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Láinez-González D, Alonso-Aguado AB, Alonso-Dominguez JM. Understanding the Wnt Signaling Pathway in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells: A Feasible Key against Relapses. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:biology12050683. [PMID: 37237497 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Wnt signaling is a highly conserved pathway in evolution which controls important processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and migration, both in the embryo and in the adult. Dysregulation of this pathway can favor the development of different types of cancer, such as acute myeloid leukemia and other hematological malignancies. Overactivation of this pathway may promote the transformation of pre-leukemic stem cells into acute myeloid leukemia stem cells, as well as the maintenance of their quiescent state, which confers them with self-renewal and chemoresistance capacity, favoring relapse of the disease. Although this pathway participates in the regulation of normal hematopoiesis, its requirements seem to be greater in the leukemic stem cell population. In this review, we explore the possible therapeutic targeting of Wnt to eradicate the LSCs of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Láinez-González
- Experimental Hematology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Avenida Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Belén Alonso-Aguado
- Experimental Hematology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Avenida Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Alonso-Dominguez
- Experimental Hematology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Avenida Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Hematology Department, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Avenida Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Soares-Lima SC, Pombo-de-Oliveira MS, Carneiro FRG. The multiple ways Wnt signaling contributes to acute leukemia pathogenesis. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 108:1081-1099. [PMID: 32573851 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.2mr0420-707r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
WNT proteins constitute a very conserved family of secreted glycoproteins that act as short-range ligands for signaling with critical roles in hematopoiesis, embryonic development, and tissue homeostasis. These proteins transduce signals via the canonical pathway, which is β-catenin-mediated and better-characterized, or via more diverse noncanonical pathways that are β-catenin independent and comprise the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway and the WNT/Ca++ pathways. Several proteins regulate Wnt signaling through a variety of sophisticated mechanisms. Disorders within the pathway can contribute to various human diseases, and the dysregulation of Wnt pathways by different molecular mechanisms is implicated in the pathogenesis of many types of cancer, including the hematological malignancies. The types of leukemia differ considerably and can be subdivided into chronic, myeloid or lymphocytic, and acute, myeloid or lymphocytic, leukemia, according to the differentiation stage of the predominant cells, the progenitor lineage, the diagnostic age strata, and the specific molecular drivers behind their development. Here, we review the role of Wnt signaling in normal hematopoiesis and discuss in detail the multiple ways canonical Wnt signaling can be dysregulated in acute leukemia, including alterations in gene expression and protein levels, epigenetic regulation, and mutations. Furthermore, we highlight the different impacts of these alterations, considering the distinct forms of the disease, and the therapeutic potential of targeting Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila C Soares-Lima
- Epigenetics Group, Molecular Carcinogenesis Program, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria S Pombo-de-Oliveira
- Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Program Research Center, National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Flávia R G Carneiro
- FIOCRUZ, Center of Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,FIOCRUZ, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas-Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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3
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Casola S, Perucho L, Tripodo C, Sindaco P, Ponzoni M, Facchetti F. The B‐cell receptor in control of tumor B‐cell fitness: Biology and clinical relevance. Immunol Rev 2019; 288:198-213. [DOI: 10.1111/imr.12738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Casola
- The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) Milan Italy
| | - Laura Perucho
- The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) Milan Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology UnitDepartment of Health SciencesUniversity of Palermo Palermo Italy
- Tumor and Microenvironment Histopathology UnitThe FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) Milan Italy
| | - Paola Sindaco
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (D.E.T.O.)Hematology SectionUniversity of Bari Bari Italy
| | - Maurilio Ponzoni
- Pathology and Lymphoid Malignancies UnitsAteneo Vita‐Salute San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan Italy
| | - Fabio Facchetti
- Department of Molecular and Translational MedicineSection of PathologyUniversity of Brescia Brescia Italy
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Simioni C, Martelli AM, Zauli G, Melloni E, Neri LM. Targeting mTOR in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cells 2019; 8:E190. [PMID: 30795552 DOI: 10.3390/cells8020190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is an aggressive hematologic disorder and constitutes approximately 25% of cancer diagnoses among children and teenagers. Pediatric patients have a favourable prognosis, with 5-years overall survival rates near 90%, while adult ALL still correlates with poorer survival. However, during the past few decades, the therapeutic outcome of adult ALL was significantly ameliorated, mainly due to intensive pediatric-based protocols of chemotherapy. Mammalian (or mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a conserved serine/threonine kinase belonging to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-related kinase family (PIKK) and resides in two distinct signalling complexes named mTORC1, involved in mRNA translation and protein synthesis and mTORC2 that controls cell survival and migration. Moreover, both complexes are remarkably involved in metabolism regulation. Growing evidence reports that mTOR dysregulation is related to metastatic potential, cell proliferation and angiogenesis and given that PI3K/Akt/mTOR network activation is often associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance in ALL, there is a constant need to discover novel inhibitors for ALL treatment. Here, the current knowledge of mTOR signalling and the development of anti-mTOR compounds are documented, reporting the most relevant results from both preclinical and clinical studies in ALL that have contributed significantly into their efficacy or failure.
