Antitumor effect of baicalin from the Scutellaria baicalensis radix extract in B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia with different chromosomal rearrangements.

Acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common hematologic malignancy in children. Many cases of B-ALL harbor chromosomal translocations which are often critical determinants of prognosis. Most of them represent altered transcription factors that impact gene transcription or enhance signaling. B-ALLs harboring the mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) gene rearrangements represent aggressive, high-risk type of early childhood leukemias that are usually associated with a very poor prognosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic agents as well as new treatment strategies. The objective was to examine the vitro inhibitory effects of Scutellaria baicalensis root extract (SBE) in B-ALL cell lines with different chromosomal rearrangements and in leukemic blasts derived from patients' bone marrow (BMCs). In this study we showed that baicalin which is the main component of the SBE possess antitumor activity against all leukemic cell lines especially those with MLL and PBX1 gene rearrangements. Baicalin inhibited cell proliferation, arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, and induced cell death through caspase 3/7 activation. Moreover, baicalin treatment inhibited the glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) by suppressing its phosphorylation at Y216, and upregulated the downstream mediator of the cell cycle arrest - cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1. Bone marrow derived blasts from B-ALL patients also exhibited varied sensitivity towards baicalin with 72% patients sensitive to the SBE and baicalin treatment. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the anti-cancer properties of baicalin by showing its diverse mode of action which might be related to the different genetic background.