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Ravandi, Farhad

0000-0002-7621-377X

Mayo Clinic

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Citations 45

Updated consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with HCL and HCL variant
Zent, Clive S. , Tiacci, Enrico , Kreitman, Robert J. , Tadmor, Tamar , Tallman, Martin S., Wörmann, Bernhard J., Andritsos, Leslie A. , Arons, Evgeny , Barrientos, Jacqueline C. , Broccoli, Alessandro , Call, Timothy G., Dearden, C. J., El‐Sharkawi, Dima , Fagarasanu, Andrei, Gladstone, Douglas E. , Gozzetti, A, Hampel, Paul J. , Hermel, David J. , Johnston, James B. , Juliusson, Gunnar, Kipps, T J, Lauria, Francesco, Lozanski, Gerard , Park, Jae H, Polliack, Aaron, Quest, Graeme, R., K. , Rogers, Kerry A. , Saven, Alan, Seymour, John F. , Tam, Constantine S., Troussard, Xavier, Zenz, Thorsten, Grever, Michael Rhodes, Gozzetti, Alessandro , Barrientos, Jacqueline , Blachly, James , Dietrich, Sascha , El-Sharkawi, Dima , Falini, Brunangelo , Forconi, Francesco , Gerrie, Alina S , Gozzetti, Alessandro , Hampel, Paul J , Iyengar, Sunil , Johnston, James B , Parikh, Sameer A , Robak, Tadeusz , Rogers, Kerry A , Seymour, John F , Zinzani, Pier Luigi , Zent, Clive S , Tallman, Martin S. , Wörmann, Bernhard , Banerji, Versha , Bhat, Seema A. , Blachly, James S. , Call, Timothy G. , Demeter, Judit , Falini, Brunangelo , Forconi, Francesco , Gerrie, Alina S. , Juliusson, Gunnar , Kipps, Thomas J. , Lauria, Francesco, Parikh, Sameer A. , Park, Jae H. , Polliack, Aaron, Ravandi, Farhad , Tam, Constantine S. , Troussard, Xavier , Zenz, Thorsten , Zinzani, Pier Luigi , Grever, Michael R.

Blood | April 14, 2026 | Volume: 148 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 31-42

10.1182/blood.2025032757 Get It

Abstract Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and HCL variant (HCLv) are distinct, rare, and chronic splenic B-cell lymphomas/leukemias that partially overlap in clinicopathologic presentation but differ in genetic basis, prognosis, and management. HCL is caused by the BRAF-V600E kinase–activating mutation in >95% of the patients, usually has excellent responses to chemotherapy with purine analogues, and is also amenable to BRAF inhibitor–based targeted treatments. In contrast, HCLv lacks BRAFV600E mutation, requires combined therapy with purine analogues in addition to rituximab, and generally shows less durable responses. Here, an international team of hematologists, experts on these rare diseases, was convened by the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation to update the previous guidelines (published in 2017) by providing a summary of current methods to diagnose and manage patients with HCL and HCLv as well as a prospective on newer targeted therapies to further improve outcomes.
Incorporation of Genomic Determinants Improves Diagnostic Accuracy of Oligomonocytic Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Montalban-Bravo, Guillermo, Wu, Chong , Rodríguez‐Sevilla, Juan José , Wei, Yue , Chien, K., Bouligny, Ian , Kanagal‐Shamanna, Rashmi , Li, Ziyi , Natu, Anuya , Bazinet, Alexandre , Hammond, Danielle E., Bataller, Alex, Borthakur, Gautam, Short, Nicholas J., DiNardo, Courtney D., Kadia, Tapan M., Ravandi, Farhad, Daver, Naval, Pemmaraju, Naveen, Jabbour, Elias, Issa, Ghayas C., Wang, Sa A., Patel, Keyur P. , Tang, Guilin, Medeiros, L. Jeffrey, Finke, Christy M. , Al‐Kali, Aref , Alkhateeb, Hassan, Gangat, Naseema, Mangaonkar, Abhishek A., Román, David , Arenillas, Leonor , Tefferi, Ayalew, Kantarjian, Hagop M., Garcia-Manero, Guillermo, Calvo, Xavier , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Loghavi, Sanam, Kantarjian, Hagop M. , Bravo, Guillermo Montalban , Chien, Kelly , Gurney, Mark , Bazinet, Alexandre , Hammond, Danielle , Bataller, Alex , Borthakur, Gautam , Short, Nicholas , DiNardo, Courtney , Kadia, Tapan M , Ravandi, Farhad , Daver, Naval , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Jabbour, Elias , Issa, Ghayas , Wang, Sa A , Patel, Keyur P , Tang, Guilin , Medeiros, L Jeffrey , Lasho, Terra L , Finke, Christy M , Al-Kali, Aref , Csizmar, Clifford , Alkhateeb, Hassan B , Gangat, Naseema , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Roman-Bravo, David , Arenillas, Leonor , Tefferi, Ayalew , Kantarjian, Hagop , Garcia-Manero, Guillermo , Calvo, Xavier , Patnaik, Mrinal , Loghavi, Sanam , Kanagal-Shamanna, Rashmi , Rodríguez-Sevilla, Juan José , Montalban‐Bravo, Guillermo , Chien, Kelly S. , Gurney, Mark E. , Hammond, Danielle , Borthakur, Gautam , Short, Nicholas J. , DiNardo, Courtney D. , Kadia, Tapan M. , Daver, Naval , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Jabbour, Elias , Wang, Sa A. , Tang, Guilin , Medeiros, L. Jeffrey , Lasho, Terra L. , Csizmar, Clifford M. , Alkhateeb, Hassan B. , Gangat, Naseema , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Tefferi, Ayalew , Garcia‐Manero, Guillermo , Loghavi, Sanam

