BACKGROUNDRecent studies have provided a detailed census of genes that are mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our next challenge is to understand how this genetic diversity defines the pathophysiology of AML and informs clinical practice. METHODSWe enrolled a total of 1540 patients in three prospective trials of intensive therapy. Combining driver mutations in 111 cancer genes with cytogenetic and clinical data, we defined AML genomic subgroups and their relevance to clinical outcomes. RESULTSWe identified 5234 driver mutations across 76 genes or genomic regions, with 2 or more drivers identified in 86% of the patients. Patterns of co-mutation compartmentalized the cohort into 11 classes, each with distinct diagnostic features and clinical outcomes. In addition to currently defined AML subgroups, three heterogeneous genomic categories emerged: AML with mutations in genes encoding chromatin, RNAsplicing regulators, or both (in 18% of patients); AML with TP53 mutations, chromosomal aneuploidies, or both (in 13%); and, provisionally, AML with IDH2 R172 mutations (in 1%). Patients with chromatin-spliceosome and TP53-aneuploidy AML had poor outcomes, with the various class-defining mutations contributing independently and additively to the outcome. In addition to class-defining lesions, other co-occurring driver mutations also had a substantial effect on overall survival. The prognostic effects of individual mutations were often significantly altered by the presence or absence of other driver mutations. Such gene-gene interactions were especially pronounced for NPM1-mutated AML, in which patterns of co-mutation identified groups with a favorable or adverse prognosis. These predictions require validation in prospective clinical trials. CONCLUSIONSThe driver landscape in AML reveals distinct molecular subgroups that reflect discrete paths in the evolution of AML, informing disease classification and prognostic stratification. (Funded by the Wellcome Trust and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00146120.) a bs tr ac t

Background Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a FLT3 mutation have poor outcomes. We conducted a phase 3 trial to determine whether the addition of midostaurin — an oral multitargeted kinase inhibitor that is active in patients with a FLT3 mutation — to standard chemotherapy would prolong overall survival in this population. Methods We screened 3277 patients, 18 to 59 years of age, who had newly diagnosed AML for FLT3 mutations. Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard chemotherapy (induction therapy with daunorubicin and cytarabine and consolidation therapy with high-dose cytarabine) plus either midostaurin or placebo; those who were in remission after consolidation therapy entered a maintenance phase in which they received either midostaurin or placebo. Randomization was stratified according to subtype of FLT3 mutation: point mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) or internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation with either a high ratio (>0.7) or a low ratio (0.05 to 0.7) of mutant to wild-type alleles (ITD [high] and ITD [low], respectively). Allogeneic transplantation was allowed. The primary end point was overall survival. Results A total of 717 patients underwent randomization; 360 were assigned to the midostaurin group, and 357 to the placebo group. The FLT3 subtype was ITD (high) in 214 patients, ITD (low) in 341 patients, and TKD in 162 patients. The treatment groups were well balanced with respect to age, race, FLT3 subtype, cytogenetic risk, and blood counts but not with respect to sex (51.7% in the midostaurin group vs. 59.4% in the placebo group were women, P = 0.04). Overall survival was significantly longer in the midostaurin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio for death, 0.78; one-sided P = 0.009), as was event-free survival (hazard ratio for event or death, 0.78; one-sided P = 0.002). In both the primary analysis and an analysis in which data for patients who underwent transplantation were censored, the benefit of midostaurin was consistent across all FLT3 subtypes. The rate of severe adverse events was similar in the two groups. Conclusions The addition of the multitargeted kinase inhibitor midostaurin to standard chemotherapy significantly prolonged overall and event-free survival among patients with AML and a FLT3 mutation. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and Novartis; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00651261.)

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Genotypes defined by the mutational status of NPM1, FLT3, CEBPA, and MLL are associated with the outcome of treatment for patients with cytogenetically normal AML.

ATRA plus arsenic trioxide is at least not inferior and may be superior to ATRA plus chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with low-to-intermediate-risk APL. (Funded by Associazione Italiana contro le Leucemie and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00482833.).

Background-Intracoronary transfer of autologous bone marrow cells (BMCs) promotes recovery of left ventricular systolic function in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Although the mechanisms of this effect remain to be established, homing of BMCs into the infarcted myocardium is probably a critical early event. Methods and Results-We determined BMC biodistribution after therapeutic application in patients with a first ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction who had undergone stenting of the infarct-related artery. Unselected BMCs were radiolabeled with 100 MBq 2-[ 18 F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ( 18 F-FDG) and infused into the infarct-related coronary artery (intracoronary; nϭ3 patients) or injected via an antecubital vein (intravenous; nϭ3 patients). In 3 additional patients, CD34-positive (CD34 ϩ ) cells were immunomagnetically enriched from unselected BMCs, labeled with 18 F-FDG, and infused intracoronarily. Cell transfer was performed 5 to 10 days after stenting. More than 99% of the infused total radioactivity was cell bound. Nucleated cell viability, comparable in all preparations, ranged from 92% to 96%. Fifty to 75 minutes after cell transfer, all patients underwent 3D PET imaging. After intracoronary transfer, 1.3% to 2.6% of 18 F-FDG-labeled unselected BMCs were detected in the infarcted myocardium; the remaining activity was found primarily in liver and spleen. After intravenous transfer, only background activity was detected in the infarcted myocardium. After intracoronary transfer of 18 F-FDG-labeled CD34-enriched cells, 14% to 39% of the total activity was detected in the infarcted myocardium. Unselected BMCs engrafted in the infarct center and border zone; homing of CD34-enriched cells was more pronounced in the border zone. Conclusions-18 F-FDG labeling and 3D PET imaging can be used to monitor myocardial homing and biodistribution of BMCs after therapeutic application in patients.

Because of its availability, ease of collection, and correlation with physiology and pathology, urine is an attractive source for clinical proteomics/peptidomics. However, the lack of comparable data sets from large cohorts has greatly hindered the development of clinical proteomics. Here, we report the establishment of a reproducible, high resolution method for peptidome analysis of naturally occurring human urinary peptides and proteins, ranging from 800 to 17,000 Da, using samples from 3,600 individuals analyzed by capillary electrophoresis coupled to MS. All processed data were deposited in an Structured Query Language (SQL) database. This database currently contains 5,010 relevant unique urinary peptides that serve as a pool of potential classifiers for diagnosis and monitoring of various diseases. As an example, by using this source of information, we were able to define urinary peptide biomarkers for chronic kidney diseases, allowing diagnosis of these diseases with high accuracy. Application of the chronic kidney disease-specific biomarker set to an independent test cohort in the subsequent replication phase resulted in 85.5% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These results indicate the potential usefulness of capillary electrophoresis coupled to MS for clinical applications in the analysis of naturally occurring urinary peptides. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 9:2424 -2437, 2010.From the Departments of a Chemistry and

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