Roswell Park Investigators Evaluate Enzyme Inhibitor for Rare Lymphoma

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists report a novel enzyme inhibitor, Pevonedistat, demonstrated effectiveness in the laboratory against Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), a rare and aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The study was published in a recent issue of the journal Blood, a medical journal of the American Society of Hematology.

Lead researcher, Francisco Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD, Clinical Chief for Lymphoma and Myeloma at Roswell Park, says, “This pre-clinical study found that Pevonedistat induced cell death in MCL lymphoma cell lines and in tumors cells isolated from MCL patients. Most importantly, Pevonedistat demonstrated synergistic effects when used in combination with chemotherapy and resulted in prolonged survival in laboratory models.”

Mantle cell lymphoma is an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma that most often affects men over the age of 60. The disease is usually diagnosed in the late stages and has often spread to the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow. Initial treatment includes combination chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant. Overall survival is between five and seven years.

Hernandez-Ilizaliturri adds, “There is a need to identify promising new agents for the treatment of MCL in an attempt to improve clinical outcomes.”