Effects of Lifestyle and Environmental Factors on the Risk of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Result of a Hospital-based Case-Control Study

Transcription factor genetics and biology in predisposition to bone marrow failure and hematological malignancy

Transcription factors (TFs) play a critical role as key mediators of a multitude of developmental pathways, with highly regulated and tightly organized networks crucial for determining both the timing and pattern of tissue development. TFs can act as master regulators of both primitive and definitive hematopoiesis, tightly controlling the behavior of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). These networks control the functional regulation of HSPCs including self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation dynamics, which are essential to normal hematopoiesis. Defining the key players and dynamics of these hematopoietic transcriptional networks is essential to understanding both normal hematopoiesis and how genetic aberrations in TFs and their networks can predispose to hematopoietic disease including bone marrow failure (BMF) and hematological malignancy (HM). Despite their multifaceted and complex involvement in hematological development, advances in genetic screening along with elegant multi-omics and model system studies are shedding light on how hematopoietic TFs interact and network to achieve normal cell fates and their role in disease etiology. This review focuses on TFs which predispose to BMF and HM, identifies potential novel candidate predisposing TF genes, and examines putative biological mechanisms leading to these phenotypes. A better understanding of the genetics and molecular biology of hematopoietic TFs, as well as identifying novel genes and genetic variants predisposing to BMF and HM, will accelerate the development of preventative strategies, improve clinical management and counseling, and help define targeted treatments for these diseases.

Cinobufagin inhibits proliferation of acute myeloid leukaemia cells by repressing c-Myc pathway-associated genes

Cinobufagin is a cardiotoxic bufanolide steroid secreted by the Asiatic toad, Bufo gargarizans. Bufanolides inhibit Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase and have similar effects as cardiac glycosides, such as digitoxin or ouabain derived from toxic herbs. Recently, the anti-cancer effects of bufanolides have gained attention, however the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Selecting cinobufagin as a candidate anti-leukaemia agent, we here conducted transcriptomic analyses on the effect of cinobufagin on human acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cell lines, HL60 and Kasumi-1. Flow cytometry analysis showed that cinobufagin induced apoptosis in both cell lines. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of the two cell lines treated with cinobufagin revealed commonly downregulated genes with enrichment in the term "Myc active pathway" according to Gene Ontology (GO) analysis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of genes downregulated by cinobufagin also showed "MYC_TARGETS_V2" with the highest normalised enrichment score (NES) in both cell lines. In contrast, hallmarks such as "TNFA_SIGNALING_VIA_NFKB", "APOPTOSIS", and "TGF_BETA_SIGNALING" were significantly enriched as upregulated gene sets. Epigenetic analysis using chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (ChIP-seq) confirmed that genes encoding cell death-related signalling molecules were upregulated by gain of H3K27ac, whereas downregulation of c-Myc-related genes was not accompanied by H3K27ac alteration. Cinobufagin is an anti-proliferative natural compound with c-Myc-inhibiting and epigenetic-modulating activity in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Targeting AraC-Resistant Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Dual Inhibition of CDK9 and Bcl-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE

This study aims to determine the influence of targeting araC-resistant acute myeloid leukemia by dual inhibition cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK9) and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2).

METHOD

The c-Myc inhibitor 10058-F4 and the CDK9 inhibitor AZD4573 were used to determine the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

RESULTS

10058-F4 reduces c-Myc protein levels and suppresses HepG2 cell proliferation, possibly by upregulating cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, p21WAF1, and reducing intracellular alpha-fetal protein (AFP) levels.

CONCLUSION

The combination of AZD4573 and 10058-F4 has a synergistic anti-araC-resistant AML activity, providing a solid database for the aforementioned scientific hypothesis.