1
|
Zhou W, Johnson BK, Morrison J, Beddows I, Eapen J, Katsman E, Semwal A, Habib W, Heo L, Laird P, Berman B, Triche T, Shen H. BISCUIT: an efficient, standards-compliant tool suite for simultaneous genetic and epigenetic inference in bulk and single-cell studies. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e32. [PMID: 38412294 PMCID: PMC11014253 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Data from both bulk and single-cell whole-genome DNA methylation experiments are under-utilized in many ways. This is attributable to inefficient mapping of methylation sequencing reads, routinely discarded genetic information, and neglected read-level epigenetic and genetic linkage information. We introduce the BISulfite-seq Command line User Interface Toolkit (BISCUIT) and its companion R/Bioconductor package, biscuiteer, for simultaneous extraction of genetic and epigenetic information from bulk and single-cell DNA methylation sequencing. BISCUIT's performance, flexibility and standards-compliant output allow large, complex experimental designs to be characterized on clinical timescales. BISCUIT is particularly suited for processing data from single-cell DNA methylation assays, with its excellent scalability, efficiency, and ability to greatly enhance mappability, a key challenge for single-cell studies. We also introduce the epiBED format for single-molecule analysis of coupled epigenetic and genetic information, facilitating the study of cellular and tissue heterogeneity from DNA methylation sequencing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wanding Zhou
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Benjamin K Johnson
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Jacob Morrison
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Ian Beddows
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - James Eapen
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Efrat Katsman
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Ayush Semwal
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Walid Abi Habib
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Lyong Heo
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Peter W Laird
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Benjamin P Berman
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Timothy J Triche
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Khan I, Amin MA, Eklund EA, Gartel AL. Regulation of HOX gene expression in AML. Blood Cancer J 2024; 14:42. [PMID: 38453907 PMCID: PMC10920644 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-024-01004-y] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
As key developmental regulators, HOX cluster genes have varied and context-specific roles in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. A complex interaction of transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, long non-coding RNAs and chromatin structural changes orchestrate HOX expression in leukemia cells. In this review we summarize molecular mechanisms underlying HOX regulation in clinical subsets of AML, with a focus on NPM1 mutated (NPM1mut) AML comprising a third of all AML patients. While the leukemia initiating function of the NPM1 mutation is clearly dependent on HOX activity, the favorable treatment responses in these patients with upregulation of HOX cluster genes is a poorly understood paradoxical observation. Recent data confirm FOXM1 as a suppressor of HOX activity and a well-known binding partner of NPM suggesting that FOXM1 inactivation may mediate the effect of cytoplasmic NPM on HOX upregulation. Conversely the residual nuclear fraction of mutant NPM has also been recently shown to have chromatin modifying effects permissive to HOX expression. Recent identification of the menin-MLL interaction as a critical vulnerability of HOX-dependent AML has fueled the development of menin inhibitors that are clinically active in NPM1 and MLL rearranged AML despite inconsistent suppression of the HOX locus. Insights into context-specific regulation of HOX in AML may provide a solid foundation for targeting this common vulnerability across several major AML subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irum Khan
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
| | - Mohammed A Amin
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Eklund
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrei L Gartel
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Barbosa K, Deshpande A, Perales M, Xiang P, Murad R, Pramod AB, Minkina A, Robertson N, Schischlik F, Lei X, Sun Y, Brown A, Amend D, Jeremias I, Doench JG, Humphries RK, Ruppin E, Shendure J, Mali P, Adams PD, Deshpande AJ. Transcriptional control of leukemogenesis by the chromatin reader SGF29. Blood 2024; 143:697-712. [PMID: 38048593 PMCID: PMC10900139 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Aberrant expression of stem cell-associated genes is a common feature in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is linked to leukemic self-renewal and therapy resistance. Using AF10-rearranged leukemia as a prototypical example of the recurrently activated "stemness" network in AML, we screened for chromatin regulators that sustain its expression. We deployed a CRISPR-Cas9 screen with a bespoke domain-focused library and identified several novel chromatin-modifying complexes as regulators of the TALE domain transcription factor MEIS1, a key leukemia stem cell (LSC)-associated gene. CRISPR droplet sequencing revealed that many of these MEIS1 regulators coordinately controlled the transcription of several AML oncogenes. In particular, we identified a novel role for the Tudor-domain-containing chromatin reader protein SGF29 in the transcription of AML oncogenes. Furthermore, SGF29 deletion impaired leukemogenesis in models representative of multiple AML subtypes in multiple AML subtype models. Our studies reveal a novel role for SGF29 as a nononcogenic dependency in AML and identify the SGF29 Tudor domain as an attractive target for drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karina Barbosa
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Anagha Deshpande
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Marlenne Perales
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Ping Xiang
- British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rabi Murad
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Anna Minkina
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Neil Robertson
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fiorella Schischlik
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Xue Lei
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Younguk Sun
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Adam Brown
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Diana Amend
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Irmela Jeremias
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Prashant Mali
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Peter D. Adams
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| | - Aniruddha J. Deshpande
- Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Barajas JM, Rasouli M, Umeda M, Hiltenbrand R, Abdelhamed S, Mohnani R, Arthur B, Westover T, Thomas ME, Ashtiani M, Janke LJ, Xu B, Chang TC, Rosikiewicz W, Xiong E, Rolle C, Low J, Krishan R, Song G, Walsh MP, Ma J, Rubnitz JE, Iacobucci I, Chen T, Krippner-Heidenreich A, Zwaan CM, Heidenreich O, Klco JM. Acute myeloid leukemias with UBTF tandem duplications are sensitive to menin inhibitors. Blood 2024; 143:619-630. [PMID: 37890156 PMCID: PMC10873536 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT UBTF tandem duplications (UBTF-TDs) have recently emerged as a recurrent alteration in pediatric and adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). UBTF-TD leukemias are characterized by a poor response to conventional chemotherapy and a transcriptional signature that mirrors NUP98-rearranged and NPM1-mutant AMLs, including HOX-gene dysregulation. However, the mechanism by which UBTF-TD drives leukemogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the genomic occupancy of UBTF-TD in transformed cord blood CD34+ cells and patient-derived xenograft models. We found that UBTF-TD protein maintained genomic occupancy at ribosomal DNA loci while also occupying genomic targets commonly dysregulated in UBTF-TD myeloid malignancies, such as the HOXA/HOXB gene clusters and MEIS1. These data suggest that UBTF-TD is a gain-of-function alteration that results in mislocalization to genomic loci dysregulated in UBTF-TD leukemias. UBTF-TD also co-occupies key genomic loci with KMT2A and menin, which are known to be key partners involved in HOX-dysregulated leukemias. Using a protein degradation system, we showed that stemness, proliferation, and transcriptional signatures are dependent on sustained UBTF-TD localization to chromatin. Finally, we demonstrate that primary cells from UBTF-TD leukemias are sensitive to the menin inhibitor SNDX-5613, resulting in markedly reduced in vitro and in vivo tumor growth, myeloid differentiation, and abrogation of the UBTF-TD leukemic expression signature. These findings provide a viable therapeutic strategy for patients with this high-risk AML subtype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan M. Barajas
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Milad Rasouli
- Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Masayuki Umeda
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Ryan Hiltenbrand
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Sherif Abdelhamed
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Rebecca Mohnani
- Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bright Arthur
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Tamara Westover
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Melvin E. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Minoo Ashtiani
- Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura J. Janke
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Beisi Xu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Ti-Cheng Chang
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Wojciech Rosikiewicz
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Emily Xiong
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Chandra Rolle
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Jonathan Low
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Reethu Krishan
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Guangchun Song
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Michael P. Walsh
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Jeffrey E. Rubnitz
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Ilaria Iacobucci
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | | | - Christian M. Zwaan
- Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Olaf Heidenreich
- Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffery M. Klco
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Umeda M, Ma J, Westover T, Ni Y, Song G, Maciaszek JL, Rusch M, Rahbarinia D, Foy S, Huang BJ, Walsh MP, Kumar P, Liu Y, Yang W, Fan Y, Wu G, Baker SD, Ma X, Wang L, Alonzo TA, Rubnitz JE, Pounds S, Klco JM. A new genomic framework to categorize pediatric acute myeloid leukemia. Nat Genet 2024; 56:281-293. [PMID: 38212634 PMCID: PMC10864188 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01640-3] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies on pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (pAML) have revealed pediatric-specific driver alterations, many of which are underrepresented in the current classification schemas. To comprehensively define the genomic landscape of pAML, we systematically categorized 887 pAML into 23 mutually distinct molecular categories, including new major entities such as UBTF or BCL11B, covering 91.4% of the cohort. These molecular categories were associated with unique expression profiles and mutational patterns. For instance, molecular categories characterized by specific HOXA or HOXB expression signatures showed distinct mutation patterns of RAS pathway genes, FLT3 or WT1, suggesting shared biological mechanisms. We show that molecular categories were strongly associated with clinical outcomes using two independent cohorts, leading to the establishment of a new prognostic framework for pAML based on these updated molecular categories and minimal residual disease. Together, this comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic framework forms the basis for future classification of pAML and treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Umeda
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Tamara Westover
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yonghui Ni
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Guangchun Song
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jamie L Maciaszek
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Michael Rusch
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Delaram Rahbarinia
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Scott Foy
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Benjamin J Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael P Walsh
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Priyadarshini Kumar
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yanling Liu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Wenjian Yang
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yiping Fan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sharyn D Baker
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xiaotu Ma
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Todd A Alonzo
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey E Rubnitz
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stanley Pounds
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jeffery M Klco
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Šestáková Š, Šálek C, Kundrát D, Cerovská E, Vydra J, Ježíšková I, Folta A, Mayer J, Cetkovský P, Remešová H. MethScore as a new comprehensive DNA methylation-based value refining the prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:17. [PMID: 38254139 PMCID: PMC10802002 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01625-x] [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: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes in DNA methylation are common events in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and have been repeatedly reported as associated with prognosis. However, studies integrating these numerous and potentially prognostically relevant DNA methylation changes are lacking. Therefore, we aimed for an overall evaluation of these epigenetic aberrations to provide a comprehensive NGS-based approach of DNA methylation assessment for AML prognostication. RESULTS We designed a sequencing panel targeting 239 regions (approx. 573 kb of total size) described in the literature as having a prognostic impact or being associated with AML pathogenesis. Diagnostic whole-blood DNA samples of adult AML patients divided into a training (n = 128) and a testing cohort (n = 50) were examined. The libraries were prepared using SeqCap Epi Enrichments System (Roche) and sequenced on MiSeq instrument (Illumina). Altogether, 1935 CpGs affecting the survival (p < 0.05) were revealed in the training cohort. A summarizing value MethScore was then calculated from these significant CpGs. Patients with lower MethScore had markedly longer overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) than those with higher MethScore (p < 0.001). The predictive ability of MethScore was verified on the independent testing cohort for OS (p = 0.01). Moreover, the proof-of-principle validation was performed using the TCGA dataset. CONCLUSIONS We showed that comprehensive NGS-based approach of DNA methylation assessment revealed a robust epigenetic signature relevant to AML outcome. We called this signature MethScore and showed it might serve as a strong prognostic marker able to refine survival probability of AML patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Šárka Šestáková
