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Juul-Dam KL, Shukla NN, Cooper TM, Cuglievan B, Heidenreich O, Kolb EA, Rasouli M, Hasle H, Zwaan CM. Therapeutic targeting in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with aberrant HOX/MEIS1 expression. Eur J Med Genet 2023; 66:104869. [PMID: 38174649 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2023.104869] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in the clinical management of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the last decades, outcome remains fatal in approximately one third of patients. Primary chemoresistance, relapse and acute and long-term toxicities to conventional myelosuppressive therapies still constitute significant challenges and emphasize the unmet need for effective targeted therapies. Years of scientific efforts have translated into extensive insights on the heterogeneous spectrum of genetics and oncogenic signaling pathways of AML and identified a subset of patients characterized by upregulation of HOXA and HOXB homeobox genes and myeloid ecotropic virus insertion site 1 (MEIS1). Aberrant HOXA/MEIS1 expression is associated with genotypes such as rearrangements in Histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A-r), nucleoporin 98 (NUP98-r) and mutated nucleophosmin (NPM1c) that are found in approximately one third of children with AML. AML with upregulated HOXA/MEIS1 shares a number of molecular vulnerabilities amenable to recently developed molecules targeting the assembly of protein complexes or transcriptional regulators. The interaction between the nuclear scaffold protein menin and KMT2A has gained particular interest and constitutes a molecular dependency for maintenance of the HOXA/MEIS1 transcription program. Menin inhibitors disrupt the menin-KMT2A complex in preclinical models of KMT2A-r, NUP98-r and NPM1c acute leukemias and its occupancy at target genes leading to leukemic cell differentiation and apoptosis. Early-phase clinical trials are either ongoing or in development and preliminary data suggests tolerable toxicities and encouraging efficacy of menin inhibitors in adults with relapsed or refractory KMT2A-r and NPM1c AML. The Pediatric Acute Leukemia/European Pediatric Acute Leukemia (PedAL/EUPAL) project is focused to advance and coordinate informative clinical trials with new agents and constitute an ideal framework for testing of menin inhibitors in pediatric study populations. Menin inhibitors in combination with standard chemotherapy or other targeting agents may enhance anti-leukemic effects and constitute rational treatment strategies for select genotypes of childhood AML, and provide enhanced safety to avoid differentiation syndrome. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms in KMT2A-r, NUP98-r and NPM1c AML, emerging molecules targeting the HOXA/MEIS1 transcription program with menin inhibitors as the most prominent examples and future therapeutic implications of these agents in childhood AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian L Juul-Dam
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Neerav N Shukla
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Todd M Cooper
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Branko Cuglievan
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Olaf Heidenreich
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - E Anders Kolb
- Division of Oncology, Nemours/Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Milad Rasouli
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henrik Hasle
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - C Michel Zwaan
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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2
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Mattioli R, Ilari A, Colotti B, Mosca L, Fazi F, Colotti G. Doxorubicin and other anthracyclines in cancers: Activity, chemoresistance and its overcoming. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 93:101205. [PMID: 37515939 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Anthracyclines have been important and effective treatments against a number of cancers since their discovery. However, their use in therapy has been complicated by severe side effects and toxicity that occur during or after treatment, including cardiotoxicity. The mode of action of anthracyclines is complex, with several mechanisms proposed. It is possible that their high toxicity is due to the large set of processes involved in anthracycline action. The development of resistance is a major barrier to successful treatment when using anthracyclines. This resistance is based on a series of mechanisms that have been studied and addressed in recent years. This work provides an overview of the anthracyclines used in cancer therapy. It discusses their mechanisms of activity, toxicity, and chemoresistance, as well as the approaches used to improve their activity, decrease their toxicity, and overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Mattioli
- Dept. Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ilari
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council IBPM-CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Colotti
- Dept. Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luciana Mosca
- Dept. Biochemical Sciences A. Rossi Fanelli, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Fazi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic & Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianni Colotti
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council IBPM-CNR, Rome, Italy.
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3
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Zhang T, Li S, Tan YA, Na JH, Chen Z, Damle P, Chen X, Choi S, Mishra B, Wang D, Grossman SR, Jiang X, Li Y, Chen YT, Xiang JZ, Du YCN. Bcl-xL is translocated to the nucleus via CtBP2 to epigenetically promote metastasis. bioRxiv 2023:2023.04.26.538373. [PMID: 37163116 PMCID: PMC10168309 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.26.538373] [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] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Besides its mitochondria-based anti-apoptotic role, Bcl-xL also travels to the nucleus to promote cancer metastasis by upregulating global histone H3 trimethyl Lys4 (H3K4me3) and TGFβ transcription. How Bcl-xL is translocated into the nucleus and how nuclear Bcl-xL regulates H3K4me3 modification are not understood. Here, we report that C-terminal Binding Protein 2 (CtBP2) binds Bcl-xL via its N-terminus and translocates Bcl-xL into the nucleus. Knockdown of CtBP2 by shRNA decreases the nuclear portion of Bcl-xL and reverses Bcl-xL-induced cell migration and metastasis in mouse models. Furthermore, knockout of CtBP2 suppresses Bcl-xL transcription. The binding between Bcl-xL and CtBP2 is required for their interaction with MLL1, a histone H3K4 methyltransferase. Pharmacologic inhibition of MLL1 enzymatic activity reverses Bcl-xL-induced H3K4me3 and TGFβ mRNA upregulation as well as cell invasion. Moreover, cleavage under targets and release using nuclease (CUT&RUN) coupled with next generation sequencing reveals that H3K4me3 modifications are particularly enriched in the promotor region of genes encoding TGFβ and its signaling pathway in the cancer cells overexpressing Bcl-xL. Altogether, the metastatic function of Bcl-xL is mediated by its interaction with CtBP2 and MLL1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sha Li
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yingcai Adrian Tan
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joseph HyungJoon Na
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zhengming Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Priyadarshan Damle
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Soyoung Choi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Bikash Mishra
- Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dunrui Wang
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Steven R. Grossman
- USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Xuejun Jiang
- Cell Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yao-Tseng Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jenny Z. Xiang
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yi-Chieh Nancy Du
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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4
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Sharma SB, Melvin WJ, Audu CO, Bame M, Rhoads N, Wu W, Kanthi Y, Knight JS, Adili R, Holinstat MA, Wakefield TW, Henke PK, Moore BB, Gallagher KA, Obi AT. The histone methyltransferase MLL1/KMT2A in monocytes drives coronavirus-associated coagulopathy and inflammation. Blood 2023; 141:725-742. [PMID: 36493338 PMCID: PMC9743412 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022015917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus-associated coagulopathy (CAC) is a morbid and lethal sequela of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. CAC results from a perturbed balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis and occurs in conjunction with exaggerated activation of monocytes/macrophages (MO/Mφs), and the mechanisms that collectively govern this phenotype seen in CAC remain unclear. Here, using experimental models that use the murine betacoronavirus MHVA59, a well-established model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we identify that the histone methyltransferase mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1/KMT2A) is an important regulator of MO/Mφ expression of procoagulant and profibrinolytic factors such as tissue factor (F3; TF), urokinase (PLAU), and urokinase receptor (PLAUR) (herein, "coagulopathy-related factors") in noninfected and infected cells. We show that MLL1 concurrently promotes the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines while suppressing the expression of interferon alfa (IFN-α), a well-known inducer of TF and PLAUR. Using in vitro models, we identify MLL1-dependent NF-κB/RelA-mediated transcription of these coagulation-related factors and identify a context-dependent, MLL1-independent role for RelA in the expression of these factors in vivo. As functional correlates for these findings, we demonstrate that the inflammatory, procoagulant, and profibrinolytic phenotypes seen in vivo after coronavirus infection were MLL1-dependent despite blunted Ifna induction in MO/Mφs. Finally, in an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 positive human samples, we identify differential upregulation of MLL1 and coagulopathy-related factor expression and activity in CD14+ MO/Mφs relative to noninfected and healthy controls. We also observed elevated plasma PLAU and TF activity in COVID-positive samples. Collectively, these findings highlight an important role for MO/Mφ MLL1 in promoting CAC and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriganesh B. Sharma
