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Bruserud Ø, Selheim F, Hernandez-Valladares M, Reikvam H. Monocytic Differentiation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells: Diagnostic Criteria, Biological Heterogeneity, Mitochondrial Metabolism, Resistance to and Induction by Targeted Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6356. [PMID: 38928061 PMCID: PMC11203697 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We review the importance of monocytic differentiation and differentiation induction in non-APL (acute promyelocytic leukemia) variants of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a malignancy characterized by proliferation of immature myeloid cells. Even though the cellular differentiation block is a fundamental characteristic, the AML cells can show limited signs of differentiation. According to the French-American-British (FAB-M4/M5 subset) and the World Health Organization (WHO) 2016 classifications, monocytic differentiation is characterized by morphological signs and the expression of specific molecular markers involved in cellular communication and adhesion. Furthermore, monocytic FAB-M4/M5 patients are heterogeneous with regards to cytogenetic and molecular genetic abnormalities, and monocytic differentiation does not have any major prognostic impact for these patients when receiving conventional intensive cytotoxic therapy. In contrast, FAB-M4/M5 patients have decreased susceptibility to the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax, and this seems to be due to common molecular characteristics involving mitochondrial regulation of the cellular metabolism and survival, including decreased dependency on Bcl-2 compared to other AML patients. Thus, the susceptibility to Bcl-2 inhibition does not only depend on general resistance/susceptibility mechanisms known from conventional AML therapy but also specific mechanisms involving the molecular target itself or the molecular context of the target. AML cell differentiation status is also associated with susceptibility to other targeted therapies (e.g., CDK2/4/6 and bromodomain inhibition), and differentiation induction seems to be a part of the antileukemic effect for several targeted anti-AML therapies. Differentiation-associated molecular mechanisms may thus become important in the future implementation of targeted therapies in human AML.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Cell Differentiation
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics
- Mitochondria/metabolism
- Monocytes/metabolism
- Monocytes/pathology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Øystein Bruserud
- Acute Leukemia Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway; (M.H.-V.); (H.R.)
- Section for Hematology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Frode Selheim
- Proteomics Unit of University of Bergen (PROBE), University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Maria Hernandez-Valladares
- Acute Leukemia Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway; (M.H.-V.); (H.R.)
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Granada, Avenida de la Fuente Nueva S/N, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, 18012 Granada, Spain
| | - Håkon Reikvam
- Acute Leukemia Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway; (M.H.-V.); (H.R.)
- Section for Hematology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5009 Bergen, Norway
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2
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Capelli D. FLT3-Mutated Leukemic Stem Cells: Mechanisms of Resistance and New Therapeutic Targets. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1819. [PMID: 38791898 PMCID: PMC11119130 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of target drugs in the first and second line, only 30% of FLT3mut AMLs are cured. Among the multiple mechanisms of resistance, those of FLT3mut LSC are the most difficult to eradicate because of their metabolic and genomic characteristics. Reactivation of glycogen synthesis, inhibition of the RAS/MAPK pathway, and degradation of FLT3 may be potential aids to fight the resistance of LSC to FLT3i. LSC is also characterized by the expression of a CD34+/CD25+/CD123+/CD99+ immunophenotype. The receptor and ligand of FLT3, the natural killer group 2 member D ligand (NKGD2L), and CD123 are some of the targets of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), bispecific T-cell engager molecules (BiTEs), CAR-NK and nanoparticles recently designed and reported here. The combination of these new therapeutic options, hopefully in a minimal residual disease (MRD)-driven approach, could provide the future answer to the challenge of treating FLT3mut AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Capelli
- Department of Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona, Via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy
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3
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Nikhil K, Shah K. CDK5: an oncogene or an anti-oncogene: location location location. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:186. [PMID: 37993880 PMCID: PMC10666462 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01895-8] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have uncovered various physiological functions of CDK5 in many nonneuronal tissues. Upregulation of CDK5 and/or its activator p35 in neurons promotes healthy neuronal functions, but their overexpression in nonneuronal tissues is causally linked to cancer of many origins. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which CDK5 recruits diverse tissue-specific substrates to elicit distinct phenotypes in sixteen different human cancers. The emerging theme suggests that CDK5's role as an oncogene or anti-oncogene depends upon its subcellular localization. CDK5 mostly acts as an oncogene, but in gastric cancer, it is a tumor suppressor due to its unique nuclear localization. This indicates that CDK5's access to certain nuclear substrates converts it into an anti-oncogenic kinase. While acting as a bonafide oncogene, CDK5 also activates a few cancer-suppressive pathways in some cancers, presumably due to the mislocalization of nuclear substrates in the cytoplasm. Therefore, directing CDK5 to the nucleus or exporting tumor-suppressive nuclear substrates to the cytoplasm may be promising approaches to combat CDK5-induced oncogenicity, analogous to neurotoxicity triggered by nuclear CDK5. Furthermore, while p35 overexpression is oncogenic, hyperactivation of CDK5 by inducing p25 formation results in apoptosis, which could be exploited to selectively kill cancer cells by dialing up CDK5 activity, instead of inhibiting it. CDK5 thus acts as a molecular rheostat, with different activity levels eliciting distinct functional outcomes. Finally, as CDK5's role is defined by its substrates, targeting them individually or in conjunction with CDK5 should create potentially valuable new clinical opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Nikhil
