SMARCAL1 is a dual regulator of innate immune signaling and PD-L1 expression that promotes tumor immune evasion.

Genomic instability can trigger cancer-intrinsic innate immune responses that promote tumor rejection. However, cancer cells often evade these responses by overexpressing immune checkpoint regulators, such as PD-L1. Here, we identify the SNF2-family DNA translocase SMARCAL1 as a factor that favors tumor immune evasion by a dual mechanism involving both the suppression of innate immune signaling and the induction of PD-L1-mediated immune checkpoint responses. Mechanistically, SMARCAL1 limits endogenous DNA damage, thereby suppressing cGAS-STING-dependent signaling during cancer cell growth. Simultaneously, it cooperates with the AP-1 family member JUN to maintain chromatin accessibility at a PD-L1 transcriptional regulatory element, thereby promoting PD-L1 expression in cancer cells. SMARCAL1 loss hinders the ability of tumor cells to induce PD-L1 in response to genomic instability, enhances anti-tumor immune responses and sensitizes tumors to immune checkpoint blockade in a mouse melanoma model. Collectively, these studies uncover SMARCAL1 as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy.

Perinatal thymic-derived CD8αß-expressing γδ T cells are innate IFN-γ producers that expand in IL-7R-STAT5B-driven neoplasms.

The contribution of γδ T cells to immune responses is associated with rapid secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Here, we show a perinatal thymic wave of innate IFN-γ-producing γδ T cells that express CD8αß heterodimers and expand in preclinical models of infection and cancer. Optimal CD8αß+ γδ T cell development is directed by low T cell receptor signaling and through provision of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-7. This population is pathologically relevant as overactive, or constitutive, IL-7R-STAT5B signaling promotes a supraphysiological accumulation of CD8αß+ γδ T cells in the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs in two mouse models of T cell neoplasia. Likewise, CD8αß+ γδ T cells define a distinct subset of human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia pediatric patients. This work characterizes the normal and malignant development of CD8αß+ γδ T cells that are enriched in early life and contribute to innate IFN-γ responses to infection and cancer.

Single-cell protein activity analysis identifies recurrence-associated renal tumor macrophages.

Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is a heterogeneous disease with a variable post-surgical course. To assemble a comprehensive ccRCC tumor microenvironment (TME) atlas, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic subpopulations from tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue of treatment-naive ccRCC resections. We leveraged the VIPER algorithm to quantitate single-cell protein activity and validated this approach by comparison to flow cytometry. The analysis identified key TME subpopulations, as well as their master regulators and candidate cell-cell interactions, revealing clinically relevant populations, undetectable by gene-expression analysis. Specifically, we uncovered a tumor-specific macrophage subpopulation characterized by upregulation of TREM2/APOE/C1Q, validated by spatially resolved, quantitative multispectral immunofluorescence. In a large clinical validation cohort, these markers were significantly enriched in tumors from patients who recurred following surgery. The study thus identifies TREM2/APOE/C1Q-positive macrophage infiltration as a potential prognostic biomarker for ccRCC recurrence, as well as a candidate therapeutic target.

Astrocytic trans-Differentiation Completes a Multicellular Paracrine Feedback Loop Required for Medulloblastoma Tumor Growth.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical for tumor progression. However, the establishment and function of the TME remain obscure because of its complex cellular composition. Using a mouse genetic system called mosaic analysis with double markers (MADMs), we delineated TME evolution at single-cell resolution in sonic hedgehog (SHH)-activated medulloblastomas that originate from unipotent granule neuron progenitors in the brain. First, we found that astrocytes within the TME (TuAstrocytes) were trans-differentiated from tumor granule neuron precursors (GNPs), which normally never differentiate into astrocytes. Second, we identified that TME-derived IGF1 promotes tumor progression. Third, we uncovered that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) is produced by tumor-associated microglia in response to interleukin-4 (IL-4) stimulation. Finally, we found that IL-4 is secreted by TuAstrocytes. Collectively, our studies reveal an evolutionary process that produces a multi-lateral network within the TME of medulloblastoma: a fraction of tumor cells trans-differentiate into TuAstrocytes, which, in turn, produce IL-4 that stimulates microglia to produce IGF1 to promote tumor progression.

