Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mTORC1/2 signaling determines sensitivity of Burkitt's lymphoma cells to BH3 mimetics

Spender, L. C. and Inman, G. J. (2012) Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mTORC1/2 signaling determines sensitivity of Burkitt's lymphoma cells to BH3 mimetics. Molecular Cancer Research, 10(3), pp. 347-359. (doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-11-0394) (PMID:22241218) (PMCID:PMC3378513)

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Abstract

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), driven by translocation and overexpression of the c-MYC gene, is an aggressive, highly proliferative lymphoma, and novel therapeutic strategies are required to overcome drug resistance following conventional treatments. The importance of the prosurvival BCL-2 family member BCL-XL in BL cell survival suggests that antagonistic BH3-mimetic compounds may have therapeutic potential. Here, we show that treatment of BL cell lines with ABT-737 induces caspase-3/7 activation and apoptosis with varying potency. Using selective inhibitors, we identify phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) as a proproliferative/survival pathway in BL cells and investigate the potential of combined pharmacologic inhibition of both the BCL-2 family and PI3K signaling pathway. PI3K/AKT inhibition and ABT-737 treatment induced synergistic caspase activation, augmented BL cell apoptosis, and rendered chemoresistant cells sensitive. Targeting mTORC1/2 with PP242 was also effective, either as a monotherapy or, more generally, in combination with ABT-737. The combined use of a dual specificity PI3K/mTOR inhibitor (PI 103) with ABT-737 proved highly efficacious. PI 103 treatment of BL cells was associated with an increase in BIM/MCL-1 expression ratios and loss of c-MYC expression. Furthermore, blocking c-MYC function using the inhibitor 10058-F4 also induced apoptosis synergistically with ABT-737, suggesting that maintenance of expression of BCL-2 family members and/or c-MYC by the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway could contribute to BL cell survival and resistance to ABT-737. The combined use of BH3 mimetics and selective mTORC1/2 inhibitors may therefore be a useful novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of B-cell malignancy, including chemoresistant lymphomas.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This study was supported by Cancer Research United Kingdom, Dundee University, and the Association for International Cancer Research.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Spender, Dr Lindsay and Inman, Professor Gareth
Authors: Spender, L. C., and Inman, G. J.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
Journal Name:Molecular Cancer Research
Publisher:American Association for Cancer Research
ISSN:1541-7786
ISSN (Online):1557-3125
Published Online:12 January 2012

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