1
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Zhuang K, Leng L, Su X, Wang S, Su Y, Chen Y, Yuan Z, Zi L, Li J, Xie W, Yan S, Xia Y, Wang H, Li H, Chen Z, Yuan T, Zhang J. Menin Deficiency Induces Autism-Like Behaviors by Regulating Foxg1 Transcription and Participates in Foxg1-Related Encephalopathy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307953. [PMID: 38582517 PMCID: PMC11200012 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
FOXG1 syndrome is a developmental encephalopathy caused by FOXG1 (Forkhead box G1) mutations, resulting in high phenotypic variability. However, the upstream transcriptional regulation of Foxg1 expression remains unclear. This report demonstrates that both deficiency and overexpression of Men1 (protein: menin, a pathogenic gene of MEN1 syndrome known as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1) lead to autism-like behaviors, such as social defects, increased repetitive behaviors, and cognitive impairments. Multifaceted transcriptome analyses revealed that Foxg1 signaling is predominantly altered in Men1 deficiency mice, through its regulation of the Alpha Thalassemia/Mental Retardation Syndrome X-Linked (Atrx) factor. Atrx recruits menin to bind to the transcriptional start region of Foxg1 and mediates the regulation of Foxg1 expression by H3K4me3 (Trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4) modification. The deficits observed in menin deficient mice are rescued by the over-expression of Foxg1, leading to normalized spine growth and restoration of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. These findings suggest that menin may have a putative role in the maintenance of Foxg1 expression, highlighting menin signaling as a potential therapeutic target for Foxg1-related encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhuang
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Lige Leng
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Xiao Su
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Shuzhong Wang
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Yuemin Su
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Yanbing Chen
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Ziqi Yuan
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Liu Zi
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Jieyin Li
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Wenting Xie
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Sihan Yan
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Yujun Xia
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Han Wang
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Huifang Li
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Zhenyi Chen
- Department of AnesthesiologyFirst Affiliated HospitalCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
| | - Tifei Yuan
- Shanghai Mental Health CenterShanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghai200030China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of NeuroscienceCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
- Department of AnesthesiologyFirst Affiliated HospitalCollege of MedicineXiamen UniversityXiamenFujian361105China
- The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular BiologyMinistry of EducationCollege of Basic MedicineHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuang050017China
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2
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Bernt KM. Menin dependence: UBTF-ITD AML joins the club. Blood 2024; 143:567-569. [PMID: 38358850 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023023041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin M Bernt
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Abramson Cancer Center
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3
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Sparbier CE, Gillespie A, Gomez J, Kumari N, Motazedian A, Chan KL, Bell CC, Gilan O, Chan YC, Popp S, Gough DJ, Eckersley-Maslin MA, Dawson SJ, Lehner PJ, Sutherland KD, Ernst P, McGeehan GM, Lam EYN, Burr ML, Dawson MA. Targeting Menin disrupts the KMT2A/B and polycomb balance to paradoxically activate bivalent genes. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:258-272. [PMID: 36635503 PMCID: PMC7614190 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Precise control of activating H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3 histone modifications at bivalent promoters is essential for normal development and frequently corrupted in cancer. By coupling a cell surface readout of bivalent MHC class I gene expression with whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screens, we identify specific roles for MTF2-PRC2.1, PCGF1-PRC1.1 and Menin-KMT2A/B complexes in maintaining bivalency. Genetic loss or pharmacological inhibition of Menin unexpectedly phenocopies the effects of polycomb disruption, resulting in derepression of bivalent genes in both cancer cells and pluripotent stem cells. While Menin and KMT2A/B contribute to H3K4me3 at active genes, a separate Menin-independent function of KMT2A/B maintains H3K4me3 and opposes polycomb-mediated repression at bivalent genes. Release of KMT2A from active genes following Menin targeting alters the balance of polycomb and KMT2A at bivalent genes, facilitating gene activation. This functional partitioning of Menin-KMT2A/B complex components reveals therapeutic opportunities that can be leveraged through inhibition of Menin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina E Sparbier
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrea Gillespie
