1
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Hernández-Sánchez A, González T, Sobas M, Sträng E, Castellani G, Abáigar M, Valk PJM, Villaverde Ramiro Á, Benner A, Metzeler KH, Azibeiro R, Tettero JM, Martínez-López J, Pratcorona M, Martínez Elicegui J, Mills KI, Thiede C, Sanz G, Döhner K, Heuser M, Haferlach T, Turki AT, Reinhardt D, Schulze-Rath R, Barbus M, Hernández-Rivas JM, Huntly B, Ossenkoppele G, Döhner H, Bullinger L. Rearrangements involving 11q23.3/KMT2A in adult AML: mutational landscape and prognostic implications - a HARMONY study. Leukemia 2024:10.1038/s41375-024-02333-4. [PMID: 38965370 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02333-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Balanced rearrangements involving the KMT2A gene (KMT2Ar) are recurrent genetic abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but there is lack of consensus regarding the prognostic impact of different fusion partners. Moreover, prognostic implications of gene mutations co-occurring with KMT2Ar are not established. From the HARMONY AML database 205 KMT2Ar adult patients were selected, 185 of whom had mutational information by a panel-based next-generation sequencing analysis. Overall survival (OS) was similar across the different translocations, including t(9;11)(p21.3;q23.3)/KMT2A::MLLT3 (p = 0.756). However, independent prognostic factors for OS in intensively treated patients were age >60 years (HR 2.1, p = 0.001), secondary AML (HR 2.2, p = 0.043), DNMT3A-mut (HR 2.1, p = 0.047) and KRAS-mut (HR 2.0, p = 0.005). In the subset of patients with de novo AML < 60 years, KRAS and TP53 were the prognostically most relevant mutated genes, as patients with a mutation of any of those two genes had a lower complete remission rate (50% vs 86%, p < 0.001) and inferior OS (median 7 vs 30 months, p < 0.001). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in first complete remission was able to improve OS (p = 0.003). Our study highlights the importance of the mutational patterns in adult KMT2Ar AML and provides new insights into more accurate prognostic stratification of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Hernández-Sánchez
- Hematology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Cancer Research Center of Salamanca (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Teresa González
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Cancer Research Center of Salamanca (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Eric Sträng
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - María Abáigar
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Cancer Research Center of Salamanca (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Peter J M Valk
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ángela Villaverde Ramiro
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Cancer Research Center of Salamanca (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Axel Benner
- Division of Biostatistics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Raúl Azibeiro
- Hematology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jesse M Tettero
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC Location VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marta Pratcorona
- Department of Hematology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez Elicegui
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Cancer Research Center of Salamanca (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ken I Mills
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Christian Thiede
- University of Technics Dresden Medical Department, Dresden, Germany
| | - Guillermo Sanz
- CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Konstanze Döhner
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Heuser
- Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Amin T Turki
- Marienhospital University Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Universitätsklinikum Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Dirk Reinhardt
- Department of Pediatrics III, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | | | - Jesús María Hernández-Rivas
- Hematology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Cancer Research Center of Salamanca (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
- Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Brian Huntly
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gert Ossenkoppele
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC Location VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hartmut Döhner
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lars Bullinger
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Cancer Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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2
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Bordeleau ME, Audemard É, Métois A, Theret L, Lisi V, Farah A, Spinella JF, Chagraoui J, Moujaber O, Aubert L, Khakipoor B, Mallinger L, Boivin I, Mayotte N, Hajmirza A, Bonneil É, Béliveau F, Pfammatter S, Feghaly A, Boucher G, Gendron P, Thibault P, Barabé F, Lemieux S, Richard-Carpentier G, Hébert J, Lavallée VP, Roux PP, Sauvageau G. Immunotherapeutic targeting of surfaceome heterogeneity in AML. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114260. [PMID: 38838225 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114260] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy remains underexploited in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) compared to other hematological malignancies. Currently, gemtuzumab ozogamicin is the only therapeutic antibody approved for this disease. Here, to identify potential targets for immunotherapeutic intervention, we analyze the surface proteome of 100 genetically diverse primary human AML specimens for the identification of cell surface proteins and conduct single-cell transcriptome analyses on a subset of these specimens to assess antigen expression at the sub-population level. Through this comprehensive effort, we successfully identify numerous antigens and markers preferentially expressed by primitive AML cells. Many identified antigens are targeted by therapeutic antibodies currently under clinical evaluation for various cancer types, highlighting the potential therapeutic value of the approach. Importantly, this initiative uncovers AML heterogeneity at the surfaceome level, identifies several antigens and potential primitive cell markers characterizing AML subgroups, and positions immunotherapy as a promising approach to target AML subgroup specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Eve Bordeleau
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
| | - Éric Audemard
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Arnaud Métois
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Louis Theret
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Véronique Lisi
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Azer Farah
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Jean-François Spinella
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Jalila Chagraoui
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Ossama Moujaber
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Léo Aubert
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Banafsheh Khakipoor
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Laure Mallinger
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Isabel Boivin
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Nadine Mayotte
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Azadeh Hajmirza
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Éric Bonneil
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - François Béliveau
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Sybille Pfammatter
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Albert Feghaly
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Geneviève Boucher
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Patrick Gendron
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Pierre Thibault
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Science, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Frédéric Barabé
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Sébastien Lemieux
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
| | - Guillaume Richard-Carpentier
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Josée Hébert
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada.
| | - Vincent-Philippe Lavallée
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Hematology and Oncology Division, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada.
| | - Philippe P Roux
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.
| | - Guy Sauvageau
- The Leucegene project at Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada.
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3
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Fei F, Caporale C, Chang L, Fortini BK, Ali H, Bell D, Stein A, Marcucci G, Telatar M, Afkhami M. BRAF Mutations in Patients with Myeloid Neoplasms: A Cancer Center Multigene Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis Experience. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5183. [PMID: 38791222 PMCID: PMC11121641 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105183] [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: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BRAF mutations are rare in myeloid neoplasms and are reported to be associated with poor treatment outcomes. The purpose of our study is to characterize BRAF mutations in myeloid neoplasms using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel based on the experiences of a single cancer center. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with myeloid neoplasms who underwent the HopeSeq studies between January 2018 and September 2023. A total of 14 patients with myeloid neoplasms carrying BRAF mutations were included in our cohort. The clinical, pathological, and molecular features of these patients were investigated. Our study indicates that BRAF mutations are rare in myeloid neoplasms, constituting only 0.53% (14/2632) of all myeloid neoplasm cases, with the most common BRAF mutation being BRAF V600E (4/14; 28.6%). Interestingly, we observed that six out of seven patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) exhibited AML with monocytic differentiation, and all the patients with AML exhibited an extremely poor prognosis compared to those without BRAF mutations. TET2 (5/14; 35.7%), ASXL1 (4/14; 28.6%), and JAK2 (4/14; 28.6%) were the three most frequently co-mutated genes in these patients. Moreover, we noted concurrent KMT2A gene rearrangement with BRAF mutations in three patients with AML (3/7; 42.9%). Our study suggests that although BRAF mutations are rare in myeloid neoplasms, they play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of specific AML subtypes. Furthermore, RAS pathway alterations, including BRAF mutations, are associated with KMT2A gene rearrangement in AML. However, these findings warrant further validation in larger studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Fei
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (F.F.)
| | - Caitlin Caporale
- Breast Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Lisa Chang
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (F.F.)
| | | | - Haris Ali
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Diana Bell
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Anthony Stein
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Guido Marcucci
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Milhan Telatar
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (F.F.)
| | - Michelle Afkhami
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (F.F.)
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4
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Severens JF, Karakaslar EO, van der Reijden BA, Sánchez-López E, van den Berg RR, Halkes CJM, van Balen P, Veelken H, Reinders MJT, Griffioen M, van den Akker EB. Mapping AML heterogeneity - multi-cohort transcriptomic analysis identifies novel clusters and divergent ex-vivo drug responses. Leukemia 2024; 38:751-761. [PMID: 38360865 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02137-6] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Subtyping of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is predominantly based on recurrent genetic abnormalities, but recent literature indicates that transcriptomic phenotyping holds immense potential to further refine AML classification. Here we integrated five AML transcriptomic datasets with corresponding genetic information to provide an overview (n = 1224) of the transcriptomic AML landscape. Consensus clustering identified 17 robust patient clusters which improved identification of CEBPA-mutated patients with favourable outcomes, and uncovered transcriptomic subtypes for KMT2A rearrangements (2), NPM1 mutations (5), and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) (5). Transcriptomic subtypes of KMT2A, NPM1 and AML-MRC showed distinct mutational profiles, cell type differentiation arrests and immune properties, suggesting differences in underlying disease biology. Moreover, our transcriptomic clusters show differences in ex-vivo drug responses, even when corrected for differentiation arrest and superiorly capture differences in drug response compared to genetic classification. In conclusion, our findings underscore the importance of transcriptomics in AML subtyping and offer a basis for future research and personalised treatment strategies. Our transcriptomic compendium is publicly available and we supply an R package to project clusters to new transcriptomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeppe F Severens
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Pattern Recognition & Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E Onur Karakaslar
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Pattern Recognition & Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bert A van der Reijden
- Laboratory of Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Sánchez-López
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Redmar R van den Berg
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Peter van Balen
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrik Veelken
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel J T Reinders
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Pattern Recognition & Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke Griffioen
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Erik B van den Akker
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Pattern Recognition & Bioinformatics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Center for Computational Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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5
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Chen TQ, Huang HJ, Zhu SX, Chen XT, Pu KJ, Wang D, An Y, Lian JY, Sun YM, Chen YQ, Wang WT. Blockade of the lncRNA-DOT1L-LAMP5 axis enhances autophagy and promotes degradation of MLL fusion proteins. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:18. [PMID: 38374003 PMCID: PMC10877858 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00488-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion gene caused by chromosomal rearrangement is a dominant oncogenic driver in leukemia. Due to having diverse MLL rearrangements and complex characteristics, MLL leukemia treated by currently available strategies is frequently associated with a poor outcome. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets for hematological malignancies with MLL rearrangements. METHODS qRT-PCR, western blot, and spearman correction analysis were used to validate the regulation of LAMP5-AS1 on LAMP5 expression. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to assess the functional relevance of LAMP5-AS1 in MLL leukemia cell survival. We utilized chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) assay, RNA pull-down assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and immunofluorescence to elucidate the relationship among LAMP5-AS1, DOT1L, and the LAMP5 locus. Autophagy regulation by LAMP5-AS1 was evaluated through LC3B puncta, autolysosome observation via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and mRFP-GFP-LC3 puncta in autophagic flux. RESULTS The study shows the crucial role of LAMP5-AS1 in promoting MLL leukemia cell survival. LAMP5-AS1 acts as a novel autophagic suppressor, safeguarding MLL fusion proteins from autophagic degradation. Knocking down LAMP5-AS1 significantly induced apoptosis in MLL leukemia cell lines and primary cells and extended the survival of mice in vivo. Mechanistically, LAMP5-AS1 recruits the H3K79 histone methyltransferase DOT1L to LAMP5 locus, directly activating LAMP5 expression. Importantly, blockade of LAMP5-AS1-LAMP5 axis can represses MLL fusion proteins by enhancing their degradation. CONCLUSIONS The findings underscore the significance of LAMP5-AS1 in MLL leukemia progression through the regulation of the autophagy pathway. Additionally, this study unveils the novel lncRNA-DOT1L-LAMP5 axis as promising therapeutic targets for degrading MLL fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Qi Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Heng-Jing Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Shun-Xin Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xiao-Tong Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Ke-Jia Pu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Dan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Yan An
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jun-Yi Lian
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yu-Meng Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yue-Qin Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P. R. China.
| | - Wen-Tao Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P. R. China.
