Abstract 1949: Salvage pathway enzyme HPRT as a molecular marker for Burkitt’s Lymphoma

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) as a surface biomarker and target for future immunotherapies in Burkitt’s B-cell Lymphoma. B-cell malignancies are the most common type of childhood cancer. Development of immunotherapies could improve current treatment. HPRT is a cytosolic transferase involved in nucleotide production via the purine salvage pathway. Altered expression of TK1, a salvage pathway enzyme, is an indicator of prognosis and diagnosis in multiple cancer types due to active proliferation of cells and the resulting elevated nucleotide demand. It has previously been reported that some salvage pathway enzymes are found on the surface of Burkitt’s Lymphoma cells. HPRT presence on the surface of this B-cell lymphoma subtype could provide a target for adoptive cell transfer and other immunotherapies. The potential surface presentation of HPRT was assessed using flow cytometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cytoplasmic staining on both healthy lymphocytes and Burkitt’s Lymphoma cells (Raji). Flow cytometry experiments with HPRT antibodies and fluorescent-labeled secondary antibodies show that Raji cells exhibit an 81.4% (p-value .0001) positive fluorescence shift when compared to IgG controls (1.5%). Healthy lymphocytes had a fluorescence shift of 2.38% (p-value .9787). The presence of HPRT on the surface of both Raji cells and healthy lymphocytes was further confirmed using gold-labeled antibodies. Utilizing a scanning electron microscope, the presence of the protein on the surface was evaluated and quantified via increases in gold weight percentage of the sample. When treated with antibodies against HPRT, there was a significant increase in gold binding along with an increase in gold weight percentage. These results suggest a direct relationship between HPRT and the surface of Burkitt’s lymphoma cells, indicating HPRT as a potential target for future immunotherapeutic treatment in Burkitt’s B-cell lymphoma pediatric patients. Citation Format: Michelle H. Townsend, John Ellis Lattin, Michael D. Anderson, Abigail Felsted, Edwin Velazquez, Evita Weagel, Richard Robison, Kim L. O9Neill. Salvage pathway enzyme HPRT as a molecular marker for Burkitt’s Lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1949. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1949