Project description:ProB-PreB, immature and mature B cells were sorted from the bone marrow of mice and the RNA subsequently sequenced. The mice were all Mb1-Cre +/- and either Vhl flox/flox or VHL flox/WT
Project description:T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy. Despite recent advances in treatments with intensified chemotherapy regimens, relapse rates and associated morbidities remain high. In this context, metabolic dependencies have emerged as a druggable opportunity for the treatment of leukemia. Here, we tested the antileukemic effects of MB1-47, a newly developed mitochondrial uncoupling compound. MB1-47 treatment in T-ALL cells robustly inhibited cell proliferation via both cytostatic and cytotoxic effects as a result of compromised mitochondrial energy and macromolecule depletion, which severely impair nucleotide biosynthesis. Mechanistically, acute treatment with MB1-47 in primary leukemias promoted AMPK activation and downregulation of mTOR signaling, stalling anabolic pathways that support leukemic cell survival. Indeed, MB1-47 treatment in mice harboring murine NOTCH1-induced leukemias or human T-ALL PDXs led to a potent antileukemic effect with 2-fold extension in survival without overlapping toxicities. Overall, our findings demonstrate a critical role for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in T-ALL and uncover MB1-47-driven mitochondrial uncoupling as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this disease.
Project description:We examined the patterns of gene expression of mouse thymic leukemias extracted from Mb1-CreDPB mice by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Our goal was to integrate RNA-seq data with whole-exome sequencing (WES) to determined secondary driver mutations of leukemogenesis in the absence of Spi-B and PU.1,