Blood Cancer Discovery | January 26, 2026 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 414-430

10.1158/2643-3230.bcd-25-0264 Get It

Abstract Recent updates to monocyte count thresholds recognize oligomonocytic chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (OM-CMML) as an early form of CMML. However, the clinical validity of these changes remains uncertain without incorporating biological and genomic factors. In this study, we analyzed a cohort of 911 patients (249 with OM-CMML, 359 with overt CMML, and 303 with myelodysplastic syndromes) using unsupervised clustering to evaluate the role of genomic determinants in refining CMML diagnosis. Our findings show that CMML molecular signatures (biallelic TET2 mutations or SRSF2-TET2 comutations) are linked to a distinct transcriptome, monocytic bias, classical monocytosis, and a higher risk of progression to overt CMML in OM-CMML cases. We developed a weighted genomic model and diagnostic workflow showing that combining genomic signatures with bone marrow monocyte frequencies in OM-CMML more accurately predicts progression to overt CMML. These findings support integrating genomic determinants and our clinic-ready diagnostic workflow into the CMML diagnostic framework to improve accuracy. Significance: Through comprehensive clinical and genomic profiling of a large patient cohort, alongside immunophenotypic and transcriptional cellular analyses, this study provides evidence that incorporating genomic determinants into the diagnostic criteria for OM-CMML improves diagnostic accuracy and refines the identification of early-stage CMML, thereby preventing misclassification.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cell-associated acute myeloid leukemia (pDC-AML) a comprehensive review
Abdalla, Azza, Al‐Mashdali, Abdulrahman , Hilmi, Feryal, Gangat, Naseema , Soliman, Dina A. , Fareed, Shehab, Al-Mashdali, Abdulrahman F , Ravandi, Farhad , Soliman, Dina

