To investigate the lymphomagenesis of NK/T lymphoma, we comprehensively and systematically analyzed the expression pattern of the human NK/T cell line (NK-YS) genome by cDNA expression array and tissue microarray. We detected significant changes in the gene expression of NK-YS cell line: an increase in 18 and a decrease in 20 genes compared to normal NK cells or peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Among these genes, we found a strong decrease in hematopoietic cell specific protein-tyrosine-phosphatase SH-PTP1 (SHP1) mRNA by cDNA expression array and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Further analysis with standard immunohistochemistry and tissue microarray, which used 207 paraffin-embedded specimens of various kinds of malignant lymphomas, showed that 100% of NK/T lymphoma specimens and more than 95% of various types of malignant lymphoma were negative for SHP1 protein expression. On the other hand, SHP1 protein was strongly expressed in the mantle zone and interfollicular zone lymphocytes in reactive lymphoid hyperplasia specimens. In addition, various kinds of hematopoietic cell lines, particularly the highly aggressive lymphoma/leukemia lines, lacked SHP1 expression in vitro, suggesting that loss of SHP1 expression may be related to not only malignant transformation, but also tumor cell aggressiveness. SHP1 expression could not be induced in either of two NK/T cell lines by phorbol ester, suggesting that genetic impairment or modification with methylation of SHP1 DNA could be one of the critical events in the pathogenesis of NK/T lymphoma. This evidence strongly suggests that loss of SHP1 gene expression plays an important role in multistep tumorigenesis, possibly as an anti-oncogene in the wide range of lymphomas/leukemias as well as NK/T lymphomas.
The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS-341/Velcade) is used for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma and mantle-cell lymphoma. We recently reported its therapeutic potential against natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasms. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of bortezomib-induced cell death in NK lymphoma cells. NK lymphoma cell lines (SNK-6 and NK-YS) and primary cultures of NK lymphomas treated with bortezomib were examined for alterations in cell viability, apoptosis, cellular senescence, and cell cycle status. Bortezomib primarily induced mitochondrial apoptosis in NK-YS cells and in primary lymphoma cells at the same concentration as reported in myeloma cells. Unexpectedly, SNK-6 cells required a significantly higher median inhibitory concentration of bortezomib (23 nmol/L) than NK-YS and primary lymphoma cells (6-13 nmol/L). Apoptosis was limited in SNK-6 cells due to the extensively delayed turnover of Bcl-2 family members. These cells were killed by bortezomib, albeit at higher pharmacologic concentrations, via mitotic catastrophe-a mitotic cell death associated with M-phase arrest, cyclin B1 accumulation, and increased CDC2/CDK1 activity. Our results suggest that, in addition to cell death by apoptosis at lower bortezomib concentrations, NK lymphoma cells resistant to bortezomib-induced apoptosis can be killed via mitotic catastrophe, an alternative cell death mechanism, at higher pharmacologic concentrations of bortezomib. Hence, activating mitotic catastrophe by bortezomib may provide a novel therapeutic approach for treating apoptosis-resistant NK-cell malignancies and other cancers. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(12):3807 -15]
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