Summary Specific combinations of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) disease alleles, including FLT3 and TET2 mutations, confer distinct biologic features and adverse outcome. We generated mice with mutations in Tet2 and Flt3, which resulted in fully penetrant, lethal AML. Multipotent Tet2−/−;Flt3ITD progenitors (LSK CD48+CD150−) propagate disease in secondary recipients and were refractory to standard AML chemotherapy and FLT3-targeted therapy. Flt3ITD mutations and Tet2 loss cooperatively remodeled DNA methylation and gene expression to an extent not seen with either mutant allele alone, including at the Gata2 locus. Re-expression of Gata2 induced differentiation in AML stem cells and attenuated leukemogenesis. TET2 and FLT3 mutations cooperatively induce AML, with a defined leukemia stem cell population characterized by site-specific changes in DNA methylation and gene expression.
Even though hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) dysfunction is presumed in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), the exact nature of quantitative and qualitative alterations is unknown. We conducted a study of phenotypic and molecular alterations in highly fractionated stem and progenitor populations in a variety of MDS subtypes. We observed an expansion of the phenotypically primitive long-term HSCs (lineage ؊ /CD34 ؉ /CD38 ؊ /CD90 ؉ ) in MDS, which was most pronounced in higher-risk cases. These MDS HSCs demonstrated dysplastic clonogenic activity. Examination of progenitors revealed that lower-risk MDS is
Neomorphic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) are driver mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other cancers. We report the development of new allosteric inhibitors of mutant IDH1. Crystallographic and biochemical results demonstrated that compounds of this chemical series bind to an allosteric site and lock the enzyme in a catalytically inactive conformation, thereby enabling inhibition of different clinically relevant IDH1 mutants. Treatment of IDH1 mutant primary AML cells uniformly led to a decrease in intracellular 2-HG, abrogation of the myeloid differentiation block and induction of granulocytic differentiation at the level of leukemic blasts and more immature stem-like cells, in vitro and in vivo. Molecularly, treatment with the inhibitors led to a reversal of the DNA cytosine hypermethylation patterns caused by mutant IDH1 in AML patients’ cells. Our study provides proof-of-concept for the molecular and biological activity of novel allosteric inhibitors for targeting different mutant forms of IDH1 in leukemia.
IntroductionAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are heterogeneous neoplastic diseases, and most subtypes have poor clinical outcomes. Despite the established use of poly-chemotherapy and the development of new agents that transiently reduce the tumor burden, relapse or failure to achieve durable remission continues to be the most common causes of death in most subtypes of AML and MDS. Recent experimental evidence suggests that AML arises from transformed immature hematopoietic cells after the accumulation of multiple stepwise genetic and epigenetic changes in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and committed progenitors. 1 The series of transforming events are thought to initially give rise to preleukemia stem cells (pre-LSCs), preceding the formation of fully transformed LSCs. Defining the characteristics of LSCs, and also of pre-LSCs, is critical to understanding the genesis of leukemia and to developing strategies by which these cells can be eradicated. AML is characterized by a cellular heterogeneous tumor bulk, with LSCs at the top of the hierarchy and a differentiation block at various stages during myeloid maturation. 2 To address the problem of cellular heterogeneity within the tumor and to identify relevant molecular pathways effective in LSCs and pre-LSCs, novel experimental approaches other than the examination of bulk tumor cells need to be established. Recent findings have suggested that human LSCs are contained within different phenotypic compartments and at relatively low frequencies. [3][4][5] Several surface molecules were reported to permit enrichment of LSCs in AML. 4,[6][7][8][9][10][11] However, reliable markers for human LSCs at the single-cell level have yet to be identified; and because of the challenges associated with the use of xenograft models, the search for such markers remains difficult. Moreover, although there is clear evidence for the involvement of HSCs in AML pathogenesis, studies from murine models suggest that fully transformed and transplantable LSCs may reside at a committed progenitor stage. 12-15 Here we applied a novel approach of parallel transcriptional analysis of multiple, highly fractionated stem and progenitor populations in individual patients. We isolated phenotypic long-term HSCs (LT-HSCs), short-term HSCs (ST-HSCs), The online version of this article contains a data supplement.The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. Therefore, and solely to indicate this fact, this article is hereby marked ''advertisement'' in accordance with 18 USC section 1734. For personal use only. on May 11, 2018. by guest www.bloodjournal.org From and committed granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMP) from individual patients with AML, and compared gene expression profiles of each population with their phenotypic counterparts from age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Subsequent intersection of differentially expressed genes in the different cellular compartments allowed us to identify candidate genes that are consistently...
