MicroRNA Mir-125b Causes Leukemia

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3158-3158
Author(s):  
Marina Bousquet ◽  
Marian Harris ◽  
Beiyan Zhou ◽  
Mark D. Fleming ◽  
Harvey Lodish

Abstract Abstract 3158 MicroRNA miR-125b has been shown to be involved in different kind of leukemia. Indeed, the chromosomal translocation t(2;11)(p21;q23) found in patients with myelodysplasia and acute myeloid leukemia leads to an overexpression of miR-125b up to 90 fold. Moreover, miR-125b is also upregulated in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia carrying the t(11;14)(q24;q32) translocation. To decipher the presumed oncogenic mechanism of miR-125b, we used transplantation experiments in mice. All of the mice transplanted with fetal liver cells ectopically expressing miR-125b showed an increase in white blood cell count, in particular in neutrophils and monocytes, associated with a macrocytic anemia. Among these mice, half of them died of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or a myeloproliferative disorder, suggesting an important role of miR-125b in myeloid and lymphoid lineages. Co-expression of miR-125b and the BCR-ABL fusion gene in transplanted cells accelerated the development of leukemia in mice, compared to control mice expressing only BCR-ABL, suggesting that miR-125b confers a proliferative advantage to the leukemic cells. Thus we showed that the overexpression of miR-125b is sufficient to induce leukemia in vivo and decrease the latency of BCR-ABL -induced leukemia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 1583-1583
Author(s):  
Frederik W van Delft ◽  
Sharon W Horsley ◽  
Kristina Anderson ◽  
Caroline M Bateman ◽  
Susan Colman ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 1583 Poster Board I-609 Approximately a quarter of B cell precursor childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is characterized by an ETV6-RUNX1 (TEL-AML1) fusion gene and has an overall good prognosis. The majority of these children will be treated on the standard risk arm of the United Kingdom ALL treatment protocols. Relapse usually occurs after cessation of treatment but remarkably can present many years later. The incidence of ETV6-RUNX1 at relapse has been reported to be less than or similar to de novo ALL. Molecular studies on neonatal bloodspots and on twins with concordant ALL have demonstrated the prenatal origin of major subtypes of childhood ALL, including most ETV6-RUNX1 fusion gene positive cases. In addition these investigations have suggested the existence of a preleukaemic stem cell requiring additional mutations or ‘hits’ in order to develop frank leukemia. To understand the genetic basis and clonal origin of late relapses we have compared the profiles of genome-wide copy number alterations (CNA) at relapse versus presentation in samples matched with remission DNA from 24 patients. The selected samples had tumor cell purity >75% before DNA extraction. DNA copy number alteration data was generated using the Affymetrix 500K SNP arrays. LOH analysis was performed using CNAG 3.0 and dCHIP 2008. Overall we identified 168 CNA at presentation and 252 at relapse (excluding deletions at IgH and TCR loci), equating to 6.96 and 10.3 CNA at presentation and relapse respectively. Although the number of CNA increased at relapse, no single gene or pathway was uniquely targeted in relapse. The most frequent alterations involved loss of 12p3.2 (ETV6), 9p21.3 (CDKN2A/B), 6q16.2-3 and gain of 21q22.1-22.12. A novel observation was gain of part or whole of chromosome 16 (2 patients at presentation, 5 at relapse) and deletion of the oncogene Plasmocytoma Variant Translocation 1 (PVT1) in 3 patients. Pathway analysis demonstrated frequent involvement at presentation and relapse of genes implicated in both B cell development (44 versus 46%) and cell cycle control (46 versus 71%). In order to study the clonal origin of relapse, we devised a classification describing the change in CNA between presentation and relapse in each individual patient. The clonal relationship between the presentation and relapse clone was established by the persistence of both the ETV6-RUNX1 fusion and at least 1 Ig and/or TCR rearrangement. We used a classification focussed on ‘driver’ CNA, defined as CNA that target genes functionally involved in leukemogenesis or CNA that are recurrently targeted as described in the literature. The four categories of relapse were type 1 (the dominant clone at presentation presented unchanged at relapse), type 2 (the relapse clone was derived from the major subclone at presentation with additional CNA), type 3 (the relapse clone was derived from a minor clone at presentation with gains and losses of CNA) and type 4 (the relapse clone is derived from an ancestral or preleukemic clone at initial presentation with all CNA gained). Twenty-one of the 24 patients were classifiable in this way (Figure 1). Although comparative relapse / presentation CNA profiles cannot identify precise clonal origins of relapse, the data indicate that irrespective of time to relapse (<2 to 9.9 years), the relapse clone appeared to be derived from either a major or minor clone at diagnosis with none (0/6) of the very late relapses (>5 years) derived from pre-leukemic cells lacking CNA. This data indicate diverse clonal origins of relapse and extended periods of dormancy, possibly via quiescence, for stem cells in ETV6-RUNX1+ ALL. Relapse type Remission duration (years) < 2 2 - 5 > 5 1 • • 2 • ••••••• •• 3 •• •• ••• 4 •• Figure 1. Each patient is represented by a black dot. Each patient is classified on the basis of the relapse type and remission duration. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 2643-2643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieke C.J. van den Berk ◽  
Arian van der Veer ◽  
Marieke E. Willemse ◽  
Myrte J.G.A. Theeuwes ◽  
Mirjam W. Luijendijk ◽  
...  

