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Platzbecker U, Santini V, Fenaux P, Sekeres MA, Savona MR, Madanat YF, Díez-Campelo M, Valcárcel D, Illmer T, Jonášová A, Bělohlávková P, Sherman LJ, Berry T, Dougherty S, Shah S, Xia Q, Sun L, Wan Y, Huang F, Ikin A, Navada S, Feller F, Komrokji RS, Zeidan AM. Imetelstat in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes who have relapsed or are refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (IMerge): a multinational, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet 2024; 403:249-260. [PMID: 38048786 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01724-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unmet medical needs remain in patients with red blood cell transfusion-dependent (RBC-TD) lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) who are not responding to or are ineligible for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Imetelstat, a competitive telomerase inhibitor, showed promising results in a phase 2 trial. We aimed to compare the RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) rate with imetelstat versus placebo in patients with RBC-TD LR-MDS. METHODS In phase 3 of IMerge, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in 118 sites including university hospitals, cancer centres, and outpatient clinics in 17 countries, patients (aged ≥18 years) with ESA-relapsed, ESA-refractory, or ESA-ineligible LR-MDS (low or intermediate-1 risk disease as per International Prognostic Scoring System [IPSS] criteria) were randomly assigned via a computer-generated schedule (2:1) to receive imetelstat 7·5 mg/kg or placebo, administered as a 2-h intravenous infusion, every 4 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxic effects, or withdrawal of consent. Randomisation was stratified by previous RBC transfusion burden and IPSS risk group. Patients, investigators, and those analysing the data were masked to group assignment. The primary endpoint was 8-week RBC-TI, defined as the proportion of patients without RBC transfusions for at least 8 consecutive weeks starting on the day of randomisation until subsequent anti-cancer therapy, if any. Primary efficacy analyses were performed in the intention-to-treat population, and safety analyses were conducted in patients who received at least one dose of trial medication or placebo. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02598661; substudy active and recruiting). FINDINGS Between Sept 11, 2019, and Oct 13, 2021, 178 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned (118 to imetelstat and 60 to placebo). 111 (62%) were male and 67 (38%) were female. 91 (77%) of 118 patients had discontinued treatment by data cutoff in the imetelstat group versus 45 (75%) in the placebo group; a further one patient in the placebo group did not receive treatment. Median follow-up was 19·5 months (IQR 12·0-23·4) in the imetelstat group and 17·5 months (12·1-22·7) in the placebo group. In the imetelstat group, 47 (40% [95% CI 30·9-49·3]) patients had an RBC-TI of at least 8 weeks versus nine (15% [7·1-26·6]) in the placebo group (rate difference 25% [9·9 to 36·9]; p=0·0008). Overall, 107 (91%) of 118 patients receiving imetelstat and 28 (47%) of 59 patients receiving placebo had grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events. The most common treatment-emergent grade 3-4 adverse events in patients taking imetelstat were neutropenia (80 [68%] patients who received imetelstat vs two [3%] who received placebo) and thrombocytopenia (73 [62%] vs five [8%]). No treatment-related deaths were reported. INTERPRETATION Imetelstat offers a novel mechanism of action with durable transfusion independence (approximately 1 year) and disease-modifying activity for heavily transfused patients with LR-MDS who are not responding to or are ineligible for ESAs. FUNDING Janssen Research & Development before April 18, 2019, and Geron Corporation thereafter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Platzbecker
- Department of Hematology, Cellular Therapy, Infectious Diseases, and Hemostaseology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Valeria Santini
- MDS Unit, AOU Careggi, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Pierre Fenaux
- Hôpital Saint-Louis, Université de Paris 7, Paris, France
| | - Mikkael A Sekeres
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael R Savona
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yazan F Madanat
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Maria Díez-Campelo
- Hematology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain
| | - David Valcárcel
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anna Jonášová
- 1st Medical Department-Hematology, Charles University General Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Bělohlávková
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine-Haematology, Charles University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | | - Qi Xia
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | - Libo Sun
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | - Ying Wan
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | - Fei Huang
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Amer M Zeidan
- Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Dratwa M, Łacina P, Butrym A, Porzuczek D, Mazur G, Bogunia-Kubik K. Telomere length and hTERT genetic variants as potential prognostic markers in multiple myeloma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15792. [PMID: 37737335 PMCID: PMC10517131 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43141-7] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere dysfunction is a notable event observed in many cancers contributing to their genomic instability. A major factor controlling telomere stability is the human telomerase reverse transcriptase catalytic subunit (hTERT). Telomere shortening has been observed in multiple myeloma (MM), a plasma cell malignancy with a complex and heterogeneous genetic background. In the present study, we aimed to analyse telomere length and hTERT genetic variants as potential markers of risk and survival in 251 MM patients. We found that telomere length was significantly shorter in MM patients than in healthy individuals, and patients with more advanced disease (stage III according to the International Staging System) had shorter telomeres than patients with less advanced disease. MM patients with hTERT allele rs2736100 T were characterized with significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS). Moreover, allele rs2736100 T was also found to be less common in patients with disease progression in response to treatment. hTERT rs2853690 T was associated with higher haemoglobin blood levels and lower C-reactive protein. In conclusion, our results suggest that telomere length and hTERT genetic variability may affect MM development and can be potential prognostic markers in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Dratwa
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunogenetics and Pharmacogenetics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Piotr Łacina
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunogenetics and Pharmacogenetics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Butrym
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Diana Porzuczek
- Department of Internal, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Mazur
- Department of Internal, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Bogunia-Kubik
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunogenetics and Pharmacogenetics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland.
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Telomerase ( hTERT) Overexpression Reveals a Promising Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutical Target in Different Clinical Subtypes of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101632. [PMID: 34681025 PMCID: PMC8535500 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is a neoplasm of the hematopoietic system defined as a clonal expansion of an abnormal lymphoid precursor cell. It mostly affects children under five years of age and is the most common tumor to afflict pediatric patients. The expression of the human telomerase gene (hTERT) in patients with ALL has been studied as a biomarker and could become a new therapeutic target. We evaluate the role of hTERT gene expression in ALL pediatric patients, through quantitative real-time PCR technique, and the possible correlation between hTERT expression and clinical variables: gender, age, white blood cells (WBC), gene fusions, and immunophenotyping. The analysis between healthy controls and ALL patients (N = 244) was statistically significant (p < 0.001), demonstrating hTERT overexpression in these patients. In comparison with the usual set of clinical variables, the data were not statistically significant (p > 0.05), indicating that hTERT is equally overexpressed among patients regardless of gender, age, gene fusions, and immunophenotyping. Moreover, patients who presented a higher hTERT expression level had a significant (p < 0.0001) lower overall survival rate. In summary, hTERT expression emerges as an important molecular pathway in leukemogenesis regardless patient's clinical variables, thus, the data here presented pointed it as a valuable biomarker in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a promising target for new therapeutic and prognostic measures.
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Mechanism of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase ( hTERT) Regulation and Clinical Impacts in Leukemia. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081188. [PMID: 34440361 PMCID: PMC8392866 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The proliferative capacity and continuous survival of cells are highly dependent on telomerase expression and the maintenance of telomere length. For this reason, elevated expression of telomerase has been identified in virtually all cancers, including leukemias; however, it should be noted that expression of telomerase is sometimes observed later in malignant development. This time point of activation is highly dependent on the type of leukemia and its causative factors. Many recent studies in this field have contributed to the elucidation of the mechanisms by which the various forms of leukemias increase telomerase activity. These include the dysregulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at various levels which include transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational stages. The pathways and biological molecules involved in these processes are also being deciphered with the advent of enabling technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-Seq), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS), and many others. It has also been established that TERT possess diagnostic value as most adult cells do not express high levels of telomerase. Indeed, studies have shown that prognosis is not favorable in patients who have leukemias expressing high levels of telomerase. Recent research has indicated that targeting of this gene is able to control the survival of malignant cells and therefore offers a potential treatment for TERT-dependent leukemias. Here we review the mechanisms of hTERT regulation and deliberate their association in malignant states of leukemic cells. Further, we also cover the clinical implications of this gene including its use in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic discoveries.
