Publications by authors named "Stefan K Bohlander"

Craniofrontonasal syndrome (CFNS) is an X-linked developmental disorder caused by loss of function variants (LOFVs) in the ephrin B1 (EFNB1) gene located on Xq13.1. In CFNS, unlike in other X-linked disorders, females with heterozygous EFNB1 pathogenic variants (PVs) have a severe phenotype, whereas males carrying hemizygous EFNB1 PVs have a mild phenotype.

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Cohesin complex is essential for cell division and regulating cell type-specific gene expression programs. Mutations in genes encoding the cohesin subunits are associated with hematological malignancies, preleukemia, and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential. In this study, we examined how cohesin mutation impacts hematopoiesis using adult zebrafish that carry heterozygous germline nonsense mutation in the cohesin subunit, () that is orthologous to human .

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Article Synopsis
  • Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) are key treatments for Myelodysplastic Neoplasms (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), but patients often develop resistance and experience treatment failure.
  • Researchers conducted a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen in MDS-derived cells, discovering that targeting the gene TOPORS enhances the effectiveness of HMAs by making cancer cells more vulnerable to DNA damage.
  • The study suggests that combining HMAs with strategies to inhibit SUMOylation or TOPORS could be an effective treatment approach for patients with high-risk MDS or AML, without harming normal blood cell production.
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Even though acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with a RUNX1::RUNX1T1 (AE) fusion have a relatively favorable prognosis, approximately 50% relapse within 2.5 years and develop resistance to subsequent chemotherapy [1]. It is therefore imperative to identify novel therapeutic targets for AE leukemia to improve outcomes.

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RUNX1::RUNX1T1 (R::RT1) acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) remains a clinical challenge, and further research is required to model and understand leukaemogenesis. Previous zebrafish R::RT1 models were hampered by embryonic lethality and low penetrance of the malignant phenotype. Here, we overcome this by developing an adult zebrafish model in which the human R::RT1 isoform 9a is co-expressed with the frequently co-occurring oncogenic NRASG12D mutation in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), using the Runx1+23 enhancer.

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ATP2B1 encodes plasma membrane calcium-transporting-ATPase1 and plays an essential role in maintaining intracellular calcium homeostasis that regulates diverse signaling pathways. Heterozygous de novo missense and truncating ATP2B1 variants are associated with a neurodevelopmental phenotype of variable expressivity. We describe a proband with distinctive craniofacial gestalt, Pierre-Robin sequence, neurodevelopmental and growth deficit, periventricular heterotopia, brachymesophalangy, cutaneous syndactyly, and persistent hypocalcemia from primary hypoparathyroidism.

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Somatic loss-of-function mutations of the dioxygenase Ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET2) occur frequently in individuals with clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These common hematopoietic disorders can be recapitulated in mouse models. However, the underlying mechanisms by which the deficiency in TET2 promotes these disorders remain unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) are diseases caused by mutations in blood stem cells that affect blood production.
  • Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) can help manage these conditions without needing to eliminate all mutated cells, possibly improving the function of the remaining stem cells.
  • The study analyzed the mutations in different blood cell types before and after treatment to understand how these mutated stem cells behave and contribute to better blood counts following HMA therapy.
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Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with initial hyperleukocytosis is associated with high early mortality and a poor prognosis. The aims of this study were to delineate the underlying molecular landscape in the largest cytogenetic risk group, cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML), and to assess the prognostic relevance of recurrent mutations in the context of hyperleukocytosis and clinical risk factors.

Methods: The authors performed a targeted sequencing of 49 recurrently mutated genes in 56 patients with newly diagnosed CN-AML and initial hyperleukocytosis of ≥100 G/L treated in the AMLCG99 study.

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Lymphangiogenesis is a dynamic process that involves the directed migration of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) to form lymphatic vessels. The molecular mechanisms that underpin lymphatic vessel patterning are not fully elucidated and, to date, no global regulator of lymphatic vessel guidance is known. In this study, we identify the transmembrane cell signalling receptor Plexin D1 (Plxnd1) as a negative regulator of both lymphatic vessel guidance and lymphangiogenesis in zebrafish.

