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Imatinib inhibits the in vitro development of the monocyte/macrophage lineage from normal human bone marrow progenitors

Leukemia volume 17, pages 1713–1721 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

The antileukaemic tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib, has been reported to inhibit specifically the growth of bcr-abl expressing CML progenitors at levels of 0.1–5.0 μ M, by blocking the ATP-binding site of the kinase domain of bcr-abl. Inhibition of the c-abl, platelet-derived growth factor receptor and stem cell factor receptor (c-kit) tyrosine kinases by imatinib has also been reported. Here, we demonstrate that imatinib significantly inhibits in vitro monocyte/macrophage development from normal bone marrow progenitors, while neutrophil and eosinophil development was less affected. Monocyte/macrophage inhibition was observed in semisolid agar and liquid cultures at concentrations of imatinib as low as 0.3 μ M. The maturation of monocytes into macrophages was also found to be impaired following treatment of cultures with 1.0 μ M imatinib. Imatinib blocked monocyte/macrophage development in cultures stimulated with and without M-CSF, suggesting that inhibition of the M-CSF receptor, c-fms, by imatinib was unlikely to be responsible. Imatinib may therefore have an inhibitory activity for other kinase(s) that play a role in monocyte/macrophage differentiation. This inhibition of normal monocyte/macrophage development was observed at concentrations of imatinib achievable pharmacologically, suggesting that imatinib or closely related derivatives may have potential for the treatment of diseases where monocytes/macrophages contribute to pathogenesis.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the kind gift of MAX-1 antibody supernatant from Dr R Andreesen, Department of Haematology and Oncology, University of Regensburg, Germany, and thank Novartis for providing imatinib for research purposes. We also thank Andrew Macintyre and Alan Bishop of the Detmold Family Centre Imaging for cell sorting, donors to the IMVS normal bone marrow donor program, the department of Rheumatology for providing monocytes and the ARCBS, South Australia for provision of buffy coats. This work was supported by a grant from the Australian Anti-cancer Foundation (ABL), an Australian Postgraduate Award through Adelaide University (ALD) and a Lions Medical Research Foundation Scholarship (ALD).

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  1. R M Domaschenz

    Present address: Department of Oncology, Cambridge University, Hutchison MRC Research Centre, Box 193, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Haematology, Hanson Institute, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    A L Dewar, R M Domaschenz, T P Hughes & A B Lyons

  2. Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    K V Doherty

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Dewar, A., Domaschenz, R., Doherty, K. et al. Imatinib inhibits the in vitro development of the monocyte/macrophage lineage from normal human bone marrow progenitors. Leukemia 17, 1713–1721 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403071

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