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Targeting Telomere Biology in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136653. [PMID: 34206297 PMCID: PMC8268026 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased cell proliferation is a hallmark of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and genetic alterations driving clonal proliferation have been identified as prognostic factors. To evaluate replicative history and its potential prognostic value, we determined telomere length (TL) in lymphoblasts, B-, and T-lymphocytes, and measured telomerase activity (TA) in leukocytes of patients with ALL. In addition, we evaluated the potential to suppress the in vitro growth of B-ALL cells by the telomerase inhibitor imetelstat. We found a significantly lower TL in lymphoblasts (4.3 kb in pediatric and 2.3 kb in adult patients with ALL) compared to B- and T-lymphocytes (8.0 kb and 8.2 kb in pediatric, and 6.4 kb and 5.5 kb in adult patients with ALL). TA in leukocytes was 3.2 TA/C for pediatric and 0.7 TA/C for adult patients. Notably, patients with high-risk pediatric ALL had a significantly higher TA of 6.6 TA/C compared to non-high-risk patients with 2.2 TA/C. The inhibition of telomerase with imetelstat ex vivo led to significant dose-dependent apoptosis of B-ALL cells. These results suggest that TL reflects clonal expansion and indicate that elevated TA correlates with high-risk pediatric ALL. In addition, telomerase inhibition induces apoptosis of B-ALL cells cultured in vitro. TL and TA might complement established markers for the identification of patients with high-risk ALL. Moreover, TA seems to be an effective therapeutic target; hence, telomerase inhibitors, such as imetelstat, may augment standard ALL treatment.
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Dratwa M, Wysoczanska B, Turlej E, Anisiewicz A, Maciejewska M, Wietrzyk J, Bogunia-Kubik K. Heterogeneity of telomerase reverse transcriptase mutation and expression, telomerase activity and telomere length across human cancer cell lines cultured in vitro. Exp Cell Res 2020; 396:112298. [PMID: 32971118 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Promoter region of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERTp) constitutes a regulatory element capable to affect TERT expression (TE), telomerase activity (TA) and telomere length (TL). TERTp mutation status, TL, TA and TE were assessed in 27 in vitro cultured human cell lines, including 11 solid tumour, 13 haematological and 3 normal cell lines. C228T and C250T TERTp mutations were detected in 5 solid tumour and none of haematological cell lines (p = 0.0100). As compared to other solid tumour cell lines, those with the presence of somatic mutations were characterized by: shorter TL, lower TA and TE. Furthermore, cell lines carrying TERTp mutations showed a linear correlation between TE and TA (R = 0.9708, p = 0.0021). Moreover, haematological cell lines exhibited higher TE compared to solid tumour cell lines (p = 0.0007). TL and TA were correlated in both solid tumour (R = 0.4875, p = 0.0169) and haematological (R = 0.4719, p = 0.0095) cell lines. Our results based on the in vitro model suggest that oncogenic processes may differ between solid tumours and haematological malignancies with regard to their TERT gene regulation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Dratwa
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunogenetics and Pharmacogenetics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Barbara Wysoczanska
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunogenetics and Pharmacogenetics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Eliza Turlej
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Artur Anisiewicz
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Maciejewska
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Wietrzyk
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Bogunia-Kubik
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunogenetics and Pharmacogenetics, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
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Grandjenette C, Schnekenburger M, Gaigneaux A, Gérard D, Christov C, Mazumder A, Dicato M, Diederich M. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase depletion potentiates the growth-inhibitory activity of imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells. Cancer Lett 2019; 469:468-480. [PMID: 31734352 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) revolutionized the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), resistance against TKIs and leukemia stem cell (LSC) persistence remain a clinical concern. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies combining conventional and novel therapies are urgently needed. Since telomerase is involved in oncogenesis and tumor progression but is silent in most human normal somatic cells, it may be an interesting target for CML therapy by selectively targeting cancer cells while minimizing effects on normal cells. Here, we report that hTERT expression is associated with CML disease progression. We also provide evidence that hTERT-deficient K-562 cells do not display telomere shortening and that telomere length is maintained through the ALT pathway. Furthermore, we show that hTERT depletion exerts a growth-inhibitory effect in K-562 cells and potentiates imatinib through alteration of cell cycle progression leading to a senescence-like phenotype. Finally, we demonstrate that hTERT depletion potentiates the imatinib-induced reduction of the ALDH+-LSC population. Altogether, our results suggest that the combination of telomerase and TKI should be considered as an attractive strategy to treat CML patients to eradicate cancer cells and prevent relapse by targeting LSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Grandjenette
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, Rue Edward Steichen, L-2540, Luxembourg
| | - Michael Schnekenburger
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, Rue Edward Steichen, L-2540, Luxembourg
| | - Anthoula Gaigneaux
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, Rue Edward Steichen, L-2540, Luxembourg
| | - Déborah Gérard
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, Rue Edward Steichen, L-2540, Luxembourg
| | - Christo Christov
- Service Commun de Microscopie, Université de Lorraine, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Aloran Mazumder
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08626, South Korea
| | - Mario Dicato
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, Rue Edward Steichen, L-2540, Luxembourg
| | - Marc Diederich
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08626, South Korea.
