E) by comparing it with two qPCR based assays: a commercially available test with hybridizing probes (TIB MOLBIOL) and high resolution melting (HRM). Positive results were verified with Sanger sequencing. DNA from two cancer cell lines with known mutation status and from tissue samples from melanoma and gastric cancer was used. ARMS-PCR was the most sensitive method with the level of detection of the mutant allele at 2%. Similar sensitivity was observed for the qPCR-based commercial test employing hybridizing probes; however, this test cannot exclude negative results from poor or low quality samples. Another qPCR-based method, HRM, had lower sensitivity with the detection level of approximately 20%. An additional drawback of HRM methodology was the inability to distinguish between wild type and mutant homozygotes in a straightforward assay, probably due to the character of this particular mutation (T\>A). Sanger sequencing had the sensitivity of the detection of mutant allele similar to HRM, approx. 20%. In conclusion, simple ARMS-PCR may be considered the method of choice for rapid, cost-effective screening for BRAF p. V600E mutation

Correction to Bright, Color-Tunable Fluorescent Dyes Based on π‑Expanded Diketopyrrolopyrroles

Correction to Bright, Color-Tunable Fluorescent Dyes Based on π‑Expanded Diketopyrrolopyrrole

Statins Impair Glucose Uptake in Tumor Cells1

Statins, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, are used in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases owing to their lipid-lowering effects. Previous studies revealed that, by modulating membrane cholesterol content, statins could induce conformational changes in cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20) tetraspanin. The aim of the presented study was to investigate the influence of statins on glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1)-mediated glucose uptake in tumor cells. We observed a significant concentration- and time-dependent decrease in glucose analogs' uptake in several tumor cell lines incubated with statins. This effect was reversible with restitution of cholesterol synthesis pathway with mevalonic acid as well as with supplementation of plasma membrane with exogenous cholesterol. Statins did not change overall GLUT1 expression at either transcriptional or protein levels. An exploratory clinical trial revealed that statin treatment decreased glucose uptake in peripheral blood leukocytes and lowered 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake by tumor masses in a mantle cell lymphoma patient. A bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the structure of human GLUT1 and to identify putative cholesterol-binding motifs in its juxtamembrane fragment. Altogether, the influence of statins on glucose uptake seems to be of clinical significance. By inhibiting 18F-FDG uptake, statins can negatively affect the sensitivity of positron emission tomography, a diagnostic procedure frequently used in oncology

Targeting the thioredoxin system as a novel strategy against B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is a genetically heterogeneous blood cancer characterized by abnormal expansion of immature B cells. Although intensive chemotherapy provides high cure rates in a majority of patients, subtypes harboring certain genetic lesions, such as MLL rearrangements or BCR-ABL1 fusion, remain clinically challenging, necessitating a search for other therapeutic approaches. Herein, we aimed to validate antioxidant enzymes of the thioredoxin system as potential therapeutic targets in BCP-ALL. We observed oxidative stress along with aberrant expression of the enzymes associated with the activity of thioredoxin antioxidant system in BCP-ALL cells. Moreover, we found that auranofin and adenanthin, inhibitors of the thioredoxin system antioxidant enzymes, effectively kill BCP-ALL cell lines and pediatric and adult BCP-ALL primary cells, including primary cells co-cultured with bone marrow-derived stem cells. Furthermore, auranofin delayed the progression of leukemia in MLL-rearranged patient-derived xenograft model and prolonged the survival of leukemic NSG mice. Our results unveil the thioredoxin system as a novel target for BCP-ALL therapy, and indicate that further studies assessing the anticancer efficacy of combinations of thioredoxin system inhibitors with conventional anti BCP-ALL drugs should be continued