CD30 Induces Heat Shock Protein 90 and Signal Integration in Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma Cells

Advancements in targeting CD30 for lymphoma therapy: a historical perspective and future directions

INTRODUCTION

CD30 is a transmembrane protein of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. It is expressed on a small subset of activated T and B lymphocytes, and various lymphoid neoplasms, including classical Hodgkin lymphoma and many non-Hodgkin lymphomas in both pediatric and adult populations.

AREAS COVERED

This review delves into the significance of CD30 as a therapeutic target and a prognostic indicator for various lymphomas. It provides a comprehensive overview of anti-CD30 therapeutic interventions developed to date, offering insights into the future direction of lymphoma treatment research. Literature search was conducted from January 1987 to December 2024 using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify relevant studies.

EXPERT OPINION

CD30 has emerged as a critical marker of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic strategies of lymphomas. The introduction of brentuximab vedotin (BV) (Adcetris), an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD30, has significantly advanced the treatment landscape for multiple lymphoma types, demonstrating enhanced efficacy and manageable safety profiles in CD30+ lymphomas patients. However, drug resistance is observed in few patients. Concurrently, innovative therapeutic strategies targeting CD30, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cells therapies and bispecific antibodies, are in development. This underscores a strong and ongoing research effort aimed at improving the management of patients with CD30+ lymphomas.

Heat Shock Proteins in Lymphoma Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy harnessing the host immune system for tumor destruction revolutionized oncology research and advanced treatment strategies for lymphoma patients. Lymphoma is a heterogeneous group of cancer, where the central roles in pathogenesis play immune evasion and dysregulation of multiple signaling pathways. Immunotherapy-based approaches such as engineered T cells (CAR T), immune checkpoint modulators and NK cell-based therapies are now in the frontline of lymphoma research. Even though emerging immunotherapies showed promising results in treating lymphoma patients, low efficacy and on-target/off-tumor toxicity are of a major concern. To address that issue it is suggested to look into the emerging role of heat shock proteins. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) showed to be highly expressed in lymphoma cells. HSPs are known for their abilities to modulate immune responses and inhibit apoptosis, which made their successful entry into cancer clinical trials. Here, we explore the role of HSPs in Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and their involvement in CAR T therapy, checkpoint blockade and NK cell- based therapies. Understanding the role of HSPs in lymphoma pathogenesis and the ways how HSPs may enhance anti-tumor responses, may help in the development of more effective, specific and safe immunotherapy.

Targeting Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg Cells with an Inhibitor of Heat-Shock Protein 90: Molecular Pathways of Response and Potential Mechanisms of Resistance

Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) cells overexpress heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90), an important intracellular signaling hub regulating cell survival, which is emerging as a promising therapeutic target. Here, we report the antitumor effect of celastrol, an anti-inflammatory compound and a recognized HSP90 inhibitor, in Hodgkin and Reed–Sternberg cell lines. Two disparate responses were recorded. In KM-H2 cells, celastrol inhibited cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 arrest, and triggered apoptosis through the activation of caspase-3/7. Conversely, L428 cells exhibited resistance to the compound. A proteomic screening identified a total of 262 differentially expressed proteins in sensitive KM-H2 cells and revealed that celastrol’s toxicity involved the suppression of the MAPK/ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase/mitogen activated protein kinase) pathway. The apoptotic effects were preceded by a decrease in RAS (proto-oncogene protein Ras), p-ERK1/2 (phospho-extracellular signal-regulated Kinase-1/2), and c-Fos (proto-oncogene protein c-Fos) protein levels, as validated by immunoblot analysis. The L428 resistant cells exhibited a marked induction of HSP27 mRNA and protein after celastrol treatment. Our results provide the first evidence that celastrol has antitumor effects in cHL cells through the suppression of the MAPK/ERK pathway. Resistance to celastrol has rarely been described, and our results suggest that in cHL it may be mediated by the upregulation of HSP27. The antitumor properties of celastrol against cHL and whether the disparate responses observed in vitro have clinical correlates deserve further research.