1
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Casado-García A, Isidro-Hernández M, Alemán-Arteaga S, Ruiz-Corzo B, Riesco S, Prieto-Matos P, Sánchez L, Sánchez-García I, Vicente-Dueñas C. Lessons from mouse models in the impact of risk factors on the genesis of childhood B-cell leukemia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1285743. [PMID: 37901253 PMCID: PMC10602728 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1285743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) stands as the primary contributor to childhood cancer-related mortality on a global scale. The development of the most conventional forms of this disease has been proposed to be conducted by two different steps influenced by different types of risk factors. The first step is led by a genetic insult that is presumably acquired before birth that transforms a healthy cell into a preleukemic one, which is maintained untransformed until the second step takes place. This necessary next step to leukemia development will be triggered by different risk factors to which children are exposed after birth. Murine models that recap the stepwise progression of B-ALL have been instrumental in identifying environmental and genetic factors that contribute to disease risk. Recent evidence from these models has demonstrated that specific environmental risk factors, such as common infections or gut microbiome dysbiosis, induce immune stress, driving the transformation of preleukemic cells, and harboring genetic alterations, into fully transformed leukemic cells. Such models serve as valuable tools for investigating the mechanisms underlying preleukemic events and can aid in the development of preventive approaches for leukemia in child. Here, we discuss the existing knowledge, learned from mouse models, of the impact of genetic and environmental risk factors on childhood B-ALL evolution and how B-ALL prevention could be reached by interfering with preleukemic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Casado-García
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Marta Isidro-Hernández
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Silvia Alemán-Arteaga
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Belén Ruiz-Corzo
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Susana Riesco
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Pablo Prieto-Matos
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Lucía Sánchez
- School of Law, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Isidro Sánchez-García
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Carolina Vicente-Dueñas
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
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2
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Tamai M, Fujisawa S, Nguyen TTT, Komatsu C, Kagami K, Kamimoto K, Omachi K, Kasai S, Harama D, Watanabe A, Akahane K, Goi K, Naka K, Kaname T, Teshima T, Inukai T. Creation of Philadelphia chromosome by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated double cleavages on BCR and ABL1 genes as a model for initial event in leukemogenesis. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:38-50. [PMID: 35999358 PMCID: PMC9842507 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-022-00522-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome was the first translocation identified in leukemia. It is supposed to be generated by aberrant ligation between two DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the BCR gene located on chromosome 9q34 and the ABL1 gene located on chromosome 22q11. Thus, mimicking the initiation process of translocation, we induced CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DSBs simultaneously at the breakpoints of the BCR and ABL1 genes in a granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) dependent human leukemia cell line. After transfection of two single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting intron 13 of the BCR gene and intron 1 of the ABL1 gene, a factor-independent subline was obtained. In the subline, p210 BCR::ABL1 and its reciprocal ABL1::BCR fusions were generated as a result of balanced translocation corresponding to the Ph chromosome. Another set of sgRNAs targeting intron 1 of the BCR gene and intron 1 of the ABL1 gene induced a factor-independent subline expressing p190 BCR::ABL1. Both p210 and p190 BCR::ABL1 induced factor-independent growth by constitutively activating intracellular signaling pathways for transcriptional regulation of cell cycle progression and cell survival that are usually regulated by GM-CSF. These observations suggested that simultaneous DSBs at the BCR and ABL1 gene breakpoints are initiation events for oncogenesis in Ph+ leukemia. (200/200 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Minori Tamai
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.
| | - Shinichi Fujisawa
- Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Thao T T Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Chiaki Komatsu
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Keiko Kagami
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamimoto
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kohei Omachi
- Division of Nephrology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Shin Kasai
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Daisuke Harama
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Atsushi Watanabe
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Koshi Akahane
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Kumiko Goi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Naka
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tadashi Kaname
- Department of Genome Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takanori Teshima
- Division of Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inukai
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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3
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Childhood B-Cell Preleukemia Mouse Modeling. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147562. [PMID: 35886910 PMCID: PMC9317949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia is the most usual childhood cancer, and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is its most common presentation. It has been proposed that pediatric leukemogenesis occurs through a “multi-step” or “multi-hit” mechanism that includes both in utero and postnatal steps. Many childhood leukemia-initiating events, such as chromosomal translocations, originate in utero, and studies so far suggest that these “first-hits” occur at a far higher frequency than the incidence of childhood leukemia itself. The reason why only a small percentage of the children born with such preleukemic “hits” will develop full-blown leukemia is still a mystery. In order to better understand childhood leukemia, mouse modeling is essential, but only if the multistage process of leukemia can be recapitulated in the model. Therefore, mouse models naturally reproducing the “multi-step” process of childhood B-ALL will be essential to identify environmental or other factors that are directly linked to increased risk of disease.
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4
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Abstract
The identification of large chromosomal rearrangements in cancers has multiplied exponentially over the last decade. These complex and often rare genomic events have traditionally been challenging to study, in part owing to lack of tools that efficiently engineer disease-associated inversions, deletions and translocations in model systems. The emergence and refinement of genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR, have significantly expanded our ability to generate and interrogate chromosomal aberrations to better understand the networks that govern cancer growth. Here we review how existing technologies are employed to faithfully model cancer-associated chromosome rearrangements in the laboratory, with the ultimate goal of developing more accurate pre-clinical models of and therapeutic strategies for cancers driven by these genomic events. Summary: Chromosome rearrangements can be potent cancer drivers and effective therapeutic targets. Here, we review how genome-editing technologies can be exploited to engineer and study complex structural variants, and identify new treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Alonso
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Lukas E Dow
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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5
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Abstract
Classifying the hematological malignancies by assigning cells to their normal counterpart and describing the nature of disease progression are entirely reliant on an accurate picture for the development of the multifarious types of blood and immune cells. In recent years, our understanding of the complex relationships between the various hematopoietic stem cell-derived cell lineages has undergone substantial revision. There has been similar progress in how we describe the nature of the "target" cells that genetic insults transform to give rise to the hematological malignancies. Here I describe how both longstanding and new information has influenced classifying, for diagnosis, the hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Brown
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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6
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Martín-Lorenzo A, Auer F, Chan LN, García-Ramírez I, González-Herrero I, Rodríguez-Hernández G, Bartenhagen C, Dugas M, Gombert M, Ginzel S, Blanco O, Orfao A, Alonso-López D, Rivas JDL, García-Cenador MB, García-Criado FJ, Müschen M, Sánchez-García I, Borkhardt A, Vicente-Dueñas C, Hauer J. Loss of Pax5 Exploits Sca1-BCR-ABL p190 Susceptibility to Confer the Metabolic Shift Essential for pB-ALL. Cancer Res 2018; 78:2669-2679. [PMID: 29490943 PMCID: PMC6245574 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-3262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Preleukemic clones carrying BCR-ABLp190 oncogenic lesions are found in neonatal cord blood, where the majority of preleukemic carriers do not convert into precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pB-ALL). However, the critical question of how these preleukemic cells transform into pB-ALL remains undefined. Here, we model a BCR-ABLp190 preleukemic state and show that limiting BCR-ABLp190 expression to hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HS/PC) in mice (Sca1-BCR-ABLp190) causes pB-ALL at low penetrance, which resembles the human disease. pB-ALL blast cells were BCR-ABL-negative and transcriptionally similar to pro-B/pre-B cells, suggesting disease onset upon reduced Pax5 functionality. Consistent with this, double Sca1-BCR-ABLp190+Pax5+/- mice developed pB-ALL with shorter latencies, 90% incidence, and accumulation of genomic alterations in the remaining wild-type Pax5 allele. Mechanistically, the Pax5-deficient leukemic pro-B cells exhibited a metabolic switch toward increased glucose utilization and energy metabolism. Transcriptome analysis revealed that metabolic genes (IDH1, G6PC3, GAPDH, PGK1, MYC, ENO1, ACO1) were upregulated in Pax5-deficient leukemic cells, and a similar metabolic signature could be observed in human leukemia. Our studies unveil the first in vivo evidence that the combination between Sca1-BCR-ABLp190 and metabolic reprogramming imposed by reduced Pax5 expression is sufficient for pB-ALL development. These findings might help to prevent conversion of BCR-ABLp190 preleukemic cells.Significance: Loss of Pax5 drives metabolic reprogramming, which together with Sca1-restricted BCR-ABL expression enables leukemic transformation. Cancer Res; 78(10); 2669-79. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Martín-Lorenzo
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Franziska Auer
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute, Monrovia, California
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Lai N Chan
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute, Monrovia, California
| | - Idoia García-Ramírez
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Inés González-Herrero
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Guillermo Rodríguez-Hernández
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Martin Dugas
- Institute of Medical Informatics, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Michael Gombert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ginzel
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Medical Faculty, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Oscar Blanco
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alberto Orfao
- Servicio de Citometría and Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Diego Alonso-López
- Bioinformatics Unit, Cancer Research Center (CSIC-USAL) Salamanca, Spain
| | - Javier De Las Rivas
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics Research Group, Cancer Research Center (CSIC-USAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | | | | | - Markus Müschen
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute, Monrovia, California.