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Fu F, Hu H, Yang S, Liang X. Effects of TIN2 on telomeres and chromosomes in the human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:5161-5166. [PMID: 29552152 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.7927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
TERF1-interacting nuclear factor 2 (TIN2) is a key member of the protein complexes that protect telomeres. TIN2 contributes an important role in biological processes. In a previous study by the present authors, an association was reported between high TIN2 protein expression and gastric cancer. Therefore, it was hypothesized that abnormal TIN2 expression may cause the development of malignancies, including, gastric carcinomas. To investigate this hypothesis, the present study employed peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization technology to analyze the human gastric epithelial GES-1 cells with high TIN2 expression or inhibited TIN2 expression. The results indicated that GES-1 cell lines with high TIN2 expression exhibited greater telomere dysfunction-induced damage compared with GES-1 cell lines with inhibited TIN2 expression. Chromosome analysis indicated that GES-1 cells with high TIN2 expression exhibited 2.48±1.30 aberrant chromosomal changes per 100 cells, that may contribute to telomere DNA damage. Therefore, aberrant chromosomal alterations may provide a novel perspective for the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Fu
- Cancer Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular and Molecular Pathology, College of Hunan, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, P.R. China.,Department of Pathology, The Fourth Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan 410006, P.R. China
| | - Hua Hu
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Yang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqiu Liang
- Cancer Research Institute, Key Laboratory of Tumor Cellular and Molecular Pathology, College of Hunan, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, P.R. China
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Carvalho Alves-Silva J, do Amaral Rabello D, Oliveira Bravo M, Lucena-Araujo A, Madureira de Oliveira D, Morato de Oliveira F, Magalhaes Rego E, Pittella-Silva F, Saldanha-Araujo F. Aberrant levels of SUV39H1 and SUV39H2 methyltransferase are associated with genomic instability in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS 2017; 58:654-661. [PMID: 28833505 DOI: 10.1002/em.22128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal alterations are commonly detected in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and impact disease pathogenesis, prognosis, and progression. Telomerase expression (hTERT), its activity and the telomere length are other important predictors of survival and multiple outcomes in CLL. SUV39H and SUV420H enzymes are histone methyltransferases (HMTases) involved in several cellular processes, including regulation of telomere length, heterochromatin organization, and genome stability. Here, we investigated whether SUV39H1, SUV39H2, SUV420H1, SUV420H2, and hTERT are associated with genomic instability of CLL. SUV39H (1/2), SUV420H (1/2), and hTERT expression was determined in 59 CLL samples by real time PCR. In addition, ZAP-70 protein expression was evaluated by Flow Cytometry and patients' karyotype was defined by Cytogenetic Analysis. Low expression of SUV39H1 was associated with the acquisition of altered and complex karyotypes. Conversely, high expression of SUV39H2 correlated with cytogenetic abnormalities in CLL patients. The pattern of karyotypic alterations differed in samples with detectable or undetectable hTERT expression. Furthermore, hTERT expression in CLL showed a correlation with transcript levels of SUV39H2, which, in part, can explain the association between SUV39H2 expression and cytogenetic abnormalities. Moreover, SUV39H1 correlated with SUV420H1 expression while SUV420H2 was associated with all other investigated HMTases. Our data show that the differential expression of SUV39H1 and SUV39H2 is associated with genomic instability and that the modulation of these HMTases can be an attractive approach to prevent CLL evolution. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:654-661, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Carvalho Alves-Silva
- Laboratório de Patologia Molecular do Câncer, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
| | - Doralina do Amaral Rabello
- Laboratório de Patologia Molecular do Câncer, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
| | - Martha Oliveira Bravo
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
| | - Antônio Lucena-Araujo
- Laboratório de Hematologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brasil
| | - Diego Madureira de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Patologia Molecular do Câncer, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
| | - Fábio Morato de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Hematologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14.048-900, Brasil
| | - Eduardo Magalhaes Rego
- Laboratório de Hematologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14.048-900, Brasil
