Abstract 4664: Therapeutic targeting of TP53-mutated acute myeloid leukemia by inhibiting cell cycle checkpoint
Authors: Gwak Daehyeon , Kim Dongchan , Jang Heejun , Liu Jun , Min Suji , Byun Ja Min , Koh Youngil , Hong Junshik , Yoon Sung-soo , Shin Dong-Yeop ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, Republic of
Published: March 2024

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy characterized by various somatic mutations leading to abnormal proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Mutations on the TP53 gene occur in 5% to 10% of patients with de novo AML, with higher frequency in patients with relapsed and refractory (R/R) AML. Patients with TP53-mutated AML typically exhibit a poor response to conventional induction therapy and have a short overall survival (OS) rate, with a median duration of 5-9 months. Although various target agents have been developed for the treatment of AML, treatment options for TP53-mutated AML remain limited. Here, we have discovered a novel drug combination that can enhance the efficacy of the conventional therapeutic regimen for TP53-mutated AML patients. For in vitro analysis, we used the human AML cell line Kasumi-1(AML-M2), which harbors a homozygous TP53 R248Q mutation. We treated kasumi-1 cells with a combination of cytarabine and Idarubicin to produce drug tolerant persisters (DTPs) which is a minor population that survived the drug treatment. The Kasumi-1 DTPs displayed temporal G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and significant resistance to further repeated drug treatment. To discover drug candidates targeting TP53-mutated DTPs, we first examined the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of TP53-mutated AML patients using patients’ RNA expression data deposited in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. Using selected DEGs, drug candidates potentially affecting TP53-mutated AML cells were extracted from the connectivity map (CMap build 02) database. In addition, through a literature search, drugs with the ability to reactivate mutant p53, drugs that directly target mutant p53, synthetic lethal partners with mutant p53, and drugs that target leukemia stem cells were selected as candidate groups. As a result, we selected 46 drug candidates that would be effective for TP53-mutated AML through in silico analysis and therapy strategies targeting p53. Using in vitro cytotoxicity assay, we screened 46 candidate compounds at multiple doses and confirmed several drugs that effectively eliminate DTPs. The drug screening showed that cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors not only resulted in a significant reduction of G2/M phase arrested cells but also induction of apoptotic cells at the subG1 phase. Furthermore, the zero interaction potency (ZIP) model of SynergyFinder (https://synergyfinder.fimm.fi) analysis showed that cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effect of cytarabine on Kasumi-1 DTPs. Collectively, this study suggests that novel combination treatment of cell cycle checkpoint inhibitors with conventional drugs selectively inhibits TP53-mutated AML DTPs.

Citation Format: Daehyeon Gwak, Dongchan Kim, Heejun Jang, Jun Liu, Suji Min, Ja Min Byun, Youngil Koh, Junshik Hong, Sung-soo Yoon, Dong-Yeop Shin, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, Republic of. Therapeutic targeting of TP53-mutated acute myeloid leukemia by inhibiting cell cycle checkpoint [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4664.