Interrogating bromodomain inhibitor resistance in KMT2A-rearranged leukemia through combinatorial CRISPR screens.
Shaela WrightJianzhong HuHong WangJudith HyleYang ZhangGuoqing DuMarina Y KonoplevaSteven M KornblauMohamed Nadhir DjekidelWojciech RosikiewiczBeisi XuRui LuJun J YangChunliang LiPublished in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2023)
Bromo- and extra-terminal domain inhibitors (BETi) have exhibited therapeutic activities in many cancers. However, the mechanisms controlling BETi response and resistance are not well understood. We conducted genome-wide loss-of-function CRISPR screens using BETi-treated KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) cell lines. We revealed that Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) gene (Speckle Type BTB/POZ Protein) deficiency caused significant BETi resistance, which was further validated in cell lines and xenograft models. Proteomics analysis and a kinase-vulnerability CRISPR screen indicated that cells treated with BETi are sensitive to GSK3 perturbation. Pharmaceutical inhibition of GSK3 reversed the BETi-resistance phenotype. Based on this observation, a combination therapy regimen inhibiting both BET and GSK3 was developed to impede KMT2A-r leukemia progression in patient-derived xenografts in vivo. Our results revealed molecular mechanisms underlying BETi resistance and a promising combination treatment regimen of ABBV-744 and CHIR-98014 by utilizing unique ex vivo and in vivo KMT2A-r PDX models.
Keyphrases
- genome wide
- dna methylation
- combination therapy
- signaling pathway
- copy number
- high throughput
- pi k akt
- induced apoptosis
- mass spectrometry
- cell cycle arrest
- bone marrow
- oxidative stress
- genome editing
- climate change
- single cell
- cell death
- replacement therapy
- protein protein
- genome wide identification
- cell proliferation