Targeted Therapies and Druggable Genetic Anomalies in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): From Diagnostic Tools to Therapeutic Interventions

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 10802

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Hematology Unit and Romagna Transplant Network, Ravenna Hospital, University of Bologna, 48121 Ravenna, Italy
Interests: acute myeloid leukemia; acute lymphoblastic leukemia; stem cell transplantation (autologous and allogeneic); novel therapies; stem cell manipulation; cryopreservation and charaterization; cell therapy in onco-hematological disorders
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Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
Interests: HTLV-I associated adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma; acute myeloid leukemia; oncoprotein post-translational modifications and degradation; post-transplant pharmacological interventions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal disorder resulting from acquired somatic mutations in hematopoietic progenitor cells that lead to the dysregulation of differentiation and the proliferation of hematopoietic cells. An increasing understanding of the molecular aberrations that trigger the development of AML and the growing use of next generation sequencing are advancing the development of investigational drugs targeting driver genetic mutations. As a consequence, we believe that identifying “druggable” mutations paves the way for the use of novel targeted therapies.

This Special Issue will focus on novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the management of AML. The role of minimal residual disease detection for more intelligent management of acute leukemia will also be considered, provided that authors include a clinical setting in which one or more drugs targeting specific molecular abnormalities is presented. 

To this end, Cancers is bringing together articles dealing with NGS data and the use of targeted therapies with the aim of improving our knowledge in the field of AML.

Prof. Dr. Francesco Lanza
Prof. Dr. Ali Bazarbachi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
  • molecular aberrations
  • druggable mutations
  • targeted therapy
  • next generation sequencing (NGS)

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 214 KiB  
Editorial
Targeted Therapies and Druggable Genetic Anomalies in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: From Diagnostic Tools to Therapeutic Interventions
by Francesco Lanza and Ali Bazarbachi
Cancers 2021, 13(18), 4698; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13184698 - 19 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal disorder resulting from acquired somatic mutations in hematopoietic progenitor cells that lead to the dysregulation of differentiation and the proliferation of hematopoietic cells [...] Full article

Review

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 2368 KiB  
Review
Pharmacologic Strategies for Post-Transplant Maintenance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: It Is Time to Consider!
by Iman Abou Dalle, Jean El Cheikh and Ali Bazarbachi
Cancers 2022, 14(6), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14061490 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3841
Abstract
Patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia are offered allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in first remission to reduce risk of relapse. However, disease recurrence remains the major reason of allo-HCT failure, occurring in around 35–45% of patients, and leading to dismal outcomes. Strategies [...] Read more.
Patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia are offered allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in first remission to reduce risk of relapse. However, disease recurrence remains the major reason of allo-HCT failure, occurring in around 35–45% of patients, and leading to dismal outcomes. Strategies to reduce the risk of relapse are greatly needed, especially in the early post-transplant phase where the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect is not yet activated. Some practices include the use of myeloablative conditioning regimens, close monitoring of measurable residual disease and donor chimerism, rapid tapering of immunosuppression, and implementation of pre-emptive strategies as the use of donor lymphocyte infusion. However, it’s time to consider prophylactic pharmacologic interventions post allo-HCT that aim at maintaining leukemic clones under control by both direct cytotoxic activity and by enhancing the GVL effect. In this current review, available data on drugs targeting epigenetic pathways like azacitidine, or actionable mutations like FLT3 and IDH1/2 inhibitors used as maintenance post allo-HCT, will be discussed. Full article
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25 pages, 2098 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Targeting of Acute Myeloid Leukemia by Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin
by Michele Gottardi, Giorgia Simonetti, Alessandra Sperotto, Davide Nappi, Andrea Ghelli Luserna di Rorà, Antonella Padella, Marianna Norata, Maria Benedetta Giannini, Gerardo Musuraca, Francesco Lanza, Claudio Cerchione and Giovanni Martinelli
Cancers 2021, 13(18), 4566; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13184566 - 11 Sep 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4222
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complex hematological malignancy characterized by genetic and clinical heterogeneity and high mortality. Despite the recent introduction of novel pharmaceutical agents in hemato-oncology, few advancements have been made in AML for decades. In the last years, the therapeutic [...] Read more.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complex hematological malignancy characterized by genetic and clinical heterogeneity and high mortality. Despite the recent introduction of novel pharmaceutical agents in hemato-oncology, few advancements have been made in AML for decades. In the last years, the therapeutic options have rapidly changed, with the approval of innovative compounds that provide new opportunities, together with new challenges for clinicians: among them, on 1 September, 2017 the Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) in combination with daunorubicin and cytarabine for the treatment of adult patients affected by newly diagnosed CD33+ AML. Benefits of GO-based regimens were also reported in the pre- and post-transplantation settings. Moreover, several biomarkers of GO response have been suggested, including expression of CD33 and multidrug resistance genes, cytogenetic and molecular profiles, minimal residual disease and stemness signatures. Among them, elevated CD33 expression on blast cells and non-adverse cytogenetic or molecular risk represent largely validated predictors of good response. Full article
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