Cited by 556Hematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationVitamin C and Antioxidants ResearchAcute Myeloid Leukemia Research

Ascorbate regulates haematopoietic stem cell function and leukaemogenesis

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Agathocleous, Michalis, Meacham, Corbin E., Burgess, Rebecca J., Piskounova, Elena, Zhao, Zhiyu, Crane, Genevieve M., Cowin, Brianna L., Bruner, Emily +6 more·2017·Nature

Abstract

Stem-cell fate can be influenced by metabolite levels in culture, but it is not known whether physiological variations in metabolite levels in normal tissues regulate stem-cell function in vivo. Here we describe a metabolomics method for the analysis of rare cell populations isolated directly from tissues and use it to compare mouse haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to restricted haematopoietic progenitors. Each haematopoietic cell type had a distinct metabolic signature. Human and mouse HSCs had unusually high levels of ascorbate, which decreased with differentiation. Systemic ascorbate depletion in mice increased HSC frequency and function, in part by reducing the function of Tet2, a dioxygenase tumour suppressor. Ascorbate depletion cooperated with Flt3 internal tandem duplication (Flt3 ITD) leukaemic mutations to accelerate leukaemogenesis, through cell-autonomous and possibly non-cell-autonomous mechanisms, in a manner that was reversed by dietary ascorbate. Ascorbate acted cell-autonomously to negatively regulate HSC function and myelopoiesis through Tet2-dependent and Tet2-independent mechanisms. Ascorbate therefore accumulates within HSCs to promote Tet activity in vivo, limiting HSC frequency and suppressing leukaemogenesis.

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  • In Gulo−/− and Tet2−/− mouse models, lack of ascorbate disrupted HSC function through both TET2-dependent and independent routes, causing leukaemia.

    “ascorbate deficiency was shown to dysregulate HSC function in both a TET2-dependent and TET2-independent manner, leading to leukaemogenesis.”

    From Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C (2019) · cites this paper as [72]

  • Oral ascorbate might help prevent leukaemia development.

    “oral ascorbate may have a preventive role in leukaemogenesis72.”

    From Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C (2019) · cites this paper as [72]

  • Preventing leukaemia in mice requires vitamin C.

    “Using various GEMMs, including GULO-knockout mice, this study reveals that vitamin C is necessary for normal haematopoietic stem cell development and the prevention of leukaemia in mice.”

    From Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C (2019) · cites this paper as [72]

  • Normal development of haematopoietic stem cells in mice requires vitamin C.

    “Using various GEMMs, including GULO-knockout mice, this study reveals that vitamin C is necessary for normal haematopoietic stem cell development and the prevention of leukaemia in mice.”

    From Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C (2019) · cites this paper as [72]

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Authors
Agathocleous, M., Meacham, C. E., Burgess, R. J., Piskounova, E., Zhao, Z., Crane, G. M., Cowin, B. L., Bruner, E., Murphy, M. M., Chen, W., Spangrude, G. J., Hu, Z., DeBerardinis, R. J., & Morrison, S. J.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (US)
  • University of Utah (US)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
Corresponding author
Morrison, Sean J.
Venue
Nature
Published
2017-08-21
Volume
549
Issue
7673
Pages
476-481
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2746373891
Cited by
545
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 62 · 2023: 73 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 71 · 2020: 91 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 17
FWCI
42.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Institute on Aging (R37AG024945)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK100848)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research
Keywords
vitamin C, hematopoietic stem cells, leukemogenesis, TET2, dioxygenase, FLT3-ITD, hematopoietic progenitor cells, cellular metabolism, stem cell differentiation, myelopoiesis, tumour suppressor
MeSH terms
Animals, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid Deficiency, DNA-Binding Proteins, Female, Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Humans, Leukemia, Male, Proto-Oncogene Proteins, Myelopoiesis, Dioxygenases, Mice, fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3, Metabolomics, Carcinogenesis

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