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Juliana Gomez
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Nishi Kumari
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ali Motazedian
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kah Lok Chan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charles C Bell
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Omer Gilan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yih-Chih Chan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Popp
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Daniel J Gough
- Department of Molecular Translational Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie A Eckersley-Maslin
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah-Jane Dawson
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul J Lehner
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kate D Sutherland
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patricia Ernst
- Section of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Enid Y N Lam
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marian L Burr
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, ACT Pathology, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
| | - Mark A Dawson
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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4
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Discovery of cysteine-targeting covalent histone methyltransferase inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:115028. [PMID: 36528996 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational methylation of histone lysine or arginine residues by histone methyltransferases (HMTs) plays crucial roles in gene regulation and diverse physiological processes and is implicated in a plethora of human diseases, especially cancer. Therefore, histone methyltransferases have been increasingly recognized as potential therapeutic targets. Consequently, the discovery and development of histone methyltransferase inhibitors have been pursued with steadily increasing interest over the past decade. However, the disadvantages of limited clinical efficacy, moderate selectivity, and propensity for acquired resistance have hindered the development of HMTs inhibitors. Targeted covalent modification represents a proven strategy for kinase drug development and has gained increasing attention in HMTs drug discovery. In this review, we focus on the discovery, characterization, and biological applications of covalent inhibitors for HMTs with emphasis on advancements in the field. In addition, we identify the challenges and future directions in this fast-growing research area of drug discovery.
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5
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Soto-Feliciano YM, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Perner F, Barrows DW, Kastenhuber ER, Ho YJ, Carroll T, Xiong Y, Anand D, Soshnev AA, Gates L, Beytagh MC, Cheon D, Gu S, Liu XS, Krivtsov AV, Meneses M, de Stanchina E, Stone RM, Armstrong SA, Lowe SW, Allis CD. A Molecular Switch between Mammalian MLL Complexes Dictates Response to Menin-MLL Inhibition. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:146-169. [PMID: 36264143 PMCID: PMC9827117 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Menin interacts with oncogenic MLL1-fusion proteins, and small molecules that disrupt these associations are in clinical trials for leukemia treatment. By integrating chromatin-focused and genome-wide CRISPR screens with genetic, pharmacologic, and biochemical approaches, we discovered a conserved molecular switch between the MLL1-Menin and MLL3/4-UTX chromatin-modifying complexes that dictates response to Menin-MLL inhibitors. MLL1-Menin safeguards leukemia survival by impeding the binding of the MLL3/4-UTX complex at a subset of target gene promoters. Disrupting the Menin-MLL1 interaction triggers UTX-dependent transcriptional activation of a tumor-suppressive program that dictates therapeutic responses in murine and human leukemia. Therapeutic reactivation of this program using CDK4/6 inhibitors mitigates treatment resistance in leukemia cells that are insensitive to Menin inhibitors. These findings shed light on novel functions of evolutionarily conserved epigenetic mediators like MLL1-Menin and MLL3/4-UTX and are relevant to understand and target molecular pathways determining therapeutic responses in ongoing clinical trials. SIGNIFICANCE Menin-MLL inhibitors silence a canonical HOX- and MEIS1-dependent oncogenic gene expression program in leukemia. We discovered a parallel, noncanonical transcriptional program involving tumor suppressor genes that are repressed in Menin-MLL inhibitor-resistant leukemia cells but that can be reactivated upon combinatorial treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors to augment therapy responses. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Florian Perner
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Internal Medicine C, Greifswald University Medical Center, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Douglas W. Barrows
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.,Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Edward R. Kastenhuber
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Yu-Jui Ho
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Thomas Carroll
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Yijun Xiong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Disha Anand
