The proto-oncogene Mer tyrosine kinase is a novel therapeutic target in mantle cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an incurable B cell-derived malignant tumor with a median overall survival of 4–5 years. Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) has been reported to be aberrantly expressed in leukemia, melanoma, and gastric cancer, and plays a pivotal role in the process of oncogenesis. This study assessed the role of MerTK in MCL for the first time. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and western blot were performed to figure out expression of MerTK in MCL. MerTK inhibition by either shRNA or treatment with UNC2250 (a MerTK-selective small molecular inhibitor) was conducted in MCL cell lines. MCL-cell-derived xenograft models were established to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of UNC2250 in vivo. RESULTS: MerTK was ectopically expressed in four of six MCL cell lines. Sixty-five of 132 (48.9%) MCL patients showed positive expression of MerTK. MerTK inhibition by either shRNA or treatment with UNC2250 decreased activation of downstream AKT and p38, inhibited proliferation and invasion in MCL cells, and sensitized MCL cells to treatment with vincristine in vitro and doxorubicin in vitro and in vivo. UNC2250 induced G2/M phase arrest and prompted apoptosis in MCL cells, accompanied by increased expression of Bax, cleaved caspase 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and decreased expression of Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL. Moreover, UNC2250 delayed disease progression in MCL-cell-derived xenograft models. CONCLUSIONS: Our data prove that ectopic MerTK may be a novel therapeutic target in MCL, and further pre-clinical or even clinical studies of UNC2250 or new MerTK inhibitors are essential and of great significance. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13045-018-0584-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.