Rituximab inhibits B-cell receptor signaling

Blood. 2010 Feb 4;115(5):985-94. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-08-237537. Epub 2009 Nov 17.

Abstract

Rituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 protein, is a drug commonly used in the treatment of B-cell-derived lymphoid neoplasias and of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. In addition to cell- and complement-mediated B-cell depletion, RTX is thought to inhibit B-cell survival and proliferation through negative regulation of canonical signaling pathways involving Akt, ERK, and mammalian target of rapamycin. However, surprisingly, although B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling has been considered critical for normal and more recently, for neoplastic B cells, the hypothesis that RTX could target BCR has never been investigated. Using follicular lymphoma cell lines as models, as well as normal B cells, we show here, for the first time, that pretreatment with RTX results in a time-dependent inhibition of the BCR-signaling cascade involving Lyn, Syk, PLC gamma 2, Akt, and ERK, and calcium mobilization. The inhibitory effect of RTX correlates with decrease of raft-associated cholesterol, complete inhibition of BCR relocalization into lipid raft microdomains, and down-regulation of BCR immunoglobulin expression. Thus, RTX-mediated alteration of BCR expression, dynamics, and signaling might contribute to the immunosuppressive activity of the drug.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Blotting, Western
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cholesterol / metabolism*
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Microdomains / drug effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism
  • Phospholipase C gamma / metabolism
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 / genetics
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 / metabolism
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / metabolism*
  • Rituximab
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Syk Kinase
  • Time Factors
  • src-Family Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell
  • Rituximab
  • Cholesterol
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • SYK protein, human
  • Syk Kinase
  • lyn protein-tyrosine kinase
  • src-Family Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • PTPN6 protein, human
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6
  • Phospholipase C gamma
  • Calcium