Chronic innate immune signaling in hematopoietic cells is widely described in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and innate immune pathway activation, predominantly via pattern recognition receptors, increases the risk of developing MDS. An inflammatory component to MDS has been reported for many years, but only recently has evidence supported a more direct role of chronic innate immune signaling and associated inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of MDS. Here we review recent findings and discuss relevant questions related to chronic immune response dysregulation in MDS.
Eltrombopag (EP) is a small-molecule, nonpeptide thrombopoietin receptor (TPO-R) agonist that has been approved recently for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Prior studies have shown that EP stimulates megakaryopoiesis in BM cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, and the results also suggested that it may inhibit leukemia cell growth. In the present study, we studied the effects of EP on leukemia cell proliferation and the mechanism of its antiproliferative effects. We found that EP leads to a decreased cell division rate, a block in G 1 phase of cell cycle, and increased differentiation in human and murine leukemia cells. Because EP is species specific in that it can only bind TPO-R in human and primate cells, these findings further suggested that the antileukemic effect is independent of TPO-R. We found that treatment with EP leads to a reduction in free intracellular iron in leukemic cells in a dose-dependent manner. Experimental increase of intracellular iron abrogated the antiproliferative and differentiation-inducing effects of EP, demonstrating that its antileukemic effects are mediated through modulation of intracellular iron content. Finally, determination of EP's antileukemic activity in vivo demonstrated its ability to prolong survival in 2 mouse models of leukemia. (Blood. 2012;120(2):386-394) IntroductionSurvival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has remained poor despite recent efforts to treat patients with novel therapeutic regimens. [1][2][3][4] In addition, complications secondary to thrombocytopenia and bleeding occur frequently in AML and MDS, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. 5,6 Given that the median age of patients with AML is close to 70 years, novel antileukemia agents with limited BM toxicity are needed to improve outcomes.Eltrombopag (EP) is an oral, nonpeptide, small-molecule thrombopoietin receptor (TPO-R) agonist that has proven efficacy in treating chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and hepatitis C-related thrombocytopenia. 7,8 Despite concerns that some leukemia blast cells express TPO-R, we and others have reported previously that EP does not stimulate leukemia or MDS cell growth, but may rather lead to a modest inhibition while continuing to stimulate normal megakaryopoiesis in BM samples of patients with AML or MDS. 9,10 One study using a close chemical derivative of EP found a toxic effect on myeloid leukemia cells, suggesting that the entire substance class, including EP itself, may possess antileukemic activity. 11 Studies using cell lines further suggested that the growth-inhibitory effect of EP is not related to expression levels of However, this hypothesis has not yet been formally tested, and the mechanism through which EP exerts its potential antileukemic effect is not known. The concentrations at which EP inhibits leukemia cell proliferation in vitro are clinically achievable with few side effects and hav...
Key Points IL8-CXCR2 is overexpressed in purified stem cells from AML and MDS, and CXCR2 expression is associated with worse prognosis. Inhibition of CXCR2 by genetic and pharmacologic means leads to decreased viability in AML/MDS stem cells and in vitro and in vivo models.
Modest transcriptional changes caused by genetic or epigenetic mechanisms are frequent in human cancer. Although loss or near-complete loss of the hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1 induces acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in mice, a similar degree of PU.1 impairment is exceedingly rare in human AML; yet moderate PU.1 inhibition is common in AML patients. We assessed functional consequences of modest reduction of PU.1 expression on leukemia development in mice harboring DNA lesions resembling those acquired during human stem cell aging. Heterozygous deletion of an enhancer of PU.1, which resulted in 35% reduction of PU.1 expression, was sufficient to induce myeloid biased preleukemic stem cells and subsequent transformation to AML in a DNA mismatch repair-deficient background. AML progression was mediated by inhibition of expression of a PU.1 cooperating transcription factor, Irf8. Strikingly, we found significant molecular similarities with human myelodysplastic syndrome and AML. This study demonstrates that minimal reduction of a key lineage-specific transcription factor that commonly occurs in human disease is sufficient to initiate cancer development and provides mechanistic insight into the formation and progression of preleukemic stem cells in AML.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.