title: Glycogen synthase kinase 3 in MLL leukaemia maintenance and targeted therapy.
abstract: Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that participates in numerous signalling pathways involved in diverse physiological processes. Several of these pathways are implicated in disease pathogenesis, which has prompted efforts to develop GSK3-specific inhibitors for therapeutic applications. However, before now, there has been no strong rationale for targeting GSK3 in malignancies. Here we report pharmacological, physiological and genetic studies that demonstrate an oncogenic requirement for GSK3 in the maintenance of a specific subtype of poor prognosis human leukaemia, genetically defined by mutations of the MLL proto-oncogene. In contrast to its previously characterized roles in suppression of neoplasia-associated signalling pathways, GSK3 paradoxically supports MLL leukaemia cell proliferation and transformation by a mechanism that ultimately involves destabilization of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1). Inhibition of GSK3 in a preclinical murine model of MLL leukaemia provides promising evidence of efficacy and earmarks GSK3 as a candidate cancer drug target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kevin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Obdulio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Piloto
authors.forename: Tim C P
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Somervaille
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016193:G1 Phase; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016513:Mice, SCID; D023461:Myeloid Progenitor Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas
chemical_list: C436291:CDKN1B protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; C497422:KMT2A protein, human; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3