PK11195, a Ligand of the Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptor, Inhibits Myeloma Cell Growth In Vitro and Chemosensitizes Myeloma Cells In Vivo in SCID-hu Models of Human Multiple Myeloma.

The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (mPBR) appears to be a potential target to induce apoptosis in tumor cells. The expression of this receptor has been linked to a poor prognosis in cancer patients. PK11195 may represent a new, well-tolerated potent chemosensitizing agent that affects multiple resistance mechanisms within malignant cells. We have evaluated whether PK11195 inhibits multiple myeloma (MM) cell growth in vitro ; and, furthermore, whether this drug can chemosensitize a melphalan resistant human MM tumor, LAGλ-1 (Campbell et al , International Journal of Oncology 2006), to arsenic trioxide (ATO) and melphalan using an in vivo SCID-hu model. The MM cell lines RPMI8226 and U266 were treated with varying concentrations of PK11195 (1 – 100 mM). After incubating with PK11195 for 24 hours, cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Those cells treated with PK11195 showed decreased proliferation at concentrations as low as 1 mM compared to the untreated cells. Next, we investigated the chemosensitizing effects of PK11195 using an in vivo model of human MM. To accomplish this, each immunodeficient (SCID) mouse was implanted with a 2.0 – 4.0 mm 3 LAGλ-1 tumor fragment into the left superficial gluteal muscle. The tumors were allowed to grow for 14 days at which time human IgG levels were detectable in the mouse serum or when tumors became palpable (21 days) and mice were blindly assigned into treatment groups. PK11195 (10, 50 and 100 mg/kg) was administered via oral gavage once weekly when combined with melphalan and once daily five times per week when combined with ATO. Melphalan (3 mg/kg) was administered once weekly via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. ATO (1.25 mg/kg) was administered once daily five times per week via i.p. injection. Mice receiving the combination of PK11195 and melphalan (3 mg/kg) showed marked inhibition of tumor growth (PK11195 10 mg/kg, P = 0.03; PK11195 50 mg/kg, P = 0.02; PK11195 200 mg/kg, P P in vitro at very low concentrations and can chemosensitize drug resistant tumor cells in vivo at doses that have no observable toxicity. We are further evaluating PK11195 as a single agent and in combination therapy both in vitro and in vivo. .