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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

In Vitro Differentiation Model of Human Normal Memory B Cells to Long-lived Plasma Cells
Published on: January 20, 2019
Y-box-binding protein 1 contributes to IL-7-mediated survival signaling in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic
Amina Kariminia1, Sabine M Ivison1, Vivian M Leung1
1Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
Abstract:
Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1) is a regulatory protein that is associated with drug resistance and relapse in solid tumors. As YB-1 mediates some of its activity through growth factor receptor signaling dysregulation, the present study compared the expression of YB-1 and interleukin 7 (IL-7) receptor α (IL-7Rα) in pediatric B-cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and normal BCP cells. The expression levels of IL-7Rα and YB-1 were higher in relapsed vs. diagnostic samples of primary BCP ALL; however, co-expression was also observed in a minor BCP cell population in samples from healthy donors. Functional crosstalk between YB-1 and IL-7R was detected: Overexpression of YB-1 increased surface levels of IL-7R in B cells, and the stimulation of BCP ALL cell lines and primary samples by IL-7 activated YB-1 by phosphorylation at S102 in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-independent and MEK1/2-dependent manner. Targeted knockdown of YB-1 reduced IL-7-mediated protection against rapamycin, and an inhibitor of MEK1/2 potentiated rapamycin-mediated killing in the presence of IL-7. These data establish a novel link between two well-characterized pro-survival factors in acute leukemia, and suggest that YB-1 inhibition may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for increasing sensitivity to chemotherapy in patients with refractory acute B-cell leukemia.
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