Abstract B027: The transcription factor HIF2alpha partakes in the differentiation block of acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Magliulo Daniela , Caserta Carolina , Belluschi Serena , Fracassi Cristina , Giannetti Kety , Pini Raffaella , Zapparoli Ettore , Beretta Stefano , Draghi Eleonora , Morelli Marco J. , Micco Raffaella Di , Gentner Bernhard , Vago Luca , Bernardi Rosa 
Published: December 2022

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by epigenetic silencing of differentiation genes and accumulation of aberrant myeloid cells arrested at different stages of myeloid development. The combination of epigenetic and differentiation therapies represents an attractive opportunity for AML patients by promoting chromatin remodeling at differentiation genes and induction of terminal maturation and leukemia debulking. The aim of our work is to define the function of the hypoxia inducible transcription factor HIF2alpha in the pathogenesis of AML. By its genetic inactivation and pharmacological inhibition in AML cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models, we found that HIF2alpha acts as a novel regulator of the AML differentiation block and promotes leukemia progression. Gene expression profiling of HIF2alpha-dependent transcriptome revealed that HIF2alpha mainly promotes the expression of genes involved in transcriptional modulation and epigenetic modifications, whilst inhibiting genes of myeloid maturation and activation. Mechanistically, inhibition of HIF2alpha results in decreased global levels of the heterochromatin marker H3K27me3, which is specifically deposited by the catalytic subunit EZH2 of the Polycomb repressive complex 2. Intriguingly, we found that HIF2alpha and EZH2 cooperate at favoring EZH2-mediated deposition of H3K27me3 at reverse hypoxia responsive elements in the regulatory regions of myeloid maturation genes. Additionally, we demonstrate that HIF2alpha is positively regulated by the pro-differentiation agent all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and its inhibition cooperates with ATRA in triggering AML cell differentiation. In conclusion, we provide new mechanistic insights into the role of HIF2alpha in the pathogenesis of AML, by promoting an undifferentiated state via EZH2-mediated epigenetic silencing of myeloid differentiation genes. Importantly, small molecule inhibitors of HIF2alpha have been recently generated and are tested for solid cancers. Therefore, HIF2alpha inhibition may open new therapeutic avenues for AML patients and add therapeutic value to ATRA-based therapies by interrupting HIF2alpha upregulation and promoting an epigenetic state permissive to maturation of leukemic blasts and leukemia exhaustion.

Citation Format: Daniela Magliulo, Carolina Caserta, Serena Belluschi, Cristina Fracassi, Kety Giannetti, Raffaella Pini, Ettore Zapparoli, Stefano Beretta, Eleonora Draghi, Marco J. Morelli, Raffaella Di Micco, Bernhard Gentner, Luca Vago, Rosa Bernardi. The transcription factor HIF2alpha partakes in the differentiation block of acute myeloid leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Cancer Epigenomics; 2022 Oct 6-8; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(23 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B027.