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6
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Liu ZS, Sinha S, Bannister M, Song A, Arriaga-Gomez E, McKeeken AJ, Bonner EA, Hanson BK, Sarchi M, Takashima K, Zong D, Corral VM, Nguyen E, Yoo J, Chiraphapphaiboon W, Leibson C, McMahon MC, Rai S, Swisher EM, Sachs Z, Chatla S, Stirewalt DL, Deeg HJ, Skorski T, Papapetrou EP, Walter MJ, Graubert TA, Doulatov S, Lee SC, Nguyen HD. R-Loop Accumulation in Spliceosome Mutant Leukemias Confers Sensitivity to PARP1 Inhibition by Triggering Transcription-Replication Conflicts. Cancer Res 2024; 84:577-597. [PMID: 37967363 PMCID: PMC10922727 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-3239] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
RNA splicing factor (SF) gene mutations are commonly observed in patients with myeloid malignancies. Here we showed that SRSF2- and U2AF1-mutant leukemias are preferentially sensitive to PARP inhibitors (PARPi), despite being proficient in homologous recombination repair. Instead, SF-mutant leukemias exhibited R-loop accumulation that elicited an R-loop-associated PARP1 response, rendering cells dependent on PARP1 activity for survival. Consequently, PARPi induced DNA damage and cell death in SF-mutant leukemias in an R-loop-dependent manner. PARPi further increased aberrant R-loop levels, causing higher transcription-replication collisions and triggering ATR activation in SF-mutant leukemias. Ultimately, PARPi-induced DNA damage and cell death in SF-mutant leukemias could be enhanced by ATR inhibition. Finally, the level of PARP1 activity at R-loops correlated with PARPi sensitivity, suggesting that R-loop-associated PARP1 activity could be predictive of PARPi sensitivity in patients harboring SF gene mutations. This study highlights the potential of targeting different R-loop response pathways caused by spliceosome gene mutations as a therapeutic strategy for treating cancer. SIGNIFICANCE Spliceosome-mutant leukemias accumulate R-loops and require PARP1 to resolve transcription-replication conflicts and genomic instability, providing rationale to repurpose FDA-approved PARP inhibitors for patients carrying spliceosome gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyan Silvia Liu
- Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Sayantani Sinha
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Maxwell Bannister
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Axia Song
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Erica Arriaga-Gomez
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alexander J. McKeeken
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Bonner
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Benjamin K. Hanson
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Martina Sarchi
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia PV, Italy
| | - Kouhei Takashima
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Advancement of Blood Cancer Therapies, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dawei Zong
- Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Victor M. Corral
- Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Evan Nguyen
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer Yoo
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Cassandra Leibson
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Matthew C. McMahon
- Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sumit Rai
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown, MA
| | - Elizabeth M. Swisher
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Zohar Sachs
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Srinivas Chatla
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Derek L. Stirewalt
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - H. Joachim Deeg
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tomasz Skorski
- Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Department of Cancer and Cellular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Eirini P. Papapetrou
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Advancement of Blood Cancer Therapies, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew J. Walter
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Sergei Doulatov
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stanley C. Lee
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hai Dang Nguyen
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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7
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Venkatasubramanian M, Schwartz L, Ramachandra N, Bennett J, Subramanian KR, Chen X, Gordon-Mitchell S, Fromowitz A, Pradhan K, Shechter D, Sahu S, Heiser D, Scherle P, Chetal K, Kulkarni A, Myers KC, Weirauch MT, Grimes HL, Starczynowski DT, Verma A, Salomonis N. Broad de-regulated U2AF1 splicing is prognostic and augments leukemic transformation via protein arginine methyltransferase activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.04.578798. [PMID: 38370617 PMCID: PMC10871255 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.04.578798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The role of splicing dysregulation in cancer is underscored by splicing factor mutations; however, its impact in the absence of such rare mutations is poorly understood. To reveal complex patient subtypes and putative regulators of pathogenic splicing in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), we developed a new approach called OncoSplice. Among diverse new subtypes, OncoSplice identified a biphasic poor prognosis signature that partially phenocopies U2AF1-mutant splicing, impacting thousands of genes in over 40% of adult and pediatric AML cases. U2AF1-like splicing co-opted a healthy circadian splicing program, was stable over time and induced a leukemia stem cell (LSC) program. Pharmacological inhibition of the implicated U2AF1-like splicing regulator, PRMT5, rescued leukemia mis-splicing and inhibited leukemic cell growth. Genetic deletion of IRAK4, a common target of U2AF1-like and PRMT5 treated cells, blocked leukemia development in xenograft models and induced differentiation. These analyses reveal a new prognostic alternative-splicing mechanism in malignancy, independent of splicing-factor mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Venkatasubramanian
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Leya Schwartz
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Nandini Ramachandra
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Joshua Bennett
- Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Krithika R. Subramanian
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Xiaoting Chen
- Divisions of Human Genetics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Shanisha Gordon-Mitchell
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Ariel Fromowitz
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Kith Pradhan
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - David Shechter
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Srabani Sahu
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Diane Heiser
- Prelude Therapeutics Incorporated, Wilmington, DE
| | | | - Kashish Chetal
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Aishwarya Kulkarni
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Kasiani C. Myers
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Matthew T. Weirauch
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Divisions of Human Genetics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - H. Leighton Grimes
- Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Division of Immunobiology and Center for Systems Immunology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Daniel T. Starczynowski
- Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Amit Verma
- Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY
| | - Nathan Salomonis
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH
- Division of Immunobiology and Center for Systems Immunology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
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8
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Meyer A, Stelloh C, Zhu N, Rao S. Cohesin loss and MLL-AF9 are not synthetic lethal in murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3894962. [PMID: 38352423 PMCID: PMC10862952 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3894962/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Objective As cohesin mutations are rarely found in MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemias, we investigated the potential synthetic lethality between cohesin mutations and MLL-AF9 using murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Results Contrary to our hypothesis, a complete loss of Stag2 or haploinsufficiency of Smc3 were well tolerated in MLL-AF9-expressing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Minimal effect of cohesin subunit loss on the in vitro self-renewal of MLL-AF9-expressing cells was observed. Despite the differing mutational landscapes of cohesin-mutated and MLL fusion AMLs, previous studies showed that cohesin and MLL fusion mutations similarly drive abnormal self-renewal through HOXA gene upregulation. The utilization of a similar mechanism suggests that little selective pressure exists for the acquisition of cohesin mutations in AMLs expressing MLL fusions, explaining their lack of co-occurrence. Our results emphasize the importance of using genetic models to test suspected synthetic lethality and suggest that a lack of co-occurrence may instead point to a common mechanism of action between two mutations.
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9
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Jiang B, Zhao Y, Luo Y, Yu J, Chen Y, Ye B, Fu H, Lai X, Liu L, Ye Y, Zheng W, Sun J, He J, Zhao Y, Wei G, Cai Z, Huang H, Shi J. Outcomes of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Harboring KMT2A Rearrangement and Its Prognostic Factors. Cell Transplant 2024; 33:9636897231225821. [PMID: 38270130 PMCID: PMC10812095 DOI: 10.1177/09636897231225821] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
KMT2A rearrangement (KMT2A-r) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with poor outcomes; the prognostic factors after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remain unclear. We investigated 364 adults with AML who underwent allo-HSCT between April 2016 and May 2022, and 45 had KMT2A-r among them. Propensity score analysis with 1:1 matching and the nearest neighbor matching method identified 42 patients in KMT2A-r and non-KMT2A-r cohorts, respectively. The 2-year overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and non-relapsed mortality rates of patients with KMT2A-r (n = 45) were 59.1%, 49.6%, 41.5%, and 8.9%, respectively. Using propensity score matching, the 2-year OS rate of patients with KMT2A-r (n = 42) was lower than that of those without KMT2A-r (n = 42; 56.1% vs 88.1%, P = 0.003). Among patients with KMT2A-r (n = 45), the prognostic advantage was exhibited from transplantation in first complete remission (CR1) and measurable residual disease (MRD) negative, which was reflected in OS, RFS, and CIR (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively). Furthermore, patients with AF6 had poorer outcomes than those with AF9, ELL, and other KMT2A-r subtypes (P = 0.032, P = 0.001, and P = 0.001 for OS, RFS, and CIR, respectively). However, no differences were found in the OS, RFS, and CIR between patients with KMT2A-r with and without mutations (all P > 0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that achieving CR1 MRD negative before HSCT was a protective factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.242, P = 0.007], RFS (HR = 0.350, P = 0.036), and CIR (HR = 0.271, P = 0.021), while AF6 was a risk factor for RFS (HR = 2.985, P = 0.028) and CIR (HR = 4.675, P = 0.004). The prognosis of patients with KMT2A-r AML was poor, particularly those harboring AF6-related translocation; however, it is not associated with the presence of mutations. These patients can benefit from achieving CR1 MRD negative before HSCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqian Jiang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanmin Zhao
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Luo
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian Yu
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Hematology, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Baodong Ye
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huarui Fu
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyu Lai
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lizhen Liu
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yishan Ye
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiyan Zheng
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Sun
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingsong He
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guoqing Wei
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Cai
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - He Huang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jimin Shi
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Province Engineering Laboratory for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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10
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Zhang YW, Velasco-Hernandez T, Mess J, Lalioti ME, Romero-Mulero MC, Obier N, Karantzelis N, Rettkowski J, Schönberger K, Karabacz N, Jäcklein K, Morishima T, Trincado JL, Romecin P, Martinez A, Takizawa H, Shoumariyeh K, Renders S, Zeiser R, Pahl HL, Béliveau F, Hébert J, Lehnertz B, Sauvageau G, Menendez P, Cabezas-Wallscheid N. GPRC5C drives branched-chain amino acid metabolism in leukemogenesis. Blood Adv 2023; 7:7525-7538. [PMID: 37639313 PMCID: PMC10761356 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) share numerous features with healthy hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). G-protein coupled receptor family C group 5 member C (GPRC5C) is a regulator of HSC dormancy. However, GPRC5C functionality in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is yet to be determined. Within patient AML cohorts, high GPRC5C levels correlated with poorer survival. Ectopic Gprc5c expression increased AML aggression through the activation of NF-κB, which resulted in an altered metabolic state with increased levels of intracellular branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). This onco-metabolic profile was reversed upon loss of Gprc5c, which also abrogated the leukemia-initiating potential. Targeting the BCAA transporter SLC7A5 with JPH203 inhibited oxidative phosphorylation and elicited strong antileukemia effects, specifically in mouse and patient AML samples while sparing healthy bone marrow cells. This antileukemia effect was strengthened in the presence of venetoclax and azacitidine. Our results indicate that the GPRC5C-NF-κB-SLC7A5-BCAAs axis is a therapeutic target that can compromise leukemia stem cell function in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wei Zhang
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Talia Velasco-Hernandez
- Department of Biomedicine, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julian Mess
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School for Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Mari Carmen Romero-Mulero
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Obier
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Karantzelis
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jasmin Rettkowski
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School for Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Noémie Karabacz
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karin Jäcklein
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tatsuya Morishima
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Stress, International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engineering, International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Juan Luis Trincado
- Department of Biomedicine, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paola Romecin
- Department of Biomedicine, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Martinez
- Department of Biomedicine, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hitoshi Takizawa
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Stress, International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engineering, International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Khalid Shoumariyeh
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Freiburg, and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Renders
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robert Zeiser
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heike L. Pahl
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - François Béliveau
- Quebec leukemia cell bank, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Josée Hébert
- Quebec leukemia cell bank, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Bernhard Lehnertz
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Guy Sauvageau
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pablo Menendez
- Department of Biomedicine, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, ISIII, Barcelona, Spain
- RICORS-TERAV Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Instituciò Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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11
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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.
