Selective inhibition of cell death in malignant vs normal B-cell precursors: implications for cAMP in development and treatment of BCP-ALL

Blood. 2013 Mar 7;121(10):1805-13. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-08-452698. Epub 2013 Jan 8.

Abstract

B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is the most commonly occurring pediatric cancer. Despite its relatively good prognosis, there is a steady search for strategies to improve treatment effects and prevent the undesired side effects on normal cells. In the present paper, we demonstrate a differential effect of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling between normal BCPs and BCP-ALL blasts, pointing to a potential therapeutic window allowing for manipulation of cAMP signaling in the treatment of BCP-ALL. By studying primary cells collected from pediatric BCP-ALL patients and healthy controls, we found that cAMP profoundly decreased basal and DNA damage-induced p53 levels and cell death in malignant cells, whereas normal BCP counterparts displayed slightly augmented cell death when exposed to cAMP-increasing agents. We did not find evidence for a selection process involving generation of increased basal cAMP levels in BCP-ALL cells, but we demonstrate that paracrine signaling involving prostaglandin E2-induced cAMP generation has the potential to suppress p53 activation and cell death induction. The selective inhibitory effect of cAMP signaling on DNA damage-induced cell death in BCP-ALL cells appears to be an acquired trait associated with malignant transformation, potentially allowing the use of inhibitors of this pathway for directed killing of the malignant blasts.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Apoptosis*
  • Blast Crisis / drug therapy
  • Blast Crisis / metabolism
  • Blast Crisis / pathology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Colforsin / pharmacology
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism*
  • DNA Damage / physiology
  • DNA Damage / radiation effects
  • Dinoprostone / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Oxytocics / pharmacology
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / metabolism
  • Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / cytology*
  • Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Oxytocics
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Colforsin
  • Cyclic AMP
  • Dinoprostone