Epigenetically aberrant stroma in MDS propagates disease via Wnt/β-catenin activation Journal Article


Authors: Bhagat, T. D.; Chen, S.; Bartenstein, M.; Barlowe, A. T.; Von Ahrens, D.; Choudhary, G. S.; Tivnan, P.; Amin, E.; Marcondes, A. M.; Sanders, M. A.; Hoogenboezem, R. M.; Kambhampati, S.; Ramachandra, N.; Mantzaris, I.; Sukrithan, V.; Laurence, R.; Lopez, R.; Bhagat, P.; Giricz, O.; Sohal, D.; Wickrema, A.; Yeung, C.; Gritsman, K.; Aplan, P.; Hochedlinger, K.; Yu, Y.; Pradhan, K.; Zhang, J.; Greally, J. M.; Mukherjee, S.; Pellagatti, A.; Boultwood, J.; Will, B.; Steidl, U.; Raaijmakers, M. H. G. P.; Deeg, H. J.; Kharas, M. G.; Verma, A.
Article Title: Epigenetically aberrant stroma in MDS propagates disease via Wnt/β-catenin activation
Abstract: The bone marrow microenvironment influences malignant hematopoiesis, but how it promotes leukemogenesis has not been elucidated. In addition, the role of the bone marrow stroma in regulating clinical responses to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) is also poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a DNA methylome analysis of bone marrow–derived stromal cells from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients and observed widespread aberrant cytosine hypermethylation occurring preferentially outside CpG islands. Stroma derived from 5-azacytidine–treated patients lacked aberrant methylation and DNMTi treatment of primary MDS stroma enhanced its ability to support erythroid differentiation. An integrative expression analysis revealed that the WNT pathway antagonist FRZB was aberrantly hypermethylated and underexpressed in MDS stroma. This result was confirmed in an independent set of sorted, primary MDS-derived mesenchymal cells. We documented a WNT/b-catenin activation signature in CD34þ cells from advanced cases of MDS, where it associated with adverse prognosis. Constitutive activation of b-catenin in hematopoietic cells yielded lethal myeloid disease in a NUP98–HOXD13 mouse model of MDS, confirming its role in disease progression. Our results define novel epigenetic changes in the bone marrow microenvironment, which lead to b-catenin activation and disease progression of MDS. ©2017 AACR.
Journal Title: Cancer Research
Volume: 77
Issue: 18
ISSN: 0008-5472
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research  
Date Published: 2017-09-01
Start Page: 4846
End Page: 4857
Language: English
DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-0282
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC5600853
PUBMED: 28684528
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 2 November 2017 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Patrick Edward Tivnan
    10 Tivnan
  2. Michael Kharas
    96 Kharas
  3. Trevor Stephen Barlowe
    12 Barlowe