Sorafenib is a potent inhibitor of FIP1L1-PDGFRα and the imatinib-resistant FIP1L1-PDGFRα T674I mutant

Abstract

Abstract The FIP1L1-PDGFRA oncogene is a common cause of chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL), and encodes an activated tyrosine kinase that is inhibited by imatinib. FIP1L1-PDGFRA–positive patients with CEL respond to low-dose imatinib therapy, but resistance due to acquired T674I mutation has been observed. We report here the identification of sorafenib as a potent inhibitor of the FIP1 like 1–platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (FIP1L1-PDGFRα) (T674I) mutant. Sorafenib inhibited the proliferation of FIP1L1-PDGFRα and FIP1L1-PDGFRα(T674I)–transformed Ba/F3 cells and induced apoptosis of the EOL-1 cell line at a low nanomolar concentration. Western blot analysis confirmed that these effects were due to a direct effect on FIP1L1-PDGFRα and FIP1L1-PDGFRα(T674I). Sorafenib was recently approved for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Our data suggest that low doses of sorafenib could be efficient for the treatment of FIP1L1-PDGFRA–positive CEL and could be used to overcome resistance to imatinib associated with the T674I mutation.