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
| | - Kavita Shah
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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Sexauer AN, Alexe G, Gustafsson K, Zanetakos E, Milosevic J, Ayres M, Gandhi V, Pikman Y, Stegmaier K, Sykes DB. DHODH: a promising target in the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood Adv 2023; 7:6685-6701. [PMID: 37648673 PMCID: PMC10641474 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) have a poor prognosis with few therapeutic options. With the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets, we used data from the Dependency Map project to identify dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) as one of the top metabolic dependencies in T-ALL. DHODH catalyzes the fourth step of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis. Small molecule inhibition of DHODH rapidly leads to the depletion of intracellular pyrimidine pools and forces cells to rely on extracellular salvage. In the absence of sufficient salvage, this intracellular nucleotide starvation results in the inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis, cell cycle arrest, and, ultimately, death. T lymphoblasts appear to be specifically and exquisitely sensitive to nucleotide starvation after DHODH inhibition. We have confirmed this sensitivity in vitro and in vivo in 3 murine models of T-ALL. We identified that certain subsets of T-ALL seem to have an increased reliance on oxidative phosphorylation when treated with DHODH inhibitors. Through a series of metabolic assays, we show that leukemia cells, in the setting of nucleotide starvation, undergo changes in their mitochondrial membrane potential and may be more highly dependent on alternative fuel sources. The effect on normal T-cell development in young mice was also examined to show that DHODH inhibition does not permanently damage the developing thymus. These changes suggest a new metabolic vulnerability that may distinguish these cells from normal T cells and other normal hematopoietic cells and offer an exploitable therapeutic opportunity. The availability of clinical-grade DHODH inhibitors currently in human clinical trials suggests a potential for rapidly advancing this work into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy N. Sexauer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Gabriela Alexe
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Karin Gustafsson
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Elizabeth Zanetakos
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Jelena Milosevic
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Mary Ayres
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Yana Pikman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - David B. Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA
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Ma H, Cui J, Liu Z, Fang W, Lu S, Cao S, Zhang Y, Chen JA, Lu L, Xie Q, Wang Y, Huang Y, Li K, Tong H, Huang J, Lu W. Blockade of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis triggers autophagic degradation of oncoprotein FLT3-ITD in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncogene 2023; 42:3331-3343. [PMID: 37752234 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02848-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
The internal tandem duplication of the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) is one of the most frequent genetic alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Limited and transient clinical benefit of FLT3 kinase inhibitors (FLT3i) emphasizes the need for alternative therapeutic options for this subset of myeloid malignancies. Herein, we showed that FLT3-ITD mutant (FLT3-ITD+) AML cells were susceptible toward inhibitors of DHODH, a rate-limiting enzyme of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. Genetic and pharmacological blockade of DHODH triggered downregulation of FLT3-ITD protein, subsequently suppressed activation of downstream ERK and STAT5, and promoted cell death of FLT3-ITD+ AML cells. Mechanistically, DHODH blockade triggered autophagy-mediated FLT3-ITD degradation via inactivating mTOR, a potent autophagy repressor. Notably, blockade of DHODH synergized with an FDA-approved FLT3i quizartinib in significantly impairing the growth of FLT3-ITD+ AML cells and improving tumor-bearing mice survival. We further demonstrated that DHODH blockade exhibited profound anti-proliferation effect on quizartinib-resistant cells in vitro and in vivo. In summary, this study demonstrates that the induction of degradation of FLT3-ITD protein by DHODH blockade may offer a promising therapeutic strategy for AML patients harboring FLT3-ITD mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ma
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayan Cui
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Zehui Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Fang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Sisi Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuying Cao
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji-An Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixue Lu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Huang
- NMPA Key Laboratory of Rapid Drug Inspection Technology, Guangdong Institute for Drug Control, 510663, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kongfei Li
- Department of Hematology, People's Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University, 315000, Ningbo, China
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Hematopoietic Malignancy, Zhejiang University, 310003, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Tong
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Hematopoietic Malignancy, Zhejiang University, 310003, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jin Huang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 200237, Shanghai, China.
