Abstract 4336: Spliceosome inhibition as a novel therapeutic option in acute leukemia
Authors: Wojtuszkiewicz Anna , Sciarrillo Rocco , Jansen Gerrit , Assaraf Yehuda G. , Koide Kazunori , Bressin Robert K. , Basu Upamanyu , Sonneveld Edwin , Peters Godefridus J. , Kaspers Gertjan J L , Cloos Jacqueline 
Published: July 2016

Spliceosome targeting is a novel therapeutic strategy, showing promising results in solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Aberrant splicing of genes involved in apoptosis regulation and drug metabolism was shown to confer chemoresistance in various tumor cells, including acute leukemia. Moreover, increased expression of abnormal splice variants cause reduced sensitivity of leukemic cells to crucial components of current treatment protocols, such as glucocorticoids or methotrexate. Therefore, targeting the spliceosome holds potential to modulate drug resistance-related splicing and to eradicate cells, which do not respond to conventional therapy. In this study, we assessed the in vitro sensitivity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to spliceosome inhibitors, including meayamycin B (MAMB), pladienolide B (PB) and spliceostatin A (SSA).

First, the growth inhibitory activity of MAMB was determined using a 72 h MTT assay in a panel of ALL and AML cell lines, including sublines with acquired resistance to conventional chemotherapeutics. Mechanistically, the effect of MAMB, PB and SSA on splicing profiles, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis induction was assessed in time course experiments. Finally, we compared MAMB sensitivity between 10 primary ALL, 10 AML specimens, and 6 healthy bone marrow (BM) specimens.

Remarkably, both ALL and the notoriously apoptosis-resistant AML cell lines responded to subnanomolar concentrations of MAMB, with IC50 values (50% growth inhibition in the MTT assay) ranging between 0.07 and 0.16 nM. Moreover, MAMB retained full sensitivity towards leukemic sublines resistant to conventional chemotherapeutics with various modes of action, including methotrexate, dexamethasone, bortezomib and imatinib. MAMB, PB and SSA-induced growth inhibition was associated with time and dose-dependent alterations in splicing profiles of selected apoptosis-related genes (including Mcl-1, Bcl-X, FAS and Casp2), concomitant cell cycle arrest (in G1 and G2/M phases) and apoptosis induction (up to 40% after 24 h exposure to 1nM MAMB). Consistent with cell line observations, both primary ALL and AML specimens showed remarkable response to MAMB (mean LC50 = 0.42 nM, range: 0.26-0.69 nM and 0.43 nM, range: 0.33-0.44 nM, respectively), with a significantly lower MAMB sensitivity of healthy BM samples (mean lethal concentration causing 50% cell kill [LC50] value 0.57, range: 0.39-1.13 nM, p = 0.02).

Collectively, this is the first study to demonstrate that spliceosome inhibition constitutes a promising therapeutic option for both ALL and AML patients, including those with acquired resistance to other anti-leukemic drugs.

Financial support by KiKa (Children Cancer Free)

Citation Format: Anna Wojtuszkiewicz, Rocco Sciarrillo, Gerrit Jansen, Yehuda G. Assaraf, Kazunori Koide, Robert K. Bressin, Upamanyu Basu, Edwin Sonneveld, Godefridus J. Peters, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Jacqueline Cloos. Spliceosome inhibition as a novel therapeutic option in acute leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4336.