NG2 is a target gene of MLL-AF4 and underlies glucocorticoid resistance in MLL-r B-ALL by regulating NR3C1 expression.

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer, with long-term overall survival rates of ~85%. However, B-ALL harboring rearrangements of the MLL gene (also known as KMT2A), referred to as MLLr B-ALL, is common in infants and is associated with poor 5-year survival (<30%), frequent relapses, and refractoriness to glucocorticoids (GCs). GCs are an essential part of the treatment backbone for B-ALL and GC resistance is a major clinical predictor of poor outcome. Elucidating the mechanisms of GC resistance in MLLr B-ALL is, therefore, critical to guide therapeutic strategies that deepen the response after induction therapy. Neuron-glial antigen-2 (NG2) expression is a hallmark of MLLr B-ALL and is minimally expressed in healthy hematopoietic cells. We recently reported that NG2 expression is associated with poor prognosis and that anti-NG2 immunotherapy strongly reduces/delays relapse in MLLr B-ALL xenograft models. Despite its contribution to MLLr B-ALL pathogenesis and its diagnostic utility, the role of NG2 in MLLr-mediated leukemogenesis/chemoresistance remains elusive. Here we show that NG2 is an epigenetically regulated direct target gene of the leukemic MLL-AF4 fusion protein. NG2 negatively regulates the expression of the GC receptor NR3C1 and confers GC resistance to MLLr B-ALL cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NG2 interacts with FLT3 to render ligand-independent activation of FLT3 signaling (a hallmark of MLLr B-ALL) and downregulation of NR3C1 via AP-1-mediated trans-repression. Collectively, our study elucidates the role of NG2 in GC resistance in MLLr B-ALL through FLT3/AP-1-mediated downregulation of NR3C1, providing novel therapeutic avenues for MLLr B-ALL.

Cellular Ontogeny and Hierarchy Influence the Reprogramming Efficiency of Human B Cells into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Although B cells have been shown to be refractory to reprogramming into pluripotency, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been very recently generated, at very low efficiency, from human cord blood (CB)- and peripheral blood (PB)-derived CD19+CD20 + B cells using nonintegrative tetracistronic OSKM-expressing Sendai Virus (SeV). Here, we addressed whether cell ontogeny and hierarchy influence the reprogramming efficiency of the B-cell compartment. We demonstrate that human fetal liver (FL)-derived CD19 + B cells are 110-fold easier to reprogram into iPSCs than those from CB/PB. Similarly, FL-derived CD34+CD19 + B progenitors are reprogrammed much easier than mature B cells (0.46% vs. 0.11%). All FL B-cell iPSCs carry complete VDJH rearrangements while 55% and 45% of the FL B-progenitor iPSCs carry incomplete and complete VDJH rearrangements, respectively, reflecting the reprogramming of developmentally different B progenitors (pro-B vs. pre-B) within a continuous differentiation process. Finally, our data suggest that successful B-cell reprogramming relies on active cell proliferation, and it is MYC-dependent as identical nonintegrative polycistronic SeV lacking MYC (OSKL or OSKLN) fail to reprogram B cells. The ability to efficiently reprogram human fetal primary B cells and B precursors offers an unprecedented opportunity for studying developmental B-lymphopoiesis and modeling B-cell malignances.

An enriched, cereal-based bread affects appetite ratings and glycemic, insulinemic, and gastrointestinal hormone responses in healthy adults in a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Bread can contribute to the regulation of appetite. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the appetite ratings and postprandial glucose, insulin, and gastrointestinal hormone responses related to hunger and satiety after the intake of a cereal-based bread. METHODS: A randomized, controlled crossover trial was conducted in 30 healthy adults (17 men and 13 women) aged 19-32 y with body mass index of 19.2-28.5. Each volunteer consumed the cereal-based bread and the control bread 2 times, with a 1-wk wash-out period, over a total of 4 sessions. The cereal-based bread contained a variety of cereal flours (wheat, oat, and spelt) and consisted of 22% dried fruits (figs, apricots, raisins, and prunes). It was also enriched with both fiber (7% from wheat cross-linked maltodextrins and pea) and protein (10-11% from wheat gluten and hydrolyzed wheat proteins). The control bread consisted of white bread with margarine and jam to control for energy density, fat, and sugar content. We measured appetite ratings using standardized visual analogue scales and glucose, insulin, and gastrointestinal hormone responses over a postprandial time of 4 h after the ingestion of each bread. Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare the areas under the curve (AUCs) for different variables. RESULTS: Consuming the cereal-based bread decreased prospective consumption more than consumption of the control bread (-5.3 ± 0.6 m · min and -4.4 ± 0.6 m · min, respectively; P = 0.02) and increased satiety more (6.2 ± 0.7 m · min and 5.2 ± 0.6 m · min, respectively; P = 0.04), although subsequent ad libitum energy intake 4 h later did not differ. Postprandial blood glucose, insulin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and gastric inhibitory polypeptide AUCs were lower after the ingestion of the cereal-based bread, whereas the pancreatic polypeptide AUC was higher than with the control bread (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of the cereal-based bread contributed to appetite control by reducing hunger and enhancing satiety. In addition, consumption of this bread improved glycemic, insulinemic, and gastrointestinal hormone responses in healthy adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02090049.