Nuclear corepressors NCOR1/NCOR2 regulate B cell development, maintain genomic integrity and prevent transformation.

The nuclear corepressors NCOR1 and NCOR2 interact with transcription factors involved in B cell development and potentially link these factors to alterations in chromatin structure and gene expression. Herein, we demonstrate that Ncor1/2 deletion limits B cell differentiation via impaired recombination, attenuates pre-BCR signaling and enhances STAT5-dependent transcription. Furthermore, NCOR1/2-deficient B cells exhibited derepression of EZH2-repressed gene modules, including the p53 pathway. These alterations resulted in aberrant Rag1 and Rag2 expression and accessibility. Whole-genome sequencing of Ncor1/2 DKO B cells identified increased number of structural variants with cryptic recombination signal sequences. Finally, deletion of Ncor1 alleles in mice facilitated leukemic transformation, whereas human leukemias with less NCOR1 correlated with worse survival. NCOR1/2 mutations in human leukemia correlated with increased RAG expression and number of structural variants. These studies illuminate how the corepressors NCOR1/2 regulate B cell differentiation and provide insights into how NCOR1/2 mutations may promote B cell transformation.

NUDT21 limits CD19 levels through alternative mRNA polyadenylation in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

B cell progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) treatment has been revolutionized by T cell-based immunotherapies-including chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) and the bispecific T cell engager therapeutic, blinatumomab-targeting surface glycoprotein CD19. Unfortunately, many patients with B-ALL will fail immunotherapy due to 'antigen escape'-the loss or absence of leukemic CD19 targeted by anti-leukemic T cells. In the present study, we utilized a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening approach to identify modulators of CD19 abundance on human B-ALL blasts. These studies identified a critical role for the transcriptional activator ZNF143 in CD19 promoter activation. Conversely, the RNA-binding protein, NUDT21, limited expression of CD19 by regulating CD19 messenger RNA polyadenylation and stability. NUDT21 deletion in B-ALL cells increased the expression of CD19 and the sensitivity to CD19-specific CAR-T and blinatumomab. In human B-ALL patients treated with CAR-T and blinatumomab, upregulation of NUDT21 mRNA coincided with CD19 loss at disease relapse. Together, these studies identify new CD19 modulators in human B-ALL.

The cytokine Meteorin-like inhibits anti-tumor CD8+ T cell responses by disrupting mitochondrial function.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) hypofunction contributes to the progression of advanced cancers and is a frequent target of immunotherapy. Emerging evidence indicates that metabolic insufficiency drives T cell hypofunction during tonic stimulation, but the signals that initiate metabolic reprogramming in this context are largely unknown. Here, we found that Meteorin-like (METRNL), a metabolically active cytokine secreted by immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), induced bioenergetic failure of CD8+ T cells. METRNL was secreted by CD8+ T cells during repeated stimulation and acted via both autocrine and paracrine signaling. Mechanistically, METRNL increased E2F-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) activity, causing mitochondrial depolarization and decreased oxidative phosphorylation, which triggered a compensatory bioenergetic shift to glycolysis. Metrnl ablation or downregulation improved the metabolic fitness of CD8+ T cells and enhanced tumor control in several tumor models, demonstrating the translational potential of targeting the METRNL-E2F-PPARδ pathway to support bioenergetic fitness of CD8+ TILs.

RNA Pol II pausing facilitates phased pluripotency transitions by buffering transcription.

Promoter-proximal RNA Pol II pausing is a critical step in transcriptional control. Pol II pausing has been predominantly studied in tissue culture systems. While Pol II pausing has been shown to be required for mammalian development, the phenotypic and mechanistic details of this requirement are unknown. Here, we found that loss of Pol II pausing stalls pluripotent state transitions within the epiblast of the early mouse embryo. Using Nelfb -/- mice and a NELFB degron mouse pluripotent stem cell model, we show that embryonic stem cells (ESCs) representing the naïve state of pluripotency successfully initiate a transition program but fail to balance levels of induced and repressed genes and enhancers in the absence of NELF. We found an increase in chromatin-associated NELF during transition from the naïve to later pluripotent states. Overall, our work defines the acute and long-term molecular consequences of NELF loss and reveals a role for Pol II pausing in the pluripotency continuum as a modulator of cell state transitions.

