Targeting STAT5 or STAT5-regulated pathways suppresses leukemogenesis of Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Combining standard cytotoxic chemotherapy with BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has greatly improved the upfront treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, due to the development of drug resistance through both BCR-ABL1-dependent and -independent mechanisms, prognosis remains poor. The STAT5 transcription factor is activated by BCR-ABL1 and by JAK2-dependent cytokine signaling; therefore, inhibiting its activity could address both mechanisms of resistance in Ph+ ALL. We show here that genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of STAT5 activity suppresses cell growth, induces apoptosis, and inhibits leukemogenesis of Ph+ cell lines and patient-derived newly diagnosed and relapsed/TKI-resistant Ph+ ALL cells ex vivo and in mouse models. STAT5 silencing decreased expression of the growth-promoting PIM-1 kinase, the apoptosis inhibitors MCL-1 and BCL-2, and increased expression of pro-apoptotic BIM protein. The resulting apoptosis of STAT5-silenced Ph+ BV173 cells was rescued by silencing of BIM or restoration of BCL-2 expression. Treatment of Ph+ ALL cells, including samples from relapsed/refractory patients, with the PIM kinase inhibitor AZD1208 and/or the BCL-2 family antagonist Sabutoclax markedly suppressed cell growth and leukemogenesis ex vivo and in mice. Together, these studies indicate that targeting STAT5 or STAT5-regulated pathways may provide a new approach for therapy development in Ph+ ALL, especially the relapsed/TKI-resistant disease.

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