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Internal Medicine C, Greifswald University Medical Center, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alexey A. Soshnev
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Leah Gates
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Mary Clare Beytagh
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - David Cheon
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Shengqing Gu
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - X. Shirley Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrei V. Krivtsov
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Maximiliano Meneses
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Richard M. Stone
- Leukemia Division, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Scott A. Armstrong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Corresponding Authors: C. David Allis, The Rockefeller University, Allis Lab, Box #78, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-327-7839; E-mail: ; Scott W. Lowe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, New York, NY, 10065. Phone: 646-888-3342; E-mail: ; and Scott A. Armstrong, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, 02115. Phone: 617-632-2991; E-mail:
| | - Scott W. Lowe
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Corresponding Authors: C. David Allis, The Rockefeller University, Allis Lab, Box #78, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-327-7839; E-mail: ; Scott W. Lowe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, New York, NY, 10065. Phone: 646-888-3342; E-mail: ; and Scott A. Armstrong, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, 02115. Phone: 617-632-2991; E-mail:
| | - C. David Allis
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.,Corresponding Authors: C. David Allis, The Rockefeller University, Allis Lab, Box #78, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-327-7839; E-mail: ; Scott W. Lowe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, New York, NY, 10065. Phone: 646-888-3342; E-mail: ; and Scott A. Armstrong, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, 02115. Phone: 617-632-2991; E-mail:
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6
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He L, Boulant S, Stanifer M, Guo C, Nießen A, Chen M, Felix K, Bergmann F, Strobel O, Schimmack S. The link between menin and pleiotrophin in the tumor biology of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:1575-1586. [PMID: 35179814 PMCID: PMC9128182 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
MEN1, which encodes menin protein, is the most frequently mutated gene in pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNEN). Pleiotrophin (PTN) was reported being a downstream factor of menin and to promote metastasis in different tumor entities. In this study, the effect of menin and its link to PTN were assessed on features of pNEN cells and outcome of pNEN patients. The expression of menin and PTN in pNEN patient tissues were examined by qRT-PCR and western blot and compared to their metastasis status. Functional assays, including transwell migration/invasion and scratch wound healing assays, were performed on specifically designed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MEN1-knockout (MEN1-KO) pNEN cell lines (BON1MEN1-KO and QGP1MEN1-KO ) to study the metastasis of pNEN. Among 30 menin negative pNEN patients, 21 revealed a strong protein expression of PTN. This combination was associated with metastasis and shorter disease-free survival. Accordingly, in BON1MEN1-KO and QGP1MEN1-KO cells, PTN protein expression was positively associated with enhanced cell migration and invasion, which could be reversed by PTN silencing. PTN is a predicting factor of metastatic behavior of menin-deficient-pNEN. In vitro, menin is able to both promote and suppress the metastasis of pNEN by regulating PTN expression depending on the tumoral origin of pNEN cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping He
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Steeve Boulant
- Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Megan Stanifer
- Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cuncai Guo
- Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Nießen
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mingyi Chen
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Klaus Felix
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Bergmann
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Strobel
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Schimmack
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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7
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Grinat J, Kosel F, Goveas N, Kranz A, Alexopoulou D, Rajewsky K, Sigal M, Stewart AF, Heuberger J. Epigenetic modifier balances Mapk and Wnt signalling in differentiation of goblet and Paneth cells. