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Karagiannis TC, Wall M, Ververis K, Pitsillou E, Tortorella SM, Wood PA, Rafehi H, Khurana I, Maxwell SS, Hung A, Vongsvivut J, El-Osta A. Characterization of K562 cells: uncovering novel chromosomes, assessing transferrin receptor expression, and probing pharmacological therapies. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:248. [PMID: 37578596 PMCID: PMC11072675 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04905-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Human erythroleukemic K562 cells represent the prototypical cell culture model of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The cells are pseudo-triploid and positive for the Philadelphia chromosome. Therefore, K562 cells have been widely used for investigating the BCR/ABL1 oncogene and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib-mesylate. Further, K562 cells overexpress transferrin receptors (TfR) and have been used as a model for targeting cytotoxic therapies, via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Here, we have characterized K562 cells focusing on the karyotype of cells in prolonged culture, regulation of expression of TfR in wildtype (WT) and doxorubicin-resistant cells, and responses to histone deacetylase inhibition (HDACi). Karyotype analysis indicates novel chromosomes and gene expression analysis suggests a shift of cultured K562 cells away from patient-derived leukemic cells. We confirm the high expression of TfR on K562 cells using immunofluorescence and cell-surface receptor binding radioassays. Importantly, high TfR expression is observed in patient-derived cells, and we highlight the persistent expression of TfR following doxorubicin acquired resistance. Epigenetic analysis indicates that permissive histone acetylation and methylation at the promoter region regulates the transcription of TfR in K562 cells. Finally, we show relatively high expression of HDAC enzymes in K562 cells and demonstrate the chemotoxic effects of HDACi, using the FDA-approved hydroxamic acid, vorinostat. Together with a description of morphology, infrared spectral analysis, and examination of metabolic properties, we provide a comprehensive characterization of K562 cells. Overall, K562 cell culture systems remain widely used for the investigation of novel therapeutics for CML, which is particularly important in cases of imatinib-mesylate resistance.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Imatinib Mesylate/pharmacology
- Imatinib Mesylate/therapeutic use
- K562 Cells
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Transferrin
- Pyrimidines/pharmacology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Histone Deacetylases/metabolism
- Doxorubicin/pharmacology
- Doxorubicin/therapeutic use
- Receptors, Transferrin/genetics
- Chromosomes/metabolism
- Mesylates/pharmacology
- Apoptosis
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom C Karagiannis
- Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Program, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED Training, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia.
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Epigenomic in Human Health and Disease Program, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - Meaghan Wall
- Victorian Cancer Cytogenetics Service, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
- Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Katherine Ververis
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED Training, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Eleni Pitsillou
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED Training, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Stephanie M Tortorella
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED Training, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Peter A Wood
- Epigenomic Medicine Laboratory at prospED Training, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Haloom Rafehi
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Ishant Khurana
- Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Program, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Scott S Maxwell
- Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Program, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Andrew Hung
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | | | - Assam El-Osta
- Epigenetics in Human Health and Disease Program, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Prahran, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3/F Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building, 30‑32 Ngan Shing Street, Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Biomedical Laboratory Science, Department of Technology, Faculty of Health, University College Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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DNA Methylation and Intra-Clonal Heterogeneity: The Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Model. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143587. [PMID: 34298798 PMCID: PMC8307727 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a model to investigate the impact of tumor intra-clonal heterogeneity in personalized medicine. Indeed, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target the BCR-ABL fusion protein, which is considered the major CML driver. TKI use has highlighted the existence of intra-clonal heterogeneity, as indicated by the persistence of a minority subclone for several years despite the presence of the target fusion protein in all cells. Epigenetic modifications could partly explain this heterogeneity. This review summarizes the results of DNA methylation studies in CML. Next-generation sequencing technologies allowed for moving from single-gene to genome-wide analyses showing that methylation abnormalities are much more widespread in CML cells. These data showed that global hypomethylation is associated with hypermethylation of specific sites already at diagnosis in the early phase of CML. The BCR-ABL-independence of some methylation profile alterations and the recent demonstration of the initial intra-clonal DNA methylation heterogeneity suggests that some DNA methylation alterations may be biomarkers of TKI sensitivity/resistance and of disease progression risk. These results also open perspectives for understanding the epigenetic/genetic background of CML predisposition and for developing new therapeutic strategies.
