1. Autophagy and Acute MLyeloid Leukemia Stem Cells
During leukemic development, LSCs can adapt their metabolism and autophag
icy mechanisms to
provide thesupply high energy and nutrients required for LSC
s proliferation and survival under conditions of nutrient deficiency, starvation, hypoxia, or during chemotherapy treatments
[7 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ] [1][2][3][4][5].
Mitophagy, mitochondrial function
, and integrity
canmay affect the viability, proliferation
, and differentiation potential and longevity of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)
[95][6], and are important in the survival strategy
ofof acute myeloid leukemia (AML
) stem cells (LSCs)
.
In .
Sp
ecifartic
ally,ular, the adenosine
5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a protein complex
criticfundamental in mitochondrial metabolism and mitophagy, is constitutively activated in LSCs, increasing mitochondrial clearance to support LSC
s growth and survival through its downstream target FIS1, the mitochondrial fission 1 protein component of a mitochondrial complex that promotes mitochondrial fission
[ 96 ][7]. AMPK/FIS1-mediated mitophagy is required for
LSCthe self-renewal and survival
[of LSCs 96][7].
OAn overexpression of FIS1 was also found in AML cells while
FIS1 depletion
of FIS1 impairs mitophagy, weakening the self-renewal capacity of LSCs and
resulting indetermining the induction of myeloid differentiation by
GSK3 inactivation
of GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3), thus
pointing toindicating mitophagy as
being a regulatory mechanism for
AMLthe progression
[of 96AML ][7]. More recently, the loss of sequestosome 1 (
SQSTM1 ), also known as p62, a selective autophagy receptor crucial for the development and progression of AML in vivo, induces the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and mitochondrial superoxide, th
erebyus compromising
cellthe survival
. of leukemia cells. Th
usen, the loss of
SQSTM1 impairs leukemia progression in
AML mouse models
of AML, under
scorlying the role of mitophagy in
LSCthe survival
. of 97LSCs ][8].
CAlto
llectivelygether, these studies demonstrate that
increaseenhanced autophagic activity of LSCs is required for malignant progression into AML.
However, in contrast to the a
utophagy activation o
f autophagy observed in AML, a loss of autophagy in healthy HSCs triggers the expansion of a population of progenitor cells in the bone marrow,
resulting ingiving rise to severe and invasive myeloproliferation,
such as in human AML
[ 53 ] [9]. This apparent paradox
mca
yn be explained by the distinct roles that autophagy
maycan play during AML progression, which may be different at various stages of leukemogenesis
[ 98 , 99][10][11]. Autophagy in normal HSCs may prevent the onset of cancer, as a tumor suppressive mechanism. Indeed, autophagy removes damaged organelles, such as mitochondria, and protects hematopoietic cells from genomic instability and inflammation, thus preventing the onset of leukemia.
NoPart
abicularly, increased DNA damage, high ROS levels, aneuploidy, and an aberrant accumulation of p62/SQSTM1 have been correlated with an impaired autophag
yic process, indicating a key role of autophagy in preventing t
heumor initiation
of tumor [100 ] [12]. Conversely, in established cancer, autophagy may function as a favorable pathway that promotes
tumor survival and
tumor growth,
by helping tumor cells to escape metabolic stress and death stimuli.
Some studies have also shown that the activation of
the autophagic fl
ux onlyow plays a role
only in the initiation of AML, with a transformation from HSC
s to LSC
s, and, therefore, after this
stagphase, autophagy is not required for disease maintenance
[101 ] [13].
AML sStudies
in MLL-AF9
AML, the most common alteration in childhood AML,
point to indicate ATG5 or ATG7 as
requirednecessary for the onset of AML, but once the leukemic condition is established, autophagy is not required for
LSC function
LSC in vivo
[101 , 102 ] [13][14]. However, in a different
AML MLL-ENL
AML mouse model, Atg5 or Atg7 knockout reduced the number of functional LSCs, increased
thmitochondrial activation and ROS levels in these cells, and prolonged the survival of leukemic mice
. ] [15]. In this context, during the
process of leukemogenesis
process, histone methylation can regulate c
entralore autophag
icy effectors and upstream autophagic regulators such as ATG 5 and ATG7 to in
directly affect the level of fluence autophagy
[104level ]indirectly [16]. Together, these studies suggest a highly complex and context-dependent role for autophagy in leukemic transformation with respect to the maintenance properties of LSCs in AML.