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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
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12
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Di Mambro A, Arroyo-Berdugo Y, Fioretti T, Randles M, Cozzuto L, Rajeeve V, Cevenini A, Austin MJ, Esposito G, Ponomarenko J, Lucas CM, Cutillas P, Gribben J, Williams O, Calle Y, Patel B, Esposito MT. SET-PP2A complex as a new therapeutic target in KMT2A (MLL) rearranged AML. Oncogene 2023; 42:3670-3683. [PMID: 37891368 PMCID: PMC10709139 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02840-1] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-R) is an aggressive and chemo-refractory acute leukemia which mostly affects children. Transcriptomics-based characterization and chemical interrogation identified kinases as key drivers of survival and drug resistance in KMT2A-R leukemia. In contrast, the contribution and regulation of phosphatases is unknown. In this study we uncover the essential role and underlying mechanisms of SET, the endogenous inhibitor of Ser/Thr phosphatase PP2A, in KMT2A-R-leukemia. Investigation of SET expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples demonstrated that SET is overexpressed, and elevated expression of SET is correlated with poor prognosis and with the expression of MEIS and HOXA genes in AML patients. Silencing SET specifically abolished the clonogenic ability of KMT2A-R leukemic cells and the transcription of KMT2A targets genes HOXA9 and HOXA10. Subsequent mechanistic investigations showed that SET interacts with both KMT2A wild type and fusion proteins, and it is recruited to the HOXA10 promoter. Pharmacological inhibition of SET by FTY720 disrupted SET-PP2A interaction leading to cell cycle arrest and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy in KMT2A-R-leukemic models. Phospho-proteomic analyses revealed that FTY720 reduced the activity of kinases regulated by PP2A, including ERK1, GSK3β, AURB and PLK1 and led to suppression of MYC, supporting the hypothesis of a feedback loop among PP2A, AURB, PLK1, MYC, and SET. Our findings illustrate that SET is a novel player in KMT2A-R leukemia and they provide evidence that SET antagonism could serve as a novel strategy to treat this aggressive leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tiziana Fioretti
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, Napoli, Italy
| | - Michael Randles
- Chester Centre for Leukaemia Research, Chester Medical School, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Luca Cozzuto
- Centre Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Armando Cevenini
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Michael J Austin
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Gabriella Esposito
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Via Gaetano Salvatore, Napoli, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Julia Ponomarenko
- Centre Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claire M Lucas
- Chester Centre for Leukaemia Research, Chester Medical School, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Pedro Cutillas
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - John Gribben
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Owen Williams
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health London, UCL, London, UK
| | - Yolanda Calle
- School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Bela Patel
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Maria Teresa Esposito
- School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK.
- School of Biosciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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13
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Wong ACH, Wong JJL, Rasko JEJ, Schmitz U. SpliceWiz: interactive analysis and visualization of alternative splicing in R. Brief Bioinform 2023; 25:bbad468. [PMID: 38152981 PMCID: PMC10753292 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad468] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a crucial mechanism for regulating gene expression and isoform diversity in eukaryotes. However, the analysis and visualization of AS events from RNA sequencing data remains challenging. Most tools require a certain level of computer literacy and the available means of visualizing AS events, such as coverage and sashimi plots, have limitations and can be misleading. To address these issues, we present SpliceWiz, an R package with an interactive Shiny interface that allows easy and efficient AS analysis and visualization at scale. A novel normalization algorithm is implemented to aggregate splicing levels within sample groups, thereby allowing group differences in splicing levels to be accurately visualized. The tool also offers downstream gene ontology enrichment analysis, highlighting ASEs belonging to functional pathways of interest. SpliceWiz is optimized for speed and efficiency and introduces a new file format for coverage data storage that is more efficient than BigWig. Alignment files are processed orders of magnitude faster than other R-based AS analysis tools and on par with command-line tools. Overall, SpliceWiz streamlines AS analysis, enabling reliable identification of functionally relevant AS events for further characterization. SpliceWiz is a Bioconductor package and is also available on GitHub (https://github.com/alexchwong/SpliceWiz).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex C H Wong
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
- Epigenetics and RNA Biology Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Justin J-L Wong
- Epigenetics and RNA Biology Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - John E J Rasko
- Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program, Centenary Institute, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
- Cell and Molecular Therapies, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Ulf Schmitz
- Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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14
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Tsai HK, Gogakos T, Lip V, Tsai JM, Li YD, Fisch AS, Weiss J, Yang W, Grimmett L, DiToro D, Schaefer EJ, Lindsley RC, Tran TH, Caron M, Langlois S, Sinnett D, Pikman Y, Nardi V, Kim AS, Silverman LB, Harris MH. Outlier Expression of Isoforms by Targeted or Total RNA Sequencing Identifies Clinically Significant Genomic Variants in Hematolymphoid Tumors. J Mol Diagn 2023; 25:665-681. [PMID: 37419244 PMCID: PMC10488324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2023.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Recognition of aberrant gene isoforms due to DNA events can impact risk stratification and molecular classification of hematolymphoid tumors. In myelodysplastic syndromes, KMT2A partial tandem duplication (PTD) was one of the top adverse predictors in the International Prognostic Scoring System-Molecular study. In B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), ERG isoforms have been proposed as markers of favorable-risk DUX4 rearrangements, whereas deletion-mediated IKZF1 isoforms are associated with adverse prognosis and have been extended to the high-risk IKZF1plus signature defined by codeletions, including PAX5. In this limited study, outlier expression of isoforms as markers of IKZF1 intragenic or 3' deletions, DUX4 rearrangements, or PAX5 intragenic deletions were 92.3% (48/52), 90% (9/10), or 100% (9/9) sensitive, respectively, and 98.7% (368/373), 100% (35/35), or 97.1% (102/105) specific, respectively, by targeted RNA sequencing, and 84.0% (21/25), 85.7% (6/7), or 81.8% (9/11) sensitive, respectively, and 98.2% (109/111), 98.4% (127/129), or 98.7% (78/79) specific, respectively, by total RNA sequencing. Comprehensive split-read analysis identified expressed DNA breakpoints, cryptic splice sites associated with IKZF1 3' deletions, PTD of IKZF1 exon 5 spanning N159Y in B-ALL with mutated IKZF1 N159Y, and truncated KMT2A-PTD isoforms. Outlier isoforms were also effective targeted RNA markers for PAX5 intragenic amplifications (B-ALL), KMT2A-PTD (myeloid malignant cancers), and rare NOTCH1 intragenic deletions (T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia). These findings support the use of outlier isoform analysis as a robust strategy for detecting clinically significant DNA events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison K Tsai
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Tasos Gogakos
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Va Lip
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan M Tsai
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yen-Der Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Adam S Fisch
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Weiping Yang
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Leslie Grimmett
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel DiToro
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Eva J Schaefer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - R Coleman Lindsley
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Thai Hoa Tran
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Immune Diseases and Cancers Axis, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maxime Caron
- Immune Diseases and Cancers Axis, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sylvie Langlois
- Immune Diseases and Cancers Axis, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Sinnett
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Immune Diseases and Cancers Axis, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yana Pikman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Valentina Nardi
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Annette S Kim
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lewis B Silverman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marian H Harris
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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15
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Eldeeb M, Yuan O, Guzzi N, Thi Ngoc PC, Konturek-Ciesla A, Kristiansen TA, Muthukumar S, Magee J, Bellodi C, Yuan J, Bryder D. A fetal tumor suppressor axis abrogates MLL-fusion-driven acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112099. [PMID: 36763502 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
MLL-rearrangements (MLL-r) are recurrent genetic events in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and frequently associate with poor prognosis. In infants, MLL-r can be sufficient to drive transformation. However, despite the prenatal origin of MLL-r in these patients, congenital leukemia is very rare with transformation usually occurring postnatally. The influence of prenatal signals on leukemogenesis, such as those mediated by the fetal-specific protein LIN28B, remains controversial. Here, using a dual-transgenic mouse model that co-expresses MLL-ENL and LIN28B, we investigate the impact of LIN28B on AML. LIN28B impedes the progression of MLL-r AML through compromised leukemia-initiating cell activity and suppression of MYB signaling. Mechanistically, LIN28B directly binds to MYBBP1A mRNA, resulting in elevated protein levels of this MYB co-repressor. Functionally, overexpression of MYBBP1A phenocopies the tumor-suppressor effects of LIN28B, while its perturbation omits it. Thereby, we propose that developmentally restricted expression of LIN28B provides a layer of protection against MYB-dependent AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Eldeeb
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ouyang Yuan
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Nicola Guzzi
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Phuong Cao Thi Ngoc
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Konturek-Ciesla
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Trine A Kristiansen
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sowndarya Muthukumar
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey Magee
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cristian Bellodi
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Joan Yuan
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - David Bryder
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.
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16
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Lieske A, Agyeman-Duah E, Selich A, Dörpmund N, Talbot SR, Schambach A, Maetzig T. A pro B cell population forms the apex of the leukemic hierarchy in Hoxa9/Meis1-dependent AML. Leukemia 2023; 37:79-90. [PMID: 36517672 PMCID: PMC9883166 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01775-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Relapse is a major challenge to therapeutic success in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and can be partly associated with heterogeneous leukemic stem cell (LSC) properties. In the murine Hoxa9/Meis1-dependent (H9M) AML model, LSC potential lies in three defined immunophenotypes, including Lin-cKit+ progenitor cells (Lin-), Gr1+CD11b+cKit+ myeloid cells, and lymphoid cells (Lym+). Previous reports demonstrated their interconversion and distinct drug sensitivities. In contrast, we here show that H9M AML is hierarchically organized. We, therefore, tracked the developmental potential of LSC phenotypes. This unexpectedly revealed a substantial fraction of Lin- LSCs that failed to regenerate Lym+ LSCs, and that harbored reduced leukemogenic potential. However, Lin- LSCs capable of producing Lym+ LSCs as well as Lym+ LSCs triggered rapid disease development suggestive of their high relapse-driving potential. Transcriptional analyses revealed that B lymphoid master regulators, including Sox4 and Bach2, correlated with Lym+ LSC development and presumably aggressive disease. Lentiviral overexpression of Sox4 and Bach2 induced dedifferentiation of H9M cells towards a lineage-negative state in vitro as the first step of lineage conversion. This work suggests that the potency to initiate a partial B lymphoid primed transcriptional program as present in infant AML correlates with aggressive disease and governs the H9M LSC hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lieske
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Eric Agyeman-Duah
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anton Selich
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicole Dörpmund
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steven R Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tobias Maetzig
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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17
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Maetzig T, Lieske A, Dörpmund N, Rothe M, Kleppa MJ, Dziadek V, Hassan JJ, Dahlke J, Borchert D, Schambach A. Real-Time Characterization of Clonal Fate Decisions in Complex Leukemia Samples by Fluorescent Genetic Barcoding. Cells 2022; 11:cells11244045. [PMID: 36552809 PMCID: PMC9776743 DOI: 10.3390/cells11244045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Clonal heterogeneity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) forms the basis for treatment failure and relapse. Attempts to decipher clonal evolution and clonal competition primarily depend on deep sequencing approaches. However, this prevents the experimental confirmation of the identified disease-relevant traits on the same cell material. Here, we describe the development and application of a complex fluorescent genetic barcoding (cFGB) lentiviral vector system for the labeling and subsequent multiplex tracking of up to 48 viable AML clones by flow cytometry. This approach allowed the visualization of longitudinal changes in the in vitro growth behavior of multiplexed color-coded AML clones for up to 137 days. Functional studies of flow cytometry-enriched clones documented their stably inherited increase in competitiveness, despite the absence of growth-promoting mutations in exome sequencing data. Transplantation of aliquots of a color-coded AML cell mix into mice revealed the initial engraftment of similar clones and their subsequent differential distribution in the animals over time. Targeted RNA-sequencing of paired pre-malignant and de novo expanded clones linked gene sets associated with Myc-targets, embryonic stem cells, and RAS signaling to the foundation of clonal expansion. These results demonstrate the potency of cFGB-mediated clonal tracking for the deconvolution of verifiable driver-mechanisms underlying clonal selection in leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Maetzig
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-511-532-7808
| | - Anna Lieske
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicole Dörpmund
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Rothe
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Marc-Jens Kleppa
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Violetta Dziadek
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jacob Jalil Hassan
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Julia Dahlke
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dorit Borchert
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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18
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Tran TM, Rao DS. RNA binding proteins in MLL-rearranged leukemia. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:80. [PMID: 36307883 PMCID: PMC9615162 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00343-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRNA binding proteins (RBPs) have recently emerged as important post-transcriptional gene expression regulators in both normal development and disease. RBPs influence the fate of mRNAs through multiple mechanisms of action such as RNA modifications, alternative splicing, and miR-mediated regulation. This complex and, often, combinatorial regulation by RBPs critically impacts the expression of oncogenic transcripts and, thus, the activation of pathways that drive oncogenesis. Here, we focus on the major features of RBPs, their mechanisms of action, and discuss the current progress in investigating the function of important RBPs in MLL-rearranged leukemia.
