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Background/aim: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2 are important regulatory proteins that control cell proliferation and survival, playing a significant role in cancer progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance. This study investigated the effects of ERK1/2 inhibitors on the in vitro growth of acute leukemia cell lines., Materials and Methods: Three ERK1/2 inhibitors were used: SCH772984, temuterkib (LY3214996), and ulixertinib (BVD-523). Four acute myeloid leukemia cell lines (OCI/AML3, HL-60, THP-1, and U-937) and two T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines (Jurakt and KOPT-K1) were treated with these inhibitors. Cell growth was assessed using a colorimetric assay, and cell-cycle progression and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expression of intracellular signaling proteins was evaluated via immunoblotting. The effects of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated ERK1/2 knockdown were also evaluated., Results: The inhibitors suppressed the growth of three leukemia cell lines (OCI/AML3, HL-60, and THP-1) harboring neuroblastoma rat sarcoma virus (NRAS) mutations. Growth suppression occurred through G0/G1 arrest in all three cell lines and through apoptosis in OCI/AML3 cells. Immunoblotting demonstrated that these inhibitors suppressed the expression of MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor (MYC), in the three cell lines. The additional molecular mechanisms of growth suppression varied depending on the specific inhibitor and cell line. The inhibitors had milder suppressive effects on normal lymphocytes compared to the leukemia cell lines., Conclusion: ERK1/2 inhibitors may serve as novel molecular-targeted drugs for treating leukemia with NRAS mutations., (Copyright © 2024 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: Homeobox A9 (HOXA9), a transcription factor regulating haematopoiesis and leukaemia cell proliferation, is suggested as a driver of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a synthetic HOXA9 inhibitor DB818 on AML cells in vitro., Materials and Methods: AML cell lines OCI/AML3, MV4-11, and THP-1 with gene mutations up-regulating HOXA9 expression were treated with DB818 and analysed for cell proliferation and gene expression. The effects of HOXA9 knockdown were also evaluated., Results: In the three AML cell lines, DB818 suppressed growth, induced apoptosis, and down-regulated the expression of HOXA9 transcriptional target genes: MYB proto-oncogene, transcription factor (MYB), MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor (MYC), and BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2), while up-regulating that of Fos proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit (FOS). HOXA9 knockdown showed similar effects, except for MYC expression, which differed between DB818-treated and HOXA9-deficient OCI/AML3 cells, suggesting an off-target effect of DB818., Conclusion: DB818 has potential as a novel molecular targeted drug for treating AML associated with HOXA9 overexpression., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Objective: Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is a master transcriptional factor of regulatory T-cells (Tregs). Recent studies have shown that FOXP3 is associated with growth inhibition of cancer cells. However, the role of FOXP3 in acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells is not known. It was also reported that NOTCH signaling promoted the expression of FOXP3 in Tregs. However, the effect of FOXP3 on NOTCH expression in T-ALL cells is little known. Therefore, we examined the effect of FOXP3 knockdown on the proliferation of T-ALL cells and NOTCH1 signaling., Results: Two T-ALL cell lines Jurkat and KOPT-K1, harboring activating NOTCH1 mutations, were transfected with small interfering RNA against FOXP3. Cell growth was assessed with a colorimetric assay and morphology was observed under a microscope. FOXP3 knockdown significantly reduced cell growth and induced morphological changes suggesting apoptosis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that FOXP3 knockdown caused the downregulation of mRNA expression of NOTCH1 and HES1. These findings suggest that FOXP3 supports the growth of T-ALL cells although this can not be generalized because we examined only two cell lines. The observed growth suppression can be partly due to the downregulation of NOTCH1 signaling. FOXP3 may be a potential therapeutic target in T-ALL.

