The microtubule-depolymerizing
drug,
vincristine, is effective in the treatment of
acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Although
vincristine resistance mechanisms have been extensively characterized in cell lines, their clinical relevance is poorly understood. The aim of the current study was to define clinically relevant mechanisms of
vincristine resistance in a panel of
childhood ALL xenografts established in immune-deficient (nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient) mice. We also studied two independent xenograft sublines that were selected by in vivo
vincristine exposure. In vitro
vincristine sensitivity determined by a stromal coculture, murine bone marrow stromal cell line (MS-5), assay, but not methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium metabolic activity assay, significantly correlated (P = 0.05) with the length of the patients' first remission. Investigations into mechanisms of resistance revealed no association with steady-state
vincristine accumulation or increased activity and/or expression of
ATP-binding cassette transporters, although increased intracellular levels of polymerized
tubulin significantly correlated with resistance (r = 0.85; P = 0.0019). Two xenograft sublines selected by in vivo
vincristine exposure exhibited a 2-fold increase in polymerized
tubulin levels compared with the parental subline (P < 0.05), reflecting their in vivo
vincristine resistance. In this study, a
vincristine-resistant xenograft with high levels of polymerized
tubulin was relatively sensitive to the microtubule-polymerizing
drug paclitaxel. These results indicate that the balance between polymerized and nonpolymerized
tubulin may be an important determinant of response to Vinca
alkaloid-based
chemotherapy regimens in
childhood ALL.