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Pasupuleti SK, Chao K, Ramdas B, Kanumuri R, Palam LR, Liu S, Wan J, Annesley C, Loh ML, Stieglitz E, Burke MJ, Kapur R. Potential clinical use of azacitidine and MEK inhibitor combination therapy in PTPN11-mutated juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. Mol Ther 2023; 31:986-1001. [PMID: 36739480 PMCID: PMC10124140 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.01.030] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare myeloproliferative neoplasm of childhood. The molecular hallmark of JMML is hyperactivation of the Ras/MAPK pathway with the most common cause being mutations in the gene PTPN11, encoding the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2. Current strategies for treating JMML include using the hypomethylating agent, 5-azacitidine (5-Aza) or MEK inhibitors trametinib and PD0325901 (PD-901), but none of these are curative as monotherapy. Utilizing an Shp2E76K/+ murine model of JMML, we show that the combination of 5-Aza and PD-901 modulates several hematologic abnormalities often seen in JMML patients, in part by reducing the burden of leukemic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSC/Ps). The reduced JMML features in drug-treated mice were associated with a decrease in p-MEK and p-ERK levels in Shp2E76K/+ mice treated with the combination of 5-Aza and PD-901. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed a reduction in several RAS and MAPK signaling-related genes. Additionally, a decrease in the expression of genes associated with inflammation and myeloid leukemia was also observed in Shp2E76K/+ mice treated with the combination of the two drugs. Finally, we report two patients with JMML and PTPN11 mutations treated with 5-Aza, trametinib, and chemotherapy who experienced a clinical response because of the combination treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhosh Kumar Pasupuleti
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut Street, R4-168, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Karen Chao
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Stanford University School of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Baskar Ramdas
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut Street, R4-168, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Rahul Kanumuri
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut Street, R4-168, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Lakshmi Reddy Palam
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut Street, R4-168, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sheng Liu
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Jun Wan
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | | | | | - Elliot Stieglitz
- Department of Pediatrics, Benioff Children's Hospital, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Burke
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Reuben Kapur
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut Street, R4-168, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1044 W. Walnut Street, R4-168, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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Castaño-Díez S, López-Guerra M, Bosch-Castañeda C, Bataller A, Charry P, Esteban D, Guijarro F, Jiménez-Vicente C, Castillo-Girón C, Cortes A, Martínez-Roca A, Triguero A, Álamo JR, Beà S, Costa D, Colomer D, Rozman M, Esteve J, Díaz-Beyá M. Real-World Data on Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia: Clinical and Molecular Characteristics, Treatment, Emerging Drugs, and Patient Outcomes. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174107. [PMID: 36077644 PMCID: PMC9455040 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite emerging molecular information on chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), patient outcome remains unsatisfactory and little is known about the transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In a single-center cohort of 219 CMML patients, we explored the potential correlation between clinical features, gene mutations, and treatment regimens with overall survival (OS) and clonal evolution into AML. The most commonly detected mutations were TET2, SRSF2, ASXL1, and RUNX1. Median OS was 34 months and varied according to age, cytogenetic risk, FAB, CPSS and CPSS-Mol categories, and number of gene mutations. Hypomethylating agents were administered to 37 patients, 18 of whom responded. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) was performed in 22 patients. Two-year OS after alloSCT was 60.6%. Six patients received targeted therapy with IDH or FLT3 inhibitors, three of whom attained a long-lasting response. AML transformation occurred in 53 patients and the analysis of paired samples showed changes in gene mutation status. Our real-world data emphasize that the outcome of CMML patients is still unsatisfactory and alloSCT remains the only potentially curative treatment. However, targeted therapies show promise in patients with specific gene mutations. Complete molecular characterization can help to improve risk stratification, understand transformation, and personalize therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Castaño-Díez
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Medical School, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica López-Guerra
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alex Bataller
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Medical School, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Paola Charry
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Esteban
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesca Guijarro
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Medical School, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Jiménez-Vicente
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Castillo-Girón
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Cortes
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Hematology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandra Martínez-Roca
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Triguero
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Ramón Álamo
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Beà
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolors Costa
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolors Colomer
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Rozman
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Esteve
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Medical School, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Marina Díaz-Beyá
- Hematology and Hematopathology Departments, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-9-227-54-28
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3