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Hematology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Cyril Šálek
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Hematology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dávid Kundrát
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ela Cerovská
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Vydra
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Hematology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Ježíšková
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, School of Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Folta
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, School of Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Mayer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, School of Medicine, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Cetkovský
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Hematology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Remešová
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, U Nemocnice 1, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jalnapurkar SS, Pawar A, George SS, Antony C, Grana J, Gurbuxani S, Paralkar VR. PHF6 suppresses self-renewal of leukemic stem cells in AML. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.06.573649. [PMID: 38260439 PMCID: PMC10802281 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.06.573649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia is characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of self-renewing myeloid progenitors. PHF6 is a chromatin-binding protein mutated in myeloid leukemias, and its loss increases mouse HSC self-renewal without malignant transformation. We report here that Phf6 knockout increases the aggressiveness of Hoxa9-driven AML over serial transplantation, and increases the frequency of leukemia initiating cells. We define the in vivo hierarchy of Hoxa9-driven AML and identify a population that we term the 'LIC-e' (leukemia initiating cells enriched) population. We find that Phf6 loss has context-specific transcriptional effects, skewing the LIC-e transcriptome to a more stem-like state. We demonstrate that LIC-e accumulation in Phf6 knockout AML occurs not due to effects on cell cycle or apoptosis, but due to an increase in the fraction of its progeny that retain LIC-e identity. Overall, our work indicates that Phf6 loss increases AML self-renewal through context-specific effects on leukemia stem cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sapana S Jalnapurkar
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aishwarya Pawar
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Biomedical Graduate Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Subin S George
- Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Charles Antony
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jason Grana
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sandeep Gurbuxani
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Vikram R Paralkar
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Florio D, Marasco D. Could Targeting NPM1c+ Misfolding Be a Promising Strategy for Combating Acute Myeloid Leukemia? Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:811. [PMID: 38255885 PMCID: PMC10815591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020811] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous group of diseases classified into various types on the basis of distinct features concerning the morphology, cytochemistry and cytogenesis of leukemic cells. Among the different subtypes, the group "AML with gene mutations" includes the variations of the gene of the multifunctional protein nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1). These mutations are the most frequent (~30-35% of AML adult patients and less in pediatric ones) and occur predominantly in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of NPM1. The most important mutation is the insertion at W288, which determines the frame shift W288Cfs12/Ffs12/Lfs*12 and leads to the addition of 2-12 amino acids, which hamper the correct folding of NPM1. This mutation leads to the loss of the nuclear localization signal (NoLS) and to aberrant cytoplasmic localization, denoted as NPM1c+. Many investigations demonstrated that interfering with the cellular location and oligomerization status of NPM1 can influence its biological functions, including the proper buildup of the nucleolus, and therapeutic strategies have been proposed to target NPM1c+, particularly the use of drugs able to re-direct NPM1 localization. Our studies unveiled a direct link between AML mutations and the neat amyloidogenic character of the CTDs of NPM1c+. Herein, with the aim of exploiting these conformational features, novel therapeutic strategies are proposed that rely on the induction of the selective self-cytotoxicity of leukemic blasts by focusing on agents such as peptides, peptoids or small molecules able to enhance amyloid aggregation and targeting selectively AML-NPM1c+ mutations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Marasco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Juul-Dam KL, Shukla NN, Cooper TM, Cuglievan B, Heidenreich O, Kolb EA, Rasouli M, Hasle H, Zwaan CM. Therapeutic targeting in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with aberrant HOX/MEIS1 expression. Eur J Med Genet 2023; 66:104869. [PMID: 38174649 PMCID: PMC11195042 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2023.104869] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in the clinical management of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the last decades, outcome remains fatal in approximately one third of patients. Primary chemoresistance, relapse and acute and long-term toxicities to conventional myelosuppressive therapies still constitute significant challenges and emphasize the unmet need for effective targeted therapies. Years of scientific efforts have translated into extensive insights on the heterogeneous spectrum of genetics and oncogenic signaling pathways of AML and identified a subset of patients characterized by upregulation of HOXA and HOXB homeobox genes and myeloid ecotropic virus insertion site 1 (MEIS1). Aberrant HOXA/MEIS1 expression is associated with genotypes such as rearrangements in Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A-r), nucleoporin 98 (NUP98-r) and mutated nucleophosmin (NPM1c) that are found in approximately one third of children with AML. AML with upregulated HOXA/MEIS1 shares a number of molecular vulnerabilities amenable to recently developed molecules targeting the assembly of protein complexes or transcriptional regulators. The interaction between the nuclear scaffold protein menin and KMT2A has gained particular interest and constitutes a molecular dependency for maintenance of the HOXA/MEIS1 transcription program. Menin inhibitors disrupt the menin-KMT2A complex in preclinical models of KMT2A-r, NUP98-r and NPM1c acute leukemias and its occupancy at target genes leading to leukemic cell differentiation and apoptosis. Early-phase clinical trials are either ongoing or in development and preliminary data suggests tolerable toxicities and encouraging efficacy of menin inhibitors in adults with relapsed or refractory KMT2A-r and NPM1c AML. The Pediatric Acute Leukemia/European Pediatric Acute Leukemia (PedAL/EUPAL) project is focused to advance and coordinate informative clinical trials with new agents and constitute an ideal framework for testing of menin inhibitors in pediatric study populations. Menin inhibitors in combination with standard chemotherapy or other targeting agents may enhance anti-leukemic effects and constitute rational treatment strategies for select genotypes of childhood AML, and provide enhanced safety to avoid differentiation syndrome. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms in KMT2A-r, NUP98-r and NPM1c AML, emerging molecules targeting the HOXA/MEIS1 transcription program with menin inhibitors as the most prominent examples and future therapeutic implications of these agents in childhood AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian L Juul-Dam
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Neerav N Shukla
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Todd M Cooper
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Branko Cuglievan
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Olaf Heidenreich
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - E Anders Kolb
- Division of Oncology, Nemours/Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Milad Rasouli
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henrik Hasle
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - C Michel Zwaan
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fan H, Wang F, Zeng A, Murison A, Tomczak K, Hao D, Jelloul FZ, Wang B, Barrodia P, Liang S, Chen K, Wang L, Zhao Z, Rai K, Jain AK, Dick J, Daver N, Futreal A, Abbas HA. Single-cell chromatin accessibility profiling of acute myeloid leukemia reveals heterogeneous lineage composition upon therapy-resistance. Commun Biol 2023; 6:765. [PMID: 37479893 PMCID: PMC10362028 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05120-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by high rate of therapy resistance. Since the cell of origin can impact response to therapy, it is crucial to understand the lineage composition of AML cells at time of therapy resistance. Here we leverage single-cell chromatin accessibility profiling of 22 AML bone marrow aspirates from eight patients at time of therapy resistance and following subsequent therapy to characterize their lineage landscape. Our findings reveal a complex lineage architecture of therapy-resistant AML cells that are primed for stem and progenitor lineages and spanning quiescent, activated and late stem cell/progenitor states. Remarkably, therapy-resistant AML cells are also composed of cells primed for differentiated myeloid, erythroid and even lymphoid lineages. The heterogeneous lineage composition persists following subsequent therapy, with early progenitor-driven features marking unfavorable prognosis in The Cancer Genome Atlas AML cohort. Pseudotime analysis further confirms the vast degree of heterogeneity driven by the dynamic changes in chromatin accessibility. Our findings suggest that therapy-resistant AML cells are characterized not only by stem and progenitor states, but also by a continuum of differentiated cellular lineages. The heterogeneity in lineages likely contributes to their therapy resistance by harboring different degrees of lineage-specific susceptibilities to therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Fan
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andy Zeng
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alex Murison
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Katarzyna Tomczak
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Dapeng Hao
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fatima Zahra Jelloul
- Department of Hematopathology, University of Texas M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bofei Wang
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Praveen Barrodia
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shaoheng Liang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ken Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Linghua Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kunal Rai
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Abhinav K Jain
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John Dick
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Naval Daver
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andy Futreal
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hussein A Abbas
- Department of Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Leukemia, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bhansali RS, Pratz KW, Lai C. Recent advances in targeted therapies in acute myeloid leukemia. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:29. [PMID: 36966300 PMCID: PMC10039574 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01424-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. While survival for younger patients over the last several decades has improved nearly sixfold with the optimization of intensive induction chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT), this effect has been largely mitigated in older and less fit patients as well as those with adverse-risk disease characteristics. However, the last 10 years has been marked by major advances in the molecular profiling of AML characterized by a deeper understanding of disease pathobiology and therapeutic vulnerabilities. In this regard, the classification of AML subtypes has recently evolved from a morphologic to a molecular and genetic basis, reflected by recent updates from the World Health Organization and the new International Consensus Classification system. After years of stagnation in new drug approvals for AML, there has been a rapid expansion of the armamentarium against this disease since 2017. Low-intensity induction therapy with hypomethylating agents and venetoclax has substantially improved outcomes, including in those previously considered to have a poor prognosis. Furthermore, targeted oral therapies against driver mutations in AML have been added to the repertoire. But with an accelerated increase in treatment options, several questions arise such as how to best sequence therapy, how to combine therapies, and if there is a role for maintenance therapy in those who achieve remission and cannot undergo alloHSCT. Moreover, certain subtypes of AML, such as those with TP53 mutations, still have dismal outcomes despite these recent advances, underscoring an ongoing unmet need and opportunity for translational advances. In this review, we will discuss recent updates in the classification and risk stratification of AML, explore the literature regarding low-intensity and novel oral combination therapies, and briefly highlight investigative agents currently in early clinical development for high-risk disease subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul S Bhansali
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, South Pavilion, 12th Floor, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Keith W Pratz
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, South Pavilion, 12th Floor, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Catherine Lai