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - William J. Melvin
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Christopher O. Audu
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Monica Bame
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Nicole Rhoads
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Weisheng Wu
- Bioinformatics Core, Biomedical Research Core Facilities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Yogendra Kanthi
- Laboratory of Vascular Thrombosis & Inflammation, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jason S. Knight
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Reheman Adili
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Michael A. Holinstat
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Thomas W. Wakefield
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Peter K. Henke
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Bethany B. Moore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Katherine A. Gallagher
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Andrea T. Obi
- Section of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Section of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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5
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Sparbier CE, Gillespie A, Gomez J, Kumari N, Motazedian A, Chan KL, Bell CC, Gilan O, Chan YC, Popp S, Gough DJ, Eckersley-Maslin MA, Dawson SJ, Lehner PJ, Sutherland KD, Ernst P, McGeehan GM, Lam EYN, Burr ML, Dawson MA. Targeting Menin disrupts the KMT2A/B and polycomb balance to paradoxically activate bivalent genes. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:258-272. [PMID: 36635503 PMCID: PMC7614190 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Precise control of activating H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3 histone modifications at bivalent promoters is essential for normal development and frequently corrupted in cancer. By coupling a cell surface readout of bivalent MHC class I gene expression with whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screens, we identify specific roles for MTF2-PRC2.1, PCGF1-PRC1.1 and Menin-KMT2A/B complexes in maintaining bivalency. Genetic loss or pharmacological inhibition of Menin unexpectedly phenocopies the effects of polycomb disruption, resulting in derepression of bivalent genes in both cancer cells and pluripotent stem cells. While Menin and KMT2A/B contribute to H3K4me3 at active genes, a separate Menin-independent function of KMT2A/B maintains H3K4me3 and opposes polycomb-mediated repression at bivalent genes. Release of KMT2A from active genes following Menin targeting alters the balance of polycomb and KMT2A at bivalent genes, facilitating gene activation. This functional partitioning of Menin-KMT2A/B complex components reveals therapeutic opportunities that can be leveraged through inhibition of Menin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina E Sparbier
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrea Gillespie
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Juliana Gomez
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Nishi Kumari
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ali Motazedian
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kah Lok Chan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charles C Bell
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Omer Gilan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yih-Chih Chan
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Popp
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Daniel J Gough
- Department of Molecular Translational Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie A Eckersley-Maslin
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah-Jane Dawson
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul J Lehner
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kate D Sutherland
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patricia Ernst
- Section of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Enid Y N Lam
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marian L Burr
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, ACT Pathology, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
| | - Mark A Dawson
- Cancer Research Division, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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6
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Soto-Feliciano YM, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Perner F, Barrows DW, Kastenhuber ER, Ho YJ, Carroll T, Xiong Y, Anand D, Soshnev AA, Gates L, Beytagh MC, Cheon D, Gu S, Liu XS, Krivtsov AV, Meneses M, de Stanchina E, Stone RM, Armstrong SA, Lowe SW, Allis CD. A Molecular Switch between Mammalian MLL Complexes Dictates Response to Menin-MLL Inhibition. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:146-169. [PMID: 36264143 PMCID: PMC9827117 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Menin interacts with oncogenic MLL1-fusion proteins, and small molecules that disrupt these associations are in clinical trials for leukemia treatment. By integrating chromatin-focused and genome-wide CRISPR screens with genetic, pharmacologic, and biochemical approaches, we discovered a conserved molecular switch between the MLL1-Menin and MLL3/4-UTX chromatin-modifying complexes that dictates response to Menin-MLL inhibitors. MLL1-Menin safeguards leukemia survival by impeding the binding of the MLL3/4-UTX complex at a subset of target gene promoters. Disrupting the Menin-MLL1 interaction triggers UTX-dependent transcriptional activation of a tumor-suppressive program that dictates therapeutic responses in murine and human leukemia. Therapeutic reactivation of this program using CDK4/6 inhibitors mitigates treatment resistance in leukemia cells that are insensitive to Menin inhibitors. These findings shed light on novel functions of evolutionarily conserved epigenetic mediators like MLL1-Menin and MLL3/4-UTX and are relevant to understand and target molecular pathways determining therapeutic responses in ongoing clinical trials. SIGNIFICANCE Menin-MLL inhibitors silence a canonical HOX- and MEIS1-dependent oncogenic gene expression program in leukemia. We discovered a parallel, noncanonical transcriptional program involving tumor suppressor genes that are repressed in Menin-MLL inhibitor-resistant leukemia cells but that can be reactivated upon combinatorial treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors to augment therapy responses. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Florian Perner
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Internal Medicine C, Greifswald University Medical Center, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Douglas W. Barrows
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.,Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Edward R. Kastenhuber
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Yu-Jui Ho
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Thomas Carroll
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Yijun Xiong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Disha Anand
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Internal Medicine C, Greifswald University Medical Center, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alexey A. Soshnev
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Leah Gates
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Mary Clare Beytagh
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - David Cheon
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Shengqing Gu
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - X. Shirley Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.,Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrei V. Krivtsov
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Maximiliano Meneses
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Antitumor Assessment Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Richard M. Stone
- Leukemia Division, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Scott A. Armstrong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Corresponding Authors: C. David Allis, The Rockefeller University, Allis Lab, Box #78, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-327-7839; E-mail: ; Scott W. Lowe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, New York, NY, 10065. Phone: 646-888-3342; E-mail: ; and Scott A. Armstrong, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, 02115. Phone: 617-632-2991; E-mail:
| | - Scott W. Lowe
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Corresponding Authors: C. David Allis, The Rockefeller University, Allis Lab, Box #78, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-327-7839; E-mail: ; Scott W. Lowe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, New York, NY, 10065. Phone: 646-888-3342; E-mail: ; and Scott A. Armstrong, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, 02115. Phone: 617-632-2991; E-mail:
| | - C. David Allis
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.,Corresponding Authors: C. David Allis, The Rockefeller University, Allis Lab, Box #78, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-327-7839; E-mail: ; Scott W. Lowe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, New York, NY, 10065. Phone: 646-888-3342; E-mail: ; and Scott A. Armstrong, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, 02115. Phone: 617-632-2991; E-mail:
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7
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Li D, Yu X, Kottur J, Gong W, Zhang Z, Storey AJ, Tsai YH, Uryu H, Shen Y, Byrum SD, Edmondson RD, Mackintosh SG, Cai L, Liu Z, Aggarwal AK, Tackett AJ, Liu J, Jin J, Wang GG. Discovery of a dual WDR5 and Ikaros PROTAC degrader as an anti-cancer therapeutic. Oncogene 2022; 41:3328-3340. [PMID: 35525905 PMCID: PMC9189076 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02340-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5), an integral component of the MLL/KMT2A lysine methyltransferase complex, is critically involved in oncogenesis and represents an attractive onco-target. Inhibitors targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between WDR5 and its binding partners, however, do not inhibit all of WDR5-mediated oncogenic functions and exert rather limited antitumor effects. Here, we report a cereblon (CRBN)-recruiting proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) of WDR5, MS40, which selectively degrades WDR5 and the well-established neo-substrates of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs):CRBN, the Ikaros zinc finger (IKZF) transcription factors IKZF1 and IKZF3. MS40-induced WDR5 degradation caused disassociation of the MLL/KMT2A complex off chromatin, resulting in decreased H3K4me2. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that targets of both WDR5 and IMiDs:CRBN were significantly repressed by treatment of MS40. In MLL-rearranged leukemias, which exhibit IKZF1 high expression and dependency, co-suppression of WDR5 and Ikaros by MS40 is superior in suppressing oncogenesis to the WDR5 PPI inhibitor, to MS40's non-PROTAC analog controls (MS40N1 and MS40N2, which do not bind CRBN and WDR5, respectively), and to a matched VHL-based WDR5 PROTAC (MS169, which degrades WDR5 but not Ikaros). MS40 suppressed the growth of primary leukemia patient cells in vitro and patient-derived xenografts in vivo. Thus, dual degradation of WDR5 and Ikaros is a promising anti-cancer strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Li
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Xufen Yu
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jithesh Kottur
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Weida Gong
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Aaron J Storey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Yi-Hsuan Tsai
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hidetaka Uryu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yudao Shen
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Rick D Edmondson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Samuel G Mackintosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Ling Cai
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Zhijie Liu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Aneel K Aggarwal
- Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alan J Tackett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. .,Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Gang Greg Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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8
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Karbalivand M, Almada LL, Ansell SM, Fernandez-Zapico ME, Elsawa SF. MLL1 inhibition reduces IgM levels in Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Leuk Res 2022; 116:106841. [DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2022.106841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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9
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Stavast CJ, van Zuijen I, Karkoulia E, Özçelik A, van Hoven-Beijen A, Leon LG, Voerman JSA, Janssen GMC, van Veelen PA, Burocziova M, Brouwer RWW, van IJcken WFJ, Maas A, Bindels EM, van der Velden VHJ, Schliehe C, Katsikis PD, Alberich-Jorda M, Erkeland SJ. The tumor suppressor MIR139 is silenced by POLR2M to promote AML oncogenesis. Leukemia 2022; 36:687-700. [PMID: 34741119 PMCID: PMC8885418 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01461-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
MIR139 is a tumor suppressor and is commonly silenced in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the tumor-suppressing activities of miR-139 and molecular mechanisms of MIR139-silencing remain largely unknown. Here, we studied the poorly prognostic MLL-AF9 fusion protein-expressing AML. We show that MLL-AF9 expression in hematopoietic precursors caused epigenetic silencing of MIR139, whereas overexpression of MIR139 inhibited in vitro and in vivo AML outgrowth. We identified novel miR-139 targets that mediate the tumor-suppressing activities of miR-139 in MLL-AF9 AML. We revealed that two enhancer regions control MIR139 expression and found that the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) downstream of MLL-AF9 epigenetically silenced MIR139 in AML. Finally, a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen revealed RNA Polymerase 2 Subunit M (POLR2M) as a novel MIR139-regulatory factor. Our findings elucidate the molecular control of tumor suppressor MIR139 and reveal a role for POLR2M in the MIR139-silencing mechanism, downstream of MLL-AF9 and PRC2 in AML. In addition, we confirmed these findings in human AML cell lines with different oncogenic aberrations, suggesting that this is a more common oncogenic mechanism in AML. Our results may pave the way for new targeted therapy in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan J Stavast
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Iris van Zuijen
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Karkoulia
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Childhood Leukemia Investigation Prague, Department of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Arman Özçelik
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Leticia G Leon
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jane S A Voerman
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - George M C Janssen
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peter A van Veelen
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Monika Burocziova
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rutger W W Brouwer
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Center for Biomics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Cell Biology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wilfred F J van IJcken
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Center for Biomics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Cell Biology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alex Maas
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Cell Biology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric M Bindels
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Hematology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Christopher Schliehe
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter D Katsikis
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Meritxell Alberich-Jorda
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Childhood Leukemia Investigation Prague, Department of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Stefan J Erkeland
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Immunology, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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10
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Mukherjee S, Heng HH, Frenkel-Morgenstern M. Emerging Role of Chimeric RNAs in Cell Plasticity and Adaptive Evolution of Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4328. [PMID: 34503137 PMCID: PMC8431553 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene fusions can give rise to somatic alterations in cancers. Fusion genes have the potential to create chimeric RNAs, which can generate the phenotypic diversity of cancer cells, and could be associated with novel molecular functions related to cancer cell survival and proliferation. The expression of chimeric RNAs in cancer cells might impact diverse cancer-related functions, including loss of apoptosis and cancer cell plasticity, and promote oncogenesis. Due to their recurrence in cancers and functional association with oncogenic processes, chimeric RNAs are considered biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. Several recent studies demonstrated that chimeric RNAs could lead to the generation of new functionality for the resistance of cancer cells against drug therapy. Therefore, targeting chimeric RNAs in drug resistance cancer could be useful for developing precision medicine. So, understanding the functional impact of chimeric RNAs in cancer cells from an evolutionary perspective will be helpful to elucidate cancer evolution, which could provide a new insight to design more effective therapies for cancer patients in a personalized manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Mukherjee
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel;
| | - Henry H. Heng
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel;
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11
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Khamidullina AI, Varlamova EA, Hammoud NA, Yastrebova MA, Bruter AV. Gene Transcription as a Therapeutic Target in Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7340. [PMID: 34298959 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood malignancies often arise from undifferentiated hematopoietic stem cells or partially differentiated stem-like cells. A tight balance of multipotency and differentiation, cell division, and quiescence underlying normal hematopoiesis requires a special program governed by the transcriptional machinery. Acquisition of drug resistance by tumor cells also involves reprogramming of their transcriptional landscape. Limiting tumor cell plasticity by disabling reprogramming of the gene transcription is a promising strategy for improvement of treatment outcomes. Herein, we review the molecular mechanisms of action of transcription-targeted drugs in hematological malignancies (largely in leukemia) with particular respect to the results of clinical trials.
