Synergistic cytotoxicity of busulfan, melphalan, gemcitabine, panobinostat, and bortezomib in lymphoma cells

DNA alkylators busulfan (B) and melphalan (M) act synergistically with gemcitabine (G) against lymphoma cells. To further improve the cytotoxicity, we combined them with the histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat (P) and proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (V). Lymphoma cell lines U937 and J45.01, and patient-derived cell samples were exposed to these drugs and the effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis were quantified. The combination BMGPV was found to exert strong synergistic cytotoxicity. Drug exposure to these cells activated the ATM pathway and modified histones at the epigenetic level. Cell death was triggered by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), permeabilization of the mitochondrial membrane, upregulation of proapoptotic factors, and activation of caspases. Downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins c-MYC, MCL-1, and BCL-2 and inhibition of the prosurvival PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, culminated in apoptosis. The results of this study support a clinical trial using BMGPV as a possible pre-transplant conditioning regimen for relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients.