In most patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) clonal cells can be kept under control by BCR::ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). However, overt resistance or intolerance against these TKI may occur. We identified the epigenetic reader BRD4 and its downstream-effector MYC as growth regulators and therapeutic targets in CML cells. BRD4 and MYC were found to be expressed in primary CML cells, CD34+ /CD38- leukemic stem cells (LSC), and in the CML cell lines KU812, K562, KCL22, and KCL22T315I . The BRD4-targeting drug JQ1 was found to suppress proliferation in KU812 cells and primary leukemic cells in the majority of patients with chronic phase CML. In the blast phase of CML, JQ1 was less effective. However, the BRD4 degrader dBET6 was found to block proliferation and/or survival of primary CML cells in all patients tested, including blast phase CML and CML cells exhibiting the T315I variant of BCR::ABL1. Moreover, dBET6 was found to block MYC expression and to synergize with BCR::ABL1 TKI in inhibiting the proliferation in the JQ1-resistant cell line K562. Furthermore, BRD4 degradation was found to overcome osteoblast-induced TKI resistance of CML LSC in a co-culture system and to block interferon-gamma-induced upregulation of the checkpoint antigen PD-L1 in LSC. Finally, dBET6 was found to suppress the in vitro survival of CML LSC and their engraftment in NSG mice. Together, targeting of BRD4 and MYC through BET degradation sensitizes CML cells against BCR::ABL1 TKI and is a potent approach to overcome multiple forms of drug resistance in CML LSC.

• MeSH
• bcr-abl fúzové proteiny MeSH
• blastická krize farmakoterapie   MeSH
• chemorezistence MeSH
• chronická myeloidní leukemie * farmakoterapie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• inhibitory proteinkinas farmakologie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• jaderné proteiny * genetika   MeSH
• kmenové buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• proteiny buněčného cyklu MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny c-myc MeSH
• transkripční faktory genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bcr-abl fúzové proteiny MeSH
• BRD4 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• inhibitory proteinkinas MeSH
• jaderné proteiny * MeSH
• MYC protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteiny buněčného cyklu MeSH
• protoonkogenní proteiny c-myc MeSH
• transkripční faktory MeSH

Ponatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) directed against BCR-ABL1 which is successfully used in patients with BCR-ABL1 T315I+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, BCR-ABL1 compound mutations may develop during therapy in these patients and may lead to drug resistance. Asciminib is a novel drug capable of targeting most BCR-ABL1 mutant-forms, including BCR-ABL1T315I, but remains ineffective against most BCR-ABL1T315I+ compound mutation-bearing sub-clones. We demonstrate that asciminib synergizes with ponatinib in inducing growth-arrest and apoptosis in patient-derived CML cell lines and murine Ba/F3 cells harboring BCR-ABL1 T315I or T315I-including compound mutations. Asciminib and ponatinib also produced cooperative effects on CRKL phosphorylation in BCR-ABL1-transformed cells. The growth-inhibitory effects of the drug combination 'asciminib+ponatinib' was further enhanced by hydroxyurea (HU), a drug which has lately been described to suppresses the proliferation of BCR-ABL1 T315I+ CML cells. Cooperative drug effects were also observed in patient-derived CML cells. Most importantly, we were able to show that the combinations 'asciminib+ponatinib' and 'asciminib+ponatinib+HU' produce synergistic apoptosis-inducing effects in CD34+/CD38- CML stem cells obtained from patients with chronic phase CML or BCR-ABL1 T315I+ CML blast phase. Together, asciminib, ponatinib and HU synergize in producing anti-leukemic effects in multi-resistant CML cells, including cells harboring T315I+ BCR-ABL1 compound mutations and CML stem cells. The clinical efficacy of this TKI combination needs to be evaluated within the frame of upcoming clinical trials.

• Klíčová slova
• BCR-ABL1 compound mutations, BCR-ABL1T315I, CML, asciminib, drug combinations, hydroxyurea, leukemic stem cells, ponatinib,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Bone marrow transplantation or ponatinib treatment are currently recommended strategies for management of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) harboring the T315I mutation and compound or polyclonal mutations. However, in some individual cases, these treatment scenarios cannot be applied. We used an alternative treatment strategy with interferon-α (IFN-α) given solo, sequentially or together with TKI in a group of 6 cases of high risk CML patients, assuming that the TKI-independent mechanism of action may lead to mutant clone repression. IFN-α based individualized therapy decreases of T315I or compound mutations to undetectable levels as assessed by next-generation deep sequencing, which was associated with a molecular response in 4/6 patients. Based on the observed results from immune profiling, we assumed that the principal mechanism leading to the success of the treatment was the immune activation induced with dasatinib pre-treatment followed by restoration of immunological surveillance after application of IFN-α therapy. Moreover, we showed that sensitive measurement of mutated BCR-ABL1 transcript levels augments the safety of this individualized treatment strategy.

• MeSH
• bcr-abl fúzové proteiny účinky léků   genetika   MeSH
• chronická myeloidní leukemie farmakoterapie   genetika   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• individualizovaná medicína MeSH
• inhibitory proteinkinas aplikace a dávkování   farmakologie   MeSH
• interferon alfa aplikace a dávkování   farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie aplikace a dávkování   farmakologie   MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• vysoce účinné nukleotidové sekvenování metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• kazuistiky MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bcr-abl fúzové proteiny MeSH
• BCR-ABL1 fusion protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• inhibitory proteinkinas MeSH
• interferon alfa MeSH

Identification and quantitative monitoring of mutant BCR-ABL1 subclones displaying resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become important tasks in patients with Ph-positive leukemias. Different technologies have been established for patient screening. Various next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms facilitating sensitive detection and quantitative monitoring of mutations in the ABL1-kinase domain (KD) have been introduced recently, and are expected to become the preferred technology in the future. However, broad clinical implementation of NGS methods has been hampered by the limited accessibility at different centers and the current costs of analysis which may not be regarded as readily affordable for routine diagnostic monitoring. It is therefore of interest to determine whether NGS platforms can be adequately substituted by other methodological approaches. We have tested three different techniques including pyrosequencing, LD (ligation-dependent)-PCR and NGS in a series of peripheral blood specimens from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients carrying single or multiple mutations in the BCR-ABL1 KD. The proliferation kinetics of mutant subclones in serial specimens obtained during the course of TKI-treatment revealed similar profiles via all technical approaches, but individual specimens showed statistically significant differences between NGS and the other methods tested. The observations indicate that different approaches to detection and quantification of mutant subclones may be applicable for the monitoring of clonal kinetics, but careful calibration of each method is required for accurate size assessment of mutant subclones at individual time points.

• Klíčová slova
• BCR-ABL1, CML, LD-PCR, NGS, pyrosequencing, quantitative analysis of mutant subclones,
• MeSH
• bcr-abl fúzové proteiny chemie   genetika   MeSH
• chronická myeloidní leukemie genetika   patologie   MeSH
• DNA analýza   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce * MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA * MeSH
• srovnávací genomová hybridizace MeSH
• vysoce účinné nukleotidové sekvenování * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bcr-abl fúzové proteiny MeSH
• DNA MeSH