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Nie Y, Shao L, Zhang H, He CK, Li H, Zou J, Chen L, Ji H, Tan H, Lin Y, Ru K. Mutational landscape of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in Chinese patients. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:32. [PMID: 35610628 PMCID: PMC9128105 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00284-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare and heterogeneous hematological malignancy. It has been shown that the molecular abnormalities such as ASXL1, TET2, SETBP1, and SRSF2 mutations are common in Caucasian population. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 178 Chinese CMML patients. The targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) was used to evaluate 114 gene variations, and the prognostic factors for OS were determined by COX regression analysis. RESULTS The CMML patients showed a unique mutational spectrum, including TET2 (36.5%), NRAS (31.5%), ASXL1 (28.7%), SRSF2 (24.7%), and RUNX1 (21.9%). Of the 102 patients with clonal analysis, the ancestral events preferentially occurred in TET2 (18.5%), splicing factors (16.5%), RAS (14.0%), and ASXL1 (7.8%), and the subclonal genes were mainly ASXL1, TET2, and RAS. In addition, the secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) transformed from CMML often had mutations in DNMT3A, ETV6, FLT3, and NPM1, while the primary AML (pAML) demonstrated more mutations in CEBPA, DNMT3A, FLT3, IDH1/2, NPM1, and WT1. It was of note that a series of clones were emerged during the progression from CMML to AML, including DNMT3A, FLT3, and NPM1. By univariate analysis, ASXL1 mutation, intermediate- and high-risk cytogenetic abnormality, CMML-specific prognostic scoring system (CPSS) stratifications (intermediate-2 and high group), and treatment options (best supportive care) predicted for worse OS. Multivariate analysis revealed a similar outcome. CONCLUSIONS The common mutations in Chinese CMML patients included epigenetic modifiers (TET2 and ASXL1), signaling transduction pathway components (NRAS), and splicing factor (SRSF2). The CMML patients with DNMT3A, ETV6, FLT3, and NPM1 mutations tended to progress to sAML. ASXL1 mutation and therapeutic modalities were independent prognostic factors for CMML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Nie
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | - Liang Shao
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | | | - Hongyu Li
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | - Junyan Zou
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | - Long Chen
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | - Huaiyue Ji
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | - Hao Tan
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China
| | - Yani Lin
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China.
| | - Kun Ru
- Sino-US Diagnostics Lab, Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of AI-aided Hematopathology Diagnosis, Tianjin, 300385, China.
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4
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Hanft KM, Hamed E, Kaiser M, Würtemberger J, Schneider M, Pietsch T, Feige U, Meiss F, Krengel S, Niemeyer C, Hettmer S. Combinatorial effects of azacitidine and trametinib on NRAS-mutated melanoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29468. [PMID: 34866327 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Congenital melanocytic nevus (CMN) syndrome represents a mosaic RASopathy, typically caused by postzygotic NRAS codon 61 mutations, which originate in ectodermal precursor cells and result in melanocyte deposits in the skin and central nervous system (CNS). Affected patients are prone to develop uniformly fatal melanomas in the skin and CNS. Here, we report the case of a 2.7-year-old male with CMN syndrome, diffuse leptomeningeal melanosis and CNS melanoma, who underwent experimental therapy with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor azacitidine in combination with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor trametinib with exceptional clinical and radiological response. Response to combination therapy appeared to be more durable than the treatment response observed in several other severely affected patients treated with trametinib for late-stage disease. Correspondingly, concomitant exposure to trametinib and azacitidine prevented development of trametinib resistance in NRAS-mutated human melanoma cells in vitro. Also, azacitidine was shown to inhibit growth and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation of melanoma cells and act synergistically with trametinib to inhibit the growth of trametinib-resistant melanoma cells. These observations suggest that azacitidine enhances trametinib monotherapy and may represent a promising candidate drug for combination therapies to enhance the efficacy of MEK inhibitors in RAS-driven diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara-Maria Hanft
- Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ebrahem Hamed
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Max Kaiser
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julia Würtemberger
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Schneider
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Pietsch
- Department of Neuropathology, DGNN Brain Tumor Reference Center, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ursula Feige
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Frank Meiss
- Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Charlotte Niemeyer
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Centre Freiburg (CCCF), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simone Hettmer
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Centre Freiburg (CCCF), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Freiburg, Germany
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5
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Abstract
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare and challenging type of myeloproliferative neoplasm. Poor prognosis and high mortality, associated predominantly with progression to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML), is still an unsolved problem. Despite a growing body of knowledge about the molecular repertoire of this disease, at present, the prognostic significance of CMML-associated mutations is controversial. The absence of available CMML cell lines and the small number of patients with CMML make pre-clinical testing and clinical trials complicated. Currently, specific therapy for CMML has not been approved; most of the currently available therapeutic approaches are based on myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and other myeloproliferative neoplasm (MNP) studies. In this regard, the development of the robust CMML animal models is currently the focus of interest. This review describes important studies concerning animal models of CMML, examples of methodological approaches, and the obtained hematologic phenotypes.
