FBP1-Altered Carbohydrate Metabolism Reduces Leukemic Viability through Activating P53 and Modulating the Mitochondrial Quality Control System In Vitro.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-the most frequent form of adult blood cancer-is characterized by heterogeneous mechanisms and disease progression. Developing an effective therapeutic strategy that targets metabolic homeostasis and energy production in immature leukemic cells (blasts) is essential for overcoming relapse and improving the prognosis of AML patients with different subtypes. With respect to metabolic regulation, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) is a gluconeogenic enzyme that is vital to carbohydrate metabolism, since gluconeogenesis is the central pathway for the production of important metabolites and energy necessary to maintain normal cellular activities. Beyond its catalytic activity, FBP1 inhibits aerobic glycolysis-known as the "Warburg effect"-in cancer cells. Importantly, while downregulation of FBP1 is associated with carcinogenesis in major human organs, restoration of FBP1 in cancer cells promotes apoptosis and prevents disease progression in solid tumors. Recently, our large-scale sequencing analyses revealed FBP1 as a novel inducible therapeutic target among 17,757 vitamin-D-responsive genes in MV4-11 or MOLM-14 blasts in vitro, both of which were derived from AML patients with FLT3 mutations. To investigate FBP1's anti-leukemic function in this study, we generated a new AML cell line through lentiviral overexpression of an FBP1 transgene in vitro (named FBP1-MV4-11). Results showed that FBP1-MV4-11 blasts are more prone to apoptosis than MV4-11 blasts. Mechanistically, FBP1-MV4-11 blasts have significantly increased gene and protein expression of P53, as confirmed by the P53 promoter assay in vitro. However, enhanced cell death and reduced proliferation of FBP1-MV4-11 blasts could be reversed by supplementation with post-glycolytic metabolites in vitro. Additionally, FBP1-MV4-11 blasts were found to have impaired mitochondrial homeostasis through reduced cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 (COX2 or MT-CO2) and upregulated PTEN-induced kinase (PINK1) expressions. In summary, this is the first in vitro evidence that FBP1-altered carbohydrate metabolism and FBP1-activated P53 can initiate leukemic death by activating mitochondrial reprogramming in AML blasts, supporting the clinical potential of FBP1-based therapies for AML-like cancers.

The importance of vitamin d metabolism as a potential prophylactic, immunoregulatory and neuroprotective treatment for COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. As of May 18, 2020, there have been more than 4.7 million cases and over 316,000 deaths worldwide. COVID-19 is caused by a highly infectious novel coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), leading to an acute infectious disease with mild-to-severe clinical symptoms such as flu-like symptoms, fever, headache, dry cough, muscle pain, loss of smell and taste, increased shortness of breath, bilateral viral pneumonia, conjunctivitis, acute respiratory distress syndromes, respiratory failure, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), sepsis, etc. While physicians and scientists have yet to discover a treatment, it is imperative that we urgently address 2 questions: how to prevent infection in immunologically naive individuals and how to treat severe symptoms such as CRS, acute respiratory failure, and the loss of somatosensation. Previous studies from the 1918 influenza pandemic have suggested vitamin D's non-classical role in reducing lethal pneumonia and case fatality rates. Recent clinical trials also reported that vitamin D supplementation can reduce incidence of acute respiratory infection and the severity of respiratory tract diseases in adults and children. According to our literature search, there are no similar findings of clinical trials that have been published as of July 1st, 2020, in relation to the supplementation of vitamin D in the potential prevention and treatment for COVID-19. In this review, we summarize the potential role of vitamin D extra-renal metabolism in the prevention and treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, helping to bring us slightly closer to fulfilling that goal. We will focus on 3 major topics here: 1. Vitamin D might aid in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection: Vitamin D: Overview of Renal and Extra-renal metabolism and regulation. Vitamin D: Overview of molecular mechanism and multifaceted functions beyond skeletal homeostasis. Vitamin D: Overview of local immunomodulation in human infectious diseases. Anti-viral infection. Anti-malaria and anti-systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). 2. Vitamin D might act as a strong immunosuppressant inhibiting cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19: Vitamin D: Suppression of key pro-inflammatory pathways including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). 3. Vitamin D might prevent loss of neural sensation in COVID-19 by stimulating expression of neurotrophins like Nerve Growth Factor (NGF): Vitamin D: Induction of key neurotrophic factors. .

A phase 3 trial of armodafinil for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue for patients with multiple myeloma.