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12
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Lin TB, Lai CY, Hsieh MC, Ho YC, Wang HH, Yang PS, Cheng JK, Chen GD, Ng SC, Peng HY. Inhibiting MLL1-WDR5 interaction ameliorates neuropathic allodynia by attenuating histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation-dependent spinal mGluR5 transcription. Pain 2020; 161:1995-2009. [PMID: 32345914 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1)-mediated histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) of a subset of genes has been linked to the transcriptional activation critical for synaptic plasticity, but its potential contribution to neuropathic allodynia development remains poorly explored. Here, we show that MLL1, which is induced in dorsal horn neuron after spinal nerve ligation (SNL), is responsible for mechanical allodynia and increased H3K4me3 at metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) promoter. Moreover, SNL induced WD (Trp-Asp) repeat domain 5 subunit (WDR5) expression as well as the MLL1-WDR5 interaction accompany with H3K4me3 enrichment and transcription of mGluR5 gene in the dorsal horn in neuropathic allodynia progression. Conversely, WDR5-0103, a novel inhibitor of the MLL1-WDR5 interaction, reversed SNL-induced allodynia and inhibited SNL-enhanced mGluR5 transcription/expression as well as MLL1, WDR5, and H3K4me3 at the mGluR5 promoter in the dorsal horn. Furthermore, disrupting the expression of MLL1 or WDR5 using small interfering RNA attenuated mechanical allodynia and reversed protein transcription/expression and complex localizing at mGluR5 promoter in the dorsal horn induced by SNL. This finding revealed that MLL1-WDR5 complex integrity regulates MLL1 and WDR5 recruitment to H3K4me3 enrichment at mGluR5 promoter in the dorsal horn underlying neuropathic allodynia. Collectively, our findings indicated that SNL enhances the MLL1-WDR5 complex, which facilitates MLL1 and WDR5 recruitment to H3K4me3 enrichment at mGluR5 promoter in spinal plasticity contributing to neuropathic allodynia pathogenesis.
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13
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Li X, Song Y. Structure, function and inhibition of critical protein-protein interactions involving mixed lineage leukemia 1 and its fusion oncoproteins. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:56. [PMID: 33823889 PMCID: PMC8022399 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01057-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1, also known as MLL or KMT2A) is an important transcription factor and histone-H3 lysine-4 (H3K4) methyltransferase. It is a master regulator for transcription of important genes (e.g., Hox genes) for embryonic development and hematopoiesis. However, it is largely dispensable in matured cells. Dysregulation of MLL1 leads to overexpression of certain Hox genes and eventually leukemia initiation. Chromosome translocations involving MLL1 cause ~ 75% of acute leukemia in infants and 5–10% in children and adults with a poor prognosis. Targeted therapeutics against oncogenic fusion MLL1 (onco-MLL1) are therefore needed. Onco-MLL1 consists of the N-terminal DNA-interacting domains of MLL1 fused with one of > 70 fusion partners, among which transcription cofactors AF4, AF9 and its paralog ENL, and ELL are the most frequent. Wild-type (WT)- and onco-MLL1 involve numerous protein–protein interactions (PPI), which play critical roles in regulating gene expression in normal physiology and leukemia. Moreover, WT-MLL1 has been found to be essential for MLL1-rearranged (MLL1-r) leukemia. Rigorous studies of such PPIs have been performed and much progress has been achieved in understanding their structures, structure–function relationships and the mechanisms for activating gene transcription as well as leukemic transformation. Inhibition of several critical PPIs by peptides, peptidomimetic or small-molecule compounds has been explored as a therapeutic approach for MLL1-r leukemia. This review summarizes the biological functions, biochemistry, structure and inhibition of the critical PPIs involving MLL1 and its fusion partner proteins. In addition, challenges and perspectives of drug discovery targeting these PPIs for the treatment of MLL1-r leukemia are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yongcheng Song
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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14
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Poreba E, Lesniewicz K, Durzynska J. Aberrant Activity of Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase 2 (KMT2) Complexes in Oncogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9340. [PMID: 33302406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
KMT2 (histone-lysine N-methyltransferase subclass 2) complexes methylate lysine 4 on the histone H3 tail at gene promoters and gene enhancers and, thus, control the process of gene transcription. These complexes not only play an essential role in normal development but have also been described as involved in the aberrant growth of tissues. KMT2 mutations resulting from the rearrangements of the KMT2A (MLL1) gene at 11q23 are associated with pediatric mixed-lineage leukemias, and recent studies demonstrate that KMT2 genes are frequently mutated in many types of human cancers. Moreover, other components of the KMT2 complexes have been reported to contribute to oncogenesis. This review summarizes the recent advances in our knowledge of the role of KMT2 complexes in cell transformation. In addition, it discusses the therapeutic targeting of different components of the KMT2 complexes.