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6
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Renneville A, Patnaik MM, Chan O, Padron E, Solary E. Increasing recognition and emerging therapies argue for dedicated clinical trials in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Leukemia 2021; 35:2739-2751. [PMID: 34175902 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01330-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder with overlapping features of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Median overall survival of this aggressive myeloid malignancy is only 2-3 years, with a 15-30% risk of acute leukemic transformation. The paucity of clinical trials specifically designed for CMML has made therapeutic management of CMML patients challenging. As a result, treatment paradigms for CMML patients are largely borrowed from MDS and MPN. The standard of care still relies on hydroxyurea, hypomethylating agents (HMA), and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, this latter option remaining the only potentially curative therapy. To date, approved drugs for CMML treatment are HMA, including azacitidine, decitabine, and more recently the oral combination of decitabine and cedazuridine. However, HMA treatment does not meaningfully alter the natural course of this disease. New treatment approaches for improving CMML-associated cytopenias or targeting the CMML malignant clone are emerging. More than 25 therapeutic agents are currently being evaluated in phase 1 or phase 2 clinical trials for CMML and other myeloid malignancies, often in combination with a HMA backbone. Several novel agents, such as sotatercept, ruxolitinib, lenzilumab, and tagraxofusp have shown promising clinical efficacy in CMML. Current evidence supports the idea that effective treatment in CMML will likely require combination therapy targeting multiple pathways, which emphasizes the need for additional new therapeutic options. This review focuses on recent therapeutic advances and innovative treatment strategies in CMML, including global and molecularly targeted approaches. We also discuss what may help to make progress in the design of rationally derived and disease-modifying therapies for CMML.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mrinal M Patnaik
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Onyee Chan
- Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Eric Padron
- Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Eric Solary
- INSERM U1287, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France. .,Faculty of Medicine, Université Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. .,Department of Hematology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.
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7
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Hunter AM, Newman H, Dezern AE, Steensma DP, Niyongere S, Roboz GJ, Mo Q, Chan O, Gerds A, Sallman DA, Dominguez-Viqueira W, Letson C, Balasis ME, Ball M, Kruer T, Zhang H, Lancet JE, List AF, Sekeres MA, Komrokji RS, Padron E. Integrated Human and Murine Clinical Study Establishes Clinical Efficacy of Ruxolitinib in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:6095-6105. [PMID: 34253584 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-0935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE CMML is a rare leukemia characterized by peripheral monocytosis with no disease-modifying therapies. CMML cells are uniquely hypersensitive to GM-CSF and robustly engraft in immunocompromised mice that secrete human cytokines. To leverage these unique biologic features, we conducted an integrated human and murine study evaluating ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor that potently downregulates intracellular GM-CSF signaling. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 50 patients with WHO-defined CMML were enrolled in this open-label, multi-institution phase 1/2 clinical study, with a ruxolitinib dose of 20mg twice daily studied in phase 2. In parallel, 49 patient-derived xenografts (PDX) derived from 13 study participants were generated and randomized to receive ruxolitinib or vehicle control. RESULTS The most common grade 3/4 treatment-related toxicities observed were anemia (10%) and thrombocytopenia (6%). The clinical overall response rate was 38% by MDS/MPN IWG criteria and 43% of patients with baseline splenomegaly achieved a spleen response. Profiling of cytokine levels and somatic mutations at baseline failed to identify predictive biomarkers. PDX models derived from screening samples of study participants recapitulated responses seen in humans, particularly spleen responses, and corroborated ruxolitinib's clinical efficacy in a randomized murine study not feasible in human trials. CONCLUSIONS Ruxolitinib demonstrated clinical efficacy and an acceptable adverse event profile in patients with CMML, identifying a potential novel therapeutic in this rare malignancy. Furthermore, this study demonstrates proof of concept that PDX modeling can recapitulate responses of patients treated on clinical trial and represents a novel correlative study that corroborates clinical efficacy seen in humans.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Animals
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- Cytokines/blood
- Cytokines/genetics
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
- Female
- Humans
- Janus Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Janus Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic/diagnosis
- Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic/etiology
- Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic/mortality
- Male
- Mice
- Middle Aged
- Mutation
- Nitriles/pharmacology
- Nitriles/therapeutic use
- Prognosis
- Pyrazoles/pharmacology
- Pyrazoles/therapeutic use
- Pyrimidines/pharmacology
- Pyrimidines/therapeutic use
- Treatment Outcome
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Hunter
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hannah Newman
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Amy E Dezern
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - David P Steensma
- Adult Leukemia Program, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Gail J Roboz
- Leukemia Program, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Qianxing Mo
- Department of Biostatistics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Onyee Chan
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Aaron Gerds
- Leukemia Program, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - David A Sallman
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | | | | | - Maria E Balasis
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Markus Ball
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Traci Kruer
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Hailing Zhang
- Department of Hematopathology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jeffrey E Lancet
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | | | - Mikkael A Sekeres
- Leukemia Program, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Rami S Komrokji
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Eric Padron
- Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida.
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8
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Cytokine-like protein 1-induced survival of monocytes suggests a combined strategy targeting MCL1 and MAPK in CMML. Blood 2021; 137:3390-3402. [PMID: 33690800 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020008729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse models of chronic myeloid malignancies suggest that targeting mature cells of the malignant clone disrupts feedback loops that promote disease expansion. Here, we show that in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), monocytes that accumulate in the peripheral blood show a decreased propensity to die by apoptosis. BH3 profiling demonstrates their addiction to myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1), which can be targeted with the small molecule inhibitor S63845. RNA sequencing and DNA methylation pattern analysis both point to the implication of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in the resistance of CMML monocytes to death and reveal an autocrine pathway in which the secreted cytokine-like protein 1 (CYTL1) promotes extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation through C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2). Combined MAPK and MCL1 inhibition restores apoptosis of monocytes from patients with CMML and reduces the expansion of patient-derived xenografts in mice. These results show that the combined inhibition of MCL1 and MAPK is a promising approach to slow down CMML progression by inducing leukemic monocyte apoptosis.
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9
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Unravelling the apoptotic machinery in CMML. Blood 2021; 137:3321-3322. [PMID: 34137844 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021011363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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10
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Ramos Perez J, Montalban-Bravo G. Emerging drugs for the treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2020; 25:515-529. [PMID: 33280448 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2020.1854224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a clonal hematologic disorder with heterogenous prognosis, but with no curative therapies with exception of allogeneic transplant. Therapeutic options for patients with CMML are limited, and although hypomethylating agents such as azacitidine and decitabine are the standard of care, only 40% of patients achieve a response, and most responses are transient. Over the last 5 years, significant advances have been made in the understanding of the clonal landscape of CMML, some of the mechanisms associated to resistance to HMA, and other key biological processes involved in disease pathogenesis. Areas covered: The current article reviews the most relevant emerging therapies currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of previously untreated or relapsed CMML. Expert opinion: The presence of recurrent somatic mutations in CMML represents therapeutic opportunities to utilize specific small molecule inhibitors such as IDH, FLT3, MEK/ERK, PLK1, or splicing inhibitors and modulators. In addition, other novel agents such as immune therapies, BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitors and other monoclonal antibodies could lead to therapeutic advances. Identifying specific patient populations likely to benefit from some of these interventions, and development of optimal combinations will remain the challenge when determining their role in therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Ramos Perez
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston, TX, USA
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