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19
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Yuen K, Liu Y, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Zhou D, Fang J, Xu L. Mutational landscape and clinical outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements. Cancer Med 2022; 12:1418-1430. [PMID: 35833755 PMCID: PMC9883550 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alterations of 11q23/KMT2A are the most prevalent cytogenetic abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the prognostic significance of 11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML based on various translocation partners varies among different studies. However, few studies evaluated the molecular characteristics of 11q23/KMT2A-rearranged pediatric AML. We aim to analyze the mutational landscape of 11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML and assess their prognostic value in outcomes. METHODS The mutational landscape and clinical prognosis of 105 children with 11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML in comparison with 277 children with non-11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML were analyzed using publicly accessible next-generation sequencing data from Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) dataset. RESULTS Pediatric AML patients with 11q23/KMT2A-rearrangements harbored a low number of mutations (Median, 1 mutation/patient, range, 1-22), 58% of which involved in RAS pathway mutations (KRAS, NRAS, and PTPN11) and 10.5% of which comprised of SETD2 mutations. Compared with non-11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML, the incidence of KRAS (32.4% vs. 10.1%, P〈0.001) and SETD2 (10.5% vs. 1.4%, P=0.001) gene mutations in 11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML was significantly higher. Both KRAS and SETD2 mutations occurred more often in t(10;11)(p12;q23). KRAS mutations were correlated with worse 5-year event-free survival [EFS] (Plog-rank = 0.001) and 5-year overall survival [OS] (Plog-rank = 0.009) and the presence of SETD2 mutations increases the 5-year relapse rate (PGray = 0.004). Multivariate analyses confirmed KRAS mutations in 11q23/KMT2A-rearranged AML as an independent predictor for poor EFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.10, P=0.05) and OS (HR = 2.39, P=0.054). CONCLUSION Our findings show that pediatric patients with 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements have characteristic mutation patterns and varying clinical outcomes depending on different translocation partners, which could be utilized to develop more accurate risk stratification and tailored therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka‐Yuk Yuen
- Department of PediatricsSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of PediatricsSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
| | - Yong‐Zhuo Zhou
- Department of Clinical LaboratorySun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
| | - Yin Wang
- Department of PediatricsSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
| | - Dun‐Hua Zhou
- Department of PediatricsSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
| | - Jian‐Pei Fang
- Department of PediatricsSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
| | - Lu‐Hong Xu
- Department of PediatricsSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhouGuangdong ProvinceChina
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20
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Liu L, Vujovic A, Deshpande NP, Sathe S, Anande G, Chen HTT, Xu J, Minden MD, Yeo GW, Unnikrishnan A, Hope KJ, Lu Y. The splicing factor RBM17 drives leukemic stem cell maintenance by evading nonsense-mediated decay of pro-leukemic factors. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3833. [PMID: 35781533 PMCID: PMC9250932 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31155-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemo-resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients is driven by leukemic stem cells (LSCs) resulting in high rates of relapse and low overall survival. Here, we demonstrate that upregulation of the splicing factor, RBM17 preferentially marks and sustains LSCs and directly correlates with shorten patient survival. RBM17 knockdown in primary AML cells leads to myeloid differentiation and impaired colony formation and in vivo engraftment. Integrative multi-omics analyses show that RBM17 repression leads to inclusion of poison exons and production of nonsense-mediated decay (NMD)-sensitive transcripts for pro-leukemic factors and the translation initiation factor, EIF4A2. We show that EIF4A2 is enriched in LSCs and its inhibition impairs primary AML progenitor activity. Proteomic analysis of EIF4A2-depleted AML cells shows recapitulation of the RBM17 knockdown biological effects, including pronounced suppression of proteins involved in ribosome biogenesis. Overall, these results provide a rationale to target RBM17 and/or its downstream NMD-sensitive splicing substrates for AML treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Liu
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ana Vujovic
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nandan P Deshpande
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program and Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Govardhan Anande
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - He Tian Tony Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark D Minden
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program and Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ashwin Unnikrishnan
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristin J Hope
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Yu Lu
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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21
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North K, Benbarche S, Liu B, Pangallo J, Chen S, Stahl M, Bewersdorf JP, Stanley RF, Erickson C, Cho H, Pineda JMB, Thomas JD, Polaski JT, Belleville AE, Gabel AM, Udy DB, Humbert O, Kiem HP, Abdel-Wahab O, Bradley RK. Synthetic introns enable splicing factor mutation-dependent targeting of cancer cells. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1103-1113. [PMID: 35241838 PMCID: PMC9288984 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01224-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many cancers carry recurrent, change-of-function mutations affecting RNA splicing factors. Here, we describe a method to harness this abnormal splicing activity to drive splicing factor mutation-dependent gene expression to selectively eliminate tumor cells. We engineered synthetic introns that were efficiently spliced in cancer cells bearing SF3B1 mutations, but unspliced in otherwise isogenic wild-type cells, to yield mutation-dependent protein production. A massively parallel screen of 8,878 introns delineated ideal intronic size and mapped elements underlying mutation-dependent splicing. Synthetic introns enabled mutation-dependent expression of herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) and subsequent ganciclovir (GCV)-mediated killing of SF3B1-mutant leukemia, breast cancer, uveal melanoma and pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, while leaving wild-type cells unaffected. Delivery of synthetic intron-containing HSV-TK constructs to leukemia, breast cancer and uveal melanoma cells and GCV treatment in vivo significantly suppressed the growth of these otherwise lethal xenografts and improved mouse host survival. Synthetic introns provide a means to exploit tumor-specific changes in RNA splicing for cancer gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khrystyna North
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Salima Benbarche
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bo Liu
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Pangallo
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sisi Chen
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maximilian Stahl
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan Philipp Bewersdorf
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert F Stanley
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caroline Erickson
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hana Cho
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jose Mario Bello Pineda
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James D Thomas
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jacob T Polaski
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrea E Belleville
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Austin M Gabel
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dylan B Udy
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Olivier Humbert
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hans-Peter Kiem
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Omar Abdel-Wahab
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Robert K Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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22
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Dal Bello R, Pasanisi J, Joudinaud R, Duchmann M, Pardieu B, Ayaka P, Di Feo G, Sodaro G, Chauvel C, Kim R, Vasseur L, Chat L, Ling F, Pacchiardi K, Vaganay C, Berrou J, Benaksas C, Boissel N, Braun T, Preudhomme C, Dombret H, Raffoux E, Fenouille N, Clappier E, Adès L, Puissant A, Itzykson R. A multiparametric niche-like drug screening platform in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Cancer J 2022; 12:95. [PMID: 35750691 PMCID: PMC9232632 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-022-00689-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional precision medicine in AML often relies on short-term in vitro drug sensitivity screening (DSS) of primary patient cells in standard culture conditions. We designed a niche-like DSS assay combining physiologic hypoxia (O2 3%) and mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) co-culture with multiparameter flow cytometry to enumerate lymphocytes and differentiating (CD11/CD14/CD15+) or leukemic stem cell (LSC)-enriched (GPR56+) cells within the leukemic bulk. After functional validation of GPR56 expression as a surrogate for LSC enrichment, the assay identified three patterns of response, including cytotoxicity on blasts sparing LSCs, induction of differentiation, and selective impairment of LSCs. We refined our niche-like culture by including plasma-like amino-acid and cytokine concentrations identified by targeted metabolomics and proteomics of primary AML bone marrow plasma samples. Systematic interrogation revealed distinct contributions of each niche-like component to leukemic outgrowth and drug response. Short-term niche-like culture preserved clonal architecture and transcriptional states of primary leukemic cells. In a cohort of 45 AML samples enriched for NPM1c AML, the niche-like multiparametric assay could predict morphologically (p = 0.02) and molecular (NPM1c MRD, p = 0.04) response to anthracycline-cytarabine induction chemotherapy. In this cohort, a 23-drug screen nominated ruxolitinib as a sensitizer to anthracycline-cytarabine. This finding was validated in an NPM1c PDX model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinaldo Dal Bello
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,Service Hématologie Adultes, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Justine Pasanisi
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Romane Joudinaud
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, UMR9020 - UMR1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Matthieu Duchmann
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Bryann Pardieu
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Paolo Ayaka
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Giuseppe Di Feo
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Gaetano Sodaro
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Clémentine Chauvel
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Rathana Kim
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Loic Vasseur
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Laureen Chat
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Frank Ling
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Kim Pacchiardi
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Camille Vaganay
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Jeannig Berrou
- Université Paris Cité, EA 3518, IRSL, Hôpital Saint-Louis, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Chaima Benaksas
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Boissel
- Service Hématologie Adolescents Jeunes Adultes, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Thorsten Braun
- Université Paris Cité, EA 3518, IRSL, Hôpital Saint-Louis, F-75010, Paris, France.,Service d'Hématologie clinique, Hôpital Avicenne, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Bobigny, France
| | - Claude Preudhomme
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, IRCL, UMR9020 - UMR1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Hervé Dombret
- Service Hématologie Adultes, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France.,Université Paris Cité, EA 3518, IRSL, Hôpital Saint-Louis, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Raffoux
- Service Hématologie Adultes, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Nina Fenouille
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Clappier
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Adès
- Service Hématologie Seniors, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Puissant
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France
| | - Raphael Itzykson
- Université Paris Cité, Génomes, biologie cellulaire et thérapeutique U944, INSERM, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France. .,Service Hématologie Adultes, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, F-75010, Paris, France.