| | - Isidro Sánchez-García
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Arndt Borkhardt
- Institute of Medical Informatics, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
| | - Carolina Vicente-Dueñas
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. de Unamuno s/n, Salamanca, Spain.
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Julia Hauer
- Institute of Medical Informatics, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
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Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by increased proliferation of granulocytic cells without the loss of their capability to differentiate. CML is a clonal disease, originated at the level of Hematopoietic Stem Cells with the Philadelphia chromosome resulting from a reciprocal translocation between the chromosomes 9 and 22t(9;22)-(q34;q11). This translocation produces a fusion gene known as BCR-ABL which acquires uncontrolled tyrosine kinase activity, constantly turning on its downstream signaling molecules/pathways, and promoting proliferation of leukemia cell through anti-apoptosis and acquisition of additional mutations. To evaluate the role of each critical downstream signaling molecule of BCR-ABL and test therapeutic drugs in vivo, it is important to use physiological mouse disease models. Here, we describe a mouse model of CML induced by BCR-ABL retrovirus (MSCV-BCR-ABL-GFP; MIG-BCR-ABL) and how to use this model in translational research.Moreover, to expand the application of this retrovirus induced CML model in a lot of conditional knockout mouse strain, we modified this vector to a triple gene coexpression vector in which we can co-express BCR-ABL, GFP, and a third gene which will be tested in different systems. To apply this triple gene system in conditional gene knockout strains, we can validate the CML development in the knockout mice and trace the leukemia cell following the GFP marker. In this protocol, we also describe how we utilize this triple gene system to prove the function of Pten as a tumor suppressor in leukemogenesis. Overall, this triple gene system expands our research spectrum in current conditional gene knockout strains and benefits our CML translational research.
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8
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McCormick DL, Kavet R. Animal Models for the Study of Childhood Leukemia: Considerations for Model Identification and Optimization to Identify Potential Risk Factors. Int J Toxicol 2016; 23:149-61. [PMID: 15204718 DOI: 10.1080/10915810490471325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Leukemias are the most common pediatric malignancies diagnosed in western industrialized societies. In spite of the substantial incidence of childhood leukemia in the United States and other countries, neither epidemiology studies conducted in human populations nor hazard identification studies conducted using traditional animal models have identified environmental or other factors that are directly linked to increased risk of disease. Molecular biology data and mathematical modeling of incidence patterns suggest that pediatric leukemogenesis may occur through a multistage or “multihit” mechanism that involves both in utero and postnatal events. The authors propose that pediatric leukemias can be modeled experimentally using a “multihit” paradigm analogous to the “initiation-promotion” and “complete carcinogenesis” models developed for tumor induction in mouse skin and rat liver. In this model for childhood leukemia, an initial genetic alteration occurs during in utero or early postnatal development, but clinical disease develops only upon additional genetic or nongenetic events that occur during the postnatal period. Application of this multistage or “multihit” model to hazard assessment studies conducted in transgenic or knockout mice carrying relevant molecular lesions may provide a sensitive approach to the identification of environmental agents that are important risk factors for childhood leukemia.
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9
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Modeling of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: An Overview of In Vivo Murine and Human Xenograft Models. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:1625015. [PMID: 27642303 PMCID: PMC5014953 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1625015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past years, a wide variety of in vivo mouse models have been generated in order to unravel the molecular pathology of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and to develop and improve therapeutic approaches. These models range from (conditional) transgenic models, knock-in models, and murine bone marrow retroviral transduction models followed by transplantation. With the advancement of immunodeficient xenograft models, it has become possible to use human stem/progenitor cells for in vivo studies as well as cells directly derived from CML patients. These models not only mimic CML but also have been instrumental in uncovering various fundamental mechanisms of CML disease progression and tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance. With the availability of iPSC technology, it has become feasible to derive, maintain, and expand CML subclones that are at least genetically identical to those in patients. The following review provides an overview of all murine as well as human xenograft models for CML established till date.
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10
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Maddalo D, Ventura A. Somatic Engineering of Oncogenic Chromosomal Rearrangements: A Perspective. Cancer Res 2016; 76:4918-23. [PMID: 27520450 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-0726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ability to engineer specific mutations in mice has proven essential to advancing our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer. Chromosomal rearrangements, a common and clinically relevant class of cancer-causing mutations, have however remained difficult to faithfully recapitulate in vivo The development of genetic tools for in vivo somatic genome editing has recently overcome this limitation and led to the generation of more sophisticated and accurate preclinical models of human cancers. Here, we review the potential applications of these new technologies to the study of tumor biology and discuss their advantages over more conventional strategies, their limitations, and the remaining challenges. Cancer Res; 76(17); 4918-23. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Maddalo
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Andrea Ventura
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
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11
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The Philadelphia chromosome in leukemogenesis. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CANCER 2016; 35:48. [PMID: 27233483 PMCID: PMC4896164 DOI: 10.1186/s40880-016-0108-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The truncated chromosome 22 that results from the reciprocal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11) is known as the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) and is a hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In leukemia cells, Ph not only impairs the physiological signaling pathways but also disrupts genomic stability. This aberrant fusion gene encodes the breakpoint cluster region-proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase (BCR-ABL1) oncogenic protein with persistently enhanced tyrosine kinase activity. The kinase activity is responsible for maintaining proliferation, inhibiting differentiation, and conferring resistance to cell death. During the progression of CML from the chronic phase to the accelerated phase and then to the blast phase, the expression patterns of different BCR-ABL1 transcripts vary. Each BCR-ABL1 transcript is present in a distinct leukemia phenotype, which predicts both response to therapy and clinical outcome. Besides CML, the Ph is found in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia. Here, we provide an overview of the clinical presentation and cellular biology of different phenotypes of Ph-positive leukemia and highlight key findings regarding leukemogenesis.
