Cited by 55Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia ResearchLymphoma Diagnosis and TreatmentT-cell and Retrovirus Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 55 of the 56 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 1 of the 56 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

RhoH is critical for cell-microenvironment interactions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia in mice and humans

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Abstract

Trafficking of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells to the bone marrow and interaction with supporting stromal cells mediates important survival and proliferation signals. Previous studies have demonstrated that deletion of Rhoh led to a delayed disease onset in a murine model of CLL. Here we assessed the impact of RhoH on homing, migration, and cell-contact dependent interactions of CLL cells. Rhoh−/− CLL cells exhibited reduced marrow homing and subsequent engraftment. In vitro migration toward the chemokines CXCL12 and CXCL13 and cell-cell interactions between Rhoh−/− CLL cells and the supporting microenvironment was reduced. In the absence of RhoH the distribution of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase, a protein known to coordinate activation of the Rho GTPases RhoA and Rac, appeared less polarized in chemokine-stimulated Rhoh−/− CLL cells, and activation and localization of RhoA and Rac was dysregulated leading to defective integrin function. These findings in the Rhoh−/− CLL cells were subsequently demonstrated to closely resemble changes in GTPase activation observed in human CLL samples after in vitro and in vivo treatment with lenalidomide, an agent with known influence on microenvironment protection, and suggest that RhoH plays a critical role in prosurvival CLL cell-cell and cell-microenvironment interactions with this agent.

Overview

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TL;DR

RhoH deficiency in a murine CLL model reduced bone marrow homing, chemokine-directed migration, and interaction with nurse-like cells, with dysregulated RhoA/Rac and FAK signaling. Lenalidomide treatment of primary human CLL cells produced similar changes, suggesting RhoH is important for CLL cell–microenvironment interactions.

Key findings

  • Rhoh−/− CLL cells showed reduced BM homing 16 hours after injection (1.7 × 10−3% ± 0.23 vs 3 × 10−3% ± 0.17; Rhoh−/− vs WT, P = .004) and reduced blood disease burden after transplantation (1.2 ± 0.3 vs 13.1 ± 3 K/μL; P = .004), with prolonged survival (P = .014).
  • In vitro migration was reduced toward CXCL12 (1.7% ± 0.3 vs 7.3% ± 0.4; P < .001), toward CXCL12 with ICAM-1 (19.4% ± 5 vs 44.6% ± 1.6; P = .02), and toward CXCL13 (9.5% ± 1.3 vs 20.0% ± 1.6; P < .01).
  • Rhoh−/− CLL cells interacted less with NLCs from spleen (7 ± 1.7 vs 17 ± 1.3; P = .0001) and PB (2 ± 0.3 vs 16 ± 3; P = .001), while Mac-2+ cells were increased in Rhoh−/− spleens (46.7 ± 3.6 vs 20.8 ± 1.2; P = .004).
  • Rhoh−/− CLL cells had increased baseline RhoA/Rac activation and no further activation after CXCL12/CXCL13; lenalidomide decreased RhoH and increased RhoA/Rac activity in human CLL samples, including in vivo (RhoH 0.44 ± 0.11 vs 0.29 ± 0.09, P = .004; RhoA 0.08 ± 0.02 vs 0.40 ± 0.05, P = .002; Rac 0.77 ± 0.08 vs 1.43 ± 0.36, P = .002).

Methods

  • Murine Eμ-TCL1Tg;Rhoh+/+ and Eμ-TCL1Tg;Rhoh−/− CLL cells were used for in vivo homing and transplantation into nonirradiated Rag2−/−IL2γ−/− recipients, with flow cytometry identifying CD3−/CD5+/IgM+ CLL cells.
  • In vitro assays included transwell chemotaxis toward CXCL12/CXCL13 with or without ICAM-1, NLC cultures, immunofluorescence for RhoA/Rac/pFAK, histology for Mac-2, and GTPase pull-down/Western blotting.
  • Human PB CLL samples (> 90% CD19+CD5+ for in vitro studies) were treated with 0.5 μM lenalidomide or vehicle; paired samples from relapsed patients were obtained before and after 8 days of 2.5–5 mg/day lenalidomide in a phase 1 trial (NCT00466895), with GTPase activity assessed by pull-down/Western blot.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the exact mechanism by which lenalidomide down-regulates RhoH remains unknown and is under investigation, and that more detailed work is needed on how decreased RhoH influences CLL migration.
  • The paper notes that human CLL cells after cryopreservation had a low overall migratory response, and lenalidomide-treated samples showed only a trend toward reduced chemokine-induced migration (data not shown).
  • Evident from the text: human lenalidomide findings rely on small samples (4 of 5 in vitro samples; 6 paired in vivo samples), and the causal link between RhoH loss and human CLL disease progression is inferred from murine and correlative human data rather than directly demonstrated.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1182/blood-2011-12-395939

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Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Chae, 2010, RhoH regulates subcellular localization of ZAP-70 and Lck in T cell receptor signaling., PLoS One, 5, e13970, 10.1371/journal.pone.0013970 · DOI · Paper page

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Metadata

Authors
Troeger, A., Johnson, A. J., Wood, J., Blum, W. G., Andritsos, L. A., Byrd, J. C., & Williams, D. A.
Affiliations
  • Boston Children's Hospital (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, and
Venue
Blood
Published
2012-05-17
Volume
119
Issue
20
Pages
4708-4718
ISSN
  • 0006-4971 (ISSN-L)
  • 1528-0020
OpenAlex
W2094795565
Cited by
55
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 2
FWCI
5.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Blood (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (U54TR001005)
  • National Cancer Institute (P01CA095426, P50CA140158, R01CA113969, P01CA081534, K12CA133250)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Lymphoma Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and Retrovirus Studies
Keywords
RhoH, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, cell-microenvironment interactions, bone marrow homing, cell migration, CXCL12, CXCL13, focal adhesion kinase, RhoA, Rac, integrin function, lenalidomide, stromal cells, Rho GTPases
MeSH terms
Animals, Bone Marrow, Cell Communication, Cells, Cultured, Chemotaxis, Leukocyte, Humans, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Spleen, Transcription Factors, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell, Mice, Knockout, rho GTP-Binding Proteins, Mice, Chemokine CXCL12, Chemokine CXCL13, Tumor Microenvironment

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