LSD1 inhibition exerts its antileukemic effect by recommissioning PU. 1-and C/EBPα-dependent enhancers in AML

M Cusan, SF Cai, HP Mohammad… - Blood, The Journal …, 2018 - ashpublications.org
M Cusan, SF Cai, HP Mohammad, A Krivtsov, A Chramiec, E Loizou, MD Witkin…
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2018ashpublications.org
Epigenetic regulators are recurrently mutated and aberrantly expressed in acute myeloid
leukemia (AML). Targeted therapies designed to inhibit these chromatin-modifying enzymes,
such as the histone demethylase lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) and the histone
methyltransferase DOT1L, have been developed as novel treatment modalities for these
often refractory diseases. A common feature of many of these targeted agents is their ability
to induce myeloid differentiation, suggesting that multiple paths toward a myeloid gene …
Abstract
Epigenetic regulators are recurrently mutated and aberrantly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Targeted therapies designed to inhibit these chromatin-modifying enzymes, such as the histone demethylase lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) and the histone methyltransferase DOT1L, have been developed as novel treatment modalities for these often refractory diseases. A common feature of many of these targeted agents is their ability to induce myeloid differentiation, suggesting that multiple paths toward a myeloid gene expression program can be engaged to relieve the differentiation blockade that is uniformly seen in AML. We performed a comparative assessment of chromatin dynamics during the treatment of mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)-AF9-driven murine leukemias and MLL-rearranged patient-derived xenografts using 2 distinct but effective differentiation-inducing targeted epigenetic therapies, the LSD1 inhibitor GSK-LSD1 and the DOT1L inhibitor EPZ4777. Intriguingly, GSK-LSD1 treatment caused global gains in chromatin accessibility, whereas treatment with EPZ4777 caused global losses in accessibility. We captured PU.1 and C/EBPα motif signatures at LSD1 inhibitor-induced dynamic sites and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing revealed co-occupancy of these myeloid transcription factors at these sites. Functionally, we confirmed that diminished expression of PU.1 or genetic deletion of C/EBPα in MLL-AF9 cells generates resistance of these leukemias to LSD1 inhibition. These findings reveal that pharmacologic inhibition of LSD1 represents a unique path to overcome the differentiation block in AML for therapeutic benefit.
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