Robust In Vitro and In Vivo Immunosuppressive and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Inducible Caspase-9-mediated Apoptotic Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cell.

Mesenchymal stromal stem/cells (MSC) therapies are clinically used in a wide range of disorders based on their robust HLA-independent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanisms underlying MSC therapeutic activity remain elusive as demonstrated by the unpredictable therapeutic efficacy of MSC infusions reported in multiple clinical trials. A seminal recent study showed that infused MSCs are actively induced to undergo apoptosis by recipient cytotoxic T cells, a mechanism that triggers in vivo recipient-induced immunomodulation by such apoptotic MSCs, and the need for such recipient cytotoxic cell activity could be replaced by the administration of ex vivo-generated apoptotic MSCs. Moreover, the use of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) is being actively explored as a cell-free therapeutic alternative over the parental MSCs. We hypothesized that the introduction of a "suicide gene" switch into MSCs may offer on-demand in vivo apoptosis of transplanted MSCs. Here, we prompted to investigate the utility of the iCasp9/AP1903 suicide gene system in inducing apoptosis of MSCs. iCasp9/AP1903-induced apoptotic MSCs (MSCiCasp9+) were tested in vitro and in in vivo models of acute colitis. Our data show a very similar and robust immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties of both "parental" alive MSCGFP+ cells and apoptotic MSCiCasp9+ cells in vitro and in vivo regardless of whether apoptosis was induced in vivo or in vitro before administering MSCiCasp9+ lysates. This development of an efficient iCasp9 switch may potentiate the safety of MSC-based therapies in the case of an adverse event and, will also circumvent current logistic technical limitations and biological uncertainties associated to MSC-EVs.

The Multi-Kinase Inhibitor EC-70124 Is a Promising Candidate for the Treatment of FLT3-ITD-Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. Patients with AML harboring a constitutively active internal tandem duplication mutation (ITDMUT) in the FMS-like kinase tyrosine kinase (FLT3) receptor generally have a poor prognosis. Several tyrosine kinase/FLT3 inhibitors have been developed and tested clinically, but very few (midostaurin and gilteritinib) have thus far been FDA/EMA-approved for patients with newly diagnosed or relapse/refractory FLT3-ITDMUT AML. Disappointingly, clinical responses are commonly partial or not durable, highlighting the need for new molecules targeting FLT3-ITDMUT AML. Here, we tested EC-70124, a hybrid indolocarbazole analog from the same chemical space as midostaurin with a potent and selective inhibitory effect on FLT3. In vitro, EC-70124 exerted a robust and specific antileukemia activity against FLT3-ITDMUT AML primary cells and cell lines with respect to cytotoxicity, CFU capacity, apoptosis and cell cycle while sparing healthy hematopoietic (stem/progenitor) cells. We also analyzed its efficacy in vivo as monotherapy using two different xenograft models: an aggressive and systemic model based on MOLM-13 cells and a patient-derived xenograft model. Orally disposable EC-70124 exerted a potent inhibitory effect on the growth of FLT3-ITDMUT AML cells, delaying disease progression and debulking the leukemia. Collectively, our findings show that EC-70124 is a promising and safe agent for the treatment of AML with FLT3-ITDMUT.

