369: NEK2 drives EBV-positive NHL pathogenesis

White MC et al., PNAS - This episode reviews a PNAS study showing that the kinase NEK2 is upregulated by EBV and its latency proteins and that NEK2 inhibition with the irreversible inhibitor JH295 selectively kills EBV-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells, lowers drug resistance, and reduces tumor burden in mouse models. Key terms: NEK2, EBV, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, LMP1, drug resistance.

Study Highlights:
EBV infection and the latency proteins EBNA1, LMP1, and EBNA2 increase NEK2 expression in human B cells and patient tumors. Genetic depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of NEK2 with JH295 selectively kills EBV-positive NHL cells and induces inflammatory, ROS-associated cell death with gasdermin D cleavage. NEK2 inhibition reduces LMP1 and c-myc expression, decreases ABC transporter expression and MRP1-mediated drug efflux, and sensitizes cells to doxorubicin. In xenograft and cord blood-humanized mouse models JH295 lowered tumor burden, reduced tumor incidence, and prolonged survival without observable toxicity.

Conclusion:
NEK2 is a promising therapeutic target in EBV-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma; NEK2 inhibition by JH295 both kills malignant cells and reduces drug resistance and viral oncoprotein expression in preclinical models.

Music:
Enjoy the music based on this article at the end of the episode.

Article title:
NEK2 drives pathogenesis, drug resistance, and LMP1 expression in EBV-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

First author:
White MC

Journal:
PNAS

DOI:
10.1073/pnas.2535550123

Reference:
White MC, Lange PT, Stewart J, Damania B. NEK2 drives pathogenesis, drug resistance, and LMP1 expression in EBV-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026;123:e2535550123. doi:10.1073/pnas.2535550123

License:
This episode is based on an open-access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Episode link: https://basebybase.com/episodes/nek2-drives-ebv-positive-nhl

QC:
This episode was checked against the original article PDF and publication metadata for the episode release published on 2026-05-16.

QC Scope:
- article metadata and core scientific claims from the narration
- excludes analogies, intro/outro, and music
- transcript coverage: Audited transcript passages on EBV-induced NEK2 upregulation, NEK2 inhibition mechanisms (ROS, gasdermin D), downstream effects (LMP1, c-Myc, beta-catenin, Bcl-2 family), MRP1/ABC transporters and drug resistance, and in vivo xenograft and cord blood–humanized mouse results.
- transcript topics: EBV-induced NEK2 upregulation in primary B cells; EBV latency proteins EBNA1, LMP1, EBNA2 drive NEK2 expression; JH295 NEK2 inhibitor and EBV+ NHL selectivity; Inflammatory cell death: ROS accumulation and gasdermin D cleavage; Downregulation of LMP1, c-Myc, beta-catenin; Bcl-2 family modulation; MRP1/MDR transporters and drug resistance reversal

QC Summary:
- factual score: 10/10
- metadata score: 10/10
- supported core claims: 7
- claims flagged for review: 0
- metadata checks passed: 4
- metadata issues found: 0

Metadata Audited:
- article_doi
- article_title
- article_journal
- license

Factual Items Audited:
- EBV latency proteins EBNA1, LMP1, EBNA2 independently drive NEK2 upregulation
- Primary EBV infection increases NEK2 expression in human B cells
- NEK2 inhibition with JH295 induces inflammatory, ROS-associated cell death with gasdermin D cleavage in EBV-positive NHL
- EBV-positive NHL shows decreased LMP1 and c-myc expression following NEK2 inhibition
- NEK2 inhibition reduces MRP1/MDR transporter expression and activity, decreasing drug efflux and increasing chemosensitivity to doxorubicin
- JH295 reduces tumor burden and increases survival in NKTL xenograft and cord blood–humanized mouse models, with no observable systemic toxicity

QC result: Pass.