Combing oncolytic adenovirus expressing Beclin-1 with chemotherapy agent doxorubicin synergistically enhances cytotoxicity in human CML cells in vitro.

Cancer virotherapy provides a new strategy to treat cancer that can directly kill cancer cells by oncolysis. Insertion of therapeutic genes into the genome of a modified adenovirus, thereby creating a so-called gene-virotherapy that shares the advantages of gene therapy and virotherapy. In this study we investigated whether a strategy that combines the oncolytic effects of an adenoviral vector with the simultaneous expression of the autophagy gene Beclin-1 offered a therapeutic advantage for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells with resistance to chemotherapy and evaluated the synergistic effects of SG511-BECN and doxorubicin (Dox) in human CML cells in vitro. Oncolytic virus SG511-BECN was constructed through introducing the Beclin-1 gene into the oncolytic adenoviral backbone. SG511-BECN displayed significantly improved antileukemia activity on multidrug-resistant CML cell line K562/A02, which was mediated via induction of autophagic cell death. Furthermore, Dox could synergize with SG511-BECN to kill the CML cells by improving the infectious efficiency of the oncolytic adenovirus without causing significant damage to normal human mononuclear cells. The results demonstrate that targeting the autophagic cell death pathway and combination of a chemotherapy agent with oncolytic adenovirus may be a novel strategy for the treatment of leukemia with chemotherapy resistance.

MNK1 inhibitor CGP57380 overcomes mTOR inhibitor-induced activation of eIF4E: the mechanism of synergic killing of human T-ALL cells.

Although the treatment of adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) has been significantly improved, the heterogeneous genetic landscape of the disease often causes relapse. Aberrant activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in T-ALL is responsible for treatment failure and relapse, suggesting that mTOR inhibition may represents a new therapeutic strategy. In this study, we investigated whether the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor everolimus could be used as a therapeutic agent against human T-ALL. We showed that rapamycin and its analog RAD001 (everolimus) exerted only mild inhibition on the viability of Jurkat, CEM and Molt-4 cell lines (for everolimus the maximum inhibition was <40% at 100 nM), but greatly enhanced the phosphorylation of eIF4E, a downstream substrate of MAPK-interacting kinase (MNK) that was involved in promoting cell survival. Furthermore, we demonstrated in Jurkat cells that mTOR inhibitor-induced eIF4E phosphorylation was independent of insulin-like growth factor-1/insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor axis, but was secondary to mTOR inhibition. Then we examined the antileukemia effects of CGP57380, a MNK1 inhibitor, and we found that CGP57380 (4-16 µM) dose-dependently suppressed the expression of both phosphor-MNK1 and phosphor-eIF4E, thereby inhibiting downstream targets such as c-Myc and survivin in T-ALL cells. Importantly, CGP57380 produced a synergistic growth inhibitory effect with everolimus in T-ALL cells, and treatment with this targeted therapy overcame everolimus-induced eIF4E phosphorylation. In conclusion, our results suggest that dual-targeting of mTOR and MNK1/eIF4E signaling pathways may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of human T-ALL.

[Imatinib mesylate for chronic myeloid leukemia: in patients with initial treatment versus those with Recombinant Human IFN-α2b treatment failure].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of imatinib mesylate (IM) for patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and patients after failure of Recombinant Human interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b) therapy. METHODS: A total of 86 patients with CML in chronic-phase, including 61 newly diagnosed cases and 25 cases of IFN-α2b failure, who received IM at 400 mg daily were retrospectively analyzed. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of R-banding was used to detect chromosome abnormalities and real-time PCR was used to detect BCR-ABL fusion gene. RESULTS: 81.9% of newly diagnosed patients and 36.0% of IFN-α2b failure patients achieved partial cytogenetic response (PCyR) by 6 months. In addition, 86.9% of newly diagnosed patients and 68.0% of IFN-α2b failure patients achieved complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) in 24 months. There was significant difference between two groups (P<0.001). The median time achieved CCyR in newly diagnosed group and IFN-α2b failure group were 6 months and 15 months, respectively. Compared with newly diagnosed group, IFN-α2b failure group showed lower rate of complete molecular remission (CMR) (70.4% vs 40.0%, P=0.033). There are 14 patients (22.9%) in newly diagnosed patients with cytogenetic resistance, among whom 4 with primary cytogenetic resistance; while there were 14 patients (56.0%) in IFN-α2b failure group with cytogenetic resistance, all of whom with primary resistance. CONCLUSION: Compared with newly diagnosed patients, CML patients after failure of IFN-α2b therapy have a high rate of primary cytogenetic resistance and low response rate to IM.

[Apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells induced by CDK inhibitor SNS-032 and its molecular mechanisms].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of cycle-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor SNS-032 on apoptosis in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) HL-60 cells and its molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Cultured AML HL-60 cells were treated with various concentrations of SNS-032. Cell apoptosis was determined with flow cytometry;cell viability was measured by MTT assay; the profiles of microRNA expression of HL-60 cells were analyzed by microRNA microarray;the protein expressions of JAK2/STAT3 pathway were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Apoptosis of AML HL-60 cells was induced by SNS-032; the rate of apoptosis was (5.9±1.7)%, (12.1±3.1)% and (59.4±3.6)% when HL-60 cells were treated with 0,100 and 200 nmol/L SNS-032. MicroRNA microarray analysis revealed that the levels of miR-30a, miR-183, miR-20b, miR-26b, miR-20a, miR-589, miR-107, miR-181a, miR-106a, miR-17 and miR-378c were down-regulated by SNS-032,whereas the levels of miR-320a and miR-H7* were up-regulated. Western blotting showed that SNS-032 strongly inhibited phosphorylation of STAT3 and protein expression of JAK2,C-MYC and MCL-1. CONCLUSION: CDK inhibitor SNS-032 can induce apoptosis of AML HL-60 cells, which is associated with the inhibition of MCL-1,C-MYC and JAK2/STAT3, and down-regulation of miR-17-92 family.

[Homoharringtonine combined arsenic trioxide induced apoptosis in human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226: an experimental research].

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the effects and mechanisms of homoharringtonine (HHT) monomer therapy or combination therapy with arsenic trioxide (ATO) on human multiple myeloma (MM) cell line RPMI 8226 in in vitro researches. METHODS: Effects of HHT, ATO, and HHT combined ATO on the growth of MM cell line RPMI 8226 were detected using MTT assay. The morphological changes of cell apoptosis were detected by Hoechst staining. The early apoptosis rate was detected using flow cytometry. Expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-9, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bcl-xl, and AKT protein were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: HHT and ATO inhibited the proliferation of RPM1 8226 cell line in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Synergistic effects was shown in the combination group (Cl < 1). HHT and ATO induced the apoptosis of RPMI 8226 in a dose-dependent manner with typical morphological changes of apoptosis and higher early stage apoptosis rate. The enhancement in apoptotic induction was seen when two agents were combined. HHT activated expressions of Caspase-3 and PARP in a dose dependent manner at 24 h. HHT at 40 ng/mL and ATO at 8.5 micromol/L could significantly activate expressions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and down-regulate expressions of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-xl and Mcl-1. In addition, the combination therapy of HHT at 40 ng/mL and ATO at 8.5 micromol/L inhibited phosphorylation of AKT in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: HTT, ATO, and combination therapy of HHT and ATO induced the apoptosis of RPMI 8226 cell line possibly through activating Caspase pathways, regulating expressions of Bcl-2 families, and inhibiting phosphorylation of AKT.

A national, multicenter, retrospective study of Castleman disease in China implementing CDCN criteria.