Background/aim: Myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MYD88), which activates the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, is important for the growth of lymphoma and leukaemia cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of ST2825, a synthetic peptidomimetic compound which inhibits MYD88 homodimerization, on their growth., Materials and Methods: Seven lymphoma and leukaemia cell lines including TMD8, a B-cell lymphoma line with MYD88-activating mutation, were treated with ST2825 and analysed for cell proliferation and expression of NF-κB signalling-related molecules., Results: ST2825 suppressed the growth of all cell lines by inducing apoptosis and down-regulating phosphorylation of NF-κB pathway components inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase (IκB) and reticuloendotheliosis oncogene A (RelA), as well as of MYD88 activator Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), suggesting that MYD88 may affect BTK activity. ST2825 effects were specific as MYD88-targeting siRNA also suppressed phosphorylation of NF-κB signalling proteins and BTK in TMD8 cells., Conclusion: ST2825 may be a novel drug targeting not only B-lymphoid malignancies with MYD88 mutations, but also lymphoma and leukaemia with wild-type MYD88., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: B cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (BMI1) is up-regulated in several cancers; therefore, we investigated the effects of BMI1 inhibitors on leukemia cells., Materials and Methods: Four acute myeloid leukemia and two T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines were treated with BMI1 inhibitors artemisinin, PRT4165, and PTC-209 and analyzed for cell proliferation and gene expression by microarray and immunoblotting., Results: PTC-209 and PRT4165 suppressed the growth of all cell lines through apoptosis.Artemisinin acted only on Jurkat cells. BMI1 inhibitors and BMI1-specific siRNA down-regulated the expression of NOTCH signaling proteins NOTCH1, HES1, and MYC. All but one cell lines did not have the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) gene targeted by BMI1, thus the inhibitors acted through CDKN2A-independent pathways., Conclusion: BMI1 inhibition suppressed proliferation of leukemia cells through NOTCH signaling which functions downstream of BMI1, suggesting that BMI1 inhibitors can be candidate targeted drugs against leukemia., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: Hedgehog (HH) and NOTCH pathways are involved in the regulation of cancer stem cells and haematopoietic malignancies. However, the effects of HH stimulation on cell growth and NOTCH signalling in acute T-lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) cells have not been elucidated., Materials and Methods: Two T-ALL cell lines, Jurkat and KOPT-K1 harbouring activating NOTCH1 mutations, were cultured with recombinant Sonic (S) HH and analysed for proliferation, colony formation, and expression of NOTCH-regulated genes and proteins., Results: SHH stimulation did not affect cell growth but suppressed colony formation, increased the levels of cleaved NOTCH1 fragment characteristic for NOTCH1 activation, and upregulated mRNA expression of HES1, while decreasing that of MYC in Jurkat cells. However, no such effects were observed in KOPT-K1 cells., Conclusion: Our results indicate that SHH stimulation activates NOTCH signalling in Jurkat cells, thus disclosing a novel relationship between HH and NOTCH pathways., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

NOTCH activation plays oncogenic roles in acute T-lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL). However, whether NOTCH is oncogenic or tumor-suppressive in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is still controversial. Herein, the roles of NOTCH in AML are reviewed. AML cells express NOTCH and NOTCH ligands; however, cell-autonomous activation is not observed. Activating NOTCH1 mutations are rare in AML, unlike in T-ALL. NOTCH ligand stimulation generally suppresses the in vitro growth of AML cells but promotes transient growth of some samples. Conversely, knockdown of NOTCH1 and NOTCH2 does not affect the growth of AML cells, whereas it suppresses the growth of T-ALL cells. These findings suggest that NOTCH is dispensable or suppressive for AML cell growth. However, the effects of NOTCH differ depending on cell conditions, and various stemness-related signals modify these effects; hence, forced NOTCH activation in vitro may not exhibit effects in bone marrow. Thus, further understanding is required for the development of AML therapies targeting NOTCH signalling., (Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Signaling induced by binding of erythropoietin-producing hepatoma-amplified sequence (EPH) receptors to their cell-surface ephrin ligands is implicated in hematopoiesis and growth of various cancer cells. However, the roles of EPH-ephrin signaling in leukemia have not been elucidated. We investigated the effects of EPHB4 and ephrin B2 on the growth of leukemia cells., Materials and Methods: Seven human leukemia cell lines were used to examine the effects of recombinant ephrin B2 and EPHB4 on cell proliferation by colorimetric WST-1 assay and colony assays; on protein tyrosine phosphorylation; and on mRNA expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and microarray analysis., Results: In an erythroid leukemia-derived cell line AA, exogenous ephrin B2 induced proliferation and colony formation; in addition, it up-regulated protein tyrosine phosphorylation and the expression of growth-related genes such as FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B and v-src avian sarcoma viral oncogene homolog., Conclusion: Growth-promoting effects of ephrin B2 were observed in an erythroid leukemia cell line, suggesting that the EPH-ephrin signaling may be involved in the pathology of leukemia., (Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Aim: The effects of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of NOTCH1 and NOTCH2 on cell proliferation and downstream signaling pathways in leukemia cells were examined., Materials and Methods: Two T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines and two acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) cell lines were transfected with siRNAs targeting NOTCH1 and NOTCH2. The effects of knockdown on cell proliferation and protein expression were examined by colorimetric WST-8 assay and immunoblotting, respectively., Results: In T-ALL cell lines, NOTCH1 knockdown as well as NOTCH2 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. v-Myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC) protein expression was down-regulated in NOTCH1-knockdown cells but not affected in NOTCH2-knockdown cells. In AML cell lines, cell proliferation was not significantly affected by NOTCH siRNAs. NOTCH2 knockdown increased the level of cleaved NOTCH1 fragment without increasing NOTCH1 expression. NOTCH knockdown reduced the level of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein in the monoblastic leukemia cell line THP-1. Contrastingly, NOTCH activation by NOTCH ligand stimulation increased the expression of mTOR in THP-1 cells., Conclusion: These novel findings on NOTCH signaling may contribute to the development of effective NOTCH-targeted therapies against leukemia.