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23
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Yuan O, Ugale A, de Marchi T, Anthonydhason V, Konturek-Ciesla A, Wan H, Eldeeb M, Drabe C, Jassinskaja M, Hansson J, Hidalgo I, Velasco-Hernandez T, Cammenga J, Magee JA, Niméus E, Bryder D. A somatic mutation in moesin drives progression into acute myeloid leukemia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm9987. [PMID: 35442741 PMCID: PMC9020775 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm9987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) arises when leukemia-initiating cells, defined by a primary genetic lesion, acquire subsequent molecular changes whose cumulative effects bypass tumor suppression. The changes that underlie AML pathogenesis not only provide insights into the biology of transformation but also reveal novel therapeutic opportunities. However, backtracking these events in transformed human AML samples is challenging, if at all possible. Here, we approached this question using a murine in vivo model with an MLL-ENL fusion protein as a primary molecular event. Upon clonal transformation, we identified and extensively verified a recurrent codon-changing mutation (Arg295Cys) in the ERM protein moesin that markedly accelerated leukemogenesis. Human cancer-associated moesin mutations at the conserved arginine-295 residue similarly enhanced MLL-ENL-driven leukemogenesis. Mechanistically, the mutation interrupted the stability of moesin and conferred a neomorphic activity to the protein, which converged on enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity. Thereby, our studies demonstrate a critical role of ERM proteins in AML, with implications also for human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouyang Yuan
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Amol Ugale
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Center for Molecular Biology of the University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tommaso de Marchi
- Division of Surgery, Oncology, and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Solvegatan 19, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vimala Anthonydhason
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 1F, 413 90, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Konturek-Ciesla
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Haixia Wan
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mohamed Eldeeb
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Caroline Drabe
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Jassinskaja
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jenny Hansson
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Isabel Hidalgo
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Jörg Cammenga
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey A. Magee
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Emma Niméus
- Division of Surgery, Oncology, and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Solvegatan 19, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Entrégatan 7, 222 42 Lund, Sweden
| | - David Bryder
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund Stem Cell Center, Faculty of Medical, Lund University, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
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24
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Tran TM, Philipp J, Bassi JS, Nibber N, Draper JM, Lin TL, Palanichamy JK, Jaiswal AK, Silva O, Paing M, King J, Katzman S, Sanford JR, Rao DS. The RNA-binding protein IGF2BP3 is critical for MLL-AF4-mediated leukemogenesis. Leukemia 2022; 36:68-79. [PMID: 34321607 PMCID: PMC8727287 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advances in therapeutic approaches, patients with MLL-rearranged leukemia still have poor outcomes. Here, we find that the RNA-binding protein IGF2BP3, which is overexpressed in MLL-translocated leukemia, strongly amplifies MLL-Af4-mediated leukemogenesis. Deletion of Igf2bp3 significantly increases the survival of mice with MLL-Af4-driven leukemia and greatly attenuates disease, with a minimal impact on baseline hematopoiesis. At the cellular level, MLL-Af4 leukemia-initiating cells require Igf2bp3 for their function in leukemogenesis. At the molecular level, IGF2BP3 regulates a complex posttranscriptional operon governing leukemia cell survival and proliferation. IGF2BP3-targeted mRNA transcripts include important MLL-Af4-induced genes, such as those in the Hoxa locus, and the Ras signaling pathway. Targeting of transcripts by IGF2BP3 regulates both steady-state mRNA levels and, unexpectedly, pre-mRNA splicing. Together, our findings show that IGF2BP3 represents an attractive therapeutic target in this disease, providing important insights into mechanisms of posttranscriptional regulation in leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany M Tran
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Julia Philipp
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Jaspal Singh Bassi
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Neha Nibber
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jolene M Draper
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Tasha L Lin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Doctoral Program, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jayanth Kumar Palanichamy
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Amit Kumar Jaiswal
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Oscar Silva
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - May Paing
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer King
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Sol Katzman
- UCSC Genomics Institute, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Jeremy R Sanford
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Dinesh S Rao
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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25
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Cmero M, Schmidt B, Majewski IJ, Ekert PG, Oshlack A, Davidson NM. MINTIE: identifying novel structural and splice variants in transcriptomes using RNA-seq data. Genome Biol 2021; 22:296. [PMID: 34686194 PMCID: PMC8532352 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02507-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Calling fusion genes from RNA-seq data is well established, but other transcriptional variants are difficult to detect using existing approaches. To identify all types of variants in transcriptomes we developed MINTIE, an integrated pipeline for RNA-seq data. We take a reference-free approach, combining de novo assembly of transcripts with differential expression analysis to identify up-regulated novel variants in a case sample. We compare MINTIE with eight other approaches, detecting > 85% of variants while no other method is able to achieve this. We posit that MINTIE will be able to identify new disease variants across a range of disease types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Cmero
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Breon Schmidt
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.,School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ian J Majewski
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Paul G Ekert
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.,Children's Cancer Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Alicia Oshlack
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia. .,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. .,School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
| | - Nadia M Davidson
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia. .,School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
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26
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Issa GC, Zarka J, Sasaki K, Qiao W, Pak D, Ning J, Short NJ, Haddad F, Tang Z, Patel KP, Cuglievan B, Daver N, DiNardo CD, Jabbour E, Kadia T, Borthakur G, Garcia-Manero G, Konopleva M, Andreeff M, Kantarjian HM, Ravandi F. Predictors of outcomes in adults with acute myeloid leukemia and KMT2A rearrangements. Blood Cancer J 2021; 11:162. [PMID: 34588432 PMCID: PMC8481264 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-021-00557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with rearrangement of the lysine methyltransferase 2a gene (KMT2Ar) has adverse outcomes. However, reports on the prognostic impact of various translocations causing KMT2Ar are conflicting. Less is known about associated mutations and their prognostic impact. In a retrospective analysis, we identified 172 adult patients with KMT2Ar AML and compared them to 522 age-matched patients with diploid AML. KMT2Ar AML had fewer mutations, most commonly affecting RAS and FLT3 without significant impact on prognosis, except for patients with ≥2 mutations with lower overall survival (OS). KMT2Ar AML had worse outcomes compared with diploid AML when newly diagnosed and at relapse, especially following second salvage (median OS of 2.4 vs 4.8 months, P < 0.0001). Therapy-related KMT2Ar AML (t-AML) had worse outcomes compared with de novo KMT2Ar AML (median OS of 0.7 years vs 1.4 years, P < 0.0001). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) in first remission was associated with improved OS (5-year, 52 vs 14% for no allo-HSCT, P < 0.0001). In a multivariate analysis, translocation subtypes causing KMT2Ar did not predict survival, unlike age and allo-HSCT. In conclusion, KMT2Ar was associated with adverse outcomes regardless of translocation subtype. Therefore, AML risk stratification guidelines should include all KMT2Ar as adverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghayas C Issa
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA.
| | - Jabra Zarka
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA.,Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Koji Sasaki
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Wei Qiao
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Daewoo Pak
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA.,Division of Data Science, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea
| | - Jing Ning
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Nicholas J Short
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Fadi Haddad
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Zhenya Tang
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Keyur P Patel
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Branko Cuglievan
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Naval Daver
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Courtney D DiNardo
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Elias Jabbour
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Tapan Kadia
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Gautam Borthakur
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | | | - Marina Konopleva
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Michael Andreeff
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Hagop M Kantarjian
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA
| | - Farhad Ravandi
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, Houston, USA.
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27
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Pessoa Rodrigues C, Akhtar A. Differential H4K16ac levels ensure a balance between quiescence and activation in hematopoietic stem cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabi5987. [PMID: 34362741 PMCID: PMC8346211 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi5987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are able to reconstitute the bone marrow while retaining their self-renewal property. Individual HSCs demonstrate heterogeneity in their repopulating capacities. Here, we found that the levels of the histone acetyltransferase MOF (males absent on the first) and its target modification histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation are heterogeneous among HSCs and influence their proliferation capacities. The increased proliferative capacities of MOF-depleted cells are linked to their expression of CD93. The CD93+ HSC subpopulation simultaneously shows transcriptional features of quiescent HSCs and functional features of active HSCs. CD93+ HSCs were expanded and exhibited an enhanced proliferative advantage in Mof +/- animals reminiscent of a premalignant state. Accordingly, low MOF and high CD93 levels correlate with poor survival and increased proliferation capacity in leukemia. Collectively, our study indicates H4K16ac as an important determinant for HSC heterogeneity, which is linked to the onset of monocytic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Pessoa Rodrigues
- Department of Chromatin Regulation, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMPRS-MCB), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Asifa Akhtar
- Department of Chromatin Regulation, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
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28
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Yokoyama A. Leukemogenesis via aberrant self-renewal by the MLL/AEP-mediated transcriptional activation system. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:3935-3944. [PMID: 34251718 PMCID: PMC8486200 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeostasis of the hematopoietic system is achieved in a hierarchy, with hematopoietic stem cells at the pinnacle. Because only hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can self-renew, the size of the hematopoietic system is strictly controlled. In hematopoietic reconstitution experiments, 1 HSC can reconstitute the entire hematopoietic system, whereas 50 multipotent progenitors cannot. This indicates that only HSCs self-renew, whereas non-HSC hematopoietic progenitors are programmed to differentiate or senesce. Oncogenic mutations of the mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL) overcome this "programmed differentiation" by conferring the self-renewing ability to non-HSC hematopoietic progenitors. In leukemia, mutated MLL proteins constitutively activate a broad range of previously transcribed CpG-rich promoters by an MLL-mediated transcriptional activation system. This system promotes self-renewal by replicating an expression profile similar to that of the mother cell in its daughter cells. In this transcriptional activation system, MLL binds to unmethylated CpG-rich promoters and recruits RNA polymerase II. MLL recruits p300/CBP through its transcriptional activation domain, which acetylates histone H3 at lysines 9, 18, and 27. The AF4 family/ENL family/P-TEFb complex (AEP) binds to acetylated H3K9/18/27 to activate transcription. Gene rearrangements of MLL with AEP- or CBP/p300-complex components generate constitutively active transcriptional machinery of this transcriptional activation system, which causes aberrant self-renewal of leukemia stem cells. Inhibitors of the components of this system effectively decrease their leukemogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Yokoyama
- Tsuruoka Metabolomics Laboratory, National Cancer Center, Tsuruoka, Japan.,National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
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29
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Mims AS, Kohlschmidt J, Borate U, Blachly JS, Orwick S, Eisfeld AK, Papaioannou D, Nicolet D, Mrόzek K, Stein E, Bhatnagar B, Stone RM, Kolitz JE, Wang ES, Powell BL, Burd A, Levine RL, Druker BJ, Bloomfield CD, Byrd JC. A precision medicine classification for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in older patients. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:96. [PMID: 34162404 PMCID: PMC8220739 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01110-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Older patients (≥ 60 years) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) often have multiple, sequentially acquired, somatic mutations that drive leukemogenesis and are associated with poor outcome. Beat AML is a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society-sponsored, multicenter umbrella study that algorithmically segregates AML patients based upon cytogenetic and dominant molecular abnormalities (variant allele frequencies (VAF) ≥ 0.2) into different cohorts to select for targeted therapies. During the conception of the Beat AML design, a historical dataset was needed to help in the design of the genomic algorithm for patient assignment and serve as the basis for the statistical design of individual genomic treatment substudies for the Beat AML study. Methods We classified 563 newly diagnosed older AML patients treated with standard intensive chemotherapy on trials conducted by Cancer and Leukemia Group B based on the same genomic algorithm and assessed clinical outcomes. Results Our classification identified core-binding factor and NPM1-mutated/FLT3-ITD-negative groups as having the best outcomes, with 30-day early death (ED) rates of 0 and 20%, respectively, and median overall survival (OS) of > 1 year and 3-year OS rates of ≥ 20%. All other genomic groups had ED rates of 17–42%, median OS ≤ 1 year and 3-year OS rates of ≤ 15%. Conclusions By classifying patients through this genomic algorithm, outcomes were poor and not unexpected from a non-algorithmic, non-dominant VAF approach. The exception is 30-day ED rate typically is not available for intensive induction for individual genomic groups and therefore difficult to compare outcomes with targeted therapeutics. This Alliance data supported the use of this algorithm for patient assignment at the initiation of the Beat AML study. This outcome data was also used for statistical design for Beat AML substudies for individual genomic groups to determine goals for improvement from intensive induction and hopefully lead to more rapid approval of new therapies. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00048958 (CALGB 8461), NCT00900224 (CALGB 20202), NCT00003190 (CALGB 9720), NCT00085124 (CALGB 10201), NCT00742625 (CALGB 10502), NCT01420926 (CALGB 11002), NCT00039377 (CALGB 10801), and NCT01253070 (CALGB 11001). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13045-021-01110-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice S Mims
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Jessica Kohlschmidt
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Alliance Statistics and Data Center, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Uma Borate
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - James S Blachly
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Shelley Orwick
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Dimitrios Papaioannou
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Deedra Nicolet
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Alliance Statistics and Data Center, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Krzysztof Mrόzek
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Eytan Stein
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bhavana Bhatnagar
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | | | - Jonathan E Kolitz
- Monter Cancer Center, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, Lake Success, NY, USA
| | - Eunice S Wang
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Bayard L Powell
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Amy Burd
- The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Ross L Levine
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Clara D Bloomfield
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - John C Byrd
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 320 West 10th Avenue, Starling Loving Hall B302, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH, USA. .,The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, 455 CCC Wiseman Hall, 400 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210-1228, USA.
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30
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Gene Expression at a Single Molecule Level: Implications for MDS and AML. Blood 2021; 138:625-636. [PMID: 34157070 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-genetic heterogeneity, or gene expression stochasticity, is an important source of variability in biological systems. With the advent and improvement of single molecule resolution technologies, it has been shown that transcription dynamics and resultant transcript number fluctuations generate significant cell-to-cell variability that has important biological effects and may contribute substantially to both tissue homeostasis and disease. In this respect, the pathophysiology of stem cell-derived malignancies such as AML and MDS, which has historically been studied at the ensemble level, may require re-evaluation. To that end, it is our aim in this review to highlight the results of recent single-molecule, biophysical, and systems studies of gene expression dynamics, with the explicit purpose of demonstrating how the insights from these basic science studies may help inform and progress the field of leukemia biology and, ultimately, research into novel therapies.