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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an extremely aggressive and heterogeneous disorder that results from the transformation of hematopoietic stem cells. Although our understanding of the molecular pathology of AML has greatly improved in the last few decades, the overall and relapse free survival rates among AML patients remain quite poor. This is largely due to evolution of the disease and selection of the fittest, treatment-resistant leukemic clones.

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The process of proplatelet formation (PPF) requires coordinated interaction between megakaryocytes (MKs) and the extracellular matrix (ECM), followed by a dynamic reorganization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. Localized fluxes of intracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) facilitate MK-ECM interaction and PPF. Glutamate-gated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is highly permeable to Ca2+.

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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous and frequently fatal malignancy. The ten-eleven translocation (TET)-mediated DNA demethylation is known to be critically associated with AML pathogenesis. Through chemical compound screening, we find that the opioid receptor agonist, loperamide hydrochloride (OPA1), significantly suppresses AML cell viability.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chromosomal translocations of the AF10 gene are linked to acute leukemias, and its PZP domain is crucial for preventing malignant transformation.
  • Functional AF10 can counteract the harmful effects of the CALM-AF10 fusion, stopping leukemia development in stem cells both in the lab and in animal models.
  • AF10 interacts with chromatin and influences gene expression, and its loss in the CALM-AF10 fusion leads to cancer transformation, while retaining AF10 can reverse this process.
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Objective: Precursors of peptide hormones undergo posttranslational modifications within the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Dysfunction of proteins involved at different steps of this process cause several complex syndromes affecting the central nervous system (CNS). We aimed to clarify the genetic cause in a group of patients characterized by hypopituitarism in combination with brain atrophy, thin corpus callosum, severe developmental delay, visual impairment, and epilepsy.

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Purpose: The B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor venetoclax has an emerging role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with promising response rates in combination with hypomethylating agents or low-dose cytarabine in older patients. The tolerability and efficacy of venetoclax in combination with intensive chemotherapy in AML is unknown.

Patients And Methods: Patients with AML who were ≥ 65 years (≥ 60 years if monosomal karyotype) and fit for intensive chemotherapy were allocated to venetoclax dose-escalation cohorts (range, 50-600 mg).

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Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the potential to replenish the blood system for the lifetime of the organism. Their 2 defining properties, self-renewal and differentiation, are tightly regulated by the epigenetic machineries. Using conditional gene-knockout models, we demonstrated a critical requirement of lysine acetyltransferase 5 (Kat5, also known as Tip60) for murine HSC maintenance in both the embryonic and adult stages, which depends on its acetyltransferase activity.

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Previous studies demonstrated that splicing factor mutations are recurrent events in hematopoietic malignancies with both clinical and functional implications. However, their aberrant splicing patterns in acute myeloid leukemia remain largely unexplored. In this study, we characterized mutations in SRSF2, U2AF1, and SF3B1, the most commonly mutated splicing factors.

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The release of calcium ions (Ca) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and related store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) regulate maturation of normal megakaryocytes. The -methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) provides an additional mechanism for Ca influx in megakaryocytic cells, but its role remains unclear. We created a model of NMDAR hypofunction in Meg-01 cells using CRISPR-Cas9 mediated knockout of the gene, which encodes an obligate, GluN1 subunit of the NMDAR.

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The revised 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) recommendations for genetic risk stratification of acute myeloid leukemia have been widely adopted, but have not yet been validated in large cohorts of AML patients. We studied 1116 newly diagnosed AML patients (age range, 18-86 years) who had received induction chemotherapy. Among 771 patients not selected by genetics, the ELN-2017 classification re-assigned 26.

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The fusion genes CBFB/MYH11 and RUNX1/RUNX1T1 block differentiation through disruption of the core binding factor (CBF) complex and are found in 10-15% of adult de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. This AML subtype is associated with a favorable prognosis; however, nearly half of CBF-rearranged patients cannot be cured with chemotherapy. This divergent outcome might be due to additional mutations, whose spectrum and prognostic relevance remains hardly defined.

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