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, South Pavilion, 12th Floor, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Xiang G, Giardine B, An L, Sun C, Keller CA, Heuston EF, Anderson SM, Kirby M, Bodine D, Zhang Y, Hardison RC. Snapshot: a package for clustering and visualizing epigenetic history during cell differentiation. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:102. [PMID: 36941541 PMCID: PMC10026520 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05223-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic modification of chromatin plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression during cell differentiation. The scale and complexity of epigenetic data pose significant challenges for biologists to identify the regulatory events controlling cell differentiation. RESULTS To reduce the complexity, we developed a package, called Snapshot, for clustering and visualizing candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) based on their epigenetic signals during cell differentiation. This package first introduces a binarized indexing strategy for clustering the cCREs. It then provides a series of easily interpretable figures for visualizing the signal and epigenetic state patterns of the cCREs clusters during the cell differentiation. It can also use different hierarchies of cell types to highlight the epigenetic history specific to any particular cell lineage. We demonstrate the utility of Snapshot using data from a consortium project for ValIdated Systematic IntegratiON (VISION) of epigenomic data in hematopoiesis. CONCLUSION The package Snapshot can identify all distinct clusters of genomic locations with unique epigenetic signal patterns during cell differentiation. It outperforms other methods in terms of interpreting and reproducing the identified cCREs clusters. The package of Snapshot is available at GitHub: https://github.com/guanjue/Snapshot .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanjue Xiang
- The Bioinformatics and Genomics Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Belinda Giardine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lin An
- The Bioinformatics and Genomics Program, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Chen Sun
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Cheryl A Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - David Bodine
- NHGRI Hematopoiesis Section, GMBB, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Statistics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Ross C Hardison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wang XQD, Fan D, Han Q, Liu Y, Miao H, Wang X, Li Q, Chen D, Gore H, Himadewi P, Pfeifer GP, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J, Su J, Chong S, Wan L, Zhang X. Mutant NPM1 Hijacks Transcriptional Hubs to Maintain Pathogenic Gene Programs in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:724-745. [PMID: 36455589 PMCID: PMC9975662 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is a ubiquitously expressed nucleolar protein with a wide range of biological functions. In 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the terminal exon of NPM1 is often found mutated, resulting in the addition of a nuclear export signal and a shift of the protein to the cytoplasm (NPM1c). AMLs carrying this mutation have aberrant expression of the HOXA/B genes, whose overexpression leads to leukemogenic transformation. Here, for the first time, we comprehensively prove that NPM1c binds to a subset of active gene promoters in NPM1c AMLs, including well-known leukemia-driving genes-HOXA/B cluster genes and MEIS1. NPM1c sustains the active transcription of key target genes by orchestrating a transcription hub and maintains the active chromatin landscape by inhibiting the activity of histone deacetylases. Together, these findings reveal the neomorphic function of NPM1c as a transcriptional amplifier for leukemic gene expression and open up new paradigms for therapeutic intervention. SIGNIFICANCE NPM1 mutation is the most common mutation in AML, yet the mechanism of how the mutant protein results in AML remains unclear. Here, for the first time, we prove mutant NPM1 directly binds to active chromatin regions and hijacks the transcription of AML-driving genes. See related article by Uckelmann et al., p. 746. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 517.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Qing David Wang
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Dandan Fan
- Institute of Biomedical Big Data, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qinyu Han
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Yiman Liu
- Department of Cancer Biology and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Big Data, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qinglan Li
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Haley Gore
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Pamela Himadewi
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Gerd P. Pfeifer
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jianzhong Su
- Institute of Biomedical Big Data, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shasha Chong
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
- Corresponding Authors: Xiaotian Zhang, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Room MSB 6.202, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: 713-500-5146; E-mail: ; Liling Wan, University of Pennsylvania, BRB II/III, RM751, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Phone: 215-898-3116; E-mail: ; and Shasha Chong, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 147-75, Pasadena, CA 91125. Phone: 626-395-5736; E-mail:
| | - Liling Wan
- Department of Cancer Biology and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Corresponding Authors: Xiaotian Zhang, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Room MSB 6.202, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: 713-500-5146; E-mail: ; Liling Wan, University of Pennsylvania, BRB II/III, RM751, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Phone: 215-898-3116; E-mail: ; and Shasha Chong, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 147-75, Pasadena, CA 91125. Phone: 626-395-5736; E-mail:
| | - Xiaotian Zhang
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas
- Corresponding Authors: Xiaotian Zhang, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Room MSB 6.202, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: 713-500-5146; E-mail: ; Liling Wan, University of Pennsylvania, BRB II/III, RM751, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Phone: 215-898-3116; E-mail: ; and Shasha Chong, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 147-75, Pasadena, CA 91125. Phone: 626-395-5736; E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abdelrahman AMN, Tolba FM, Kamal HM, Abdellateif MS, Ahmed HA, Hassan NM. Evaluation of the HOXA9 and MEIS1 genes as a potential biomarker in adult acute myeloid leukemia. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s43042-023-00391-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disorder encompassing a set of hematopoietic tumors that develop when the myeloid precursor cells undergo disproportionate clonal proliferation. Homeobox A 9 (HOXA9) is a pioneer transcription factor in AML pathogenesis along with its cofactor myeloid ecotropic integration site 1 (MEIS1). Our work aimed to evaluate the different expression levels of HOXA9 and MEIS1 genes and their diagnostic and prognostic significance in adult Egyptian patients with de novo AML. The study was carried out on 91 de novo AML Egyptian patients and 41 healthy individuals. Bone marrow samples were obtained from both patients and controls and then tested by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess the mRNA expression in the studied genes.
Results
HOXA9 and MEIS1 gene expression levels were significantly elevated in AML patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between HOXA9 and MEIS1 gene expression in AML patients. However, there was no association between HOXA9 and MEIS1 gene expression levels and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.264 and 0.351, respectively).
Conclusion
HOXA9 and MEIS1 genes are highly expressed in Egyptian AML patients, suggesting their interesting pathogenic role in AML. They could be used as markers for the diagnosis of AML, but not for the disease prognosis.
Collapse
|
15
|
Aryal S, Zhang Y, Wren S, Li C, Lu R. Molecular regulators of HOXA9 in acute myeloid leukemia. FEBS J 2023; 290:321-339. [PMID: 34743404 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the oncogenic transcription factor HOXA9 is a prominent feature for most aggressive acute myeloid leukemia cases and a strong indicator of poor prognosis in patients. Leukemia subtypes with hallmark overexpression of HOXA9 include those carrying MLL gene rearrangements, NPM1c mutations, and other genetic alternations. A growing body of evidence indicates that HOXA9 dysregulation is both sufficient and necessary for leukemic transformation. The HOXA9 mRNA and protein regulation includes multilayered controls by transcription factors (such as CDX2/4 and USF2/1), epigenetic factors (such as MLL-menin-LEDGF, DOT1L, ENL, HBO1, NPM1c-XPO1, and polycomb proteins), microRNAs (such as miR-126 and miR-196b), long noncoding RNAs (such as HOTTIP), three-dimensional chromatin interactions, and post-translational protein modifications. Recently, insights into the dynamic regulation of HOXA9 have led to an advanced understanding of the HOXA9 regulome and provided new cancer therapeutic opportunities, including developing inhibitors targeting DOT1L, menin, and ENL proteins. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling HOXA9 regulation and the pharmacological approaches that target HOXA9 regulators to treat HOXA9-driven acute myeloid leukemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sajesan Aryal
- Division of Hematology and Oncology & O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology & Cancer Biology Program/Comprehensive Cancer Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Spencer Wren
- Division of Hematology and Oncology & O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Chunliang Li
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology & Cancer Biology Program/Comprehensive Cancer Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Rui Lu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology & O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Numan Y, Abaza Y, Altman JK, Platanias LC. Advances in the pharmacological management of acute myeloid leukemia in adults. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2022; 23:1535-1543. [PMID: 35938317 PMCID: PMC9648129 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2022.2111212] [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: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With advances in molecular medicine and precision approaches, there has been significant improvement in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in recent years. This reflects better understanding of molecular and metabolic pathways in leukemia cells, including BCL2 upregulation that prevents apoptosis, FLT3 tyrosine kinase activating mutations that allow uncontrolled proliferation, and IDH mutations that result in differentiation block. AREAS COVERED We performed a compressive review of important pre-clinical studies in AML that involve major molecular and metabolic pathways in AML, and we discussed standard therapeutic modalities and ongoing clinical trials for patients with AML, as well as an overall update of recent efforts in this area. EXPERT OPINION Targeting these pathways has resulted in improvement in the overall survival of some groups of AML patients. Secondary AML and TP53 mutated AML remain challenging subtypes of AML with limited treatment options and represent areas of unmet research need. Ongoing work with menin inhibitors in MLL rearranged leukemia, which comprise a large portion of secondary AML cases, the development of CAR T cell products and targeting the CD47 receptor on macrophages in myeloid neoplasms including in TP53 mutated AML have provided hope for these challenging subtypes of AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yazan Numan
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal
Medicine, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern
University, Chicago, IL
| | - Yasmin Abaza
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal
Medicine, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern
University, Chicago, IL
| | - Jessica K Altman
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal
Medicine, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern
University, Chicago, IL
| | - Leonidas C Platanias
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal
Medicine, Northwestern University-Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern
University, Chicago, IL
- Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center,
Chicago, IL
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Current status and future perspectives in targeted therapy of NPM1-mutated AML. Leukemia 2022; 36:2351-2367. [PMID: 36008542 PMCID: PMC9522592 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01666-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) is a nucleus-cytoplasmic shuttling protein which is predominantly located in the nucleolus and exerts multiple functions, including regulation of centrosome duplication, ribosome biogenesis and export, histone assembly, maintenance of genomic stability and response to nucleolar stress. NPM1 mutations are the most common genetic alteration in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), detected in about 30–35% of adult AML and more than 50% of AML with normal karyotype. Because of its peculiar molecular and clinico-pathological features, including aberrant cytoplasmic dislocation of the NPM1 mutant and wild-type proteins, lack of involvement in driving clonal hematopoiesis, mutual exclusion with recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities, association with unique gene expression and micro-RNA profiles and high stability at relapse, NPM1-mutated AML is regarded as a distinct genetic entity in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of hematopoietic malignancies. Starting from the structure and functions of NPM1, we provide an overview of the potential targeted therapies against NPM1-mutated AML and discuss strategies aimed at interfering with the oligomerization (compound NSC348884) and the abnormal traffic of NPM1 (avrainvillamide, XPO1 inhibitors) as well as at inducing selective NPM1-mutant protein degradation (ATRA/ATO, deguelin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, imidazoquinoxaline derivatives) and at targeting the integrity of nucleolar structure (actinomycin D). We also discuss the current therapeutic results obtained in NPM1-mutated AML with the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax and the preliminary clinical results using menin inhibitors targeting HOX/MEIS1 expression. Finally, we review various immunotherapeutic approaches in NPM1-mutated AML, including immune check-point inhibitors, CAR and TCR T-cell-based therapies against neoantigens created by the NPM1 mutations.