| | - Weiqiang Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 200241, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multidimensional Information Processing, East China Normal University, 200241, Shanghai, China.
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6
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Barbosa K, Deshpande AJ. Therapeutic targeting of leukemia stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1204895. [PMID: 37601659 PMCID: PMC10437214 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1204895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the distinguishing properties of hematopoietic stem cells is their ability to self-renew. Since self-renewal is important for the continuous replenishment of the hematopoietic stem cell pool, this property is often hijacked in blood cancers. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is believed to be arranged in a hierarchy, with self-renewing leukemia stem cells (LSCs) giving rise to the bulk tumor. Some of the earliest characterizations of LSCs were made in seminal studies that assessed the ability of prospectively isolated candidate AML stem cells to repopulate the entire heterogeneity of the tumor in mice. Further studies indicated that LSCs may be responsible for chemotherapy resistance and therefore act as a reservoir for secondary disease and leukemia relapse. In recent years, a number of studies have helped illuminate the complexity of clonality in bone marrow pathologies, including leukemias. Many features distinguishing LSCs from normal hematopoietic stem cells have been identified, and these studies have opened up diverse avenues for targeting LSCs, with an impact on the clinical management of AML patients. This review will discuss the role of self-renewal in AML and its implications, distinguishing characteristics between normal and leukemia stem cells, and opportunities for therapeutic targeting of AML LSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Barbosa
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Aniruddha J. Deshpande
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
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7
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Stelmach P, Trumpp A. Leukemic stem cells and therapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. Haematologica 2023; 108:353-366. [PMID: 36722405 PMCID: PMC9890038 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2022.280800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A major obstacle in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is refractory disease or relapse after achieving remission. The latter arises from a few therapy-resistant cells within minimal residual disease (MRD). Resistant cells with long-term self-renewal capacity that drive clonal outgrowth are referred to as leukemic stem cells (LSC). The cancer stem cell concept considers LSC as relapse-initiating cells residing at the top of each genetically defined AML subclone forming epigenetically controlled downstream hierarchies. LSC display significant phenotypic and epigenetic plasticity, particularly in response to therapy stress, which results in various mechanisms mediating treatment resistance. Given the inherent chemotherapy resistance of LSC, targeted strategies must be incorporated into first-line regimens to prevent LSC-mediated AML relapse. The combination of venetoclax and azacitidine is a promising current strategy for the treatment of AML LSC. Nevertheless, the selection of patients who would benefit either from standard chemotherapy or venetoclax + azacitidine treatment in first-line therapy has yet to be established and the mechanisms of resistance still need to be discovered and overcome. Clinical trials are currently underway that investigate LSC susceptibility to first-line therapies. The era of single-cell multi-omics has begun to uncover the complex clonal and cellular architectures and associated biological networks. This should lead to a better understanding of the highly heterogeneous AML at the inter- and intra-patient level and identify resistance mechanisms by longitudinal analysis of patients' samples. This review discusses LSC biology and associated resistance mechanisms, potential therapeutic LSC vulnerabilities and current clinical trial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Stelmach
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance,Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM, gGmbH),Department of Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital
| | - Andreas Trumpp
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM, gGmbH); Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg.