Clonal heterogeneity and rates of specific chromosome gains are risk predictors in childhood high-hyperdiploid B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the commonest childhood cancer. High hyperdiploidy (HHD) identifies the most frequent cytogenetic subgroup in childhood B-ALL. Although hyperdiploidy represents an important prognostic factor in childhood B-ALL, the specific chromosome gains with prognostic value in HHD-B-ALL remain controversial, and the current knowledge about the hierarchy of chromosome gains, clonal heterogeneity and chromosomal instability in HHD-B-ALL remains very limited. We applied automated sequential-iFISH coupled with single-cell computational modeling to identify the specific chromosomal gains of the eight typically gained chromosomes in a large cohort of 72 primary diagnostic (DX, n = 62) and matched relapse (REL, n = 10) samples from HHD-B-ALL patients with either favorable or unfavorable clinical outcome in order to characterize the clonal heterogeneity, specific chromosome gains and clonal evolution. Our data show a high degree of clonal heterogeneity and a hierarchical order of chromosome gains in DX samples of HHD-B-ALL. The rates of specific chromosome gains and clonal heterogeneity found in DX samples differ between HHD-B-ALL patients with favorable or unfavorable clinical outcome. In fact, our comprehensive analyses at DX using a computationally defined risk predictor revealed low levels of trisomies +18+10 and low levels of clonal heterogeneity as robust relapse risk factors in minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative childhood HHD-B-ALL patients: relapse-free survival beyond 5 years: 22.1% versus 87.9%, P < 0.0001 and 33.3% versus 80%, P < 0.0001, respectively. Moreover, longitudinal analysis of matched DX-REL HHD-B-ALL samples revealed distinct patterns of clonal evolution at relapse. Our study offers a reliable prognostic sub-stratification of pediatric MRD-negative HHD-B-ALL patients.

Engraftment characterization of risk-stratified AML in NSGS mice.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. Disease heterogeneity is well documented, and patient stratification determines treatment decisions. Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from risk-stratified AML are crucial for studying AML biology and testing novel therapeutics. Despite recent advances in PDX modeling of AML, reproducible engraftment of human AML is primarily limited to high-risk (HR) cases, with inconsistent or very protracted engraftment observed for favorable-risk (FR) and intermediate-risk (IR) patients. We used NSGS mice to characterize the engraftment robustness/kinetics of 28 AML patient samples grouped according to molecular/cytogenetic classification and assessed whether the orthotopic coadministration of patient-matched bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM MSCs) improves AML engraftment. PDX event-free survival correlated well with the predictable prognosis of risk-stratified AML patients. The majority (85-94%) of the mice were engrafted in bone marrow (BM) independently of the risk group, although HR AML patients showed engraftment levels that were significantly superior to those of FR or IR AML patients. Importantly, the engraftment levels observed in NSGS mice by week 6 remained stable over time. Serial transplantation and long-term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) assays revealed long-term engraftment limited to HR AML patients, fitter leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) in HR AML samples, and the presence of AML LICs in the CD34- leukemic fraction, regardless of the risk group. Finally, orthotopic coadministration of patient-matched BM MSCs and AML cells was dispensable for BM engraftment levels but favored peripheralization of engrafted AML cells. This comprehensive characterization of human AML engraftment in NSGS mice offers a valuable platform for in vivo testing of targeted therapies in risk-stratified AML patient samples.

Bone Marrow Clonogenic Myeloid Progenitors from NPM1-Mutated AML Patients Do Not Harbor the NPM1 Mutation: Implication for the Cell-Of-Origin of NPM1+ AML.

The cell-of-origin of NPM1- and FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still a matter of debate. Here, we combined in vitro clonogenic assays with targeted sequencing to gain further insights into the cell-of-origin of NPM1 and FLT3-ITD-mutated AML in diagnostic bone marrow (BM) from nine NPM1+/FLT3-ITD (+/-) AMLs. We reasoned that individually plucked colony forming units (CFUs) are clonal and reflect the progeny of a single stem/progenitor cell. NPM1 and FLT3-ITD mutations seen in the diagnostic blasts were found in only 2/95 and 1/57 individually plucked CFUs, suggesting that BM clonogenic myeloid progenitors in NPM1-mutated and NPM1/FLT3-ITD-mutated AML patients do not harbor such molecular lesions. This supports previous studies on NPM1 mutations as secondary mutations in AML, likely acquired in an expanded pool of committed myeloid progenitors, perhaps CD34-, in line with the CD34-/low phenotype of NPM1-mutated AMLs. This study has important implications on the cell-of-origin of NPM1+ AML, and reinforces that therapeutic targeting of either NPM1 or FLT3-ITD mutations might only have a transient clinical benefit in debulking the leukemia, but is unlikely to be curative since will not target the AML-initiating/preleukemic cells. The absence of NPM1 and FLT3-ITD mutations in normal clonogenic myeloid progenitors is in line with their absence in clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential.

