Project description:B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) cells reside in the bone marrow microenvironment, where they are protected against chemotherapeutic agents. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are key components of this supporting framework. The present study aimed to unravel whether MSCs derived from pediatric BCP-ALL patients (leukemic MSCs) differ from MSCs derived from healthy pediatric donors (control-MSCs). Therefore, we studied their gene expression profiles after 40 hours of co-culture with primary B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. MSCs were sorted using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
Project description:Whole transcriptome RNA-seq of pediatric infant (<1year of aget at diagnosis) patients affected by B-cell precursor Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). The aim of the study is to identify fusion gene rearrangements involved in childhood leukemia, using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
Project description:Targeted RNA-seq of pediatric infant (<1year of age at diagnosis) patients affected by B-cell precursor Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). The aim of the study is to identify fusion gene rearrangements involved in childhood leukemia, using a custom targeted panel for RNA analysis by NGS.
Project description:B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) cells reside in the bone marrow microenvironment, where they are protected against chemotherapeutic agents. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are key components of this supporting framework. The present study aimed to unravel whether MSCs derived from pediatric BCP-ALL patients (leukemic MSCs) differ from MSCs derived from healthy pediatric donors (control-MSCs). Therefore, we studied their gene expression profiles.
Project description:PAX5, a transcription factor essential for B-cell development, has been found as a frequent target of abnormalities in B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (BCP-ALL) cases, showing point mutations, deletions, as well as translocations with several partner genes. We identified four novel PAX5 fusion partner genes by performing a screening on BCP-ALL cases with 9p rearrangements. Copy Number Variation analysis of translocated samples showed that few significant cooperative genetic lesions are present in addition to the translocation event, suggesting that it might have a primary role in leukemogenesis.
Project description:B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is a heterogeneous disease that can be subdivided according to primary recurrent genetic abnormalities that are strongly associated with characteristic biological and clinical features. The detection of these abnormalities can facilitate diagnosis, risk stratification, and targeted therapy. We identified an unexpectedly high incidence of fusion genes involving ZNF384 genes, including TCF3-ZNF384, EP300-ZNF384, and CREBBP-ZNF384, in BCP-ALL of our cohort. We therefore used microarrays to evaluate the gene-expression characteristics of BCP-ALL harboring ZNF384-related fusion genes and compared with those of BCP-ALL with other types of conventional genetic abnormality.
Project description:We determined the genome-wide digital gene expression (DGE) profiles of primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells from 28 patients and fractionated blood cells from healthy blood donors taking advantage of “second generation” sequencing technology. The patients included in the study represent distinct subtypes of B-cell precursor (BCP) ALL and T-cell lineage ALL (T-ALL) and the controls are fractionated CD19+ and CD3+ cells.
Project description:Deregulated expression of cytokine receptor gene, CRLF2, is involved in lymphoid transformation in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia We report two novel, cryptic chromosomal abnormalities in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL): a translocation, either t(X;14)(p22;q32) or t(Y;14)(p11;q32), in 33 patients and an interstitial deletion, either del(X)(p22.33p22.33) or del(Y)(p11.32p11.32), in 64 patients, involving the pseudoautosomal region (PAR1) of the sex chromosomes. The incidence of these abnormalities was 5% in childhood ALL (0.8% with the translocation, 4.2% with the deletion). Patients with the translocation were older (median age 16 years), whilst the patients with the deletion were younger (median age 4 years). The two abnormalities result in deregulated expression of the cytokine receptor, cytokine receptor-like factor 2, CRLF2 (also known as thymic stromal-derived lymphopoietin receptor, TSLPR). Over-expression of CRLF2 was associated with activation of the JAK-STAT pathway in cell lines and transduced primary B-cell progenitors, sustaining their proliferation and indicating a causal role of CRLF2 over-expression in lymphoid transformation. In Down Syndrome (DS) ALL and two non DS BCP-ALL cell lines, CRLF2 deregulation was associated with mutations of the JAK2 pseudokinase domain suggesting oncogenic cooperation, as well as highlighting a link between non DS ALL and JAK2 mutations. Keyword(s): Global copy number analysis using Agilent oligonucleotide arrays DNA copy number analysis of 16 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia samples (13 diagnostic, 1 diagnostic and relapse pair and 2 cell-lines) was performed using Agilent 244K and 105K custom microarrays. These samples were hybridised against gender matched reference DNA.
Project description:The prognosis for B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with Mixed-Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements (MLLr BCP-ALL) is still extremely poor. Inhibition of anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 with venetoclax emerged as a promising strategy for this subtype of BCP-ALL, however lack of sufficient responses in pre-clinical models and possibility of developing resistance exclude using venetoclax as monotherapy. Herein, we aimed to uncover potential mechanisms responsible for limited venetoclax activity in MLLr BCP-ALL and to identify drugs that could be used in combination therapy. Using RNA-seq, we observed that long-term exposure to venetoclax in vivo in patient derived xenograft model leads to downregulation of particular p53-related genes. Interestingly, addition of auranofin, a thioredoxin system inhibitor, sensitized MLLr BCP-ALL to venetoclax in various in vitro and in vivo models, independently on the p53 pathway functionality. Synergistic activity of these drugs resulted from auranofin-mediated upregulation of NOXA pro-apoptotic protein and potent induction of apoptotic cell death. More specifically, we observed that auranofin orchestrates upregulation of NOXA-encoding gene (PMAIP1) by chromatin remodeling and increased transcriptional accessibility. Altogether, these results present novel, promising drug combination that could be exploited for the treatment of MLLr BCP-ALL patients, including those with TP53 mutations.