Dose and drug changes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell response in vitro: A comparison of standard therapy regimens with two novel cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment is improving; however, some patients do not respond to therapy. Due to the high heterogeneity in disease development, there is an urgent need for personalization of therapy. In the present study, the response of leukemic mononuclear cells to anticancer drugs used for CLL treatment (cladribine + mafosfamide; CM or CM combined with rituximab; RCM) was compared with the response to new cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors: BP14 and BP30. Viable apoptotic and necrotic cells were quantified by flow cytometry using propidium iodide and Yo-Pro stains. CDK inhibitors were studied in several doses to determine the reduction of necrosis and simultaneous increase of apoptosis in leukemic cell incubations with anticancer agents. The distinct cell response to applied doses/anticancer agents was observed. Results obtained in the current manuscript confirmed that modulation of doses is important. This was particularly indicated in results obtained at 24 h of cells incubation with anticancer agent. While an important time for analysis of anticancer response efficacy (monitoring of apoptosis induction potential) seems to be 48 h of cells exposition to anticancer agents. High variability in response to the drugs revealed that both the nature and the dose of the anticancer agents could be important in the final effect of the therapy. The present findings support the thesis that personalized medicine, before drug administration in the clinic, could be important to avoid the application of ineffective therapy.