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Chen X, Jin J, Chang R, Yang X, Li N, Zhu X, Ma L, Li Y. Targeting the sulfur-containing amino acid pathway in leukemia. Amino Acids 2024; 56:47. [PMID: 39060524 PMCID: PMC11281984 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-024-03402-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
sulfur-containing amino acids have been reported to patriciate in gene regulation, DNA methylation, protein synthesis and other physiological or pathological processes. In recent years, metabolism-related molecules of sulfur-containing amino acids affecting the occurrence, development and treatment of tumors have been implicated in various disorders, especially in leukemia. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism pathway in leukemia and examine ongoing efforts to target this pathway, including treatment strategies targeting (a) sulfur-containing amino acids, (b) metabolites of sulfur-containing amino acids, and (c) enzymes and cofactors related to sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism in leukemia. Future leukemia therapy will likely involve innovative strategies targeting the sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Chen
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Jiahui Jin
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Rui Chang
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Xing Yang
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Na Li
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Xi Zhu
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, 1500 Zhouyuan Road, Pudong new area, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Linlin Ma
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Yanfei Li
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, 1500 Zhouyuan Road, Pudong new area, Shanghai, 201318, China.
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Maffeo B, Panuzzo C, Moraca A, Cilloni D. A Leukemic Target with a Thousand Faces: The Mitochondria. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13069. [PMID: 37685874 PMCID: PMC10487524 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the era of personalized medicine greatly improved by molecular diagnosis and tailor-made therapies, the survival rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at 5 years remains unfortunately low. Indeed, the high heterogeneity of AML clones with distinct metabolic and molecular profiles allows them to survive the chemotherapy-induced changes, thus leading to resistance, clonal evolution, and relapse. Moreover, leukemic stem cells (LSCs), the quiescent reservoir of residual disease, can persist for a long time and activate the recurrence of disease, supported by significant metabolic differences compared to AML blasts. All these points highlight the relevance to develop combination therapies, including metabolism inhibitors to improve treatment efficacy. In this review, we summarized the metabolic differences in AML blasts and LSCs, the molecular pathways related to mitochondria and metabolism are druggable and targeted in leukemia therapies, with a distinct interest for Venetoclax, which has revolutionized the therapeutic paradigms of several leukemia subtype, unfit for intensive treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Panuzzo
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy; (B.M.); (A.M.); (D.C.)
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Costa MN, Silva RN. Cytotoxic activity of l-lysine alpha-oxidase against leukemia cells. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:590-599. [PMID: 34606983 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells exhibit higher proliferation rates than normal cells, and as a consequence, a higher nutritional demand for metabolites such as amino acids. Such cells demonstrate high expression of amino acid transporters and are significantly dependent on the external uptake of amino acids. Moreover, some types of cancer cells exhibit oncogenic mutations that render them auxotrophic to certain amino acids. This metabolic difference between tumor and normal cells has been explored for developing anticancer drugs. Enzymes capable of depleting certain amino acids in the bloodstream can be employed to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and promote cell death. Certain microbial enzymes, such as l-asparaginase and l-amino acid oxidases, have been studied for this purpose. In this paper, we discuss the role of l-asparaginase, the only enzyme currently used as a chemotherapeutic agent. We also review the studies on a new potential antineoplastic agent, l-lysine α-oxidase, an enzyme of l-amino acid oxidase family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana N Costa
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Roberto N Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
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Xiong H, Zhang HT, Xiao HW, Huang CL, Huang MZ. Serum Metabolomics Coupling With Clinical Laboratory Indicators Reveal Taxonomic Features of Leukemia. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:794042. [PMID: 35721208 PMCID: PMC9204281 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.794042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic abnormality has been considered to be the seventh characteristic in cancer cells. The potential prospect of using serum biomarkers metabolites to differentiate ALL from AML remains unclear. The purpose of our study is to probe whether the differences in metabolomics are related to clinical laboratory-related indicators. We used LC-MS-based metabolomics analysis to study 50 peripheral blood samples of leukemia patients from a single center. Then Chi-square test and T test were used to analyze the clinical characteristics, laboratory indicators and cytokines of 50 patients with leukemia. Correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between them and the differential metabolites of different types of leukemia. Our study shows that it is feasible to better identify serum metabolic differences in different types and states of leukemia by metabolomic analysis on existing clinical diagnostic techniques. The metabolism of choline and betaine may also be significantly related to the patient’s blood lipid profile. The main enrichment pathways for distinguishing differential metabolites in different types of leukemia are amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. All these findings suggested that differential metabolites and lipid profiles might identify different types of leukemia based on existing clinical diagnostic techniques, and their rich metabolic pathways help us to better understand the physiological characteristics of leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao- Xiong
