Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin prevents synovial sarcoma proliferation via apoptosis in in vitro models

Synovial sarcoma is a soft tissue malignancy with a poor prognosis; many patients will die from this disease within 10 years of diagnosis, despite treatment. Gene expression profiling and immunohistochemistry studies have identified oncogenes that are highly expressed in synovial sarcoma. included in this group are receptor tyrosine kinases such as epidermal growth factor receptor, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3, KIT, and HER2. Inhibitors of these growth-promoting receptors are likely to inhibit proliferation of synovial sarcoma; however, the effect of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors on synovial sarcoma is largely unknown. We assessed the ability of the following receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors to halt proliferation and induce apoptosis in synovial sarcoma monolayer and three dimensional spheroid in vitro models: gefitinib (Iressa), NVP-AEW541, imatinib mesylate (Gleevec), SU5402, PRO-001, trastuzumab (Herceptin), and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG). Gefitinib, NVP-AEW541, and imatinib inhibited proliferation only at relatively high concentrations, which are not clinically applicable. 17-AAG, which destabilizes multiple receptor tyrosine kinases and other oncoproteins through heat shock protein 90 inhibition, prevented proliferation and induced apoptosis in synovial sarcoma monolayer models at concentrations achievable in human serum. 17-AAG treatment was also associated with receptor tyrosine kinase degradation and induction of apoptosis in synovial sarcoma spheroid models. 17-AAG was more effective than doxorubicin, particularly in the spheroid models. Here we provide in vitro evidence that 17-AAG, a clinically applicable drug with known pharmacology and limited toxicity, inhibits synovial sarcoma proliferation by inducing apoptosis, and thus has potential as a systemic therapy for this disease.