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Rivera M, Zhang H, Pham J, Isquith J, Zhou QJ, Balaian L, Sasik R, Enlund S, Mark A, Ma W, Holm F, Fisch KM, Kuo DJ, Jamieson C, Jiang Q. Malignant A-to-I RNA editing by ADAR1 drives T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse via attenuating dsRNA sensing. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113704. [PMID: 38265938 PMCID: PMC10962356 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) are regarded as the origin of leukemia relapse and therapeutic resistance. Identifying direct stemness determinants that fuel LIC self-renewal is critical for developing targeted approaches. Here, we show that the RNA-editing enzyme ADAR1 is a crucial stemness factor that promotes LIC self-renewal by attenuating aberrant double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) sensing. Elevated adenosine-to-inosine editing is a common attribute of relapsed T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) regardless of molecular subtype. Consequently, knockdown of ADAR1 severely inhibits LIC self-renewal capacity and prolongs survival in T-ALL patient-derived xenograft models. Mechanistically, ADAR1 directs hyper-editing of immunogenic dsRNA to avoid detection by the innate immune sensor melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5). Moreover, we uncover that the cell-intrinsic level of MDA5 dictates the dependency on the ADAR1-MDA5 axis in T-ALL. Collectively, our results show that ADAR1 functions as a self-renewal factor that limits the sensing of endogenous dsRNA. Thus, targeting ADAR1 presents an effective therapeutic strategy for eliminating T-ALL LICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rivera
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Haoran Zhang
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jessica Pham
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jane Isquith
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Qingchen Jenny Zhou
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Larisa Balaian
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Roman Sasik
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (CCBB), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0681, USA
| | - Sabina Enlund
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Adam Mark
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (CCBB), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0681, USA
| | - Wenxue Ma
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Frida Holm
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Kathleen M Fisch
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (CCBB), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0681, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Dennis John Kuo
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92123, USA
| | - Catriona Jamieson
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Qingfei Jiang
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Rivera M, Zhang H, Pham J, Isquith J, Zhou QJ, Sasik R, Mark A, Ma W, Holm F, Fisch KM, Kuo DJ, Jamieson C, Jiang Q. Malignant A-to-I RNA editing by ADAR1 drives T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse via attenuating dsRNA sensing. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2444524. [PMID: 37398458 PMCID: PMC10312963 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2444524/v2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Leukemia initiating cells (LICs) are regarded as the origin of leukemia relapse and therapeutic resistance. Identifying direct stemness determinants that fuel LIC self-renewal is critical for developing targeted approaches to eliminate LICs and prevent relapse. Here, we show that the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 is a crucial stemness factor that promotes LIC self-renewal by attenuating aberrant double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) sensing. Elevated adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing is a common attribute of relapsed T-ALL regardless of molecular subtypes. Consequently, knockdown of ADAR1 severely inhibits LIC self-renewal capacity and prolongs survival in T-ALL PDX models. Mechanistically, ADAR1 directs hyper-editing of immunogenic dsRNA and retains unedited nuclear dsRNA to avoid detection by the innate immune sensor MDA5. Moreover, we uncovered that the cell intrinsic level of MDA5 dictates the dependency on ADAR1-MDA5 axis in T-ALL. Collectively, our results show that ADAR1 functions as a self-renewal factor that limits the sensing of endogenous dsRNA. Thus, targeting ADAR1 presents a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for eliminating T-ALL LICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rivera
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Haoran Zhang
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jessica Pham
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jane Isquith
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Qingchen Jenny Zhou
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Roman Sasik
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (CCBB), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0681
| | - Adam Mark
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (CCBB), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0681
| | - Wenxue Ma
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Frida Holm
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Division of Pediatric Oncology and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Kathleen M Fisch
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (CCBB), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0681
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Dennis John Kuo
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Catriona Jamieson
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Qingfei Jiang
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Fregona V, Bayet M, Gerby B. Oncogene-Induced Reprogramming in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Towards Targeted Therapy of Leukemia-Initiating Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215511. [PMID: 34771671 PMCID: PMC8582707 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a heterogeneous disease characterized by a diversity of genetic alterations, following a sophisticated and controversial organization. In this review, we present and discuss the concepts exploring the cellular, molecular and functional heterogeneity of leukemic cells. We also review the emerging evidence indicating that cell plasticity and oncogene-induced reprogramming should be considered at the biological and clinical levels as critical mechanisms for identifying and targeting leukemia-initiating cells. Abstract Our understanding of the hierarchical structure of acute leukemia has yet to be fully translated into therapeutic approaches. Indeed, chemotherapy still has to take into account the possibility that leukemia-initiating cells may have a distinct chemosensitivity profile compared to the bulk of the tumor, and therefore are spared by the current treatment, causing the relapse of the disease. Therefore, the identification of the cell-of-origin of leukemia remains a longstanding question and an exciting challenge in cancer research of the last few decades. With a particular focus on acute lymphoblastic leukemia, we present in this review the previous and current concepts exploring the phenotypic, genetic and functional heterogeneity in patients. We also discuss the benefits of using engineered mouse models to explore the early steps of leukemia development and to identify the biological mechanisms driving the emergence of leukemia-initiating cells. Finally, we describe the major prospects for the discovery of new therapeutic strategies that specifically target their aberrant stem cell-like functions.
