RESUMO
Maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK), which was reported to be frequently up-regulated in various types of solid cancer, plays critical roles in formation and maintenance of cancer stem cells. However, little is known about the relevance of this kinase in hematologic malignancies. Here we report characterization of possible roles of MELK in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MELK is expressed in AML cell lines and AML blasts with higher levels in less differentiated cells. MELK is frequently upregulated in AML with complex karyotypes and is associated with worse clinical outcome. MELK knockdown resulted in growth inhibition and apoptosis of leukemic cells. Hence, we investigated the potent anti-leukemia activity of OTS167, a small molecule MELK kinase inhibitor, in AML, and found that the compound induced cell differentiation and apoptosis as well as decreased migration of AML cells. MELK expression was positively correlated with the expression of FOXM1 as well as its downstream target genes. Furthermore, MELK inhibition resulted in downregulation of FOXM1 activity and the expression of its downstream targets. Taken together, and given that OTS167 is undergoing a phase I clinical trial in solid cancer, our study warrants clinical evaluation of this compound as a novel targeted therapy for AML patients.
Assuntos
Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinases/metabolismo , Adolescente , Adulto , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Western Blotting , Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Feminino , Citometria de Fluxo , Imunofluorescência , Humanos , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/mortalidade , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Transfecção , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Current methods of cell processing for gene and cell therapies use several separate procedures for gene transfer and cell separation or elimination, because no current technology can offer simultaneous multifunctional processing of specific cell subsets in highly heterogeneous cell systems. Using the cell-specific generation of plasmonic nanobubbles of different sizes around cell-targeted gold nanoshells and nanospheres, we achieved simultaneous multifunctional cell-specific processing in a rapid single 70 ps laser pulse bulk treatment of heterogeneous cell suspension. This method supported the detection of cells, delivery of external molecular cargo to one type of cells and the concomitant destruction of another type of cells without damaging other cells in suspension, and real-time guidance of the above two cellular effects.
