TRAIL signals to apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells primarily through TRAIL‐R1 whereas cross‐linked agonistic TRAIL‐R2 antibodies facilitate signalling via TRAIL‐R2

Summary Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL), a member of the TNF family, which is being developed as an anti‐tumour agent due to its selective toxicity to tumour cells, induces apoptosis by binding to two membrane‐bound receptors, TRAIL‐R1 and TRAIL‐R2. Clinical trials have been initiated with various preparations of TRAIL as well as agonistic monoclonal antibodies to TRAIL‐R1 and TRAIL‐R2. Previously we reported that prior treatment of primary chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells with histone deacetylase inhibitors was required to sensitize CLL cells to TRAIL and, using various receptor‐selective TRAIL mutant ligands, we demonstrated that CLL cells signalled to apoptosis primarily through TRAIL‐R1. Some, but not all, agonistic TRAIL‐receptor antibodies require cross‐linking in order to induce apoptosis. The present study demonstrated that CLL cells can signal to apoptosis through the TRAIL‐R2 receptor, but only after cross‐linking of the agonistic TRAIL‐R2 antibodies, LBY135 and lexatumumab (HGS‐ETR2). In contrast, signalling through TRAIL‐R1 by receptor‐selective ligands or certain agonistic antibodies, such as mapatumumab (HGS‐ETR1), occurs in the absence of cross‐linking. These results further highlight important differences in apoptotic signalling triggered through TRAIL‐R1 and TRAIL‐R2 in primary tumour cells. Such information is clearly important for the rational optimisation of TRAIL therapy in primary lymphoid malignancies, such as CLL.