VE-cadherin Regulates Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Sensitivity to Apoptosis

The mechanisms by which the bone marrow microenvironment regulates tumor cell survival are diverse. This study describes the novel observation that in addition to Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines, primary patient cells also express Hypoxia Inducible Factor-2α (HIF-2α) and Vascular Endothelial Cadherin (VE-cadherin), which are regulated by Abl kinase. Tumor expression of the classical endothelial protein, VE-cadherin, has been associated with aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis in other models, but has not been investigated in hematopoietic malignancies. Targeted knockdown of VE-cadherin rendered Ph+ ALL cells more susceptible to chemotherapy, even in the presence of bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) derived survival cues. Pre-treatment of Ph+ ALL cells with ADH100191, a VE-cadherin antagonist, resulted in increased apoptosis during in vitro chemotherapy exposure. Consistent with a role for VE-cadherin in modulation of leukemia cell viability, lentiviral-mediated expression of VE-cadherin in Ph- ALL cells resulted in increased resistance to treatment-induced apoptosis. These observations suggest a novel role for VE-cadherin in modulation of chemoresistance in Ph+ ALL.