sphingosine-kinase and Leukemia--Myeloid--Acute

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) kills 75% of patients and represents a major clinical challenge with a need to improve on current treatment approaches. Targeting sphingosine kinase 1 with a novel ATP-competitive-inhibitor, MP-A08, induces cell death in AML. However, limitations in MP-A08's "drug-like properties" (solubility, biodistribution, and potency) hinder its pathway to the clinic. This study demonstrates a liposome-based delivery system of MP-A08 that exhibits enhanced MP-A08 potency against AML cells. MP-A08-liposomes increased MP-A08 efficacy against patient AML cells (>140-fold) and significantly prolonged overall survival of mice with human AML disease (

Topics: Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Liposomes; Mice; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Tissue Distribution

Resveratrol possesses well-defined anti-carcinogenic activities. However, how resveratrol exerts its anti-leukemic actions by modulating anti-apoptotic ceramide catabolism enzymes, mainly sphingosine kinase (SK-1) and glucosylceramide synthase (GCS), in FLT3-ITD AML remains unclear. Resveratrol, SKI II (SK inhibitor) and PDMP (GCS inhibitor) were evaluated alone or in combinations for their effect on cell proliferation (MTT assay), apoptosis (annexin V-FITC/PI staining by flow cytometry) and cell cycle progression (PI staining by flow cytometry) in MOLM-13 and MV4-11 cells. The combination indexes (CIs) were calculated based on cell proliferation data using CompuSyn software. Caspase-3 and PARP activation, changes in SK-1 and GCS levels by resveratrol alone or PARP cleavage in co-treatments were determined by western blot. Resveratrol and inhibitors alone inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Resveratrol downregulated SK-1 and GCS expression in both cell lines. It induced apoptosis by phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure together with caspase-3 and PARP cleavage and arrested the cell cycle slightly at the S phase. Co-administrations intensified resveratrol's effect by inhibiting cell proliferation synergistically (A CI of < 1) or additively (A CI 1.0-1.1) and inducing apoptosis via PS relocalization and PARP cleavage. Resveratrol plus SKI II did not affect cell cycle progression significantly, however, resveratrol plus PDMP blocked cycle progression at G0/G1 and S phases for MOLM-13 cells and MV4-11 cells, respectively. Overall, resveratrol may inhibit FLT3-ITD AML cell proliferation by inhibiting ceramide catabolism and be evaluated as a chemopreventive after detailed analysis of the crosstalk between resveratrol and ceramide catabolism pathway.

Topics: Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Ceramides; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3; Glucosyltransferases; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Resveratrol

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive malignancy where despite improvements in conventional chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, overall survival remains poor. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) generates the bioactive lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and has established roles in tumor initiation, progression, and chemotherapy resistance in a wide range of cancers. The role and targeting of SPHK1 in primary AML, however, has not been previously investigated. Here we show that SPHK1 is overexpressed and constitutively activated in primary AML patient blasts but not in normal mononuclear cells. Subsequent targeting of SPHK1 induced caspase-dependent cell death in AML cell lines, primary AML patient blasts, and isolated AML patient leukemic progenitor/stem cells, with negligible effects on normal bone marrow CD34

Topics: Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; Amino Alcohols; Animals; Bone Marrow Cells; Caspase Inhibitors; Caspases; Cell Death; Cell Line, Tumor; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Lysophospholipids; Mice; Mice, Inbred NOD; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Quinolines; Receptors, Lysosphingolipid; Signal Transduction; Sphingosine; Survival Analysis; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Akt signaling plays a pivotal role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development and progression. In the present study, we evaluated the potential anti-AML activity by a novel Akt kinase inhibitor A-674563. Our results showed that A-674563 dose-dependently inhibited survival and proliferation of U937 AML cells and six lines of human AML progenitor cells, yet sparing human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBMCs). A-674563 activated caspase-3/9 and apoptosis in the AML cells. Reversely, the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-CHO dramatically alleviated A-674563-induced AML cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity. For the molecular study, we showed that A-674563 blocked Akt activation in U937 cells and human AML progenitor cells. Further, A-674563 decreased sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) activity in above AML cells to deplete pro-survival sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and boost pro-apoptotic ceramide production. Such an effect on SphK1 signaling by A-674563 appeared independent of Akt blockage. Significantly, K6PC-5, a novel SphK1 activator, or supplement with S1P attenuated A-674563-induced ceramide production, and subsequent U937 cell death and apoptosis. Importantly, intraperitoneal injection of A-674563 at well-tolerated doses suppressed U937 leukemic xenograft tumor growth in nude mice, whiling significantly improving the animal survival. The results of the current study demonstrate that A-674563 exerts potent anti-leukemic activity in vitro and in vivo, possibly via concurrent targeting Akt and SphK1 signalings.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Caspase 3; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Humans; Indazoles; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Pyridines; U937 Cells

We previously developed SKI-178 (N'-[(1E)-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylidene]-3-(4-methoxxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carbohydrazide) as a novel sphingosine kinase-1 (SphK1) selective inhibitor and, herein, sought to determine the mechanism-of-action of SKI-178-induced cell death. Using human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines as a model, we present evidence that SKI-178 induces prolonged mitosis followed by apoptotic cell death through the intrinsic apoptotic cascade. Further examination of the mechanism of action of SKI-178 implicated c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and cyclin-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDK1) as critical factors required for SKI-178-induced apoptosis. In cell cycle synchronized human AML cell lines, we demonstrate that entry into mitosis is required for apoptotic induction by SKI-178 and that CDK1, not JNK, is required for SKI-178-induced apoptosis. We further demonstrate that the sustained activation of CDK1 during prolonged mitosis, mediated by SKI-178, leads to the simultaneous phosphorylation of the prosurvival Bcl-2 family members, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, as well as the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of Mcl-1. Moreover, multidrug resistance mediated by multidrug-resistant protein1 and/or prosurvival Bcl-2 family member overexpression did not affect the sensitivity of AML cells to SKI-178. Taken together, these findings highlight the therapeutic potential of SKI-178 targeting SphK1 as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of AML, including multidrug-resistant/recurrent AML subtypes.

