High expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2C predicts poor prognosis for adult acute myeloid leukaemia with normal karyotype

Aberrant ecotropic viral integration site-1 (EVI-1) and myocyte enhancer factor 2 C gene (MEF2C) in adult acute myeloid leukemia are associated with adverse t (9:22) & 11q23 rearrangements

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) shows multiple chromosomal translocations & point mutations which can be used to refine risk-adapted therapy in AML patients. Ecotropic viral integration site-1 (EVI-1) & myocyte enhancer factor 2 C gene (MEF2C) are key regulatory transcription factors in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis & both drive immune escape. This prospective study involved 80 adult de novo AML patients recruited from Oncology Center, Mansoura University, between March 2019 and July 2021. The MEF2C and EVI1 expression were measured using a Taqman probe-based qPCR assay. The results revealed that EVI1 and MEF2C expression were significantly elevated in AML patients as compared to control subjects (p = 0.001. 0.007 respectively). Aberrant expressions of EVI1 and MEF2C showed a significant negative correlation with hemoglobin levels (p = 0.034, 0.025 respectively), & bone marrow blasts (p = 0.007, 0.002 respectively). 11q23 translocation was significantly associated with EVI1 and MEF2C (p = 0.004 and 0.02 respectively). Also, t (9;22) was significantly associated with EVI1 and MEF2C (p = 0.01 and 0.03 respectively), higher expression of EVI1 and MEF2C were significantly associated with inferior outcome after induction therapy (p = 0.001 and 0.018 respectively) and shorter overall survival (p = 0.001, 0.014 respectively). In conclusion, EVI1 & MEF2C were significantly expressed in AML cases. EVI1 & MEF2C overexpression were significantly associated with 11q23 rearrangements and t (9;22) and were indicators for poor outcome in adult AML patients; These results could be a step towards personalized therapy in those patients.

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identifies key hub genes and pathways in acute myeloid leukemia

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of leukemia in adults. However, there is a gap in understanding the molecular basis of the disease, partly because key genes associated with AML have not been extensively explored. In the current study, we aimed to identify genes that have strong association with AML based on a cross-species integrative approach. Methods: We used Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify co-expressed gene modules significantly correlated with human AML, and further selected the genes exhibiting a significant difference in expression between AML and healthy mouse. Protein-protein interactions, transcription factors, gene function, genetic regulation, and coding sequence variants were integrated to identify key hub genes in AML. Results: The cross-species approach identified a total of 412 genes associated with both human and mouse AML. Enrichment analysis confirmed an association of these genes with hematopoietic and immune-related functions, phenotypes, processes, and pathways. Further, the integrated analysis approach identified a set of important module genes including Nfe2, Trim27, Mef2c, Ets1, Tal1, Foxo1, and Gata1 in AML. Six of these genes (except ETS1) showed significant differential expression between human AML and healthy samples in an independent microarray dataset. All of these genes are known to be involved in immune/hematopoietic functions, and in transcriptional regulation. In addition, Nfe2, Trim27, Mef2c, and Ets1 harbor coding sequence variants, whereas Nfe2 and Trim27 are cis-regulated, making them attractive candidates for validation. Furthermore, subtype-specific analysis of the hub genes in human AML indicated high expression of NFE2 across all the subtypes (M0 through M7) and enriched expression of ETS1, LEF1, GATA1, and TAL1 in M6 and M7 subtypes. A significant correlation between methylation status and expression level was observed for most of these genes in AML patients. Conclusion: Findings from the current study highlight the importance of our cross-species approach in the identification of multiple key candidate genes in AML, which can be further studied to explore their detailed role in leukemia/AML.

CC1007, a small molecular compound, suppresses multiple myeloma via upregulation of Nur77

BACKGROUND

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy of plasma cells characterized by the production of monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. Despite significant advances in the treatment of MM, it remains an incurable disorder owing to its resistance to chemotherapy and refractory nature. Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACIs) have been identified as promising therapeutic drugs for cancer treatment. At present, numerous HDACIs are under study for the treatment of MM in monotherapy or in conjunction with other agents.

OBJECTIVES

In the present study, we investigated the anti-MM effect of CC1007, which was designed to indirectly inhibit class IIa HDACs by binding to myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) and blocking the targets regulated by the HDAC-MEF2 complex.

DESIGN

The effect of CC1007 on human MM cell lines, namely U266 and MM1.S, and CD138+ cells collected from the bone marrow of patients with MM was evaluated.

METHODS

The cells were subjected to growth-inhibition assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle analysis, real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, ChIP assay, and siRNA transfection. Statistical differences were compared using two-tailed t tests or one-way analysis of variance followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test.

RESULTS

CC1007 inhibited the proliferation of MM cell lines and primary MM cells and induced their apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, CC1007 decreased the expression of MEF2C and HDAC7, thereby disturbing their interaction and promoting the overexpression of Nur77, a target of MEF2C. The overexpression of Nur77 and its translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm resulted in its binding to B-cell lymphoma 2 on the mitochondrial surface, thereby inducing the release of cytochrome C and activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Since CC1007 demonstrates remarkable anti-MM effect on MM cells, it may be a promising drug for the treatment of MM.