Telomerase targeting by retinoids in cells from patients with myeloid leukemias of various subtypes, not only APL.
Numerous strategies have been proposed to specifically inhibit telomerase (human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)) but to date only a few are clinically relevant in anticancer therapy. Recently, we have shown that long-term treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a compound clinically approved for differentiation therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), represses hTERT in differentiation-resistant APL cell lines leading to telomere shortening and death. This signaling requires the co-activation of the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) and the retinoic X receptor (RXR). In contrast to differentiation-therapy, which is only successful in this subtype of leukemia, the telomerase-targeted pathway could also be of use in non-APL. Here, we demonstrate that repression of hTERT occurs in fresh blasts cells from patients with myeloid leukemias of various subtypes exposed ex vivo to ATRA or synthetic retinoids. These results support the idea that, by hTERT targeting, retinoids can induce telomere shortening and cell death and their integration in therapy protocols for myeloid leukemias refractory to maturation should be considered.
INSERM U685, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
F
F
Pendino
J
J
Hillion
C
C
Dudognon
J
J
Delaunay
S
S
Mourah
M-P
MP
Podgorniak
I
I
Lafon
C
C
Chomienne
M
M
Lanotte
H
H
Dombret
P
P
Rousselot
E
E
Ségal-Bendirdjian
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012176:Retinoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D019098:Telomerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics; D016615:Telomere / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012176:Retinoids; D019098:Telomerase