title: Downregulation of Bfl-1 protein expression sensitizes malignant B cells to apoptosis.
abstract: Elevated expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bfl-1 (A1) was previously reported in several cancer cell lines. Recently, molecular profiling of large B-cell lymphoma identified Bfl-1 as a gene signature in 'OxPhos' diffuse large B-cell lymphoma subtype and in primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, suggesting that in addition to Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, Bfl-1 may be a relevant target in the design of new strategies for cancer therapy. Using short hairpin RNA strategy, we show here that Bfl-1 silencing in one lymphoblastoid B-cell line and in two diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell lines potently induces their apoptosis and sensitizes those cell lines to anti-CD20 (Rituximab)-mediated cell death as well as to apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic molecules such as doxorubicin, vincristine, cisplatin and fludarabine. These results demonstrate for the first time that Bfl-1 is an essential protein for survival of malignant B cells and suggest Bfl-1 may represent a potential target for future drug development against B cell lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Inserm, U503, Lyon, F-69007, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brien
authors.forename: M-C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Trescol-Biemont
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bonnefoy-Bérard
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000494:pharmacology; D000069283:Rituximab; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D014750:Vincristine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D020169:Caspases; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine; D002945:Cisplatin