Collapse
|
18
|
Griffioen MS, de Leeuw DC, Janssen JJWM, Smit L. Targeting Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Venetoclax; Biomarkers for Sensitivity and Rationale for Venetoclax-Based Combination Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143456. [PMID: 35884517 PMCID: PMC9318140 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Venetoclax has proven to be a promising therapy for newly diagnosed, relapsed and refractory AML patients ineligible for induction chemotherapy. Current ongoing clinical trials are evaluating its effectivity as frontline therapy for all acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. However, response rates vary wildly, depending on patient characteristics and mutational profiles. This review elaborates on the efficacy and safety of venetoclax compared to conventional chemotherapy for treatment of AML patients, comparing the response rates, overall survival and adverse events. Moreover, it gives an overview of genetic and epigenetic AML cell characteristics that give enhanced or decreased response to venetoclax and offers insights into the pathogenesis of venetoclax sensitivity and resistance. Additionally, it suggests possible treatment combinations predicted to be successful based on identified mechanisms influencing venetoclax sensitivity of AML cells. Abstract Venetoclax is a BCL-2 inhibitor that effectively improves clinical outcomes in newly diagnosed, relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, with complete response rates (with and without complete blood count recovery) ranging between 34–90% and 21–33%, respectively. Here, we aim to give an overview of the efficacy of venetoclax-based therapy for AML patients, as compared to standard chemotherapy, and on factors and mechanisms involved in venetoclax sensitivity and resistance in AML (stem) cells, with the aim to obtain a perspective of response biomarkers and combination therapies that could enhance the sensitivity of AML cells to venetoclax. The presence of molecular aberrancies can predict responses to venetoclax, with a higher response in NPM1-, IDH1/2-, TET2- and relapsed or refractory RUNX1-mutated AML. Decreased sensitivity to venetoclax was observed in patients harboring FLT3-ITD, TP53, K/NRAS or PTPN11 mutations. Moreover, resistance to venetoclax was observed in AML with a monocytic phenotype and patients pre-treated with hypomethylating agents. Resistance to venetoclax can arise due to mutations in BCL-2 or pro-apoptotic proteins, an increased dependency on MCL-1, and usage of additional/alternative sources for energy metabolism, such as glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism. Clinical studies are testing combination therapies that may circumvent resistance, including venetoclax combined with FLT3- and MCL-1 inhibitors, to enhance venetoclax-induced cell death. Other treatments that can potentially synergize with venetoclax, including MEK1/2 and mitochondrial complex inhibitors, need to be evaluated in a clinical setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mila S Griffioen
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David C de Leeuw
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J W M Janssen
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Linda Smit
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Mishra S, Liu J, Chai L, Tenen DG. Diverse functions of long noncoding RNAs in acute myeloid leukemia: emerging roles in pathophysiology, prognosis, and treatment resistance. Curr Opin Hematol 2022; 29:34-43. [PMID: 34854833 PMCID: PMC8647777 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Advancements in the next-generation sequencing technologies have identified rare transcripts of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the genome of cancers, including in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The purpose of this review is to highlight the contribution of lncRNAs in AML pathogenesis, prognosis, and chemoresistance. RECENT FINDINGS Several studies have recently reported that deregulated lncRNAs are novel key players in the development of AML and are associated with AML pathophysiology and may serve as prognostic indicators. A few aberrantly expressed lncRNAs that correlated with the recurrent genetic mutations in AML such as NPM1 and RUNX1 have recently been characterized. Moreover, a few lncRNAs in MLL-rearranged leukemia have been described. Additionally, the involvement of lncRNAs in AML chemoresistance has been postulated. SUMMARY Investigating the functional roles of the noncoding regions including lncRNAs, may provide novel insights into the pathophysiology, refine the prognostic schema, and provide novel therapeutic treatment strategies in AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Srishti Mishra
- Cancer Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital
| | - Li Chai
- Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital
| | - Daniel G Tenen
- Cancer Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Immunosuppression and outcomes in adult patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia with normal karyotypes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2116427118. [PMID: 34845035 PMCID: PMC8673586 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2116427118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients rarely have long first remissions (LFRs; >5 y) after standard-of-care chemotherapy, unless classified as favorable risk at presentation. Identification of the mechanisms responsible for long vs. more typical, standard remissions may help to define prognostic determinants for chemotherapy responses. Using exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, and functional immunologic studies, we characterized 28 normal karyotype (NK)-AML patients with >5 y first remissions after chemotherapy (LFRs) and compared them to a well-matched group of 31 NK-AML patients who relapsed within 2 y (standard first remissions [SFRs]). Our combined analyses indicated that genetic-risk profiling at presentation (as defined by European LeukemiaNet [ELN] 2017 criteria) was not sufficient to explain the outcomes of many SFR cases. Single-cell RNA-sequencing studies of 15 AML samples showed that SFR AML cells differentially expressed many genes associated with immune suppression. The bone marrow of SFR cases had significantly fewer CD4+ Th1 cells; these T cells expressed an exhaustion signature and were resistant to activation by T cell receptor stimulation in the presence of autologous AML cells. T cell activation could be restored by removing the AML cells or blocking the inhibitory major histocompatibility complex class II receptor, LAG3. Most LFR cases did not display these features, suggesting that their AML cells were not as immunosuppressive. These findings were confirmed and extended in an independent set of 50 AML cases representing all ELN 2017 risk groups. AML cell-mediated suppression of CD4+ T cell activation at presentation is strongly associated with unfavorable outcomes in AML patients treated with standard chemotherapy.
Collapse
|
21
|
Ahmedy IA, Tayel SI. Prognostic impact of homeobox and PR domain containing protein 16 genes expressions in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. GENE REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
22
|
Li X, Chen S, Zhu Y, Fei J, Song L, Sun G, Niu W, Guo L, Wang J. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses identified Homeobox B9 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for gastric cancer. J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 12:2132-2149. [PMID: 34790380 DOI: 10.21037/jgo-21-598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Homeobox B (HOXB) family promotes tumor progression, but the mechanism of its action in gastric cancer (GC) is unclear. We sought to identify the HOXB family members that are critical to the prognosis of GC patients. Methods The Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), cBioPortal, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and the GeneMANIA databases were used to analyze the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels, prognostic value, and gene-gene interaction network of the HOXB9 family members in GC. The expression of HOXB9 in GC and its relationship with various clinicopathological parameters and the prognosis of patients were verified by immunohistochemistry. Results The expression of HOXB3, HOXB5, HOXB6, HOXB7, HOXB9, and HOXB13 mRNA was significantly upregulated in GC. There was a significant correlation between the upregulation of HOXB3, HOXB5, and HOXB9 mRNA and a low overall survival (OS) rate. The high expression of HOXB7, HOXB9, and HOXB13 mRNA was closely correlated to tumor grade and stage. HOXB9 was the HOXB family member most closely related to the occurrence and development of GC. A further analysis showed that HOXB9 might be involved in deoxyribonucleic acid repair and division regulation. A validation study showed that the advanced cancer group had a higher level of HOXB9 expression than the early cancer group. The high expression of HOXB9 in gastric tissue plays an important role in the survival and prognosis of GC patients. Conclusions HOXB family members have different degrees of abnormal expression in GC. High HOXB9 expression in GC tissues was significantly correlated with a worse prognosis. Thus, HOXB9 is a potential novel biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Shujia Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Yinghui Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Jiayue Fei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Liaoyuan Song
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Guoyan Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Wei Niu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Lianyi Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Jiwei Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Liu X, Liu X, Cai M, Luo A, He Y, Liu S, Zhang X, Yang X, Xu L, Jiang H. CircRNF220, not its linear cognate gene RNF220, regulates cell growth and is associated with relapse in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:139. [PMID: 34702297 PMCID: PMC8549339 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01395-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) constitute a family of transcripts with unique structures and have been confirmed to be critical in tumorigenesis and to be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets. However, only a few circRNAs have been functionally characterized in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods Here, we investigated the expression pattern of circRNAs in pediatric AML using a circRNA microarray. The characteristics, potential diagnostic value, and prognostic significance of circRNF220 were evaluated. A series of functional experiments were performed to investigate the role of circRNF220 in primary pediatric AML cells. Then we investigated the aberrant transcriptional networks regulated by circRNF220 in primary AML cells by RNA-seq. Furthermore, biotin RNA pulldown assays were implemented to verify the relationship between circRNF220 and miR-30a. Results We identified a circRNA, circRNF220, which was specifically abundant in and accumulated in the peripheral blood and bone marrow of pediatric patients with AML. It could distinguish AML from ALL and other hematological malignancies with high sensitivity and specificity. Significantly, circRNF220 expression independently predicted prognosis, while high expression of circRNF220 was an unfavorable prognostic marker for relapse. Furthermore, we characterized the function of circRNF220 and found that circRNF220 knockdown specifically inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in AML cell lines and primary cells. Mechanistically, circRNF220 may act as an endogenous sponge of miR-30a to sequester miR-30a and inhibit its activity, which increases the expression of its targets MYSM1 and IER2 and implicated in AML relapse. Conclusions Collectively, these findings demonstrated that circRNF220 could be highly efficient and specific for the accurate diagnosis of pediatric AML, with implications for relapse prediction. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12943-021-01395-7.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Liu
- Division of Birth Cohort Study, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoping Liu
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.,Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mansi Cai
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.,Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ailing Luo
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.,Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingyi He
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Xu Yang
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.,Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Xu
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.
