[HTML][HTML] Comparative genomics reveals multistep pathogenesis of E2A-PBX1 acute lymphoblastic leukemia

J Duque-Afonso, J Feng, F Scherer… - The Journal of …, 2015 - Am Soc Clin Investig
J Duque-Afonso, J Feng, F Scherer, CH Lin, SHK Wong, Z Wang, M Iwasaki, ML Cleary
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2015Am Soc Clin Investig
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer; however, its
genetic diversity limits investigation into the molecular pathogenesis of disease and
development of therapeutic strategies. Here, we engineered mice that conditionally express
the E2A-PBX1 fusion oncogene, which results from chromosomal translocation t (1; 19) and
is present in 5% to 7% of pediatric ALL cases. The incidence of leukemia in these mice
varied from 5% to 50%, dependent on the Cre-driving promoter (Cd19, Mb1, or Mx1) used to …
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer; however, its genetic diversity limits investigation into the molecular pathogenesis of disease and development of therapeutic strategies. Here, we engineered mice that conditionally express the E2A-PBX1 fusion oncogene, which results from chromosomal translocation t(1;19) and is present in 5% to 7% of pediatric ALL cases. The incidence of leukemia in these mice varied from 5% to 50%, dependent on the Cre-driving promoter (Cd19, Mb1, or Mx1) used to induce E2A-PBX1 expression. Two distinct but highly similar subtypes of B cell precursor ALLs that differed by their pre–B cell receptor (pre-BCR) status were induced and displayed maturation arrest at the pro-B/large pre–B II stages of differentiation, similar to human E2A-PBX1 ALL. Somatic activation of E2A-PBX1 in B cell progenitors enhanced self-renewal and led to acquisition of multiple secondary genomic aberrations, including prominent spontaneous loss of Pax5. In preleukemic mice, conditional Pax5 deletion cooperated with E2A-PBX1 to expand progenitor B cell subpopulations, increasing penetrance and shortening leukemia latency. Recurrent secondary activating mutations were detected in key signaling pathways, most notably JAK/STAT, that leukemia cells require for proliferation. These data support conditional E2A-PBX1 mice as a model of human ALL and suggest targeting pre-BCR signaling and JAK kinases as potential therapeutic strategies.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation