Article
作者: Gordon, Shellaina J.V. ; Petrovic, Jelena ; Mu, Xinmeng Jasmine ; Stupple, Paul A. ; Street, Ian P. ; Knezevic, Kathy ; White, Jeffrey R. ; Wenge, Daniela V. ; Armstrong, Scott A. ; Horvath, Jakub ; Sharma, Shikhar ; Monahan, Brendon J. ; Wainwright, Elanor N. ; Holze, Henrietta ; Cao, Joan Q. ; Lapek, John D. ; Camerino, Michelle A. ; Balic, Jesse ; Blyth, Benjamin J. ; MacPherson, Laura ; Uryu, Sean ; Gillespie, Andrea ; Lam, Enid Y.N. ; Bozikis, Ylva E. ; Perner, Florian ; Bourgeois, Wallace ; Vassiliadis, Dane ; Fennell, Katie A. ; Chan, Yih-Chih ; Paul, Thomas A. ; Klaus, Tabea ; Murat, Anelya ; Plenge, Thomas ; Dawson, Mark A.
Abstract:Targeting MYST acetyltransferases is an exciting therapeutic opportunity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we define the individual and combined contribution of KAT6A, KAT6B, and KAT7 in a range of AML models, showing that although KAT6A/B inhibition is efficacious in some preclinical models, simultaneous targeting of KAT7, with the novel inhibitor PF-9363, markedly increases efficacy. KAT7 interacts with menin and the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) complex and is colocalized at chromatin to coregulate oncogenic transcriptional programs. Focusing on MLL fusion oncoprotein (MLL-FP) AML, we show that inhibition of KAT6/KAT7 provides an orthogonal route to targeting menin to disable the transcriptional activity of the MLL-FP. Combined inhibition rapidly evicts the MLL-FP from chromatin, potently represses oncogenic transcription, and overcomes primary resistance to menin inhibitors. Notably, KAT7 remains an important targetable dependency in acquired genetic/nongenetic resistance to menin inhibition, providing the molecular rationale for rapid clinical translation of combination therapy, particularly in MLL-FP AML.
Significance::This study provides the molecular rationale for combined targeting of KAT6/7 and menin in MLL leukemia. It reveals that combination therapy results in a rapid and profound repression of the MLL transcriptional program leading to marked differentiation and loss of leukemia-initiating capacity, setting the platform for clinical translation.