Proapoptotic and immunomodulatory effects of SYK inhibitor entospletinib in combination with obinutuzumab in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is indispensable in B‐cell receptor signalling. SYK inhibitor entospletinib demonstrated clinical efficacy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). However, pharmacodynamic effects of SYK inhibition in CLL cells and immunomodulatory effects of B‐cell receptor‐signalling inhibitors in patients with CLL are poorly understood. We conducted a phase 2 trial of entospletinib in combination with obinutuzumab, an anti‐CD20 antibody, in 17 patients with relapsed/refractory CLL. Pharmacodynamic analysis demonstrated that treatment with entospletinib led to rapid downmodulation of pSTAT3 and the anti‐apoptotic protein MCL1 in CLL cells. Meanwhile, 6 months of combination therapy was accompanied by a reduction in interferon‐γ secretion in CD4+ T‐cells and a reversal of exhausted phenotype, as evidenced by downregulation of PD‐1. Thus, SYK inhibition downmodulates MCL‐1 and partially restores T‐cell immunity in CLL. Trial registration number NCT03010358 .

• Publication year

  2021

• Venue

  British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

• Publication date

  2021-06-30

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1111/bcp.14962PMID 34196037
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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