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/4/e202101187. [PMID: 35064075 PMCID: PMC8807877 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase Mll1 controls intestinal secretory cell fate by promoting Wnt-driven Paneth and restricting Mapk-dependent goblet cell differentiation through regulation of Gata4/6 transcription factors Differentiation and lineage specification are controlled by cooperation of growth factor signalling. The involvement of epigenetic regulators in lineage specification remains largely elusive. Here, we show that the histone methyltransferase Mll1 prevents intestinal progenitor cells from differentiation, whereas it is also involved in secretory lineage specification of Paneth and goblet cells. Using conditional mutagenesis in mice and intestinal organoids, we demonstrate that loss of Mll1 renders intestinal progenitor cells permissive for Wnt-driven secretory differentiation. However, Mll1-deficient crypt cells fail to segregate Paneth and goblet cell fates. Mll1 deficiency causes Paneth cell-determined crypt progenitors to exhibit goblet cell features by unleashing Mapk signalling, resulting in increased numbers of mixed Paneth/goblet cells. We show that loss of Mll1 abolishes the pro-proliferative effect of Mapk signalling in intestinal progenitor cells and promotes Mapk-induced goblet cell differentiation. Our data uncover Mll1 and its downstream targets Gata4/6 as a regulatory hub of Wnt and Mapk signalling in the control of lineage specification of intestinal secretory Paneth and goblet cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Grinat
- Cancer Research Program, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frauke Kosel
- Cancer Research Program, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Neha Goveas
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrea Kranz
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dimitra Alexopoulou
- DRESDEN-concept Genome Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaus Rajewsky
- Cancer Research Program, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Sigal
- Medical Department, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Francis Stewart
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julian Heuberger
- Medical Department, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany .,Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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8
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Effective Menin inhibitor-based combinations against AML with MLL rearrangement or NPM1 mutation (NPM1c). Blood Cancer J 2022; 12:5. [PMID: 35017466 PMCID: PMC8752621 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-021-00603-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment with Menin inhibitor (MI) disrupts the interaction between Menin and MLL1 or MLL1-fusion protein (FP), inhibits HOXA9/MEIS1, induces differentiation and loss of survival of AML harboring MLL1 re-arrangement (r) and FP, or expressing mutant (mt)-NPM1. Following MI treatment, although clinical responses are common, the majority of patients with AML with MLL1-r or mt-NPM1 succumb to their disease. Pre-clinical studies presented here demonstrate that genetic knockout or degradation of Menin or treatment with the MI SNDX-50469 reduces MLL1/MLL1-FP targets, associated with MI-induced differentiation and loss of viability. MI treatment also attenuates BCL2 and CDK6 levels. Co-treatment with SNDX-50469 and BCL2 inhibitor (venetoclax), or CDK6 inhibitor (abemaciclib) induces synergistic lethality in cell lines and patient-derived AML cells harboring MLL1-r or mtNPM1. Combined therapy with SNDX-5613 and venetoclax exerts superior in vivo efficacy in a cell line or PD AML cell xenografts harboring MLL1-r or mt-NPM1. Synergy with the MI-based combinations is preserved against MLL1-r AML cells expressing FLT3 mutation, also CRISPR-edited to introduce mtTP53. These findings highlight the promise of clinically testing these MI-based combinations against AML harboring MLL1-r or mtNPM1.
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9
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MLL1 is required for maintenance of intestinal stem cells. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009250. [PMID: 34860830 PMCID: PMC8641872 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are gatekeepers for the gene expression patterns that establish and maintain cellular identity in mammalian development, stem cells and adult homeostasis. Amongst many epigenetic marks, methylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) is one of the most widely conserved and occupies a central position in gene expression. Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1/KMT2A) is the founding mammalian H3K4 methyltransferase. It was discovered as the causative mutation in early onset leukemia and subsequently found to be required for the establishment of definitive hematopoiesis and the maintenance of adult hematopoietic stem cells. Despite wide expression, the roles of MLL1 in non-hematopoietic tissues remain largely unexplored. To bypass hematopoietic lethality, we used bone marrow transplantation and conditional mutagenesis to discover that the most overt phenotype in adult Mll1-mutant mice is intestinal failure. MLL1 is expressed in intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and transit amplifying (TA) cells but not in the villus. Loss of MLL1 is accompanied by loss of ISCs and a differentiation bias towards the secretory lineage with increased numbers and enlargement of goblet cells. Expression profiling of sorted ISCs revealed that MLL1 is required to promote expression of several definitive intestinal transcription factors including Pitx1, Pitx2, Foxa1, Gata4, Zfp503 and Onecut2, as well as the H3K27me3 binder, Bahcc1. These results were recapitulated using conditional mutagenesis in intestinal organoids. The stem cell niche in the crypt includes ISCs in close association with Paneth cells. Loss of MLL1 from ISCs promoted transcriptional changes in Paneth cells involving metabolic and stress responses. Here we add ISCs to the MLL1 repertoire and observe that all known functions of MLL1 relate to the properties of somatic stem cells, thereby highlighting the suggestion that MLL1 is a master somatic stem cell regulator.
