1
|
Allert C, Müller-Tidow C, Blank MF. The relevance of the hematopoietic niche for therapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. Int J Cancer 2024; 154:197-209. [PMID: 37565773 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34684] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts not only suppresses normal hematopoiesis, but also alters the microenvironment. The interplay of different components of the bone marrow gives rise to altered metabolic states and activates signaling pathways which lead to resistance and impede effective therapy. Therefore, the underlying processes and mechanisms represent attractive therapeutic leverage points for overcoming therapy resistance in AML. Here, we briefly discuss resistance mechanisms based on cell interactions and secreted soluble factors in the hematopoietic niche and provide an overview of niche-related therapeutic targets currently undergoing preclinical and clinical investigation which may help improve the outcome in AML therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catana Allert
- Department of Medicine V, Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- University of Heidelberg Medical Faculty, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carsten Müller-Tidow
- Department of Medicine V, Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- University of Heidelberg Medical Faculty, Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), University of Heidelberg and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Felix Blank
- Department of Medicine V, Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), University of Heidelberg and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division Proteomics of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lehner KM, Gopalakrishnapillai A, Kolb EA, Barwe SP. Bone Marrow Microenvironment-Induced Chemoprotection in KMT2A Rearranged Pediatric AML Is Overcome by Azacitidine-Panobinostat Combination. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3112. [PMID: 37370721 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in therapies of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been minimal in recent decades. Although 82% of patients will have an initial remission after intensive therapy, approximately 40% will relapse. KMT2A is the most common chromosomal translocation in AML and has a poor prognosis resulting in high relapse rates and low chemotherapy efficacy. Novel targeted approaches are needed to increase sensitivity to chemotherapy. Recent studies have shown how interactions within the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment help AML cells evade chemotherapy and contribute to relapse by promoting leukemic blast survival. This study investigates how DNA hypomethylating agent azacitidine and histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat synergistically overcome BM niche-induced chemoprotection modulated by stromal, endothelial, and mesenchymal stem cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). We show that direct contact between AML cells and BM components mediates chemoprotection. We demonstrate that azacitidine and panobinostat synergistically sensitize MV4;11 cells and KMT2A rearranged pediatric patient-derived xenograft lines to cytarabine in multicell coculture. Treatment with the epigenetic drug combination reduced leukemic cell association with multicell monolayer and ECM in vitro and increased mobilization of leukemic cells from the BM in vivo. Finally, we show that pretreatment with the epigenetic drug combination improves the efficacy of chemotherapy in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kara M Lehner
- Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Nemours Children's Hospital, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Anilkumar Gopalakrishnapillai
- Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Nemours Children's Hospital, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Edward Anders Kolb
- Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Nemours Children's Hospital, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
| | - Sonali P Barwe
- Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Nemours Children's Hospital, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pievani A, Biondi M, Tomasoni C, Biondi A, Serafini M. Location First: Targeting Acute Myeloid Leukemia Within Its Niche. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E1513. [PMID: 32443460 PMCID: PMC7290711 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9051513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research and development of new treatments, acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-backbone therapy has remained essentially unchanged over the last decades and is frequently associated with poor outcomes. Eradicating the leukemic stem cells (LSCs) is the ultimate challenge in the treatment of AML. Emerging evidence suggests that AML remodels the bone marrow (BM) niche into a leukemia-permissive microenvironment while suppressing normal hematopoiesis. The mechanism of stromal-mediated protection of leukemic cells in the BM is complex and involves many adhesion molecules, chemokines, and cytokines. Targeting these factors may represent a valuable approach to complement existing therapies and overcome microenvironment-mediated drug resistance. Some strategies for dislodging LSCs and leukemic blasts from their protective niche have already been tested in patients and are in different phases of the process of clinical development. Other strategies, such as targeting the stromal cells remodeling processes, remain at pre-clinical stages. Development of humanized xenograft mouse models, which overcome the mismatch between human leukemia cells and the mouse BM niche, is required to generate physiologically relevant, patient-specific human niches in mice that can be used to unravel the role of human AML microenvironment and to carry out preclinical studies for the development of new targeted therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Pievani
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.P.); (M.B.); (C.T.)
| | - Marta Biondi
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.P.); (M.B.); (C.T.)
| | - Chiara Tomasoni
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.P.); (M.B.); (C.T.)
| | - Andrea Biondi
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit, Fondazione MBBM/San Gerardo Hospital, 20900 Monza, Italy;
| | - Marta Serafini
- Centro Ricerca M. Tettamanti, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (A.P.); (M.B.); (C.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sterner RM, Kremer KN, Dudakovic A, Westendorf JJ, van Wijnen AJ, Hedin KE. Tissue-Nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase Is Required for MC3T3 Osteoblast-Mediated Protection of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells from Apoptosis. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 201:1086-1096. [PMID: 29914885 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The bone marrow microenvironment harbors and protects leukemic cells from apoptosis-inducing agents via mechanisms that are incompletely understood. We previously showed SDF-1 (CXCL-12), a chemokine readily abundant within the bone marrow microenvironment, induces apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells that express high levels of the SDF-1 receptor CXCR4. However, differentiating osteoblasts found within this niche protect cocultured AML cells from apoptosis. Additionally, this protection was abrogated upon treatment of the differentiating osteoblasts with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). In this study, we begin to characterize and target the molecular mechanisms that mediate this osteoblast protection. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that HDACi treatment of differentiating osteoblasts (mouse MC3T3 osteoblast cell line) reduced expression of multiple genes required for osteoblast differentiation, including genes important for producing mineralized bone matrix. Interestingly, pretreating differentiating osteoblasts with cyclosporine A, a drug known to inhibit osteoblast differentiation, similarly impaired osteoblast-mediated protection of cocultured AML cells (KG1a and U937 human AML cell lines). Both HDACi and cyclosporine A reduced osteoblast expression of the key mineralization enzyme tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP; encoded by Alpl). Moreover, specifically reducing TNAP expression or activity in differentiating osteoblasts significantly impaired the ability of the osteoblasts to protect cocultured AML cells. Together, our results indicate that inhibiting osteoblast matrix mineralization by specifically targeting TNAP is sufficient to significantly impair osteoblast-mediated protection of AML cells. Therefore, designing combination therapies that additionally target the osteoblast-produced mineralized bone matrix may improve treatment of AML by reducing the protection of leukemic cells within the bone marrow microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosalie M Sterner
- Mayo Clinic Medical Scientist Training Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905.,Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905
| | - Kimberly N Kremer
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905
| | - Amel Dudakovic
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905; and
| | - Jennifer J Westendorf
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905; and.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905
| | - Andre J van Wijnen
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905; and.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905
| | - Karen E Hedin
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905;
| |
Collapse
|