The dual role of autophagy in AML, as a promoter or suppressor of cancer in AML, is still a matter of debate. Studies have
demsho
nstratedwn that autophagy can act as a pro
- or anti-proliferative mechanism depending on the lineage and
the molecular genotypic context of the disease, reflecting the degree of heterogeneity of AML
[105 ] [17].
2. Regulation of aAutophagy gGenes in AML ccute Myeloid Leukemia Cells
Numerous studies have
demsho
nstratedwn that increased autophagy in AML cells confers protection from chemotherap
yeutic treatment and promotes AML cell survival.
Increased ATG7-mediated autophagy has been associated with poor clinical outcomes and
a short duration of remission in AML patients
[ 106 ][18]. More recently, some proteins involved in leukemi
ac cell survival
, and overexpressed in AML
, have been related to ATG overexpression, underlying the interplay between autophagy and protein overexpression
that promot
esing leukemi
ac cell survival
[8] .][19]. Hu et al.
dhave
monstrated shown that
elevateda high expression of SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1), a key player in mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy-related protein, is associated with
elevatedhigh CXCR4 expression
of CXCR4, a negative prognostic marker in AML, and
with other
proteins reautophagy-related
to autophagyproteins such as ATG5 and LC3 in primary human AML samples, indicating a potential role of the SDF-1α-CXCR4 signaling pathway in
theautophagy induction
of autophagy in AML cells, which further promotes their survival under stress
[107 ] [20].
The transient
receptor potential melastatin
receptor 2 (TRPM2) ion channel, involved in
the maintenance of maintaining cell survival
afterfollowing oxida
tive damagent injury, is highly expressed in AML
[[21]. 108By ].performing By performing TRPM2 -depletion
, Chen SJ et al.
[[21] 108have ] demsho
nstratedwn that
the levels of ULK1, Atg7
, and Atg5 protein
levels are decreased in
TRPM2- -depleted cells
, leading to
autophagy inhibition
of autophagy. Importantly,
TRPM2the depletion
of TRPM2 in AML inhibits leukemia proliferation and increases the doxorubicin sensitivity of AML cells
[ 108 ][21].
Functional studies in normal CD34+
CB cells indicated that
the inhibition of VMP1 expression reduced autophagic flux, with decreased hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) expansion, delayed differentiation, increased apoptosis, and impaired ce
llularll function and
in vivo engraftment
in vivo. Similar results were observed in leukemic cell lines and primary
AML CD34+
AML cells. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis indicated that leukemic cells overexpressing VMP1 have a reduced number of mitochondrial structures
, and the number of lysosomal
-degrad
ationing structures
ihas increased.
Overexpression of VMP1 (vacuole membrane protein-1)
inoverexpression increased autophagic flux and improved mitochondrial quality,
109 which coincided with an increased threshold for venetoclax-induced loss of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and apoptosis in leukemia cells ][22].
Heterozygous deletions, missense mutations, or changes in
copythe number of
copies of key autophagy genes have been found with a high frequency in AML patients,
particularly inespecially AML patients with complex karyotypes
[5 , 103 ] [15][23]. In particular, a heterozygous chromosomal loss of 5q, 16q, or 17p correlates with regions encoding
the autophag
icy genes
ATG10 and
ATG12 ,
GABARAPL2 , and
MAP1LC3B, or
GABARAP , respectively
[ 103 ][15], and
msevera
nyl other
s autophag
icy genes have a low level of expression in
the Hhuman AML blasts, a
reducdecreased autophagic fl
uxow, and high levels of ROS
[[15]. 103].In Furaddit
hermore, oneion, a study suggested that key autophagy genes such as
ULK1 ,
ATG3 ,
ATG4D, and
ATG5 were significantly downregulated in primary AML cells compared to normal granulocytes
[ 110 ][24].
3. Autophagic bBiomarkers
Significant progress has recently been made to identify specific autophagy-related genes for the prediction of clinical outcomes in AML.
Along with the Along with the previously described ATG genes
previously described, several microRNAs implicated in leukemogenesis and chemoresistance have
also been been also involved in
autophagythe activation
and canof autophagy, and may be used as biomarkers
[[25]. 111In ]. Nopart
ablyicular, miR-17-5p overexpression in leukemia promotes AML proliferation by inhibiting autophagy through BECN1 targeting
[ 112 , 113 , 114][26][27][28]. Gan
esan et al. demonstrated that stromal cells downregulate miR-23a-5p levels in leukemi
ac cells, leading to
the upregulation of protective autophagy in these cells, thereby increasing their resistance to chemotherapy toxicity
[29].
