Peng-Peng Xu

Induction of autophagy by valproic acid enhanced lymphoma cell chemosensitivity through HDAC-independent and IP3-mediated PRKAA activation

Autophagy is closely related to tumor cell sensitivity to anticancer drugs. The HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitor valproic acid (VPA) interacted synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents to trigger lymphoma cell autophagy, which resulted from activation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and inhibition of downstream MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin [serine/threonine kinase]) signaling. In an HDAC-independent manner, VPA potentiated the effect of doxorubicin on lymphoma cell autophagy via reduction of cellular inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3), blockade of calcium into mitochondria and modulation of PRKAA1/2-MTOR cascade. In murine xenograft models established with subcutaneous injection of lymphoma cells, dual treatment of VPA and doxorubicin initiated IP3-mediated calcium depletion and PRKAA1/2 activation, induced in situ autophagy and efficiently retarded tumor growth. Aberrant genes involving mitochondrial calcium transfer were frequently observed in primary tumors of lymphoma patients. Collectively, these findings suggested an HDAC-independent chemosensitizing activity of VPA and provided an insight into the clinical application of targeting autophagy in the treatment of lymphoma.

MiR21 sensitized B-lymphoma cells to ABT-199 via ICOS/ICOSL-mediated interaction of Treg cells with endothelial cells

BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRs) are involved in tumor progression by regulating tumor cells and tumor microenvironment. MiR21 is overexpressed in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and its biological impact on tumor microenvironment remains unclear.MethodsMiR21 was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. The mechanism of action of miR21 on lymphoma progression and tumor angiogenesis was examined in vitro in B-lymphoma cell lines and in vivo in a murine xenograft model.ResultsSerum miR21 was significantly elevated in patients and associated with advanced disease stage, International Prognostic Index indicating intermediate-high and high-risk, and increased tumor angiogenesis. When co-cultured with immune cells and endothelial cells, miR21-overexpressing B-lymphoma cells were resistant to chemotherapeutic agents, but sensitive to Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199, irrespective of Bcl-2 expression on lymphoma cells. In both co-culture systems of Bcl-2positive and Bcl-2negative B-lymphoma cells, miR21 induced inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) expression on regulatory T (Treg) cells. Through crosstalking with Treg cells by ICOS ligand (ICOSL), endothelial cells were activated, resulting in stimulation of Bcl-2 expression and vessel formation. ABT-199 directly targeted Bcl-2 on endothelial cells, induced endothelial cell apoptosis and inhibited tumor angiogenesis. In a murine xenograft model established with subcutaneous injection of B-lymphoma cells, ABT-199 particularly retarded the growth of miR21-overexpressing tumors, consistent with the induction of endothelial cell apoptosis and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.ConclusionsAs a serum oncogenic biomarker of B-cell lymphoma, miR21 indicated B-lymphoma cell sensitivity to ABT-199 via ICOS/ICOSL-mediated interaction of Treg cells with endothelial cells.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with mature T-cell lymphoid malignancies: a single-institution study of 225 cases

Mature T-cell lymphoid malignancies comprise a group of heterogeneous diseases that vary in clinicopathological features, biological behavior, treatment response, and prognosis. Bone marrow (BM) infiltration is more commonly present in mature T-cell lymphoid malignancies compared with their B-cell counterparts and hence important for differential diagnosis. In this study, clinical characteristics and prognostic factors were analyzed in 225 patients with mature T-cell lymphoid malignancies treated in a single institution. These included 29 cases of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (T-LPD, all with BM infiltration) and 196 cases of T-/natural-killer-cell lymphoma (T/NKCL, 56 with BM infiltration and 140 without BM infiltration). The estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of T-LPD and T/NKCL were 96.6% and 37.3%, respectively. T-LPD patients were less likely to exhibit poor performance status, advanced disease stage, presence of B symptoms, or abnormal level of serum β-2 microglobulin. With similar pathological characteristics, T/NKCL patients with BM infiltration showed significantly lower response rates and shorter OS than those without BM infiltration (P = 0.0264 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that poor performance status, advanced disease stage, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level, and BM involvement were independent unfavorable prognostic factors. The Glasgow Prognostic Score may be more efficient than the International Prognostic Index in predicting disease outcome in T/NKCL. In conclusion, clinical characteristics may be useful in more effectively stratifying patients with mature T-cell lymphoid malignancies.

Immune Characteristics of Chinese Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients: Implications for Cancer Immunotherapies

Immunotherapeutic agents have demonstrated encouraging signs of clinical utility in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The goal of this study is to analyze the immune characteristics of Chinese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to inform the development of immunotherapies in this patient population. Tumor samples from 211 DLBCL patients were analyzed for cell of origin (COO) and immune characteristics using the NanoString platform as well as MYC protein expression through immunohistochemistry. Lower incidence of the germinal center B-cell (GCB) subtype (93/211, 44.1%) was observed in this cohort. Compared to the GCB subtype, the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype was associated with significantly increased expression of multiple pro-inflammatory gene signatures and decreased expression of anti-inflammatory gene signatures. Instead of affecting the pro-inflammatory genes, MYC protein overexpression showed a negative correlation with the expression of T-cell receptor (TCR) and T regulatory genes as well as the OX40 gene. Regardless of COO, higher PD-L1 or IDO1 gene expression correlated with increased expression of T effector and Interferon-γ gene signatures while the expression of multiple oncogenes including ACTR3B, ERBB2, AKT2 and SMARCD1 was down-regulated. Our findings may thus be helpful in guiding further development of immunotherapies for the different subsets of Chinese DLBCL patients.