The evolution of metazoan shelterin.

The mammalian telomeric shelterin complex-comprised of TRF1, TRF2, Rap1, TIN2, TPP1, and POT1-blocks the DNA damage response at chromosome ends and interacts with telomerase and the CST complex to regulate telomere length. The evolutionary origins of shelterin are unclear, partly because unicellular organisms have distinct telomeric proteins. Here, we describe the evolution of metazoan shelterin, showing that TRF1 emerged in vertebrates upon duplication of a TRF2-like ancestor. TRF1 and TRF2 diverged rapidly during vertebrate evolution through the acquisition of new domains and interacting factors. Vertebrate shelterin is also distinguished by the presence of an HJRL domain in the split C-terminal OB fold of POT1, whereas invertebrate POT1s carry inserts of variable nature. Importantly, the data reveal that, apart from the primate and rodent POT1 orthologs, all metazoan POT1s are predicted to have a fourth OB fold at their N termini. Therefore, we propose that POT1 arose from a four-OB-fold ancestor, most likely an RPA70-like protein. This analysis provides insights into the biology of shelterin and its evolution from ancestral telomeric DNA-binding proteins.

Orchestrated intron retention regulates normal granulocyte differentiation.

Intron retention (IR) is widely recognized as a consequence of mis-splicing that leads to failed excision of intronic sequences from pre-messenger RNAs. Our bioinformatic analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic data of normal white blood cell differentiation reveal IR as a physiological mechanism of gene expression control. IR regulates the expression of 86 functionally related genes, including those that determine the nuclear shape that is unique to granulocytes. Retention of introns in specific genes is associated with downregulation of splicing factors and higher GC content. IR, conserved between human and mouse, led to reduced mRNA and protein levels by triggering the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway. In contrast to the prevalent view that NMD is limited to mRNAs encoding aberrant proteins, our data establish that IR coupled with NMD is a conserved mechanism in normal granulopoiesis. Physiological IR may provide an energetically favorable level of dynamic gene expression control prior to sustained gene translation.

Blinatumomab for MRD-Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Many older adults with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) have a relapse despite having a measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative complete remission with combination chemotherapy. The addition of blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager molecule that is approved for the treatment of relapsed, refractory, and MRD-positive BCP-ALL, may have efficacy in patients with MRD-negative remission. METHODS: In a phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients 30 to 70 years of age with BCR::ABL1-negative BCP-ALL (with :: indicating fusion) who had MRD-negative remission (defined as <0.01% leukemic cells in bone marrow as assessed on flow cytometry) after induction and intensification chemotherapy to receive four cycles of blinatumomab in addition to four cycles of consolidation chemotherapy or to receive four cycles of consolidation chemotherapy alone. The primary end point was overall survival, and relapse-free survival was a secondary end point. RESULTS: The data and safety monitoring committee reviewed the results from the third efficacy interim analysis and recommended that they be reported. Complete remission with or without full count recovery was observed in 395 of 488 enrolled patients (81%). Of the 224 patients with MRD-negative status, 112 were assigned to each group. The characteristics of the patients were balanced between the groups. At a median follow-up of 43 months, an advantage was observed in the blinatumomab group as compared with the chemotherapy-only group with regard to overall survival (at 3 years: 85% vs. 68%; hazard ratio for death, 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 0.73; P = 0.002), and the 3-year relapse-free survival was 80% with blinatumomab and 64% with chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio for relapse or death, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.87). A higher incidence of neuropsychiatric events was reported in the blinatumomab group than in the chemotherapy-only group. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of blinatumomab to consolidation chemotherapy in adult patients in MRD-negative remission from BCP-ALL significantly improved overall survival. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others; E1910 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02003222.).

The PAX5-JAK2 translocation acts as dual-hit mutation that promotes aggressive B-cell leukemia via nuclear STAT5 activation.