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31
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Flensburg C, Oshlack A, Majewski IJ. Detecting copy number alterations in RNA-Seq using SuperFreq. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:4023-4032. [PMID: 34132781 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Calling copy number alterations (CNAs) from RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is challenging, because of the marked variability in coverage across genes and paucity of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We have adapted SuperFreq to call absolute and allele sensitive CNAs from RNA-Seq. SuperFreq uses an error-propagation framework to combine and maximise information from read counts and B-allele frequencies (BAFs). RESULTS We used datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to assess the validity of CNA calls from RNA-Seq. When ploidy estimates were consistent, we found agreement with DNA SNP-arrays for over 98% of the genome for acute myeloid leukaemia (TCGA-AML, n = 116) and 87% for colorectal cancer (TCGA-CRC, n = 377). The sensitivity of CNA calling from RNA-Seq was dependent on gene density. Using RNA-Seq, SuperFreq detected 78% of CNA calls covering 100 or more genes with a precision of 94%. Recall dropped for focal events, but this also depended on signal intensity. For example, in the CRC cohort SuperFreq identified all cases (7/7) with high-level amplification of ERBB2, where the copy number was typically >20, but identified only 6% of cases (1/17) with moderate amplification of IGF2, which occurs over a smaller interval. SuperFreq offers an integrated platform for identification of CNAs and point mutations. As evidence of how SuperFreq can be applied, we used it to reproduce the established relationship between somatic mutation load and CNA profile in CRC using RNA-Seq alone. AVAILABILITY SuperFreq is implemented in R and the code is available through GitHub: https://github.com/ChristofferFlensburg/SuperFreq. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoffer Flensburg
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, 3052, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Alicia Oshlack
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, 3000, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Ian J Majewski
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, 3052, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia
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32
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Yan Q, Lin YN, Huang XQ, Qian LZ, Ma JT, Zhang H, Chen L, Chen XJ, Mi YC, Ru K. [Analysis of fusion gene expression in acute myeloid leukemia]. ZHONGHUA XUE YE XUE ZA ZHI = ZHONGHUA XUEYEXUE ZAZHI 2021; 42:480-486. [PMID: 34384154 PMCID: PMC8295623 DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-2727.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To analyze the genetic landscape of multiple fusion genes in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and investigate the characteristics of immunophenotypes and mutations. Methods: The results of multiple fusion genes from 4192 patients with de novo AML were retrospectively analyzed from 2016 to 2020. In addition, the immunophenotypical data and the mutational results from high-through put method were statistically investigated and correlated as well. Results: ①Among the 52 targets, 29 different types of fusion genes were detected in 1948 patients (46.47%) with AML, which demonstrated an "exponential distribution" . ② As the age increased, the number of patients with fusion gene increased first and then decreased gradually. The total incidence rate of fusion genes and MLL rearrangment in children were significantly higher than those in adults (69.18% vs 44.76%, 15.35% vs 8.36%) . ③The mutations involving FLT3 and RAS signaling pathway contributed most in patients with MLL rearrangment. ④No specific immunophenotypic characteristics were found in AML patients with MLL or NUP98 rearrangements. Conclusion: Nearly half of AML patients were accompanied by specific fusion gene expression, the proportions of different fusion genes in pediatric and adults patients were different by multiple PCR. The gene mutations and immunophenotype of these AML patients have certain rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - Y N Lin
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
| | - X Q Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - L Z Qian
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
| | - J T Ma
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
| | - H Zhang
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
| | - L Chen
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
| | - X J Chen
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
| | - Y C Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China
| | - K Ru
- SINO-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin 300385, China
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33
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Ueda K, Kumari R, Schwenger E, Wheat JC, Bohorquez O, Narayanagari SR, Taylor SJ, Carvajal LA, Pradhan K, Bartholdy B, Todorova TI, Goto H, Sun D, Chen J, Shan J, Song Y, Montagna C, Xiong S, Lozano G, Pellagatti A, Boultwood J, Verma A, Steidl U. MDMX acts as a pervasive preleukemic-to-acute myeloid leukemia transition mechanism. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:529-547.e7. [PMID: 33667384 PMCID: PMC8575661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
MDMX is overexpressed in the vast majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We report that MDMX overexpression increases preleukemic stem cell (pre-LSC) number and competitive advantage. Utilizing five newly generated murine models, we found that MDMX overexpression triggers progression of multiple chronic/asymptomatic preleukemic conditions to overt AML. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies revealed that MDMX overexpression exerts this function, unexpectedly, through activation of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling in pre-LSCs. Mechanistically, MDMX binds CK1α and leads to accumulation of β-Catenin in a p53-independent manner. Wnt/β-Catenin inhibitors reverse MDMX-induced pre-LSC properties, and synergize with MDMX-p53 inhibitors. Wnt/β-Catenin signaling correlates with MDMX expression in patients with preleukemic myelodysplastic syndromes and is associated with increased risk of progression to AML. Our work identifies MDMX overexpression as a pervasive preleukemic-to-AML transition mechanism in different genetically driven disease subtypes, and reveals Wnt/β-Catenin as a non-canonical MDMX-driven pathway with therapeutic potential for progression prevention and cancer interception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Ueda
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Rajni Kumari
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Emily Schwenger
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Justin C Wheat
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Oliver Bohorquez
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Swathi-Rao Narayanagari
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Stem Cell Isolation and Xenotransplantation Facility, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Samuel J Taylor
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Luis A Carvajal
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Kith Pradhan
- Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Boris Bartholdy
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Tihomira I Todorova
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Hiroki Goto
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Daqian Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Stem Cell Isolation and Xenotransplantation Facility, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jiahao Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jidong Shan
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Yinghui Song
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Cristina Montagna
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Shunbin Xiong
- Department of Genetics, Division of Basic Science Research, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guillermina Lozano
- Department of Genetics, Division of Basic Science Research, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Andrea Pellagatti
- Blood Cancer UK Molecular Haematology Unit, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jacqueline Boultwood
- Blood Cancer UK Molecular Haematology Unit, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Amit Verma
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ulrich Steidl
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Medicine (Oncology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Blood Cancer Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine - Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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Synergistic targeting of FLT3 mutations in AML via combined menin-MLL and FLT3 inhibition. Blood 2021; 136:2442-2456. [PMID: 32589720 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020005037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of menin (MEN1) and MLL (MLL1, KMT2A) is a dependency and provides a potential opportunity for treatment of NPM1-mutant (NPM1mut) and MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) leukemias. Concomitant activating driver mutations in the gene encoding the tyrosine kinase FLT3 occur in both leukemias and are particularly common in the NPM1mut subtype. In this study, transcriptional profiling after pharmacological inhibition of the menin-MLL complex revealed specific changes in gene expression, with downregulation of the MEIS1 transcription factor and its transcriptional target gene FLT3 being the most pronounced. Combining menin-MLL inhibition with specific small-molecule kinase inhibitors of FLT3 phosphorylation resulted in a significantly superior reduction of phosphorylated FLT3 and transcriptional suppression of genes downstream of FLT3 signaling. The drug combination induced synergistic inhibition of proliferation, as well as enhanced apoptosis, compared with single-drug treatment in models of human and murine NPM1mut and MLL-r leukemias harboring an FLT3 mutation. Primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells harvested from patients with NPM1mutFLT3mut AML showed significantly better responses to combined menin and FLT3 inhibition than to single-drug or vehicle control treatment, whereas AML cells with wild-type NPM1, MLL, and FLT3 were not affected by either of the 2 drugs. In vivo treatment of leukemic animals with MLL-r FLT3mut leukemia reduced leukemia burden significantly and prolonged survival compared with results in the single-drug and vehicle control groups. Our data suggest that combined menin-MLL and FLT3 inhibition represents a novel and promising therapeutic strategy for patients with NPM1mut or MLL-r leukemia and concurrent FLT3 mutation.
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Wang E, Zhou H, Nadorp B, Cayanan G, Chen X, Yeaton AH, Nomikou S, Witkowski MT, Narang S, Kloetgen A, Thandapani P, Ravn-Boess N, Tsirigos A, Aifantis I. Surface antigen-guided CRISPR screens identify regulators of myeloid leukemia differentiation. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:718-731.e6. [PMID: 33450187 PMCID: PMC8145876 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Lack of cellular differentiation is a hallmark of many human cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Strategies to overcome such a differentiation blockade are an approach for treating AML. To identify targets for differentiation-based therapies, we applied an integrated cell surface-based CRISPR platform to assess genes involved in maintaining the undifferentiated state of leukemia cells. Here we identify the RNA-binding protein ZFP36L2 as a critical regulator of AML maintenance and differentiation. Mechanistically, ZFP36L2 interacts with the 3' untranslated region of key myeloid maturation genes, including the ZFP36 paralogs, to promote their mRNA degradation and suppress terminal myeloid cell differentiation. Genetic inhibition of ZFP36L2 restores the mRNA stability of these targeted transcripts and ultimately triggers myeloid differentiation in leukemia cells. Epigenome profiling of several individuals with primary AML revealed enhancer modules near ZFP36L2 that associated with distinct AML cell states, establishing a coordinated epigenetic and post-transcriptional mechanism that shapes leukemic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Hua Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Bettina Nadorp
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Geraldine Cayanan
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Xufeng Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anna H Yeaton
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sofia Nomikou
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Matthew T Witkowski
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sonali Narang
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Andreas Kloetgen
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Palaniraja Thandapani
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Niklas Ravn-Boess
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Iannis Aifantis
- Department of Pathology and Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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36
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Au YZ, Gu M, De Braekeleer E, Gozdecka M, Aspris D, Tarumoto Y, Cooper J, Yu J, Ong SH, Chen X, Tzelepis K, Huntly BJP, Vassiliou G, Yusa K. KAT7 is a genetic vulnerability of acute myeloid leukemias driven by MLL rearrangements. Leukemia 2021; 35:1012-1022. [PMID: 32764680 PMCID: PMC7610570 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-020-1001-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) catalyze the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to lysine residues of histones and play a central role in transcriptional regulation in diverse biological processes. Dysregulation of HAT activity can lead to human diseases including developmental disorders and cancer. Through genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens, we identified several HATs of the MYST family as fitness genes for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we investigate the essentiality of lysine acetyltransferase KAT7 in AMLs driven by the MLL-X gene fusions. We found that KAT7 loss leads to a rapid and complete loss of both H3K14ac and H4K12ac marks, in association with reduced proliferation, increased apoptosis, and differentiation of AML cells. Acetyltransferase activity of KAT7 is essential for the proliferation of these cells. Mechanistically, our data propose that acetylated histones provide a platform for the recruitment of MLL-fusion-associated adaptor proteins such as BRD4 and AF4 to gene promoters. Upon KAT7 loss, these factors together with RNA polymerase II rapidly dissociate from several MLL-fusion target genes that are essential for AML cell proliferation, including MEIS1, PBX3, and SENP6. Our findings reveal that KAT7 is a plausible therapeutic target for this poor prognosis AML subtype.
