The β-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol offsets resistance mechanisms to chemotherapeutics in diverse sarcoma subtypes: a pilot study

Standard chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas has shown limited efficacy. Here, we sought to evaluate whether beta -adrenergic receptor (beta -AR) signalling contributed to the progression of sarcomas and therapy resistance. To assess the translational potential of beta -adrenergic receptors, we performed immunohistochemical detection of beta 1-AR, beta 2-AR and beta 3-AR in leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma and angiosarcoma tissue specimens, reporting the results scored for the intensity. By using established and patient-derived sarcoma cells, we demonstrated the antitumour potential of the pharmacological targeting of beta -ARs with the nonselective beta -blocker propranolol in such sarcomas. Of note, pharmacological beta -AR inhibition synergized with doxorubicin in inhibiting the cell viability of liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma cells and increased the response to docetaxel in angiosarcoma- and solitary fibrous tumour (SFT)-patient-derived cells. Notably, the SFT patient was treated with the combination of propranolol and docetaxel, reporting prolonged disease control. Mechanistically, we found that propranolol reduced the activity of the multidrug resistance efflux pump P-gp, thereby increasing the intracellular doxorubicin concentration and antitumour activity. In addition, propranolol attenuated the Akt-dependent survival signal induced by doxorubicin and strongly reduced the activation of the NF-kB/COX-2 pathway, increasing cell sensitivity to docetaxel. Overall, our study highlighted the therapeutic potential of propranolol, alone or in rational combination therapies, for sarcoma treatment.