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Folgiero V, Sorino C, Pallocca M, De Nicola F, Goeman F, Bertaina V, Strocchio L, Romania P, Pitisci A, Iezzi S, Catena V, Bruno T, Strimpakos G, Passananti C, Mattei E, Blandino G, Locatelli F, Fanciulli M. Che-1 is targeted by c-Myc to sustain proliferation in pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. EMBO Rep 2018; 19:embr.201744871. [PMID: 29367285 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201744871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite progress in treating B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), disease recurrence remains the main cause of treatment failure. New strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes are needed, particularly in high-risk relapsed patients. Che-1/AATF (Che-1) is an RNA polymerase II-binding protein involved in proliferation and tumor survival, but its role in hematological malignancies has not been clarified. Here, we show that Che-1 is overexpressed in pediatric BCP-ALL during disease onset and at relapse, and that its depletion inhibits the proliferation of BCP-ALL cells. Furthermore, we report that c-Myc regulates Che-1 expression by direct binding to its promoter and describe a strict correlation between Che-1 expression and c-Myc expression. RNA-seq analyses upon Che-1 or c-Myc depletion reveal a strong overlap of the respective controlled pathways. Genomewide ChIP-seq experiments suggest that Che-1 acts as a downstream effector of c-Myc. These results identify the pivotal role of Che-1 in the control of BCP-ALL proliferation and present the protein as a possible therapeutic target in children with relapsed BCP-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Folgiero
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Sorino
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Pallocca
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Nicola
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Frauke Goeman
- Oncogenomic and Epigenetic, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Bertaina
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Strocchio
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Romania
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Pitisci
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Iezzi
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Catena
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bruno
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Georgios Strimpakos
- CNR-Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology CNR, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Passananti
- CNR-Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Mattei
- CNR-Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology CNR, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Oncogenomic and Epigenetic, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Pediatric Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Fanciulli
- SAFU, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Saba NS, Wong DH, Tanios G, Iyer JR, Lobelle-Rich P, Dadashian EL, Liu D, Fontan L, Flemington EK, Nichols CM, Underbayev C, Safah H, Melnick A, Wiestner A, Herman SEM. MALT1 Inhibition Is Efficacious in Both Naïve and Ibrutinib-Resistant Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Cancer Res 2017; 77:7038-7048. [PMID: 28993409 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-2485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The clinical efficacy displayed by ibrutinib in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been challenged by the frequent emergence of resistant clones. The ibrutinib target, Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), is essential for B-cell receptor signaling, and most resistant cases carry mutations in BTK or PLCG2, a downstream effector target of BTK. Recent findings show that MI-2, a small molecule inhibitor of the para-caspase MALT1, is effective in preclinical models of another type of BCR pathway-dependent lymphoma. We therefore studied the activity of MI-2 against CLL and ibrutinib-resistant CLL. Treatment of CLL cells in vitro with MI-2 inhibited MALT1 proteolytic activity reduced BCR and NF-κB signaling, inhibited nuclear translocation of RelB and p50, and decreased Bcl-xL levels. MI-2 selectively induced dose and time-dependent apoptosis in CLL cells, sparing normal B lymphocytes. Furthermore, MI-2 abrogated survival signals provided by stromal cells and BCR cross-linking and was effective against CLL cells harboring features associated with poor outcomes, including 17p deletion and unmutated IGHV Notably, MI-2 was effective against CLL cells collected from patients harboring mutations conferring resistance to ibrutinib. Overall, our findings provide a preclinical rationale for the clinical development of MALT1 inhibitors in CLL, in particular for ibrutinib-resistant forms of this disease. Cancer Res; 77(24); 7038-48. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakhle S Saba
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
| | - Deanna H Wong
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Georges Tanios
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Jessica R Iyer
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Patricia Lobelle-Rich
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Eman L Dadashian
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Delong Liu
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lorena Fontan
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | | | - Cydney M Nichols
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chingiz Underbayev
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hana Safah
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Ari Melnick
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Adrian Wiestner
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sarah E M Herman
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Staal FJ, Famili F, Garcia Perez L, Pike-Overzet K. Aberrant Wnt Signaling in Leukemia. Cancers (Basel). 2016;8:pii: E78. [PMID: 27571104 PMCID: PMC5040980 DOI: 10.3390/cancers8090078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway is essential in the development and homeostasis of blood and immune cells, but its exact role is still controversial and is the subject of intense research. The malignant counterpart of normal hematopoietic cells, leukemic (stem) cells, have hijacked the Wnt pathway for their self-renewal and proliferation. Here we review the multiple ways dysregulated Wnt signaling can contribute to leukemogenesis, both cell autonomously as well as by changes in the microenvironment.
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Hicks C, Sitthi-Amorn J, Douglas J, Ramani R, Miele L, Vijayakumar V, Karlson C, Chipeta J, Megason G. Molecular Analysis of Central Nervous System Disease Spectrum in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Clin Med Insights Oncol 2016; 10:5-15. [PMID: 26997880 PMCID: PMC4792199 DOI: 10.4137/cmo.s18180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) is an essential therapeutic component in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The goal of this study was to identify molecular signatures distinguishing patients with CNS disease from those without the disease in pediatric patients with ALL. We analyzed gene expression data from 207 pediatric patients with ALL. Patients without CNS were classified as CNS1, while those with mild and advanced CNS disease were classified as CNS2 and CNS3, respectively. We compared gene expression levels among the three disease classes. We identified gene signatures distinguishing the three disease classes. Pathway analysis revealed molecular networks and biological pathways dysregulated in response to CNS disease involvement. The identified pathways included the ILK, WNT, B-cell receptor, AMPK, ERK5, and JAK signaling pathways. The results demonstrate that transcription profiling could be used to stratify patients to guide therapeutic decision-making in pediatric ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chindo Hicks
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Jitsuda Sitthi-Amorn
- Children's Cancer Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Jessica Douglas
- Children's Cancer Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Ritika Ramani
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Lucio Miele
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Vani Vijayakumar
- Department of Radiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Cynthia Karlson
- Children's Cancer Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - James Chipeta
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Gail Megason
- Children's Cancer Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
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