Cited by 447Acute Myeloid Leukemia ResearchCancer Genomics and DiagnosticsChronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatments

Clonal Selection with RAS Pathway Activation Mediates Secondary Clinical Resistance to Selective FLT3 Inhibition in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

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McMahon, Christine M., Ferng, Timothy, Canaani, Jonathan, Wang, Eunice S., Morrissette, Jennifer J.D., Eastburn, Dennis J., Pellegrino, Maurizio, Durruthy-Durruthy, Robert +13 more·2019·Cancer Discovery

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Gilteritinib is a potent and selective FLT3 kinase inhibitor with single-agent clinical efficacy in relapsed/refractory FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this context, however, gilteritinib is not curative, and response duration is limited by the development of secondary resistance. To evaluate resistance mechanisms, we analyzed baseline and progression samples from patients treated on clinical trials of gilteritinib. Targeted next-generation sequencing at the time of AML progression on gilteritinib identified treatment-emergent mutations that activate RAS/MAPK pathway signaling, most commonly in NRAS or KRAS. Less frequently, secondary FLT3-F691L gatekeeper mutations or BCR–ABL1 fusions were identified at progression. Single-cell targeted DNA sequencing revealed diverse patterns of clonal selection and evolution in response to FLT3 inhibition, including the emergence of RAS mutations in FLT3-mutated subclones, the expansion of alternative wild-type FLT3 subclones, or both patterns simultaneously. These data illustrate dynamic and complex changes in clonal architecture underlying response and resistance to mutation-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in AML. Significance: Comprehensive serial genotyping of AML specimens from patients treated with the selective FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib demonstrates that complex, heterogeneous patterns of clonal selection and evolution mediate clinical resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibition in FLT3-mutated AML. Our data support the development of combinatorial targeted therapeutic approaches for advanced AML. See related commentary by Wei and Roberts, p. 998. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 983

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  1. [31]Nowell PC. The clonal evolution of tumor cell populations. Science (80-). 1976; 194: 23– 8. 959840

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Authors
McMahon, C. M., Ferng, T., Canaani, J., Wang, E. S., Morrissette, J. J. D., Eastburn, D. J., Pellegrino, M., Durruthy-Durruthy, R., Watt, C. D., Asthana, S., Lasater, E. A., DeFilippis, R., Peretz, C. A. C., McGary, L. H. F., Deihimi, S., Logan, A. C., Luger, S. M., Shah, N. P., Carroll, M., Smith, C. C., & Perl, A. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • Tel Aviv University (IL)
  • Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (US)
  • Mission Bio (United States) (US)
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
Venue
Cancer Discovery
Published
2019-08-01
Volume
9
Issue
8
Pages
1050-1063
ISSN
  • 2159-8274 (ISSN-L)
  • 2159-8290
OpenAlex
W2946259536
Cited by
446
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 55 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 61 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 16
FWCI
41.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cancer Discovery (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • HHS | NIH | National Center for Advancing Translational SciencesHHS | NIH | National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) (TL1TR001880)
  • American Society of Clinical OncologyAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
  • HHS | NIH | National Cancer InstituteHHS | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI) (R21 CA198621, R01 CA198089, R01 CA166616, K08 CA187577)
  • Damon Runyon Cancer Research FoundationDamon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (Damon Runyon) (CI-99-18)
  • Biff Ruttenberg Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatments
Keywords
acute myeloid leukemia, FLT3 mutation, gilteritinib, FLT3 inhibitor resistance, clonal selection, clonal evolution, NRAS mutation, KRAS mutation, BCR-ABL fusion gene, tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, single-cell DNA sequencing
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aniline Compounds, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Pyrazines, Signal Transduction, Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute, ras Proteins, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm, Protein Kinase Inhibitors, fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3, Young Adult, Single-Cell Analysis, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Clonal Evolution

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