LukS-PV, a component of Panton-Valentine leukocidin, exerts potent activity against acute myeloid leukemia in vitro and in vivo

•We investigate the in vitro and in vivo activities of LukS-PV in HL-60 cells.•LukS-PV can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in HL-60 cells in vitro.•LukS-PV can induce differentiation of HL-60 cells in vitro.•LukS-PV has anti-leukemia activity in a leukemia mouse model in vivo.

LukS-PV, a component of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) secreted by Staphylococcus aureus, has been shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) THP-1 cells. Here we investigated anti-leukemia activities of LukS-PV in HL-60 cells, using in vitro assays to assess the ability of LukS-PV to mediate cell viability, apoptosis and differentiation; and developing a Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse model of disseminated AML with the HL-60 cells to examine in vivo anti-leukemia activity. LukS-PV inhibited viability and induced differentiation and apoptosis in the HL-60 AML cell line. In the SCID mice, LukS-PV potently inhibited tumor growth, decreased tumor cell infiltration into peripheral blood and tissues, and significantly increased mean survival time. No severe adverse effects, such as death, weight loss, or pathological changes in livers or spleens were observed in the toxicity test group. These results indicate that LukS-PV may be a novel and effective chemotherapeutic agent against AML.