PURPOSE: Fatigue is a common problem among multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Armodafinil is a drug known to promote wakefulness, which is related to modafinil, a compound that improves fatigue in some cancer patients treated with chemotherapeutic agents. We investigated whether armodafinil could reduce cancer-related fatigue in MM patients. METHODS: This double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy of armodafinil in MM patients with evidence of moderate fatigue. Patients were randomized to one of two arms: treatment-only, with armodafinil given at 150 mg/daily for 56 days, or placebo-first, with placebo given on days 1-28, followed by armodafinil administered at 150 mg daily on days 29-56. Fatigue was measured on days 1 (pre-dose: baseline), 15, 28, 43, and 56 using seven separate assessments, including four patient-reported outcomes of fatigue and related quality of life measures, as well as three objective measures of cognitive function. RESULTS: Overall toxicities were similar between treatment groups. No significant differences were observed between the placebo-first and the treatment-only arms after 28 days. Treatment with armodafinil for 28 additional days did not produce responses. Both placebo-first and treatment-only patients showed similar significant improvements in three patient-reported measures and one objective task at day 28 compared to baseline. Placebo-first patients improved on eight additional measures (one patient-reported measure, six subscales, and one objective task), suggesting a strong placebo effect in this patient population. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation and treatment of cancer-related fatigue continues to be challenging; a clear definition of this symptom and better assessment tools are needed.

Phase II study of bortezomib in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide and prednisone with or without doxorubicin followed by rituximab maintenance in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma.

This non-comparative phase II study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00715208) evaluated bortezomib in place of vincristine in established rituximab-chemotherapy regimens in relapsed/refractory follicular (FL) or marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Patients were allocated (physician/patient preference) to receive six 21-d cycles of: bortezomib 1·6 mg/m(2) (days 1, 8), rituximab 375 mg/m(2) (day 1), cyclophosphamide 1000 mg/m(2) (day 1) and prednisone 100 mg (days 1-5; VR-CP; 47 FL, 1 MZL patients); or bortezomib, rituximab, prednisone per VR-CP, cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m(2) and doxorubicin 50 mg/m(2) (day 1; VR-CAP; 4 FL, 2 MZL, 1 chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients). With VR-CP, the response rate was 77%, with a 27% complete response rate. After a median follow-up of 10·9 months, 40% of patients had relapsed/progressed or died. Median duration of response and progression-free survival was 21·9 and 14·9 months, respectively. Common drug-related grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia (25%), thrombocytopenia (6%) and lymphopenia (6%). Thirteen (27%) patients reported peripheral neuropathy (one grade 3). With VR-CAP, one FL patient achieved complete response and three FL and two MZL patients achieved partial responses. Three patients reported drug-related grade 1/2 peripheral neuropathy. Weekly bortezomib and rituximab represents an active, feasible treatment platform in FL. VR-CP was active and well tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory FL.

Transient TKI-resistant CD44+pBAD+ blasts undergo intrinsic homeostatic adaptation to promote the survival of acute myeloid leukemia in vitro.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients have frequent mutations in FMS-like receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-mut AML), who respond poorly to salvage chemotherapies and targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Disease relapse is a common reason of treatment failures in FLT3-mut AML patients, but its intracellular refractory mechanism remains to be discovered. In this study, we designed serial in vitro time-course studies to investigate the biomarkers of TKI-resistant blasts and their survival mechanism. First, we found that a group of transient TKI-resistant blasts were CD44+Phosphorylated-BAD (pBAD)+ and that they could initiate the regrowth of blast clusters in vitro. Notably, TKI-treatments upregulated the compensation pathways to promote PIM2/3-mediated phosphorylation of BAD to initiate the blast survival. Next, we discovered a novel process of intracellular adaptive responses in these transient TKI-resistant blasts, including upregulated JAK/STAT signaling pathways for PIM2/3 expressions and activated SOCS1/SOCS3/PIAS2 inhibitory pathways to down-regulate redundant signal transduction and kinase phosphorylation to regain intracellular homeostasis. Finally, we found that the combination of TKIs with TYK2/STAT4 pathways-driven inhibitors could effectively treat FLT3-mut AML in vitro. In summary, our findings reveal that TKI-treatment can activate a JAK/STAT-PIM2/3 axis-mediated signaling pathways to promote the survival of CD44+pBAD+blasts in vitro. Disrupting these TKIs-activated redundant pathways and blast homeostasis could be a novel therapeutic strategy to treat FLT3-mut AML and prevent disease relapse in vivo.

