Leukemia cell proliferation and death in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients on therapy with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib
Jan A. Burger, Kelvin W. Li, Michael J. Keating, Mariela Sivina, Ahmed M. Amer, Naveen Garg, Alessandra Ferrajoli, Xuelin Huang, Hagop Kantarjian, William G. Wierda, Susan O’Brien, Marc K. Hellerstein, Scott M. Turner, Claire L. Emson, Shih-Shih Chen, Xiao-Jie Yan, Dominik Wodarz, Nicholas Chiorazzi
Jan A. Burger, Kelvin W. Li, Michael J. Keating, Mariela Sivina, Ahmed M. Amer, Naveen Garg, Alessandra Ferrajoli, Xuelin Huang, Hagop Kantarjian, William G. Wierda, Susan O’Brien, Marc K. Hellerstein, Scott M. Turner, Claire L. Emson, Shih-Shih Chen, Xiao-Jie Yan, Dominik Wodarz, Nicholas Chiorazzi
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Clinical Research and Public Health Clinical trials Hematology

Leukemia cell proliferation and death in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients on therapy with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Ibrutinib is an effective targeted therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that inhibits Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), a kinase involved in B cell receptor signaling.

METHODS. We used stable isotopic labeling with deuterated water (2H2O) to measure directly the effects of ibrutinib on leukemia cell proliferation and death in 30 patients with CLL.

RESULTS. The measured average CLL cell proliferation (“birth”) rate before ibrutinib therapy was 0.39% of the clone per day (range 0.17%–1.04%); this decreased to 0.05% per day (range 0%–0.36%) with treatment. Death rates of blood CLL cells increased from 0.18% per day (average, range 0%–0.7%) prior to treatment to 1.5% per day (range 0%–3.0%) during ibrutinib therapy, and they were even higher in tissue compartments.

CONCLUSIONS. This study provides the first direct in vivo measurements to our knowledge of ibrutinib’s antileukemia actions, demonstrating profound and immediate inhibition of CLL cell proliferation and promotion of high rates of CLL cell death.

TRIAL REGISTRATION. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01752426).

FUNDING. This study was supported by a Cancer Center Support Grant (National Cancer Institute grant P30 CA016672), an NIH grant (CA081554) from the National Cancer Institute, MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program in CLL, and Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company.

Authors

Jan A. Burger, Kelvin W. Li, Michael J. Keating, Mariela Sivina, Ahmed M. Amer, Naveen Garg, Alessandra Ferrajoli, Xuelin Huang, Hagop Kantarjian, William G. Wierda, Susan O’Brien, Marc K. Hellerstein, Scott M. Turner, Claire L. Emson, Shih-Shih Chen, Xiao-Jie Yan, Dominik Wodarz, Nicholas Chiorazzi

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Figure 1

Heavy water labeling in CLL patients before ibrutinib therapy: workflow and trial outline.

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Heavy water labeling in CLL patients before ibrutinib therapy: workflow ...
(A) Workflow diagram to illustrate the principles of the study. Patients ingest heavy water (2H2O), and deuterium (2H) becomes incorporated into the DNA of dividing cells, including dividing CLL cells. Repeated blood draws and purification of CLL cells, followed by DNA isolation, allows quantification of the fraction of labeled DNA in the CLL cells at each time point via gas chromatography/pyrolysis/isotope ratio–mass spectometry. (B) The three phases of the trial — labeling, resting, and treatment — and the duration of each are indicated on the horizontal axis (months, days); 30 patients participated in all three phases of the trial. Blood samples were drawn every 2 weeks at the days indicated by the arrows. Ibrutinib treatment started after the resting period with 420 mg orally daily. Patients benefiting from ibrutinib were allowed to continue on treatment.