115MiR-143 ]. Ooverexpression
of MiR-143 has been was shown to enhance the sensitivity of AML cells to the cytotoxicity of cytarabine (Ara-C) treatment by inhibiting autophagy through
targeting ATG7 and ATG2B
[116targeting ] [30]. An overexpression of miR-15a-5p is involved in the chemoresistance of AML patients, through
the autophagy-related genes
ATG9A ,
ATG14 ,
GABARAPL1, and
SMPD1which target
ing AML cells
[ 117 ][31].
Recent advances in bioinformatics have yielded an autophagy-related signature that
mca
y helpn help to predict overall survival (OS) and/or
the clinical outcomes of
AML patients
with AML. Several studies have shown that the progression of AML depends on the
gene signature autophagy-associated
with autophagygene signature [ 118 ][32]. A recent bioinformatics study
conhas
tructed built a model containing 10 autophagy-related genes to predict
the survival of AML patients,
demonstratshowing that groups at high
AML risk have higherrisk of AML have an increased expression of immune checkpoint genes and a higher percentage of CD4 T and NK cells
[119][33]. .].In Furaddit
hermoreion, this
study research was able to predict OS in AML through the signature of 10 genes,
poinindicating t
o this model as an effective prognostic predictor for AML patients, useful to guide patient stratification for immunotherapies and
medicationdrugs
[119] . [33]. The
LASSO Cox bioinformatics
study LASSO Cox regression
study whichthat identified a critical risk signature for AML, consisting of the autophag
icy genes
BAG3 ,
CALCOCO2 ,
CAMKK2 ,
CANX ,
DAPK1 ,
P4HB ,
TSC2, and
ULK1 , had excellent predictive power for AML prognosis
[ 120][34]. Notably,
the immunosuppressive cytokines were found to be significantly increased in the tumor microenvironment of patients with a high
-risk of AML, predicted on the basis of the autophagy-related signature of these patients
[120 ] [34]. However, the prognostic value of the ATG signature in the clinical setting is still debated. Therefore, the roles of the ATG signature and autophagy in the pathogenesis of AML should be further investigated.
Furthermore, an interesting study indicated that an autophagy-related lncRNA signature containing six lncRNAs (
HYMAI ,
MIR155HG ,
MGC12916 ,
DIRC3 ,
C1orf220, and
HCP5 ) may have an important prognostic value
[ 121 ][35]. A recent study
poin
ted to dicated four autophagy-associated lncRNAs (
MIR133A1HG ,
AL359715.1 ,
MIRLET7BHG , and
AL356752.1 ) as
a signature
s to potentially
be used use as a biomarker to predict
the survival of AML patients
[ 122 ][36].
Collectively, these data indicate that the role of autophagy in tumor development clearly depends on the type of AML and stage of tumor development. Furthermore, autophagy may provide cancer cells with a survival strategy, suggesting a therapeutic use for autophagy inhibition. On the other hand, autophagy can induce cell death, pointing to autophagy activation as a novel strategy in cancer therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the role played by autophagy in the molecular subtypes of AML, or the degree of tumor development, to verify whether its modulation could lead to benefits for the treated patient.
4. Autophagy and gGenetic aAlterations in AMcute Myeloid Leukemia
The AML phenotype results from multiple molecular, genetic, and epigenetic alterations
tha
t affectffecting the differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of myeloid progenitors. The World Health Organization has classified AMLs
based onaccording to the presence of particular genetic alterations,
oftenfrequently originating from chromosomal translocations or other genome rearrangements such as t(8;21), t(15;17), inv
(16), inv
(3) (3), t(6;9), t(9;11) or t(11;19), or mutations in receptor kinases,
in key signaling mediators, proto-oncogenes, or epigenetic enzymes,
for examplee.g., mutations in
FLT3 (FMS
- -like tyrosine kinase 3),
TP53 ,
c-KIT or
IDH1/2 ,
NPM1 (nucleophosmin 1)
, and CCAAT enhancer
-binding protein (
CEBPA )
[ 1 , 2 , 123 ][37][38][39]. These mutations in AML
s have an impact on the choice of the most suitable therapy.