Background: Castleman disease (CD) is a group of rare and heterogenous lymphoproliferative disorders including unicentric CD (UCD), human herpesvirus-8(HHV-8)-associated multicentric CD (HHV8-MCD), and HHV-8-negative/idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD). Knowledge of CD mainly comes from case series or retrospective studies, but the inclusion criteria of these studies vary because the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) diagnostic criteria for iMCD and UCD were not available until 2017 and 2020, respectively. Further, these criteria and guidelines have not been systematically evaluated. Methods: In this national, multicenter, retrospective study implementing CDCN criteria, we enrolled 1634 CD patients (UCD, n = 903; MCD, n = 731) from 2000 to 2021 at 40 Chinese institutions to depict clinical features, treatment options, and prognostic factors of CD. Findings: Among UCD, there were 162 (17.9%) patients with an MCD-like inflammatory state. Among MCD, there were 12 HHV8-MCD patients and 719 HHV-8-negative MCD patients, which included 139 asymptomatic MCD (aMCD) and 580 iMCD meeting clinical criteria. Of 580 iMCD patients, 41 (7.1%) met iMCD-TAFRO criteria, the others were iMCD-NOS. iMCD-NOS were further divided into iMCD-IPL (n = 97) and iMCD-NOS without IPL (n = 442). Among iMCD patients with first-line treatment data, a trend from pulse combination chemotherapy toward continuous treatment was observed. Survival analysis revealed significant differences between subtypes and severe iMCD (HR = 3.747; 95% CI: 2.112-6.649, p < 0.001) had worse outcome. Interpretation: This study depicts a broad picture of CD, treatment options and survival information in China and validates the association between the CDCN's definition of severe iMCD and worse outcomes, requiring more intensive treatment. Fundings: Beijing Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, CAMS Innovation Fund and National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding.

Perifosine induces protective autophagy and upregulation of ATG5 in human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells in vitro.

AIM: The efficacy of the Akt inhibitor perifosine against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells and its mechanisms of action are unknown. In this study, the cytotoxic effects of perifosine on CML and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines were compared to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the differences. METHODS: Human AML cell lines Kasumi-1 and HL-60, and the CML cell line K562 were used. Cell viability was quantitated using MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined using Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide and Hoechst staining, which were followed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy analysis, respectively. Caspase pathway activation and the expression of autophagy-related genes were examined using Western blot. Autophagy was studied using electron microscopy, the acridine orange staining method, and GFP-LC3 was examined with fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: In contrast to AML cell lines, the CML cell lines K562 and K562/G (an imatinib-insensitive CML cell line) were resistant to perifosine (2.5-20 µmol/L) in respect to inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis. Perifosine (2.5, 5, and 10 µmol/L) inhibited Akt and its phosphorylation in AML cells, but not in CML cells. Treatment with perifosine (20 µmol/L) resulted in autophagy in CML cells as shown by the increased formation of acidic vesicular organelles and the accumulation of LC3-II. Treatment of CML cells with perifosine (5, 10, and 20 µmol/L) dose-dependently upregulated AGT5, but not Beclin 1 at the protein level. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine (40 nmol/L) significantly suppressed the cell growth and induced apoptosis in CML cells treated with perifosine (20 µmol/L). CONCLUSION: Our results show that CML cell lines were resistant to the Akt inhibitor perifosine in vitro, which is due to perifosine-induced protective autophagy and upregulation of ATG5.

[Killing effect of aurora kinase inhibitor ENMD-2076 on acute myelogenous leukemia cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of aurora kinase inhibitor ENMD-2076 on human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines. METHODS: AML THP-1 and Kasumi-1 cells were treated with ENMD-2076 for 24 h and 48 h,respectively. Cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined using Hoechst staining apoptosis detection kit. Activation of Caspase pathway and expression of apoptosis regulator proteins were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: ENMD-2076 significantly induced growth arrest and apoptosis in THP-1 and Kasumi-1 cells. Enhanced apoptosis was observed in ENMD-2076 group evidenced by strong activation of Caspase-9,Caspase-3 and PARP. Furthermore,the ENMD-2076 treatment resulted in down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 expression. Also,up-regulated expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bak,Bad and Bax was detected after ENMD-2076 treatment. CONCLUSION: ENMD-2076 can kill effectively AML cells by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis,which is associated with activation of Caspase pathway and regulation of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins.