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15
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van der Zanden SY, Qiao X, Neefjes J. New insights into the activities and toxicities of the old anticancer drug doxorubicin. FEBS J 2020; 288:6095-6111. [PMID: 33022843 PMCID: PMC8597086 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The anthracycline drug doxorubicin is among the most used—and useful—chemotherapeutics. While doxorubicin is highly effective in the treatment of various hematopoietic malignancies and solid tumours, its application is limited by severe adverse effects, including irreversible cardiotoxicity, therapy‐related malignancies and gonadotoxicity. This continues to motivate investigation into the mechanisms of anthracycline activities and toxicities, with the aim to overcome the latter without sacrificing the former. It has long been appreciated that doxorubicin causes DNA double‐strand breaks due to poisoning topoisomerase II. More recently, it became clear that doxorubicin also leads to chromatin damage achieved through eviction of histones from select sites in the genome. Evaluation of these activities in various anthracycline analogues has revealed that chromatin damage makes a major contribution to the efficacy of anthracycline drugs. Furthermore, the DNA‐damaging effect conspires with chromatin damage to cause a number of adverse effects. Structure–activity relationships within the anthracycline family offer opportunities for chemical separation of these activities towards development of effective analogues with limited adverse effects. In this review, we elaborate on our current understanding of the different activities of doxorubicin and their contributions to drug efficacy and side effects. We then offer our perspective on how the activities of this old anticancer drug can be amended in new ways to benefit cancer patients, by providing effective treatment with improved quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Y van der Zanden
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, ONCODE Institute, Leiden University Medical Centre LUMC, The Netherlands
| | - Xiaohang Qiao
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques Neefjes
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, ONCODE Institute, Leiden University Medical Centre LUMC, The Netherlands
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16
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Rugo HS, Jacobs I, Sharma S, Scappaticci F, Paul TA, Jensen-Pergakes K, Malouf GG. The Promise for Histone Methyltransferase Inhibitors for Epigenetic Therapy in Clinical Oncology: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther 2020; 37:3059-3082. [PMID: 32445185 PMCID: PMC7467409 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-020-01379-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [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: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic processes are essential for normal development and the maintenance of tissue-specific gene expression in mammals. Changes in gene expression and malignant cellular transformation can result from disruption of epigenetic mechanisms, and global disruption in the epigenetic landscape is a key feature of cancer. The study of epigenetics in cancer has revealed that human cancer cells harbor both genetic alterations and epigenetic abnormalities that interplay at all stages of cancer development. Unlike genetic mutations, epigenetic aberrations are potentially reversible through epigenetic therapy, providing a therapeutically relevant treatment option. Histone methyltransferase inhibitors are emerging as an epigenetic therapy approach with great promise in the field of clinical oncology. The recent accelerated approval of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2; also known as histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2) inhibitor tazemetostat for metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma marks the first approval of such a compound for the treatment of cancer. Many other histone methyltransferase inhibitors are currently in development, some of which are being tested in clinical studies. This review focuses on histone methyltransferase inhibitors, highlighting their potential in the treatment of cancer. We also discuss the role for such epigenetic drugs in overcoming epigenetically driven drug resistance mechanisms, and their value in combination with other therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy.
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17
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Zhang C, Hua Y, Qiu H, Liu T, Long Q, Liao W, Qiu J, Wang N, Chen M, Shi D, Yan Y, Xie C, Deng W, Li T, Li Y. KMT2A regulates cervical cancer cell growth through targeting VDAC1. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:9604-9620. [PMID: 32436862 PMCID: PMC7288919 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy, illuminating the molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis and discovering novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed. KMT2A is a transcriptional co-activator regulating gene expression during early development and hematopoiesis, but the role of KMT2A in cervical cancer remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated that KMT2A regulated cervical cancer growth via targeting VADC1. Knockdown of KMT2A significantly suppressed cell proliferation and migration and induced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells, accompanying with activation of PARP/caspase pathway and inhibition of VADC1. Overexpression of VDAC1 reversed the KMT2A knockdown-mediated regulation of cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. The in vivo results from a cervical cancer xenograft mouse model also validated that KMT2A knockdown suppressed tumor growth by inhibiting VDAC1, whereas KMT2A overexpression promoted cervical cancer growth. Moreover, analyses of Biewenga cervix database and clinical samples showed that both KMT2A and VDAC1 were upregulated in cervix squamous cell carcinoma compared with cervix uteri tissues, and their expression was negatively correlated with the differentiation grade of cervical cancer. Our results therefore indicated that the KMT2A/VDAC1 signaling axis may be a potential new mechanism of cervical carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changlin Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yijun Hua
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijuan Qiu
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianze Liu
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Qian Long
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Liao
- Department of Gynecology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiehong Qiu
- Department of Gynecology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Jiaying University, Meizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Miao Chen
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dingbo Shi
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Yan
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanbo Xie
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wuguo Deng
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tian Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yizhuo Li
- Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Takahashi S, Yokoyama A. The molecular functions of common and atypical MLL fusion protein complexes. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech 2020; 1863:194548. [PMID: 32320750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) fuses with a variety of partners to produce a functionally altered MLL complex that is not expressed in normal cells, which transforms normal hematopoietic progenitors into leukemia cells. Because more than 80 fusion partners have been identified to date, the molecular functions of MLL fusion protein complexes appear diverse. However, over the past decade, the common functions utilized for leukemic transformation have begun to be elucidated. It appears that most (if not all) MLL fusion protein complexes utilize the AF4/ENL/P-TEFb and DOT1L complexes to some extent. Based on an understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms, several molecular targeting drugs are being developed, opening paths to novel therapies. Here, we review the recent progress made in identifying the molecular functions of various MLL fusions and categorize the numerous fusion partners into several functionally-distinct groups to help discern commonalities and differences among various MLL fusion protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Takahashi
- Tsuruoka Metabolomics Laboratory, National Cancer Center, Tsuruoka, Japan; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yokoyama
- Tsuruoka Metabolomics Laboratory, National Cancer Center, Tsuruoka, Japan; National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
