Hospital/Justin Veneman
Study authors Tamara Lamprecht, Jason Schwartz, Jing Ma, and Jeffrey Klco Photo from St. Jude Children’s Research
New findings could help improve treatment of an inherited bone marrow disorder known as myelodysplasia and leukemia syndrome with monosomy 7 (MLSM7), according to researchers.
While studying families affected by MLSM7, researchers identified germline mutations in SAMD9L or SAMD9 in patients who had hematologic abnormalities, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), or acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
However, these mutations were also present in apparently healthy family members, and the researchers found that bone marrow monosomy 7 sometimes resolved without treatment.
The team recounted these findings in JCI Insight.
The researchers analyzed blood samples from 16 siblings in 5 families affected by MLSM7 and found they all carried germline mutations in SAMD9 or SAMD9L. In 3 of the 5 families, there were apparently healthy parents who also carried the mutations.
“Surprisingly, the health consequences of these mutations varied tremendously for reasons that must still be determined, but the findings are already affecting how we may choose to manage these patients,” said study author Jeffery Klco, MD, PhD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Three of the 16 siblings developed AML and died of the disease or related complications. Two other siblings were diagnosed with MDS.
The remaining 11 siblings with the mutations were apparently healthy, although several had been treated for anemia and other conditions associated with low blood counts.
Some of these patients had a previous history of bone marrow monosomy 7 that spontaneously corrected over time. These patients, despite no therapy, appeared to have normal bone marrow function.
“This was an even greater surprise,” Dr Klco said. “The spontaneous recovery experienced by some children with the germline mutations suggests some patients with SAMD9 and SAMD9L mutations who were previously considered candidates for bone marrow transplantation may recover hematologic function on their own.”
Dr Klco and his colleagues have a theory that could explain the spontaneous correction. The team noted that SAMD9 and SAMD9L are activated in response to viral infections. While the normal function of both proteins is poorly understood, abnormally activated SAMD9 and SAMD9L are known to inhibit cell growth.
In this study, deep sequencing showed that selective pressure on developing blood cells favors cells without the SAMD9 or SAMD9L mutations. That may increase pressure for cells to selectively jettison chromosome 7 with the gene alteration or take other molecular measures to counteract the mutant protein.
Implications for treatment
This research also showed that, in patients who developed AML, loss of chromosome 7 was associated with the development of mutations in additional genes, including ETV6, KRAS, SETBP1, and RUNX1.
These same mutations are broadly associated with monosomy 7 in AML, which suggests that understanding how SAMD9 and SAMD9L mutations contribute to leukemia has implications beyond familial cases.
The presence of secondary mutations may also help clinicians identify which patients will benefit from immediate treatment, including chemotherapy or transplant to prevent or treat AML or myelodysplasia, Dr Klco said.
For patients without the mutations or significant symptoms due to low blood cell counts, watchful waiting with careful follow-up may sometimes be an option.
“Now that we know this disease can resolve without treatment in some patients, we need to focus on developing screening and treatment guidelines,” Dr Klco said. “We want to reserve hematopoietic bone marrow transplantation for those who truly need the procedure. These findings will help to point the way.”
“So little is known about SAMD9 and SAMD9L that we need to continue working in the lab to better understand how these mutations impact blood cell development and how they are activated in response to infections and other types of stress.”