IAP dependency of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia identified by high-throughput drug screening. (PubMed, Blood)
T-PLL cells exhibited a particular sensitivity to drugs targeting autophagy (thapsigargin, bafilomycin A1), nuclear export (selinexor), and inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) (birinapant), sensitivities that were also shared by other T-cell malignancies. Through spectral flow cytometry we confirmed the absence of cleaved caspase-3 in IAP inhibitor treated T-PLL cells and show that IAP inhibition reduces the proliferation of T-PLL cells stimulated ex-vivo, while showing only a limited effect on non-malignant T-cells. In summary, our study maps the drug sensitivity of T-PLL across a broad range of targets and identifies new therapeutic approaches for T-PLL by targeting IAPs, XPO1 and autophagy, highlighting potential candidates for drug repurposing and novel treatment strategies.