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19
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Shen Y, Ding Z, Ma S, Ding Z, Zhang Y, Zou Y, Xu F, Yang X, Schäfer MKE, Guo Q, Huang C. SETD7 mediates spinal microgliosis and neuropathic pain in a rat model of peripheral nerve injury. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 82:382-395. [PMID: 31505256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene transcription regulation is critical for the development of spinal microgliosis and neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury. Using a model of chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve, this study characterized the role of SET domain containing lysine methyltransferase 7 (SETD7) which monomethylates histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me1), a marker for active gene transcription. SETD7 protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn ipsilateral to nerve lesion was increased from one day to 14 days after CCI, concomitantly with the expression of inflammatory genes, Ccl2, Il-6 and Il-1β. The CCI-induced SETD7 expression was predominantly localized to microglia, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and western blot from magnetic activated cell sorted spinal microglia. SETD7 knockdown by intrathecal lentivirus shRNA delivery prior to CCI prevented spinal microgliosis and neuropathic pain, whereas lentiviral SETD7 transduction exacerbated these symptoms. In addition, SETD7 regulated H3K4me1 level and expression of inflammatory mediators both in CCI rats and in the HAPI rat microglia cell line. Accordingly, PFI-2, a specific inhibitor of SETD7 monomethylation activity, suppressed the lipopolysaccharides-induced amoeboid morphology of primary microglia and the expression of inflammatory genes, Ccl2, Il-6 and Il-1β. Moreover, intrathecal administration of PFI-2 alleviated CCI-induced neuropathic pain. However, this effect was observed in male but not in female rats. These results demonstrate a critical role of SETD7 in the development of spinal microgliosis and neuropathic pain subsequently to peripheral nerve injury. The pharmacological approach further suggests that SETD7 is a new target for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The underlying mechanisms may involve H3K4me1-dependent regulation of inflammatory gene expression in microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhuofeng Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shengyun Ma
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Zijin Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fangting Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Michael K E Schäfer
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany; Focus Program Translational Neurosciences (FTN) of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Qulian Guo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Changsheng Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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20
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Harrer DC, Schuler G, Dörrie J, Schaft N. CSPG4-Specific CAR T Cells for High-Risk Childhood B Cell Precursor Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E2764. [PMID: 31195686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has proven to be a powerful asset in the arsenal of cancer immunotherapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and certain B cell lymphomas. However, a sizable portion of patients treated with CD19-CAR T cells relapse with CD19-negative cancer cells, necessitating the quest for back-up antigens. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) expression has been reported on leukemic blasts bearing the ill-fated MLL 11q23 rearrangement. We aimed at exploring the use of CSPG4-specific CAR T cells against mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL)-rearranged leukemic blasts, using the precursor B cell leukemia cell line KOPN8 (MLL–MLLT1 translocation) as a model. First, we confirmed CSPG4 expression on KOPN8 cells. Bulk T cells electroporated with mRNA encoding a CSPG4-specific CAR upregulated activation markers and secreted the Th1 cytokines TNF and IFNγ in an antigen-specific manner upon co-culture with KOPN8 cells. More importantly, CSPG4-specific CAR T cells evinced specific degranulation towards KOPN8 cells and specifically lysed KOPN8 target cells in chromium lysis experiments. CSPG4 is a well-established CAR target in cutaneous melanoma. Here, we provide proof-of-principle data for the use of CSPG4-specific CAR T cells against MLL-translocated leukemias.
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Abstract
The deregulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transcriptional networks is a common theme in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Chromosomal translocations that alter the Mixed Lineage Leukemia 1 gene (MLL1, MLL, KMT2A) occur in infant, childhood and adult leukemia and at the same time, wild-type MLL1 is a critical regulator of HSC homeostasis. Typically, the endogenous, wild-type (WT) MLL1 and MLL fusion oncoproteins (MLL-FPs) remain both expressed in leukemia. WT and MLL-FPs activate overlapping sets of target genes, presenting a challenge for the selective therapeutic targeting of leukemic cells. We previously demonstrated that endogenous MLL1 is not required for the maintenance of MLL-FP-driven AML but is required for normal HSC homeostasis. Here we address the role of MLL-FPs in the initiation of leukemia in the absence of endogenous MLL1. We show that loss of endogenous Mll1 results in a rapid decrease in expression of shared HSC/leukemia target genes, yet MLL-AF9 restores the expression of most of these target genes in the absence of WT MLL1, with the critical exception of Mecom/Evi1. These observations underscore the sufficiency of MLL-fusion oncoproteins for initiating leukemia, but also illustrate that WT MLL1 target genes differ in their ability to be re-activated by MLL-FPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Chen
- a Department of Pediatrics , Section of Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado/Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
| | - Patricia Ernst
- a Department of Pediatrics , Section of Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado/Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA.,b Pharmacology , University of Colorado/Anschutz Medical Campus , Aurora , CO , USA
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Chan AKN, Chen CW. Rewiring the Epigenetic Networks in MLL-Rearranged Leukemias: Epigenetic Dysregulation and Pharmacological Interventions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:81. [PMID: 31157223 PMCID: PMC6529847 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemias driven by chromosomal translocation of the mixed-lineage leukemia gene (MLL or KMT2A) are highly prevalent in pediatric oncology. The poor survival rate and lack of an effective targeted therapy for patients with MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) leukemias emphasize an urgent need for improved knowledge and novel therapeutic approaches for these malignancies. The resulting chimeric products of MLL gene rearrangements, i.e., MLL-fusion proteins (MLL-FPs), are capable of transforming hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) into leukemic blasts. The ability of MLL-FPs to reprogram HSPCs toward leukemia requires the involvement of multiple chromatin effectors, including the histone 3 lysine 79 methyltransferase DOT1L, the chromatin epigenetic reader BRD4, and the super elongation complex. These epigenetic regulators constitute a complicated network that dictates maintenance of the leukemia program, and therefore represent an important cluster of therapeutic opportunities. In this review, we will discuss the role of MLL and its fusion partners in normal HSPCs and hematopoiesis, including the links between chromatin effectors, epigenetic landscapes, and leukemia development, and summarize current approaches to therapeutic targeting of MLL-r leukemias.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chun-Wei Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
