Yu Hou

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) drive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) initiation, relapse, and chemoresistance, yet the core posttranslational events sustaining LSC maintenance remain poorly defined. Here, through phosphoproteomic profiling of normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) vs LSC-enriched populations, we identified DEK phosphorylation as a critical modification during leukemogenesis. Functional studies in MLL-AF9– and HOXA9/MEIS1-driven AML mouse models, as well as patient-derived xenografts, demonstrate that DEK deficiency impairs LSC maintenance and AML progression. Moreover, DEK deletion enhances LSC chemosensitivity to the standard-of-care combination of azacitidine and venetoclax, whereas DEK overexpression confers robust chemoresistance. Mechanistically, DEK recruits the transcription factor GA repeat binding protein α (GABPA) to upregulate the transcriptional cofactor PBX3, a key oncogenic driver in AML, thereby sustaining the leukemogenic transcriptional program. This DEK-GABPA interaction strictly depends on DEK phosphorylation at Ser301/303/306/307 (the 4S sites), which stabilizes the conformation of the DEK-GABPA complex. We identify casein kinase 2 (CK2) as the upstream kinase that directly phosphorylates DEK-4S sites. Importantly, blockade of DEK phosphorylation via 4S site mutagenesis or treatment with the clinical-stage CK2 inhibitor CX-4945 selectively depletes LSCs while sparing normal HSPCs. Furthermore, combining CX-4945 with venetoclax promotes LSC apoptosis and represses the PBX3-driven leukemogenic transcriptional program, exhibiting synergistic anti-AML effects both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our findings uncover a previously unrecognized phosphorylation event (DEK-4S phosphorylation) that sustains LSCs and establish the CK2-DEK axis as a promising LSC-specific therapeutic strategy for AML.

Chromosomal translocations involving nucleoporin (NUP) loci, such as NUP98 and NUP214, are recurrent in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the intrinsic functions of wild-type nucleoporins in AML remain largely unknown. By screening the NUP family, we identified NUP214 as a frequently overexpressed gene and a critical fitness determinant in leukemia stem cells (LSCs). NUP214 acts as a conserved driver of LSC survival by restricting heme catabolism, limiting Fe²⁺ accumulation, and suppressing lipid peroxidation. Conversely, NUP214 deficiency leads to upregulation of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15), causing heme exhaustion and excessive lipid peroxidation, which ultimately triggers ferroptosis in LSCs and impairs AML progression. Mechanistically, NUP214 translocates into the nucleoplasm where it blocks Sub1-mediated RNA polymerase II recruitment to repress transcription of the key pro-ferroptotic genes HMOX1 and ALOX15, revealing a non-canonical role beyond its nuclear pore function. Furthermore, we developed the small-molecule compound 0449-b, which acts as a selective NUP214 degrader by recruiting NUP214 to the Cullin5-Rbx2 E3 ligase complex, inducing its neddylation and proteasomal degradation. 0449-b potently triggers LSC ferroptosis and exhibits anti-leukemic activity in vivo, while sparing normal hematopoietic stem cells. Collectively, our findings establish NUP214 as a critical oncoprotein that orchestrates heme metabolism and lipid peroxidation to sustain LSCs, and highlight NUP214-targeted degradation as a promising intervention strategy for AML.

Cardiac aging is a major driver of cardiovascular diseases and associated mortality, yet its therapeutic options are limited. While long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons are known to drive cellular senescence, their role in cardiac aging is poorly defined. Here we showed that LINE-1 expression increased in the heart with age. To investigate their role in cardiac aging, we generated cardiomyocyte-specific Mov10-knockout mice, which failed to suppress LINE-1. These mice developed LINE-1 derepression, cardiac dysfunction and premature cardiac aging by 3 months of age, accompanied by cGAS–STING activation. Pharmacological inhibition of LINE-1 reverse transcription (with 3TC) or STING (with H-151) suppressed cGAS–STING activation and attenuated senescence in Mov10-knockout H9C2 cells. Notably, both inhibitors improved cardiac function and reduced cardiac inflammation and senescence phenotypes in naturally aged mice. Together, our findings establish LINE-1 as a driver of cardiac aging via cGAS–STING activation, highlighting LINE-1 and its downstream effectors as therapeutic targets for age-related cardiac dysfunction.

The Monopterus albus serves as a unique model for studying sex reversal, transitioning naturally from female to male. However, the origins of male germline

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men worldwide, and advanced or metastatic disease remains a major therapeutic challenge. Ch