High-throughput profiling of signaling networks identifies mechanism-based combination therapy to eliminate microenvironmental resistance in acute myeloid leukemia
Zhihong Zeng,
Wenbin Liu,
Twee Tsao,
YiHua Qiu,
Yang Zhao,
Ismael Samudio,
Dos D. Sarbassov,
Steven M. Kornblau,
Keith A. Baggerly,
Hagop M. Kantarjian,
Marina Konopleva,
Michael Andreeff
Affiliations
Zhihong Zeng
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Wenbin Liu
Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Twee Tsao
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
YiHua Qiu
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Yang Zhao
Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Ismael Samudio
Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Dos D. Sarbassov
Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Steven M. Kornblau
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA;Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Keith A. Baggerly
Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Hagop M. Kantarjian
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Marina Konopleva
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA;Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
Michael Andreeff
Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA;Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
The bone marrow microenvironment is known to provide a survival advantage to residual acute myeloid leukemia cells, possibly contributing to disease recurrence. The mechanisms by which stroma in the microenvironment regulates leukemia survival remain largely unknown. Using reverse-phase protein array technology, we profiled 53 key protein molecules in 11 signaling pathways in 20 primary acute myeloid leukemia samples and two cell lines, aiming to understand stroma-mediated signaling modulation in response to the targeted agents temsirolimus (MTOR), ABT737 (BCL2/BCL-XL), and Nutlin-3a (MDM2), and to identify the effective combination therapy targeting acute myeloid leukemia in the context of the leukemia microenvironment. Stroma reprogrammed signaling networks and modified the sensitivity of acute myeloid leukemia samples to all three targeted inhibitors. Stroma activated AKT at Ser473 in the majority of samples treated with single-agent ABT737 or Nutlin-3a. This survival mechanism was partially abrogated by concomitant treatment with temsirolimus plus ABT737 or Nutlin-3a. Mapping the signaling networks revealed that combinations of two inhibitors increased the number of affected proteins in the targeted pathways and in multiple parallel signaling, translating into facilitated cell death. These results demonstrated that a mechanism-based selection of combined inhibitors can be used to guide clinical drug selection and tailor treatment regimens to eliminate microenvironment-mediated resistance in acute myeloid leukemia.