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Habets RA, de Bock CE, Serneels L, Lodewijckx I, Verbeke D, Nittner D, Narlawar R, Demeyer S, Dooley J, Liston A, Taghon T, Cools J, de Strooper B. Safe targeting of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by pathology-specific NOTCH inhibition. Sci Transl Med 2019; 11:11/494/eaau6246. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau6246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Given the high frequency of activating NOTCH1 mutations in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), inhibition of the γ-secretase complex remains an attractive target to prevent ligand-independent release of the cytoplasmic tail and oncogenic NOTCH1 signaling. However, four different γ-secretase complexes exist, and available inhibitors block all complexes equally. As a result, these cause severe “on-target” gastrointestinal tract, skin, and thymus toxicity, limiting their therapeutic application. Here, we demonstrate that genetic deletion or pharmacologic inhibition of the presenilin-1 (PSEN1) subclass of γ-secretase complexes is highly effective in decreasing leukemia while avoiding dose-limiting toxicities. Clinically, T-ALL samples were found to selectively express only PSEN1-containing γ-secretase complexes. The conditional knockout of Psen1 in developing T cells attenuated the development of a mutant NOTCH1-driven leukemia in mice in vivo but did not abrogate normal T cell development. Treatment of T-ALL cell lines with the selective PSEN1 inhibitor MRK-560 effectively decreased mutant NOTCH1 processing and led to cell cycle arrest. These observations were extended to T-ALL patient-derived xenografts in vivo, demonstrating that MRK-560 treatment decreases leukemia burden and increased overall survival without any associated gut toxicity. Therefore, PSEN1-selective compounds provide a potential therapeutic strategy for safe and effective targeting of T-ALL and possibly also for other diseases in which NOTCH signaling plays a role.
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Goossens S, Vandamme N, Van Vlierberghe P, Berx G. EMT transcription factors in cancer development re-evaluated: Beyond EMT and MET. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2017; 1868:584-591. [PMID: 28669750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Reactivation of an embryonic epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) program is commonly accepted as a core component of carcinoma progression. Collectively, EMT and transcription factors (EMT-TFs) of the ZEB, SNAIL and TWIST families are quoted in the same breath for nearly 20years. Recent work on these EMT-TFs has extended their scope, and their typical definition as EMT-inducing factors has become out-of-date. New insights have warranted a re-evaluation of these transcription factors and their pleiotropic functions in physiological and pathological conditions, not solely limited to cell invasion and dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Goossens
- Molecular Cellular Oncology Lab, Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.; Centre for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Niels Vandamme
- Molecular Cellular Oncology Lab, Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.; Inflammation Research Center (IRC), VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Van Vlierberghe
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.; Centre for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular Cellular Oncology Lab, Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium..
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Durinck K, Goossens S, Peirs S, Wallaert A, Van Loocke W, Matthijssens F, Pieters T, Milani G, Lammens T, Rondou P, Van Roy N, De Moerloose B, Benoit Y, Haigh J, Speleman F, Poppe B, Van Vlierberghe P. Novel biological insights in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Exp Hematol 2015; 43:625-39. [PMID: 26123366 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive type of blood cancer that accounts for about 15% of pediatric and 25% of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. It is considered as a paradigm for the multistep nature of cancer initiation and progression. Genetic and epigenetic reprogramming events, which transform T-cell precursors into malignant T-ALL lymphoblasts, have been extensively characterized over the past decade. Despite our comprehensive understanding of the genomic landscape of human T-ALL, leukemia patients are still treated by high-dose multiagent chemotherapy, potentially followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Even with such aggressive treatment regimens, which are often associated with considerable acute and long-term side effects, about 15% of pediatric and 40% of adult T-ALL patients still relapse, owing to acquired therapy resistance, and present with very dismal survival perspectives. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms by which residual T-ALL tumor cells survive chemotherapy and act as a reservoir for leukemic progression and hematologic relapse remain poorly understood. Nevertheless, it is expected that enhanced molecular understanding of T-ALL disease biology will ultimately facilitate a targeted therapy driven approach that can reduce chemotherapy-associated toxicities and improve survival of refractory T-ALL patients through personalized salvage therapy. In this review, we summarize recent biological insights into the molecular pathogenesis of T-ALL and speculate how the genetic landscape of T-ALL could trigger the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Durinck
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Unit for Molecular Oncology, VIB Inflammation Research Center, Ghent, Belgium; Mammalian Functional Genetics Laboratory, Division of Blood Cancers, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sofie Peirs
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelynn Wallaert
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Van Loocke
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Tim Pieters
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium; Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Unit for Molecular Oncology, VIB Inflammation Research Center, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gloria Milani
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Lammens
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Rondou
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nadine Van Roy
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Moerloose
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yves Benoit
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jody Haigh
- Mammalian Functional Genetics Laboratory, Division of Blood Cancers, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frank Speleman
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bruce Poppe
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
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