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Fu JF, Yen TH, Huang YJ, Shih LY. Ets1 Plays a Critical Role in MLL/EB1-Mediated Leukemic Transformation in a Mouse Bone Marrow Transplantation Model. Neoplasia 2019; 21:469-481. [PMID: 30974389 PMCID: PMC6458341 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemogenic potential of MLL fusion with the coiled-coil domain-containing partner genes and the downstream target genes of this type of MLL fusion have not been clearly investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that the coiled-coil–four-helix bundle structure of EB1 that participated in the MLL/EB1 was required for immortalizing mouse bone marrow (BM) cells and producing myeloid, but not lymphoid, cell lines. Compared to MLL/AF10, MLL/EB1 had low leukemogenic ability. The MLL/EB1 cells grew more slowly owing to increased apoptosis in vitro and induced acute monocytic leukemia with an incomplete penetrance and longer survival in vivo. A comparative analysis of transcriptome profiling between MLL/EB1 and MLL/AF10 cell lines revealed that there was an at least two-fold difference in the induction of 318 genes; overall, 51.3% (163/318) of the genes were known to be bound by MLL, while 15.4% (49/318) were bound by both MLL and MLL/AF9. Analysis of the 318 genes using Gene Ontology–PANTHER overrepresentation test revealed significant differences in several biological processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation/programmed cell death, and cell homing/recruitment. The Ets1 gene, bound by MLL and MLL/AF9, was involved in several biological processes. We demonstrated that Ets1 was selectively upregulated by MLL/EB1. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of Ets1 in MLL/EB1 cells reduced the expression of CD115, apoptosis rate, competitive engraftment to BM and spleen, and incidence of leukemia and prolonged the survival of the diseased mice. Our results demonstrated that MLL/EB1 upregulated Ets1, which controlled the balance of leukemia cells between apoptosis and BM engraftment/clonal expansion. Novelty and impact of this study The leukemogenic potential of MLL fusion with cytoplasmic proteins containing coiled-coil dimerization domains and the downstream target genes of this type of MLL fusion remain largely unknown. Using a retroviral transduction/transplantation mouse model, we demonstrated that MLL fusion with the coiled-coil–four-helix bundle structure of EB1 has low leukemogenic ability; Ets1, which is upregulated by MLL/EB1, plays a critical role in leukemic transformation by balance between apoptosis and BM engraftment/clonal expansion.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Apoptosis
- Bone Marrow Transplantation
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Proliferation
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/genetics
- Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/metabolism
- Leukemia, Experimental/genetics
- Leukemia, Experimental/metabolism
- Leukemia, Experimental/pathology
- Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/genetics
- Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics
- Microtubule-Associated Proteins/metabolism
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/genetics
- Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/metabolism
- NIH 3T3 Cells
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Fen Fu
- Department of Medical Research, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Tzung-Hai Yen
- Department of Nephrology and Poison Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Jung Huang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Lee-Yung Shih
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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24
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Long MJC, Hnedzko D, Kim BK, Aye Y. Breaking the Fourth Wall: Modulating Quaternary Associations for Protein Regulation and Drug Discovery. Chembiochem 2019; 20:1091-1104. [PMID: 30589188 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are an effective means to orchestrate intricate biological processes required to sustain life. Approximately 650 000 PPIs underlie the human interactome; thus underscoring its complexity and the manifold signaling outputs altered in response to changes in specific PPIs. This minireview illustrates the growing arsenal of PPI assemblies and offers insights into how these varied PPI regulatory modalities are relevant to customized drug discovery, with a focus on cancer. First, known and emerging PPIs and PPI-targeted drugs of both natural and synthetic origin are categorized. Building on these discussions, the merits of PPI-guided therapeutics over traditional drug design are discussed. Finally, a compare-and-contrast section for different PPI blockers, with gain-of-function PPI interventions, such as PROTACS, is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus J C Long
- 47 Pudding Gate, Bishop Burton, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU17 8QH, UK
| | - Dziyana Hnedzko
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Bo Kyoung Kim
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, SB ISIC LEAGO, Station 6, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yimon Aye
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, SB ISIC LEAGO, Station 6, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Lu K, Tao H, Si X, Chen Q. The Histone H3 Lysine 4 Presenter WDR5 as an Oncogenic Protein and Novel Epigenetic Target in Cancer. Front Oncol 2018; 8:502. [PMID: 30488017 PMCID: PMC6246693 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) presenter WDR5 forms protein complexes with H3K4 methyltransferases MLL1-MLL4 and binding partner proteins including RBBP5, ASH2L, and DPY30, and plays a key role in histone H3K4 trimethylation, chromatin remodeling, transcriptional activation of target genes, normal biology, and diseases such as MLL-rearranged leukemia. By forming protein complexes with other proteins such as Myc, WDR5 induces transcriptional activation of key oncogenes, tumor cell cycle progression, DNA replication, cell proliferation, survival, tumor initiation, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancer of a variety of organ origins. Several small molecule MLL/WDR5 protein-protein interaction inhibitors, such as MM-401, MM-589, WDR5-0103, Piribedil, and OICR-9429, have been confirmed to reduce H3K4 trimethylation, oncogenic gene expression, cell cycle progression, cancer cell proliferation, survival and resistance to chemotherapy without general toxicity to normal cells. Derivatives of the MLL/WDR5 interaction inhibitors with improved pharmacokinetic properties and in vivo bioavailability are expected to have the potential to be trialed in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kebin Lu
- Department of Paediatrics, Shan Xian Central Hospital, Heze, China
| | - He Tao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shan Xian Haijiya Hospital, Heze, China
| | - Xiaomin Si
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xian Yang Central Hospital, Xianyang, China
| | - Qingjuan Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Xian Yang Central Hospital, Xianyang, China
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26
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Chen Y, Jones KL, Anastassiadis K, Kranz A, Stewart AF, Grembecka J, Meyerson M, Ernst P. Distinct pathways affected by menin versus MLL1/MLL2 in MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia. Exp Hematol 2018; 69:37-42. [PMID: 30315824 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Disrupting the protein-protein interaction for molecularly targeted cancer therapeutics can be a challenging but promising strategy. Compounds that disrupt the interaction between menin, a chromatin-binding protein, and oncogenic mixed lineage leukemia fusion proteins (MLL-FPs) have shown significant promise in preclinical models of leukemia and have a high degree of selectivity for leukemia versus normal hematopoietic cells. Biochemical and structural studies demonstrate that, in addition to disrupting the menin-MLL-FP interaction, such compounds also inhibit menin-MLL1, menin-MLL2, and other menin-interacting proteins. Here, we address the degree to which disruption of menin-MLL-FP interactions or menin-MLL1/MLL2 interactions contribute to the antileukemia effect of menin inhibition. We show that Men1 deletion in MLL-AF9-transformed leukemia cells produces distinct cellular and molecular consequences compared with Mll1;Mll2 co-deletion and that compounds disrupting menin-MLL N-terminal interactions largely phenocopy menin loss. Moreover, we show that Mll1;Mll2-deficient leukemia cells exhibit enhanced sensitivity to menin interaction inhibitors, which is consistent with each regulating complementary genetic pathways. These data illustrate the heightened dependency of MLL-FPs on menin compared with wild-type MLL1/MLL2 for regulation of downstream target genes and argue that the predominant action of menin inhibitory compounds is through direct inhibition of MLL-FPs without significant contribution from MLL1/MLL2 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Konstantinos Anastassiadis
- Genomics and Stem Cell Engineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrea Kranz
- Genomics and Stem Cell Engineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - A Francis Stewart
- Genomics and Stem Cell Engineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Matthew Meyerson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patricia Ernst
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado, Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. Aurora, CO, USA.
