Tumors are composed of phenotypically heterogeneous cancer cells that often resemble various differentiation states of their lineage of origin. Within this hierarchy, it is thought that an immature subpopulation of tumor-propagating cancer stem cells (CSCs) differentiates into non-tumorigenic progeny, providing a rationale for therapeutic strategies that specifically eradicate CSCs or induce their differentiation. The clinical success of these approaches depends on CSC differentiation being unidirectional rather than reversible, yet this question remains unresolved even in prototypically hierarchical malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we show in murine and human models of AML that, upon perturbation of endogenous expression of the lineage-determining transcription factor PU.1 or withdrawal of established differentiation therapies, some mature leukemia cells can de-differentiate and reacquire clonogenic and leukemogenic properties. Our results reveal plasticity of CSC maturation in AML, highlighting the need to therapeutically eradicate cancer cells across a range of differentiation states.
- MeSH
- akutní myeloidní leukemie metabolismus patologie MeSH
- buněčná diferenciace fyziologie MeSH
- karcinogeneze MeSH
- kultivované buňky MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- nádorové kmenové buňky fyziologie MeSH
- plasticita buňky MeSH
- protoonkogenní proteiny genetika metabolismus MeSH
- trans-aktivátory genetika metabolismus MeSH
- transdiferenciace buněk fyziologie MeSH
- tretinoin metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