| | - Hua Jiang
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Zhujiang Newtown, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Hindley A, Catherwood MA, McMullin MF, Mills KI. Significance of NPM1 Gene Mutations in AML. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221810040. [PMID: 34576201 PMCID: PMC8467861 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this literature review is to examine the significance of the nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) gene in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This will include analysis of the structure and normal cellular function of NPM1, the type of mutations commonly witnessed in NPM1, and the mechanism by which this influences the development and progression of AML. The importance of NPM1 mutation on prognosis and the treatment options available to patients will also be reviewed along with current guidelines recommending the rapid return of NPM1 mutational screening results and the importance of employing a suitable laboratory assay to achieve this. Finally, future developments in the field including research into new therapies targeting NPM1 mutated AML are considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hindley
- Clinical Haematology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast BT9 7AB, UK;
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Mary Frances McMullin
- Centre for Medical Education, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK;
- Northern Ireland and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast BT9 7AB, UK
| | - Ken I. Mills
- Patrick G Johnston Center for Cancer Research, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE, UK;
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Long noncoding RNAs: Emerging regulators of normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Blood 2021; 138:2327-2336. [PMID: 34482397 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021011992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome wide analyses have revealed that long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are not only passive transcription products, but also major regulators of genome structure and transcription. In particular, lncRNAs exert profound effects on various biological processes, such as chromatin structure, transcription, RNA stability and translation, and protein degradation and localization, which depend on their localization and interacting partners. Recent studies have revealed that thousands of lncRNAs are aberrantly expressed in various cancer types and some of them are associated with malignant transformation. Despite extensive efforts, the diverse functions of lncRNAs and molecular mechanisms in which they act remain elusive. Many hematological disorders and malignancies are primarily resulted from genetic alterations that lead to the dysregulation of gene regulatory networks required for cellular proliferation and differentiation. Consequently, a growing list of lncRNAs has been reported for their involvement in the modulation of hematopoietic gene expression networks and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HS/PC) function. Dysregulation of some of these lncRNAs has been attributed to pathogenesis of hematological malignancies. In this review, we will summarize current advances and knowledge of lncRNAs in gene regulation, focusing on the recent progresses on the role of lncRNAs in CTCF/cohesin mediated three-dimensional (3D) genome organization, and how such genome folding signals in turn regulate transcription, HS/PC function and transformation. The knowledge will provide mechanistic and translational insights into HS/PC biology and myeloid malignancy pathophysiology.
Collapse
|
26
|
Therapeutic implications of menin inhibition in acute leukemias. Leukemia 2021; 35:2482-2495. [PMID: 34131281 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01309-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Menin inhibitors are novel targeted agents currently in clinical development for the treatment of genetically defined subsets of acute leukemia. Menin has a tumor suppressor function in endocrine glands. Germline mutations in the gene encoding menin cause the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome, a hereditary condition associated with tumors of the endocrine glands. However, menin is also critical for leukemogenesis in subsets driven by rearrangement of the Lysine Methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A) gene, previously known as mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL), which encodes an epigenetic modifier. These seemingly opposing functions of menin can be explained by its various roles in gene regulation. Therefore, leukemias with rearrangement of KMT2A are predicted to respond to menin inhibition with early clinical data validating this proof-of-concept. These leukemias affect infants, children and adults, and lead to adverse outcomes with current standard therapies. Recent studies have identified novel targets in acute leukemia that are susceptible to menin inhibition, such as mutated Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1), the most common genetic alteration in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In addition to these alterations, other leukemia subsets with similar transcriptional dependency could be targeted through menin inhibition. This led to rationally designed clinical studies, investigating small-molecule oral menin inhibitors in relapsed acute leukemias with promising early results. Herein, we discuss the physiologic and malignant biology of menin, the mechanisms of leukemia in these susceptible subsets, and future therapeutic strategies using these inhibitors in acute leukemia.
Collapse
|
27
|
Role of the HOXA cluster in HSC emergence and blood cancer. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1817-1827. [PMID: 34374409 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hematopoiesis, the process of blood formation, is controlled by a complex developmental program that involves intrinsic and extrinsic regulators. Blood formation is critical to normal embryonic development and during embryogenesis distinct waves of hematopoiesis have been defined that represent the emergence of hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells. The Class I family of homeobox (HOX) genes are also critical for normal embryonic development, whereby mutations are associated with malformations and deformity. Recently, members of the HOXA cluster (comprising 11 genes and non-coding RNA elements) have been associated with the emergence and maintenance of long-term repopulating HSCs. Previous studies identified a gradient of HOXA expression from high in HSCs to low in circulating peripheral cells, indicating their importance in maintaining blood cell numbers and differentiation state. Indeed, dysregulation of HOXA genes either directly or by genetic lesions of upstream regulators correlates with a malignant phenotype. This review discusses the role of the HOXA cluster in both HSC emergence and blood cancer formation highlighting the need for further research to identify specific roles of these master regulators in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
Collapse
|
28
|
Smith AM, LaValle TA, Shinawi M, Ramakrishnan SM, Abel HJ, Hill CA, Kirkland NM, Rettig MP, Helton NM, Heath SE, Ferraro F, Chen DY, Adak S, Semenkovich CF, Christian DL, Martin JR, Gabel HW, Miller CA, Ley TJ. Functional and epigenetic phenotypes of humans and mice with DNMT3A Overgrowth Syndrome. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4549. [PMID: 34315901 PMCID: PMC8316576 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24800-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Germline pathogenic variants in DNMT3A were recently described in patients with overgrowth, obesity, behavioral, and learning difficulties (DNMT3A Overgrowth Syndrome/DOS). Somatic mutations in the DNMT3A gene are also the most common cause of clonal hematopoiesis, and can initiate acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, we studied DNA methylation in peripheral blood cells of 11 DOS patients and found a focal, canonical hypomethylation phenotype, which is most severe with the dominant negative DNMT3AR882H mutation. A germline mouse model expressing the homologous Dnmt3aR878H mutation phenocopies most aspects of the human DOS syndrome, including the methylation phenotype and an increased incidence of spontaneous hematopoietic malignancies, suggesting that all aspects of this syndrome are caused by this mutation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Smith
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Taylor A LaValle
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marwan Shinawi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sai M Ramakrishnan
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Haley J Abel
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cheryl A Hill
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Science, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Nicole M Kirkland
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Science, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Michael P Rettig
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nichole M Helton
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sharon E Heath
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Francesca Ferraro
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David Y Chen
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sangeeta Adak
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Clay F Semenkovich
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipid Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Diana L Christian
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jenna R Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Harrison W Gabel
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Christopher A Miller
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Timothy J Ley
- Division of Oncology, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia: from bench to bedside. Blood 2021; 136:1707-1721. [PMID: 32609823 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene encodes for a multifunctional protein with prominent nucleolar localization that shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm. NPM1 mutations represent the most common genetic lesion in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML; about one third of cases), and they act deterministically to cause the aberrant cytoplasmic delocalization of NPM1 mutants. Because of its unique features, NPM1-mutated AML is recognized as a distinct entity in the 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of hematopoietic neoplasms. Here, we focus on recently identified functions of wild-type NPM1 in the nucleolus and address new biological and clinical issues related to NPM1-mutated AML. The relevance of the cooperation between NPM1 and other mutations in driving AML with different outcomes is presented. We also discuss the importance of eradicating NPM1-mutated clones to achieve AML cure and the impact of preleukemic clonal hematopoiesis persistence in predisposing to second AML. The contribution of HOX genes' expression to the development of NPM1-mutated AML is also highlighted. Clinically, yet unsolved diagnostic issues in the 2017 WHO classification of myeloid neoplasms and the importance of NPM1 mutations in defining the framework of European LeukemiaNet genetic-based risk stratification are discussed. Finally, we address the value and limits of NPM1-based measurable residual disease assessment for treatment guidance and present the results of promising preclinical studies with XPO1 and menin-MLL inhibitors.
Collapse
|
30
|
Heimbruch KE, Fisher JB, Stelloh CT, Phillips E, Reimer MH, Wargolet AJ, Meyer AE, Pulakanti K, Viny AD, Loppnow JJ, Levine RL, Pulikkan JA, Zhu N, Rao S. DOT1L inhibitors block abnormal self-renewal induced by cohesin loss. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7288. [PMID: 33790356 PMCID: PMC8012605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86646-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a high-risk malignancy characterized by a diverse spectrum of somatic genetic alterations. The mechanisms by which these mutations contribute to leukemia development and how this informs the use of targeted therapies is critical to improving outcomes for patients. Importantly, how to target loss-of-function mutations has been a critical challenge in precision medicine. Heterozygous inactivating mutations in cohesin complex genes contribute to AML in adults by increasing the self-renewal capacity of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) by altering PRC2 targeting to induce HOXA9 expression, a key self-renewal transcription factor. Here we sought to delineate the epigenetic mechanism underpinning the enhanced self-renewal conferred by cohesin-haploinsufficiency. First, given the substantial difference in the mutational spectrum between pediatric and adult AML patients, we first sought to identify if HOXA9 was also elevated in children. Next, using primary HSPCs as a model we demonstrate that abnormal self-renewal due to cohesin loss is blocked by DOT1L inhibition. In cohesin-depleted cells, DOT1L inhibition is associated with H3K79me2 depletion and a concomitant increase in H3K27me3. Importantly, we find that there are cohesin-dependent gene expression changes that promote a leukemic profile, including HoxA overexpression, that are preferentially reversed by DOT1L inhibition. Our data further characterize how cohesin mutations contribute to AML development, identifying DOT1L as a potential therapeutic target for adult and pediatric AML patients harboring cohesin mutations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn E Heimbruch
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Joseph B Fisher
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI, USA
| | - Cary T Stelloh
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Emily Phillips
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Michael H Reimer
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Adam J Wargolet
- Department of Natural Sciences, Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI, USA
| | - Alison E Meyer
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Kirthi Pulakanti
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Aaron D Viny
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, and Department of Genetics & Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica J Loppnow
- Department of Natural Sciences, Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, WI, USA
| | - Ross L Levine
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Molecular Cytology Core Facility, and Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Anto Pulikkan
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Nan Zhu
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Sridhar Rao
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, 8727 West Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
|
32
|
HOXBLINC long non-coding RNA activation promotes leukemogenesis in NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1956. [PMID: 33782403 PMCID: PMC8007823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22095-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is the most commonly mutated gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) resulting in aberrant cytoplasmic translocation of the encoded nucleolar protein (NPM1c+). NPM1c+ maintains a unique leukemic gene expression program, characterized by activation of HOXA/B clusters and MEIS1 oncogene to facilitate leukemogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which NPM1c+ controls such gene expression patterns to promote leukemogenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the activation of HOXBLINC, a HOXB locus-associated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), is a critical downstream mediator of NPM1c+-associated leukemic transcription program and leukemogenesis. HOXBLINC loss attenuates NPM1c+-driven leukemogenesis by rectifying the signature of NPM1c+ leukemic transcription programs. Furthermore, overexpression of HoxBlinc (HoxBlincTg) in mice enhances HSC self-renewal and expands myelopoiesis, leading to the development of AML-like disease, reminiscent of the phenotypes seen in the Npm1 mutant knock-in (Npm1c/+) mice. HoxBlincTg and Npm1c/+ HSPCs share significantly overlapped transcriptome and chromatin structure. Mechanistically, HoxBlinc binds to the promoter regions of NPM1c+ signature genes to control their activation in HoxBlincTg HSPCs, via MLL1 recruitment and promoter H3K4me3 modification. Our study reveals that HOXBLINC lncRNA activation plays an essential oncogenic role in NPM1c+ leukemia. HOXBLINC and its partner MLL1 are potential therapeutic targets for NPM1c+ AML. Nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene mutation induces a specific gene expression program leading to acute myeloid leukaemia. Here, the authors show that mutant NPM1 activates a HOXB locus-associated long non-coding RNA which is essential for its associated oncogenic transcriptional program and leukaemia development.