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27
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Zhang X, Zheng X, Yang H, Yan J, Fu X, Wei R, Xu X, Zhang Z, Yu A, Zhou K, Ding J, Geng M, Huang X. Piribedil disrupts the MLL1-WDR5 interaction and sensitizes MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Cancer Lett 2018; 431:150-160. [PMID: 29857126 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Targeting WT MLL for the treatment of MLL-r leukemia, which is highly aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy, has been shown to be a promising strategy. However, drug treatments targeting WT MLL are lacking. We used an in vitro histone methyltransferase assay to screen a library consists of 592 FDA-approved drugs for MLL1 inhibitors by measuring alterations in HTRF signal and found that Piribedil represented a potent activity. Piribedil specifically inhibited the proliferation of MLL-r cells by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and myeloid differentiation with little toxicity to the non-MLL cells. Mechanism study showed Piribedil blocked the MLL1-WDR5 interaction and thus selectively reduced MLL1-dependent H3K4 methylation. Importantly, MLL1 depletion induced gene expression that was similar to that induced by Piribedil and rendered the MLL-r cells resistant to Piribedil-induced toxicity, revealing Piribedil exerted anti-leukemia effects by targeting MLL1. Furthermore, both the Piribedil treatment and MLL1 depletion sensitized the MLL-r cells to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Our study support the hypothesis that Piribedil could serve as a new drug for the treatment of MLL-r AML and provide new insight for further optimization of targeting MLL1 HMT activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xingling Zheng
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Juan Yan
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuhong Fu
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Rongrui Wei
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhuqing Zhang
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Aisong Yu
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kaixin Zhou
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jian Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China; Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Meiyu Geng
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xun Huang
- Division of Anti-Tumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.19A Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
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28
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Benetatos L, Vartholomatos G. Enhancer DNA methylation in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:1999-2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2783-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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El Ashkar S, Schwaller J, Pieters T, Goossens S, Demeulemeester J, Christ F, Van Belle S, Juge S, Boeckx N, Engelman A, Van Vlierberghe P, Debyser Z, De Rijck J. LEDGF/p75 is dispensable for hematopoiesis but essential for MLL-rearranged leukemogenesis. Blood 2018; 131:95-107. [PMID: 29084774 PMCID: PMC5755044 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2017-05-786962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) represents a genetically distinct and aggressive subset of human acute leukemia carrying chromosomal translocations of the MLL gene. These translocations result in oncogenic fusions that mediate aberrant recruitment of the transcription machinery to MLL target genes. The N-terminus of MLL and MLL-fusions form a complex with lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75; encoded by the PSIP1 gene) and MENIN. This complex contributes to the association of MLL and MLL-fusion multiprotein complexes with the chromatin. Several studies have shown that both MENIN and LEDGF/p75 are required for efficient MLL-fusion-mediated transformation and for the expression of downstream MLL-regulated genes such as HOXA9 and MEIS1 In light of developing a therapeutic strategy targeting this complex, understanding the function of LEDGF/p75 in normal hematopoiesis is crucial. We generated a conditional Psip1 knockout mouse model in the hematopoietic compartment and examined the effects of LEDGF/p75 depletion in postnatal hematopoiesis and the initiation of MLL leukemogenesis. Psip1 knockout mice were viable but showed several defects in hematopoiesis, reduced colony-forming activity in vitro, decreased expression of Hox genes in the hematopoietic stem cells, and decreased MLL occupancy at MLL target genes. Finally, in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that LEDGF/p75 is dispensable for steady-state hematopoiesis but essential for the initiation of MLL-mediated leukemia. These data corroborate the MLL-LEDGF/p75 interaction as novel target for the treatment of MLL-rearranged leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara El Ashkar
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Juerg Schwaller
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital (UKBB), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Pieters
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jonas Demeulemeester
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frauke Christ
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Siska Van Belle
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sabine Juge
- Department of Biomedicine, University Children's Hospital (UKBB), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nancy Boeckx
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; and
| | - Alan Engelman
- Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Pieter Van Vlierberghe
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Zeger Debyser
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan De Rijck
- Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Steinhilber D, Marschalek R. How to effectively treat acute leukemia patients bearing MLL-rearrangements ? Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 147:183-190. [PMID: 28943239 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomal translocations - leading to the expression of fusion genes - are well-studied genetic abberrations associated with the development of leukemias. Most of them represent altered transcription factors that affect transcription or epigenetics, while others - like BCR-ABL - are enhancing signaling. BCR-ABL has become the prototype for rational drug design, and drugs like Imatinib and subsequently improved drugs have a great impact on cancer treatments. By contrast, MLL-translocations in acute leukemia patients are hard to treat, display a high relapse rate and the overall survival rate is still very poor. Therefore, new treatment modalities are urgently needed. Based on the molecular insights of the most frequent MLL rearrangements, BET-, DOT1L-, SET- and MEN1/LEDGF-inhibitors have been developed and first clinical studies were initiated. Not all results of these studies have are yet available, however, a first paper reports a failure in the DOT1L-inhibitor study although it was the most promising drug based on literature data. One possible explanation is that all of the above mentioned drugs also target the cognate wildtype proteins. Here, we want to strengthen the fact that efforts should be made to develop drugs or strategies to selectively inhibit only the fusion proteins. Some examples will be given that follow exactly this guideline, and proof-of-concept experiments have already demonstrated their feasibility and effectiveness. Some of the mentioned approaches were using drugs that are already on the market, indicating that there are existing opportunities for the future which should be implemented in future therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Steinhilber
- Institute of Pharm. Chemistry, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Rolf Marschalek
- Institute of Pharm. Biology/DCAL, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
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Albert L, Xu J, Wan R, Srinivasan V, Dou Y, Vázquez O. Controlled inhibition of methyltransferases using photoswitchable peptidomimetics: towards an epigenetic regulation of leukemia. Chem Sci 2017; 8:4612-4618. [PMID: 28970883 PMCID: PMC5618341 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc00137a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Shine light on epigenetics: we describe how photoswitchable peptidomimetics modulate the activity of the MLLl enzyme affecting epigenetic states.
We describe a cell-permeable photoswitchable probe capable of modulating epigenetic cellular states by disruption of an essential protein–protein interaction within the MLL1 methyltransferase core complex. Our azobenzene-containing peptides selectively block the WDR5-MLL1 interaction by binding to WDR5 with high affinity (Ki = 1.25 nM). We determined the co-crystal structure of this photoswitchable peptiomimetic with WDR5 to understand the interaction at the atomic level. Importantly, the photoswitchable trans and cis conformers of the probe display a clear difference in their inhibition of MLL1. We further demonstrate that the designed photo-controllable azo-peptidomimetics affect the transcription of the MLL1-target gene Deptor, which regulates hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis, and inhibit the growth of leukemia cells. This strategy demonstrates the potential of photopharmacological inhibition of methyltransferase protein–protein interactions as a novel method for external epigenetic control, providing a new toolbox for controlling epigenetic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Albert
- Fachbereich Chemie , Philipps-Universität Marburg , Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4 , 35043 Marburg , Germany .
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Pathology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , USA
| | - Ruiwei Wan
- Department of Pathology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , USA
| | - Vasundara Srinivasan
- LOEWE Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie SynMikro , Philipps-Universität Marburg , Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4 , 35043 Marburg , Germany
| | - Yali Dou
- Department of Pathology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , USA
| | - Olalla Vázquez
- Fachbereich Chemie , Philipps-Universität Marburg , Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4 , 35043 Marburg , Germany .
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