Autocrine NGFβ/TRKA signalling is an important survival factor for Hodgkin lymphoma derived cell lines

Hodgkin-Reed/Sternberg cells, the tumor cells of Hodgkin lymphoma, aberrantly express several receptor tyrosine kinases, among them TRKA whose stimulation supports B cell survival. We show here high expression of TRKA in Hodgkin-Reed/Sternberg cell lines as compared to normal B cells and other B cell lymphomas, without major increases in TRKA gene dosage. A fraction of TRKA is constitutively activated, likely due to the coexpression of NGFβ, the TRKA high affinity ligand. The TRK inhibitor K-252a decreased survival of Hodgkin-Reed/Sternberg cell lines accompanied by decreased AKT activation. Inclusion of TRK inhibitors in therapeutic regimens may thus be an interesting possibility.