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Hui-Tao Zhang
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of General Practice, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Hong-Wen Xiao
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Chun-Lan Huang
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Mei-Zhou Huang
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Mei-Zhou Huang,
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Lin K, Zhang J, Lin Y, Pei Z, Wang S. Metabolic Characteristics and M2 Macrophage Infiltrates in Invasive Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:901884. [PMID: 35898456 PMCID: PMC9309300 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.901884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolic differences between invasive and non-invasive nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs), determine the expression of an M2 macrophage marker in NFPAs, and analyze the effects of metabolic changes in invasive NFPAs on M2 macrophage infiltrates. METHODS Tissue samples of NFPAs from patients who underwent transsphenoidal or craniotomy surgery from January 2021 to August 2021 were collected. NFPA tissues were analyzed based on a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry non-targeted metabolomics platform, and immunohistochemical staining for M2 macrophage marker CD206 was performed. RESULTS We evaluated 15 invasive and 21 non-invasive NFPAs. A total of 22 metabolites were identified through non-targeted metabolomics analysis. Among them, the expression of 1-octadecanol, inosine 5'-monophosphate, adenosine 5'-monophosphate, guanosine 5'-monophosphate, creatinine, desmosterol, taurine, hypotaurine, lactic acid, and succinic acid was upregulated in invasive NFPAs, while that of 1-oleoylglycerol, arachidonic acid, cis-11-eicosenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, glyceric acid, hypoxanthine, linoleic acid, lysine, oleic acid, uracil, valine, and xanthine was downregulated. Immunohistochemical analysis suggested that the number of CD206-positive cells was higher in invasive NFPAs than in non-invasive NFPAs. CONCLUSION Invasive and non-invasive NFPAs showed distinct metabolite profiles. The levels of succinic acid and lactic acid were higher in invasive NFPAs, and the high expression of the M2 macrophage marker was verified in invasive NFPAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunzhe Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianping Zhang
- Department of Urology, 910th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Quanzhou, China
| | - Yinghong Lin
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhijie Pei
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shousen Wang
- Fuzong Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, 900th Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shousen Wang,
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Aung MMK, Mills ML, Bittencourt‐Silvestre J, Keeshan K. Insights into the molecular profiles of adult and paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:2253-2272. [PMID: 33421304 PMCID: PMC8410545 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous disease characterised by uncontrolled proliferation, block in differentiation and acquired self-renewal of hematopoietic stem and myeloid progenitor cells. This results in the clonal expansion of myeloid blasts within the bone marrow and peripheral blood. The incidence of AML increases with age, and in childhood, AML accounts for 20% of all leukaemias. Whilst there are many clinical and biological similarities between paediatric and adult AML with continuum across the age range, many characteristics of AML are associated with age of disease onset. These include chromosomal aberrations, gene mutations and differentiation lineage. Following chemotherapy, AML cells that survive and result in disease relapse exist in an altered chemoresistant state. Molecular profiling currently represents a powerful avenue of experimentation to study AML cells from adults and children pre- and postchemotherapy as a means of identifying prognostic biomarkers and targetable molecular vulnerabilities that may be age-specific. This review highlights recent advances in our knowledge of the molecular profiles with a focus on transcriptomes and metabolomes, leukaemia stem cells and chemoresistant cells in adult and paediatric AML and focus on areas that hold promise for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myint Myat Khine Aung
- Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
| | - Megan L. Mills
- Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
| | | | - Karen Keeshan
- Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
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Improving prediction accuracy in acute myeloid leukaemia: micro-environment, immune and metabolic models. Leukemia 2021; 35:3073-3077. [PMID: 34365474 PMCID: PMC8550966 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01377-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Fultang L, Gneo L, De Santo C, Mussai FJ. Targeting Amino Acid Metabolic Vulnerabilities in Myeloid Malignancies. Front Oncol 2021; 11:674720. [PMID: 34094976 PMCID: PMC8174708 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.674720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells require a higher supply of nutrients for growth and proliferation than normal cells. It is well established that metabolic reprograming in cancers for increased nutrient supply exposes a host of targetable vulnerabilities. In this article we review the documented changes in expression patterns of amino acid metabolic enzymes and transporters in myeloid malignancies and the growing list of small molecules and therapeutic strategies used to disrupt amino acid metabolic circuits within the cell. Pharmacological inhibition of amino acid metabolism is effective in inducing cell death in leukemic stem cells and primary blasts, as well as in reducing tumor burden in in vivo murine models of human disease. Thus targeting amino acid metabolism provides a host of potential translational opportunities for exploitation to improve the outcomes for patients with myeloid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livingstone Fultang
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Luciana Gneo
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Carmela De Santo
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Francis J Mussai
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Yuan Y, Wu Q, Zhao J, Feng Z, Dong J, An M, Wu G, Qin F, Zhao L. Investigation of pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of acute myeloid leukemia based on untargeted plasma metabolomics and network pharmacology approach. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2020; 195:113824. [PMID: 33358300 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disease originating from bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, characterized by anemia, hemorrhage, fever, and infection, with low survival rate. However, the pathogenesis of AML is not fully understood at present. In this work, an integrated approach based untargeted metabolomics and network pharmacology was adopted to elucidate the pathogenesis of AML. Metabolic profiling of plasma samples from 14 patients and 16 healthy individuals were performed based on UHPLC-MS platform. As a result, 23 metabolites were identified by using the human metabolite database based on PLS-DA (partial least squares discriminant analysis) and independent sample test. And metabolic pathways related to AML mainly included fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and lipid metabolism. Meanwhile, biomarkers-targets-pathways-disease network was constructed, 75 biomarker targets and 122 disease targets were identified. Furthermore, 30 pathways were predicted, some of which were consistent with these in metabolomics. This is the first time that metabolomics and network pharmacology approach have been combined to investigate the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of AML. ALDH, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 were potential therapeutic targets for AML, which provide available way to elucidate the pathogenesis and treatment of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxia Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, PR China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, PR China
| | - Jing Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, PR China
| | - Zhiao Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Jiani Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Ming An
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Guodong Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Feng Qin
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, PR China.
| | - Longshan Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, PR China.
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(2 R,3 S)-Dihydroxybutanoic Acid Synthesis as a Novel Metabolic Function of Mutant Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 and 2 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102842. [PMID: 33019704 PMCID: PMC7600928 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of several cancers where cancer proliferation occurs under the influence of an aberrant metabolite known as an oncometabolite produced by a mutated enzyme in the cancer cell. In AML, mutant isocitrate dehydrogenases produce the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate. We screened AML patients with and without mutant isocitrate dehydrogenases by using a technique known as metabolomics, which measures many different metabolites in patient plasma. It was observed that another metabolite, 2,3-dihydroxybutyrate, was produced in larger amounts in patients with mutated isocitrate dehydrogenase and correlated strongly with 2-hydroxyglutarate levels. Moreover, 2,3-dihydroxybutyrate was a better indicator of the presence of mutated isocitrate dehydrogenase in the cancer than the known oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate. These findings may lead to the characterization of 2,3-dihydroxybutyrate as a novel oncometabolite in AML, which would bring a fuller understanding of the etiology of this disease and offer opportunities for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) frequently harbors mutations in isocitrate 1 (IDH1) and 2 (IDH2) genes, leading to the formation of the oncometabolite (2R)-hydroxyglutaric acid (2R-HG) with epigenetic consequences for AML proliferation and differentiation. To investigate if broad metabolic aberrations may result from IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in AML, plasma metabolomics was conducted by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) on 51 AML patients, 29 IDH1/2 wild-type (WT), 9 with IDH1R132, 12 with IDH2R140 and one with IDH2R172 mutations. Distinct metabolic differences were observed between IDH1/2 WT, IDH1R132 and IDH2R140 patients that comprised 22 plasma metabolites that were mainly amino acids. Only two plasma metabolites were statistically significantly different (p < 0.0001) between both IDH1R132 and WT IDH1/2 and IDH2R140 and WT IDH1/2, specifically (2R)-hydroxyglutaric acid (2R-HG) and the threonine metabolite (2R,3S)-dihydroxybutanoic acid (2,3-DHBA). Moreover, 2R-HG correlated strongly (p < 0.0001) with 2,3-DHBA in plasma. One WT patient was discovered to have a D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (D2HGDH) A426T inactivating mutation but this had little influence on 2R-HG and 2,3-DHBA plasma concentrations. Expression of transporter genes SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 displayed a weak correlation with 2R-HG but not 2,3-DHBA plasma concentrations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that 2,3-DHBA was a better biomarker for IDH mutation than 2R-HG (Area under the curve (AUC) 0.861; p < 0.0001; 80% specificity; 87.3% sensitivity). It was concluded that 2,3-DHBA and 2R-HG are both formed by mutant IDH1R132, IDH2R140 and IDH2R172, suggesting a potential role of 2,3-DHBA in AML pathogenesis.
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