The association between autophagy and recurrent genetic alterations has been described in several
AML studies
in AML, but needs further investigation
[ 124 , 125 ][40][41]. Here,
wresearche
rs summarize and updat
e the recent advances that have highlighted the link between autophagy and fusion genes and recurrent oncogenic mutations in AML and the involvement of autophagy in chemotherapy treatment (
Figure 1 ).
Figure 1. Gene mutations in AML and autophagy. Several recurrent genetic abnormalities in AML are involved in the deregulation of autophagy, leading to leukemia progression.
4.1. Fusion genes in AML and autophagy
4.1. Fusion Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Autophagy
Most cases of APL are caused by a de novo
translocat
ion t (15;17)
(q22;q21), (q22; q21) translocation, which result
ings in the fusion of the
RARA gene with the
PML gene
[ 126 , 127 ][42][43]. APL cells that have
a lower expression of autophagy-related genes than normal cells have
a reduced autophagic activity.
By Using differenusing differentiating agents, such as all-tiating agents, such as all- trans- retinoid acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) currently used in clinical settings, the expression level of autophagy-related genes increases, thus restoring autophagy in APL cells
[ 128][44]. Both agents can activate ETosis, a type of cell death mediated by the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (ET
s).
FurthermoreIn addition, mTOR-dependent autophagic action is required for ATO-induced NETosis in APL cells
[ 129 ][45]. Of note, rapamycin, the inhibitor of
the mTOR pathway, synergizes with ATO in the eradication of leukemia-initiating cells (LIC) through the activation of NETosis in both APL cells and an in vivo APL model
[129 ] [45].
Translocat
Mi
ons of the mixed lineage leukemia (
MLL) gene )translocations 11q23
gene awere observed in approximately 80% of pediatric AML
s.. In these, the In these, the MLL gene can, by genomic translocation, be fused with >60 different fusion partners
[ 130 ][46]. Treatment with the RAS oncogene inhibitor, tipifamib, leads to
the inhibition of AML
bywith the t(6;11) translocation
by inducing both apoptosis and autophagy
[ 131 ][47]. Another study demonstrated that ATG5 participates in the development of
MLL-AF9- -driven leukemia
, but not in AML-sensitive chemotherapy mice expressing MLL-AF9
[ 132 ][48].
Acute myeloid leukemia with core binding factor (
CBF-AML ) is characterized by the presence of t(8;21) (q22; q22), or inv
(16) (p13q22)/t(16;16),
leadingwhich leads to the formation of
RUNX1/RUNX1T1 (AML1/ETO) and
CBFbeta-MYH11 , respectively
[49]. The [activation of ULK1-mediated autophagy may control 133and ].delay ULK1-mediated activation of autophagy can control and delay AML1-ETO9a- -guid
rivened leukemogenesis in an AML
CASPASE-3 knockout mouse model
[ 134][50], suggesting that CASPASE-3 is an important regulator of autophagy in AML. The results of these studies highlight the different roles of autophagy in the initiation, progression
, and chemotherap
yeutic responses in AML cells, depending on the different type of aberrant oncoprotein.
4.2. Gene mutations in AML and autophagy
4.2. Gene Mutations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Autophagy
FLT3
Among the most common genetic alterations in AML,
mutat
ion of the tyrosine kinase 3 (
FLT3 ) gene
omutation occurs in approximately 30% of AML cases.
The most frequent aberrations affecting
the FLT3 gene
, associated with a poor prognosis in AML, are
the internal tandem duplication (
FLT3 -ITD) in the juxtamembrane domain
, and point mutations, involving the tyrosine kinase domain of
FLT3 (
FLT3 -TKD)
[ 135 ][51].
Expression of FLT3 -ITD
inexpression increases basal autophagy in AML cells through a mechanism involving t
he transcription factor ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4)
[[52]. 136In ]. Furaddit
hermoreion, the inhibition of autophagy in
FLT3 cells-TKD
cells, which are resistant to the FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib (AC220), also inhibits proliferation both in vitro and in vivo
[ 136 ][52]. More recently, the acquired D835Y mutation induced resistance to the FLT3 inhibitor sorafenib
, and activated autophagy in
FLT3 -ITD-positive cell lines. By inhibiting autophagy, the authors were able to overcome
sorafenib reresistance
ito sorafenib in
FLT3 -ITD-positive AML, improving its efficacy
[ 137 ][53]. Recently, a study
demsho
nstratwed that
the inhibition of autophagy reduces the repopulation potential of
FLT3-ITD AML LSCs associated with mitochondrial
stora
ge-associatedccumulation FLT3 -ITD AML LSCs [ 138][54].