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Costa Dos Santos G, Renovato-Martins M, de Brito NM. The remodel of the "central dogma": a metabolomics interaction perspective. Metabolomics 2021; 17:48. [PMID: 33969452 PMCID: PMC8106972 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-021-01800-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 1957, Francis Crick drew a linear diagram on a blackboard. This diagram is often called the "central dogma." Subsequently, the relationships between different steps of the "central dogma" have been shown to be considerably complex, mostly because of the emerging world of small molecules. It is noteworthy that metabolites can be generated from the diet through gut microbiome metabolism, serve as substrates for epigenetic modifications, destabilize DNA quadruplexes, and follow Lamarckian inheritance. Small molecules were once considered the missing link in the "central dogma"; however, recently they have acquired a central role, and their general perception as downstream products has become reductionist. Metabolomics is a large-scale analysis of metabolites, and this emerging field has been shown to be the closest omics associated with the phenotype and concomitantly, the basis for all omics. AIM OF REVIEW Herein, we propose a broad updated perspective for the flux of information diagram centered in metabolomics, including the influence of other factors, such as epigenomics, diet, nutrition, and the gut- microbiome. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW Metabolites are the beginning and the end of the flux of information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilson Costa Dos Santos
- Laboratory of NMR Metabolomics, IBRAG, Department of Genetics, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-030, Brazil.
| | - Mariana Renovato-Martins
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, IB, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, 24210-200, Brazil
| | - Natália Mesquita de Brito
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, IBRAG, Department of Cell Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-030, Brazil.
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Elsayed FM, Nafea DA, El-Attar LM, Saied MH. Epigenetic silencing of the DAPK1 gene in Egyptian patients with chronic myeloid Leukemia. Meta Gene 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mgene.2020.100779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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5
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Dompe C, Janowicz K, Hutchings G, Moncrieff L, Jankowski M, Nawrocki MJ, Józkowiak M, Mozdziak P, Petitte J, Shibli JA, Dyszkiewicz-Konwińska M, Bruska M, Piotrowska-Kempisty H, Kempisty B, Nowicki M. Epigenetic Research in Stem Cell Bioengineering-Anti-Cancer Therapy, Regenerative and Reconstructive Medicine in Human Clinical Trials. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1016. [PMID: 32326172 PMCID: PMC7226111 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12041016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The epigenome denotes all the information related to gene expression that is not contained in the DNA sequence but rather results from chemical changes to histones and DNA. Epigenetic modifications act in a cooperative way towards the regulation of gene expression, working at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level, and play a key role in the determination of phenotypic variations in cells containing the same genotype. Epigenetic modifications are important considerations in relation to anti-cancer therapy and regenerative/reconstructive medicine. Moreover, a range of clinical trials have been performed, exploiting the potential of epigenetics in stem cell engineering towards application in disease treatments and diagnostics. Epigenetic studies will most likely be the basis of future cancer therapies, as epigenetic modifications play major roles in tumour formation, malignancy and metastasis. In fact, a large number of currently designed or tested clinical approaches, based on compounds regulating epigenetic pathways in various types of tumours, employ these mechanisms in stem cell bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Dompe
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (C.D.); (L.M.); (M.N.)
- The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.J.); (G.H.)
| | - Krzysztof Janowicz
- The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.J.); (G.H.)
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
| | - Greg Hutchings
- The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.J.); (G.H.)
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
| | - Lisa Moncrieff
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (C.D.); (L.M.); (M.N.)
- The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.J.); (G.H.)
| | - Maurycy Jankowski
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
| | - Mariusz J. Nawrocki
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
| | - Małgorzata Józkowiak
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-631 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (H.P.-K.)
| | - Paul Mozdziak
- Physiology Graduate Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA;
| | - Jim Petitte
- Prestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA;
| | - Jamil A. Shibli
- Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Dental Research Division, University of Guarulhos, São Paulo 07023-070, Brazil;
| | - Marta Dyszkiewicz-Konwińska
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
- Department of Biomaterials and Experimental Dentistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61 701 Poznan, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bruska
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
| | - Hanna Piotrowska-Kempisty
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-631 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (H.P.-K.)
| | - Bartosz Kempisty
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (C.D.); (L.M.); (M.N.)
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (M.J.); (M.J.N.); (M.D.-K.); (M.B.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital and Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Veterinary Surgery, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87 100 Torun, Poland
| | - Michał Nowicki
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; (C.D.); (L.M.); (M.N.)