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12
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Lin H, Woolfson A, Jiang X. New Mouse Models to Investigate the Efficacy of Drug Combinations in Human Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1465:187-205. [PMID: 27581149 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-4011-0_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) comprises a simple and effective paradigm for generating new insights into the cellular origin, pathogenesis, and treatment of many types of human cancer. In particular, mouse models of CML have greatly facilitated the understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms and pathogenesis of this disease and have led to the identification of new drug targets that in some cases offer the possibility of functional cure. There are currently three established CML mouse models: the BCR-ABL transgenic model, the BCR-ABL retroviral transduction/transplantation model, and the xenotransplant immunodeficient model. Each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the question of interest, some models may be more appropriate than others. In this chapter, we describe a newly developed xenotransplant mouse model to determine the efficacy of novel therapeutic agents, either alone or in combination. The model facilitates the evaluation of the frequency of leukemic stem cells with long-term leukemia-initiating activity, a critical subcellular population that causes disease relapse and progression, through the utilization of primary CD34(+) CML stem/progenitor cells obtained from CML patients at diagnosis and prior to drug treatment. We have also investigated the effectiveness of new combination treatment strategies designed to prevent the development of leukemia in vivo using BCR-ABL (+) blast crisis cells as a model system. These types of in vivo studies are important for the prediction of individual patient responses to drug therapy, and have the potential to facilitate the design of personalized combination therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyang Lin
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1L3
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Xiaoyan Jiang
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Agency, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1L3.
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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13
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An overview of chronic myeloid leukemia and its animal models. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2015; 58:1202-8. [PMID: 26582013 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4965-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a form of leukemia characterized by the presence of clonal bone marrow stem cells with the proliferation of mature granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils) and their precursors. CML is a type of myeloproliferative disease associated with a characteristic chromosomal translocation called the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome or t (9;22) translocation (BCR-ABL). CML is now usually treated with targeted drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The mechanism and natural history of CML is still unclear. Here, we summarize the present CML animal disease models and compare them with each other. Meanwhile, we propose that it is a very wise choice to establish zebrafish (Danio rerio) CML model mimics clinical CML. This model could be used to learn more about the mechanism of CML, and to aid in the development of new drugs to treat CML.
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14
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Giotopoulos G, van der Weyden L, Osaki H, Rust AG, Gallipoli P, Meduri E, Horton SJ, Chan WI, Foster D, Prinjha RK, Pimanda JE, Tenen DG, Vassiliou GS, Koschmieder S, Adams DJ, Huntly BJP. A novel mouse model identifies cooperating mutations and therapeutic targets critical for chronic myeloid leukemia progression. J Exp Med 2015; 212:1551-69. [PMID: 26304963 PMCID: PMC4577832 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20141661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of highly selective ABL-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has revolutionized therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, TKIs are only efficacious in the chronic phase of the disease and effective therapies for TKI-refractory CML, or after progression to blast crisis (BC), are lacking. Whereas the chronic phase of CML is dependent on BCR-ABL, additional mutations are required for progression to BC. However, the identity of these mutations and the pathways they affect are poorly understood, hampering our ability to identify therapeutic targets and improve outcomes. Here, we describe a novel mouse model that allows identification of mechanisms of BC progression in an unbiased and tractable manner, using transposon-based insertional mutagenesis on the background of chronic phase CML. Our BC model is the first to faithfully recapitulate the phenotype, cellular and molecular biology of human CML progression. We report a heterogeneous and unique pattern of insertions identifying known and novel candidate genes and demonstrate that these pathways drive disease progression and provide potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies. Our model greatly informs the biology of CML progression and provides a potent resource for the development of candidate therapies to improve the dismal outcomes in this highly aggressive disease.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- DNA Transposable Elements
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
- Genes, myb
- Hematopoietic Stem Cells/pathology
- Humans
- Leukemia, Experimental/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Experimental/genetics
- Leukemia, Experimental/mortality
- Leukemia, Experimental/pathology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/mortality
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/pathology
- Mice, Transgenic
- Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods
- Mutagenesis, Insertional
- Mutation
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- George Giotopoulos
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Louise van der Weyden
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Hikari Osaki
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Alistair G Rust
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK Tumour Profiling Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, London SW3 6JB, England, UK
| | - Paolo Gallipoli
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Eshwar Meduri
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Sarah J Horton
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Wai-In Chan
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Donna Foster
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
| | - Rab K Prinjha
- Epinova DPU, GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage SG1 2NY, England, UK
| | - John E Pimanda
- Lowy Cancer Research Centre and the Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Daniel G Tenen
- Cancer Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077 Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - George S Vassiliou
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, England, UK
| | - Steffen Koschmieder
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - David J Adams
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Brian J P Huntly
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, England, UK Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, England, UK
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15
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Hauer J, Borkhardt A, Sánchez-García I, Cobaleda C. Genetically engineered mouse models of human B-cell precursor leukemias. Cell Cycle 2015; 13:2836-46. [PMID: 25486471 PMCID: PMC4613455 DOI: 10.4161/15384101.2014.949137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias (pB-ALLs) are the most frequent type of malignancies of the childhood, and also affect an important proportion of adult patients. In spite of their apparent homogeneity, pB-ALL comprises a group of diseases very different both clinically and pathologically, and with very diverse outcomes as a consequence of their biology, and underlying molecular alterations. Their understanding (as a prerequisite for their cure) will require a sustained multidisciplinary effort from professionals coming from many different fields. Among all the available tools for pB-ALL research, the use of animal models stands, as of today, as the most powerful approach, not only for the understanding of the origin and evolution of the disease, but also for the development of new therapies. In this review we go over the most relevant (historically, technically or biologically) genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of human pB-ALLs that have been generated over the last 20 years. Our final aim is to outline the most relevant guidelines that should be followed to generate an “ideal” animal model that could become a standard for the study of human pB-ALL leukemia, and which could be shared among research groups and drug development companies in order to unify criteria for studies like drug testing, analysis of the influence of environmental risk factors, or studying the role of both low-penetrance mutations and cancer susceptibility alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hauer
- a Department of Pediatric Oncology ; Hematology and Clinical Immunology ; Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf ; Medical Faculty ; Dusseldorf , Germany
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16