Abstract Malignant cells that infiltrate the bone marrow (BM) interfere with the normal cellular behavior of supporting cells, thereby creating an alternative malignant niche. This intercellular communication is mostly mediated by cytokines and their receptors. In this study, we find that expression of the CXCR4 receptor is significantly increased in pediatric precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) cells compared with normal mononuclear hematopoietic cells derived of the bone marrow (p=0.016). Furthermore, we show that high CXCR4 expression is correlated with an unfavorable clinical outcome in BCP-ALL (5-yr CIR ±SE: 38.4% ±6.9% in CXCR4-high versus 12.0% ±4.6% in CXCR4-low expressing patients, p<0.001). Interestingly, BM serum levels of the CXCR4 ligand (CXCL12) are 2.7-fold lower (p=0.005) in samples taken at initial diagnosis of BCP-ALL compared with the levels in samples taken of non-leukemic controls. We show that induction chemotherapy restores CXCL12 levels in the BM to normal levels. Blocking the CXCR4 receptor with Plerixafor (FDA-approved drug) showed that the lower CXCL12 serum levels at initial diagnosis could not be explained by consumption by the leukemic cells, nor did we observe an altered CXCL12-production capacity of BM-MSC at this time-point. We rather observed that a very high density of leukemic cells negatively affected CXCL12 production by the BM-MSC while stimulating the secretion levels of G-CSF. These results suggest that highly proliferative leukemic cells are able to down-regulate the production of cytokines involved in homing (CXCL12), while simultaneously up-regulating the production of cytokines involved in hematopoietic mobilization (G-CSF). This disbalance may stimulate the spreading of BCP-ALL outside the BM. The data presented here suggest that interference with the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis (for instance by using Plerixafor) may be an effective way to mobilize BCP-ALL cells; the more ALL cells become mobilized, the less ALL cells may escape from combination chemotherapy. In proof-of concept studies, this hypothesis needs to be validated to pave the way for implementation in future treatment protocols for children with ALL. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 109 (8) ◽  
pp. 3417-3423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Bousquet ◽  
Cyril Broccardo ◽  
Cathy Quelen ◽  
Fabienne Meggetto ◽  
Emilienne Kuhlein ◽  
...  

