Myeloid Lineage Flashcards
What is AML?
AML stands for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a disease that causes an accumulation of immature white blood cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. This disease progresses quickly and hence the term, acute.
What is MDS?
MDS stands for Myelodysplastic Syndrome and is the formation of abnormal blood cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood
Flt3
FMS Like Tyrosine Kinase 3. Between 20-30% of AML patients have mutations in Flt3.
Flt3ITD
Flt3 Internal Tandem Duplication. The ITD length is between 15 to 153 nucleotides. Patients with this mutation have a far worse prognosis than the Flt3TKD mutation. Signaling pathways activated by Flt3ITD are PI3 Kinase pathway, MAP Kinase pathway and the STAT5 pathway.
Flt3TKD
Flt3 Tyrosine Kinase Domain. This is the active site of the Flt3 receptor and point mutations usually occur here. Signaling pathways activated by Flt3TKD are the PI3 Kinase pathway and the MAP Kinase pathway.
APL
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. This is a leukemia like disease that sometimes precedes AML. It can be treated with ATRA and/or arsenic oxide.
Genes frequently mutated in AML
Flt3, IDH1/2, NPM1, DNMT3A, CEBP alpha
IDH1/2
Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1/2. Involved in formation of alpha ketoglutarate from isocitrate in the TCA cycle. IDH1 is active in the cytosol and IDH2 is active in the mitochondria.
IDH2 mutant
This mutant causes the formation of 2 hydroxyglutarate and consequently results in a block in differentiation. Enasidenib, a FDA approved drug can relieve this block.
IDH1 mutant
Ivosidenib can relieve the block in differentiation in this case.
CEBP alpha
This is a transcription factor involved in differentiation of white blood cells and is frequently mutated in AML.
NPM1
This is a protein involved in the biogenesis of ribosomes and is frequently mutated in AML. Also is a histone chaperone.
DNMT3A
This is a methyltransferase protein responsible for adding methyl groups to DNA. It is frequently mutated in AML.
FDA approved drugs for AML
- Midostaurin (PKC412)(Newly Diagnosed AML)
2. Gilteritinib (ASP2215)(Relapsed Refractory AML)
FDA approved drugs for MDS
- Azacytidine
Stages of treatment for AML
- MRD measurement
- Induction Chemotherapy
- Consolidation Chemotherapy
- MRD measurement
- Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant
MRD
MRD stands for minimal residual disease and is defined as the number of leukemic cells remaining after or during treatment and is the major cause of relapse in leukemia and cancer.
Flt3 Allelic Burden
This is the number of Flt3 ITD repeats in an AML patient who has a Flt3 ITD. It is the tumor burden in the AML patient. The higher the Flt3 Allelic Burden, the worse off the patient is.
Allogenic Stem Cell Transplant
This is stimulation of the patient’s immune system by injection of stem cells from a suitable donor.
Myelocyte
Comprises mainly of immune cells that includes red blood cells and platelets.
CD34+ cells
CD34 is a 115 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein and is found in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.
7 + 3 chemotherapy regimen
This means a duration course where there are 7 days of cytarabine in which the first 3 days are also with an anthracycline drug, which in most cases is daunorubicin (can be substituted for doxorubicin, idarubicin or mitoxantrone)
Anthracycline
These are chemotherapy drugs that are also antibiotics.
Graft vs host disease
This is a condition when donor bone marrow or stem cells attack the recipient’s cells.
Corticosteroids
These are a class of drugs that treat inflammation. They also reduce immune system activity.
Lenalidomide
This is a chemotherapy drug that treats MDS, multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.
Differentiation Syndrome
This is a phenomena seen in a subset of APL patients treated with arsenic oxide and ATRA and in AML patients treated with IDH1/2 inhibitors. Can be treated with corticosteroids.
Gemtuzumab Ozogamycin
Also called Mylotarg. This is a drug antibody conjugate used to treat AML.
Hydroxyurea
This is an anti-metabolite that slows down growth of cancer cells.
ECOG Performance Status
This describes the patient’s level of functioning - their ability to take care of himself/herself (0 fully active, 5 death).
AST and ALT
Aspartate Aminotransferase and Alanine Aminotransferase denotes function of the liver.
Qtc prolongation
This means delayed ventricular repolarization. That means the heart takes longer to recharge between beats.
Basophilia
This is when there are more than 200 basophils/microliter in the venous blood.
Acute Leukemia
This is when blasts are more than 20% in the blood.
Cytopenia
This is when there is a reduction in the number of mature blood cells.
Aplastic Anemia
This is when the body stops producing new blood cells.
CD33
An antigen marker in AML cells and a target for Gemtuzumab Ozogamycin
Engraftment
This is when blood forming cells upon transplant start to grow and make healthy blood cells.
Comorbidity
The simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient.
Graft vs Leukemia Effect
This is when the donor immune cells are able to eliminate recipient leukemic cells upon allo HSCT.
HLA Testing
This is called “Human Leukocyte Antigen Testing.” It is a blood test that identifies antigens on the surface of cells and tissues of recipient patients so that a compatible donor can be assigned.
Umbilical cord blood
This is sometimes used in transplant since it has a lower graft vs host disease and rapid availability.
Cyclophosphamide
This is a chemotherapy drug used to suppress the immune system specifically allo-reactive lymphocytes.
Deferasirox
This is an iron chelator drug.
Busulfan
This is a chemotherapy drug that prepares the body for a stem cell transplant.
Tomotherapy
This is a radiation modality where the patient is scanned across a modulated strip-beam.
Cyclosporine
This is used to prevent organ rejection in people who receive liver, kidney and heart transplant. Inhibits IL2 and IL2 receptor expression activation thus preventing T cell activation.
Mast Cells
These are cells in tissues that are filled with basophil granules. They release histamine during an inflammatory and allergic response.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells
These are cells in the bone marrow and are important for making and repairing skeletal tissue such cartilage, bone and fat found in the bone marrow.
Muscle Satellite Cells
These multipotent cells are found in muscle and the mature cells have very little cytoplasm.
Haplo-Identical Transplantation
This is a half matched stem cell transplant from a family member
Fludarabine Melphalan Conditioning regimen
This is a conditioning regimen that uses Fludarabine for 5 days followed by a single day of Melphalan. Both these drugs are chemotherapy drugs.
Temozolmide
An alkylating agent, methylates the O6 residue of guanines to prevent DNA duplication during cell proliferation and induces cell death and apoptosis.
Cyclopamine
This is topical cream that inhibits SHH by inhibiting SMO.
Teratogenic
Any agent that retards the development of the fetus or embryo.
GDC-0449
This is a FDA approved drug that targets locally advanced and metastatic BCC.
p15
This is a tumor suppressor and encodes for a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor.
MDM2
This is a p53 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase that causes proteolytic degradation of p53.