Collapse
|
33
|
Grieselhuber NR, Mims AS. Novel Targeted Therapeutics in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: an Embarrassment of Riches. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2021; 16:192-206. [PMID: 33738705 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-021-00621-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive malignancy of the bone marrow that has a poor prognosis with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, especially in elderly patients. In recent years, small molecule inhibitors targeting AML-associated IDH1, IDH2, and FLT3 mutations have been FDA approved. However, the majority of AML cases do not have a targetable mutation. A variety of novel agents targeting both previously untargetable mutations and general pathways in AML are currently being investigated. Herein, we review selected new targeted therapies currently in early-phase clinical investigation in AML. RECENT FINDINGS The DOT1L inhibitor pinometostat in KMT2A-rearranged AML, the menin inhibitors KO-539 and SYNDX-5613 in KMT2Ar and NPM1-mutated AML, and the mutant TP53 inhibitor APR-246 are examples of novel agents targeting specific mutations in AML. In addition, BET inhibitors, polo-like kinase inhibitors, and MDM2 inhibitors are promising new drug classes for AML which do not depend on the presence of a particular mutation. AML remains in incurable disease for many patients but advances in genomics, epigenetics, and drug discovery have led to the development of many potential novel therapeutic agents, many of which are being investigated in ongoing clinical trials. Additional studies will be necessary to determine how best to incorporate these novel agents into routine clinical treatment of AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R Grieselhuber
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alice S Mims
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Giacopelli B, Wang M, Cleary A, Wu YZ, Schultz AR, Schmutz M, Blachly JS, Eisfeld AK, Mundy-Bosse B, Vosberg S, Greif PA, Claus R, Bullinger L, Garzon R, Coombes KR, Bloomfield CD, Druker BJ, Tyner JW, Byrd JC, Oakes CC. DNA methylation epitypes highlight underlying developmental and disease pathways in acute myeloid leukemia. Genome Res 2021; 31:747-761. [PMID: 33707228 PMCID: PMC8092005 DOI: 10.1101/gr.269233.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a molecularly complex disease characterized by heterogeneous tumor genetic profiles and involving numerous pathogenic mechanisms and pathways. Integration of molecular data types across multiple patient cohorts may advance current genetic approaches for improved subclassification and understanding of the biology of the disease. Here, we analyzed genome-wide DNA methylation in 649 AML patients using Illumina arrays and identified a configuration of 13 subtypes (termed “epitypes”) using unbiased clustering. Integration of genetic data revealed that most epitypes were associated with a certain recurrent mutation (or combination) in a majority of patients, yet other epitypes were largely independent. Epitypes showed developmental blockage at discrete stages of myeloid differentiation, revealing epitypes that retain arrested hematopoietic stem-cell-like phenotypes. Detailed analyses of DNA methylation patterns identified unique patterns of aberrant hyper- and hypomethylation among epitypes, with variable involvement of transcription factors influencing promoter, enhancer, and repressed regions. Patients in epitypes with stem-cell-like methylation features showed inferior overall survival along with up-regulated stem cell gene expression signatures. We further identified a DNA methylation signature involving STAT motifs associated with FLT3-ITD mutations. Finally, DNA methylation signatures were stable at relapse for the large majority of patients, and rare epitype switching accompanied loss of the dominant epitype mutations and reversion to stem-cell-like methylation patterns. These results show that DNA methylation-based classification integrates important molecular features of AML to reveal the diverse pathogenic and biological aspects of the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Giacopelli
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Ada Cleary
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Yue-Zhong Wu
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Anna Reister Schultz
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Maximilian Schmutz
- Hematology and Oncology, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - James S Blachly
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Bethany Mundy-Bosse
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Sebastian Vosberg
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.,Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp A Greif
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rainer Claus
- Department of Medicine II, Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Klinikum Augsburg, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 86156 Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Bullinger
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumorimmunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ramiro Garzon
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Kevin R Coombes
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Clara D Bloomfield
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Brian J Druker
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Tyner
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - John C Byrd
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Christopher C Oakes
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Heimbruch KE, Meyer AE, Agrawal P, Viny AD, Rao S. A cohesive look at leukemogenesis: The cohesin complex and other driving mutations in AML. Neoplasia 2021; 23:337-347. [PMID: 33621854 PMCID: PMC7905235 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) affects tens of thousands of patients a year, yet survival rates are as low as 25% in certain populations. This poor survival rate is partially due to the vast genetic diversity of the disease. Rarely do 2 patients with AML have the same mutational profile, which makes the development of targeted therapies particularly challenging. However, a set of recurrent mutations in chromatin modifiers have been identified in many patients, including mutations in the cohesin complex, which have been identified in up to 20% of cases. Interestingly, the canonical function of the cohesin complex in establishing sister chromatid cohesin during mitosis is unlikely to be the affected role in leukemogenesis. Instead, the cohesin complex's role in DNA looping and gene regulation likely facilitates disease. The epigenetic mechanisms by which cohesin complex mutations promote leukemia are not completely elucidated, but alterations of enhancer-promoter interactions and differential histone modifications have been shown to drive oncogenic gene expression changes. Such changes commonly include HoxA upregulation, which may represent a common pathway that could be therapeutically targeted. As cohesin mutations rarely occur alone, examining the impact of common co-occurring mutations, including those in NPM1, the core-binding factor complex, FLT3, and ASXL1, will yield additional insight. While further study of these mutational interactions is required, current research suggests that the use of combinatorial genetics could be the key to uncovering new targets, allowing for the treatment of AML patients based on their individual genetic profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn E Heimbruch
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Puja Agrawal
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Aaron D Viny
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, and Department of Genetics & Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sridhar Rao
- Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutations are encountered in myeloid neoplasia and are present in ~ 30% of de novo acute myeloid leukemia cases. This review summarizes features of mutant NPM1-related disease, with a particular emphasis on recent discoveries relevant to disease monitoring, prognostication, and therapeutic intervention. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies have shown that HOX/MEIS gene overexpression is central to the survival of NPM1-mutated cells. Two distinct classes of small molecule drugs, BH3 mimetics and menin-MLL interaction inhibitors, have demonstrated exquisite leukemic cell toxicity in preclinical AML models associated with HOX/MEIS overexpression, and the former of these has shown efficacy in older treatment-naïve NPM1-mutated AML patients. The results of ongoing clinical trials further investigating these compounds will be of particular importance and may alter the clinical management of patients with NPM1-mutated myeloid neoplasms. Significant scientific advancements over the last decade, including improved sequencing and disease monitoring techniques, have fostered a much deeper understanding of mutant NPM1 disease biology, prognostication, and opportunities for therapeutic intervention. These discoveries have led to the development of clinical assays that permit the detection and monitoring of mutant NPM1 and have paved the way for future investigation of targeted therapeutics using emerging cutting-edge techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay S Patel
- Division of Hematopathology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Kluk
- Division of Hematopathology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olga K Weinberg
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Bader 126.2, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Khan I, Eklund EE, Gartel AL. Therapeutic Vulnerabilities of Transcription Factors in AML. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 20:229-237. [PMID: 33158995 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by impaired myeloid lineage differentiation, uncontrolled proliferation, and inhibition of proapoptotic pathways. In spite of a relatively homogeneous clinical disease presentation, risk of long-term survival in AML varies from 20% to 80% depending on molecular disease characteristics. In recognition of the molecular heterogeneity of AML, the European Leukemia Net (ELN) and WHO classification systems now incorporate cytogenetics and increasing numbers of gene mutations into AML prognostication. Several of the genomic AML subsets are characterized by unique transcription factor alterations that are highlighted in this review. There are many mechanisms of transcriptional deregulation in leukemia. We broadly classify transcription factors based on mechanisms of transcriptional deregulation including direct involvement of transcription factors in recurrent translocations, loss-of-function mutations, and intracellular relocalization. Transcription factors, due to their pleiotropic effects, have been attractive but elusive targets. Indirect targeting approaches include inhibition of upstream kinases such as TAK1 for suppression of NFκB signaling and downstream effectors such as FGF signaling in HOXA-upregulated leukemia. Other strategies include targeting scaffolding proteins like BrD4 in the case of MYC or coactivators such as menin to suppress HOX expression; disrupting critical protein interactions in the case of β-catenin:TCF/LEF, and preventing transcription factor binding to DNA as in the case of PU.1 or FOXM1. We comprehensively describe the mechanism of deregulation of transcription factors in genomic subsets of AML, consequent pathway addictions, and potential therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irum Khan
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Elizabeth E Eklund
- Feinberg School of Medicine and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrei L Gartel
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clinically, morphologically, and genetically heterogeneous disorder. Like many malignancies, the genomic landscape of pediatric AML has been mapped recently through sequencing of large cohorts of patients. Much has been learned about the biology of AML through studies of specific recurrent genetic lesions. Further, genetic lesions have been linked to specific clinical features, response to therapy, and outcome, leading to improvements in risk stratification. Lastly, targeted therapeutic approaches have been developed for the treatment of specific genetic lesions, some of which are already having a positive impact on outcomes. While the advances made based on the discoveries of sequencing studies are significant, much work is left. The biologic, clinical, and prognostic impact of a number of genetic lesions, including several seemingly unique to pediatric patients, remains undefined. While targeted approaches are being explored, for most, the efficacy and tolerability when incorporated into standard therapy is yet to be determined. Furthermore, the challenge of how to study small subpopulations with rare genetic lesions in an already rare disease will have to be considered. In all, while questions and challenges remain, precisely defining the genomic landscape of AML, holds great promise for ultimately leading to improved outcomes for affected patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Conneely
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Avenue, Feigin Tower, Suite 1025, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Rachel E Rau
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Avenue, Feigin Tower, Suite 1025, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zha J, Lai Q, Deng M, Shi P, Zhao H, Chen Q, Wu H, Xu B. Disruption of CTCF Boundary at HOXA Locus Promote BET Inhibitors' Therapeutic Sensitivity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2020; 16:1280-1291. [PMID: 33057942 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-020-10057-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Both HOX gene expression and CTCF regulation have been well demonstrated to play a critical role in regulating maintenance of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) that are known to be resistant to BET inhibitor (BETi). To investigate the regulatory role of CTCF boundary in aberrant HOX gene expression and the therapeutic sensitivity of BETi in AML, we employed CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology to delete 47 base pairs of the CTCF binding motif which is located between HOXA7 and HOXA9 genes (CBS7/9) in different subtypes of AML with either MLL-rearrangement or NPM1 mutation. Our results revealed that HOXA9 is significantly downregulated in response to the CBS7/9 deletion. Moreover, CBS7/9 boundary deletion sensitized the BETi treatment reaction in both MOLM-13 and OCI-AML3 cells. To further examine whether BETi therapeutic sensitivity in AML is depended on the expression level of the HOXA9 gene, we overexpressed the HOXA9 in the CBS7/9 deleted AML cell lines, which can rescue and restore the resistance to BETi treatment of the CBS7/9 KO cells by activating MAPK signaling pathway. Deletion of CBS7/9 specifically decreased the recruitment of BRD4 and RNA pol II to the posterior HOXA genes, in which, a transcription elongation factor ELL3 is the key factor in regulating HOXA gene transcription monitored by CBS7/9 chromatin boundary. Thus, disruption of CBS7/9 boundary perturbs HOXA9 transcription and regulates BETi sensitivity in AML treatment. Moreover, alteration of CTCF boundaries in the oncogene loci may provide a novel strategy to overcome the drug resistance of LSCs. Graphical abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zha
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, China
- Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy of Xiamen, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Qian Lai
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, China
- Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy of Xiamen, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Manman Deng
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, China
- Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy of Xiamen, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Pengcheng Shi
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital. Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Haijun Zhao
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, China
- Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy of Xiamen, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Qinwei Chen
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, China
- Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy of Xiamen, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 55 Zhenhai Road, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, China.
- Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hematological Malignancy of Xiamen, Xiamen, 361003, China.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Klossowski S, Miao H, Kempinska K, Wu T, Purohit T, Kim E, Linhares BM, Chen D, Jih G, Perkey E, Huang H, He M, Wen B, Wang Y, Yu K, Lee SCW, Danet-Desnoyers G, Trotman W, Kandarpa M, Cotton A, Abdel-Wahab O, Lei H, Dou Y, Guzman M, Peterson L, Gruber T, Choi S, Sun D, Ren P, Li LS, Liu Y, Burrows F, Maillard I, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Menin inhibitor MI-3454 induces remission in MLL1-rearranged and NPM1-mutated models of leukemia. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:981-997. [PMID: 31855575 DOI: 10.1172/jci129126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein-protein interaction between menin and mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) plays a critical role in acute leukemias with translocations of the MLL1 gene or with mutations in the nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) gene. As a step toward clinical translation of menin-MLL1 inhibitors, we report development of MI-3454, a highly potent and orally bioavailable inhibitor of the menin-MLL1 interaction. MI-3454 profoundly inhibited proliferation and induced differentiation in acute leukemia cells and primary patient samples with MLL1 translocations or NPM1 mutations. When applied as a single agent, MI-3454 induced complete remission or regression of leukemia in mouse models of MLL1-rearranged or NPM1-mutated leukemia, including patient-derived xenograft models, through downregulation of key genes involved in leukemogenesis. We also identified MEIS1 as a potential pharmacodynamic biomarker of treatment response with MI-3454 in leukemia, and demonstrated that this compound is well tolerated and did not impair normal hematopoiesis in mice. Overall, this study demonstrates, for the first time to our knowledge, profound activity of the menin-MLL1 inhibitor as a single agent in clinically relevant PDX models of leukemia. These data provide a strong rationale for clinical translation of MI-3454 or its analogs for leukemia patients with MLL1 rearrangements or NPM1 mutations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Klossowski
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Hongzhi Miao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Tao Wu
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Trupta Purohit
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - EunGi Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian M Linhares
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Dong Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Huang Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Miao He
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Bo Wen
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ke Yu
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Gwenn Danet-Desnoyers
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Winifred Trotman
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Malathi Kandarpa
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Hongwei Lei
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yali Dou
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Luke Peterson
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tanja Gruber
- Saint Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah Choi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Pingda Ren
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA.,Kura Oncology, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lian-Sheng Li
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Yi Liu
- Wellspring Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Ivan Maillard
- Life Sciences Institute and.,Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Zhang X, Jeong M, Huang X, Wang XQ, Wang X, Zhou W, Shamim MS, Gore H, Himadewi P, Liu Y, Bochkov ID, Reyes J, Doty M, Huang YH, Jung H, Heikamp E, Aiden AP, Li W, Su J, Aiden EL, Goodell MA. Large DNA Methylation Nadirs Anchor Chromatin Loops Maintaining Hematopoietic Stem Cell Identity. Mol Cell 2020; 78:506-521.e6. [PMID: 32386543 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Higher-order chromatin structure and DNA methylation are implicated in multiple developmental processes, but their relationship to cell state is unknown. Here, we find that large (>7.3 kb) DNA methylation nadirs (termed "grand canyons") can form long loops connecting anchor loci that may be dozens of megabases (Mb) apart, as well as inter-chromosomal links. The interacting loci cover a total of ∼3.5 Mb of the human genome. The strongest interactions are associated with repressive marks made by the Polycomb complex and are diminished upon EZH2 inhibitor treatment. The data are suggestive of the formation of these loops by interactions between repressive elements in the loci, forming a genomic subcompartment, rather than by cohesion/CTCF-mediated extrusion. Interestingly, unlike previously characterized subcompartments, these interactions are present only in particular cell types, such as stem and progenitor cells. Our work reveals that H3K27me3-marked large DNA methylation grand canyons represent a set of very-long-range loops associated with cellular identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Zhang
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
| | - Mira Jeong
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xingfan Huang
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics & Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xue Qing Wang
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Big Data, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wanding Zhou
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Muhammad S Shamim
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Medical Student Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics & Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Haley Gore
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Pamela Himadewi
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Yushuai Liu
- Center for Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Ivan D Bochkov
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaime Reyes
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Madison Doty
- Molecular Genetic Technology Program, School of Health Professions, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yung-Hsin Huang
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Haiyoung Jung
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea, USA
| | - Emily Heikamp
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Aviva Presser Aiden
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Developmental Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine CA, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianzhong Su
- Institute of Biomedical Big Data, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Erez Lieberman Aiden
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics & Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Margaret A Goodell
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Wang H, Lin SY, Hu FF, Guo AY, Hu H. The expression and regulation of HOX genes and membrane proteins among different cytogenetic groups of acute myeloid leukemia. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2020; 8:e1365. [PMID: 32614525 PMCID: PMC7507697 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1365] [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: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cytogenetic aberrations were considered as markers for diagnosis and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), while the expression and regulation under different cytogenetic groups remain to be fully elucidated. METHODS In this paper, for favorable, poor, and cytogenetically normal groups of AML patients, we performed comprehensive bioinformatics analyses including identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) among them, functional enrichment and regulatory networks. RESULTS We found that DEGs were enriched in membrane-related processes. Eleven genes and two miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed among these three AML groups. In survival analysis, membrane-related genes and several miRNAs were significant on prognostic outcome. Notably, six HOXA and three HOXB genes were significantly in low expression and high methylation in AML with favorable cytogenetics. Meanwhile, the miRNA-HOX gene co-regulatory networks revealed that HOXA5 was a hub node and regulated an AML oncogene SPARC. CONCLUSION Our work may provide novel insights to the molecular characteristics and classification between AML with different cytogenetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huili Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Wenhua College, Wuhan, China
| | - Sheng-Yan Lin
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei-Fei Hu
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - An-Yuan Guo
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Hu
- Hubei Bioinformatics & Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Uckelmann HJ, Armstrong SA. Chromatin Complexes Maintain Self-Renewal of Myeloid Progenitors in AML: Opportunities for Therapeutic Intervention. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 15:6-12. [PMID: 32559456 PMCID: PMC7363875 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific subgroups of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), including those containing MLL rearrangements and NPM1c mutations, possess characteristic stem cell-like gene expression profiles. These expression programs are highly dependent on components of the MLL histone methyltransferase complex, including Menin and DOT1L. Understanding the chromatin-based mechanisms through which cancer cells subvert certain aspects of normal stem cell biology helped identify specific vulnerabilities and translate them into targeted therapy approaches. Exciting progress has been made in the development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting this epigenetic machinery in leukemia cells and prompted the development of clinical trials in patients with hematologic malignancies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J Uckelmann
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scott A Armstrong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Qu Y, Wang Y, Wang P, Lin N, Yan X, Li Y. Overexpression of long noncoding RNA HOXA-AS2 predicts an adverse prognosis and promotes tumorigenesis via SOX4/PI3K/AKT pathway in acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Biol Int 2020; 44:1745-1759. [PMID: 32369230 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in diverse cellular processes and carcinogenesis. Homeobox A cluster antisense RNA 2 (HOXA-AS2) is a 1,048-basepairs lncRNA located between human HOXA3 and HOXA4 genes, whose overactivation was previously found to promote the proliferation and invasion of solid tumors. However, its clinical and biological roles in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain unclear. This study showed that HOXA-AS2 was overexpressed in AML patients. In addition, the increased HOXA-AS2 expression was correlated with higher white blood cell and bone marrow blast counts, unfavorable karyotype classification, more measurable residual disease positivity, and earlier death. There was also a tendency toward inferior survival in patients with high HOXA-AS2 expression, and HOXA-AS2 was an independent prognostic factor among the normal-karyotype AMLs. Furthermore, the results of in vitro study showed that silencing HOXA-AS2 significantly inhibited the growth of leukemic cells by inducing G1/G0-phase arrest and apoptosis. Further analysis demonstrated that silencing HOXA-AS2 suppressed the phosphorylation level of PI3K and AKT, which thereafter promoted the expression of P21 and P27. Moreover, it was suggested that the sex-determining region Y-box 4 (SOX4), which is closely involved in the PI3K/AKT pathway, might be one of the major downstream targets of HOXA-AS2. Silencing HOXA-AS2 decreased the expression of SOX4, whereas the upregulation of SOX4 partially abrogated the inhibitory effect of silencing HOXA-AS2 on leukemic cells. In conclusion, these findings suggest that HOXA-AS2 probably functions as an oncogene via SOX4/PI3K/AKT pathway and might be a useful biomarker for the prognostic prediction in AML patients, providing a potential therapeutic target for AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Qu
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Na Lin
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiaojing Yan
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Qiu Y, Huang S. CTCF-mediated genome organization and leukemogenesis. Leukemia 2020; 34:2295-2304. [PMID: 32518417 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-020-0906-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent technological advancements and genome-wide studies provide compelling evidence that dynamic chromatin interaction and three-dimensional genome organization in nuclei play an important role in regulating gene expression. Mammalian genomes consist of many small functional domains termed topologically associated domains (TADs), many of them organized by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and the cohesion complex. Changes in genome TADs might result in inappropriate promoter/enhancer communications leading to activation of oncogenes or suppression of tumor suppressors. During normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis, genome structure alters considerably to facilitate normal and malignant hematopoiesis, respectively. Delineating theses normal and abnormal processes will evolve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and development of potential treatment strategies. This review highlights the role of CTCF and its associated protein complexes in three-dimensional genome organization in development and leukemogenesis, as well as the roles of CTCF boundary defined TAD in transcription regulation. We further explore the function of chromatin modulators, such as CTCF, cohesin, and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in chromosomal interactions and hematopoietic genome organization. Finally, we focus on the implication of 3D genome alteration in the pathogenesis of leukemia and provide a scientific basis for targeted intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Qiu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 16033, USA. .,Penn State Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 16033, USA.
