Dasatinib overcomes stroma-based resistance to the FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib using multiple mechanisms

Leukemia. 2020 Nov;34(11):2981-2991. doi: 10.1038/s41375-020-0858-1. Epub 2020 May 14.

Abstract

FLT3-ITD mutations occur in 20-30% of AML patients and are associated with aggressive disease. Patients with relapsed FLT3-mutated disease respond well to 2nd generation FLT3 TKIs but inevitably relapse within a short timeframe. In this setting, until overt relapse occurs, the bone marrow microenvironment facilitates leukemia cell survival despite continued on-target inhibition. We demonstrate that human bone marrow derived conditioned medium (CM) protects FLT3-ITD+ AML cells from the 2nd generation FLT3 TKI quizartinib and activates STAT3 and STAT5 in leukemia cells. Extrinsic activation of STAT5 by CM is the primary mediator of leukemia cell resistance to FLT3 inhibition. Combination treatment with quizartinib and dasatinib abolishes STAT5 activation and significantly reduces the IC50 of quizartinib in FLT3-ITD+ AML cells cultured in CM. We demonstrate that CM protects FLT3-ITD+ AML cells from the inhibitory effects of quizartinib on glycolysis and that this is partially reversed by treating cells with the combination of quizartinib and dasatinib. Using a doxycycline-inducible STAT5 knockdown in the FLT3-ITD+ MOLM-13 cell line, we show that dasatinib-mediated suppression of leukemia cell glycolytic activity is STAT5-independent and provide a preclinical rationale for combination treatment with quizartinib and dasatinib in FLT3-ITD+ AML.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Benzothiazoles / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Dasatinib / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Gene Duplication
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Glycolysis
  • Humans
  • Phenylurea Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / genetics
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Stromal Cells / drug effects*
  • Stromal Cells / metabolism*
  • Tumor Microenvironment / drug effects
  • Tumor Microenvironment / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / genetics

Substances

  • Benzothiazoles
  • Phenylurea Compounds
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor
  • STAT5A protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • quizartinib
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3
  • Dasatinib