Robustness of Catalytically Dead Cas9 Activators in Human Pluripotent and Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (hMSCs) are clinically relevant sources for cellular therapies and for modeling human development and disease. Many stem cell-based applications rely on the ability to activate several endogenous genes simultaneously to modify cell fate. However, genetic intervention of these cells remains challenging. Several catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) proteins fused to distinct activation domains can modulate gene expression when directed to their regulatory regions by a specific single-guide RNA (sgRNA). In this study, we have compared the ability of the first-generation dCas9-VP64 activator and the second-generation systems, dCas9-SAM and dCas9-SunTag, to induce gene expression in hPSCs and hMSCs. Several stem cell lines were tested for single and multiplexed gene activation. When the activation of several genes was compared, all three systems induced specific and potent gene expression in both single and multiplexed settings, but the dCas9-SAM and dCas9-SunTag systems resulted in the highest and most consistent level of gene expression. Simultaneous targeting of the same gene with multiple sgRNAs did not result in additive levels of gene expression in hPSCs nor hMSCs. We demonstrate the robustness and specificity of second-generation dCas9 activators as tools to simultaneously activate several endogenous genes in clinically relevant human stem cells.

NG2 antigen is a therapeutic target for MLL-rearranged B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, with cure rates of ∼80%. MLL-rearranged (MLLr) B-ALL (MLLr-B-ALL) has, however, an unfavorable prognosis with common therapy refractoriness and early relapse, and therefore new therapeutic targets are needed for relapsed/refractory MLLr-B-ALL. MLLr leukemias are characterized by the specific expression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4, also known as neuron-glial antigen-2 (NG2). NG2 was recently shown involved in leukemia invasiveness and central nervous system infiltration in MLLr-B-ALL, and correlated with lower event-free survival (EFS). We here hypothesized that blocking NG2 may synergize with established induction therapy for B-ALL based on vincristine, glucocorticoids, and L-asparaginase (VxL). Using robust patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, we found that NG2 is crucial for MLLr-B-ALL engraftment upon intravenous (i.v.) transplantation. In vivo blockade of NG2 using either chondroitinase-ABC or an anti-NG2-specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) resulted in a significant mobilization of MLLr-B-ALL blasts from bone marrow (BM) to peripheral blood (PB) as demonstrated by cytometric and 3D confocal imaging analysis. When combined with either NG2 antagonist, VxL treatment achieved higher rates of complete remission, and consequently higher EFS and delayed time to relapse. Mechanistically, anti-NG2 MoAb induces neither antibody-dependent cell-mediated not complement-dependent cytotoxicity. NG2 blockade rather overrides BM stroma-mediated chemoprotection through PB mobilization of MLLr-B-ALL blasts, thus becoming more accessible to chemotherapy. We provide a proof of concept for NG2 as a therapeutic target for MLLr-B-ALL.

IMiDs mobilize acute myeloid leukemia blasts to peripheral blood through downregulation of CXCR4 but fail to potentiate AraC/Idarubicin activity in preclinical models of non del5q/5q- AML.

Treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains suboptimal and many patients remain refractory or relapse upon standard chemotherapy based on nucleoside analogs plus anthracyclines. The crosstalk between AML cells and the BM stroma is a major mechanism underlying therapy resistance in AML. Lenalidomide and pomalidomide, a new generation immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), possess pleiotropic anti-leukemic properties including potent immune-modulating effects and are commonly used in hematological malignances associated with intrinsic dysfunctional BM such as myelodysplastic syndromes and multiple myeloma. Whether IMiDs may improve the efficacy of current standard treatment in AML remains understudied. Here, we have exploited in vitro and in vivo preclinical AML models to analyze whether IMiDs potentiate the efficacy of AraC/Idarubicin-based standard AML chemotherapy by interfering with the BM stroma-mediated chemoresistance. We report that IMiDs do not exert cytotoxic effects on either non-del5q/5q- AML cells nor BM-MSCs, but they enhance the immunomodulatory properties of BM-MSCs. When combined with AraC/Idarubicin, IMiDs fail to circumvent BM stroma-mediated resistance of non-del5q/5q- AML cells in vitro and in vivo but induce robust extramedullary mobilization of AML cells. When administered as a single agent, lenalidomide specifically mobilizes non-del5q/5q- AML cells, but not healthy CD34+ cells, to peripheral blood (PB) through specific downregulation of CXCR4 in AML blasts. Global gene expression profiling supports a migratory/mobilization gene signature in lenalidomide-treated non-del5q/5q- AML blasts but not in CD34+ cells. Collectively, IMiDs mobilize non-del5q/5q- AML blasts to PB through CXCR4 downregulation, but fail to potentiate AraC/Idarubicin activity in preclinical models of non-del5q/5q- AML.

