Ashoub Muhammad Hossein, Afgar Ali, Farsinejad Alireza, Razavi Razieh, Anvari Samira, Fatemi Ahmad
Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 24;15(1):3083. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-85329-z.
This study investigates the interrelationship between human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and ferroptosis in precursor-B (pre-B) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), specifically examining how hTERT modulation affects ferroptotic cell death pathways. Given that hTERT overexpression characterizes various cancer phenotypes and elevated telomerase activity is observed in early-stage and relapsed ALL, we investigated the molecular mechanisms linking hTERT regulation and ferroptosis in leukemia cells. The experimental design employed Nalm-6 and REH cell lines under three distinct conditions: curcumin treatment, hTERT siRNA knockdown, and their combination. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed via MTT and BrdU assays at 24- and 48-hour intervals post-treatment. Ferroptotic and oxidative markers were quantified using commercial assays, while cell death parameters and gene expression were evaluated through flow cytometry and qRT-PCR analyses. Molecular docking studies were performed to evaluate protein-ligand interactions. Results demonstrated that combined curcumin treatment and hTERT knockdown significantly enhanced cytotoxicity in Nalm-6 cells compared to individual interventions. This was characterized by the upregulation of ferroptosis promoters (lipid-ROS, Fe²⁺, ACSL4) and suppression of inhibitors (GSH, GPx, SLC7A11, GPx4). The response showed cell-line specificity, with Nalm-6 cells exhibiting enhanced ferroptotic sensitivity while REH cells underwent apoptotic cell death. Molecular docking revealed strong curcumin-protein interactions (∆G = -34.24 kcal/mol for hTERT). This study establishes hTERT as a critical regulator of ferroptotic cell death in pre-B ALL, operating through redox homeostasis, iron metabolism, and lipid peroxidation pathways. The cell-type-specific responses suggest promising therapeutic strategies through combined hTERT suppression and ferroptosis induction.
本研究调查了人前体B细胞(pre-B)急性淋巴细胞白血病(ALL)中人类端粒酶逆转录酶(hTERT)与铁死亡之间的相互关系,特别研究了hTERT调节如何影响铁死亡性细胞死亡途径。鉴于hTERT过表达是各种癌症表型的特征,且在早期和复发的ALL中观察到端粒酶活性升高,我们研究了白血病细胞中hTERT调节与铁死亡之间的分子机制。实验设计采用Nalm-6和REH细胞系,设置三种不同条件:姜黄素处理、hTERT siRNA敲低及其联合处理。在处理后24小时和48小时间隔通过MTT和BrdU测定评估细胞活力和增殖。使用商业检测方法对铁死亡和氧化标记物进行定量,同时通过流式细胞术和qRT-PCR分析评估细胞死亡参数和基因表达。进行分子对接研究以评估蛋白质-配体相互作用。结果表明,与单独干预相比,姜黄素处理和hTERT敲低联合处理显著增强了Nalm-6细胞的细胞毒性。其特征是铁死亡促进因子(脂质活性氧、Fe²⁺、ACSL4)上调和抑制剂(谷胱甘肽、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、SLC7A11、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶4)受到抑制。该反应表现出细胞系特异性,Nalm-6细胞表现出增强的铁死亡敏感性,而REH细胞发生凋亡性细胞死亡。分子对接显示姜黄素与蛋白质有强烈的相互作用(hTERT的∆G = -34.24千卡/摩尔)。本研究确定hTERT是前体B细胞ALL中铁死亡性细胞死亡的关键调节因子,通过氧化还原稳态、铁代谢和脂质过氧化途径发挥作用。细胞类型特异性反应表明,联合抑制hTERT和诱导铁死亡具有潜在的治疗策略。