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 6925-6925

10.1182/blood-2025-6925 Get It

Abstract Background: Plasmacytoid dendritic cell-associated acute myeloid leukemia (pDC-AML) is an emerging, rare subtype of AML characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) at various stages of maturation. Although infrequent, this leukemia subtype is clinically aggressive and poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Objective: This review synthesizes current knowledge on the immunophenotypic, genetic, and clinical features of pDC-AML, explores its prognostic implications, and compares it with the related entity blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies describing the morphology, immunophenotype, cytogenetics, molecular alterations, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes of pDC-AML were included. Data were extracted and compiled from 16 studies encompassing 231 patients. Results: pDC-AML predominantly affects older adults (median age ~69 years) and exhibits a male predominance (~68%). It presents with diverse AML subtypes, including AML with monocytic differentiation, minimal differentiation, and secondary AML. Bone marrow pDCs range from 2.2% to 30% and exhibit variable maturation, often expressing CD123, CD303, CD304, and variably CD34 and CD117. In contrast to BPDCN, CD56 is rarely expressed, and skin or lymph node involvement is uncommon. Genetically, pDC-AML exhibits a complex landscape. RUNX1 mutations are the most common (14–78%), possibly driving pDC lineage commitment. Additional mutations include ASXL1, DNMT3A, SRSF2, FLT3, and BCOR. Chromosomal abnormalities such as chromosome 7 deletions, trisomy 13, and MLL or CBFA rearrangements are frequently observed. Compared to BPDCN—which shows high CD56 and TCL1 expression and more frequent TET2 mutations—pDC-AML is more genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous. Therapeutic responses are inconsistent. Treatments include induction chemotherapy, hypomethylating agents (e.g., azacytidine plus venetoclax), and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Median overall survival ranges from 9.6 to 20 months, with frequent relapse even post-HSCT. Emerging therapies targeting CD123 (e.g., tagraxofusp) and immune-modulating agents are under investigation. Conclusion: pDC-AML is a clinically aggressive and biologically distinct AML subtype defined by clonal pDC expansion, frequent RUNX1 mutations, and suboptimal responses to current therapies. Accurate diagnosis relies on integrated immunophenotypic and genetic profiling. Despite progress, patient outcomes remain poor, underscoring the need for improved classification, prognostic markers, and targeted therapeutic strategies.
Clinical and biological correlates of blast-transformed chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML): A multicenter study of 493 paired cases at chronic phase and at blast transformation
Montalban‐Bravo, Guillermo , Cysique-Foinlan, Leila , Finke, Christy M. , Al‐Kali, Aref , Alsugair, Ali, Begna, Kebede, Fathima, Saubia, Gangat, Naseema , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Tefferi, Ayalew , Morabito, Margot, Marzac, Christophe , Braun, Thorsten, Adès, Lionel, Bazinet, Alexandre , Chien, Kelly S. , Kadia, Tapan M. , Kanagal‐Shamanna, Rashmi , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Kantarjian, Hagop, Fenaux, Pierre , Garcia‐Manero, Guillermo , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Kanagal-Shamanna, Rashmi , Csizmar, Clifford M. , Natu, Anuya , Lasho, Terra L. , Alkhateeb, Hassan B. , Fathima, Saubia , Saliba, Antoine N. , Droin, Nathalie , Quivoron, Cyril , Podvin, Benjamin , Duployez, Nicolas , Kosmider, Olivier , Thépot, Sylvain , Meunier, Mathieu , Berthon, Céline , Braun, Thorsten , Willekens, Christophe , Botton, Stéphane de , Adès, Lionel , Hammond, Danielle , DiNardo, Courtney D. , Loghavi, Sanam , Ravandi, Farhad , Sasaki, Koji , Solary, Éric , Renneville, Aline

