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Calledda FR, Malara A, Balduini A. Inflammation and bone marrow fibrosis: novel immunotherapeutic targets. Curr Opin Hematol 2023; 30:237-244. [PMID: 37548363 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Myelofibrosis (MF) is primarily driven by constitutive activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer of activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway. While JAK inhibitors have shown to alleviate disease symptoms, their disease-modifying effects in MF are limited. The only curative treatment remains allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which can be applied to a minority of patients. As a result, there is a need to explore novel targets in MF to facilitate appropriate drug development and therapeutic pathways. RECENT FINDINGS Recent research has focused on identifying novel signals that contribute to the abnormal cross-talk between hematopoietic and stromal cells, which promotes MF and disease progression. Inflammation and immune dysregulation have emerged as key drivers of both the initiation and progression of MF. A growing number of actionable targets has been identified, including cytokines, transcription factors, signalling networks and cell surface-associated molecules. These targets exhibit dysfunctions in malignant and nonmalignant hematopoietic cells, but also in nonhematopoietic cells of the bone marrow. The study of these inflammation-related molecules, in preclinical models and MF patient's samples, is providing novel therapeutic targets. SUMMARY The identification of immunotherapeutic targets is expanding the therapeutic landscape of MF. This review provides a summary of the most recent advancements in the study of immunotherapeutic targets in MF.
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Manshouri T, Veletic I, Li P, Yin CC, Post SM, Verstovsek S, Estrov Z. GLI1 activates pro-fibrotic pathways in myelofibrosis fibrocytes. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:481. [PMID: 35595725 PMCID: PMC9122946 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bone marrow (BM) fibrosis was thought to be induced exclusively by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, we and others found that neoplastic fibrocytes induce BM fibrosis in myelofibrosis (MF). Because glioma-associated oncogene-1 (GLI1), an effector of the Hedgehog pathway, plays a role in the induction of BM fibrosis, we wondered whether GLI1 affects fibrocyte-induced BM fibrosis in MF. Multiplexed fluorescence immunohistochemistry analysis of MF patients' BM detected high levels of GLI1 in MF fibrocytes compared to MSCs or normal fibrocytes. Immunostaining, RNA in situ hybridization, gene expression analysis, and western immunoblotting detected high levels of GLI1 and GLI1-induced matrix metalloproteases (MMP) 2 and 9 in MF patients BM-derived cultured fibrocytes. Similarly, MF patients' BM-derived GLI1+ fibrocytes were found in BMs and spleens of MF xenograft mice. GLI1 silencing reduced the levels of MMP2/9, phosphorylated SMAD2/3, and procollagen-I, and knockdown or inhibition of GLI1 decreased fibrocyte formation and induced apoptosis of both fibrocytes and fibrocyte progenitors. Because Janus kinase (JAK)2-induced STAT3 is constitutively activated in MF and because STAT3 induces GLI1 expression, we sought to determine whether STAT3 activates GLI1 in MF fibrocytes. Imaging analysis detected phosphotyrosine STAT3 in MF patients' BM fibrocytes, and transfection of fibrocytes with STAT3-siRNA or treatment with a JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib reduced GLI1 and MMP2/9 levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and a luciferase assay revealed that STAT3 induced the expression of the GLI1 gene in both MF BM fibrocytes and fibrocyte progenitors. Together, our data suggest that STAT3-activated GLI1 contributes to the induction of BM fibrosis in MF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taghi Manshouri
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ivo Veletic
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - C Cameron Yin
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sean M Post
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Srdan Verstovsek
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Zeev Estrov
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
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Longhitano L, Tibullo D, Vicario N, Giallongo C, La Spina E, Romano A, Lombardo S, Moretti M, Masia F, Coda ARD, Venuto S, Fontana P, Parenti R, Li Volti G, Di Rosa M, Palumbo GA, Liso A. IGFBP-6/sonic hedgehog/TLR4 signalling axis drives bone marrow fibrotic transformation in primary myelofibrosis. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:25055-25071. [PMID: 34905501 PMCID: PMC8714138 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Primary myelofibrosis is a Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by bone marrow fibrosis and associated with the involvement of several pathways, in addition to bone marrow microenvironment alterations, mostly driven by the activation of the cytokine receptor/JAK2 pathway. Identification of driver mutations has led to the development of targeted therapy for myelofibrosis, contributing to reducing inflammation, although this currently does not translate into bone marrow fibrosis remission. Therefore, understanding the clear molecular cut underlying this pathology is now necessary to improve the clinical outcome of patients. The present study aims to investigate the involvement of IGFBP-6/sonic hedgehog /Toll-like receptor 4 axis in the microenvironment alterations of primary myelofibrosis. We observed a significant increase in IGFBP-6 expression levels in primary myelofibrosis patients, coupled with a reduction to near-normal levels in primary myelofibrosis patients with JAK2V617F mutation. We also found that both IGFBP-6 and purmorphamine, a SHH activator, were able to induce mesenchymal stromal cells differentiation with an up-regulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts markers. Furthermore, TLR4 signaling was also activated after IGFBP-6 and purmorphamine exposure and reverted by cyclopamine exposure, an inhibitor of the SHH pathway, confirming that SHH is involved in TLR4 activation and microenvironment alterations. In conclusion, our results suggest that the IGFBP-6/SHH/TLR4 axis is implicated in alterations of the primary myelofibrosis microenvironment and that IGFBP-6 may play a central role in activating SHH pathway during the fibrotic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Longhitano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Daniele Tibullo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Nunzio Vicario
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Cesarina Giallongo
- Department of Scienze Mediche Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Enrico La Spina
- Division of Hematology, Department of General Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, A.O.U. "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele", University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Alessandra Romano
- Division of Hematology, Department of General Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, A.O.U. "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele", University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Sofia Lombardo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Viagrande 95029, Italy
| | - Marina Moretti
- Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia 06129, Italy
| | - Francesco Masia
- Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia 06129, Italy
| | | | - Santina Venuto
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia 71100, Italy
| | - Paolo Fontana
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Viagrande 95029, Italy
| | - Rosalba Parenti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Giovanni Li Volti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Michelino Di Rosa
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Giuseppe A Palumbo
- Department of Scienze Mediche Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, Catania 95123, Italy
| | - Arcangelo Liso
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia 71100, Italy
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