| | - Fábio Pittella-Silva
- Laboratório de Patologia Molecular do Câncer, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
| | - Felipe Saldanha-Araujo
- Laboratório de Patologia Molecular do Câncer, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Universidade de Brasília, Av. L2 Norte, Brasília, DF, 70.910-900, Brasil
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Calvello C, Rocca B, Klersy C, Zappatore R, Giardini I, Dambruoso I, Pasi F, Caresana M, Zappasodi P, Nano R, Boni M, Bernasconi P. Alternative splicing of hTERT: a further mechanism for the control of active hTERT in acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 2017; 59:702-709. [PMID: 28679326 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2017.1346252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
hTERT component is the key regulator of telomerase. Alternatively spliced variants of hTERT generate different telomerase activity. The goal of the study was to determine the role of different hTERT isoforms in the regulation of telomerase expression in AML patients. Among the 97 studied patients, 45 had a complex karyotype and 52 a normal karyotype. hTERT isoforms expression was determined in bone marrow samples by q-RT-PCR, using SYBR Green I. hTERT expression was lower in AML patients than controls (median 2.5 vs. 10.1, p = .003), though no difference was observed between the complex and normal karyotype (median 3.2 vs. 2.3, p = .37). High trans-dominant negative isoform expression increased the response rate by two. High expression of inactive product (-α - β) was shown to increase the risk of relapse by about three times. In conclusion, our data suggest an intriguing link between the control of hTERT isoforms expression and AML outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Calvello
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Barbara Rocca
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Catherine Klersy
- b Service of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , Pavia , Italy
| | - Rita Zappatore
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Ilaria Giardini
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Irene Dambruoso
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Francesca Pasi
- c Division of Radiotherapy , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , Pavia , Italy.,d Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Neuro Radio Experimental Biology , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Marilena Caresana
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Patrizia Zappasodi
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Rosanna Nano
- d Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Neuro Radio Experimental Biology , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Marina Boni
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
| | - Paolo Bernasconi
- a Division of Hematology , Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
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Ropio J, Merlio JP, Soares P, Chevret E. Telomerase Activation in Hematological Malignancies. Genes (Basel) 2016; 7:genes7090061. [PMID: 27618103 PMCID: PMC5039560 DOI: 10.3390/genes7090061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase expression and telomere maintenance are critical for cell proliferation and survival, and they play important roles in development and cancer, including hematological malignancies. Transcriptional regulation of the rate-limiting subunit of human telomerase reverse transcriptase gen (hTERT) is a complex process, and unveiling the mechanisms behind its reactivation is an important step for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Here, we review the main mechanisms of telomerase activation and the associated hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Ropio
- Cutaneous Lymphoma Oncogenesis Team INSERM U1053 Bordeaux Research in Translational Oncology, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux 33076, France.
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences of Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto 4050-313, Portugal.
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal.
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup)-Cancer Biology, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, Porto 4200-465, Portugal.
| | - Jean-Philippe Merlio
- Cutaneous Lymphoma Oncogenesis Team INSERM U1053 Bordeaux Research in Translational Oncology, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux 33076, France.
- Tumor Bank and Tumor Biology Laboratory, University Hospital Center Bordeaux, Pessac 33604, France.
| | - Paula Soares
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal.
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (Ipatimup)-Cancer Biology, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, s/n, Porto 4200-465, Portugal.
- Department of Pathology and Oncology, Medical Faculty of Porto University, Porto 4200-319, Portugal.
| | - Edith Chevret
- Cutaneous Lymphoma Oncogenesis Team INSERM U1053 Bordeaux Research in Translational Oncology, Bordeaux University, Bordeaux 33076, France.
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