Rapamycin inhibits the interleukin 10 signal transduction pathway and the growth of Epstein Barr virus B-cell lymphomas

Cancer Res. 2003 Aug 1;63(15):4472-80.

Abstract

EBV-infected B-cell lymphomas are a potentially life-threatening complication in bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients. Immunosuppressive drugs required to prevent allograft rejection also impair anti-EBV T-cell immunity, thereby increasing the risk of EBV-associated disease. Here we demonstrate that the immunosuppressant rapamycin (RAPA) has a strong antiproliferative effect in vitro on B-cell lines derived from organ transplant recipients with EBV-associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Furthermore, RAPA significantly inhibits or delays the growth of solid tumors established from EBV-infected B-cell lines in a xenogeneic mouse model of PTLD. RAPA acts via cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and, most importantly, inhibition of interleukin 10 secretion, a necessary autocrine growth factor. The reduced interleukin 10 production is accompanied by corresponding decreases in the constitutive activation of the growth-promoting transcription factors signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 3. Thus, RAPA can limit B-cell lymphoma growth while simultaneously providing immunosuppression to prevent graft rejection in patients who are otherwise at risk for EBV-associated PTLD. Moreover, these findings may have application to other EBV-associated malignancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / etiology
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / metabolism
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / prevention & control
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Interleukin-10 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Interleukin-10 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-10 / physiology
  • Janus Kinase 1
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / drug therapy*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / metabolism
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / prevention & control
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / virology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology*
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • STAT3 protein, human
  • Stat3 protein, mouse
  • Trans-Activators
  • Interleukin-10
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • JAK1 protein, human
  • Jak1 protein, mouse
  • Janus Kinase 1
  • Sirolimus