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MESH Headings
- Apoptosis/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Disease Management
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Gene Knockout Techniques
- Gene Rearrangement
- Genetic Association Studies
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- Histone Acetyltransferases/genetics
- Histone Acetyltransferases/metabolism
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/genetics
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/metabolism
- Histones/metabolism
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy
- Myeloid Cells/metabolism
- Myeloid Cells/pathology
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/genetics
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/metabolism
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Binding
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zi Au
- Stem Cell Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Muxin Gu
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Malgorzata Gozdecka
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Demetrios Aspris
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yusuke Tarumoto
- Stem Cell Genetics, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jonathan Cooper
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jason Yu
- Stem Cell Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Cell Biology, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Swee Hoe Ong
- Stem Cell Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xi Chen
- Gene Expression Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Konstantinos Tzelepis
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Brian J P Huntly
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - George Vassiliou
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Kosuke Yusa
- Stem Cell Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
- Stem Cell Genetics, Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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37
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Cieri N, Wu CJ. Splice it up: Atypical transcripts to boost leukemia immunotherapy. Immunity 2021; 54:608-610. [PMID: 33852826 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neoantigens are prime targets for cancer immunotherapy, but their identification in low mutational burden malignancies remains challenging. In this issue of Immunity, Ehx et al. show that atypical transcripts, and particularly retained introns, expand the spectrum of leukemia immunotherapy targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Cieri
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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38
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Ehx G, Larouche JD, Durette C, Laverdure JP, Hesnard L, Vincent K, Hardy MP, Thériault C, Rulleau C, Lanoix J, Bonneil E, Feghaly A, Apavaloaei A, Noronha N, Laumont CM, Delisle JS, Vago L, Hébert J, Sauvageau G, Lemieux S, Thibault P, Perreault C. Atypical acute myeloid leukemia-specific transcripts generate shared and immunogenic MHC class-I-associated epitopes. Immunity 2021; 54:737-752.e10. [PMID: 33740418 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not benefited from innovative immunotherapies, mainly because of the lack of actionable immune targets. Using an original proteogenomic approach, we analyzed the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I)-associated immunopeptidome of 19 primary AML samples and identified 58 tumor-specific antigens (TSAs). These TSAs bore no mutations and derived mainly (86%) from supposedly non-coding genomic regions. Two AML-specific aberrations were instrumental in the biogenesis of TSAs, intron retention, and epigenetic changes. Indeed, 48% of TSAs resulted from intron retention and translation, and their RNA expression correlated with mutations of epigenetic modifiers (e.g., DNMT3A). AML TSA-coding transcripts were highly shared among patients and were expressed in both blasts and leukemic stem cells. In AML patients, the predicted number of TSAs correlated with spontaneous expansion of cognate T cell receptor clonotypes, accumulation of activated cytotoxic T cells, immunoediting, and improved survival. These TSAs represent attractive targets for AML immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégory Ehx
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jean-David Larouche
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Chantal Durette
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Laverdure
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Leslie Hesnard
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Krystel Vincent
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Marie-Pierre Hardy
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Catherine Thériault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Caroline Rulleau
- Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Joël Lanoix
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Eric Bonneil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Albert Feghaly
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Anca Apavaloaei
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Nandita Noronha
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Céline M Laumont
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Jean-Sébastien Delisle
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada; Division of Hematology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Luca Vago
- Unit of Immunogenetics, Leukemia Genomics and Immunobiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Josée Hébert
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Division of Hematology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Guy Sauvageau
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Division of Hematology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, QC H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Sébastien Lemieux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Pierre Thibault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
| | - Claude Perreault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
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39
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Feusier JE, Arunachalam S, Tashi T, Baker MJ, VanSant-Webb C, Ferdig A, Welm BE, Rodriguez-Flores JL, Ours C, Jorde LB, Prchal JT, Mason CC. Large-Scale Identification of Clonal Hematopoiesis and Mutations Recurrent in Blood Cancers. Blood Cancer Discov 2021; 2:226-237. [PMID: 34027416 DOI: 10.1158/2643-3230.bcd-20-0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is characterized by detectable hematopoietic-associated gene mutations in a person without evidence of hematologic malignancy. We sought to identify additional cancer-presenting mutations useable for CHIP detection by performing a data mining analysis of 48 somatic mutation studies reporting mutations at diagnoses of 7,430 adult and pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies. Following extraction of 20,141 protein-altering mutations, we identified 434 significantly recurrent mutation hotspots, 364 of which occurred at loci confidently assessable for CHIP. We then performed an additional large-scale analysis of whole exome sequencing data from 4,538 persons belonging to three non-cancer cohorts for clonal mutations. We found the combined cohort prevalence of CHIP with mutations identical to those reported at blood cancer mutation hotspots to be 1.8%, and that some of these CHIP mutations occurred in children. Our findings may help to improve CHIP detection and pre-cancer surveillance for both children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Feusier
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sasi Arunachalam
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tsewang Tashi
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Monika J Baker
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chad VanSant-Webb
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Amber Ferdig
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bryan E Welm
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Christopher Ours
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lynn B Jorde
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Josef T Prchal
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Clinton C Mason
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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40
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Xiong Y, Wang Y, Ma L, Zhang Y, Qu X, Huang L, Wen X, Liu H, Zhang M, Zhang Y. Mixed-lineage leukaemia 1 contributes to endometrial stromal cells progesterone responsiveness during decidualization. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 25:297-308. [PMID: 33201593 PMCID: PMC7810960 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have reported that non‐receptive endometrium or abnormal decidualization was closely related to recurrent implantation failure (RIF). MLL1 is a histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) transferase that regulates the transcriptional activation of target genes. The role of MLL1 has been underexplored during decidualization. In our research, we found the expression of MLL1 was closely related to endometrial receptivity, and it was responsible to hormone stimulation. Inhibiting the function of MLL1 by MM102 reduced the transformation of HESCs. Furthermore, down‐regulation of MLL1 by siRNA transfection significantly decreased PGR and its target genes expression. MLL1 act as a co‐activator of ERα, and both of them were recruited to PGR regulatory regions, thus promote PGR transcription. Our study showed that MLL1 plays a key role in promoting progesterone signalling transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Xiong
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Ma
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinlan Qu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Xue Wen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Huimin Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanzhen Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Research Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Birth Health, Wuhan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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41
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Matsuo H, Yoshida K, Nakatani K, Harata Y, Higashitani M, Ito Y, Kamikubo Y, Shiozawa Y, Shiraishi Y, Chiba K, Tanaka H, Okada A, Nannya Y, Takeda J, Ueno H, Kiyokawa N, Tomizawa D, Taga T, Tawa A, Miyano S, Meggendorfer M, Haferlach C, Ogawa S, Adachi S. Fusion partner-specific mutation profiles and KRAS mutations as adverse prognostic factors in MLL-rearranged AML. Blood Adv 2020; 4:4623-4631. [PMID: 32991719 PMCID: PMC7556160 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements are among the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MLL fusion patterns are associated with the patient's prognosis; however, their relationship with driver mutations is unclear. We conducted sequence analyses of 338 genes in pediatric patients with MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) AML (n = 56; JPLSG AML-05 study) alongside data from the TARGET study's pediatric cohorts with MLL-r AML (n = 104), non-MLL-r AML (n = 581), and adult MLL-r AML (n = 81). KRAS mutations were most frequent in pediatric patients with high-risk MLL fusions (MLL-MLLLT10, MLL-MLLT4, and MLL-MLLT1). Pediatric patients with MLL-r AML (n = 160) and a KRAS mutation (KRAS-MT) had a significantly worse prognosis than those without a KRAS mutation (KRAS-WT) (5-year event-free survival [EFS]: 51.8% vs 18.3%, P < .0001; 5-year overall survival [OS]: 67.3% vs 44.3%, P = .003). The adverse prognostic impact of KRAS mutations was confirmed in adult MLL-r AML. KRAS mutations were associated with adverse prognoses in pediatric patients with both high-risk (MLLT10+MLLT4+MLLT1; n = 60) and intermediate-to-low-risk (MLLT3+ELL+others; n = 100) MLL fusions. The prognosis did not differ significantly between patients with non-MLL-r AML with KRAS-WT or KRAS-MT. Multivariate analysis showed the presence of a KRAS mutation to be an independent prognostic factor for EFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-3.59; P = .002) and OS (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.01-3.31; P = .045) in MLL-r AML. The mutation is a distinct adverse prognostic factor in MLL-r AML, regardless of risk subgroup, and is potentially useful for accurate treatment stratification. This trial was registered at the UMIN (University Hospital Medical Information Network) Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR; http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm) as #UMIN000000511.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidemasa Matsuo
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kenichi Yoshida
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kana Nakatani
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yutarou Harata
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Moe Higashitani
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuri Ito
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Kamikubo
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yusuke Shiozawa
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Shiraishi
- Division of Genome Analysis Platform Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Chiba
- Division of Genome Analysis Platform Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroko Tanaka
- Laboratory of DNA Information Analysis, Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ai Okada
- Division of Genome Analysis Platform Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Nannya
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - June Takeda
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroo Ueno
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Kiyokawa
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tomizawa
- Division of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Children's Cancer Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Taga
- Department of Pediatrics, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan
| | - Akio Tawa
- Higashiosaka Aramoto Heiwa Clinic, Higashiosaka, Japan
| | - Satoru Miyano
- Laboratory of DNA Information Analysis, Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Seishi Ogawa
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; and
- Department of Medicine, Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Souichi Adachi
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Mutational landscape and clinical outcome of patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia and rearrangements involving 11q23/ KMT2A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26340-26346. [PMID: 33020282 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014732117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Balanced rearrangements involving the KMT2A gene, located at 11q23, are among the most frequent chromosome aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Because of numerous fusion partners, the mutational landscape and prognostic impact of specific 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements are not fully understood. We analyzed clinical features of 172 adults with AML and recurrent 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements, 141 of whom had outcome data available. We compared outcomes of these patients with outcomes of 1,097 patients without an 11q23/KMT2A rearrangement categorized according to the 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) classification. Using targeted next-generation sequencing, we investigated the mutational status of 81 leukemia/cancer-associated genes in 96 patients with 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements with material for molecular studies available. Patients with 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements had a low number of additional gene mutations (median, 1; range 0 to 6), which involved the RAS pathway (KRAS, NRAS, and PTPN11) in 32% of patients. KRAS mutations occurred more often in patients with t(6;11)(q27;q23)/KMT2A-AFDN compared with patients with the other 11q23/KMT2A subsets. Specific gene mutations were too infrequent in patients with specific 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements to assess their associations with outcomes. We demonstrate that younger (age <60 y) patients with t(9;11)(p22;q23)/KMT2A-MLLT3 had better outcomes than patients with other 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements and those without 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements classified in the 2017 ELN intermediate-risk group. Conversely, outcomes of older patients (age ≥60 y) with t(9;11)(p22;q23) were poor and comparable to those of the ELN adverse-risk group patients. Our study shows that patients with an 11q23/KMT2A rearrangement have distinct mutational patterns and outcomes depending on the fusion partner.
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High-efficiency CRISPR induction of t(9;11) chromosomal translocations and acute leukemias in human blood stem cells. Blood Adv 2020; 3:2825-2835. [PMID: 31582391 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2019000450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal rearrangements involving the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene, also known as KMT2A, are often observed in human leukemias and are generally associated with a poor prognosis. To model these leukemias, we applied clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing to induce MLL chromosomal rearrangements in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells purified from umbilical cord blood. Electroporation of ribonucleoprotein complexes containing chemically modified synthetic single guide RNAs and purified Cas9 protein induced translocations between chromosomes 9 and 11 [t(9;11)] at an efficiency >1%. Transplantation of gene-edited cells into immune-compromised mice rapidly induced acute leukemias of different lineages and often with multiclonal origins dictated by the duration of in vitro culture prior to transplantation. Breakpoint junction sequences served as biomarkers to monitor clonal selection and progression in culture and in vivo. High-dimensional cell surface and intracellular protein analysis by mass cytometry (CyTOF) revealed that gene-edited leukemias recapitulated disease-specific protein expression observed in human patients and showed that MLL-rearranged (MLLr) mixed phenotype acute leukemias (MPALs) were more similar to acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) than to acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs). Therefore, highly efficient generation of MLL chromosomal translocations in primary human blood stem cells using CRISPR/Cas9 reliably models human acute MLLr leukemia and provides an experimental platform for basic and translational studies of leukemia biology and therapeutics.
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The role of EVI1 gene quantification in AML patients with 11q23/MLL rearrangement after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 2020; 56:470-480. [PMID: 32892217 DOI: 10.1038/s41409-020-01048-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
It remains unclear about the role of the EVI1 gene in AML patients with 11q23/MLL rearrangement (MLL-r AML) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We analyzed the clinical value of EVI1 gene quantification in 96 MLL-r AML patients. High EVI1 expression was found in 73% (70/96) of MLL-r AML patients, and EVI1-high MLL-r AML patients were characterized by high WBC counts (P = 0.046) and low platelet counts (P < 0.001) and commonly had t(6;11) (P = 0.032). In addition, a significant difference was observed in the SETD2 gene mutation between the EVI1 high and low groups (0% vs. 50%, P < 0.001). EVI1-high MLL-r AML patients had worse 2-year OS (49.8% vs. 79.7%, P = 0.01) and 2-year PFS (40.2% vs. 68.1%, P = 0.014) than EVI1-low patients. In 57 MLL-r AML patients undergoing allo-HSCT, poorer 2-year PFS (48.6% vs. 72.4%, P = 0.039) and higher CIR (33.2% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.035) were observed in the EVI1-high patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that pre-EVI1+ was the sole independent factor of high CIR (P = 0.035, HR = 4.97, 95% CI: 1.12-22.04). EVI1+ at 100 days post allo-HSCT was associated with a significantly higher 2-year CIR (P = 0.017). The quantification of the EVI1 gene could be used as an additional marker for early predicting relapse in allo-HSCT MLL-r AML patients.