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6
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Bamodu OA, Kuo KT, Yuan LP, Cheng WH, Lee WH, Ho YS, Chao TY, Yeh CT. HDAC inhibitor suppresses proliferation and tumorigenicity of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells through regulation of hsa-miR-196a targeting BCR/ABL1. Exp Cell Res 2018; 370:519-530. [PMID: 30017934 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Failure to eradicate hematologic cancer stem cells (hCSCs) associated with resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib mesylate (IM) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients is a clinical challenge that highlights the need for discovering and developing therapeutic strategies that target and eliminate these hCSCs. Herein, we document the essential role of the interplay between histone deacetylases (HDACs), the polycomb group proteins, pluripotency transcription factors and the cell cycle machinery in the viability, oncogenicity and therapy evasion of IM-resistant CD34+/CD38- CML stem cells (CML-SCs). Using the proteotranscriptomic analyses of wild type (WT), CD34+/CD38+ and CD34+/CD38- K562 or KU812 cells, we showed that CD34+/CD38- SC-enriched cells expressed significantly higher levels of CD44, CD133, SOX2, Nanog, OCT4, and c-Myc mRNA and/or protein, compared to the WT or CD34+/CD38+ cells. This overexpression of stemness factors in the CD34+/CD38- cells positively correlates with enhanced expression of HDACs 1-6, cyclins D1/D3, CDK 2, 4 and 6, while inversely correlating with p18, p21 and p27. Enhanced co-expression of MDR1, survivin, and Bcl-2 proteins, supposedly involved in IM-resistance and CML-SC survival, was detected in both CD34+/CD38- and CD34+/CD38+ cells. Importantly, we demonstrate that in synergism with IM, SAHA reverses the tumor-promoting proteotranscriptomic profile noted above and elicits marked inhibition of the CML-SCs by up-regulating hsa-miR-196a expression. This hsa-miR-196a-mediated SC-limiting effect of SAHA is dose-dependent, low-dosed, cell cycle-modulating and accompanied by leukemic SC apoptosis. Interestingly, this anti-SC therapeutic activity of SAHA in vitro was reproduced in vivo using the NOD-SCID mice models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Medical Research & Education, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kuang-Tai Kuo
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC; Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Li-Ping Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wei-Hong Cheng
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wei-Hwa Lee
- Department of Pathology, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yuan-Soon Ho
- Graduate Institute of Medical Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Tsu-Yi Chao
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Medical Research & Education, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Chi-Tai Yeh
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cancer Center, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Medical Research & Education, Taipei Medical University - Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC.
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7
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Tsubaki M, Takeda T, Kino T, Sakai K, Itoh T, Imano M, Nakayama T, Nishio K, Satou T, Nishida S. Contributions of MET activation to BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Oncotarget 2018; 8:38717-38730. [PMID: 28418880 PMCID: PMC5503566 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to the breakpoint cluster region-abelson 1 (BCR-ABL1) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) imatinib poses a major problem when treating chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Imatinib resistance often results from a secondary mutation in BCR-ABL1. However, in the absence of a mutation in BCR-ABL1, the basis of BCR-ABL1-independent resistance must be elucidated. To gain insight into the mechanisms of BCR-ABL1-independent imatinib resistance, we performed an array-based comparative genomic hybridization. We identified various resistance-related genes, and focused on MET. Treatment with a MET inhibitor resensitized K562/IR cells to BCR-ABL1 TKIs. Combined treatment of K562/IR cells with imatinib and a MET inhibitor suppressed extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, but did not affect AKT activation. Our findings implicate the MET/ERK and MET/JNK pathways in conferring resistance to imatinib, providing new insights into the mechanisms of BCR-ABL1 TKI resistance in CML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanobu Tsubaki
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoya Takeda
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshiki Kino
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuko Sakai
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tatsuki Itoh
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Kindai University School of Agriculture, Nara, Nara, Japan
| | - Motohiro Imano
- Department of Surgery, Kindai University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takashi Nakayama
- Division of Chemotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuto Nishio
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takao Satou
- Department of Pathology, Kindai University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shozo Nishida
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Japan
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Koschmieder S, Vetrie D. Epigenetic dysregulation in chronic myeloid leukaemia: A myriad of mechanisms and therapeutic options. Semin Cancer Biol 2017; 51:180-197. [PMID: 28778403 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The onset of global epigenetic changes in chromatin that drive tumor proliferation and heterogeneity is a hallmark of many forms of cancer. Identifying the epigenetic mechanisms that govern these changes and developing therapeutic approaches to modulate them, is a well-established avenue pursued in translational cancer medicine. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) arises clonally when a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) acquires the capacity to produce the constitutively active tyrosine kinase BCR-ABL1 fusion protein which drives tumor development. Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) that target BCR-ABL1 has been transformative in CML management but it does not lead to cure in the vast majority of patients. Thus novel therapeutic approaches are required and these must target changes to biological pathways that are aberrant in CML - including those that occur when epigenetic mechanisms are altered. These changes may be due to alterations in DNA or histones, their biochemical modifications and requisite 'writer' proteins, or to dysregulation of various types of non-coding RNAs that collectively function as modulators of transcriptional control and DNA integrity. Here, we review the evidence for subverted epigenetic mechanisms in CML and how these impact on a diverse set of biological pathways, on disease progression, prognosis and drug resistance. We will also discuss recent progress towards developing epigenetic therapies that show promise to improve CML patient care and may lead to improved cure rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Koschmieder
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - David Vetrie
- Epigenetics Unit, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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