In Furthermoreaddition, the authors
demonstratshowed that autophagy inhibition
enhanceimproves p53 activity and
enhancesincreases the TKI-mediated inhibition of AML progenitors
[ 138 ][54].
Autophagy not only contributes to
the downstream proliferation of the FLT3-ITD receptor
, but may also be involved in
the degradation of the mutated receptor
. Indeed degradation. In fact, in one study, the frequent activation of the
RET receptor tyrosine kinase
RET was observed in
differentseveral AML subtypes
of AML [ 139 ][55]. RET mediates
aut
heophagy suppression
of autophagy in an mTORC1-dependent manner, leading to the stabilization of the mutant FLT3 receptor.
GThe genetic or pharmacological inhibition of RET
reducdecreased the growth of FLT3-dependent AML cells, with
the upregulation of autophagy and
FLT3 depletion
of FLT3 [ 139][55]. These results suggest that restor
ati
on of ng autophagy in FLT3-dependent AML may result in
the degradation of muta
nt FLT3ted FLT3, and th
userefore may represent an
attractiveinteresting therapeutic approach. I
nhit has also been shown that the inhibition of the FLT3-ITD protein
has also been shown to lead to leads to an increase
d in ceramide synthesis and mediate
s ceramide-dependent mitophagy, leading to AML cell death
[140 , 141 ] [56][57].
Mutations in
KIT
KIT muta
tions are associated with
an increased
leukemia cell proliferation
of leukemic cells and an increased risk of AML recurrence
[ 142 , 143 ][58][59]. A recent study reported that the
KIT D816V mutation in AML cells increases basal autophagy, stimulating AML cell proliferation and survival via STAT3 signaling
[ 144 ][60]. A different point mutation in c-
KIT (N822K T > A) constitutively activates this receptor, making AML cells highly sensitive to sunitinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor), resulting in AML cell death through the activation of both apoptosis and autophag
icy processes
[ 145 ][61].
NPM1
Mutations in
NPM1 (nucleophosmin 1) are the most frequent genetic alterations in adult AML, responsible for the aberrant localization of the NPM1 protein in the cytoplasm
[[62]. Increased autophagic activity 146found ].in The increased autophagic activity found in NPM1 -mutated AML cells is involved in leukemic cell survival
[ 147 ][63].
TheMutant NPM1 mutant can also interact with the tumor suppressor protein PML (leukemia pro-myelocytic protein), leading to
thePML delocalization and stabilization
of PML whichthat, in turn, can activate autophagy via AKT signaling
[147 ] [63]. In another study, it was shown that in AML patients carrying
the mutant
NPM1 , the glycolytic enzyme PKM2 (pyruvate kinase M2) induced autophagy
throughvia phosphorylation of the autophagic protein Beclin 1, contributing to cell survival
[ 148 ][64]. Finally, the NPM1 mutant protein can also interact with the autophagic protein ULK1, stimulating
the TRAF6-dependent ubiquitination of ULK1 via miR-146, thereby maintaining ULK1 stability and functionality and promoting autophagic cell survival
[149 ] [65]. Furthermore,
it
h was observed that the expression of RASGRP3, a protein associated with tumor progression,
was observed to be is upregulated in
AML patients
with AML with
NPM1 mutation compared to
AML patients with
AML without mutant
NPM1 . . The authors demonstrated that
NPM1 -mut blocks the degradation of
the RASGRP3 protein through binding to the
E3 ubiquitin ligase
E3 MID1 protein, leading to
RASGRP3 overexpression
of RASGRP3, as well as promoting
the downstream activation of EGFR-STAT3, which in turn promote
sd proliferation and autophagy in AML cells
[150 ] [66].
P53
Alterations
ofin the tumor suppressor gene
TP53 are found in a
pprbo
ximately 5-ut 5–15% of AML cases
and, and, frequently
, in older patients
[67][68]. It has been proposed that [the role of autophagy in the development of AML 151can ,be 152determined ].by It has been proposed that the role of autophagy in the development of AML may be determined by TP53the status
of TP53. For wild-type
AML TP53 AML, researchers
demonstratedhave shown that pharmacological
blockade of aautophagy
blockade achieves therapeutic benefits, wh
ereasile AMLs harboring
TP53 mutations
faildo tonot respond to
autophagythe inhibition
of autophagy by hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)
[ 153 , 154][69][70]. The use of autophagic inhibitors may be a potential therapeutic strategy to use, particularly for the treatment of
TP53 wild-type
TP53 AML. For AML with
TP53 mutations
, autophagic pathways may be a therapeutic option to
be useduse for the elimination of
the TP53 T mutant
T TP53.
