TCFL5 knockdown sensitizes DLBCL to doxorubicin treatment via regulation of GPX4.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to chemo-drug is a major cause of bad outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). It was reported that TCFL5 may be related to chemoresistance in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, it is still unclear whether TCFL5 is involved in DLBCL drug-resistance.

METHODS: To explore the underlying mechanism of doxorubicin resistance, recombinant lentivirus was applied to control expression of TCFL5 in DLBCL cells. CCK-8 assay was perfomed to investigate the influence of doxorubicin on proliferation of TCFL5-overexpressed or sh-TCFL5 DLBCL cells. Correlation between TCFL5 and GPX4 was analyzed with bioinformatic methods, which was further confirmed by qPCR and western blot. TCFL5 overexpression conferred doxorubicin resistance via regulating GPX4 and was verified by TUNEL assay and western blot in vitro and mice model in vivo.

RESULTS: TCFL5 was enriched in DLBCL cells and conferred doxorubicin resistance through binding to GPX4. Inhibition of TCFL5 enhanced the sensitivity of DLBCL cells to doxorubicin. GPX4 knockdown reversed doxorubicin resistance in TCFL5-overexpressed DLBCL cells.

CONCLUSION: DLBCL cells overexpress TCFL5 that promotes chemoresistance by regulating GPX4. Targeting TCFL5 may provide a prospective therapeutic strategy for doxorubicin-resistant DLBCL.