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 2081-2081

10.1182/blood-2025-2081 Get It

Abstract Introduction Blast transformation (BT) in CMML occurs in 15-30% of patients (pts) with a median overall survival (OS) <6 months (mo). While clonal evolution can be observed, biological mechanisms of BT remain unknown for many pts. Using paired samples from chronic phase (CP) and at BT, this study defines the cytogenetic and molecular landscape of BT-CMML. Methods BT-CMML pts from Mayo Clinic (n=153, 31%), MD Anderson (n=195, 40%), and 7 centers of the Groupe Francophone des Myélodysplasies (n=145, 29%) were included after IRB approval. ICC 2022 criteria defined CMML and AML. Pt data were collected at initial diagnosis or referral at CP and again at BT. Clonal dominance was inferred from a natural log-fold difference of mutation variant allele fractions (VAF). OS was censored at allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT). Single-cell multiomic analyses used the Tapestri platform (Mission Bio). Statistics used R. Results Among 1,883 cases of CMML with a median follow up of 96 mo, 493 (26%) underwent BT. The median age at CP and BT was 69 and 71 years, respectively. BT-CMML pts were predominantly male (69%) and had proliferative CMML (53%) or CMML-1 (69%) in CP; 39% and 33% were considered high-risk by CPSS-Mol and BLAST-Mol criteria, respectively. The median time to BT was 16 mo (interquartile range 7-35 mo) and was not different in males vs females (p=0.60). Compared to their CP parameters (p<0.001 each), pts at BT had lower median hemoglobin (10.8 vs 9.2 g/dL) and platelets (100 vs 44 x109/L) but higher leukocytes (13.9 vs 16.3 x109/L), peripheral blasts (0% vs 14%), and bone marrow blasts (6% vs 32%). Blasts exhibited mostly monocytic (57%) or immature myeloid (40%) differentiation. Abnormal karyotypes (AK) were more prevalent at BT (25% vs 62%, p<0.001). Among 318 pts with paired karyotype data, 221 (69%) had a normal karyotype (NK) in CP, of which 123 (56%) remained normal at BT and 98 (44%) acquired new abnormalities. Conversely, 97 (31%) pts had an AK in CP, of which 67 (69%) acquired abnormalities or increased clonal metaphases (6%), 23 (24%) remained stable, and 7 (7%) reverted to a NK at BT. Overall, 46% acquired and 8% lost a clonal cytogenetic abnormality, while 46% remained unchanged. Numeric (37%) and structural (30%) changes were most common. Complex (12% vs 3%) and monosomal (5% vs 2%) karyotypes were more frequent at BT than in CP. Only 6 (2%) pts acquired an AML-defining rearrangement at BT. Mutational data were available for 248 paired cases. The number of somatic mutations was higher at BT (median 3 vs 4, p<0.001). Mutations in RUNX1 (27% vs 39%), NRAS (23% vs 33%), KRAS (11% vs 17%), FLT3 (6% vs 15%), NPM1 (0% vs 11%), IDH2 (5% vs 11%), and CEBPA (3% vs 10%) were more frequent at BT (all p<0.05). At BT, the average VAF of the dominant clone increased in 32%, decreased in 35%, and remained unchanged (delta ≤5%) in 33%. The most frequent dominant clones both in CP and at BT had mutations in TET2 (8% vs 4%) or co-dominant mutations involving SRSF2-TET2 (7% vs 3%). Mutational clonal evolution was observed in 72%, with mutations gained in 45% and lost from the dominant clone in 19%. The most gained mutations at BT were in NRAS (15%) and RUNX1 (13%). Single cell proteogenomic analyses in 4 selected CP and BT pts shed light on the impact of NRAS and RUNX1 mutations on clonal hierarchies and differentiation. Among 196 fully evaluable cases, a new cytogenetic and/or molecular aberration was uniquely gained in 106 (54%) cases and lost in 9 (5%), with 40 (20%) both gaining and losing a genetic alteration. Forty-one (21%) patients had no identifiable genetic change between CP and BT, suggesting driver alterations outside of that detected by routine analyses. Median OS was 31 mo from CMML diagnosis and 5.6 mo from BT. Compared to supportive care, treatment in CP did not prolong median time to BT (14 vs 17 mo, p=0.91) or OS (35 vs 29 mo, p=0.05), regardless of intensity. After BT, median OS was 1.2 mo with supportive care (n=83), 8.7 mo with a hypomethylating agent (HMA, n=39), 10 mo with HMA plus venetoclax (n=37), 7.8 mo with chemotherapy (n=91), and 31 mo in pts who underwent alloSCT (n=57). Conclusions In this large BT-CMML cohort, cytogenetic (46% gained, 8% lost) or mutational (45% gained, 19% lost) driver events were identified in 79% of pts, with 21% having no identifiable changes by conventional testing. Whole genome/transcriptome analyses are underway in this subgroup to identify novel drivers of BT.
Consideration of genomic determinants improves the diagnostic accuracy of oligomonocytic chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
Montalban‐Bravo, Guillermo , Wei, Yue , Chien, Kelly S. , Kanagal‐Shamanna, Rashmi , Bazinet, Alexandre , Kadia, Tapan M. , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Issa, Ghayas C., Wang, Sa , Patel, Keyur P. , Lasho, Terra, Finke, Christy M. , Al‐Kali, Aref , Gangat, Naseema , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Román, David , Tefferi, Ayalew , Kantarjian, Hagop, Garcia‐Manero, Guillermo , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Kanagal-Shamanna, Rashmi , Wu, Chong , Rodríguez‐Sevilla, Juan José , Bouligny, Ian , Natu, Anuya , Gurney, Mark E. , Hammond, Danielle , Bataller, Alex , Borthakur, Gautam , Short, Nicholas J. , DiNardo, Courtney D. , Ravandi, Farhad , Daver, Naval , Jabbour, Elias , Issa, Ghayas , Tang, Guilin , Medeiros, L. Jeffrey , Lasho, Terra, Csizmar, Clifford M. , Alkhateeb, Hassan B. , Arenillas, Leonor , Calvo, Xavier , Loghavi, Sanam

