Selective FLT3 inhibition of FLT3-ITD+ acute myeloid leukaemia resulting in secondary D835Y mutation: a model for emerging clinical resistance patterns

Leukemia. 2012 Jul;26(7):1462-70. doi: 10.1038/leu.2012.52. Epub 2012 Feb 22.

Abstract

Acquired resistance to selective FLT3 inhibitors is an emerging clinical problem in the treatment of FLT3-ITD(+) acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The paucity of valid pre-clinical models has restricted investigations to determine the mechanism of acquired therapeutic resistance, thereby limiting the development of effective treatments. We generated selective FLT3 inhibitor-resistant cells by treating the FLT3-ITD(+) human AML cell line MOLM-13 in vitro with the FLT3-selective inhibitor MLN518, and validated the resistant phenotype in vivo and in vitro. The resistant cells, MOLM-13-RES, harboured a new D835Y tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutation on the FLT3-ITD(+) allele. Acquired TKD mutations, including D835Y, have recently been identified in FLT3-ITD(+) patients relapsing after treatment with the novel FLT3 inhibitor, AC220. Consistent with this clinical pattern of resistance, MOLM-13-RES cells displayed high relative resistance to AC220 and Sorafenib. Furthermore, treatment of MOLM-13-RES cells with AC220 lead to loss of the FLT3 wild-type allele and the duplication of the FLT3-ITD-D835Y allele. Our FLT3-Aurora kinase inhibitor, CCT137690, successfully inhibited growth of FLT3-ITD-D835Y cells in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that dual FLT3-Aurora inhibition may overcome selective FLT3 inhibitor resistance, in part due to inhibition of Aurora kinase, and may benefit patients with FLT3-mutated AML.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Aurora Kinases
  • Benzenesulfonates / pharmacology
  • Benzothiazoles / pharmacology
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Niacinamide / analogs & derivatives
  • Phenylurea Compounds / pharmacology
  • Piperazines / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Pyridines / pharmacology
  • Quinazolines / pharmacology
  • Sorafenib
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences / genetics*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / genetics*
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / metabolism

Substances

  • 3-((4-(6-bromo-2-(4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)phenyl)-3H-imidazo(4,5-b)pyridin-7-yl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl)-5-methylisoxazole
  • Benzenesulfonates
  • Benzothiazoles
  • Imidazoles
  • Phenylurea Compounds
  • Piperazines
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridines
  • Quinazolines
  • Niacinamide
  • quizartinib
  • Sorafenib
  • tandutinib
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3
  • Aurora Kinases
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases