Project description:Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a subset of ALL with a high rate of treatment failure. PDGFRB gene fusion is one of the hallmarks of Ph-like ALL. We identified a novel oncogenic PDGFRB fusion gene, NRIP1::PDGFRB, from a pediatric patient with ALL
Project description:The EBF1-PDGFRB gene fusion accounts for <1% B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and occurs within the Philadelphia-like ALL subtype. We performed Affymetrix SNP 6.0 array was undertaken patients who tested positive for EBF1-PDGFRB rearrangement by FISH and/or RT-PCR. We performed Affymetrix SNP 6.0 array on genomic DNA extracted from bone marrow samples taken at diagnosis in 9 patients, at relapse in one patient and at remission in one patient.
Project description:The EBF1-PDGFRB gene fusion accounts for <1% B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and occurs within the Philadelphia-like ALL subtype. We performed Affymetrix SNP 6.0 array was undertaken patients who tested positive for EBF1-PDGFRB rearrangement by FISH and/or RT-PCR.
Project description:Fusion of the N-terminus of the mixed-lineage-leukemia (MLL) gene with various partner genes drives acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Despite the fusion proteins sharing some common attributes, transcriptome heterogeneity of MLL-fusion ALL is observed and the underlying mechanism and biological consequences are unknown. We compared the genome-wide occupancy of MLL-Af4 and MLL-AF9 in human ALL cells expressing FLAG-tagged fusion proteins. Although both oncoproteins retain the same MLL N-terminal domains that mediate chromatin binding, the two fusion proteins displayed largely non-overlapping binding profiles, with MLL-AF9 showing preferential binding at repetitive elements. The binding specificity of each fusion protein was associated with differential global gene activation distinguishing the two ALLs. A subset of prednisolone response genes were among the differentially regulated targets, and the resistance related genes were specifically upregulated in MLL-Af4/AF4 cells. These studies provide evidence that distinct chromatin occupancy of different MLL-fusion proteins is one driving force for transcriptome heterogeneity of MLL-fusion ALL, which could potentially result in the disparate therapeutic outcome of the disease.
Project description:PAX5, a transcription factor essential for B-cell development, has been found as a frequent target of abnormalities in B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (BCP-ALL) cases, showing point mutations, deletions, as well as translocations with several partner genes. We identified four novel PAX5 fusion partner genes by performing a screening on BCP-ALL cases with 9p rearrangements. Copy Number Variation analysis of translocated samples showed that few significant cooperative genetic lesions are present in addition to the translocation event, suggesting that it might have a primary role in leukemogenesis.
Project description:Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) is a refractory and recurrent subtype of B-cell ALL enriched with kinase-activating rearrangements. Incomplete understanding of the heterogeneity within the tumor cells presents a major challenge for the diagnosis and therapy of Ph-like ALL. Here, we exhibited a comprehensive cell atlas of one Ph-like ALL patient with a novel TPR-PDGFRB fusion gene at diagnosis and relapse by using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Twelve heterogeneous B-cell clusters, four with strong MKI67 expression indicating highly proliferating B cells, were identified. A relapse-enriched B-cell subset associated with poor prognosis was discovered, implicating the transcriptomic evolution during disease progression. Integrative single-cell analysis was performed on Ph-like ALL and Ph+ ALL patients, and revealed Ph-like specific B-cell subpopulations and shared malignant B cells characterized by the ectopic expression of the inhibitory receptor CLEC2D. Collectively, scRNA-seq of Ph-like ALL with a novel TPR-PDGFRB fusion gene provides valuable insights into the underlying heterogeneity associated with disease progression and offers useful information for the development of immunotherapeutic techniques in the future.
Project description:Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a subset of ALL that demonstrated a high treatment failure rate. One of the hallmarks of Ph-like ALL is PDGFRB gene fusion, with fusion partner proteins often harboring dimerization domains and enhancing the kinase activity of PDGFRB. We determined a novel oncogenic PDGFRB fusion gene, NRIP1::PDGFRB, from a pediatric patient with ALL, encoding a protein with the carboxy-terminal kinase domain of PDGFRB, without the partner peptide. We confirmed the oncogenic potential of NRIP1::PDGFRB in vitro and the efficacy of all ABL1-specific inhibitor generations, including imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib, in suppressing this potential. PDGFRB activation mechanism may include juxtamembrane domain truncation in the predicted peptide. In conclusion, we determined a novel fusion gene pattern in Ph-like ALL.