RETRACTED: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Target B Lymphocytes

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• B lymphocyte dysfunction underlies autoimmune disorders and blood cancers like multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia.
• Targeting B cells is crucial for developing new therapies for these conditions.
• Existing drugs for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive lung cancer may offer novel therapeutic avenues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of ALK inhibitors in targeting leukocyte tyrosine kinase (LTK)-positive B lymphocytes, including antibody-secreting plasma cells.
• To evaluate the potential of these inhibitors as a new treatment strategy for B cell-related autoimmune diseases and blood cancers.

Main Methods:

• Isolated CD19-positive human B cells from healthy donors.
• Stimulated B cell maturation into plasma cells using two distinct methods.
• Assessed cell proliferation and used flow cytometry to analyze treatment effects.

Main Results:

• Ceritinib and entrectinib demonstrated efficacy in eliminating plasma cells from B cell populations.
• Alectinib, brigatinib, and crizotinib inhibited B cell proliferation.
• Lorlatinib exhibited minimal or no effect on B cell populations.

Conclusions:

• Several protein kinase inhibitors approved for ALK-positive lung cancer can effectively target LTK-positive B cells.
• Ceritinib and entrectinib show promise for eliminating plasma cells, suggesting potential applications in treating B cell-mediated autoimmune conditions and cancers.
• These findings open new possibilities for repurposing existing cancer drugs for hematological malignancies and autoimmune disorders.