Topics: Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Hydrazines; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Pyrazoles; U937 Cells

The triphenylethylene antiestrogen, tamoxifen, can be an effective inhibitor of sphingolipid metabolism. This off-target activity makes tamoxifen an interesting ancillary for boosting the apoptosis-inducing properties of ceramide, a sphingolipid with valuable tumor censoring activity. Here we show for the first time that tamoxifen and metabolite, N-desmethyltamoxifen (DMT), block ceramide glycosylation and inhibit ceramide hydrolysis (by acid ceramidase, AC) in human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines and in AML cells derived from patients. Tamoxifen (1-10 μM) inhibition of AC in AML cells was accompanied by decreases in AC protein expression. Tamoxifen also depressed expression and activity of sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), the enzyme-catalyzing production of mitogenic sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1-P). Results from mass spectroscopy showed that tamoxifen and DMT (i) increased the levels of endogenous C16:0 and C24:1 ceramide molecular species, (ii) nearly totally halted production of respective glucosylceramide (GC) molecular species, (iii) drastically reduced levels of sphingosine (to 9% of control), and (iv) reduced levels of S1-P by 85%, in vincristine-resistant HL-60/VCR cells. The co-administration of tamoxifen with either N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR), a ceramide-generating retinoid, or a cell-deliverable form of ceramide, C6-ceramide, resulted in marked decreases in HL-60/VCR cell viability that far exceeded single agent potency. Combination treatments resulted in synergistic apoptotic cell death as gauged by increased Annexin V binding and DNA fragmentation and activation of caspase-3. These results show the versatility of adjuvant triphenylethylene with ceramide-centric therapies for magnifying therapeutic potential in AML. Such drug regimens could serve as effective strategies, even in the multidrug-resistant setting.

Topics: Cytotoxins; Enzyme Activation; Estrogen Antagonists; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Lipid Metabolism; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Sphingolipids; Stilbenes; Tamoxifen; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Previous studies have identified sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) as a potential drug target for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the current study, we investigated the potential anti-leukemic activity of a novel and specific SphK1 inhibitor, SKI-II. We demonstrated that SKI-II inhibited growth and survival of human AML cell lines (HL-60 and U937 cells). SKI-II was more efficient than two known SphK1 inhibitors SK1-I and FTY720 in inhibiting AML cells. Meanwhile, it induced dramatic apoptosis in above AML cells, and the cytotoxicity by SKI-II was almost reversed by the general caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. SKI-II treatment inhibited SphK1 activation, and concomitantly increased level of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) precursor ceramide in AML cells. Conversely, exogenously-added S1P protected against SKI-II-induced cytotoxicity, while cell permeable short-chain ceramide (C6) aggravated SKI-II's lethality against AML cells. Notably, SKI-II induced potent apoptotic death in primary human AML cells, but was generally safe to the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy donors. In vivo, SKI-II administration suppressed growth of U937 leukemic xenograft tumors in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. These results suggest that SKI-II might be further investigated as a promising anti-AML agent.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Division; Enzyme Inhibitors; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Mice; Mice, SCID; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Tumor Cells, Cultured; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Autophagy and apoptosis are two evolutionarily conserved processes that regulate cell fate in response to cytotoxic stress. However, the functional relationship between these two processes remains far from clear. Here, we demonstrate an autophagy-dependent mechanism of caspase-8 activation and initiation of the apoptotic cascade in response to SKI-I, a pan-sphingosine kinase inhibitor, and bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor. Autophagy is induced concomitantly with caspase-8 activation, which is responsible for initiation of the caspase cascade and the mitochondrial amplification loop that is required for full execution of apoptosis. Inhibition of autophagosome formation by depletion of Atg5 or Atg3 results in a marked suppression of caspase-8 activation and apoptosis. Although caspase-8 self-association depends on p62/SQSTM1, its self-processing requires the autophagosomal membrane. Caspase-8 forms a complex with Atg5 and colocalizes with LC3 and p62. Moreover, FADD, an adaptor protein for caspase-8 activation, associates with Atg5 on Atg16L- and LC3-positive autophagosomal membranes and loss of FADD suppresses cell death. Taken together, these results indicate that the autophagosomal membrane serves as a platform for an intracellular death-inducing signaling complex (iDISC) that recruits self-associated caspase-8 to initiate the caspase-8/-3 cascade.

Topics: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Animals; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Autophagy-Related Protein 5; Autophagy-Related Proteins; Caspase 3; Caspase 8; Cell Membrane; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Death Domain Receptor Signaling Adaptor Proteins; Enzyme Activation; Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; Gene Knockout Techniques; Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Hydrazines; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Lysosomal Membrane Proteins; Mice; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Mitochondria; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Protein Binding; Protein Multimerization; Protein Transport; Pyrazoles; Sequestosome-1 Protein; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes