# AML mutation-guided drugging of DNA repair

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2020 · $595,466

## Abstract

Current treatments of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) clear the disease burden consisting mostly
of leukemia progenitor cells (LPCs), but they usually fail to eradicate leukemia stem cells
(LSCs). Altered DNA repair mechanisms may be responsible for survival of LSCs and/or LPCs
under genotoxic stress. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), the most lethal DNA lesions, are
usually repaired by BRCA -mediated homologous recombination (HR) repair at the replication
forks. BRCA-HR repair involves several proteins such as BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD54 and RAD51.
An alternative HR pathway depends on RAD52-RAD51 (RAD52-HR). PARP1-mediated base
excision repair (BER) and PARP1-dependent non-homologous end-joining (P-NHEJ) serve as
back-ups/alternative mechanisms to prevent and/or repair DSBs.
 Cancer-specific defects in DNA repair create the opportunity to employ a phenomenon
called synthetic lethality, e.g. elimination of BRCA1/2-mutated cancer cells by PARP1 inhibitor
(PARP1i). Since inactivating mutations in BRCA-HR pathway are rare in AMLs, we obtained
preliminary data suggesting that BRCA deficiency and BRCA proficiency on individual AMLs
can be predicted by a comprehensive Gene Mutation Analysis (GMA) of AML-inducing genetic
aberrations. This approach will be tested in Aim #1.
 BRCA-deficient AML LSCs/LPCs should be prone to PARP1i-induced synthetic lethality.
However, therapeutic effect of PARP1i in BRCA1/2-deficient cells may be reduced by
alternative RAD52-HR, which can protect, at least partially, BRCA-deficient PARP1i-treated
cells from lethal effect of DSBs. Therefore, in Aim #2 we propose that combination of
PARP1i+RAD52i may induce more effective synthetic lethality in BRCA deficient LSCs/LPCs.
We will also develop drug-grade RAD52i.
 On the other hand, BRCA-proficient AML cells should be sensitive to the inhibitors of BRCA-
HR pathway combined with PARP1i. Preliminary data suggest that RAD54 may be a valid target
to induce BRCA-deficiency in BRCA-proficient cells. In Aim #3 we will examine if targeting
RAD54 sensitizes BRCA-proficient AMLs to PARP1i - mediated synthetic lethality.
 We expect that personalized medicine-guided synthetic lethality combining drugs targeting
DNA repair may be designed to eliminate AML LSCs/LPCs in individual patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9885053
- **Project number:** 1R01CA237286-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** ALEXANDER V MAZIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $595,466
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-03-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9885053

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9885053, AML mutation-guided drugging of DNA repair (1R01CA237286-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9885053. Licensed CC0.

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