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10
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Lei H, Zhang SQ, Fan S, Bai HR, Zhao HY, Mao S, Xin M. Recent Progress of Small Molecule Menin-MLL Interaction Inhibitors as Therapeutic Agents for Acute Leukemia. J Med Chem 2021; 64:15519-15533. [PMID: 34726905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements are associated with acute leukemia. The protein menin is regarded as a critical oncogenic cofactor of the resulting MLL fusion proteins in acute leukemia. A direct interaction between menin and the MLL amino terminal sequences is necessary for MLL fusion protein-mediated leukemogenesis. Thus, inhibition of the interaction between menin and MLL has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy. Recent improvements in structural biology and chemical reactivity have promoted the design and development of selective and potent menin-MLL interaction inhibitors. In this Perspective, different classes of menin-MLL interaction inhibitors are comprehensively summarized. Further research potential, challenges, and opportunities in the field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Lei
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - San-Qi Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Shu Fan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Huan-Rong Bai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Hong-Yi Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Shuai Mao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Minhang Xin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
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11
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Libbrecht C, Xie HM, Kingsley MC, Haladyna JN, Riedel SS, Alikarami F, Lenard A, McGeehan GM, Ernst P, Bernt KM. Menin is necessary for long term maintenance of meningioma-1 driven leukemia. Leukemia 2021; 35:1405-1417. [PMID: 33542482 PMCID: PMC8102197 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01146-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Translocations of Meningioma-1 (MN1) occur in a subset of acute myeloid leukemias (AML) and result in high expression of MN1, either as a full-length protein, or as a fusion protein that includes most of the N-terminus of MN1. High levels of MN1 correlate with poor prognosis. When overexpressed in murine hematopoietic progenitors, MN1 causes an aggressive AML characterized by an aberrant myeloid precursor-like gene expression program that shares features of KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) leukemia, including high levels of Hoxa and Meis1 gene expression. Compounds that target a critical KMT2A-Menin interaction have proven effective in KMT2A-r leukemia. Here, we demonstrate that Menin (Men1) is also critical for the self-renewal of MN1-driven AML through the maintenance of a distinct gene expression program. Genetic inactivation of Men1 led to a decrease in the number of functional leukemia-initiating cells. Pharmacologic inhibition of the KMT2A-Menin interaction decreased colony-forming activity, induced differentiation programs in MN1-driven murine leukemia and decreased leukemic burden in a human AML xenograft carrying an MN1-ETV6 translocation. Collectively, these results nominate Menin inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy in MN1-driven leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Libbrecht
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA ,grid.452431.50000 0004 0442 349XInstitut d’Hématologie et d’Oncologie Pédiatrique, Lyon, France
| | - Hongbo M. Xie
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Department of Bioinformatics and Health Informatics (DBHI), Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Molly C. Kingsley
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Jessica N. Haladyna
- grid.430503.10000 0001 0703 675XDepartment of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology/BMT, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Simone S. Riedel
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Fatemeh Alikarami
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Alexandra Lenard
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | | | - Patricia Ernst
- grid.430503.10000 0001 0703 675XDepartment of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology/BMT, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA ,grid.430503.10000 0001 0703 675XDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO USA
| | - Kathrin M. Bernt
- grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA ,grid.25879.310000 0004 1936 8972Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA USA ,grid.239552.a0000 0001 0680 8770Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3501 Civic Center Boulevard, CTRB 3064, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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12
