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Pre-clinical Evaluation of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Treatment of Acute Leukemia
Published on: September 18, 2013
Isoliquiritigenin, an Orally Available Natural FLT3 Inhibitor from Licorice, Exhibits Selective Anti-Acute Myeloid
Zhi-Xing Cao1, Yi Wen1, Jun-Lin He1
1Pharmacy College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Key Laboratory of Systematic Research, Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources in Sichuan Province-Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Co-founded by Sichuan Province and MOST, Chengdu, China (Z.-X.C., J.-L.H., C.-J.G., S.-W.Z., D.-Y.G., Y.-Z.L., R.-Q.Z., J.-P.C., C.P.);School of Chinese Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China (Y.W., F.G., Q.-Q.L., J.-P.C.); College, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China (Y.W., F.G., Q.-Q.L., J.-P.C.); and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (S.-Z.H.).
Abstract:
Licorice is a medicinal herb widely used to treat inflammation-related diseases in China. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is an important constituent of licorice and possesses multiple bioactivities. In this study, we examined the selective anti-AML (acute myeloid leukemia) property of ISL via targeting FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3), a certified valid target for treating AML. In vitro, ISL potently inhibited FLT3 kinase, with an IC50 value of 115.1 ± 4.2 nM, and selectively inhibited the proliferation of FLT3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) or FLT3-ITD/F691L mutant AML cells. Moreover, it showed very weak activity toward other tested cell lines or kinases. Western blot immunoassay revealed that ISL significantly inhibited the activation of FLT3/Erk1/2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) signal in AML cells. Meanwhile, a molecular docking study indicated that ISL could stably form aromatic interactions and hydrogen bonds within the kinase domain of FLT3. In vivo, oral administration of ISL significantly inhibited the MV4-11 flank tumor growth and prolonged survival in the bone marrow transplant model via decreasing the expression of Ki67 and inducing apoptosis. Taken together, the present study identified a novel function of ISL as a selective FLT3 inhibitor. ISL could also be a potential natural bioactive compound for treating AML with FLT3-ITD or FLT3-ITD/F691L mutations. Thus, ISL and licorice might possess potential therapeutic effects for treating AML, providing a new strategy for anti-AML.
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