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Yao Y, Wei W, Sun J, Chen L, Deng X, Ma L, Hao S. Proteomic analysis of exosomes derived from human lymphoma cells. Eur J Med Res 2015; 20:8. [PMID: 25631545 PMCID: PMC4329659 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-014-0082-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Exosomes secreted by tumor cells contain specific antigens that may have immunotherapeutic purposes. The aim of this study was to characterize the proteomic content of lymphoma cell-derived exosomes (LCEXs). Methods In this study, exosomes derived from Raji cells (EXORaji) were purified and proteins of EXORaji were separated by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein bands were identified by mass spectrometry. The protein components of EXORaji were analyzed using shotgun technology, and the function proteins of EXORaji were defined and described using the Gene Ontology (GO) database and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Results A total of 197 proteins were identified in EXORaji; 139 proteins were also identified in Raji cells, showing an overlap of 70.56% of the total proteins in EXORaji. Interestingly, the remaining 58 proteins were unique to EXORaji. The GO database and KEGG were used to define and describe the function of proteins. The data showed that some important proteins involved in antigen procession and presentation as well as cell migration and adhesion were also identified in EXORaji, such as MHC-I and II, HSC70, HSP90, and ICMA-1. Conclusions LCEXs express a discrete set of proteins involved in antigen presentation and cell migration and adhesion, suggesting that LCEXs play an important role in the regulation of immunity and interaction between lymphoma cells and their microenvironment. LCEXs harbor most of the proteins of lymphoma cells and could be one of the sources of lymphoma-associated antigens for immunotherapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yao
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Linjun Chen
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaohui Deng
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Liyuan Ma
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Siguo Hao
- Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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17
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Ross TS, Mgbemena VE. Re-evaluating the role of BCR/ABL in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Mol Cell Oncol 2014; 1:e963450. [PMID: 27308345 PMCID: PMC4904890 DOI: 10.4161/23723548.2014.963450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2014] [Revised: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) requires the BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase for disease onset and maintenance. As a result, CML can be successfully treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as imatinib. Most patients are maintained in a disease-suppressed state on daily TKI therapy for several years and in many cases this treatment prevents progression to the blast phase. If the TKI is discontinued, CML redevelops in 95% of patients as a result of persisting leukemia initiating cells (LICs). There are several hypotheses that describe the potential mechanism(s) responsible for LIC persistence in CML, but supporting evidence is limited. Furthermore, of the few patients who discontinue TKI therapy and are "cured" (i.e., in treatment-free remission), most have residual BCR/ABL-expressing cells in their hematopoietic tissues. There are also healthy individuals without a CML diagnosis who express the BCR/ABL mutation in a fraction of their hematopoietic cells. Finally, mice that express BCR/ABL from the Bcr locus as a knockin mutation do not develop CML. These mice have lower BCR/ABL levels than retroviral or transgenic models of BCR/ABL that do develop CML. Understanding why mice with BCR/ABL expressed from the Bcr locus and some people that express BCR/ABL are not afflicted with CML will provide insights into therapies to prevent or cure this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora S Ross
- Department of Internal Medicine; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center ; Dallas, TX USA
| | - Victoria E Mgbemena
- Department of Internal Medicine; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center ; Dallas, TX USA
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18
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Jacoby E, Chien CD, Fry TJ. Murine models of acute leukemia: important tools in current pediatric leukemia research. Front Oncol 2014; 4:95. [PMID: 24847444 PMCID: PMC4019869 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leukemia remains the most common diagnosis in pediatric oncology and, despite dramatic progress in upfront therapy, is also the most common cause of cancer-related death in children. Much of the initial improvement in outcomes for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was due to identification of cytotoxic agents that are active against leukemia followed by the recognition that combination of these cytotoxic agents and prolonged therapy are essential for cure. Recent data demonstrating lack of progress in patients for whom standard chemotherapy fails suggests that the ability to improve outcome for these children will not be dramatically impacted through more intensive or newer cytotoxic agents. Thus, much of the recent research focus has been in the area of improving our understanding of the genetics and the biology of leukemia. Although in vitro studies remain critical, given the complexity of a living system and the increasing recognition of the contribution of leukemia extrinsic factors such as the bone marrow microenvironment, in vivo models have provided important insights. The murine systems that are used can be broadly categorized into syngeneic models in which a murine leukemia can be studied in immunologically intact hosts and xenograft models where human leukemias are studied in highly immunocompromised murine hosts. Both of these systems have limitations such that neither can be used exclusively to study all aspects of leukemia biology and therapeutics for humans. This review will describe the various ALL model systems that have been developed as well as discuss the advantages and disadvantages inherent to these systems that make each particularly suitable for specific types of studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elad Jacoby
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Christopher D Chien
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Terry J Fry
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA
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19
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Foley SB, Hildenbrand ZL, Soyombo AA, Magee JA, Wu Y, Oravecz-Wilson KI, Ross TS. Expression of BCR/ABL p210 from a knockin allele enhances bone marrow engraftment without inducing neoplasia. Cell Rep 2013; 5:51-60. [PMID: 24095735 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Revised: 07/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and some acute lymphoblastic leukemias are characterized by the t(9;22) chromosome, which encodes the BCR/ABL oncogene. Multiple mouse models of CML express BCR/ABL at high levels from non-Bcr promoters, resulting in the development of leukemias. In contrast, a significant fraction of healthy humans have been found to have BCR/ABL-positive hematopoietic cells. To bridge the gap between the information derived from current mouse models and nonleukemic humans with the BCR/ABL oncogene, we generated a knockin model with BCR/ABL p210 expressed from the Bcr locus. Unlike previous models, expression of BCR/ABL from the knockin allele did not induce leukemia. BCR/ABL mutant cells did exhibit favorable bone marrow engraftment compared to control cells. These data suggest that BCR/ABL expression alone is insufficient to induce disease. This model allows for inducible spatial and temporal control of BCR/ABL expression for analysis of early steps in the pathogenesis of BCR/ABL-expressing leukemias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B Foley
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cancer Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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20
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Vicente-Dueñas C, Cobaleda C, Pérez-Losada J, Sánchez-García I. The evolution of cancer modeling: the shadow of stem cells. Dis Model Mech 2010; 3:149-55. [PMID: 20212083 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.002774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex and highly dynamic process. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMs) that develop cancer are essential systems for dissecting the processes that lead to human cancer. These animal models provide a means to determine the causes of malignancy and to develop new treatments, thus representing a resource of immense potential for medical oncology. The sophistication of modeling cancer in mice has increased to the extent that now we can induce, study and manipulate the cancer disease process in a manner that is impossible to perform in human patients. However, all GEMs described so far have diverse shortcomings in mimicking the hierarchical structure of human cancer tissues. In recent years, a more detailed picture of the cellular and molecular mechanisms determining the formation of cancer has emerged. This Commentary addresses new experimental approaches toward a better understanding of carcinogenesis and discusses the impact of new animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Vicente-Dueñas
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus M. Unamuno s/n, 37007-Salamanca, Spain
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21
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Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by increased proliferation of granulocytic cells without the loss of their capability to differentiate. CML is derived from the hematopoietic stem cells (1) with the Philadelphia chromosome resulting from of a reciprocal translocation between the chromosomes 9 and 22 t(9;22)-(q34;q11). This translocation produces a fusion gene known as BCR-ABL which acquires uncontrolled tyrosine kinase activity, constantly turning on its downstream signaling molecules/pathways, and promoting proliferation of leukemia cell through anti-apoptosis and acquisition of additional mutations. To evaluate the role of each critical downstream signaling molecule of BCR-ABL and test therapeutic drugs in vivo, it is important to use physiological mouse disease models. In this chapter, we describe a mouse model of CML induced by BCR-ABL retrovirus (MSCV-BCR-ABL-GFP; MIG-BCR-ABL) and how to use this model in translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Peng
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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22