While PAX5 is an important tumor suppressor gene in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), it is also involved in oncogenic translocations coding for diverse PAX5 fusion proteins. PAX5-JAK2 encodes a protein consisting of the PAX5 DNA-binding region fused to the constitutively active JAK2 kinase domain. Here, we studied the oncogenic function of the PAX5-JAK2 fusion protein in a mouse model expressing it from the endogenous Pax5 locus, resulting in inactivation of one of the two Pax5 alleles. Pax5Jak2/+ mice rapidly developed an aggressive B-ALL in the absence of another cooperating exogenous gene mutation. The DNA-binding function and kinase activity of Pax5-Jak2 as well as IL-7 signaling contributed to leukemia development. Interestingly, all Pax5Jak2/+ tumors lost the remaining wild-type Pax5 allele, allowing efficient DNA-binding of Pax5-Jak2. While we could not find evidence for a nuclear role of Pax5-Jak2 as an epigenetic regulator, high levels of active phosphorylated STAT5 and increased expression of STAT5 target genes were seen in Pax5Jak2/+ B-ALL tumors, implying that nuclear Pax5-Jak2 phosphorylates STAT5. Together, these data reveal Pax5-Jak2 as an important nuclear driver of leukemogenesis by maintaining phosphorylated STAT5 levels in the nucleus.

dHICA: a deep transformer-based model enables accurate histone imputation from chromatin accessibility.

Histone modifications (HMs) are pivotal in various biological processes, including transcription, replication, and DNA repair, significantly impacting chromatin structure. These modifications underpin the molecular mechanisms of cell-type-specific gene expression and complex diseases. However, annotating HMs across different cell types solely using experimental approaches is impractical due to cost and time constraints. Herein, we present dHICA (deep histone imputation using chromatin accessibility), a novel deep learning framework that integrates DNA sequences and chromatin accessibility data to predict multiple HM tracks. Employing the transformer architecture alongside dilated convolutions, dHICA boasts an extensive receptive field and captures more cell-type-specific information. dHICA outperforms state-of-the-art baselines and achieves superior performance in cell-type-specific loci and gene elements, aligning with biological expectations. Furthermore, dHICA's imputations hold significant potential for downstream applications, including chromatin state segmentation and elucidating the functional implications of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms). In conclusion, dHICA serves as a valuable tool for advancing the understanding of chromatin dynamics, offering enhanced predictive capabilities and interpretability.

Classification and risk stratification in T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Cure rates for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved markedly in recent decades, in part due to risk stratification incorporating leukemia genomics, response to treatment, and clinical features to be able to determine at diagnosis which patients are more likely to relapse or have refractory disease. While risk stratification is well-developed for patients with B lineage ALL (B-ALL), it remains challenging for those with T lineage ALL (T-ALL). Prognostic factors validated across clinical trials and real-world data in T-ALL include age, central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and minimal residual disease (MRD) response. Immunophenotype, including early T-cell precursor (ETP) ALL is widely used to classify T-ALL, but is not consistently associated with outcome in multivariable risk models. Historically, few genetic alterations have been consistently associated with outcome, but recent comprehensive, large-scale genomic profiling has identified multiple genetic subtypes and alterations associated with outcome independent of MRD. This review highlights ongoing efforts to identify reliable prognostic biomarkers and underscores the potential of genomics-based classification to guide future T-ALL treatment strategies.

Outcomes in patients with ETV6::RUNX1 or high-hyperdiploid B-ALL treated in the St. Jude Total Therapy XV/XVI studies.