Abstract We report a novel t(7;9)(q11;p13) translocation in 2 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). By fluorescent in situ hybridization and 3′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we showed that the paired box domain of PAX5 was fused with the elastin (ELN) gene. After cloning the full-length cDNA of the chimeric gene, confocal microscopy of transfected NIH3T3 cells and Burkitt lymphoma cells (DG75) demonstrated that PAX5-ELN was localized in the nucleus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation clearly indicated that PAX5-ELN retained the capability to bind CD19 and BLK promoter sequences. To analyze the functions of the chimeric protein, HeLa cells were cotransfected with a luc-CD19 construct, pcDNA3-PAX5, and with increasing amounts of pcDNA3-PAX5-ELN. Thus, in vitro, PAX5-ELN was able to block CD19 transcription. Furthermore, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) experiments showed that PAX5-ELN was able to affect the transcription of endogenous PAX5 target genes. Since PAX5 is essential for B-cell differentiation, this translocation may account for the blockage of leukemic cells at the pre–B-cell stage. The mechanism involved in this process appears to be, at least in part, through a dominant-negative effect of PAX5-ELN on the wild-type PAX5 in a setting ofPAX5 haploinsufficiency.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Isidro-Hernández ◽  
Andrea Mayado ◽  
Ana Casado-García ◽  
Jorge Martínez-Cano ◽  
Chiara Palmi ◽  
...  

Abstract PAX5 is one of the most frequently mutated genes in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and children with inherited preleukemic PAX5 mutations are at a higher risk of developing the disease. Abnormal profiles of inflammatory markers have been detected in neonatal blood spot samples of children who later developed B-ALL. However, how inflammatory signals contribute to B-ALL development is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Pax5 heterozygosis, in the presence of infections, results in the enhanced production of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), which appears to act in an autocrine fashion to promote leukemia growth. Furthermore, in vivo genetic downregulation of IL-6 in these Pax5 heterozygous mice retards B-cell leukemogenesis, and in vivo pharmacologic inhibition of IL-6 with a neutralizing antibody in Pax5 mutant mice with B-ALL clears leukemic cells. Additionally, this novel IL–6 signaling paradigm identified in mice was also substantiated in humans. Altogether, our studies establish aberrant IL6 expression caused by Pax5 loss as a hallmark of Pax5-dependent B-ALL and the IL6 as a therapeutic vulnerability for B-ALL characterized by PAX5 loss.


2003 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Douet-Guilbert ◽  
Frédéric Morel ◽  
Marie-Josée Le Bris ◽  
Angèle Herry ◽  
Geneviève Le Calvez ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 844-844
Author(s):  
Yiguo Hu ◽  
Linghong Kong ◽  
Kevin Staples ◽  
Kevin Mills ◽  
John G. Monroe ◽  
...  

Abstract The BCR-ABL oncogene induces human Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) that advances to acute phase of CML called blast crisis. In this acute phase, CML patients can develop either B-ALL or acute myeloid leukemia. In B-ALL, differentiation of leukemic cells are blocked at pro-/pre-B stage, and the underlying mechanism is unknown. We hypothesize that this blockade of B-cell differentiation may be important for the development of B-ALL induced by BCR-ABL, and if so, promotion of B-leukemic cell differentiation would create a novel therapeutic strategy for B-ALL. To test this hypothesis, we first compared the percentages of IgM+ B-leukemic cells in BALB/c and C57BL/6 (B6) mice with BCR-ABL-induced B-ALL, because we have previously found that B-ALL develops more quickly in BALB/c mice than in B6 mice (Li et al, J. Exp. Med.189:1399–1412, 1999). We expressed BCR-ABL in bone marrow (BM) using retroviral transduction and transplantation in these two different strains of inbred mice to induce B-ALL. There were significantly more peripheral blood B220+ B cells in BALB/c B-ALL mice than those in B6 mice, correlating to faster B-ALL in BALB/c mice than in B6 mice. Among these B220+ cells, IgM+ cells were much less in BALB/c mice than in B6 mice. We also compared rearrangement of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) heavy chains (m chains) between BALB/c and B6 backgrounds using BCR-ABL-expressing pro-B cell lines isolated from the B-ALL mice. Normal m chains rearrangement was found in B6 leukemic cells, but not in BALB/c leukemic cells. These results indicate that more differentiated B-leukemic cells are associated with less aggressive disease. To further demonstrate the role of blockade of B-cell differentiation in B-ALL development, we induced B-leukemic cell differentiation by co-expression of BCR-ABL and intact immunoregulatory tyrosine activation motifs (ITAM) contained in immunoglobulin (Ig)_/Igß complexes in BM cells of B-ALL mice, comparing to expression of BCR-ABL alone. We treated these mice with imatinib (orally, 100 mg/kg, twice a day). The treated mice with B-ALL induced by co-expression of BCR-ABL and ITAM lived three-week longer than those with B-ALL induced by BCR-ABL only, with some mice in long-term remission. Prolonged survival was associated with 50% increased B220+/IgM+ B-leukemic cells in peripheral blood of the mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate that blockade of B-cell differentiation is critical for the development of B-ALL induced by BCR-ABL, and provide a rationale for combination therapy of B-ALL with imatinib and induction of leukemic cell differentiation.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 3734-3734
Author(s):  
Sinisa Dovat ◽  
Chunhua Song ◽  
Xiaokang Pan ◽  
Yali Ding ◽  
Chandrika S. Gowda ◽  
...  