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Tower RL, Spector LG. The Epidemiology of Childhood Leukemia with a Focus on Birth Weight and Diet. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2008; 44:203-42. [PMID: 17453918 DOI: 10.1080/10408360601147536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and a major source of morbidity and mortality. The etiology of childhood leukemia remains largely unknown. Cytogenetic abnormalities determine disease subtypes, prognosis, clinical presentation, and course and may help in discovering etiological factors. Epidemiologic investigations of leukemia are complicated by many factors, including the rarity of the disease, necessitating careful study design. Two emerging areas of interest in leukemia etiology are birth weight and diet. High birth weight has been associated with increased risk of childhood leukemia. The biological mechanism behind this association may involve insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), which is associated with high birth weight. IGF-I may act by increasing the absolute number of stem cells available for transformation, stimulating the growth of cells that are already transformed, or a combination of effects. Diet has been linked with leukemia. Maternal dietary DNA topoisomerase II (DNAt2) inhibitor intake is associated with infant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with the MLL gene translocation. Increased intake of fruits and vegetables has been associated with decreased leukemia risk and, relatedly, lack of maternal folate supplementation has been associated with increased childhood leukemia risk, possibly by causing DNA hypomethylation and increased DNA strand breaks. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms modify this risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Tower
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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Pérez-Mancera PA, Bermejo-Rodríguez C, Sánchez-Martín M, Abollo-Jiménez F, Pintado B, Sánchez-García I. FUS-DDIT3 prevents the development of adipocytic precursors in liposarcoma by repressing PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha and activating eIF4E. PLoS One 2008; 3:e2569. [PMID: 18596980 PMCID: PMC2434200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2008] [Accepted: 05/27/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background FUS-DDIT3 is a chimeric protein generated by the most common chromosomal translocation t(12;16)(q13;p11) linked to liposarcomas, which are characterized by the accumulation of early adipocytic precursors. Current studies indicate that FUS-DDIT3- liposarcoma develops from uncommitted progenitors. However, the precise mechanism whereby FUS-DDIT3 contributes to the differentiation arrest remains to be elucidated. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we have characterized the adipocyte regulatory protein network in liposarcomas of FUS-DITT3 transgenic mice and showed that PPARγ2 and C/EBPα expression was altered. Consistent with in vivo data, FUS-DDIT3 MEFs and human liposarcoma cell lines showed a similar downregulation of both PPARγ2 and C/EBPα expression. Complementation studies with PPARγ but not C/EBPα rescued the differentiation block in committed adipocytic precursors expressing FUS-DDIT3. Our results further show that FUS-DDIT3 interferes with the control of initiation of translation by upregulation of the eukaryotic translation initiation factors eIF2 and eIF4E both in FUS-DDIT3 mice and human liposarcomas cell lines, explaining the shift towards the truncated p30 isoform of C/EBPα in liposarcomas. Suppression of the FUS-DDIT3 transgene did rescue this adipocyte differentiation block. Moreover, eIF4E was also strongly upregulated in normal adipose tissue of FUS-DDIT3 transgenic mice, suggesting that overexpression of eIF4E may be a primary event in the initiation of liposarcomas. Reporter assays showed FUS-DDIT3 is involved in the upregulation of eIF4E in liposarcomas and that both domains of the fusion protein are required for affecting eIF4E expression. Conclusions/Significance Taken together, this study provides evidence of the molecular mechanisms involve in the disruption of normal adipocyte differentiation program in liposarcoma harbouring the chimeric gene FUS-DDIT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A. Pérez-Mancera
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/ Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Camino Bermejo-Rodríguez
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/ Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Manuel Sánchez-Martín
- Department of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Genetically Engineered Mouse Facility, SEA, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Fernando Abollo-Jiménez
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/ Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Belén Pintado
- Genetically Engineered Mouse Facility, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidro Sánchez-García
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/ Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Although rare, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) represents an important paradigm for understanding the molecular events leading to malignant transformation of primitive hematopoietic progenitors. CML was the first cancer to be associated with a defined genetic abnormality, BCR-ABL, that is necessary and sufficient for initiating chronic phase disease as well as the first cancer to be treated with molecular targeted therapy. Malignant progenitors or leukemia stem cells (LSCs) evolve as a result of both epigenetic and genetic events that alter hematopoietic progenitor differentiation, proliferation, survival, and self-renewal. LSCs are rare and divide less frequently, and thus, represent a reservoir for relapse and resistance to a molecularly targeted single agent. On subverting developmental processes normally responsible for maintaining robust life-long hematopoiesis, the LSCs are able to evade the majority of current cancer treatments that target rapidly dividing cells. Enthusiasm for the enormous success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors at controlling the chronic phase disease is tempered somewhat by the persistence of the LSC pool in the majority of the patients. Combined therapies targeting aberrant properties of LSC may obviate therapeutic resistance and relapse in advanced phase and therapeutically recalcitrant CML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Kavalerchik
- From the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center, San Diego, CA
| | - Daniel Goff
- From the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center, San Diego, CA
| | - Catriona H.M. Jamieson
- From the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center, San Diego, CA
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25
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Abstract
Snai2-deficient cells are radiosensitive to DNA damage. The function of Snai2 in response to DNA damage seems to be critical for its function in normal development and cancer. Here, we applied a functional genomics approach that combined gene-expression profiling and computational molecular network analysis to obtain global dissection of the Snai2-dependent transcriptional response to DNA damage in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which undergo p53-dependent growth arrest in response to DNA damage. Although examination of the response showed that overall expression of p53 target gene expression patterns was similarly altered in both control and Snai2-deficient cells, we have identified and validated candidate Snai2 target genes linked to Snai2 gene function in response to DNA damage. This work defines for the first time the effect of Snai2 on p53 target genes in cells undergoing growth arrest, elucidates the Snai2-dependent molecular network induced by DNA damage, points to novel putative Snai2 targets, and suggest a mechanistic model, which has implications for cancer management.
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26
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Pérez-Mancera PA, Bermejo-Rodríguez C, González-Herrero I, Herranz M, Flores T, Jiménez R, Sánchez-García I. Adipose tissue mass is modulated by SLUG (SNAI2). Hum Mol Genet 2007; 16:2972-86. [PMID: 17905753 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddm278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The zinc-finger transcription factor SLUG (SNAI2) triggers epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) and plays an important role in the developmental processes. Here, we show that SLUG is expressed in white adipose tissue (WAT) in humans and its expression is tightly controlled during adipocyte differentiation. Slug-deficient mice exhibit a marked deficiency in WAT size, and Slug-overexpressing mice (Combi-Slug) exhibit an increase in the WAT size. Consistent with in vivo data, Slug-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) showed a dramatically reduced capacity for adipogenesis in vitro and there was extensive lipid accumulation in Combi-Slug MEFs. The analysis of adipogenic gene expression both in vivo and in vitro showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated factor gamma2 (PPARgamma2) expression was altered. Complementation studies rescued this phenotype, indicating that WAT alterations induced by Slug are reversible. Our results further show a differential histone deacetylase recruitment to the PPARgamma2 promoter in a tissue- and Slug-dependent manner. Our results connect, for the first time, adipogenesis with the requirement of a critical level of an EMT regulator in mammals. This work may lead to the development of targeted drugs for the treatment of patients with obesity and/or lipodystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Antonio Pérez-Mancera
- Experimental Therapeutics and Translational Oncology Program, Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular del Cancer, Salamanca, Spain
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27
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Pérez-Mancera PA, Sánchez-García I. Understanding mesenchymal cancer: the liposarcoma-associated FUS-DDIT3 fusion gene as a model. Semin Cancer Biol 2006; 15:206-14. [PMID: 15826835 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2005.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal translocations entail the generation of gene fusions in mesenchymal tumors. Despite the successful identification of these specific and consistent genetic events, the nature of the intimate association between the gene fusion and the resulting phenotype still remains to be elucidated. Here these studies are reviewed, using FUS-DDIT3 as a model to illustrate how they have contributed to current understanding in unique and unexpected ways. FUS-DDIT3 is a chimeric oncogene generated by the most common chromosomal translocation t(12;16)(q13;p11) associated with liposarcomas. The application of transgenic methods to the study of this sarcoma-associated FUS-DDIT3 gene fusion has provided insights into their functions in vivo, and suggested mechanisms by which lineage selection may be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Pérez-Mancera