Children with ETV6::RUNX1 or high-hyperdiploid B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) have favorable outcomes. The St. Jude (SJ) classification considers these patients low-risk, regardless of their National Cancer Institute (NCI) risk, except when there is slow minimal residual disease (MRD) response or central nervous system/testicular involvement. We analyzed outcomes in children (aged 1-18.99 years) with these genotypes in the SJ Total XV and XVI studies (2000-2017). Patients with ETV6::RUNX1 (n = 222) or high-hyperdiploid (n = 296) B-ALL had 5-year event-free survival (EFS) of 97.7% ± 1.1% and 94.7% ± 1.4%, respectively. For ETV6::RUNX1, EFS was comparable for NCI standard-risk and high-risk patients (97.8% ± 1.2% and 97.5% ± 2.6%, respectively; P = 0.917) and for SJ low-risk and standard-risk patients (97.4% ± 1.2% and 100.0%; P = 0.360). Thirty-seven of 40 NCI high-risk patients who received SJ low-risk therapy had excellent EFS (97.3% ± 2.8%). For high-hyperdiploid B-ALL, EFS was worse for NCI high-risk patients than for standard-risk patients (87.6% ± 4.5% and 96.4% ± 1.3%; P = 0.016). EFS was similar for NCI standard-risk and high-risk patients classified as SJ low-risk (96.0% ± 1.5% and 96.9% ± 3.2%; P = 0.719); however, EFS was worse for NCI high-risk patients than for NCI standard-risk patients receiving SJ standard/high-risk therapy (77.4% ± 8.2% and 98.0% ± 2.2%; P = 0.004). NCI high-risk patients with ETV6::RUNX1 or high-hyperdiploid B-ALL who received SJ low-risk therapy had lower incidences of thrombosis (P = 0.013) and pancreatitis (P = 0.011) than those who received SJ standard/high-risk therapy. Contemporary MRD-directed therapy yielded excellent outcomes, except for NCI high-risk high-hyperdiploid B-ALL patients with slow MRD response, who require new treatment approaches. Among NCI high-risk patients, 93% with ETV6::RUNX1 and 54% with high-hyperdiploid B-ALL experienced excellent outcomes with a low-intensity regimen. These trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00137111 and #NCT00549848.

Genomic determinants of response and resistance to inotuzumab ozogamicin in B-cell ALL.

ABSTRACT: Inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO) is an antibody-drug conjugate that delivers calicheamicin to CD22-expressing cells. In a retrospective cohort of InO-treated patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, we sought to understand the genomic determinants of the response and resistance to InO. Pre- and post-InO-treated patient samples were analyzed by whole genome, exome, and/or transcriptome sequencing. Acquired CD22 mutations were observed in 11% (3/27) of post-InO-relapsed tumor samples, but not in refractory samples (0/16). There were multiple CD22 mutations per sample and the mechanisms of CD22 escape included epitope loss (protein truncation and destabilization) and epitope alteration. Two CD22 mutant cases were post-InO hyper-mutators resulting from error-prone DNA damage repair (nonhomologous/alternative end-joining repair, or mismatch repair deficiency), suggesting that hypermutation drove escape from CD22-directed therapy. CD22-mutant relapses occurred after InO and subsequent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), suggesting that InO eliminated the predominant clones, leaving subclones with acquired CD22 mutations that conferred resistance to InO and subsequently expanded. Acquired loss-of-function mutations in TP53, ATM, and CDKN2A were observed, consistent with a compromise of the G1/S DNA damage checkpoint as a mechanism for evading InO-induced apoptosis. Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screening of cell lines identified DNTT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase) loss as a marker of InO resistance. In conclusion, genetic alterations modulating CD22 expression and DNA damage response influence InO efficacy. Our findings highlight the importance of defining the basis of CD22 escape and eradication of residual disease before HSCT. The identified mechanisms of escape from CD22-targeted therapy extend beyond antigen loss and provide opportunities to improve therapeutic approaches and overcome resistance. These trials were registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01134575, NCT01371630, and NCT03441061.

A lineage-specific STAT5BN642H mouse model to study NK-cell leukemia.

ABSTRACT: Patients with T- and natural killer (NK)-cell neoplasms frequently have somatic STAT5B gain-of-function mutations. The most frequent STAT5B mutation is STAT5BN642H, which is known to drive murine T-cell leukemia, although its role in NK-cell malignancies is unclear. Introduction of the STAT5BN642H mutation into human NK-cell lines enhances their potential to induce leukemia in mice. We have generated a mouse model that enables tissue-specific expression of STAT5BN642H and have selectively expressed the mutated STAT5B in hematopoietic cells (N642Hvav/+) or exclusively in NK cells (N642HNK/NK). All N642Hvav/+ mice rapidly develop an aggressive T/NKT-cell leukemia, whereas N642HNK/NK mice display an indolent NK-large granular lymphocytic leukemia (NK-LGLL) that progresses to an aggressive leukemia with age. Samples from patients with NK-cell leukemia have a distinctive transcriptional signature driven by mutant STAT5B, which overlaps with that of murine leukemic N642HNK/NK NK cells. To our knowledge, we have generated the first reliable STAT5BN642H-driven preclinical mouse model that displays an indolent NK-LGLL progressing to aggressive NK-cell leukemia. This novel in vivo tool will enable us to explore the transition from an indolent to an aggressive disease and will thus permit the study of prevention and treatment options for NK-cell malignancies.