Therapeutic effect of the immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide, but not pomalidomide, in experimental models of rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Thalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) with proven therapeutic action in several autoimmune/inflammatory diseases; however, its inherent high toxicity has led to the development of more powerful and safer thalidomide analogs, including lenalidomide and pomalidomide. These are new generation IMiDs that exhibit direct antitumor activity as well as anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory properties, and are FDA-approved for the treatment of several hematological malignances. Here we investigated the potential therapeutic effects of lenalidomide and pomalidomide in several experimental murine models of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases: 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid- and dextran sulfate sodium-induced inflammatory bowel disease and type II collagen-induced arthritis. Lenalidomide displayed a strong therapeutic effect in all these models of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, while the effect of pomalidomide was less pronounced. In vitro experiments confirmed the immunosuppressive effect of both IMiDs on the proliferative response of stimulated human lymphocytes and on the balance of secreted cytokines toward an anti-inflammatory profile. We conclude that lenalidomide may offer a therapeutic opportunity against autoimmune/inflammatory diseases.

Detailed Characterization of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells from a Large Cohort of AML Patients Demonstrates a Definitive Link to Treatment Outcomes.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are key components of the hematopoietic niche thought to have a direct role in leukemia pathogenesis. BM-MSCs from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been poorly characterized due to disease heterogeneity. We report a functional, genetic, and immunological characterization of BM-MSC cultures from 46 AML patients, stratified by molecular/cytogenetics into low-risk (LR), intermediate-risk (IR), and high-risk (HR) subgroups. Stable MSC cultures were successfully established and characterized from 40 of 46 AML patients irrespective of the risk subgroup. AML-derived BM-MSCs never harbored tumor-specific cytogenetic/molecular alterations present in blasts, but displayed higher clonogenic potential than healthy donor (HD)-derived BM-MSCs. Although HD- and AML-derived BM-MSCs equally provided chemoprotection to AML cells in vitro, AML-derived BM-MSCs were more immunosuppressive/anti-inflammatory, enhanced suppression of lymphocyte proliferation, and diminished secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Multivariate analysis revealed that the level of interleukin-10 produced by AML-derived BM-MSCs as an independent prognostic factor negatively affected overall survival. Collectively our data show that AML-derived BM-MSCs are not tumor related, but display functional differences contributing to therapy resistance and disease evolution.

Human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells ameliorate collagen-induced arthritis by inducing host-derived indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase.

BACKGROUND: The immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have prompted their therapeutic application in several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. Adult MSC are finite and their clinical use is restricted by the need for long-term expansion protocols that can lead to genomic instability. Inhibition of Smad2/3 signaling in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) provides an infinite source of MSC that match the phenotype and functional properties of adult MSC. Here, we test the therapeutic potential of hPSC-MSC of embryonic origin (embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, hESC-MSC) in the experimental model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). METHODS: CIA was induced in DBA/1 mice by immunization with type II collagen (CII) in Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA). Mice were treated with either a single dose (10(6) cells/mouse) of hESC-MSC on the day of immunization (prophylaxis) or with three doses of hESC-MSC every other day starting on the day of arthritis onset (therapy). Arthritis severity was evaluated daily for six weeks and ten days, respectively. Frequency of Treg (FoxP3(+)), Th1 (IFNγ(+)) and Th17 (IL17(+)) CD4(+) T cells in inguinal lymph nodes (ILN) was quantified by flow cytometry. Serum levels of anti-CII antibodies were determined by ELISA. Detection of hESC-MSC and quantification of murine and human indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO1) expression was performed by quantitative real-time PCR. Statistical differences were analyzed by ANOVA and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Administration of hESC-MSC to mice with established arthritis reduced disease severity compared to control-treated mice. Analysis of CD4 T cell populations in treated mice showed an increase in FoxP3(+) Treg and IFNγ(+) Th1 cells but not in Th17 cells in the ILN. Anti-CII antibody levels were not affected by treatment. Migration of hESC-MSC to the ILN in treated mice was associated with the induction of murine IDO1. CONCLUSION: Treatment with hESC-MSC ameliorates CIA by inducing IFNγ(+) Th1 cells and IDO1 in the host. Thus, hESC-MSC can provide an infinite cellular source for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.