Mass spectrometric studies on epigenetic interaction networks in cell differentiation.

Arrest of cell differentiation is one of the leading causes of leukemia and other cancers. Induction of cell differentiation using pharmaceutical agents has been clinically attempted for the treatment of these cancers. Epigenetic regulation may be one of the underlying molecular mechanisms controlling cell proliferation or differentiation. Here, we report on the use of proteomics-based differential protein expression analysis in conjunction with quantification of histone modifications to decipher the interconnections among epigenetic modifications, their modifying enzymes or mediators, and changes in the associated pathways/networks that occur during cell differentiation. During phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate-induced differentiation of U937 cells, fatty acid synthesis and its metabolic processing, the clathrin-coated pit endocytosis pathway, and the ubiquitin/26 S proteasome degradation pathways were up-regulated. In addition, global histone H3/H4 acetylation and H2B ubiquitination were down-regulated concomitantly with impaired chromatin remodeling machinery, RNA polymerase II complexes, and DNA replication. Differential protein expression analysis established the networks linking histone hypoacetylation to the down-regulated expression/activity of p300 and linking histone H2B ubiquitination to the RNA polymerase II-associated FACT-RTF1-PAF1 complex. Collectively, our approach has provided an unprecedentedly systemic set of insights into the role of epigenetic regulation in leukemia cell differentiation.

Exosome removal as a therapeutic adjuvant in cancer.

Exosome secretion is a notable feature of malignancy owing to the roles of these nanoparticles in cancer growth, immune suppression, tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic resistance. Exosomes are 30-100 nm membrane vesicles released by many cells types during normal physiological processes. Tumors aberrantly secrete large quantities of exosomes that transport oncoproteins and immune suppressive molecules to support tumor growth and metastasis. The role of exosomes in intercellular signaling is exemplified by human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) over-expressing breast cancer, where exosomes with the HER2 oncoprotein stimulate tumor growth and interfere with the activity of the therapeutic antibody Herceptin®. Since numerous observations from experimental model systems point toward an important clinical impact of exosomes in cancer, several pharmacological strategies have been proposed for targeting their malignant activities. We also propose a novel device strategy involving extracorporeal hemofiltration of exosomes from the entire circulatory system using an affinity plasmapheresis platform known as the Aethlon ADAPT™ (adaptive dialysis-like affinity platform technology) system, which would overcome the risks of toxicity and drug interactions posed by pharmacological approaches. This technology allows affinity agents, including exosome-binding lectins and antibodies, to be immobilized in the outer-capillary space of plasma filtration membranes that integrate into existing kidney dialysis systems. Device therapies that evolve from this platform allow rapid extracorporeal capture and selective retention of target particles < 200 nm from the entire circulatory system. This strategy is supported by clinical experience in hepatitis C virus-infected patients using an ADAPT™ device, the Hemopurifier®, to reduce the systemic load of virions having similar sizes and glycosylated surfaces as cancer exosomes. This review discusses the possible therapeutic approaches for targeting immune suppressive exosomes in cancer patients, and the anticipated significance of these strategies for reversing immune dysfunction and improving responses to standard of care treatments.

Targeting TKI-Activated NFKB2-MIF/CXCLs-CXCR2 Signaling Pathways in FLT3 Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia Reduced Blast Viability.

Disease relapse is a common cause of treatment failure in FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, to identify therapeutic targets responsible for the survival and proliferation of leukemic cells (blasts) with FLT3 mutations after gilteritinib (GILT, a 2nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)) treatment, we performed proteomic screening of cytokine release and in vitro/ex vivo studies to investigate their associated signaling pathways and transcriptional regulation. Here, we report that macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) was significantly increased in the supernatant of GILT-treated blasts when compared to untreated controls. Additionally, the GILT-treated blasts that survived were found to exhibit higher expressions of the CXCR2 gene and protein, a common receptor for MIF and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The supplementation of exogenous MIF to GILT-treated blasts revealed a group of CD44High+ cells that might be responsible for the relapse. Furthermore, we identified the highly activated non-classical NFKB2 pathway after GILT-treatment. The siRNA transient knockdown of NFKB2 significantly reduced the gene expressions of MIF, CXCR2, and CXCL5. Finally, treatments of AML patient samples ex vivo demonstrated that the combination of a pharmaceutical inhibitor of the NFKB family and GILT can effectively suppress primary blasts' secretion of tumor-promoting cytokines, such as CXCL1/5/8. In summary, we provide the first evidence that targeting treatment-activated compensatory pathways, such as the NFKB2-MIF/CXCLs-CXCR2 axis could be a novel therapeutic strategy to overcome TKI-resistance and effectively treat AML patients with FLT3 mutations.

Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: The Future of Immunotherapy and Natural Products.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in the development, proliferation, and survival of leukemic blasts in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Within the bone marrow and peripheral blood, various phenotypically and functionally altered cells in the TME provide critical signals to suppress the anti-tumor immune response, allowing tumor cells to evade elimination. Thus, unraveling the complex interplay between AML and its microenvironment may have important clinical implications and are essential to directing the development of novel targeted therapies. This review summarizes recent advancements in our understanding of the AML TME and its ramifications on current immunotherapeutic strategies. We further review the role of natural products in modulating the TME to enhance response to immunotherapy.

A modified regimen of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, bortezomib and dexamethasone (DVD) is effective and well tolerated for previously untreated multiple myeloma patients.

The combination of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), bortezomib and dexamethasone has shown efficacy in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Our earlier retrospective study suggested that modification of the doses, schedules and route of administration of these drugs appears to reduce toxicity without compromising anti-MM activity. As a result, we evaluated this modified drug combination in the frontline setting in a prospective multicentre phase II trial. Thirty-five previously untreated MM patients were enrolled. Dexamethasone IV 40 mg, bortezomib 1 mg/m(2) and PLD 5 mg/m(2) were administered on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 of a 4-week cycle. Patients were treated to their maximum response plus two additional cycles. The treatment regimen was discontinued after a maximum of eight cycles. Our modified schedule and dosing regimen achieved a high overall response rate of 86%, while showing a marked decrease in the incidence and severity of peripheral neuropathy, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia and myelosuppression compared to the standard dosing on a 3-week cycle using these drugs. This modified regimen of dexamethasone, bortezomib and PLD shows improved tolerability and safety while maintaining a high response rate when compared to standard treatment with these agents in the frontline setting.

Expression of the epigenetic factor BORIS (CTCFL) in the human genome.

BORIS, or CTCFL, the so called Brother of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites because of the extensive homology in the central DNA binding region of the protein to the related regulator, CTCF, is expressed in early gametogenesis and in multiple cancers but not in differentiated somatic cells. Thus it is a member of the cancer testes antigen group (CTAs). Since BORIS and CTCF target common DNA binding sites, these proteins function on two levels, the first level is their regulation via the methylation context of the DNA target site and the second level is their distinct and different epigenetic associations due to differences in the non-homologous termini of the proteins. The regulation on both of these levels is extensive and complex and the sphere of influence of each of these proteins is associated with vastly different cellular signaling processes. On the level of gene expression, BORIS has three known promoters and multiple spliced mRNAs which adds another level of complexity to this intriguing regulator. BORIS expression is observed in the majority of cancer tissues and cell lines analyzed up to today. The expression profile and essential role of BORIS in cancer make this molecule very attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. This review summarizes what is known about BORIS regarding its expression, structure, and function and then presents some theoretical considerations with respect to its genome wide influence and its potential for use as a vaccine for cancer immunotherapy.

Intravenous ascorbic acid to prevent and treat cancer-associated sepsis?

The history of ascorbic acid (AA) and cancer has been marked with controversy. Clinical studies evaluating AA in cancer outcome continue to the present day. However, the wealth of data suggesting that AA may be highly beneficial in addressing cancer-associated inflammation, particularly progression to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multi organ failure (MOF), has been largely overlooked. Patients with advanced cancer are generally deficient in AA. Once these patients develop septic symptoms, a further decrease in ascorbic acid levels occurs. Given the known role of ascorbate in: a) maintaining endothelial and suppression of inflammatory markers; b) protection from sepsis in animal models; and c) direct antineoplastic effects, we propose the use of ascorbate as an adjuvant to existing modalities in the treatment and prevention of cancer-associated sepsis.

Enhanced activation of STAT pathways and overexpression of survivin confer resistance to FLT3 inhibitors and could be therapeutic targets in AML.