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular del Cancer (IBMCC), CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, 37007-Salamanca, Spain
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28
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Primo D, Sanchez ML, Espinosa AB, Tabernero MD, Rasillo A, Sayagués JM, Gonzalez M, Hernandez JM, Orfao A. Lineage involvement in chronic myeloid leukaemia: comparison between MBCR/ABL+ and mBCR/ABL+ cases. Br J Haematol 2006; 132:736-9. [PMID: 16487173 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05944.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between different Abelson/breakpoint cluster region (BCR/ABL+) gene rearrangements and the involvement of different haematopoietic cell lineages were investigated in 15 chronic myeloid leukaemia patients. Analysis of purified cell populations confirmed the involvement of the neutrophil (89%), monocytic (89%), eosinophil (88%), erythroid (100%), and CD34(+) cells (100%) in virtually all patients, without differences between minor BCR/ABL+ and major BCR/ABL+ cases; BCR/ABL+ B- and natural killer (NK)-cells were detected in 43% and 31% of cases, respectively, whereas BCR/ABL+ T-cells were rare (7%). All three minor BCR/ABL+ patients showed involvement of both B- and NK-cells, which was infrequent (27%, P = 0.06 and 10%, P = 0.01) among major BCR/ABL+ cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Primo
- Servicio General de Citometría, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
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29
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Bermejo-Rodríguez C, Pérez-Caro M, Pérez-Mancera PA, Sánchez-Beato M, Piris MA, Sánchez-García I. Mouse cDNA microarray analysis uncovers Slug targets in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Genomics 2006; 87:113-8. [PMID: 16311016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2005.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2005] [Revised: 09/16/2005] [Accepted: 09/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is a need to reveal mechanisms that account for maintenance of the mesenchymal phenotype in normal development and cancer. Slug (approved gene symbol Snai2), a member of the Snail gene family of zinc-finger transcription factors, is believed to function in the maintenance of the nonepithelial phenotype. This study identified candidate Slug target genes linked to Slug gene suppression in primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Expression analyses were performed with a mouse cDNA microarray (Mousechip-CNIO) containing 15,000 clones. A total of 15 novel Slug target species were validated by real-time PCR or Western analyses. These included self-renewal genes (Bmi1, Nanog, Gfi1), epithelial-mesenchymal genes (Tcfe2a, Ctnb1, Sin3a, Hdac1, Hdac2, Muc1, Cldn11), survival genes (Bcl2, Bbc3), and cell cycle/damage genes (Cdkn1a, Rbl1, Mdm2). Expression patterns were studied in wild-type MEFs and Slug-deficient MEFs. Slug-complementation studies recovered aberrant gene expression in cells lacking Slug, indicating that these genes were regulated directly by Slug. These results highlight their potential roles in mediating Slug function in mesenchymal cells and may help to identify novel therapeutic biomarkers in cancers linked to Slug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camino Bermejo-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio 13, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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30
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Abstract
On current chemotherapeutic regimens, children with Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia show a heterogeneous response to treatment. A few respond quickly to treatment and achieve long-term remission. Some fail to achieve remission after induction and the majority respond slowly to treatment. Relapse on treatment is common and remission is sustained in a proportion of cases only after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). The use of imatinib along with conventional cytoreductive therapy, prior to allo-SCT appears to be the most promising strategy. The future lies in the molecular evaluation of response to treatment and combination targeted chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise K Jones
- Cancer Research UK Children's Cancer Group, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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31
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Abstract
Imatinib, a potent inhibitor of the oncogenic tyrosine kinase BCR-ABL, has shown remarkable clinical activity in patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). However, this drug does not completely eradicate BCR-ABL-expressing cells from the body, and resistance to imatinib emerges. Although BCR-ABL remains an attractive therapeutic target, it is important to identify other components involved in CML pathogenesis to overcome this resistance. What have clinical trials of imatinib and studies using mouse models for BCR-ABL leukaemogenesis taught us about the functions of BCR-ABL beyond its kinase activity, and how these functions contribute to CML pathogenesis?
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Benzamides
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
- Disease Models, Animal
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Genes, abl
- Humans
- Imatinib Mesylate
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/physiopathology
- Mice
- Oncogene Proteins v-abl/pharmacology
- Piperazines/pharmacology
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl/pharmacology
- Pyrimidines/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibao Ren
- Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, MS029, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110, USA.
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32
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Abstract
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) evolves from a chronic phase characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome as the sole genetic abnormality into blast crisis, which is often associated with additional chromosomal and molecular secondary changes. Although the pathogenic effects of most CML blast crisis secondary changes are still poorly understood, ample evidence suggests that the phenotype of CML blast crisis cells (enhanced proliferation and survival, differentiation arrest) depends on cooperation of BCR/ABL with genes dysregulated during disease progression. Most genetic abnormalities of CML blast crisis have a direct or indirect effect on p53 or Rb (or both) gene activity, which are primarily required for cell proliferation and survival, but not differentiation. Thus, the differentiation arrest of CML blast crisis cells is a secondary consequence of these abnormalities or is caused by dysregulation of differentiation-regulatory genes (ie, C/EBPalpha). Validation of the critical role of certain secondary changes (ie, loss of p53 or C/EBPalpha function) in murine models of CML blast crisis and in in vitro assays of BCR/ABL transformation of human hematopoietic progenitors might lead to the development of novel therapies based on targeting BCR/ABL and inhibiting or restoring the gene activity gained or lost during disease progression (ie, p53 or C/EBPalpha).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Calabretta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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33
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Damm-Welk C, Fuchs U, Wössmann W, Borkhardt A. Targeting oncogenic fusion genes in leukemias and lymphomas by RNA interference. Semin Cancer Biol 2003; 13:283-92. [PMID: 14563123 DOI: 10.1016/s1044-579x(03)00042-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Leukemias and lymphomas are often characterized by non-random chromosomal translocations that, at the molecular level, induce the activation of specific oncogenes or create novel chimeric genes. They have frequently been regarded as optimal targets for gene-silencing approaches because of the large body of evidence that these single abnormalities directly initiate and maintain the malignant process. Herein, we discuss RNA interference (RNAi)-based approaches for targeting the fusion sites of chromosomal translocations as a future treatment option in leukemias and lymphomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Damm-Welk
- Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Children's University Hospital Giessen, Feulgenstr. 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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34
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Baines P, Austin S, Fisher J, Owen-Jones E, Lee-Jones L, Throp D, Mckinley M, Hoy T, Mills K, Thompson P, Burnett A. Increased circulating normal and BCR-ABL+Ve progenitor numbers in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute myeloid leukaemia. Leuk Res 2002; 26:997-1005. [PMID: 12363468 DOI: 10.1016/s0145-2126(02)00049-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We recorded elevated numbers of circulating myeloid and erythroid colony-forming cells in 15 adult patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) who presented with high blood white cell counts. Since leukaemic blasts from three of these patients were Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+), we were able to determine if blood progenitors from these particular patients arose from the leukaemic clone or from residual normal progenitors. Blasts and colonies were intensively investigated using a combination of cell surface marker analysis by flow cytometry, RT-PCR and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). FISH detected rearrangements within the major breakpoint BCR (M-BCR) region in blasts and in some myeloid and erythroid colonies from patients 1 and 2. The minor breakpoint (m-BCR) region was detected in blasts and in some myeloid and erythroid colonies from patient 3. RT-PCR detected long b2a2 BCR-ABL transcripts in blasts from patients 1 and 2, although misspliced short e1a2 transcripts were also seen in patient 1. Only e1a2 transcripts were found in blasts from patient 3. Flow sorting demonstrated the B-cell marker CD19 on blasts and on a proportion of myeloid and erythroid progenitors from patients 1 and 3. RT-PCR also detected IgH rearrangements, further evidence of B-cell differentiation, in blasts from these two patients. We conclude that both normal and clonal circulating progenitor numbers can be raised in both M-BCR and m-BCR Ph+ AML. The underlying cause, perhaps efflux from a congested marrow, may be common to AML patients with a high blood white cell count.
