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Bortezomib prevents cytarabine resistance in MCL, which is characterized by down-regulation of dCK and up-regulation of SPIB resulting in high NF-κB activity

Freiburghaus, Catja LU ; Emruli, Venera Kuci LU ; Johansson, Angelica ; Eskelund, Christian Winther ; Grønbæk, Kirsten ; Olsson, Roger LU orcid ; Ek, Fredrik LU ; Jerkeman, Mats LU and Ek, Sara LU (2018) In BMC Cancer 18(1).
Abstract

BACKGROUND: The addition of high-dose cytarabine to the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has significantly prolonged survival of patients, but relapses are common and are normally associated with increased resistance. To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for cytarabine resistance, and to create a tool for drug discovery investigations, we established a unique and molecularly reproducible cytarabine resistant model from the Z138 MCL cell line.

METHODS: Effects of different substances on cytarabine-sensitive and resistant cells were evaluated by assessment of cell proliferation using [methyl-14C]-thymidine incorporation and molecular changes were investigated by protein and gene expression analyses.

RESULTS: Gene... (More)

BACKGROUND: The addition of high-dose cytarabine to the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has significantly prolonged survival of patients, but relapses are common and are normally associated with increased resistance. To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for cytarabine resistance, and to create a tool for drug discovery investigations, we established a unique and molecularly reproducible cytarabine resistant model from the Z138 MCL cell line.

METHODS: Effects of different substances on cytarabine-sensitive and resistant cells were evaluated by assessment of cell proliferation using [methyl-14C]-thymidine incorporation and molecular changes were investigated by protein and gene expression analyses.

RESULTS: Gene expression profiling revealed that major transcriptional changes occur during the initial phase of adaptation to cellular growth in cytarabine containing media, and only few key genes, including SPIB, are deregulated upon the later development of resistance. Resistance was shown to be mediated by down-regulation of the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) protein, responsible for activation of nucleoside analogue prodrugs. This key event, emphasized by cross-resistance to other nucleoside analogues, did not only effect resistance but also levels of SPIB and NF-κB, as assessed through forced overexpression in resistant cells. Thus, for the first time we show that regulation of drug resistance through prevention of conversion of pro-drug into active drug are closely linked to increased proliferation and resistance to apoptosis in MCL. Using drug libraries, we identify several substances with growth reducing effect on cytarabine resistant cells. We further hypothesized that co-treatment with bortezomib could prevent resistance development. This was confirmed and show that the dCK levels are retained upon co-treatment, indicating a clinical use for bortezomib treatment in combination with cytarabine to avoid development of resistance. The possibility to predict cytarabine resistance in diagnostic samples was assessed, but analysis show that a majority of patients have moderate to high expression of dCK at diagnosis, corresponding well to the initial clinical response to cytarabine treatment.

CONCLUSION: We show that cytarabine resistance potentially can be avoided or at least delayed through co-treatment with bortezomib, and that down-regulation of dCK and up-regulation of SPIB and NF-κB are the main molecular events driving cytarabine resistance development.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
BMC Cancer
volume
18
issue
1
article number
466
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85059798568
  • pmid:29695239
ISSN
1471-2407
DOI
10.1186/s12885-018-4346-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
daecbb3f-1d57-4312-a2c2-38577e99874b
date added to LUP
2018-09-11 15:41:04
date last changed
2024-03-18 14:00:37
@article{daecbb3f-1d57-4312-a2c2-38577e99874b,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: The addition of high-dose cytarabine to the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has significantly prolonged survival of patients, but relapses are common and are normally associated with increased resistance. To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for cytarabine resistance, and to create a tool for drug discovery investigations, we established a unique and molecularly reproducible cytarabine resistant model from the Z138 MCL cell line.</p><p>METHODS: Effects of different substances on cytarabine-sensitive and resistant cells were evaluated by assessment of cell proliferation using [methyl-14C]-thymidine incorporation and molecular changes were investigated by protein and gene expression analyses.</p><p>RESULTS: Gene expression profiling revealed that major transcriptional changes occur during the initial phase of adaptation to cellular growth in cytarabine containing media, and only few key genes, including SPIB, are deregulated upon the later development of resistance. Resistance was shown to be mediated by down-regulation of the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) protein, responsible for activation of nucleoside analogue prodrugs. This key event, emphasized by cross-resistance to other nucleoside analogues, did not only effect resistance but also levels of SPIB and NF-κB, as assessed through forced overexpression in resistant cells. Thus, for the first time we show that regulation of drug resistance through prevention of conversion of pro-drug into active drug are closely linked to increased proliferation and resistance to apoptosis in MCL. Using drug libraries, we identify several substances with growth reducing effect on cytarabine resistant cells. We further hypothesized that co-treatment with bortezomib could prevent resistance development. This was confirmed and show that the dCK levels are retained upon co-treatment, indicating a clinical use for bortezomib treatment in combination with cytarabine to avoid development of resistance. The possibility to predict cytarabine resistance in diagnostic samples was assessed, but analysis show that a majority of patients have moderate to high expression of dCK at diagnosis, corresponding well to the initial clinical response to cytarabine treatment.</p><p>CONCLUSION: We show that cytarabine resistance potentially can be avoided or at least delayed through co-treatment with bortezomib, and that down-regulation of dCK and up-regulation of SPIB and NF-κB are the main molecular events driving cytarabine resistance development.</p>}},
  author       = {{Freiburghaus, Catja and Emruli, Venera Kuci and Johansson, Angelica and Eskelund, Christian Winther and Grønbæk, Kirsten and Olsson, Roger and Ek, Fredrik and Jerkeman, Mats and Ek, Sara}},
  issn         = {{1471-2407}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Cancer}},
  title        = {{Bortezomib prevents cytarabine resistance in MCL, which is characterized by down-regulation of dCK and up-regulation of SPIB resulting in high NF-κB activity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018-4346-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12885-018-4346-1}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}