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Reuvekamp T, Bachas C, Cloos J. Immunophenotypic features of early haematopoietic and leukaemia stem cells. Int J Lab Hematol 2024. [PMID: 39045906 DOI: 10.1111/ijlh.14348] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Many tumours are organised in a hierarchical structure with at its apex a cell that can maintain, establish, and repopulate the tumour-the cancer stem cell. The haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) is the founder cell for all functional blood cells. Like HSCs, the leukaemia stem cells (LSC) are hypothesised to be the leukaemia-initiating cells, which have features of stemness such as self-renewal, quiescence, and resistance to cytotoxic drugs. Immunophenotypically, CD34+CD38- defines HSCs by adding lineage negativity and CD90+CD45RA-. At which stage of maturation the further differentiation is blocked, determines the type of leukaemia, and determines the immunophenotype of the LSC specific to the leukaemia type. No apparent LSC phenotype has been described in lymphoid leukaemia, and it is debated if a specific acute lymphocytic leukaemia-initiating cell is present, as all cells are capable of engraftment in a secondary mouse model. In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a B-cell clone is responsible for uncontrolled proliferation, not a specific LSC. In chronic and acute myeloid leukaemia, LSC is described as CD34+CD38- with the expression of a marker that is aberrantly expressed (LSC marker), such as CD45RA, CD123 or in the case of chronic myeloid leukaemia CD26. In acute myeloid leukaemia, the LSC load had prognostic relevance and might be a biomarker that can be used for monitoring and as an addition to measurable residual disease. However, challenges such as the CD34-negative immunophenotype need to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Reuvekamp
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC Location Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Costa Bachas
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline Cloos
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Wu SC, Lai SW, Lu XJ, Lai HF, Chen YG, Chen PH, Ho CL, Wu YY, Chiu YL. Profiling of miRNAs and their interfering targets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1173970. [PMID: 37476380 PMCID: PMC10356106 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1173970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction MicroRNAs may be implicated in the acquisition of drug resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia as they regulate the expression of not only BCR-ABL1 but also genes associated with the activation of drug transfer proteins or essential signaling pathways. Methods To understand the impact of specifically expressed miRNAs in chronic myeloid leukemia and their target genes, we collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and healthy donors to determine whole miRNA expression by small RNA sequencing and screened out 31 differentially expressed microRNAs (DE-miRNAs) with high expression. With the utilization of miRNA set enrichment analysis tools, we present here a comprehensive analysis of the relevance of DE-miRNAs to disease and biological function. Furthermore, the literature-based miRNA-target gene database was used to analyze the overall target genes of the DE-miRNAs and to define their associated biological responses. We further integrated DE-miRNA target genes to identify CML miRNA targeted gene signature singscore (CMTGSS) and used gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to analyze the correlation between CMTGSS and Hallmark gene-sets in PBMC samples from clinical CML patients. Finally, the association of CMTGSS stratification with multiple CML cell lineage gene sets was validated in PBMC samples from CML patients using GSEA. Results Although individual miRNAs have been reported to have varying degrees of impact on CML, overall, our results show that abnormally upregulated miRNAs are associated with apoptosis and aberrantly downregulated miRNAs are associated with cell cycle. The clinical database shows that our defined DE-miRNAs are associated with the prognosis of CML patients. CMTGSS-based stratification analysis presented a tendency for miRNAs to affect cell differentiation in the blood microenvironment. Conclusion Collectively, this study defined differentially expressed miRNAs by miRNA sequencing from clinical samples and comprehensively analyzed the biological functions of the differential miRNAs in association with the target genes. The analysis of the enrichment of specific myeloid differentiated cells and immune cells also suggests the magnitude and potential targets of differentially expressed miRNAs in the clinical setting. It helps us to make links between the different results obtained from the multi-faceted studies to provide more potential research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Cheng Wu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital Penghu Branch, Magong City, Taiwan
| | - Shiue-Wei Lai
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Xin-Jie Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Fan Lai
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Guang Chen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Po-Huang Chen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Liang Ho
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ying Wu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Lin Chiu
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
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Properties of Leukemic Stem Cells in Regulating Drug Resistance in Acute and Chronic Myeloid Leukemias. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081841. [PMID: 36009388 PMCID: PMC9405586 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081841] [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: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Notoriously known for their capacity to reconstitute hematological malignancies in vivo, leukemic stem cells (LSCs) represent key drivers of therapeutic resistance and disease relapse, posing as a major medical dilemma. Despite having low abundance in the bulk leukemic population, LSCs have developed unique molecular dependencies and intricate signaling networks to enable self-renewal, quiescence, and drug resistance. To illustrate the multi-dimensional landscape of LSC-mediated leukemogenesis, in this review, we present phenotypical characteristics of LSCs, address the LSC-associated leukemic stromal microenvironment, highlight molecular aberrations that occur in the transcriptome, epigenome, proteome, and metabolome of LSCs, and showcase promising novel therapeutic strategies that potentially target the molecular vulnerabilities of LSCs.
