Loss of SYK and LYN Tyrosine Kinase Expression Impair Ponatinib-Induced Apoptosis in K562 Cells

Targeting the tyrosine kinase activity of BCR-ABL is the gold standard strategy in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) for the last decade. Whereas inhibitors of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase are now used in frontline therapy for CML, third generation inhibitors of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase such as ponatinib has been developed for the treatment of BCRABL resistant mutants. In the current study, we generated K562 ponatinib resistant cells (KRPO) and investigated its mechanism of resistance. No over expression of BCR-ABL or multidrug resistance gene (MDR-1) were found among the investigated mechanisms as verapamil did not overcome resistance. Downregulated expression of both p72 SYK and p53/56 LYN kinases was found in ponatinib K562 resistant cell line. Albeit both mRNA and protein level were decreased in KRPO for SYK only protein level was downregulated for LYN suggesting a posttranscriptional mechanism. This mechanism of resistance also prevents imatinib, nilotinib or dasatinib-induced CML cells apoptosis.