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Identification of a c-MYB-directed therapeutic for acute myeloid leukemia

Clesham, Katherine; Walf-Vorderwülbecke, Vanessa; Gasparoli, Luca; Virely, Clemence; Cantilena, Sandra; Tsakaneli, Alexia; Inglott, Sarah; ... Williams, Owen; + view all (2022) Identification of a c-MYB-directed therapeutic for acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 10.1038/s41375-022-01554-9. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

A significant proportion of patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cannot be cured by conventional chemotherapy, relapsed disease being a common problem. Molecular targeting of essential oncogenic mediators is an attractive approach to improving outcomes for this disease. The hematopoietic transcription factor c-MYB has been revealed as a central component of complexes maintaining aberrant gene expression programs in AML. We have previously screened the Connectivity Map database to identify mebendazole as an anti-AML therapeutic targeting c-MYB. In the present study we demonstrate that another hit from this screen, the steroidal lactone withaferin A (WFA), induces rapid ablation of c-MYB protein and consequent inhibition of c-MYB target gene expression, loss of leukemia cell viability, reduced colony formation and impaired disease progression. Although WFA has been reported to have pleiotropic anti-cancer effects, we demonstrate that its anti-AML activity depends on c-MYB modulation and can be partially reversed by a stabilized c-MYB mutant. c-MYB ablation results from disrupted HSP/HSC70 chaperone protein homeostasis in leukemia cells following induction of proteotoxicity and the unfolded protein response by WFA. The widespread use of WFA in traditional medicines throughout the world indicates that it represents a promising candidate for repurposing into AML therapy.

Type: Article
Title: Identification of a c-MYB-directed therapeutic for acute myeloid leukemia
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01554-9
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-022-01554-9
Language: English
Additional information: © 2022 Springer Nature Limited. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Developmental Biology and Cancer Dept
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10146706
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