ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs
Visomitin as a differentiation-inducing therapeutic agent through SYK inhibition in AML
Provisionally accepted
Byeol-Eun Jeon1
Chan-Seong Kwon1Ji-Eun Lee1Su-Ji Lee1Youngseuk Cho1Ho-Jin Shin2Sang-Woo Kim3*
Youngmi Jung3- 1Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- 2Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea
- 3Pusan National University Department of Biological Sciences, Busan, Republic of Korea
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Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy characterized by the rapid proliferation of immature myeloblasts and resistance to apoptosis. Overcoming the differentiation block and apoptotic resistance remains a major challenge in AML therapy. Visomitin, a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, has shown protective effects in other contexts, but its potential in AML has not been explored. Methods: We examined the effects of Visomitin on AML cell differentiation and apoptosis using flowcytometry, including CD11b, CD14 staining and ROS measurement. Western blot analysis of Bcl-2 family proteins and p21/p16/Rb axis. Potential underlying mechanisms were explored through SYK activation. Additionally, primary AML patient samples were tested to assess translational relevance, and in vivo efficacy was evaluated in a xenograft mouse model. Results: Treatment with Visomitin promoted differentiation of AML cells, as indicated by increased CD14 expression, and induced apoptosis by downregulating anti-apoptotic proteins (Mcl-1, Bcl-XL) while upregulating pro-apoptotic factors (Bak, Bax). Mechanistic studies suggested that Visomitin-induced ROS accumulation enhances AML differentiation and apoptosis. Notably, Visomitin selectively increased ROS in AML cells while reducing ROS levels in normal myeloid cells. Pharmacological and genetic rescue experiments further imply that Visomitin's anti-AML effects are mediated by ROS-dependent inhibition of SYK. In vivo, Visomitin suppressed tumor growth and elevated ROS within tumors. Furthermore, ex vivo treatment of primary AML cells reduced proliferation, highlighting potential clinical applicability. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Visomitin exerts potent anti-leukemic effects by simultaneously promoting differentiation and apoptosis through ROS-mediated SYK inhibition. The selective activity against malignant cells and favorable in vivo efficacy suggest that Visomitin is a potential therapeutic agent for AML.
Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Apoptosis, differentiation, Drug Repositioning, Reactive Oxygen Species, spleen associated tyrosine kinase
Received: 07 Nov 2025; Accepted: 29 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Jeon, Kwon, Lee, Lee, Cho, Shin, Kim and Jung. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sang-Woo Kim
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