title: Lack of effect of the human GM-CSF analog E21R on the survival of primary human acute myeloid leukemia cells.
abstract: The granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) analog E21R binds to the GM-CSF receptor complex with low affinity and acts as a competitive antagonist. In addition, it has been reported to be a potent direct activator of apoptosis in primary human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. We have confirmed the ability of E21R to neutralize the biologic effects of GM-CSF and investigated its activity on primary AML blasts. We find that it failed to induce cell death in blast cells from 23 separate AML cases treated in vitro at concentrations of E21R up to 30 microg/mL. Significant cell death resulted in all cases after incubation with cytosine arabinoside. The lack of effect of E21R on AML blasts was unlikely to be due to an absence of functional GM-CSF receptors because 13 cases demonstrated an increase in cell number with the addition of exogenous GM-CSF. These results do not support the use of E21R for the treatment of AML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Royal Free & University College Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jakupovic
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Grandage
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Linch
authors.forename: Asim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khwaja
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C101659:granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, Arg(21)-; D003561:Cytarabine; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor