Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-δ inhibitor CAL-101 shows promising preclinical activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia by antagonizing intrinsic and extrinsic cellular survival signals.
Targeted therapy with imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) prompted a new treatment paradigm. Unlike CML, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) lacks an aberrant fusion protein kinase but instead displays increased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. To date, PI3K inhibitor development has been limited because of the requirement of this pathway for many essential cellular functions. Identification of the hematopoietic-selective isoform PI3K-δ unlocks a new therapeutic potential for B-cell malignancies. Herein, we demonstrate that PI3K has increased enzymatic activity and that PI3K-δ is expressed in CLL cells. A PI3K-δ selective inhibitor CAL-101 promoted apoptosis in primary CLL cells ex vivo in a dose- and time-dependent fashion that was independent of common prognostic markers. CAL-101-mediated cytotoxicity was caspase dependent and was not diminished by coculture on stromal cells. In addition, CAL-101 abrogated protection from spontaneous apoptosis induced by B cell-activating factors CD40L, TNF-α, and fibronectin. In contrast to malignant cells, CAL-101 does not promote apoptosis in normal T cells or natural killer cells, nor does it diminish antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. However, CAL-101 did decrease activated T-cell production of various inflammatory and antiapoptotic cytokines. Collectively, these studies provide rationale for the clinical development of CAL-101 as a first-in-class targeted therapy for CLL and related B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.
Integrated Biomedical Science Graduate Program, TheOhio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Sarah E M
SE
Herman
Amber L
AL
Gordon
Amy J
AJ
Wagner
Nyla A
NA
Heerema
Weiqiang
W
Zhao
Joseph M
JM
Flynn
Jeffrey
J
Jones
Leslie
L
Andritsos
Kamal D
KD
Puri
Brian J
BJ
Lannutti
Neill A
NA
Giese
Xiaoli
X
Zhang
Lai
L
Wei
John C
JC
Byrd
Amy J
AJ
Johnson
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052999:Quinazolinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D011687:Purines; D052999:Quinazolinones; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; C486018:PIK3CD protein, human; C552946:idelalisib