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Feng M, Zhang B, Li G, Yang Y, Liu J, Zhang Z, Zhou B, Zhang H. BACH2-mediated CD28 and CD40LG axes contribute to pathogenesis and progression of T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:59. [PMID: 38233409 PMCID: PMC10794190 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06453-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive subtype of ALL characterized by its high heterogeneity and unfavorable clinical features. Despite improved insights in genetic and epigenetic landscapes of T-ALL, the molecular mechanisms that drive malignant T-cell development remain unclear. BTB and CNC homology 2 (BACH2) is a lymphoid-specific transcription repressor recognized as a tumor suppressor in B-cell malignancies, but little is known about its function and regulatory network in T-ALL. Here we found extremely low levels of BACH2 in T-ALL clinical samples and cell lines compared to normal T cells. Overexpression of BACH2 in T-ALL cells not only induced cell growth retardation but also inhibited cancer progression and infiltration in xenografts. Further RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed significant alterations in regulation of defense and immune responses in T-ALL cells upon BACH2 overexpression. Strikingly, CD28 and CD40LG, two essential stimulatory molecules on T cells, were for the first time identified as novel downstream targets repressed by BACH2 in T-ALL cells. Interestingly, both CD28 and CD40LG were indispensable for T-ALL survival, since largely or completely silencing CD28 and CD40LG led to rapid cell death, whereas partial knockdown of them resulted in cell-cycle arrest and enhanced apoptosis. More importantly, BACH2-mediated CD28 and CD40LG signals contributed to cell migration and dissemination of T-ALL cells to the bone marrow, thus adding a new layer to the BACH2-mediated tumor immunoregulation in T-cell malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Feng
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China
| | - Bailing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guilan Li
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China
| | - Jiangyuan Liu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China
| | - Ziting Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China
| | - Bing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, China.
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Mendivil-Perez M, Jimenez-Del-Rio M, Velez-Pardo C. TPEN/TPGS (T2) combo dramatically reduces Philadelphia chromosome-positive pro-lymphoblastic B leukemia in BALB/c mice. Med Oncol 2023; 40:15. [PMID: 36352172 PMCID: PMC9646590 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-022-01873-y] [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: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is hematological neoplasia that affects human beings from early life to adulthood. Although ALL treatment has been effective, an important percentage of ALL patients are resilient to treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for testing a new combination of compounds for the treatment of this disease. Recently, combined TPEN and TPGS (T2 combo) have shown selective cytotoxic effects in vitro leukemia cells such as Jurkat, K562, and Ba/F3 cells. In this study, we aimed to test the effect of combined TPEN and TPGS agents (T2 combo) at a fixed dose (TPEN 5 mg/kg: TPGS 100 mg/kg) on leukemic Ba/F3-BCR-ABL P210 BALB-c mice model. We found that 4 successive 2-day apart intravenous injections of T2 combo showed a statistically significant reduction of Ba/F3 BCR-ABL leukemia cells (- 69%) in leukemia BALB/c mice (n = 6) compared to untreated leukemia group (n = 6). Moreover, the T2 combo was innocuous to non-leukemia BALB/c mice (n = 3) compared to untreated non-leukemia mice (control, n = 3). After treatments (day 42), all mice were left to rest until day 50. Outstandingly, the leukemia BALB/c mice treated with the T2 combo showed a lower percentage of Ba/F3-BCR-ABL P210 cells (- 84%) than untreated leukemia BALB/c mice. Furthermore, treatment of leukemia and non-leukemia mice with T2 combo showed no significant tissue alteration/damage according to the histopathological analysis of brain, heart, liver, kidney, and spleen samples; however, T2 combo significantly reduced the number of leukocytes in the bone marrow of treated leukemia mice. We conclude that the T2 combo specifically affects leukemia cells but no other tissue/organs. Therefore, we anticipate that the T2 combo might be a potential pro-oxidant combination for the treatment of leukemia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Mendivil-Perez
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, SIU, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Marlene Jimenez-Del-Rio
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, SIU, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, SIU, Medellin, Colombia
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Zhang Z, Yang K, Zhang H. Targeting Leukemia-Initiating Cells and Leukemic Niches: The Next Therapy Station for T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225655. [PMID: 36428753 PMCID: PMC9688677 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive subtype of hematological malignancy characterized by its high heterogeneity and potentially life-threatening clinical features. Despite the advances in risk stratification and therapeutic management of T-ALL, patients often suffer from treatment failure and chemotherapy-induced toxicity, calling for greater efforts to improve therapeutic efficacy and safety in the treatment of T-ALL. During the past decades, increasing evidence has shown the indispensable effects of leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) and leukemic niches on T-ALL initiation and progression. These milestones greatly facilitate precision medicine by interfering with the pathways that are associated with LICs and leukemic niches or by targeting themselves directly. Most of these novel agents, either alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy, have shown promising preclinical results, facilitating them to be further evaluated under clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the latest discoveries in LICs and leukemic niches in terms of T-ALL, with a particular highlight on the current precision medicine. The challenges and future prospects are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziting Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Kun Yang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-158-7796-3252
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