[Antitumor activity of histone deacetylase inhibitor suberic bishydroxamate on acute myeloid leukemia cell lines].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of histone deacetylase inhibitor suberic bishydroxamate (SBHA) on human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. METHODS: AML U937, KG-1 and Kasumi-1 cells were treated with SBHA. Cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry. Activation of Caspase pathway and expression of apoptosis regulator proteins were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: SBHA significantly induced growth arrest and apoptosis in U937, KG-1 and Kasumi-1 cells. Enhanced apoptosis was observed in SHBA group evidenced by strong activation of Caspase-9, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3. SHBA treatment resulted in down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl expression; down-regulated expression of antiapoptotic proteins survivin, XIAP and cIAP was also detected after SBHA treatment. CONCLUSION: SBHA can effectively kill AML cells by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis, which is associated with the activation of Caspase pathway and regulation of apoptotic related proteins.

[Research advances on mechanisms of chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia].

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common type of hematopoietic malignancies seriously threatening human life. Resistance to chemotherapy is one of the main reasons for recurrence and refractoriness of acute myeloid leukemia. The mechanisms of chemoresistance are complex. This article reviews the mechanisms of chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia,the current research advances and the possible approach for reverse of drug resistance.

[Synergistic effect of histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid with imatinib on K562 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate synergistically killing effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) combined with imatinib on human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line. METHODS: K562 cells were co-treated with SAHA and imatinib. Cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined using Hoechst staining apoptosis detection kit and flow cytometric analysis. Activation of Caspase pathway, expression of Bcr-Abl and its downstream target genes, and expression of anti-apoptotic proteins were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: SAHA synergized the cytotoxicity of imatinib against leukemia K562 cells, concomitantly with increased apoptosis and enhanced activation of Caspase-3, -8 and PRAP. The combination therapy resulted in significantly lower levels of Bcr-Abl,phosphorylated Bcr-Abl compared to treatment with either SAHA or imatinib alone. Furthermore,the co-treatment resulted in down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 expression. Also,marked down-regulated expression of JAK2,STAT5,and phosphorylated STAT5 was detected in the combination therapy. CONCLUSION: Combining HDAC inhibitor SAHA with imatinib can kill CML cells synergistically by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis, which is associated with activation of Caspase pathway and regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins.

[Cytotoxicity of homoharringtonine on leukemic stem-like cells in AML cell line KG-1].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of homoharringtonine (HHT) on leukemic stem-like cells (LSC) in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. METHODS: The phenotypes of AML cell lines U937,Kasumi-1,and KG-1 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry (FACS). The effect of HHT on leukemia stem-like cells with immunophenotype of CD34(+)CD38(-)CD96(+) was detected with FACS. Cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Activation of Caspase pathway and expression of apoptosis-related regulator proteins were examined by Western blotting. RESULTS: FACS demonstrated that the 69% of KG-1 cells expressed LSC phenotype CD34(+)CD38(-)CD96(+), while 26.7% on Kasumi-1 cells expressed this marker. In contrast,U937 cells showed CD96 negative. HHT significantly inhibited cell growth of KG-1 cells with an IC(50) of 16.9 ng/ml at 48 h. The ratio of CD34(+)CD38(-)CD96(+) cells decreased from 63.6% to 17.1% after HHT treatment. Enhanced apoptosis was demonstrated in HHT group evidenced by strong activation of Caspase-9,Caspase-3 and PARP.HHT treatment resulted in down-regulation of expression of anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 and phosphorylated-Akt. CONCLUSION: HHT can effectively kill the leukemic stem-like cells in human AML cell line KG1 by inhibiting cell growth and inducing apoptosis which is associated with activation of Caspase pathway and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins and phosphorylated-Akt.

Chidamide and sintilimab combination in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma progressing after chimeric antigen receptor T therapy.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is curable with first-line chemoimmunotherapy but patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL still face a poor prognosis. For patients with R/R DLBCL, the complete response rate to traditional next-line therapy is only 7% and the median overall survival is 6.3 mo. Recently, CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) have shown promise in clinical trials. However, approximately 50% of patients treated with CAR-T cells ultimately progress and few salvage therapies are effective. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report on 7 patients with R/R DLBCL whose disease progressed after CAR-T infusion. They received a PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab) and a histone deacetylase inhibitor (chidamide). Five of the 7 patients tolerated the treatment without any serious adverse events. Two patients discontinued the treatment due to lung infection and rash. At the 20-mo follow-up, the median overall survival of these 7 patients was 6 mo. Of note, there were 2 complete response rates (CRs) and 2 partial response rates (PRs) during this novel therapy, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 57.1%, and one patient had a durable CR that lasted at least 20 mo. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, chidamide combined with sintilimab may be a choice for DLBCL patients progressing after CD19-targeting CAR-T therapy.