To further investigate potential mechanisms of resistance to FLT3 inhibitors, we developed a resistant cell line by long-term culture of MV4-11 cells with ABT-869, designated as MV4-11-R. Gene profiling reveals up-regulation of FLT3LG (FLT3 ligand) and BIRC5 (survivin), but down-regulation of SOCS1, SOCS2, and SOCS3 in MV4-11-R cells. Hypermethylation of these SOCS genes leads to their transcriptional silencing. Survivin is directly regulated by STAT3. Stimulation of the parental MV4-11 cells with FLT3 ligand increases the expression of survivin and phosphorylated protein STAT1, STAT3, STAT5. Targeting survivin by short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) in MV4-11-R cells induces apoptosis and augments ABT-869-mediated cytotoxicity. Overexpression of survivin protects MV4-11 from apoptosis. Subtoxic dose of indirubin derivative (IDR) E804 resensitizes MV4-11-R to ABT-869 treatment by inhibiting STAT signaling activity and abolishing survivin expression. Combining IDR E804 with ABT-869 shows potent in vivo efficacy in the MV4-11-R xenograft model. Taken together, these results demonstrate that enhanced activation of STAT pathways and overexpression of survivin are important mechanisms of resistance to ABT-869, suggesting that the STAT pathways and survivin could be potential targets for reducing resistance developed in patients receiving FLT3 inhibitors.

Therapeutic potential of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides in downregulating p53 oncogenic mutations in cancers.

PURPOSE OF WORK: mutation of the p53 gene is the most common genetic alteration in human cancers. Our study proposes to rationally design a p53 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) repository, which contains a series of ASOs containing single nucleotide differences to discriminate between each mutant and wild type (WT) p53. The Sfold software was used to predict target-accessibility and we designed an initial series of antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) that target the p53 mutants A161T, R175H and R249S. Western-blot analysis indicated that ASOs strongly inhibited the expression of p53 mutants in a panel of human tumor cell lines (SNU-449, SK-BR-3 and PLC/PRF/5) while having little effect on the expression of WT p53 (HepG2 cells). In three cancer lines harboring each of the p53 mutations, mutant-specific ASO treatment led to a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, cell viability, colony formation and invasion, and expression of mutant p53-dependent survival proteins. Our preliminary results indicate that a single nucleotide difference in ASOs can discriminate between mutant and WT p53. These observations support the hypothesis that a p53 ASO repository can be a potentially valuable tool to knock down oncogenic mutant p53 and warrant the testing of a p53 ASO repository in in vivo settings.

Ex vivo isolation, expansion and bioengineering of CCR7+CD95-/or CD62L+CD45RA+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes from acute myeloid leukemia patients' bone marrow.

T cell based immunotherapies can be applicable to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therefore, the selection of optimal T cells, cell manufacturing, and therapeutic T cell engineering are essential for the development of effective adoptive T cell therapies for AML. Autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been in clinical trials to treat solid malignancies. Herein, we assessed whether TILs can be isolated from the bone marrow (BM) of AML patients, expanded ex vivo and utilized as a novel therapeutic strategy for AML. To this end, firstly we analyzed the immunophenotypes of a series of primary BM samples from AML patients (N = 10) by flow cytometry. We observed a variable amount of CD3+ TILs (range ∼2.3-∼32.6% of mononuclear cells) among BM samples. We then developed a novel protocol that produced a three-log ex vivo expansion of TILs isolated from AML patient BM (N = 10) and peripheral blood (PB) (N = 10), including from patients with a low number of CD3+ T cells, within 3, 4 weeks. Further, we identified previously described naïve T cells (CCR7+CD95-/or CD62L+CD45RA+) in AML BM and PB samples, which seemed to be required for a successful TILs ex vivo expansion. Finally, we showed that the expanded TILs could: (1) cause cytotoxicity to autologous AML blasts ex vivo (90.6% in control without T cell treatment vs. 1.89% in experimental groups with PB derived T cells and 1.77% in experimental groups with BM derived TILs, p < 0.01), (2) be genetically engineered to express CYP27B1 gene, and (3) infiltrate the BM and reside in close proximity to pre-injected autologous AML blasts of engrafted immunodeficiency mice. Altogether, these results provide a rationale for further studies of the therapeutic use of TILs in AML.

