Abstract IA41: Role of JAK-STAT pathway activation in MPN pathogenesis and therapeutic response.
Authors: Meyer Sara , Kleppe Maria , Bhagwat Neha , Koppikar Priya , Kwak Minsuk , Radimerski Thomas , Fan Rong , Levine Ross L. 
Published: August 2015

The discovery of JAK2/MPL mutations in the majority of patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) led to the development of JAK kinase inhibitors. JAK kinase inhibitors, including ruxolitinib, improve patient constitutional symptoms and reduce splenomegaly, but do not significantly reduce mutant allele burden. Chronic exposure to JAK kinase inhibitors results in JAK inhibitor persistence in cell lines, murine models, and patient samples, which we have shown is due to JAK2-transactivation and persistent JAK-STAT signaling. We have used murine genetic studies show that MPN cells remain dependent on JAK2 expression for proliferation and survival. These data suggest that pharmacologic approaches that better inhibit JAK2 activity in MPN cells may demonstrate increased efficacy in vivo.

All JAK inhibitors in clinical development are type I inhibitors that interact with and inhibit the active confirmation of the JAK2 kinase. We hypothesized that novel, type II JAK inhibitors that interact with and inhibit JAK2 in the inactive conformation might retain activity in JAK inhibitor persistent cells and show increased efficacy in murine MPN models. Signaling studies demonstrated that CHZ868 more potently attenuated JAK-STAT signaling in JAK2/MPL-mutant cells, with suppression of JAK2 phosphorylation consistent with a type II mechanism of kinase inhibition. CHZ868 completely suppressed JAK-STAT signaling in type I JAK inhibitor-persistent cells, and prevented heterodimeric activation of JAK2 by JAK1 and TYK2. Most importantly, JAK2/MPL-mutant cells which were insensitive to type I JAK inhibitors remained highly sensitive to CHZ868, demonstrating that type I JAK inhibitor persistence does not confer resistance to type II inhibitors. CHZ868 showed significant activity in murine models of Jak2V617F-induced polycythemia vera, and MPLW515L-mutant MF, with normalization of blood counts, stem/progenitor expansion, spleen weights, and extramedullary hematopoiesis in vivo. Most importantly, CHZ868 resulted in significant reductions of mutant allele burden in these models.

In addition, it has not been delineated whether the clinical benefits of JAK inhibitors are solely from target inhibition in MPN cells, or if JAK-STAT inhibition in malignant and non-malignant cells contributes to the therapeutic response. We show that the levels of circulating cytokines are elevated in MF and that cytokine production is reduced with JAK inhibitor treatment. Importantly, aberrant cytokine production in MF emanates from both malignant and non-malignant cells, and that JAK inhibition reduces cytokine production from both tumor and non-tumor populations. Our data suggest inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling in malignant and non-malignant cells is required to improve symptoms, reduce disease severity, and to reduce disease progression. Moreover, optimizing therapies to potently inhibit JAK-STAT signaling in malignant and non-malignant cells are warranted to improve clinical efficacy and outcomes in MPN patients.

Citation Format: Sara Meyer, Maria Kleppe, Neha Bhagwat, Priya Koppikar, Minsuk Kwak, Thomas Radimerski, Rong Fan, Ross L. Levine. Role of JAK-STAT pathway activation in MPN pathogenesis and therapeutic response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr IA41.