Background: Notch activation is involved in the growth of leukemia cells. gamma-Secretase inhibitors (GSIs), which block Notch activation, may be candidates for molecular target therapy against leukemia., Materials and Methods: The effects of three kinds of GSIs: GSI-IX, GSI-XII and GSI-XXI, on the in vitro growth of various leukemia cell lines were examined., Results: The effects of GSI were diverse depending upon the combination of cells and GSI. GSI treatment suppressed the growth of most of the cell lines examined. Conversely, the growth of some cell lines were promoted by GSI-XXI. GSI-XXI treatment reduced the amount of cleaved Notch1 protein and HES1 mRNA in the cells, which means that it suppressed Notch activity. The treatment up-regulated mRNA of nuclear factor kappa-B1 (NFKB1) and v-rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog A (RELA), which can be a cause of growth promotion., Conclusion: The diverse effects of GSIs must be elucidated before clinical use because they can stimulate the growth of leukemia cells.

gamma-Secretase inhibitors (GSI) suppress the growth of acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells with NOTCH1 mutations. Recently, clinical trials of GSI for refractory T-ALL have commenced. In the present study, we examined the effects of three types of GSI; GSI-I, GSI-IX, and GSI-XII on the growth of four B-cell malignant lymphoma (B-ML) and four acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines as well as four T-ALL cell lines. We found that GSI also suppressed the in vitro growth of some B-ML and AML cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Growth suppression occurred through induction of apoptosis. Expression of the HES1 gene, one of the targets of Notch signaling, was high in T-ALL cells with NOTCH1 mutations, but was low in GSI-sensitive B-ML and AML cells. GSI treatment decreased HES1 mRNA expression in T-ALL cells, while GSI increased HES1 mRNA in two GSI-sensitive B-ML and AML cell lines. In immunoblot analysis, the band for the intracellular fragment of Notch1, an active form of Notch1, was dense in T-ALL cells but was faint in GSI-sensitive B-ML and AML cells; attenuation of the band by GSI was not evident. These findings suggest that GSI may act on Notch 2, 3 or 4 protein, or some pathways other than Notch signaling in GSI-sensitive B-ML and AML cells. Namely, growth suppression by GSI may involve cell growth-related proteins, which are gamma-secretase substrates. Taken together, we have shown that GSI may be useful for the treatment of hematological malignancies other than T-ALL. The mechanism behind the effects remains to be clarified. Our investigations lead to a novel molecular target therapy for chemotherapy-resistant leukemia and lymphomas.

A novel lymphoma cell line, designated TMD8 was established from cells of a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. TMD8 cells expressed HES1 mRNA, suggesting constitutive activation of Notch signaling. TMD8 cells expressed normal-sized Notch1 protein, and showed no mutations in the NOTCH1 gene. Cell growth was suppressed by gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSI). It was reported that GSI suppressed growth of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines, which frequently had NOTCH1 mutations. In addition to T-ALL, TMD8 is another unique cell line sensitive to GSI, and is useful to study effects of GSI in molecular targeting therapy.

The effect of the recombinant Notch ligand proteins Jagged1 and Delta1 on drug-sensitivity of leukemia and lymphoma cells was examined. Four acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines were cultured in ligand-coated wells and control wells, with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), doxorubicin, or mitoxantrone, and nine lymphoid leukemia or lymphoma cell lines were cultured with dexamethasone. The growth was evaluated with a colorimetric assay. The drug-induced growth suppression was slightly reduced by the ligand stimulation in 4 out of 17 combinations of cells versus drugs, such as NB4 cells versus Ara-C. In the remainder, the ligands did not significantly affect the drug-sensitivity. To investigate the possible molecular mechanism of the protective effect, the influence of Jagged1 on Ara-C-induced activation of caspase-3 and PARP, and dephosphorylation of NF-kappaB was examined in NB4 cells. However, Jagged1 did not obviously affect the activation and dephosphorylation. It is known that stromal cells reduce drug-induced cytotoxicity of leukemia cells. According to our results, the role of Notch ligands in the stroma-mediated resistance seems to be minor and occurs only in a limited context. However, the ligand-coated culture-plates are more similar to the microenvironment in human bone marrow than ordinary plates. We will further examine the clinical usefulness of the drug-sensitivity test using the ligand-coated plates.