Characterization of the Newly Established Homoharringtonine- (HHT-) Resistant Cell Lines and Mechanisms of Resistance

Homoharringtonine- (HHT-) based HHT, aclarubicin, and cytarabine (HAA) induction regimen is the first-line therapy for nonelder acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in China. However, drug resistance is a new challenge, and little attention has been devoted to excavating resistant mechanisms. This study used the classic method to construct six HHT-resistant cell lines with a gradually increasing resistance index (RI) to discover HHT drug resistance mechanisms dynamically. After HHT resistance, the cell growth rate decreased, cell cycle delayed, and P-glycoprotein (p-gp, CD243) expression levels increased. Furthermore, we explored the changes in transcriptomics between HHT-sensitive and HHT-resistant cells using RNA-sequence. Through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), and hub gene analyses, we found that immune activity, especially G-protein coupled receptor (GPR) and related molecules, may mediate HHT resistance. Moreover, Calcitonin Receptor-Like (CALCRL) and G Protein Subunit Alpha I1 (GNAI1), which belong to GPRs, were stimulated in HHT-resistant cell strains in vitro and vivo, indicating that they may play a critical role in HHT resistance. In addition, these two genes have prognostic significance for AML patients. Taken together, we successfully constructed HHT-resistant cell lines with dynamic RIs and explored the resistance mechanisms, which will help identify new drugs for HHT-resistant AML patients.