A rapid, extensive, and transient transcriptional response to estrogen signaling in breast cancer cells.

We report the immediate effects of estrogen signaling on the transcriptome of breast cancer cells using global run-on and sequencing (GRO-seq). The data were analyzed using a new bioinformatic approach that allowed us to identify transcripts directly from the GRO-seq data. We found that estrogen signaling directly regulates a strikingly large fraction of the transcriptome in a rapid, robust, and unexpectedly transient manner. In addition to protein-coding genes, estrogen regulates the distribution and activity of all three RNA polymerases and virtually every class of noncoding RNA that has been described to date. We also identified a large number of previously undetected estrogen-regulated intergenic transcripts, many of which are found proximal to estrogen receptor binding sites. Collectively, our results provide the most comprehensive measurement of the primary and immediate estrogen effects to date and a resource for understanding rapid signal-dependent transcription in other systems.

Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum.

The initial colonization of the Americas remains a highly debated topic1, and the exact timing of the first arrivals is unknown. The earliest archaeological record of Mexico-which holds a key geographical position in the Americas-is poorly known and understudied. Historically, the region has remained on the periphery of research focused on the first American populations2. However, recent investigations provide reliable evidence of a human presence in the northwest region of Mexico3,4, the Chiapas Highlands5, Central Mexico6 and the Caribbean coast7-9 during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. Here we present results of recent excavations at Chiquihuite Cave-a high-altitude site in central-northern Mexico-that corroborate previous findings in the Americas10-17of cultural evidence that dates to the Last Glacial Maximum (26,500-19,000 years ago)18, and which push back dates for human dispersal to the region possibly as early as 33,000-31,000 years ago. The site yielded about 1,900 stone artefacts within a 3-m-deep stratified sequence, revealing a previously unknown lithic industry that underwent only minor changes over millennia. More than 50 radiocarbon and luminescence dates provide chronological control, and genetic, palaeoenvironmental and chemical data document the changing environments in which the occupants lived. Our results provide new evidence for the antiquity of humans in the Americas, illustrate the cultural diversity of the earliest dispersal groups (which predate those of the Clovis culture) and open new directions of research.

Pathologic vs. protective roles of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 in RPE and photoreceptors in wet vs. dry age-related macular degeneration.

It has previously been reported that antioxidant vitamins can help reduce the risk of vision loss associated with progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of visual impairment among the elderly. Nonetheless, how oxidative stress contributes to the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in some AMD patients and geographic atrophy (GA) in others is poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that oxidative stress cooperates with hypoxia to synergistically stimulate the accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), resulting in increased expression of the HIF-1-dependent angiogenic mediators that promote CNV. HIF-1 inhibition blocked the expression of these angiogenic mediators and prevented CNV development in an animal model of ocular oxidative stress, demonstrating the pathological role of HIF-1 in response to oxidative stress stimulation in neovascular AMD. While human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE monolayers exposed to chemical oxidants resulted in disorganization and disruption of their normal architecture, RPE cells proved remarkably resistant to oxidative stress. Conversely, equivalent doses of chemical oxidants resulted in apoptosis of hiPSC-derived retinal photoreceptors. Pharmacologic inhibition of HIF-1 in the mouse retina enhanced-while HIF-1 augmentation reduced-photoreceptor apoptosis in two mouse models for oxidative stress, consistent with a protective role for HIF-1 in photoreceptors in patients with advanced dry AMD. Collectively, these results suggest that in patients with AMD, increased expression of HIF-1α in RPE exposed to oxidative stress promotes the development of CNV, but inadequate HIF-1α expression in photoreceptors contributes to the development of GA.