| | - Suming Huang
- Penn State Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 16033, USA. .,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, 16033, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Ghasemi R, Struthers H, Wilson ER, Spencer DH. Contribution of CTCF binding to transcriptional activity at the HOXA locus in NPM1-mutant AML cells. Leukemia 2020; 35:404-416. [PMID: 32398790 PMCID: PMC7657955 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-020-0856-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation of the HOXA genes is thought to involve CTCF-mediated chromatin loops and the opposing actions of the COMPASS and Polycomb epigenetic complexes. We investigated the role of these mechanisms at the HOXA cluster in AML cells with the common NPM1c mutation, which express both HOXA and HOXB genes. CTCF binding at the HOXA locus is conserved across primary AML samples, regardless of HOXA gene expression, and defines a continuous chromatin domain marked by COMPASS-associated histone H3 trimethylation in NPM1-mutant primary AML samples. Profiling of the three-dimensional chromatin architecture in primary AML samples with the NPM1c mutation identified chromatin loops between the HOXA cluster and loci in the SNX10 and SKAP2 genes, and an intergenic region located 1.4 Mbp upstream of the HOXA locus. Deletion of CTCF binding sites in the NPM1-mutant OCI-AML3 AML cell line reduced multiple long-range interactions, but resulted in CTCF-independent loops with sequences in SKAP2 that were marked by enhancer-associated histone modifications in primary AML samples. HOXA gene expression was maintained in CTCF binding site mutants, indicating that transcriptional activity at the HOXA locus in NPM1-mutant AML cells may be sustained through persistent interactions with SKAP2 enhancers, or by intrinsic factors within the HOXA gene cluster.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reza Ghasemi
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Heidi Struthers
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elisabeth R Wilson
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David H Spencer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Section of Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. .,McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Lavau CP, Aumann WK, Sze SGK, Gupta V, Ripple K, Port SA, Kehlenbach RH, Wechsler DS. The SQSTM1-NUP214 fusion protein interacts with Crm1, activates Hoxa and Meis1 genes, and drives leukemogenesis in mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232036. [PMID: 32343715 PMCID: PMC7188244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The NUP98 and NUP214 nucleoporins (NUPs) are recurrently fused to heterologous proteins in leukemia. The resulting chimeric oncoproteins retain the phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeat motifs of the NUP moiety that mediate interaction with the nuclear export receptor Crm1. NUP fusion leukemias are characterized by HOXA gene upregulation; however, their molecular pathogenesis remains poorly understood. To investigate the role of Crm1 in mediating the leukemogenic properties of NUP chimeric proteins, we took advantage of the Sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1)-NUP214 fusion. SQSTM1-NUP214 retains only a short C-terminal portion of NUP214 which contains FG motifs that mediate interaction with Crm1. We introduced point mutations targeting these FG motifs and found that the ability of the resulting SQSTM1-NUP214FGmut protein to interact with Crm1 was reduced by more than 50% compared with SQSTM1-NUP214. Mutation of FG motifs affected transforming potential: while SQSTM1-NUP214 impaired myeloid maturation and conferred robust colony formation to transduced hematopoietic progenitors in a serial replating assay, the effect of SQSTM1-NUP214FGmut was considerably diminished. Moreover, SQSTM1-NUP214 caused myeloid leukemia in all transplanted mice, whereas none of the SQSTM1-NUP214FGmut reconstituted mice developed leukemia. These oncogenic effects coincided with the ability of SQSTM1-NUP214 and SQSTM1-NUP214FGmut to upregulate the expression of Hoxa and Meis1 genes in hematopoietic progenitors. Indeed, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that impaired SQSTM1-NUP214 interaction with Crm1 correlated with impaired binding of the fusion protein to Hoxa and Meis1 genes. These findings highlight the importance of Crm1 in mediating the leukemogenic properties of SQSTM1-NUP214, and suggest a conserved role of Crm1 in recruiting oncoproteins to their effector genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine P. Lavau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Waitman K. Aumann
- Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Sei-Gyung K. Sze
- Maine Children’s Cancer Program, Scarborough, Maine, United States of America
| | - Veerain Gupta
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Katelyn Ripple
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sarah A. Port
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ralph H. Kehlenbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine and the Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel S. Wechsler
- Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Wei C, Zhao L, Liang H, Zhen Y, Han L. Recent advances in unraveling the molecular mechanisms and functions of HOXA11‑AS in human cancers and other diseases (Review). Oncol Rep 2020; 43:1737-1754. [PMID: 32236611 PMCID: PMC7160552 DOI: 10.3892/or.2020.7552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A large number of previously published research articles have demonstrated that the expression levels of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are generally dysregulated, either through overexpression or underexpression, in cancer and other types of disease. As a recently discovered lncRNA, HOXA11 antisense RNA (HOXA11-AS) is able to serve as an oncogenic or tumor-suppressor gene and serves a vital role in the processes of proliferation, invasion, and migration of cancer cells. HOXA11-AS appears to be a major factor contributing to epigenetic modification, and exerts transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulatory effects on genes through a variety of mechanisms; for example, by competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and a molecular scaffold mechanism. A number of reports have demonstrated that HOXA11-AS functions as a protein scaffold for polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) to perform epigenetic modifications on chromosomes in the nucleus. Furthermore, HOXA11-AS is also located in the cytoplasm and can act as a ceRNA, which sponges miRNAs. In addition, HOXA11-AS may be useful as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. In the present review article, the clinical value, phenotype and mechanism of HOXA11-AS in a variety of tumors types are briefly summarized, as well as its clinical value in certain additional diseases. The perspective of the authors is that HOXA11-AS may represent an effective tumor marker and therapeutic target for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wei
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post‑Neuroinjury Neuro‑Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Liangjuan Zhao
- Tianjin Customs District China, Heping, Tianjin 300041, P.R. China
| | - Hao Liang
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post‑Neuroinjury Neuro‑Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Yingwei Zhen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 453002, P.R. China
| | - Lei Han
- Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post‑Neuroinjury Neuro‑Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Cabal-Hierro L, van Galen P, Prado MA, Higby KJ, Togami K, Mowery CT, Paulo JA, Xie Y, Cejas P, Furusawa T, Bustin M, Long HW, Sykes DB, Gygi SP, Finley D, Bernstein BE, Lane AA. Chromatin accessibility promotes hematopoietic and leukemia stem cell activity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1406. [PMID: 32179749 PMCID: PMC7076002 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15221-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin organization is a highly orchestrated process that influences gene expression, in part by modulating access of regulatory factors to DNA and nucleosomes. Here, we report that the chromatin accessibility regulator HMGN1, a target of recurrent DNA copy gains in leukemia, controls myeloid differentiation. HMGN1 amplification is associated with increased accessibility, expression, and histone H3K27 acetylation of loci important for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia, such as HoxA cluster genes. In vivo, HMGN1 overexpression is linked to decreased quiescence and increased HSC activity in bone marrow transplantation. HMGN1 overexpression also cooperates with the AML-ETO9a fusion oncoprotein to impair myeloid differentiation and enhance leukemia stem cell (LSC) activity. Inhibition of histone acetyltransferases CBP/p300 relieves the HMGN1-associated differentiation block. These data nominate factors that modulate chromatin accessibility as regulators of HSCs and LSCs, and suggest that targeting HMGN1 or its downstream effects on histone acetylation could be therapeutically active in AML.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Cabal-Hierro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter van Galen
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miguel A Prado
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly J Higby
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Katsuhiro Togami
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cody T Mowery
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yingtian Xie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paloma Cejas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takashi Furusawa
- Laboratory of Metabolism, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael Bustin
- Laboratory of Metabolism, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Henry W Long
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Finley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley E Bernstein
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew A Lane
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Chen Y, Hu J. Nucleophosmin1 (NPM1) abnormality in hematologic malignancies, and therapeutic targeting of mutant NPM1 in acute myeloid leukemia. Ther Adv Hematol 2020; 11:2040620719899818. [PMID: 32071709 PMCID: PMC6997955 DOI: 10.1177/2040620719899818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is an abundant nucleolar protein that is
implicated in a variety of biological processes and in the pathogenesis of
several human malignancies. For hematologic malignancies, approximately
one-third of anaplastic large-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas were found to express
a fusion between NPM1 and the catalytic domain of anaplastic
lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase. About 50–60% of acute myeloid leukemia
patients with normal karyotype carry NPM1 mutations, which are
characterized by cytoplasmic dislocation of the NPM1 protein.
Nevertheless, NPM1 is overexpressed in various hematologic and
solid tumor malignancies. NPM1 overexpression is considered a
prognostic marker of recurrence and progression of cancer. Thus,
NPM1 abnormalities play a critical role in several types of
hematologic malignancies. This has led to intense interest in the development of
an NPM1 targeting strategy for cancer therapy. The aim of this
review is to summarize present knowledge on NPM1 origin,
pathogenesis, and therapeutic interventions in hematologic malignancies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingyu Chen
- Department of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No.29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, China
| | - Jianda Hu
- Department of Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| |
Collapse
|