Targeting the Constitutively Active PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Epstein-Barr Virus B Cell Lymphomas.
A. Sang, G. Ivison, C. Esquivel, S. Krams, O. Martinez.
Division of Abdominal Transplantation, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
Meeting: 2016 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 457
Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Graft survival, Immunosuppression, Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD)
Session Information
Session Name: Concurrent Session: PTLD and Malignancies
Session Type: Concurrent Session
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Session Time: 2:30pm-4:00pm
Presentation Time: 3:06pm-3:18pm
Location: Room 206
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) B cell lymphomas in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a major problem in organ transplantation. Reduction of immunosuppression sometimes result in tumor regression but also puts the graft at risk for rejection. Therefore, treatments that combine anti-tumor and anti-rejection properties would be of great importance to PTLD patients.
Previous studies have shown that multiple cellular signal transduction pathways, including the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, are dysregulated in EBV+ B cell lymphomas, and that inhibiting mTOR with rapamycin results in partial inhibition of proliferation. We hypothesized that targeting molecules upstream of mTOR would inhibit EBV+ B cell lymphoma proliferation. Moreover, blockade of this pathway may prolong graft survival, since this pathway is also known to be activated downstream of the T cell receptor.
Phosphorylation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway was determined by protein array on cellular lysates from EBV+ B cell lymphoma lines from patients (n=5) with PTLD. The effect of small molecular inhibitors of the pathway on cellular proliferation was also determined. Finally, the effect of these inhibitors on graft survival was assessed using a fully MHC mismatched heterotopic mouse heart transplant model (Balb/c to C57Bl/6).
EBV+ B lymphoma cell lines showed hyperactivation of multiple nodes along the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, including mTOR, 4E-BP1, S6K, and GSK3α/β, compared to normal human B cells and EBV- Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Several upstream signals such as PDK3 and Akt were also constitutively phosphorylated, supporting their role as potential therapeutic targets. Hierarchical clustering distinguished the EBV+ B cell lines from EBV- B cells. Inhibiting upstream PI3K with the small molecule inhibitor CAL101 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in proliferation (x=51.6±6.6%, range 39.8-62.6%) of the EBV+ B cell lymphoma lines (n=3). Likewise, inhibition of Akt with MK2206 also decreased proliferation (x=52.1±3.5%, range 46.5-58.5%) in a dose-dependent manner.
Finally, in vivo treatment with either CAL-101 or MK2206 prolonged allograft survival from 8.75 days (control) to 21.2 (SEM ±4.48, n=6) and 20.5 (±4.31, n=6) days, respectively. Thus, inhibition of signaling nodes upstream of mTOR, such as PI3K and Akt, demonstrates anti-tumor properties, and the attractiveness of these regimens clinically is complemented by their immunosuppressive effects.
CITATION INFORMATION: Sang A, Ivison G, Esquivel C, Krams S, Martinez O. Targeting the Constitutively Active PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Epstein-Barr Virus B Cell Lymphomas. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Sang A, Ivison G, Esquivel C, Krams S, Martinez O. Targeting the Constitutively Active PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Epstein-Barr Virus B Cell Lymphomas. [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2016; 16 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/targeting-the-constitutively-active-pi3kaktmtor-signaling-pathway-in-epstein-barr-virus-b-cell-lymphomas/. Accessed December 13, 2024.« Back to 2016 American Transplant Congress