Influence of TPA-induced differentiation on drug-induced cell death.

TPA-mediated differentiation of leukemic cells strongly decreases the ability of classical anticancer drugs, such as those inducing DNA damage, to activate the mitochondrial pathway to cell death. In contrast, the differentiation process has limited influence on cell death induced by the mitochondria-targeting agent lonidamine and even sensitizes the cells to arsenic-mediated activation of the mitochondrial pathway.