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Ashokkumar D, Zhang Q, Much C, Bledau AS, Naumann R, Alexopoulou D, Dahl A, Goveas N, Fu J, Anastassiadis K, Stewart AF, Kranz A. MLL4 is required after implantation, whereas MLL3 becomes essential during late gestation. Development 2020; 147:dev186999. [PMID: 32439762 DOI: 10.1242/dev.186999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Methylation of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) is a major epigenetic system associated with gene expression. In mammals there are six H3K4 methyltransferases related to yeast Set1 and fly Trithorax, including two orthologs of fly Trithorax-related: MLL3 and MLL4. Exome sequencing has documented high frequencies of MLL3 and MLL4 mutations in many types of human cancer. Despite this emerging importance, the requirements of these paralogs in mammalian development have only been incompletely reported. Here, we examined the null phenotypes to establish that MLL3 is first required for lung maturation, whereas MLL4 is first required for migration of the anterior visceral endoderm that initiates gastrulation in the mouse. This collective cell migration is preceded by a columnar-to-squamous transition in visceral endoderm cells that depends on MLL4. Furthermore, Mll4 mutants display incompletely penetrant, sex-distorted, embryonic haploinsufficiency and adult heterozygous mutants show aspects of Kabuki syndrome, indicating that MLL4 action, unlike MLL3, is dosage dependent. The highly specific and discordant functions of these paralogs in mouse development argues against their action as general enhancer factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepthi Ashokkumar
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Qinyu Zhang
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Much
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Anita S Bledau
- Stem Cell Engineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ronald Naumann
- Transgenic Core Facility, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Dimitra Alexopoulou
- DRESDEN-concept Genome Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Dahl
- DRESDEN-concept Genome Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Neha Goveas
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jun Fu
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Konstantinos Anastassiadis
- Stem Cell Engineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - A Francis Stewart
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrea Kranz
- Genomics, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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13
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Ye J, Zha J, Shi Y, Li Y, Yuan D, Chen Q, Lin F, Fang Z, Yu Y, Dai Y, Xu B. Co-inhibition of HDAC and MLL-menin interaction targets MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia cells via disruption of DNA damage checkpoint and DNA repair. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:137. [PMID: 31590682 PMCID: PMC6781368 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0723-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
While the aberrant translocation of the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene drives pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), it represents an independent predictor for poor prognosis of adult AML patients. Thus, small molecule inhibitors targeting menin-MLL fusion protein interaction have been emerging for the treatment of MLL-rearranged AML. As both inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and menin-MLL interaction target the transcription-regulatory machinery involving epigenetic regulation of chromatin remodeling that governs the expression of genes involved in tumorigenesis, we hypothesized that these two classes of agents might interact to kill MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) AML cells. Here, we report that the combination treatment with subtoxic doses of the HDAC inhibitor chidamide and the menin-MLL interaction inhibitor MI-3 displayed a highly synergistic anti-tumor activity against human MLL-r AML cells in vitro and in vivo, but not those without this genetic aberration. Mechanistically, co-exposure to chidamide and MI-3 led to robust apoptosis in MLL-r AML cells, in association with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and a sharp increase in ROS generation. Combined treatment also disrupted DNA damage checkpoint at the level of CHK1 and CHK2 kinases, rather than their upstream kinases (ATR and ATM), as well as DNA repair likely via homologous recombination (HR), but not non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Genome-wide RNAseq revealed gene expression alterations involving several potential signaling pathways (e.g., cell cycle, DNA repair, MAPK, NF-κB) that might account for or contribute to the mechanisms of action underlying anti-leukemia activity of chidamide and MI-3 as a single agent and particularly in combination in MLL-r AML. Collectively, these findings provide a preclinical basis for further clinical investigation of this novel targeted strategy combining HDAC and Menin-MLL interaction inhibitors to improve therapeutic outcomes in a subset of patients with poor-prognostic MLL-r leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ye
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jie Zha
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuanfei Shi
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yin Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Delin Yuan
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qinwei Chen
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Fusheng Lin
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhihong Fang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yong Yu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yun Dai
- Laboratory of Cancer Precision Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
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