Another study demonstrated that
stim
ulation of maacroautophagy
stimulation by 17-AAG, a
n HSP90 inhibitor,
results in causes the degradation of TP53 R248Q in AML cells and also enhances the transcription of autophagy-associated genes
[155[71]. ]In . Furaddit
hermoreion, accumulat
inged evidence indicates that TP53 activated by a variety of cellular stresses can trigger autophagy through the transactivation of pro-autophag
icy genes, including
DRAM1 ((autophagic DNA mod
amageulator regulated
autophagy modulatorby DNA damage 1),
SESN1 (sestrin 1), and (
sestrin
SESN2 )
[ 155 , 156 , 157 , 158 ][71][72][73][74].
A recent study highlighted the role of autophagy in AML cells, in the context of p53-mediated apoptosis, which is associated with increased cytotoxicity to treatment with MDM2 inhibitors and Ara-C when miR-10a is inhibited
[159 ] [75]. The antileukemic strategy based on the use of MDM2/X inhibitors in wild-type p53 tumors to restore the normal and active conformation of p53, MDM2
, and MDMX has not been extensively tested
[160 ] [76]. Th
ereforeus, the use of a combination of treatments, including MDM2 inhibitors with autophagic modulators,
couldmay be a n
ovelew strategy to improve the treatment of wild-type
p53 AML
.
Pharmacological treatments that modulate autophagy in AML patients carrying
p53 mutations participate in the degradation of aberrant p53 proteins.
PThe point mutation of
TP53 at the amino acid residue R428 (R248Q), with gain-of-function activity, gives rise to malignant activity in lung cancer cells
[[77] 161 ] and a loss of tumor suppressor function in AML
[ 162 ][78].
Interestingly, t
he treatment with the Hsp90 inhibitor (17-AAG) results in the activation of chaperone-mediated autophagy, which induces the degradation of the aberrant protein p53R248Q in AML cells.
NotablyIn particular, under conditions of metabolic stress, 17-AAG induces the interaction between p53R248Q and the chaperone protein Hsc70, triggering chaperone-mediated autophagy to degrade p53R248Q
[ 155 ][71]. These data open new opportunities for future studies that
couldmay elucidate the functional involvement of different types of autophagy and their connection with
the molecular mechanisms
forto improv
inge anticancer therapies against AML harboring the different
TP53 variants
.
.
IDH1/2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase)
Recent advances in bioinformatics have enabled the identification of several epigenetic mutations affecting AML, including
IDH1/2 , Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (
TET2 ), DNA methyltransferase 3A (
DNMT3A )
, and
ASXL1 , all of which are associated with the pathogenesis of AML
[ 163 , 164 , 165][79][80][81]. IDH proteins are isocitrate dehydrogenases, implicated in various biological processes, such as energy metabolism, histone demethylation, DNA modification, and adaptation to hypoxia. Further studies are needed to investigate innovative therapies based on targeted autophagy in combination with DNA hypomethylation to treat AMLs harboring certain types of epigenetic alterations.
Mutations in the
DNMT3A
Mutations in the DNMT3A gene
, an enzyme involved in
the methylation of CpG dinucleotide
methylations, are present in 20
-–23% of adult patients with de novo AML
[ 165 ][81]. Several studies have shown that t
he treatment of AML patients with DNA methyltransferase
- inhibiting agents, such as azacitidine (5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine), induces autophagic activity in AML leukemia cells
[166 ] [82]. A study
iperformed on a
DNMT3A R878H conditional knock-in mouse model, used to predict the specific long non
-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulated by
DNMT3A mutations in AML, first identified 23
lncRNAsdifferentially expressed
lncRNAs, then
the downstream target genes regulated by these lncRNAs, including
ATP6V1A , a critical autophagy-related gene,
the overexpression of which is associated with poor prognosis in AML
[83]. However, there is [still little evidence of a direct 167involvement ].of However, there is still little evidence for a direct involvement of DNMT3A gene mutations with autophagic activity in AML.
Further studies are needed to understand the functional significance of autophagy associated with different gene
tic mutations in AML cells.