Dasatinib impairs long-term expansion of leukemic progenitors in a subset of acute myeloid leukemia cases

Ann Hematol. 2010 Sep;89(9):861-71. doi: 10.1007/s00277-010-0948-7. Epub 2010 Apr 13.

Abstract

A number of signaling pathways might be frequently disrupted in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We questioned whether the dual SRC/ABL kinase inhibitor dasatinib can affect AML cells and whether differences can be observed with normal CD34(+) cells. First, we demonstrated that normal cord blood (CB) CD34(+) cells were unaffected by dasatinib at a low concentration (0.5 nM) in the long-term culture on MS5 stromal cells. No changes were observed in proliferation, differentiation, and colony formation. In a subset of AML cases (3/15), a distinct reduction in cell proliferation was observed, ranging from 48% to 91% inhibition at 0.5 nM of dasatinib, in particular, those characterized by BCR-ABL or KIT mutations. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of dasatinib were cytokine specific. Stem cell factor-mediated proliferation was significantly impaired, associated with a reduced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and STAT5, whereas no effect was observed on interleukin-3 and thrombopoietin-mediated signaling despite SRC activation. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that dasatinib is a potential inhibitor in a subgroup of AML, especially those that express BCR-ABL or KIT mutations.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD34 / biosynthesis
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dasatinib
  • Fetal Blood / cytology
  • Fetal Blood / drug effects
  • Fetal Blood / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • K562 Cells
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / pathology*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / genetics
  • Pyrimidines / therapeutic use*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Stem Cells / drug effects*
  • Stem Cells / pathology*
  • Stromal Cells / drug effects
  • Stromal Cells / pathology
  • Thiazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antigens, CD34
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrimidines
  • Thiazoles
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Dasatinib