A CD36-dependent non-canonical lipid metabolism program promotes immune escape and resistance to hypomethylating agent therapy in AML.

Environmental lipids are essential for fueling tumor energetics, but whether these exogenous lipids transported into cancer cells facilitate immune escape remains unclear. Here, we find that CD36, a transporter for exogenous lipids, promotes acute myeloid leukemia (AML) immune evasion. We show that, separately from its established role in lipid oxidation, CD36 on AML cells senses oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) to prime the TLR4-LYN-MYD88-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway, and exogenous palmitate transfer via CD36 further potentiates this innate immune pathway by supporting ZDHHC6-mediated MYD88 palmitoylation. Subsequently, NF-κB drives the expression of immunosuppressive genes that inhibit anti-tumor T cell responses. Notably, high-fat-diet or hypomethylating agent decitabine treatment boosts the immunosuppressive potential of AML cells by hijacking CD36-dependent innate immune signaling, leading to a dampened therapeutic effect. This work is of translational interest because lipid restriction by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved lipid-lowering statin drugs improves the efficacy of decitabine therapy by weakening leukemic CD36-mediated immunosuppression.

Leukemic progenitor cells enable immunosuppression and post-chemotherapy relapse via IL-36-inflammatory monocyte axis.

Chemotherapy can effectively reduce the leukemic burden and restore immune cell production in most acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. Nevertheless, endogenous immunosurveillance usually fails to recover after chemotherapy, permitting relapse. The underlying mechanisms of this therapeutic failure have remained poorly understood. Here, we show that abnormal IL-36 production activated by NF-κB is an essential feature of mouse and human leukemic progenitor cells (LPs). Mechanistically, IL-36 directly activates inflammatory monocytes (IMs) in bone marrow, which then precludes clearance of leukemia mediated by CD8+ T cells and facilitates LP growth. While sparing IMs, common chemotherapeutic agents stimulate IL-36 production from residual LPs via caspase-1 activation, thereby enabling the persistence of this immunosuppressive IL-36­IM axis after chemotherapy. Furthermore, IM depletion by trabectedin, with chemotherapy and PD-1 blockade, can synergistically restrict AML progression and relapse. Collectively, these results suggest inhibition of the IL-36­IM axis as a potential strategy for improving AML treatment.

Leukemic IL-17RB signaling regulates leukemic survival and chemoresistance.

Secreted proteins provide crucial signals that have been implicated in the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the bone marrow microenvironment. Here we identify aberrant expressions of inflammatory IL-17B and its receptor (IL-17RB) in human and mouse mixed lineage leukemia-rearranged AML cells, which were further increased after exposure to chemotherapy. Interestingly, silencing of IL-17B or IL-17RB led to significant suppression of leukemic cell survival and disease progression in vivo. Moreover, the IL-17B-IL-17RB axis protected leukemic cells from chemotherapeutic agent-induced apoptotic effects. Mechanistic studies revealed that IL-17B promoted AML cell survival by enhancing ERK, NF-κB phosphorylation, and the expression of antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2, which were reversed by small-molecule inhibitors. Thus, the inhibition of the IL-17B-IL-17RB axis may be a valid strategy to enhance sensitivity and therapeutic benefit of AML chemotherapy.-Guo, H.-Z., Niu, L.-T., Qiang, W.-T., Chen, J., Wang, J., Yang, H., Zhang, W., Zhu, J., Yu, S.-H. Leukemic IL-17RB signaling regulates leukemic survival and chemoresistance.

JMJD3 facilitates C/EBPß-centered transcriptional program to exert oncorepressor activity in AML.

JMJD3, a stress-inducible H3K27 demethylase, plays a critical regulatory role in the initiation and progression of malignant hematopoiesis. However, how this histone modifier affects in a cell type-dependent manner remains unclear. Here, we show that in contrast to its oncogenic effect in preleukemia state and lymphoid malignancies, JMJD3 relieves the differentiation-arrest of certain subtypes (such as M2 and M3) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. RNA sequencing and ChIP-PCR analyses revealed that JMJD3 exerts anti-AML effect by directly modulating H3K4 and H3K27 methylation levels to activate the expression of a number of key myelopoietic regulatory genes. Mechanistic exploration identified a physical and functional association of JMJD3 with C/EBPß that presides the regulatory network of JMJD3. Thus, the leukemia regulatory role of JMJD3 varies in a disease phase- and lineage-dependent manner, and acts as a potential oncorepressor in certain subsets of AML largely by coupling to C/EBPß-centered myelopoietic program.

Viral RNA-Unprimed Rig-I Restrains Stat3 Activation in the Modulation of Regulatory T Cell/Th17 Cell Balance.

Innate immunity activation by viral RNA-primed retinoid acid inducible gene-I (Rig-I) in CD4+ T cells antagonizes TGFß signaling to suppress the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, how viral RNA-unliganded Rig-I (apo-Rig-I) modulates Treg generation remains unclear. In this article, we show that, in the absence of viral infection, Treg differentiation of Rig-I-/- CD4+ T cells was compromised, in the presence of increased generation of Th17 cells and overactivation of Stat3, a critical regulator tilting the Treg/Th17 cell balance. Mechanistically, apo-Rig-I physically associates with Stat3, thereby inhibiting Jak1's association with Stat3 while facilitating Shp2's association to inhibit p-Stat3 levels. Interestingly, inhibition of Stat3 ameliorates the Treg/Th17 imbalance and the colitis observed in Rig-I-/- mice. Collectively, these results uncover an independent functional contribution of the apo-Rig-I/Stat3 interaction in the maintenance of Treg/Th17 cell balance.

RIG-I modulates Src-mediated AKT activation to restrain leukemic stemness.

Retinoic acid (RA)-inducible gene I (RIG-I) is highly upregulated and functionally implicated in the RA-induced maturation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts. However, the underlying mechanism and the biological relevance of RIG-I expression to the maintenance of leukemogenic potential are poorly understood. Here, we show that RIG-I, without priming by foreign RNA, inhibits the Src-facilitated activation of AKT-mTOR in AML cells. Moreover, in a group of primary human AML blasts, RIG-I reduction renders the Src family kinases hyperactive in promoting AKT activation. Mechanistically, a PxxP motif in RIG-I, upon the N-terminal CARDs' association with the Src SH1 domain, competes with the AKT PxxP motif for recognizing the Src SH3 domain. In accordance, mutating PxxP motif prevents Rig-I from inhibiting AKT activation, cytokine-stimulated myeloid progenitor proliferation, and in vivo repopulating capacity of leukemia cells. Collectively, our data suggest an antileukemia activity of RIG-I via competitively inhibiting Src/AKT association.

Tumor suppressor activity of RIG-I.

Retinoic acid inducible gene-I (RIG-I), named for the observation that its mRNA expression is highly upregulated in the progression of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced maturation of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells, has been well documented as a pivotal virus-associated molecular pattern recognition receptor (PRR) responsible for triggering innate immunity. Upon recognizing viral RNA ligands, RIG-I experiences a series of programmed conformational changes and modifications that unleash its activity through the formation of complexes with various binding partners. Such partners include the mitochondria membrane-anchored protein IPS-1 (also named MAVS/VISA/Cardif) that activates both the IRF3/7 and NF-κB pathways. These partnerships and resulting pathway activations underlie the synthesis of type I interferon and other inflammatory factors. Recent studies have demonstrated that RIG-I is also involved in the regulation of basic cellular processes outside of innate immunity against viral infections, such as hematopoietic proliferation and differentiation, maintenance of leukemic stemness, and tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we will highlight recent studies leading up to the recognition that RIG-I performs an essential function as a tumor suppressor and try to reconcile this activity of RIG-I with its well-known role in protecting cells against viral infection.