Chidamide and venetoclax synergistically exert cytotoxicity on multiple myeloma by upregulating BIM expression

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy with almost all patients eventually having relapse or refractory MM (RRMM), thus novel drugs or combination therapies are needed for improved prognosis. Chidamide and venetoclax, which target histone deacetylase and BCL2, respectively, are two promising agents for the treatment of RRMM. RESULTS: Herein, we found that chidamide and venetoclax synergistically exert an anti-myeloma effect in vitro in human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) with a combination index (CI) < 1. Moreover, the synergistic anti-myeloma effect of these two drugs was demonstrated in primary MM cells and MM xenograft mice. Mechanistically, co-exposure to chidamide and venetoclax led to cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and a sharp increase in DNA double-strand breaks. In addition, the combination of chidamide and venetoclax resulted in BCL-X(L) downregulation and BIM upregulation, and the latter protein was proved to play a critical role in sensitizing HMCLs to co-treatment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results proved the high therapeutic potential of venetoclax and chidamide combination in curing MM, representing a potent and alternative salvage therapy for the treatment of RRMM. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-022-01306-7.