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Publication — IRIC

High-throughput screening in niche-based assay identifies compounds to target preleukemic stem cells.

Current chemotherapies for T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) efficiently reduce tumor mass. Nonetheless, disease relapse attributed to survival of preleukemic stem cells (pre-LSCs) is associated with poor prognosis. Herein, we provide direct evidence that pre-LSCs are much less chemosensitive to existing chemotherapy drugs than leukemic blasts because of a distinctive lower proliferative state. Improving therapies for T-ALL requires the development of strategies to target pre-LSCs that are absolutely dependent on their microenvironment. Therefore, we designed a robust protocol for high-throughput screening of compounds that target primary pre-LSCs maintained in a niche-like environment, on stromal cells that were engineered for optimal NOTCH1 activation. The multiparametric readout takes into account the intrinsic complexity of primary cells in order to specifically monitor pre-LSCs, which were induced here by the SCL/TAL1 and LMO1 oncogenes. We screened a targeted library of compounds and determined that the estrogen derivative 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME2) disrupted both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous pathways. Specifically, 2-ME2 abrogated pre-LSC viability and self-renewal activity in vivo by inhibiting translation of MYC, a downstream effector of NOTCH1, and preventing SCL/TAL1 activity. In contrast, normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells remained functional. These results illustrate how recapitulating tissue-like properties of primary cells in high-throughput screening is a promising avenue for innovation in cancer chemotherapy.

Publication date
décembre 1, 2016
Principal Investigators
Gerby B, Veiga DF, Krosl J, Nourreddine S, Ouellette J, Haman A, Lavoie G, Fares I, Tremblay M, Litalien V, Ottoni E, Kosic M, Geoffrion D, Ryan J, Maddox PS, Chagraoui J, Marinier A, Hébert J, Sauvageau G, Kwok B, Roux PP, Hoang T
PubMed reference
J. Clin. Invest. 2016;126(12):4569-4584
PubMed ID
27797342