scholarly journals Shedding Light on Targeting Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 5805
Author(s):  
Mohammad Houshmand ◽  
Alireza Kazemi ◽  
Ali Anjam Najmedini ◽  
Muhammad Shahzad Ali ◽  
Valentina Gaidano ◽  
...  

Chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells (CML LSCs) are a rare and quiescent population that are resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). When TKI therapy is discontinued in CML patients in deep, sustained and apparently stable molecular remission, these cells in approximately half of the cases restart to grow, resuming the leukemic process. The elimination of these TKI resistant leukemic stem cells is therefore an essential step in increasing the percentage of those patients who can reach a successful long-term treatment free remission (TFR). The understanding of the biology of the LSCs and the identification of the differences, phenotypic and/or metabolic, that could eventually allow them to be distinguished from the normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are therefore important steps in designing strategies to target LSCs in a rather selective way, sparing the normal counterparts.

Leukemia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 2572-2579 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Ross ◽  
◽  
Ilaria S. Pagani ◽  
Naranie Shanmuganathan ◽  
Chung H. Kok ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 7003-7003 ◽  
Author(s):  
François-Xavier Mahon ◽  
Carla Boquimpani ◽  
Naoto Takahashi ◽  
Noam Benyamini ◽  
Nelma Cristina D. Clementino ◽  
...  

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5822
Author(s):  
Kyoko Ito ◽  
Keisuke Ito

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs, also known as leukemia-initiating cells) not only drive leukemia initiation and progression, but also contribute to drug resistance and/or disease relapse. Therefore, eradication of every last LSC is critical for a patient’s long-term cure. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder that arises from multipotent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have dramatically improved long-term outcomes and quality of life for patients with CML in the chronic phase. Point mutations of the kinase domain of BCR-ABL1 lead to TKI resistance through a reduction in drug binding, and as a result, several new generations of TKIs have been introduced to the clinic. Some patients develop TKI resistance without known mutations, however, and the presence of LSCs is believed to be at least partially associated with resistance development and CML relapse. We previously proposed targeting quiescent LSCs as a therapeutic approach to CML, and a number of potential strategies for targeting insensitive LSCs have been presented over the last decade. The identification of specific markers distinguishing CML-LSCs from healthy HSCs, and the potential contributions of the bone marrow microenvironment to CML pathogenesis, have also been explored. Nonetheless, 25% of CML patients are still expected to switch TKIs at least once, and various TKI discontinuation studies have shown a wide range in the incidence of molecular relapse (from 30% to 60%). In this review, we revisit the current knowledge regarding the role(s) of LSCs in CML leukemogenesis and response to pharmacological treatment and explore how durable treatment-free remission may be achieved and maintained after discontinuing TKI treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 1663-1672
Author(s):  
Chun Shik Park ◽  
H. Daniel Lacorazza

Abstract Chronic myeloid leukemia is a hematological cancer driven by the oncoprotein BCR-ABL1, and lifelong treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors extends patient survival to nearly the life expectancy of the general population. Despite advances in the development of more potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors to induce a durable deep molecular response, more than half of patients relapse upon treatment discontinuation. This clinical finding supports the paradigm that leukemia stem cells feed the neoplasm, resist tyrosine kinase inhibition, and reactivate upon drug withdrawal depending on the fitness of the patient’s immune surveillance. This concept lends support to the idea that treatment-free remission is not achieved solely with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and that new molecular targets independent of BCR-ABL1 signaling are needed in order to develop adjuvant therapy to more efficiently eradicate the leukemia stem cell population responsible for chemoresistance and relapse. Future efforts must focus on the identification of new targets to support the discovery of potent and safe small molecules able to specifically eradicate the leukemic stem cell population. In this review, we briefly discuss molecular maintenance in leukemia stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia and provide a more in-depth discussion of the dual-specificity kinase DYRK2, which has been identified as a novel actionable checkpoint in a critical leukemic network. DYRK2 controls the activation of p53 and proteasomal degradation of c-MYC, leading to impaired survival and self-renewal of leukemia stem cells; thus, pharmacological activation of DYRK2 as an adjuvant to standard therapy has the potential to induce treatment-free remission.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 433-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Cuellar ◽  
Michael Vozniak ◽  
Jill Rhodes ◽  
Nicholas Forcello ◽  
Daniel Olszta

The management of chronic myeloid leukemia with BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors has evolved chronic myeloid leukemia into a chronic, manageable disease. A patient-centered approach is important for the appropriate management of chronic myeloid leukemia and optimization of long-term treatment outcomes. The pharmacist plays a key role in treatment selection, monitoring drug–drug interactions, identification and management of adverse events, and educating patients on adherence. The combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors with unique safety profiles and individual patients with unique medical histories can make managing treatment difficult. This review will provide up-to-date information regarding tyrosine kinase inhibitor-based treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Management strategies for adverse events and considerations for drug–drug interactions will not only vary among patients but also across tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Drug–drug interactions can be mild to severe. In instances where co-administration of concomitant medications cannot be avoided, it is critical to understand how drug levels are impacted and how subsequent dose modifications ensure therapeutic drug levels are maintained. An important component of patient-centered management of chronic myeloid leukemia also includes educating patients on the significance of early and regular monitoring of therapeutic milestones, emphasizing the importance of adhering to treatment in achieving these targets, and appropriately modifying treatment if these clinical goals are not being met. Overall, staying apprised of current research, utilizing the close pharmacist–patient relationship, and having regular interactions with patients, will help achieve successful long-term treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia in the age of BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.


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