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45
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McKenzie MD, Ghisi M, Oxley EP, Ngo S, Cimmino L, Esnault C, Liu R, Salmon JM, Bell CC, Ahmed N, Erlichster M, Witkowski MT, Liu GJ, Chopin M, Dakic A, Simankowicz E, Pomilio G, Vu T, Krsmanovic P, Su S, Tian L, Baldwin TM, Zalcenstein DA, DiRago L, Wang S, Metcalf D, Johnstone RW, Croker BA, Lancaster GI, Murphy AJ, Naik SH, Nutt SL, Pospisil V, Schroeder T, Wall M, Dawson MA, Wei AH, de Thé H, Ritchie ME, Zuber J, Dickins RA. Interconversion between Tumorigenic and Differentiated States in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 25:258-272.e9. [PMID: 31374198 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tumors are composed of phenotypically heterogeneous cancer cells that often resemble various differentiation states of their lineage of origin. Within this hierarchy, it is thought that an immature subpopulation of tumor-propagating cancer stem cells (CSCs) differentiates into non-tumorigenic progeny, providing a rationale for therapeutic strategies that specifically eradicate CSCs or induce their differentiation. The clinical success of these approaches depends on CSC differentiation being unidirectional rather than reversible, yet this question remains unresolved even in prototypically hierarchical malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we show in murine and human models of AML that, upon perturbation of endogenous expression of the lineage-determining transcription factor PU.1 or withdrawal of established differentiation therapies, some mature leukemia cells can de-differentiate and reacquire clonogenic and leukemogenic properties. Our results reveal plasticity of CSC maturation in AML, highlighting the need to therapeutically eradicate cancer cells across a range of differentiation states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D McKenzie
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Margherita Ghisi
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Ethan P Oxley
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Steven Ngo
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Luisa Cimmino
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 1(st) Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Cécile Esnault
- Collège de France, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France; INSERM U944, CNRS UMR7212, Université de Paris, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis, 75010 Paris, France; Assistance Publique/Hôpitaux de Paris, Oncologie Moléculaire, Hôpital St. Louis, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Ruijie Liu
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jessica M Salmon
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Charles C Bell
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Nouraiz Ahmed
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Erlichster
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Matthew T Witkowski
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 1(st) Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Grace J Liu
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Michael Chopin
- Molecular Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Aleksandar Dakic
- Molecular Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Emilia Simankowicz
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Giovanna Pomilio
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Clinical Haematology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Tina Vu
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Pavle Krsmanovic
- Institute of Pathological Physiology and Biocev, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Shian Su
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Luyi Tian
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Tracey M Baldwin
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Daniela A Zalcenstein
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ladina DiRago
- Cancer and Haematology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Shu Wang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Donald Metcalf
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Cancer and Haematology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ricky W Johnstone
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ben A Croker
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Graeme I Lancaster
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Andrew J Murphy
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Shalin H Naik
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Stephen L Nutt
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Molecular Immunology Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Vitek Pospisil
- Institute of Pathological Physiology and Biocev, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Timm Schroeder
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Meaghan Wall
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Victorian Cancer Cytogenetics Service, St. Vincent's Hospital, 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Mark A Dawson
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew H Wei
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Clinical Haematology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Hugues de Thé
- Collège de France, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France; INSERM U944, CNRS UMR7212, Université de Paris, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis, 75010 Paris, France; Assistance Publique/Hôpitaux de Paris, Oncologie Moléculaire, Hôpital St. Louis, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Matthew E Ritchie
- Molecular Medicine Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Johannes Zuber
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ross A Dickins
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
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Han C, Sun LY, Wang WT, Sun YM, Chen YQ. Non-coding RNAs in cancers with chromosomal rearrangements: the signatures, causes, functions and implications. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 11:886-898. [PMID: 31361891 PMCID: PMC6884712 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal translocation leads to the juxtaposition of two otherwise separate DNA loci, which could result in gene fusion. These rearrangements at the DNA level are catastrophic events and often have causal roles in tumorigenesis. The oncogenic DNA messages are transferred to RNA molecules, which are in most cases translated into cancerous fusion proteins. Gene expression programs and signaling pathways are altered in these cytogenetically abnormal contexts. Notably, non-coding RNAs have attracted increasing attention and are believed to be tightly associated with chromosome-rearranged cancers. These RNAs not only function as modulators in downstream pathways but also directly affect chromosomal translocation or the associated products. This review summarizes recent research advances on the relationship between non-coding RNAs and chromosomal translocations and on diverse functions of non-coding RNAs in cancers with chromosomal rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai Han
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Lin-Yu Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Wen-Tao Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yu-Meng Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yue-Qin Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
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Wang WT, Chen TQ, Zeng ZC, Pan Q, Huang W, Han C, Fang K, Sun LY, Yang QQ, Wang D, Luo XQ, Sun YM, Chen YQ. The lncRNA LAMP5-AS1 drives leukemia cell stemness by directly modulating DOT1L methyltransferase activity in MLL leukemia. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:78. [PMID: 32552847 PMCID: PMC7302350 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00909-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements trigger aberrant epigenetic modification and gene expression in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which generates one of the most aggressive subtypes of leukemia with an apex self-renewal. It remains a challenge to directly inhibit rearranged MLL itself because of its multiple fusion partners and the poorly annotated downstream genes of MLL fusion proteins; therefore, novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed. METHODS qRT-PCR, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and leukemia-free survival analysis were used to validate LAMP5-AS1 (LAMP5 antisense 1) expression and evaluate its clinical value. We performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate the functional relevance of LAMP5-AS1 in MLL leukemia progression and leukemia cell stemness. RNA electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), histone methyltransferase assay, RNA pull-down assay, and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to validate the relationship between LAMP5-AS1 and the methyltransferase activity of DOT1L. The downstream ectopic target genes of LAMP5-AS1/DOT1L were validated by the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and western blot. RESULTS We discovered that a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LAMP5-AS1 can promote higher degrees of H3K79 methylation, followed by upregulated expression of the self-renewal genes in the HOXA cluster, which are responsible for leukemia stemness in context of MLL rearrangements. We found that LAMP5-AS1 is specifically overexpressed in MLL leukemia patients (n = 58) than that in the MLL-wt leukemia (n = 163) (p < 0.001), and the patients with a higher expression level of LAMP5-AS1 exhibited a reduced 5-year leukemia-free survival (p < 0.01). LAMP5-AS1 suppression significantly reduced colony formation and increased differentiation of primary MLL leukemia CD34+ cells. Mechanistically, LAMP5-AS1 facilitated the methyltransferase activity of DOT1L by directly binding its Lys-rich region of catalytic domain, thus promoting the global patterns of H3K79 dimethylation and trimethylation in cells. These observations supported that LAMP5-AS1 upregulated H3K79me2/me3 and the transcription of DOT1L ectopic target genes. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study that a lncRNA regulates the self-renewal program and differentiation block in MLL leukemia cells by facilitating the methyltransferase activity of DOT1L and global H3K79 methylation, showing its potential as a therapeutic target for MLL leukemia.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Self Renewal/genetics
- Child, Preschool
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic/genetics
- Genetic Vectors/genetics
- Heterografts
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/genetics
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/metabolism
- Histones/metabolism
- Homeodomain Proteins/metabolism
- Humans
- Infant
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/enzymology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Lysine/metabolism
- Lysosomal Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Male
- Methylation
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/genetics
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/enzymology
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/enzymology
- Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/genetics
- Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathology
- Primary Cell Culture
- Protein Processing, Post-Translational
- RNA Interference
- RNA, Antisense/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Neoplasm/genetics
- RNA, Small Interfering/genetics
- RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Tumor Stem Cell Assay
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Tao Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Tian-Qi Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Zhan-Cheng Zeng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Qi Pan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Wei Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Cai Han
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Ke Fang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Lin-Yu Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Qian-Qian Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Dan Wang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, 510060 Guangdong China
| | - Xue-Qun Luo
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080 China
| | - Yu-Meng Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
| | - Yue-Qin Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 China
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MAT2A as Key Regulator and Therapeutic Target in MLLr Leukemogenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051342. [PMID: 32456310 PMCID: PMC7281730 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic dysregulation plays a pivotal role in mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) pathogenesis, therefore serving as a suitable therapeutic target. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is the universal methyl donor in human cells and is synthesized by methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A), which is deregulated in different cancer types. Here, we used our human CRISPR/Cas9-MLL-rearranged (CRISPR/Cas9-MLLr) leukemia model, faithfully mimicking MLLr patients’ pathology with indefinite growth potential in vitro, to evaluate the unknown role of MAT2A. Comparable to publicly available patient data, we detected MAT2A to be significantly overexpressed in our CRISPR/Cas9-MLLr model compared to healthy controls. By using non-MLLr and MLLr cell lines and our model, we detected an MLLr-specific enhanced response to PF-9366, a new MAT2A inhibitor, and small interfering (si) RNA-mediated knockdown of MAT2A, by alteration of the proliferation, viability, differentiation, apoptosis, cell cycling, and histone methylation. Moreover, the combinational treatment of PF-9366 with chemotherapy or targeted therapies against the SAM-dependent methyltransferases, disruptor of telomeric silencing 1 like (DOT1L) and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), revealed even more pronounced effects. In summary, we uncovered MAT2A as a key regulator in MLL leukemogenesis and its inhibition led to significant anti-leukemic effects. Therefore, our study paves the avenue for clinical application of PF-9366 to improve the treatment of poor prognosis MLLr leukemia.
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Itskovich SS, Gurunathan A, Clark J, Burwinkel M, Wunderlich M, Berger MR, Kulkarni A, Chetal K, Venkatasubramanian M, Salomonis N, Kumar AR, Lee LH. MBNL1 regulates essential alternative RNA splicing patterns in MLL-rearranged leukemia. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2369. [PMID: 32398749 PMCID: PMC7217953 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15733-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite growing awareness of the biologic features underlying MLL-rearranged leukemia, targeted therapies for this leukemia have remained elusive and clinical outcomes remain dismal. MBNL1, a protein involved in alternative splicing, is consistently overexpressed in MLL-rearranged leukemias. We found that MBNL1 loss significantly impairs propagation of murine and human MLL-rearranged leukemia in vitro and in vivo. Through transcriptomic profiling of our experimental systems, we show that in leukemic cells, MBNL1 regulates alternative splicing (predominantly intron exclusion) of several genes including those essential for MLL-rearranged leukemogenesis, such as DOT1L and SETD1A. We finally show that selective leukemic cell death is achievable with a small molecule inhibitor of MBNL1. These findings provide the basis for a new therapeutic target in MLL-rearranged leukemia and act as further validation of a burgeoning paradigm in targeted therapy, namely the disruption of cancer-specific splicing programs through the targeting of selectively essential RNA binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana S Itskovich
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Arun Gurunathan
- Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Jason Clark
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Matthew Burwinkel
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Mikaela R Berger
- College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Aishwarya Kulkarni
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Kashish Chetal
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Meenakshi Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Nathan Salomonis
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Ashish R Kumar
- Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Lynn H Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Division of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
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50
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Schwaller J. Learning from mouse models of MLL fusion gene-driven acute leukemia. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2020; 1863:194550. [PMID: 32320749 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
5-10% of human acute leukemias carry chromosomal translocations involving the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene that result in the expression of chimeric protein fusing MLL to >80 different partners of which AF4, ENL and AF9 are the most prevalent. In contrast to many other leukemia-associated mutations, several MLL-fusions are powerful oncogenes that transform hematopoietic stem cells but also more committed progenitor cells. Here, I review different approaches that were used to express MLL fusions in the murine hematopoietic system which often, but not always, resulted in highly penetrant and transplantable leukemias that closely phenocopied the human disease. Due to its simple and reliable nature, reconstitution of irradiated mice with bone marrow cells retrovirally expressing the MLL-AF9 fusion became the most frequently in vivo model to study the biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I review some of the most influential studies that used this model to dissect critical protein interactions, the impact of epigenetic regulators, microRNAs and microenvironment-dependent signals for MLL fusion-driven leukemia. In addition, I highlight studies that used this model for shRNA- or genome editing-based screens for cellular vulnerabilities that allowed to identify novel therapeutic targets of which some entered clinical trials. Finally, I discuss some inherent characteristics of the widely used mouse model based on retroviral expression of the MLL-AF9 fusion that can limit general conclusions for the biology of AML. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The MLL family of proteins in normal development and disease edited by Thomas A Milne.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juerg Schwaller
- University Children's Hospital Beider Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Switzerland.
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