Treatment outcome and prognostic factor in fit elderly patients with multiple myeloma received frontline induction of bortezomib based regimen (PAD or VCD)

Background: Few clinical trials have head to head compared bortezomib, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (PAD) and bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (VCD) regimen in multiple myeloma (MM), especially for the elderly patients. Methods: In this study, we included 64 fit patients who were treated with frontline induction of PAD or PCD. The effect of the bortezomib triple regimens and prognostic factors were evaluated. Results: Among the 64 patients, 20 (31.25%) were with international stage III disease. The median age was 67 years [65–75]. After completion of induction therapy, the overall response rate (ORR) 93.7%, complete remission (CR) rate was 32.8%. With a median follow up time of 28 [8–79] months, the median progressive free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 21.6 and 56.8 months respectively. There was no difference in term of CR rate, PFS, OS and adverse effects between two groups of patients induced by PAD or VCD regimens. Multivariable Cox analysis showed that low albumin (ALB) ( normal) were independent prognostic factor of OS (OR=2.980, 95% CI, 1.021–8.699, P=0.025 and OR=2.715, 95% CI, 1.184–6.223, P=0.018). Conclusions: PAD and VCD regimens showed equivalent efficacy and tolerability for fit elderly MM patients. Low ALB and high LDH were adverse prognostic factors associated with inferior OS, even in the era of novel agents.

JAM-A overexpression is related to disease progression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and downregulated by lenalidomide

Cancer stem cells play an important role on tumor progression. Biomarkers of stem cell property and their relationship to extranodal involvement of malignant lymphocytes are undefined in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here we showed that junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) was highly expressed in DLBCL patients with multiple extranodal lesions. JAM-A maintained B-lymphoma cell stemness and was associated with cell invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition both in vitro and in vivo. As mechanism of action, JAM-A overexpression selectively activated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/NODAL signaling, thereby enhanced B-lymphoma cell aggressiveness and induced extranodal involvement to mesoendoderm-derived organs in DLBCL. Lenalidomide downregulated JAM-A and downstream NODAL expression, resulting in inhibition of B-lymphoma cell invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In a murine xenograft model established with subcutaneous injection of JAM-A-overexpressing B-lymphoma cells, lenalidomide retarded tumor growth and prevented cell invasion to mesoendoderm-derived organs, consistent with the downregulation of JAM-A and NODAL expression. Collectively, these findings indicated that JAM-A was related to extranodal involvement in DLBCL through modulating TGF-β/NODAL signaling. Identified as a biomarker of stem cell property, JAM-A indicated the sensitivity of B-lymphoma cells to lenalidomide. Therapeutic targeting of JAM-A/NODAL axis could thus be a promising clinical strategy to impede tumor progression in DLBCL.

A Phase II Study of Methotrexate, Etoposide, Dexamethasone and Pegaspargase Sandwiched with Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed, Stage IE to IIE Extranodal Natural-Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma, Nasal-Type.

Background A phase II study of methotrexate, etoposide, dexamethasone, and pegaspargase (MESA) sandwiched with radiotherapy for newly diagnosed, stage IE-IIE extranodal natural-killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type (ENKTL) was conducted to explore its clinical efficacy and safety, as well as novel serum biomarkers upon anti-metabolic treatment. Methods Four cycles of MESA sandwiched with radiotherapy were administered. The primary end point was the overall response rate (ORR). Serum metabolomic profiles were assessed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, with specific metabolites quantified by targeted metabolic analysis. Findings Forty patients were enrolled and the ORR was 92.1% (95%CI, 83.1%–100.0%). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 89.1% and overall survival (OS) rate was 92.0%. Grade 3/4 non-hematologic and hematologic toxicities were observed in 17 (42.5%) and 26 patients (65·0%) during chemotherapy, and in 9 (22.5%) and 0 (0.0%) patients during radiotherapy, respectively. Fifty-six significantly decreased and 59 increased metabolites were identified in ENKTL, as compared to healthy volunteers. A predictive principal components analysis model of asparaginase-associated metabolites, asparaginase-associated metabolic score (AspM), was established, including alanine, aspartate, glutamate, and succinic acid. Patients with high AspM score displayed superior survival and prognostic significance of AspM was validated in a historical cohort of early and advanced-stage ENKTL treated with asparaginase-based regimens. Multivariate analysis confirmed AspM as a prognostic score independent of PINK and PINK combined with Epstein-Barr virus DNA. Interpretation MESA sandwiched with radiotherapy is an effective and safe regimen for early-stage ENKTL. AspM score may be a promising prognostic index of serum metabolites in addition to clinical prognostic index in ENKTL.