Dynamics of chronic myeloid leukemia response to dasatinib, nilotinib, and high-dose imatinib

Treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib is the standard of care for newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. In recent years, several second-generation inhibitors - such as dasatinib and nilotinib - have become available: these promise to overcome some of the mutations associated with acquired resistance to imatinib. Despite eliciting similar clinical responses, the molecular effects of these agents on different subpopulations of leukemic cells remain incompletely understood. Furthermore, the consequences of using high-dose imatinib therapy have not been investigated in detail. Here we utilized clinical data from patients treated with dasatinib, nilotinib, or high-dose imatinib, together with a statistical data analysis and mathematical modeling approach, to investigate the molecular treatment response of leukemic cells to these agents. We found that these drugs elicit very similar responses if administered front-line. However, patients display significantly different kinetics when treated second-line, both in terms of differences between front-line and second-line treatment for the same drug, and among agents when used as second-line. We then utilized a mathematical framework describing the behavior of four differentiation levels of leukemic cells during therapy to predict the treatment response kinetics for the different cohorts of patients. The dynamics of BCR-ABL1 clearance observed in our study suggest that the use of standard or high-dose imatinib or a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor such as nilotinib or dasatinib elicits similar responses when administered as front-line therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase.Adam Olshen, Min Tang, Jorge Cortes, Mithat Gonen, Timothy Hughes, Susan Branford, Alfonso Quintás-Cardama, and Franziska Micho

Identification of mRNA isoform switching in breast cancer

Abstract Background Alternative splicing provides a major mechanism to generate protein diversity. Increasing evidence suggests a link of dysregulation of splicing associated with cancer. While previous genomic-based studies demonstrated the expression of a handful of tumor-specific isoforms, genome-wide alterations in the balance between isoforms and cancer subtypes is understudied. Result We systematically analyzed the isoform-level expression patterns and isoform switching events of 819 breast tumor and normal samples assayed by mRNA-seq from TCGA project. On average, 2.2 isoforms per gene were detected and 67.5 % of detected genes (i.e. expressed) showed 1–2 isoforms only. While the majority of isoforms for a given gene were positively correlated with each other and the overall gene level, 470 pairs of isoforms displayed an inverse correlation suggesting a switching event. Most of the isoform switching events were associated with molecular subtypes, including a Basal-like-associated switching in CTNND1. 88 genes showed switching independent of subtypes, among which the isoform pattern of PRICKLE1 was associated with a large genomic signature of biological significance. Conclusion Our results reveal that the majority of genes do not undergo complex mRNA splicing within breast cancers, and that there is a general concordance in isoform and gene expression levels in breast tumors. We identified hundreds of isoform switching events across breast tumors, most of which were associated with differences in tumor subtypes. As exemplified by the detailed analysis of CTNND1 and PRICKLE1, these isoform switching events potentially provide new insights into the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of tumor subtypes and cancer biology

A randomized study of pomalidomide vs placebo in persons with myeloproliferative neoplasm-associated myelofibrosis and RBC-transfusion dependence

RBC-transfusion dependence is common in persons with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN)-associated myelofibrosis. The objective of this study was to determine the rates of RBC-transfusion independence after therapy with pomalidomide vs placebo in persons with MPN-associated myelofibrosis and RBC-transfusion dependence. Two hundred and fifty-two subjects (intent-to-treat (ITT) population) including 229 subjects confirmed by central review (modified ITT population) were randomly assigned (2:1) to pomalidomide or placebo. Trialists and subjects were blinded to treatment allocation. Primary end point was proportion of subjects achieving RBC-transfusion independence within 6 months. One hundred and fifty-two subjects received pomalidomide and 77 placebo. Response rates were 16% (95% confidence interval (CI), 11, 23%) vs 16% (8, 26% P=0.87). Response in the pomalidomide cohort was associated with ⩽4 U RBC/28 days (odds ratio (OR)=3.1; 0.9, 11.1), age ⩽65 (OR=2.3; 0.9, 5.5) and type of MPN-associated myelofibrosis (OR=2.6; 0.7, 9.5). Responses in the placebo cohort were associated with ⩽4 U RBC/28 days (OR=8.6; 0.9, 82.3), white blood cell at randomization >25 × 10(9)/l (OR=4.9; 0.8, 28.9) and interval from diagnosis to randomization >2 years (OR=4.9; 1.1, 21.9). Pomalidomide was associated with increased rates of oedema and neutropenia but these adverse effects were manageable. Pomalidomide and placebo had similar RBC-transfusion-independence response rates in persons with MPN-associated RBC-transfusion dependence

Multi tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib as novel cause of severe pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening disease with poor prognosis. Encouraging efforts have been made to target the main vasoproliferative aspects of the disease. Promising emerging therapeutics are tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Here, we discuss the relevance of previously published cases and add another well-characterised patient who developed pre-capillary PH under long-term therapy with the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib approved for therapy of chronic myeloic leukaemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphocytic leukaemia (mean time of all patients on dasatinib: 26 months). Hence, we discuss the possibility of dasatinib itself causing PH after long-term therapy and turn specialist's attention to this possible severe side effect.</p> <p>At present, the true incidence of dasatinib-associated PH remains illusive and systematic data regarding haemodynamics are missing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We therefore recommend systematic screening of dasatinib-treated patients for pulmonary hypertension and subsequent collection of haemodynamic data.</p

Efficacy of NS-018, a potent and selective JAK2/Src inhibitor, in primary cells and mouse models of myeloproliferative neoplasms

Aberrant activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) caused by somatic mutation of JAK2 (JAK2V617F) or the thrombopoietin receptor (MPLW515L) plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), suggesting that inhibition of aberrant JAK2 activation would have a therapeutic benefit. Our novel JAK2 inhibitor, NS-018, was highly active against JAK2 with a 50% inhibition (IC50) of <1 n, and had 30–50-fold greater selectivity for JAK2 over other JAK-family kinases, such as JAK1, JAK3 and tyrosine kinase 2. In addition to JAK2, NS-018 inhibited Src-family kinases. NS-018 showed potent antiproliferative activity against cell lines expressing a constitutively activated JAK2 (the JAK2V617F or MPLW515L mutations or the TEL–JAK2 fusion gene; IC50=11–120 n), but showed only minimal cytotoxicity against most other hematopoietic cell lines without a constitutively activated JAK2. Furthermore, NS-018 preferentially suppressed in vitro erythropoietin-independent endogenous colony formation from polycythemia vera patients. NS-018 also markedly reduced splenomegaly and prolonged the survival of mice inoculated with Ba/F3 cells harboring JAK2V617F. In addition, NS-018 significantly reduced leukocytosis, hepatosplenomegaly and extramedullary hematopoiesis, improved nutritional status, and prolonged survival in JAK2V617F transgenic mice. These results suggest that NS-018 will be a promising candidate for the treatment of MPNs

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy-induced changes in humoral immunity in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Purpose Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have well-characterized immunomodulatory effects on T and NK cells, but the effects on the humoral immunity are less well known. In this project, we studied TKI-induced changes in B cell-mediated immunity. Methods We collected peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients before and during first-line imatinib (n = 20), dasatinib (n = 16), nilotinib (n = 8), and bosutinib (n = 12) treatment. Plasma immunoglobulin levels were measured, and different B cell populations in PB and BM were analyzed with flow cytometry. Results Imatinib treatment decreased plasma IgA and IgG levels, while dasatinib reduced IgM levels. At diagnosis, the proportion of patients with IgA, IgG, and IgM levels below the lower limit of normal (LLN) was 0, 11, and 6% of all CML patients, respectively, whereas at 12 months timepoint the proportions were 6% (p = 0.13), 31% (p = 0.042) and 28% (p = 0.0078). Lower initial Ig levels predisposed to the development of hypogammaglobulinemia during TKI therapy. Decreased Ig levels in imatinibtreated patients were associated with higher percentages of immature BM B cells. The patients, who had low Ig levels during the TKI therapy, had significantly more frequent minor infections during the follow-up compared with the patients with normal Ig values (33% vs. 3%, p = 0.0016). No severe infections were reported, except recurrent upper respiratory tract infections in one imatinib-treated patient, who developed severe hypogammaglobulinemia. Conclusions TKI treatment decreases plasma Ig levels, which should be measured in patients with recurrent infections.Peer reviewe