Triptolide inhibits the proliferation of cells from lymphocytic leukemic cell lines in association with downregulation of NF-κB activity and miR-16-1*.

AIM: To examine the effects of triptolide (TPL) on T-cell leukemia cells and identify their underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The cytotoxicity of TPL was assessed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was determined using annexin V and DAPI staining and analyzed by flow cytometry or fluorescence microscopy. The activation of caspase pathways and the expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 were examined by Western blotting. Differences in microRNA (miRNA) expression in Molt-4 and Jurkat cells before and after TPL treatment were identified using microarrays and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS: TPL 20-160 nmol/L treatment potently inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in T-cell lymphocytic leukemia cell lines. Molt-4 and Jurkat cells, however, were more sensitive to TPL than L428 and Raji cells. After 24 h of treatment, bortezomib abrogated the growth of Molt-4 and Jurkat cells with an IC(50) of 15.25 and 24.68 nmol/L, respectively. Using Molt-4 cells, we demonstrated that treatment 20-80 nmol/L inhibited the translocation of NF-κB p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and that phosphorylated NF-κB p65 in nuclear extracts was down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner. Similar results were also seen in Jurkat cells but not in L428 cells, as these cells are resistant to TPL and bortezomib (a NF-κB inhibitor). Twenty-three miRNAs were differentially expressed after TPL treatment. Functional analysis revealed that TPL treatment could inhibit expression of miR-16-1* and that transfection of miR-16-1* led to significantly decreased apoptosis induced by TPL. CONCLUSION: Our in vitro studies suggest that TPL might be an effective therapeutic agent for treatment of T-cell lymphocytic leukemia and that its cytotoxic effects could be associated with inhibition of NF-κB and down-regulation of miR-16-1*.

[The efficacy and safety of HAA regimen as induction chemotherapy in 150 newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of HAA regimen (homoharringtonine, cytarabine and aclarubicin) in the treatment of 150 newly diagnosed adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: All patients entered the study from May 1999 to June 2008 were treated with HAA regimen. Cox-survival analysis was used to estimate the survival rate and differences between M(1)/M(2) and M(4)/M(5) were compared with 2-sided log-rank test. RESULTS: Out of the 150 patients, 121 (81%) achieved complete remission (CR). After the first course, CR rate was 68%. The CR rates of 97%, 84% and 38% were achieved in patients with favorable, intermediate and unfavorable cytogenetics, respectively. For the patients with CR, the median follow-up time was 16.5 (1.5 - 100.5) months, and the estimated 3-year survival rate was 45%. The estimated 3-year relapse free survival rate was 52% for the 121 patients with CR. CONCLUSIONS: HAA regimen may be an efficacious and safe regimen with a good toleration in the induction therapy for newly diagnosed AML, and a high CR rate could be achieved with only one or two courses.

[Research progress on autophagy in hematopoietic malignancies].

Autophagy is a process of bulk degradation of proteins and organelles in cytoplasm.Autophagy has many normal physiological functions in cellular catabolism; therefore is essential for cell homeostasis. In some circumstances autophagy can induces cell death, namely autophagic cell death. Recent studies have suggested that autophagy plays an important role in both normal tissue development and a variety of diseases, including cancer. Therefore, the strategy targeting autophagy pathway may represent a new way of cancer treatment.

