BACKGROUND: The redox-active isoflavene anti-cancer drug, phenoxodiol, has previously been shown to inhibit plasma membrane electron transport and cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in a range of cancer cell lines and in anti-CD3/anti-CD28-activated murine splenocytes but not in non-transformed WI-38 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. DESIGN AND METHODS: We determined the effects of phenoxodiol on plasma membrane electron transport, MTT responses and viability of activated and resting human T cells. In addition, we evaluated the effect of phenoxodiol on the viability of leukemic cell lines and primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blasts. RESULTS: We demonstrated that phenoxodiol inhibited plasma membrane electron transport and cell proliferation (IC(50) 46 microM and 5.4 microM, respectively) and promoted apoptosis of rapidly proliferating human T cells but did not affect resting T cells. Phenoxodiol also induced apoptosis in T cells stimulated in HLA-mismatched allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions. Conversely, non-proliferating T cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction remained viable and could be restimulated in a third party mixed lymphocyte reaction, in the absence of phenoxodiol. In addition, we demonstrated that leukemic blasts from patients with primary acute myeloid leukemia (n=22) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (n=8) were sensitive to phenoxodiol. The lymphocytic leukemic blasts were more sensitive than the myeloid leukemic blasts to 10 muM phenoxodiol exposure for 24h (viability of 23+/-4% and 64+/-5%, respectively, p=0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The ability of phenoxodiol to kill rapidly proliferating lymphocytes makes this drug a promising candidate for the treatment of pathologically-activated lymphocytes such as those in acute lymphoid leukemia, or diseases driven by T-cell proliferation such as auto-immune diseases and graft-versus-host disease.
BACKGROUND: The redox-active isoflavene anti-cancer drug, phenoxodiol, has previously been shown to inhibit plasma membrane electron transport and cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in a range of cancer cell lines and in anti-CD3/anti-CD28-activated murine splenocytes but not in non-transformed WI-38 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. DESIGN AND METHODS: We determined the effects of phenoxodiol on plasma membrane electron transport, MTT responses and viability of activated and resting human T cells. In addition, we evaluated the effect of phenoxodiol on the viability of leukemic cell lines and primary myeloid and lymphoid leukemic blasts. RESULTS: We demonstrated that phenoxodiol inhibited plasma membrane electron transport and cell proliferation (IC(50) 46 microM and 5.4 microM, respectively) and promoted apoptosis of rapidly proliferating human T cells but did not affect resting T cells. Phenoxodiol also induced apoptosis in T cells stimulated in HLA-mismatched allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions. Conversely, non-proliferating T cells in the mixed lymphocyte reaction remained viable and could be restimulated in a third party mixed lymphocyte reaction, in the absence of phenoxodiol. In addition, we demonstrated that leukemic blasts from patients with primary acute myeloid leukemia (n=22) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (n=8) were sensitive to phenoxodiol. The lymphocytic leukemic blasts were more sensitive than the myeloid leukemic blasts to 10 muM phenoxodiol exposure for 24h (viability of 23+/-4% and 64+/-5%, respectively, p=0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The ability of phenoxodiol to kill rapidly proliferating lymphocytes makes this drug a promising candidate for the treatment of pathologically-activated lymphocytes such as those in acute lymphoid leukemia, or diseases driven by T-cell proliferation such as auto-immune diseases and graft-versus-host disease.
Authors: Patries M Herst; Matthew R Rowe; Georgia M Carson; Michael V Berridge Journal: Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) Date: 2017-11-03 Impact factor: 5.555