Minimal residual disease monitoring in childhood Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: prognostic significance and correlation between multiparameter flow cytometry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction

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Epigenetic activation of the FLT3 gene by ZNF384 fusion confers a therapeutic susceptibility in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

FLT3 is an attractive therapeutic target in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) but the mechanism for its activation in this cancer is incompletely understood. Profiling global gene expression in large ALL cohorts, we identify over-expression of FLT3 in ZNF384-rearranged ALL, consistently across cases harboring different fusion partners with ZNF384. Mechanistically, we discover an intergenic enhancer element at the FLT3 locus that is exclusively activated in ZNF384-rearranged ALL, with the enhancer-promoter looping directly mediated by the fusion protein. There is also a global enrichment of active enhancers within ZNF384 binding sites across the genome in ZNF384-rearranged ALL cells. Downregulation of ZNF384 blunts FLT3 activation and decreases ALL cell sensitivity to FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib in vitro. In patient-derived xenograft models of ZNF384-rearranged ALL, gilteritinib exhibits significant anti-leukemia efficacy as a monotherapy in vivo. Collectively, our results provide insights into FLT3 regulation in ALL and point to potential genomics-guided targeted therapy for this patient population

Transcriptome Analysis of Monozygotic Twin Brothers with Childhood Primary Myelofibrosis

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder in human bone marrow. Over 50% of patients with myelofibrosis have mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR. However, these mutations are rarely detected in children, suggesting a difference in the pathogenesis of childhood PMF. In this study, we investigated the response to drug treatment of a monozygotic twin pair with typical childhood PMF. The twin exhibited different clinical outcomes despite following the same treatment regimen. The transcriptomic profiles of patient samples after drug treatment (E2 and Y2) were significantly different between the twin pair, which is consistent with the observation that the drug treatment was effective only in the younger brother, despite the twin being genetically identical. Bioinformatics analysis of the drug-responsive genes showed that the JAK-STAT pathway was activated in the cured younger brother, which is opposite to the pathway inhibition observed in adult PMF cases following treatment. Moreover, apoptosis and cell cycle processes were both significantly influenced by drug treatment in the sample of younger brother (Y2), implying their potential association with the pathogenesis of childhood PMF. Gene mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR were not observed; however, mutations in genes including SRSF2 and SF3B1 occurred in this twin pair with childhood PMF. Gene fusion events were extensively screened in the twin pair samples and the occurrence of IGLV2-14-IGLL5 gene fusion was confirmed. The current study reported at transcriptomic level the different responses of monozygotic twin brothers with childhood PMF to the same androgen/prednisone treatment regimen providing new insights into the potential pathogenesis of childhood PMF for further research and clinical applications

Transcriptome Analysis of Monozygotic Twin Brothers with Childhood Primary Myelofibrosis

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder in human bone marrow. Over 50% of patients with myelofibrosis have mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR. However, these mutations are rarely detected in children, suggesting a difference in the pathogenesis of childhood PMF. In this study, we investigated the response to drug treatment of a monozygotic twin pair with typical childhood PMF. The twin exhibited different clinical outcomes despite following the same treatment regimen. The transcriptomic profiles of patient samples after drug treatment (E2 and Y2) were significantly different between the twin pair, which is consistent with the observation that the drug treatment was effective only in the younger brother, despite the twin being genetically identical. Bioinformatics analysis of the drug-responsive genes showed that the JAK-STAT pathway was activated in the cured younger brother, which is opposite to the pathway inhibition observed in adult PMF cases following treatment. Moreover, apoptosis and cell cycle processes were both significantly influenced by drug treatment in the sample of younger brother (Y2), implying their potential association with the pathogenesis of childhood PMF. Gene mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR were not observed; however, mutations in genes including SRSF2 and SF3B1 occurred in this twin pair with childhood PMF. Gene fusion events were extensively screened in the twin pair samples and the occurrence of IGLV2-14-IGLL5 gene fusion was confirmed. The current study reported at transcriptomic level the different responses of monozygotic twin brothers with childhood PMF to the same androgen/prednisone treatment regimen providing new insights into the potential pathogenesis of childhood PMF for further research and clinical applications

Transcriptome Analysis of Monozygotic Twin Brothers with Childhood Primary Myelofibrosis

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a chronic myeloproliferative disorder in human bone marrow. Over 50% of patients with myelofibrosis have mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR. However, these mutations are rarely detected in children, suggesting a difference in the pathogenesis of childhood PMF. In this study, we investigated the response to drug treatment of a monozygotic twin pair with typical childhood PMF. The twin exhibited different clinical outcomes despite following the same treatment regimen. The transcriptomic profiles of patient samples after drug treatment (E2 and Y2) were significantly different between the twin pair, which is consistent with the observation that the drug treatment was effective only in the younger brother, despite the twin being genetically identical. Bioinformatics analysis of the drug-responsive genes showed that the JAK-STAT pathway was activated in the cured younger brother, which is opposite to the pathway inhibition observed in adult PMF cases following treatment. Moreover, apoptosis and cell cycle processes were both significantly influenced by drug treatment in the sample of younger brother (Y2), implying their potential association with the pathogenesis of childhood PMF. Gene mutations in JAK2, MPL, or CALR were not observed; however, mutations in genes including SRSF2 and SF3B1 occurred in this twin pair with childhood PMF. Gene fusion events were extensively screened in the twin pair samples and the occurrence of IGLV2-14-IGLL5 gene fusion was confirmed. The current study reported at transcriptomic level the different responses of monozygotic twin brothers with childhood PMF to the same androgen/prednisone treatment regimen providing new insights into the potential pathogenesis of childhood PMF for further research and clinical applications