Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background: In recent decades, targeted therapy using small molecule inhibitors (SMI) have been shown very promising results in the treatment of a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies. However, their exact mechanisms, especiallay on the evasion strategies of tumor cells from the host immu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Armin Dozandeh-Jouybari, Fatemeh Mousavi-Mirkalaei, Saeid Taghiloo, Hossein Karami, Mohammad Naderisorki, Ehsan Zaboli, Mohammad Eslami-Jouybari, Tohid Kazemi, Hossein Asgarian-Omran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825001323
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850184037557075968
author Armin Dozandeh-Jouybari
Fatemeh Mousavi-Mirkalaei
Saeid Taghiloo
Hossein Karami
Mohammad Naderisorki
Ehsan Zaboli
Mohammad Eslami-Jouybari
Tohid Kazemi
Hossein Asgarian-Omran
author_facet Armin Dozandeh-Jouybari
Fatemeh Mousavi-Mirkalaei
Saeid Taghiloo
Hossein Karami
Mohammad Naderisorki
Ehsan Zaboli
Mohammad Eslami-Jouybari
Tohid Kazemi
Hossein Asgarian-Omran
author_sort Armin Dozandeh-Jouybari
collection DOAJ
description Background: In recent decades, targeted therapy using small molecule inhibitors (SMI) have been shown very promising results in the treatment of a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies. However, their exact mechanisms, especiallay on the evasion strategies of tumor cells from the host immune system are not fully understood. The current study investigates the effects of two SMIs, ibrutinib and venetoclax, on the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: Leukemic cells were isolated from 20 patients with ALL by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) technique. Isolated leukemic cells were cultured and treated by ibrutinib and venetoclax for 48 h. Cell viability and apoptosis were monitored through MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of checkpoint molecules PD-L1, galectin-9, CD200, CD155, CD47, and anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β were determined by Real-Time PCR method. Results: The purity of MACS-isolated ALL leukemic cells was >98% as determined by flow cytometry. Following treatment, the proliferation of leukemic cells was significantly decreased and the apoptosis rate was significantly increased, which was more remarkable for venetoclax. Moreover, treatment of leukemic cells with ibrutinib and venetoclax showed alterations in the mRNA expression of immune checkpoint inhibitory ligands and TGF-β. Conclusion: Our results indicated that small molecule inhibitors not only hinder proliferation and enhance apoptosis, but also affect the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoint ligands. By elucidating the precise underlying mechanisms, these drugs could emerge as promising therapeutic options, particularly in the context of combination therapy for ALL.
format Article
id doaj-art-a2ded3c9990b4f23875050d14fa99e05
institution OA Journals
issn 2405-5808
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
spelling doaj-art-a2ded3c9990b4f23875050d14fa99e052025-08-20T02:17:09ZengElsevierBiochemistry and Biophysics Reports2405-58082025-06-014210204510.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102045Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemiaArmin Dozandeh-Jouybari0Fatemeh Mousavi-Mirkalaei1Saeid Taghiloo2Hossein Karami3Mohammad Naderisorki4Ehsan Zaboli5Mohammad Eslami-Jouybari6Tohid Kazemi7Hossein Asgarian-Omran8Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IranDepartment of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IranDepartment of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IranThalassemia Research Center (TRC), Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IranThalassemia Research Center (TRC), Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IranGastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, IranGastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, IranImmunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Corresponding author. Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Corresponding author. Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.Background: In recent decades, targeted therapy using small molecule inhibitors (SMI) have been shown very promising results in the treatment of a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies. However, their exact mechanisms, especiallay on the evasion strategies of tumor cells from the host immune system are not fully understood. The current study investigates the effects of two SMIs, ibrutinib and venetoclax, on the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: Leukemic cells were isolated from 20 patients with ALL by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) technique. Isolated leukemic cells were cultured and treated by ibrutinib and venetoclax for 48 h. Cell viability and apoptosis were monitored through MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of checkpoint molecules PD-L1, galectin-9, CD200, CD155, CD47, and anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β were determined by Real-Time PCR method. Results: The purity of MACS-isolated ALL leukemic cells was >98% as determined by flow cytometry. Following treatment, the proliferation of leukemic cells was significantly decreased and the apoptosis rate was significantly increased, which was more remarkable for venetoclax. Moreover, treatment of leukemic cells with ibrutinib and venetoclax showed alterations in the mRNA expression of immune checkpoint inhibitory ligands and TGF-β. Conclusion: Our results indicated that small molecule inhibitors not only hinder proliferation and enhance apoptosis, but also affect the expression of inhibitory immune checkpoint ligands. By elucidating the precise underlying mechanisms, these drugs could emerge as promising therapeutic options, particularly in the context of combination therapy for ALL.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825001323ALLIbrutinibVenetoclaxImmune checkpoint moleculesTGF-β
spellingShingle Armin Dozandeh-Jouybari
Fatemeh Mousavi-Mirkalaei
Saeid Taghiloo
Hossein Karami
Mohammad Naderisorki
Ehsan Zaboli
Mohammad Eslami-Jouybari
Tohid Kazemi
Hossein Asgarian-Omran
Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
ALL
Ibrutinib
Venetoclax
Immune checkpoint molecules
TGF-β
title Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
title_full Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
title_fullStr Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
title_full_unstemmed Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
title_short Effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
title_sort effects of ibrutinib and venetoclax on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in leukemic blasts of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
topic ALL
Ibrutinib
Venetoclax
Immune checkpoint molecules
TGF-β
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825001323
work_keys_str_mv AT armindozandehjouybari effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT fatemehmousavimirkalaei effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT saeidtaghiloo effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT hosseinkarami effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT mohammadnaderisorki effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT ehsanzaboli effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT mohammadeslamijouybari effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT tohidkazemi effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia
AT hosseinasgarianomran effectsofibrutinibandvenetoclaxontheexpressionofimmunecheckpointmoleculesinleukemicblastsofpatientswithacutelymphoblasticleukemia