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MESH Headings
- Acute Disease
- Adult
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Case-Control Studies
- Colony-Forming Units Assay
- DNA, Neoplasm/analysis
- Erythroid Precursor Cells/metabolism
- Flow Cytometry
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/blood
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Genes, Immunoglobulin/genetics
- Humans
- In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
- Karyotyping
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Leukocyte Count
- Myeloid Progenitor Cells/metabolism
- Oncogene Proteins/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins/metabolism
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Neoplasm/genetics
- RNA, Neoplasm/metabolism
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Baines
- Haematology Department, University Hospital of Wales, CF14 4XW, Cardiff, UK.
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35
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Abstract
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a complex disease that impinges on stem cell biology, the regulation of blood lineage determination and/or selection, as well as the overall regulation of hematopoietic cell proliferation, survival, adhesion and migration. Establishment of murine models for CML in recent years has enabled experimental analyses of molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of CML at the organismal level. This review summarizes the approaches used to develop murine models for CML and the analyses of the roles of functional domains and downstream signaling pathways of BCR-ABL (an oncoprotein generated by the t(9;22)(q34;ql1) translocation found in CML patients) and the roles of related tyrosine kinase oncoproteins, altered cytokine production and oncogene cooperation in the pathogenesis of CML-like disease using murine models. These in vivo studies of leukemogenesis will help to advance therapies for CML, as well as to understand fundamental rules of leukemogenesis and hematopoiesis, which should contribute in turn to the development of therapies for other related diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Bone Marrow Transplantation
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
- Cytokines/biosynthesis
- Disease Models, Animal
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/physiology
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/etiology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Mice
- Myeloproliferative Disorders/etiology
- Retroviridae/genetics
- Transplantation, Heterologous
- src Homology Domains
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36
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Sun XM, Lieschke GJ. Abnormal protein tyrosine kinases associated with human haematological malignancies. Chin J Cancer Res 2002. [DOI: 10.1007/s11670-002-0018-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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37
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Pérez-Mancera PA, Pérez-Losada J, Sánchez-Martín M, Rodríguez-García MA, Flores T, Battaner E, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Pintado B, Sánchez-García I. Expression of the FUS domain restores liposarcoma development in CHOP transgenic mice. Oncogene 2002; 21:1679-84. [PMID: 11896599 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1205220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2001] [Revised: 11/26/2001] [Accepted: 12/03/2001] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Fusion proteins created by chromosomal abnormalities are key components of mesenchymal cancer development. The most common chromosomal translocation in liposarcomas, t(12;16)(q13;p11), creates the FUS-CHOP fusion gene. In the past, we generated FUS-CHOP and CHOP transgenic mice and have shown that while FUS-CHOP transgenic develop liposarcomas, mice expressing CHOP, which lacks the FUS domain, display essentially normal white adipose tissue (WAT) development, suggesting that the FUS domain of FUS-CHOP plays a specific and critical role in the pathogenesis of liposarcoma. To test the significance of FUS and CHOP domain interactions within a living mouse, we generated mice expressing the FUS domain and crossed them with CHOP-transgenic mice to generate double-transgenic FUSxCHOP animals. Here we report that expression of the FUS domain restores liposarcoma development in CHOP-transgenic mice. Our results provide genetic evidence that FUS and CHOP domains function in trans for the mutual restoration of liposarcoma. These results identify a new mechanism of tumor-associated fusion genes and might have impact beyond myxoid liposarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Antonio Pérez-Mancera
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular del Cancer, Centro de Investigacion del Cancer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Unamuno 37007-Salamanca, Spain
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38
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Abstract
The Ph chromosome has been genetically linked to CML and ALL. Its chimeric fusion gene product, BCR-ABL, can generate leukemia in mice. This review will discuss selected model systems developed to study BCR-ABL induced leukemia and focuses on what we have learned about the human disease from these models. Five main experimental approaches will be discussed including: (i) Reconstitution of mice with bone marrow cells retrovirally transduced with BCR-ABL; (ii) Transgenic mice expressing BCR-ABL; (iii) Knock-in mice with BCR-ABL expression driven from the endogenous bcr locus; (iv) Development of CML-like disease in mice with loss of function mutations in heterologous genes; and (v) ES in vitro hematopoietic differentiation coupled with regulated BCR-ABL expression.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism
- Genetic Linkage
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/physiopathology
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Transgenic
- Models, Genetic
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Phenotype
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- Retroviridae/genetics
- Transduction, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- S Wong
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095-1662, USA
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39
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Pérez-Losada J, Gutiérrez-Cianca N, Sánchez-García I. Philadelphia-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is initiated in an uncommitted progenitor cell. Leuk Lymphoma 2001; 42:569-76. [PMID: 11697484 DOI: 10.3109/10428190109099316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BCR-ABL is a chimeric oncogene generated by translocation of sequences from the c-ABLgene on chromosome 9 into the BCR gene on chromosome 22. Alternative chimeric proteins, BCR-ABLp190 and BCR-ABLp210, are produced that are characteristic of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph1-ALL) respectively. In CML, it is evident that the transformation occurs at the level of pluripotent stem cells. However, Ph1-ALL has been thought to affect progenitor cells with lymphoid differentiation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that normal primitive cells, rather than committed progenitor cells, are the target for leukemic transformation in Ph1-ALL. In this review, we discuss what is known about the relationship between the specific BCR-ABLp190 oncogene, the target cell and the characteristics of the subsequent disease process it causes. We also discuss how this information may be applied to the establishment of new directions in therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Pérez-Losada
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cancer, Centro de Investigacion del Cancer, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
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40
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Abstract
Models of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have proven invaluable for furthering our understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of this disease. Xenotransplantation of primary human CML cells into immunodeficient mice allows investigation into the nature of the most primitive repopulating cells in this leukemia, but the system is limited by variability and difficulty with experimental manipulation. Accordingly, a large effort has been invested in developing models of CML through expression of the BCR/ABL oncogene in the hematopoietic system of laboratory mice. Despite numerous attempts, an accurate transgenic mouse model of CML has not been produced, possibly because of the toxicity of BCR/ABL. Conditional transgenic mice are a promising new approach to this problem. A more successful strategy is retroviral transduction of BCR/ABL into mouse bone marrow in vitro, followed by transplantation into syngeneic or immunodeficient recipient mice. Recipients of marrow transduced with p210 BCR/ABL develop a fatal myeloproliferative illness that closely resembles human CML. This model is being used to define the signaling pathways required for leukemogenesis by BCR/ABL, and for developing new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Van Etten
- The Center for Blood Research and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115, USA.
