A Therapeutic Strategy for Preferential Targeting of TET2 Mutant and TET-dioxygenase Deficient Cells in Myeloid Neoplasms

TET2 is frequently mutated in myeloid neoplasms. Genetic TET2 deficiency leads to skewed myeloid differentiation and clonal expansion, but minimal residual TET activity is critical for survival of neoplastic progenitor and stem cells. Consistent with mutual exclusivity of TET2 and neomorphic IDH1/2 mutations, here we report that IDH1/2 mutant-derived 2-hydroxyglutarate is synthetically lethal to TET-dioxygenase deficient cells. In addition, a TET-selective small molecule inhibitor decreased cytosine hydroxymethylation and restricted clonal outgrowth of TET2 mutant, but not normal hematopoietic precursor cells in vitro and in vivo. While TET-inhibitor phenocopied somatic TET2 mutations, its pharmacologic effects on normal stem cells were, unlike mutations, reversible. Treatment with TET inhibitor suppressed the clonal evolution of TET2 mutant cells in murine models and TET2-mutated human leukemia xenografts. These results suggest that TET inhibitors may constitute a new class of targeted agents in TET2 mutant neoplasia.