Sorafenib inhibits lymphoma xenografts by targeting MAPK/ERK and AKT pathways in tumor and vascular cells

The anti-lymphoma activity and mechanism(s) of action of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib were investigated using a panel of lymphoma cell lines, including SU-DHL-4V, Granta-519, HD-MyZ, and KMS-11 cell lines. In vitro, sorafenib significantly decreased cell proliferation and phosphorylation levels of MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways while increased apoptotic cell death. In vivo, sorafenib treatment resulted in a cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effect on tumor cell growth associated with a limited inhibition of tumor volumes. However, sorafenib induced an average 50% reduction of tumor vessel density and a 2-fold increase of necrotic areas. Upon sorafenib treatment, endothelial and tumor cells from SU-DHL-4V, Granta-519, and KMS-11 nodules showed a potent inhibition of either phospho-ERK or phospho-AKT, whereas a concomitant inhibition of phospho-ERK and phospho-AKT was only observed in HD-MyZ nodules. In conclusion, sorafenib affects the growth of lymphoid cell lines by triggering antiangiogenic mechanism(s) and directly targeting tumor cells.