Abstract IKZF1 (Ikaros) encodes a kruppel-like zinc finger protein that is essential for normal hematopoiesis and acts as a tumor suppressor in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The deletion and/or mutation of Ikaros is associated with the development of human T-cell and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with poor outcome. In vivo, Ikaros binds DNA and regulates gene expression by chromatin remodeling. Since there is a paucity of known genes that are regulated by Ikaros, the molecular mechanisms through which Ikaros exerts its tumor suppressor function remain unknown. Here we describe studies that identify the targets and mechanisms of Ikaros-mediated epigenetic regulation in human B-ALL. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with next generation sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify target genes that are bound by Ikaros in vivo in human B-ALL, and to define epigenetic patterns associated with Ikaros binding. ChIP-seq revealed a large set of Ikaros target genes that contain a characteristic Ikaros binding motif. The largest group of genes that are direct Ikaros targets included genes that are essential for cell cycle progression. These included CDC2, CDC7, CDK2 and CDK6 genes whose deregulation is associated with malignant transformation. The strong binding of ikaros to the promoters of cell cycle-promoting genes was confirmed by quantitative immunoprecipitation in primary leukemia cells. To establish whether Ikaros directly regulates transcription of the cell cycle-promoting genes, their expression was measured in B-ALL cells that were transduced with either a retroviral vector that contains Ikaros, or a control vector. Target gene expression was monitored by qRT-PCR. Ikaros strongly repressed transcription of the cell cycle-promoting genes, which resulted in cell cycle arrest. Global epigenetic profiling using ChIP-seq suggested that Ikaros represses cell cycle-promoting genes by inducing epigenetic changes that are consistent with repressive chromatin. High-resolution epigenetic profiling of the upstream regulatory elements of the cell cycle-promoting genes targeted by Ikaros showed that increased Ikaros expression results in the formation of heterochromatin, which is characterized by the presence of the H3K9me3 histone modification and associated transcriptional repression. Functional analysis revealed that phosphorylation of Ikaros by the oncogenic protein. Casein kinase II (CK2), impairs its function as a transcriptional repressor of the cell cycle-regulating genes. Inhibition of CK2 by specific inhibitors enhances Ikaros-mediated repression of the cell cycle-regulating genes resulting in cessation of cellular proliferation and cell cycle arrest in vitro and in vivo in a B-cell ALL preclinical model. This was associated with increased Ikaros binding and the formation of heterochromatin at upstream regulatory elements of the cell cycle-promoting genes. Our results provide evidence that Ikaros functions as a repressor of cell cycle-promoting genes in B-ALL by directly binding their promoters and inducing the formation of heterochromatin with characteristic H3K9me3 histone modifications Ikaros repressor function is negatively regulated by CK2 kinase in B-cell ALL. Inhibition of CK2 enhances Ikaros mediated-repression of cell cycle-promoting genes resulting in an anti-leukemia effect in a preclinical model of B-cell ALL. Presented data identified the mechanism of action of CK2 inhibitors and demonstrated their efficacy in B-cell ALL preclinical model. Results support the use of CK2 inhibitors in Phase I clinical trial. Supported by National Institutes of Health R01 HL095120 and a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Career Development Award (to S.D.). Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document