Acid Ceramidase (ASAH1) Mediates Intrinsic and Intercellular Transfer of Proteasome Inhibitor Resistance in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Bishop Ryan T , Li Tao , Alugubelli Raghunandan R , Hampton Oliver , Siqueira Silva Ariosto , Grant Steven , Shain Kenneth H. , Lynch Conor C 
Published: November 2021

INTRODUCTION: Despite proteasome inhibitors (PIs) improving multiple MM (MM) outcomes, patients often become resistant. Identifying mechanisms of resistance with translational potential are an urgent unmet clinical need. Preliminary studies from our group have identified that the therapeutically targetable acid ceramidase, ASAH1, is a key mediator of PI resistance and its presence in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from resistant MM cells, confers PI resistance on drug naïve MM cells.

METHODS: Nanosight technology, transmission electron microscopy and immunoblot were used to define EVs. Viability and apoptosis assays were used to determine the effects of EVs and inhibitors on resistance acquisition/sensitization to PIs. LC-MS was used to interrogate EV cargo contents. Clinical relevance of ASAH1 was determined in multiple human data cohorts (M2GEN and MMRF CoMMpass). Genetic (shRNA) and pharmacological (ceranib-2) approaches were used to assess the role of ASAH1 mechanistically in vitro and in vivo using multiple isogenic naïve and PI resistant cell lines, patient derived CD138+ MM cells and NSG mouse models.

RESULTS: Co-culture of sensitive MM cells with resistant MM-EVs alone significantly protected against PI cytotoxicity. Proteomic profiling revealed high levels of ASAH1 in EVs derived from PI resistant MM cells. Further, we observed ASAH1 is abundant in lysates of multiple PI resistant cell lines compared to their isogenic drug sensitive counterparts. In human datasets, high ASAH1 expression was noted in PI resistant MM patients compared to those newly diagnosed and correlated with significantly shorter survival times. Mechanistically, knockdown of ASAH1 led to reduced conversion of ceramide to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1-P) and decreased expression/activity of the anti-apoptotic proteins MCL-1, BCL2 and BCL-xL and increases in pro-apoptotic BIM and NOXA. Notably, ASAH1 knockdown also significantly sensitized the cells to PI treatment and this effect was rescued by addition of exogenous S1-P. Pharmacological inhibition of ASAH1 with ceranib-2 also sensitized resistant cells to PI treatment and prevented EV mediated resistance transfer in vitro. This was recapitulated ex vivo with human clinical samples. Our orthotopic in vivo model using PI-resistant U266-PSR cells show that ceranib-2 is highly effective in limiting the growth of PI-resistant disease, protecting against MM induced bone disease, and increasing overall survival compared to both bortezomib and vehicle controls.

CONCLUSION: We define the ceramidase ASAH1 as a novel, druggable target for the treatment of PI resistant MM.

Disclosures

Hampton: M2Gen: Current Employment. Siqueira Silva: AbbVie Inc.: Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding. Shain: Janssen oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sanofi Genzyme: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation: Consultancy; GlaxoSmithLine, LLC: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen Inc: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.