Analysis of Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) Outcomes with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Assessments-A Single Tertiary Referral Center Experience and Review of Literature.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are lymphoid or plasmacytic proliferations ranging from polyclonal reactive proliferations to overt lymphomas that develop as consequence of immunosuppression in recipients of solid organ transplantation (SOT) or allogeneic bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Immunosuppression and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection are known risk factors for PTLD. Patients with documented histopathologic diagnosis of primary PTLD at our institution between January 2000 and October 2019 were studied. Sixty-six patients with PTLD following SOT were followed for a median of 9.0 years. The overall median time from transplant to PTLD diagnosis was 5.5 years, with infant transplants showing the longest time to diagnosis at 12.0 years, compared to pediatric and adolescent transplants at 4.0 years and adult transplants at 4.5 years. The median overall survival (OS) was 19.0 years. In the monomorphic diffuse large B-cell (M-DLBCL-PTLD) subtype, median OS was 10.7 years, while median OS for polymorphic subtype was not yet reached. There was no significant difference in OS in patients with M-DLBCL-PTLD stratified by quantitative EBV viral load over and under 100,000 copies/mL at time of diagnosis, although there was a trend towards worse prognosis in those with higher copies.

IgA orbital plasmacytoma in multiple myeloma.

The authors report a case of orbital plasmacytoma in a 48-year-old man with known multiple myeloma. He presented with proptosis, diplopia, and decreased vision of the left eye for several weeks. He had been previously treated for IgA lambda multiple myeloma with chemotherapy, radiation, and autologous stem cell transplant. After a left orbitotomy, flow cytometry revealed a tumor rich in plasma cells expressing CD138 with equivocal lambda light chain expression. The patient underwent orbital radiation, with improvement of vision and disc edema OS. The patient is currently undergoing salvage chemotherapy for relapse of multiple myeloma. This is the third reported case of IgA myeloma involving the orbit.

The significance of detecting WT1 expression in childhood acute leukemias.

WT1 (Wilms' tumor gene 1) overexpression is implicated in the prognosis of acute leukemia. The purpose of this study was to investigate WT1 expression and its clinical implication in childhood acute leukemia (AL) in Chinese population. Bone marrow specimen from 200 children at different stages of acute leukemia and from 21 children without leukemia were studied. The WT1 expression at diagnostic marrow specimen in both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) was higher than control group, whereas WT1 expression in AML was higher than in ALL, and WT1 expression level in relapse in ALL increased more significantly than in AML. The WT1 expression level showed positive correlation with the hypodiploidy and BCR-ABL fusion gene in acute leukemia. A rapidly decrease of WT1 expression level predicted a good response to the induction therapy and low expression of WT1 correlates with remission status. This study suggested that WT1 expression levels in acute leukemia can potentially be a marker for evaluating therapeutic efficacy, correlating with monitoring minimal residue disease, and predicting hematological relapse in children acute leukemia.

Discovery of proangiogenic CD44+mesenchymal cancer stem cells in an acute myeloid leukemia patient's bone marrow.

Here, we report a unique acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) with both mesenchymal and endothelial potential, which we have named Mesenchymal Cancer Stem Cells (MCSCs). These MCSCs are CD90-CD13-CD44+ and differ from MSCs in isolation, expansion, differentiation, immunophenotype, and cytokine release profile. Furthermore, blocking CD44 inhibited the proliferation and cluster formation of early MCSCs with lower ICAM-1 protein levels. Similar CD90-CD44+ cancer stem cells have been reported in both gastric and breast cancers, which grew in floating spheres in vitro and exhibited mesenchymal features and high metastatic/tumorigenic capabilities in vivo. Our novel discovery provides the first evidence that certain AMLs may be comprised of both hematopoietic and stromal malignant cells. Targeting MCSCs and their cytokine release has potential as a novel therapeutic approach in AML.

A novel vitamin D gene therapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

Current treatment approaches for older adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often toxic and lack efficacy. Active vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) has been shown to induce myeloid blast differentiation but at concentrations that have resulted in unacceptable, off-target hypercalcemia in clinical trials. In our study, we found that the combination of 1,25(OH)2D3 and the hypomethylating agent (HMA) 5-Azacytidine (AZA) enhanced cytotoxicity and differentiation, and inhibited proliferation of several AML cell lines (MOLM-14, HL60) and primary AML patient samples. This observation was corroborated by our RNA sequence analysis data in which VDR, CD14, and BAX expression were increased, and FLT-3, PIM1 and Bcl-2 expression were decreased. To address the hypercalcemia issue, we genetically engineered MOLM-14 cells to constantly express CYP27B1 (the VD3 activating enzyme, 1-α-hydroxylase-25(OH)D3) through lentiviral transduction procedures. Subsequently, we used these cells as vehicles to deliver the CYP27B1 enzyme to the bone marrow of AML mice. We observed that AML mice with CYP27B1 treatment had longer overall survival compared to no treatment and displayed no significant change in calcium level.