RESUMO
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are stem cell disorders with risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Gene expression profiling reveals transcriptional expression of GLI1, of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, in poor-risk MDS/AML. Using a murine model of MDS we demonstrated that constitutive Hh/Gli1 activation accelerated leukemic transformation and decreased overall survival. Hh/Gli1 activation resulted in clonal expansion of phenotypically defined granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMPs) and acquisition of self-renewal potential in a non-self-renewing progenitor compartment. Transcriptome analysis of GMPs revealed enrichment in gene signatures of self-renewal pathways, operating via direct Gli1 activation. Using human cell lines we demonstrated that in addition to canonical Hh signaling, GLI1 is activated in a Smoothened-independent manner. GLI1 knockdown or inhibition with GANT61 resulted in decreased proliferation and clonogenic potential. Our data suggest that GLI1 activation is frequent in MDS during disease progression and inhibition of GLI1 is an attractive therapeutic target for a subset of patients.
Assuntos
Transformação Celular Neoplásica/metabolismo , Células Progenitoras de Granulócitos e Macrófagos/metabolismo , Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Síndromes Mielodisplásicas/metabolismo , Proteína GLI1 em Dedos de Zinco/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/patologia , Células Progenitoras de Granulócitos e Macrófagos/patologia , Proteínas Hedgehog/genética , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Síndromes Mielodisplásicas/genética , Síndromes Mielodisplásicas/patologia , Piridinas/farmacologia , Pirimidinas/farmacologia , Proteína GLI1 em Dedos de Zinco/genéticaRESUMO
Clinical trials in Parkinson's disease have shown that transplants of embryonic mesencephalic dopamine neurons form new functional connections within the host striatum, but the therapeutic benefits have been highly variable. One obstacle has been poor survival and integration of grafted dopamine neurons. Activation of Akt, a serine/threonine kinase that promotes cell survival and growth, increases the ability of neurons to survive after injury and to regenerate lost neuronal connections. Because the lipid phosphatase, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) inhibits Akt, we generated a mouse with conditional knock-out of PTEN in dopamine neurons, leading to constitutive expression of Akt in these neurons. Ventral mesencephalic tissue from dopamine phosphatase and tensin homologue knock-out or control animals was then transplanted bilaterally into the dopamine depleted striata of MitoPark mice that express a parkinsonian phenotype because of severe respiratory chain dysfunction in dopamine neurons. After transplantation into MitoPark mice, PTEN-deficient dopamine neurons were less susceptible to cell death, and exhibited a more extensive pattern of fibre outgrowth compared to control grafts. Voltammetric measurements demonstrated that dopamine release and reuptake were significantly increased in the striata of animals receiving dopamine PTEN knock-out transplants. These animals also displayed enhanced spontaneous and drug-induced locomotor activity, relative to control transplanted MitoPark mice. Our results suggest that disinhibition of the Akt-signalling pathway may provide a valuable strategy to enhance survival, function and integration of grafted dopamine neurons within the host striatum and, more generally, to improve survival and integration of different forms of neural grafts.