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8
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Li XM, Yoannidis D, Ramm S, Luu J, Arnau GM, Semple T, Simpson KJ. MAC-Seq: Coupling Low-Cost, High-Throughput RNA-Seq with Image-Based Phenotypic Screening in 2D and 3D Cell Models. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2691:279-325. [PMID: 37355554 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3331-1_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptomic profiling has fundamentally influenced our understanding of cancer pathophysiology and response to therapeutic intervention and has become a relatively routine approach. However, standard protocols are usually low-throughput, single-plex assays and costs are still quite prohibitive. With the evolving complexity of in vitro cell model systems, there is a need for resource-efficient high-throughput approaches that can support detailed time-course analytics, accommodate limited sample availability, and provide the capacity to correlate phenotype to genotype at scale. MAC-seq (multiplexed analysis of cells) is a low-cost, ultrahigh-throughput RNA-seq workflow in plate format to measure cell perturbations and is compatible with high-throughput imaging. Here we describe the steps to perform MAC-seq in 384-well format and apply it to 2D and 3D cell cultures. On average, our experimental conditions identified over ten thousand expressed genes per well when sequenced to a depth of one million reads. We discuss technical aspects, make suggestions on experimental design, and document critical operational procedures. Our protocol highlights the potential to couple MAC-seq with high-throughput screening applications including cell phenotyping using high-content cell imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Mark Li
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
| | - David Yoannidis
- Molecular Genomics Core, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Susanne Ramm
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jennii Luu
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gisela Mir Arnau
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Molecular Genomics Core, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Timothy Semple
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Molecular Genomics Core, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kaylene J Simpson
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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9
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Mullen NJ, Thakur R, Shukla SK, Chaika NV, Kollala SS, Wang D, He C, Fujii Y, Sharma S, Mulder SE, Sykes DB, Singh PK. ENT1 blockade by CNX-774 overcomes resistance to DHODH inhibition in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2023; 552:215981. [PMID: 36341997 PMCID: PMC10305837 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a key enzyme for de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides, have failed in clinical trials for various cancers despite robust efficacy in preclinical animal models. To probe for druggable mediators of DHODH inhibitor resistance, we performed a combination screen with a small molecule library against pancreatic cancer cell lines that are highly resistant to the DHODH inhibitor brequinar (BQ). The screen revealed that CNX-774, a preclinical Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, sensitizes resistant cell lines to BQ. Mechanistic studies showed that this effect is independent of BTK and instead results from inhibition of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) by CNX-774. We show that ENT1 mediates BQ resistance by taking up extracellular uridine, which is salvaged to generate pyrimidine nucleotides in a DHODH-independent manner. In BQ-resistant cell lines, BQ monotherapy slowed proliferation and caused modest pyrimidine nucleotide depletion, whereas combination treatment with BQ and CNX-774 led to profound cell viability loss and pyrimidine starvation. We also identify N-acetylneuraminic acid accumulation as a potential marker of the therapeutic efficacy of DHODH inhibitors. In an aggressive, immunocompetent pancreatic cancer mouse model, combined targeting of DHODH and ENT1 dramatically suppressed tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival. Overall, our study defines CNX-774 as a previously uncharacterized ENT1 inhibitor and provides strong proof of concept support for dual targeting of DHODH and ENT1 in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Mullen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Surendra K Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Nina V Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Chunbo He
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Yuki Fujii
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Shikhar Sharma
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Scott E Mulder
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA; Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA; OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
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10
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Donato E, Trumpp A. Targeting the Leukemic stem cell protein machinery by inhibition of mitochondrial pyrimidine synthesis. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e16171. [PMID: 35694783 PMCID: PMC9260207 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202216171] [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] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute Myeloid Leukemia is one of the most aggressive blood cancers with a high frequency of relapse. While standard chemotherapy is able to target rapidly proliferating immature blasts, it fails to eradicate slowly proliferating Leukemic Stem Cells. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies that efficiently target LSCs are urgently needed. Recent studies suggest that LSCs have particular metabolic vulnerabilities, which would open the possibility of a therapeutic window with limited off‐target effects on the normal hematopoietic system. In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, So and colleagues investigate the mechanism of action of AG636, a new potent inhibitor of de novo pyrimidine synthesis, and discovered an unexpected link to AML protein translation essential for LSC function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Donato
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Trumpp
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), Heidelberg, Germany
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