RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Inactivating PSMB5 Mutations and P-Glycoprotein (Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein/ATP-Binding Cassette B1) Mediate Resistance to Proteasome Inhibitors: Ex Vivo Efficacy of (Immuno)Proteasome Inhibitors in Mononuclear Blood Cells from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 174 OP 182 DO 10.1124/jpet.111.187542 VO 341 IS 1 A1 Sue Ellen Verbrugge A1 Yehuda G. Assaraf A1 Ben A. C. Dijkmans A1 George L. Scheffer A1 Marjon Al A1 Debby den Uyl A1 Ruud Oerlemans A1 Elena T. Chan A1 Christopher J. Kirk A1 Godefridus J. Peters A1 Joost W. van der Heijden A1 Tanja D. de Gruijl A1 Rik J. Scheper A1 Gerrit Jansen YR 2012 UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/341/1/174.abstract AB Bortezomib (BTZ), a registered proteasome inhibitor (PI) for multiple myeloma, has also been proposed as a potential antirheumatic agent. Its reported side effects, however, make it unappealing for long-term administration, and resistance may also develop. To overcome this, second-generation PIs became available. Here, we investigated whether a novel class of peptide epoxyketone-based PIs, including carfilzomib, N-((S)-3-methoxy-1-(((S)-3-methoxy-1-(((S)-1-((R)-2-methyloxiran-2-yl)-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl)amino)-1-oxopropan-2-yl)amino)-1-oxopropan-2-yl)-2-methylthiazole-5-carboxamide (ONX0912), and (S)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-N-((S)-1-((S)-2-methyloxiran-2-yl)-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl)-2-((S)-2-(2-morpholinoacetamido)propanamido)propanamide (ONX0914), might escape two established BTZ-resistance mechanisms: 1) mutations in the proteasome β5 subunit (PSMB5) targeted by these PIs, and 2) drug efflux mediated by ATP-binding cassette transporters. THP1 myeloid sublines with acquired resistance to BTZ (54- to 235-fold) caused by mutations in the PSMB5 gene displayed marked cross-resistance but less pronounced cross-resistance to carfilzomib (9- to 32-fold), ONX0912 (39- to 62-fold), and ONX0914 (27- to 97-fold). As for ATP-binding cassette transporter-mediated efflux, lymphoid CEM/VLB cells with P-glycoprotein (Pgp)/multidrug resistance 1 overexpression exhibited substantial resistance to carfilzomib (114-fold), ONX0912 (23-fold), and ONX0914 (162-fold), whereas less resistance to BTZ (4.5-fold) was observed. Consistently, β5 subunit-associated chymotrypsin-like proteasome activity was significantly less inhibited in these CEM/VLB cells. Ex vivo analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from therapy-naive patients with rheumatoid arthritis revealed that, although basal Pgp levels were low, P-glycoprotein expression compromised the inhibitory effect of carfilzomib and ONX0914. However, the use of P121 (reversin 121), a Pgp transport inhibitor, restored parental cell inhibitory levels in both CEM/VLB cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These results indicate that the pharmacologic activity of these PIs may be hindered by drug resistance mechanisms involving PSMB5 mutations and PI extrusion via Pgp.