[Inhibitive effects of chimeric oncolytic adenovirus SG235 on leukemia cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitive effects of chimeric oncolytic adenovirus SG235 on leukemia cells in vitro. METHODS: The ability of SG235 to infect leukemia cells and the expression of CD46 on blasts from the patient with leukemia were detected by flow cytometry (FACS). The cytotoxicity of the virus was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptosis induced by SG235 was detected with Annexin-V/PI staining and TUNEL assay followed by FACS analysis. RESULT: The majority of leukemia cells from the patient with acute leukemia was CD46-positive. GFP-positive cells were 45.1%, 35.7%, 54.2%, 37.0%, 30.1%, %67.1, 17.2% and 33.1% in Mutz-1, Kasumi-1, K562, HL60, Molt- 4, RPMI8226, L428, and Jurkat cell lines treated with SG235-EGFP vector at MOI (multiplicity of infection) of 50 for 48 h.SG235 treatment resulted in marked growth inhibition and apoptosis of Kassumi-1 cells, and also significantly inhibited expression of p-Akt. CONCLUSION: The chimeric oncolytic adenovirus SG235 can infect leukemia cell effectively and results in the growth inhibition and apoptosis of Kasumi-1 cells in vitro.

[Mechanisms of enhanced antileukemia activity of conditionally replicating adenovirus (CRAd) ZD55 by interleukin-24].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanisms of enhanced antileukemia activity of conditionally replicating adenovirus (CRAd) by interleukin-24 (IL-24). METHODS: The ability of CRAd ZD55 to infect leukemia cells was detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in leukemia cells treated with PBS, ZD55, ZD55-IL-24, and an adenovirus carrying IL-24 (Ad-IL-24) were determined by Western blot analysis. Animal xenograft tumor model was established by Mutz-1 cell line.Deparaffinized tumor sections were incubated with anti-CD31, and VEGF antibody, followed by immunohistochemistry analysis. RESULT: The GFP-positive cells were 5.1% and 42.3% in Mutz-1 cells treated with ZD55-EGFP vector at MOI of 10 and 100 for 48h, respectively. ZD55-IL-24 treatment resulted in the marked down-regulation of VEGF protein expression and ZD55 inhibited VEGF slightly; however, there was no change observed in the cells treated with Ad-IL-24. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that Ad-IL-24 inhibited slightly angiogenesis and ZD55 treatment resulted in significant inhibition of angiogenesis. ZD55-IL-24 treatment almost completely inhibited angiogenesis in tumor tissues. CONCLUSION: IL-24 enhances the antileukemia activity of ZD55 by inhibiting VEGF protein expression and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

CAG regimen for refractory or relapsed adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A retrospective, multicenter, cohort study.

Adult patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R-T-ALL) have extremely poor prognosis, representing an urgent unmet medical need. Finding an optimal salvage regimen to bridge transplantation is a priority. The CAG (cytarabine, aclarubicin, and G-CSF) regimen was initially used by one group in China, showing unexpectedly promising results in 11 R/R-T-ALL patients. Here, we report the multicenter results of 41 patients who received the CAG regimen as salvage therapy. After one cycle of the CAG regimen, complete remission and partial remission were achieved in 33 (80.5%) and two (4.9%) patients, respectively. Failure to respond was observed in six patients (14.6%). Early T-cell precursor (ETP) (n = 26) and non-ETP (n = 15) patients had a similar CR rate (80.8% vs 80.0%, P = .95). Among 41 patients, allo-HSCT was successfully performed in 27 (66%) patients (22 in CR and 5 in non-CR). With a median follow-up time of 12 months, the estimated 2-year overall survival and event-free survival were 68.8% (95% CI, 47.3%-83.0%) and 56.5% (95% CI, 37.1%-71.9%), respectively. The CAG regimen was well-tolerated, and no early death occurred. Our multicenter results show that the CAG regimen is highly effective and safe, representing a novel choice for adult patients with R/R-T-ALL and providing a better bridge to transplantation.

Genomic and Transcriptomic Characterization of Natural Killer T Cell Lymphoma.

Natural killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is an aggressive and heterogeneous entity of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. To identify molecular subtypes of NKTCL based on genomic structural alterations and EBV sequences, we performed multi-omics study on 128 biopsy samples of newly diagnosed NKTCL and defined three prominent subtypes, which differ significantly in cell of origin, EBV gene expression, transcriptional signatures, and responses to asparaginase-based regimens and targeted therapy. Our findings thus identify molecular networks of EBV-associated pathogenesis and suggest potential clinical strategies on NKTCL.