1. Heterogeneous modulation of Bcl-2 family members and drug efflux mediate MCL-1 inhibitor resistance in multiple myeloma
Caroline A Heckman, Juho J Miettinen, Lenka Besse, Jing Tang, Niklas Zojer, Christoph Driessen, Julia Huber, Kristaps Klavins, Andrej Besse, Wolfgang Hübl, J Thomas Hannich, Helene Breid, Arnold Bolomsky, Jo Caers, Alun Parsons, Martin Schreder, Stefanie Fellinger, Heinz Ludwig, Alina Malyutina, Stefan Kubicek Blood Adv . 2021 Oct 26;5(20):4125-4139. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003826.
Antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members have recently (re)emerged as key drug targets in cancer, with a tissue- and tumor-specific activity profile of available BH3 mimetics. In multiple myeloma, MCL-1 has been described as a major gatekeeper of apoptosis. This discovery has led to the rapid establishment of clinical trials evaluating the impact of various MCL-1 inhibitors. However, our understanding about the clinical impact and optimal use of MCL-1 inhibitors is still limited. We therefore explored mechanisms of acquired MCL-1 inhibitor resistance and optimization strategies in myeloma. Our findings indicated heterogeneous paths to resistance involving baseline Bcl-2 family alterations of proapoptotic (BAK, BAX, and BIM) and antiapoptotic (Bcl-2 and MCL-1) proteins. These manifestations depend on the BH3 profile of parental cells that guide the enhanced formation of Bcl-2:BIM and/or the dynamic (ie, treatment-induced) formation of Bcl-xL:BIM and Bcl-xL:BAK complexes. Accordingly, an unbiased high-throughput drug-screening approach (n = 528) indicated alternative BH3 mimetics as top combination partners for MCL-1 inhibitors in sensitive and resistant cells (Bcl-xL>Bcl-2 inhibition), whereas established drug classes were mainly antagonistic (eg, antimitotic agents). We also revealed reduced activity of MCL-1 inhibitors in the presence of stromal support as a drug-class effect that was overcome by concurrent Bcl-xL or Bcl-2 inhibition. Finally, we demonstrated heterogeneous Bcl-2 family deregulation and MCL-1 inhibitor cross-resistance in carfilzomib-resistant cells, a phenomenon linked to the MDR1-driven drug efflux of MCL-1 inhibitors. The implications of our findings for clinical practice emphasize the need for patient-adapted treatment protocols, with the tracking of tumor- and/or clone-specific adaptations in response to MCL-1 inhibition.
2. Pharmacologic Targeting of Mcl-1 Induces Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Apoptosis in B-Cell Lymphoma Cells in a TP53- and BAX- Dependent Manner
Olga V Danilova, Fei Xu, Zheng Xia, Jeffrey W Tyner, Stephen E Kurtz, Xiaoguang Wang, Elana Thieme, Vi Lam, Lili Wang, Tingting Liu, Duanchen Sun, Alexey V Danilov Clin Cancer Res . 2021 Sep 1;27(17):4910-4922. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-0464.
Purpose:Bcl-2 has been effectively targeted in lymphoid malignancies. However, resistance is inevitable, and novel approaches to target mitochondrial apoptosis are necessary. AZD5991, a selective BH3-mimetic in clinical trials, inhibits Mcl-1 with high potency.Experimental design:We explored the preclinical activity of AZD5991 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and ibrutinib-resistant mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cell lines, MCL patient samples, and mice bearing DLBCL and MCL xenografts using flow cytometry, immunoblotting, and Seahorse respirometry assay. Cas9 gene editing andex vivofunctional drug screen assays helped identify mechanisms of resistance to Mcl-1 inhibition.Results:Mcl-1 was expressed in DLBCL and MCL cell lines and primary tumors. Treatment with AZD5991 restricted growth of DLBCL cells independent of cell of origin and overcame ibrutinib resistance in MCL cells. Mcl-1 inhibition led to mitochondrial dysfunction as manifested by mitochondrial membrane depolarization, decreased mitochondrial mass, and induction of mitophagy. This was accompanied by impairment of oxidative phosphorylation.TP53andBAXwere essential for sensitivity to Mcl-1, and oxidative phosphorylation was implicated in resistance to Mcl-1 inhibition. Induction of prosurvival proteins (e.g., Bcl-xL) in stromal conditions that mimic the tumor microenvironment rendered protection of primary MCL cells from Mcl-1 inhibition, while BH3-mimetics targeting Bcl-2/xL sensitized lymphoid cells to AZD5991. Treatment with AZD5991 reduced tumor growth in murine lymphoma models and prolonged survival of MCL PDX mice.Conclusions:Selective targeting Mcl-1 is a promising therapeutic approach in lymphoid malignancies.TP53apoptotic network and metabolic reprogramming underlie susceptibility to Mcl-1 inhibition.
3. Combined reduction in the expression of MCL-1 and BCL-2 reduces organismal size in mice
Francine Ke, Stephanie Grabow, Graeme I Lancaster, Andrew J Murphy, Andreas Strasser Cell Death Dis . 2020 Mar 13;11(3):185. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-2376-5.
The intrinsic apoptotic pathway is controlled by the BCL-2 family of proteins, which exhibit either a pro-death or pro-survival function. Gene knockout studies revealed that different pro-survival BCL-2 proteins are critical for the survival of distinct cell types, although overlapping functions amongst such proteins have also been identified. In the process of studying mice lacking single alleles of Mcl-1 (Mcl-1+/-), Bcl-2 (Bcl-2+/-), or both in combination (Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-), we observed that Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-mice weighed less when compared with their wild-type littermates as they aged. Body composition analysis demonstrated that while fat mass was similar to wild-type controls, lean mass was significantly reduced in Mcl-1+/-, Bcl-2+/-, and, most strikingly in Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-mice. The weights of several tissues including the heart, tibialis anterior, and kidney were likewise reduced in Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-mice. When lean mass and specific tissue weights were expressed relative to body weight, these differences were no longer significant, indicating that that Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-mice, and to a lesser extent Mcl-1+/-and Bcl-2+/-mice, are smaller than their wild-type counterparts. Consistently, the anal-naso length was reduced in Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-mice. While minor reductions in size were observed in female Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-mice, these effects were most prominent in males. Notably, Mcl-1+/-Bcl-2+/-males had markedly smaller testes even after accounting for differences in body weight. Collectively, these data reveal that combined loss of a single allele of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2, while not overtly impairing organismal development, leads to a reduction in animal size.
CAS No.: 2163793-55-1
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