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CD26/DPP-4 in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040891. [PMID: 35205639 PMCID: PMC8870104 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
CD26 expression is altered in many solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Recently, it has been demonstrated that it is a specific marker expressed on LSCs of CML, both in BM and PB samples, and absent on CD34+/CD38− stem cells in normal subjects or on LSCs of other myeloid neoplasms. CD26+ LSCs have been detected by flow-cytometry assays in all PB samples of Chronic-Phase CML patients evaluated at diagnosis. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that most CML patients undergoing Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) treatment still harbored circulating measurable residual CD26+ LSCs, even when displaying a consistent deep molecular response without any significant association among the amounts of BCR-ABL transcript and CD26+ LSCs. Preliminary data of our Italian prospective multicenter study showed that CML patients with a poorer response presented with a higher number of CD26+ LSCs at diagnosis. These data confirmed that CD26 is a specific marker of CML and suggest that it could be considered for the monitoring of therapeutic responses.
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Al Hamad M. Contribution of BCR-ABL molecular variants and leukemic stem cells in response and resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a review. F1000Res 2022; 10:1288. [PMID: 35284066 PMCID: PMC8886173 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.74570.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm generated by reciprocal chromosomal translocation, t (9; 22) (q34; q11) in the transformed hematopoietic stem cell. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target the mature proliferating BCR-ABL cells, the major CML driver, and increase overall and disease-free survival. However, mutant clones, pre-existing or due to therapy, develop resistance against TKIs. BCR-ABL1 oncoprotein activates various molecular pathways including the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, JAK2/STAT pathway, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Stimulation of these pathways in TKI resistant CML patients, make them a new target. Moreover, a small proportion of CML cells, leukemic stem cells (LSCs), persist during the TKI therapy and sustain the disease in the patient. Engraftment of LSCs in the bone marrow niche and dysregulation of miRNA participate greatly in the TKI resistance. Current efforts are needed for determining the reason behind TKI resistance, identification, and elimination of CML LSC might be of great need for cancer cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Al Hamad
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia
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Al Hamad M. Contribution of BCR-ABL molecular variants and leukemic stem cells in response and resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a review. F1000Res 2021; 10:1288. [PMID: 35284066 PMCID: PMC8886173 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.74570.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm generated by reciprocal chromosomal translocation, t (9; 22) (q34; q11) in the transformed hematopoietic stem cell. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target the mature proliferating BCR-ABL cells, the major CML driver, and increase overall and disease-free survival. However, mutant clones, pre-existing or due to therapy, develop resistance against TKIs. BCR-ABL1 oncoprotein activates various molecular pathways including the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, JAK2/STAT pathway, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Stimulation of these pathways in TKI resistant CML patients, make them a new target. Moreover, a small proportion of CML cells, leukemic stem cells (LSCs), persist during the TKI therapy and sustain the disease in the patient. Engraftment of LSCs in the bone marrow niche and dysregulation of miRNA participate greatly in the TKI resistance. Current efforts are needed for determining the reason behind TKI resistance, identification, and elimination of CML LSC might be of great need for cancer cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Al Hamad
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia
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Chen Y, Zou J, Cheng F, Li W. Treatment-Free Remission in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and New Approaches by Targeting Leukemia Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:769730. [PMID: 34778088 PMCID: PMC8581243 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.769730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic landscape for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has improved significantly with the approval of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for therapeutic use. Most patients with optimal responses to TKIs can have a normal life expectancy. Treatment-free remission (TFR) after discontinuing TKI has increasingly become a new goal for CML treatment. However, TKI only "control" CML, and relapse after discontinuation has become a key factor hindering patient access to attempt TFR. In this study, we reviewed studies on TKI discontinuation, including both first and second-generation TKI. We also reviewed predictors of relapse, new monitoring methods, and strategies targeting leukemic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Weiming Li
- Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Anelli L, Zagaria A, Specchia G, Musto P, Albano F. Dysregulation of miRNA in Leukemia: Exploiting miRNA Expression Profiles as Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137156. [PMID: 34281210 PMCID: PMC8269043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have a crucial role in cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. miRNAs may act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors; therefore, they prevent or promote tumorigenesis, and abnormal expression has been reported in many malignancies. The role of miRNA in leukemia pathogenesis is still emerging, but several studies have suggested using miRNA expression profiles as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy in leukemia. In this review, the role of miRNAs most frequently involved in leukemia pathogenesis is discussed, focusing on the class of circulating miRNAs, consisting of cell-free RNA molecules detected in several body fluids. Circulating miRNAs could represent new potential non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of leukemia that are easy to isolate and characterize. The dysregulation of some miRNAs involved in both myeloid and lymphoid leukemia, such as miR-155, miR-29, let-7, and miR-15a/miR-16-1 clusters is discussed, showing their possible employment as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Anelli
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (D.E.T.O.), Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70100 Bari, Italy; (L.A.); (A.Z.); (P.M.)
| | - Antonella Zagaria
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (D.E.T.O.), Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70100 Bari, Italy; (L.A.); (A.Z.); (P.M.)
| | - Giorgina Specchia
- School of Medicine, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, 70100 Bari, Italy;
| | - Pellegrino Musto
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (D.E.T.O.), Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70100 Bari, Italy; (L.A.); (A.Z.); (P.M.)
| | - Francesco Albano
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (D.E.T.O.), Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70100 Bari, Italy; (L.A.); (A.Z.); (P.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39(0)-80-547-8031; Fax: +39-(0)80-559-3471
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Soverini S, De Santis S, Monaldi C, Bruno S, Mancini M. Targeting Leukemic Stem Cells in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Is It Worth the Effort? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22137093. [PMID: 34209376 PMCID: PMC8269304 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a classical example of stem cell cancer since it arises in a multipotent hematopoietic stem cell upon the acquisition of the t(9;22) chromosomal translocation, that converts it into a leukemic stem cell (LSC). The resulting BCR-ABL1 fusion gene encodes a deregulated tyrosine kinase that is recognized as the disease driver. Therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) eliminates progenitor and more differentiated cells but fails to eradicate quiescent LSCs. Thus, although many patients obtain excellent responses and a proportion of them can even attempt treatment discontinuation (treatment free remission [TFR]) after some years of therapy, LSCs persist, and represent a potentially dangerous reservoir feeding relapse and hampering TFR. Over the past two decades, intensive efforts have been devoted to the characterization of CML LSCs and to the dissection of the cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms sustaining their persistence, in an attempt to find druggable targets enabling LSC eradication. Here we provide an overview and an update on these mechanisms, focusing in particular on the most recent acquisitions. Moreover, we provide a critical appraisal of the clinical relevance and feasibility of LSC targeting in CML.
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MESH Headings
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/antagonists & inhibitors
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/enzymology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/enzymology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Soverini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale Università di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (S.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-051-214-3832
| | - Sara De Santis
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale Università di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Cecilia Monaldi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale Università di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Samantha Bruno
- Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Diagnostica e Sperimentale Università di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy; (S.D.S.); (C.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Manuela Mancini
- Istituto di Ematologia “Seràgnoli”, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
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