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41
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42
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Van Etten RA. Retroviral Transduction Models of Ph+ Leukemia: Advantages and Limitations for Modeling Human Hematological Malignancies in Mice. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2001; 27:201-5. [PMID: 11358380 DOI: 10.1006/bcmd.2000.0370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
There are two commonly used approaches to modeling human leukemia in mice: generation of mutant mice by traditional transgenic or knock-out/knock-in methods and retroviral bone marrow transduction and transplantation. For modeling leukemia, the retroviral model system has some distinct advantages over transgenic mice. Testing different forms and mutants of a given oncogene is much easier with the retroviral system and avoids the potential deleterious effects of expression of a transgene in nonhematopoietic tissues and during development. The retroviral provirus serves as a clonal marker of a transduced cell, facilitating analysis of clonality and transplantability of the malignancy. Finally, the retroviral system allows the assessment of the action of an oncogene in different subsets of hematopoietic precursor cells in the bone marrow, which is difficult or impossible with transgenic models. This article summarizes recent progress in modeling human Philadelphia-positive leukemia in mice with the retroviral bone marrow transduction/transplantation system and emphasizes the advantages and limitations of this approach with examples from the BCR-ABL leukemogenesis literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Van Etten
- The Center for Blood Research and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 20 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115,
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43
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Ladanyi M. Aberrant ALK tyrosine kinase signaling. Different cellular lineages, common oncogenic mechanisms. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2000; 157:341-5. [PMID: 10934137 PMCID: PMC1850118 DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9440(10)64545-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2000] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M Ladanyi
- Departments of Pathology and Human Genetics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
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44
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45
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A primitive hematopoietic cell is the target for the leukemic transformation in human Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 2000. [DOI: 10.1182/blood.v95.3.1007.003k35_1007_1013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BCR-ABL is a chimeric oncogene generated by translocation of sequences from the chromosomal counterpart (c-ABLgene) on chromosome 9 into the BCR gene on chromosome 22. Alternative chimeric proteins, BCR-ABLp190 and BCR-ABLp210, are produced that are characteristic of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph1-ALL). In CML, the transformation occurs at the level of pluripotent stem cells. However, Ph1-ALL is thought to affect progenitor cells with lymphoid differentiation. Here we demonstrate that the cell capable of initiating human Ph1-ALL in non-obese diabetic mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease (NOD/SCID), termed SCID leukemia–initiating cell (SL-IC), possesses the differentiative and proliferative capacities and the potential for self-renewal expected of a leukemic stem cell. The SL-ICs from all Ph1-ALL analyzed, regardless of the heterogeneity in maturation characteristics of the leukemic blasts, were exclusively CD34+CD38−, which is similar to the cell-surface phenotype of normal SCID-repopulating cells. This indicates that normal primitive cells, rather than committed progenitor cells, are the target for leukemic transformation in Ph1-ALL.
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46
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Huettner CS, Zhang P, Van Etten RA, Tenen DG. Reversibility of acute B-cell leukaemia induced by BCR-ABL1. Nat Genet 2000; 24:57-60. [PMID: 10615128 DOI: 10.1038/71691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 287] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is thought to arise from multiple genetic events that establish irreversible malignancy. A different mechanism might be present in certain leukaemias initiated by a chromosomal translocation. We have taken a new approach to determine if ablation of the genetic abnormality is sufficient for reversion by generating a conditional transgenic model of BCR-ABL1 (also known as BCR-ABL)-induced leukaemia. This oncogene is the result of a reciprocal translocation and is associated with different forms of leukaemia. The most common form, p210 BCR-ABL1, is found in more than 90% of patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and in up to 15% of adult patients with de novoacute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Efforts to establish a useful transgenic model have been hampered by embryonic lethality when the oncogene is expressed during embryogenesis, by reduced penetrance or by extremely long latency periods. One model uses the 'knock-in' approach to induce leukaemia by p190 BCR-ABL1(ref. 10). Given the limitations of models with p210, we used a different experimental approach. Lethal leukaemia developed within an acceptable time frame in all animals, and complete remission was achieved by suppression of BCR-ABL1expression, even after multiple rounds of induction and reversion. Our results demonstrate that BCR-ABL1is required for both induction and maintenance of leukaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Huettner
- Hematology/Oncology Division, Harvard Institutes of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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47
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Affiliation(s)
- R Chopra
- Christie Hospital and Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester, UK
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48
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He LZ, Merghoub T, Pandolfi PP. In vivo analysis of the molecular pathogenesis of acute promyelocytic leukemia in the mouse and its therapeutic implications. Oncogene 1999; 18:5278-92. [PMID: 10498880 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1203088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by the expansion of malignant myeloid cells blocked at the promyelocytic stage of hemopoietic development, and is associated with reciprocal chromosomal translocations always involving the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) gene on chromosome 17. As a consequence of the translocation RARalpha variably fuses to the PML, PLZF, NPM and NUMA genes (X genes), leading to the generation of RARalpha-X and X-RARalpha fusion genes. The aberrant chimeric proteins encoded by these genes may exert a crucial role in leukemogenesis. Retinoic acid (RA), a metabolite of vitamin A, can overcome the block of maturation at the promyelocytic stage and induce the malignant cells to terminally mature into granulocytes resulting in complete albeit transient disease remission. APL has become, for this reason, the paradigm for 'cancer differentiation therapy'. Furthermore, APL associated with translocation between the RARalpha and the PLZF genes (PLZF-RARalpha) shows a distinctly worse prognosis with poor response to chemotherapy and little or no response to treatment with RA, thus defining a new APL syndrome. Here we will focus our attention on the recent progresses made in defining the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this paradigmatic disease in vivo in the mouse. We will review the critical contribution of mouse modeling in unraveling the transcriptional basis for the differential response to RA in APL. We will also discuss how this new understanding has allowed to propose, develop and test in these murine leukemia models as well as in human APL patients novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Z He
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan-Kettering Division, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
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49
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Abstract
Childhood leukemia is the commonest form of childhood cancer and represents clonal proliferation of transformed hemopoietic cells as a result of genetic changes. Molecular characterization of these changes, in particular chromosomal translocations, has yielded a wealth of information on the mechanisms of leukemogenesis. These findings have also allowed the development of sensitive assays for the identification of underlying molecular defects, which is applicable to disease diagnosis and to monitor response to treatment. Genetic alterations in childhood leukemia are powerful prognostic indicators. TEL-AML1 fusion and hyperdiploidy >50 chromosomes are associated with a good prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, whereas BCR-ABL fusion and MLL rearrangements are associated with a poor prognosis. Hence cytogenetic and molecular genetic classification of childhood leukemia will significantly improve the ability of clinicians to predict therapeutic response and prognosis, which paves the way for risk stratification based on clinical and genetic features. Finally, deciphering of genetic lesions in leukemia has allowed elucidation of the molecular basis of current treatment, as typified by the success of all-trans retinoic treatment in acute promyelocytic leukemia, and has identified targets for novel therapeutic approaches. It is envisaged that efforts in characterization of molecular defects in childhood leukemia will ultimately be translated into better clinical outcome for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Ma
- Hematology Section, Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
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ten Bosch GJ, Kessler JH, Blom J, Joosten AM, Gambacorti-Passerini C, Melief CJ, Leeksma OC. BCR-ABL oncoprotein is expressed by platelets from CML patients and associated with a special pattern of CrkL phosphorylation. Br J Haematol 1998; 103:1109-15. [PMID: 9886328 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1998.01115.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of CrkL was recently demonstrated in platelets from chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) patients but BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase could not be detected in the platelet lysates. We studied platelets from 14 CML patients with different types of BCR-ABL mRNA and with maximal platelet counts ranging from 149 to 3069 x 10(9)/l. P210BCR-ABL protein was detected by Western blotting in platelet lysates of 12/13 CML patients with active disease but not in the lysate of platelets from a Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patient in remission or eight BCR-ABL-negative controls including one essential thrombocythaemia (ET) patient. Immunoblotting of p210BCR-ABL-positive platelets lysates with anti-CrkL antibody revealed a CrkL triplet consisting of one unphosphorylated and two phosphorylated forms of the protein. This CrkL phosphorylation pattern was not observed in normal platelets or CML platelets treated with ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor CGP57148B. The presence of BCR-ABL provides an explanation for the constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of CrkL in CML platelets. As no correlation was observed between platelet counts and platelet BCR-ABL protein expression, thrombocytosis or thrombocythaemia in CML cannot be explained by constitutive BCR-ABL-mediated CrkL tyrosine phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J ten Bosch
- Department of Immunohaematology and Bloodbank, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
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