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 |
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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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