ImmunoTargets and Therapy (Nov 2023)
Selinexor Synergistically Promotes the Antileukemia Activity of Venetoclax in Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Inhibiting Glycolytic Function and Downregulating the Expression of DNA Replication Genes
Abstract
Jiqian Jiang,1 Yan Wang,1 Dan Liu,1 Xiaoyu Wang,1 Yingqiao Zhu,1 Juan Tong,1 Erling Chen,1 Lei Xue,1 Na Zhao,1 Tingting Liang,2 Changcheng Zheng1 1Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 2The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Changcheng Zheng, Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Lujiang Road No. 17, Hefei, 230001, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-551-62284476, Email [email protected]: The BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax has been widely used in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML); however, AML patients treated with venetoclax gradually develop resistance. The exportin-1 (XPO1) inhibitor selinexor can synergistically promote the antileukemia activity of venetoclax, but the mechanism remains unclear.Methods and Results: Annexin V/7-aminoactinomycin D assays were used to examine the effects of a combination of venetoclax and selinexor (VEN+SEL) on AML cell lines and primary AML cells. RNA sequencing and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) determinations by a Seahorse XF analyzer were employed to investigate the molecular mechanism of the toxicity of the VEN+SEL combination to AML cells. The cytotoxicity of NK cell combined with VEN+SEL combination was assessed in vitro using flow cytometry. VEN+SEL enhanced the apoptosis of AML cells (KG-1A and THP-1) and primary AML samples in vitro. The ECAR and OCR results demonstrated that the VEN+SEL combination significantly inhibited glycolytic function. RNA sequencing of THP-1 cells demonstrated that DNA replication-related genes were downregulated after treatment with the VEN+SEL combination.Conclusion: This study indicated that selinexor can synergistically enhance the antileukemia activity of venetoclax in AML cells in vitro by inhibiting glycolytic function and downregulating DNA replication-related genes. Based on our experimental data, combining selinexor with venetoclax is an appropriate advanced treatment option for AML patients.Keywords: venetoclax, selinexor, acute myeloid leukemia, glycolytic function, DNA replication-related genes