Blood | December 4, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3849-3849

10.1182/blood-2025-3849 Get It

Abstract Recent updates to the monocyte count thresholds for diagnosing chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) have recognized oligomonocytic CMML (OM-CMML) as an early stage within the CMML spectrum. However, the clinical validity of these revised criteria remains uncertain without considering biological factors and might misclassify myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with mild monocytosis as CMML. To characterize the genomic landscape of OM-CMML, we evaluated OM-CMML (n=249), MDS (n=304) and myelodysplastic CMML (MD-CMML, n=358) patients (pts) treated at three academic institutions. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed on bone marrow (BM) at initial diagnosis or first referral. OM-CMML was characterized by lower frequencies of biallelic TET2 (biTET2) and RAS pathway (RASp) gene mutations (BRAF, CBL, KRAS, NF1, NRAS and PTPN11) compared to MD-CMML (p<0.001) but higher frequencies than MDS (p<0.001). BM monocyte frequencies, assessed morphologically, were higher in OM-CMML than in MDS (p<0.001) but lower than in MD-CMML (p<0.001), indicating that OM-CMML is a heterogenous group including true CMML and distinct MDS subsets. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering based on genomic alterations across all cases (n=911) identified three distinct clusters: 1) TP53 alterations (predominantly multihit TP53) and complex karyotype (TP53-complex); 2) biTET2 or TET2-SRSF2 co-mutation (biTET2/SRSF2); 3) a heterogenous group lacking these features (not otherwise specifiable [NOS]). Among OM-CMML pts, 11%, 34% and 55% belonged to these clusters, respectively. Model-based unsupervised clustering further identified 9 unique clusters that could be consolidated into 6 groups: 1) TP53-complex; 2) biTET2/SRSF2; 3) SF3B1 (without biTET2 or SRSF2); 4) SRSF2 without TET2 and frequent IDH2 mutations (SRSF2-IDH2); 5) ASXL1 and U2AF1 mutations and copy number alterations (CNA-ASXL1/U2AF1); 6) no somatic mutations (No mutation). biTET2/SRSF2 group exhibited monocytic bias with higher AMC, PB and BM monocyte % even among OM-CMML cases. This bias was not attributed to higher RAS pathway mutation frequencies, as biTET2/SRSF2 cases had similar RASp mutation frequencies but lower median variant allele frequencies for RASp mutations compared to NOS cases (9% vs. 21%, p=0.029). PB monocyte partitioning using flow cytometry (FC) in a subset of OM-CMML pts (n=50) demonstrated higher frequency of classical monocytosis (>94% CD14+/CD16- monocytes) in biTET2/SRSF2 vs other OM-CMML. To further determine if biTET2/SRSF2 genotype defines a distinct biological subgroup, we performed RNA-sequencing of BM CD34+ cells from healthy donors (n=15) and pts with OM-CMML (n=12), MD-CMML (n=14) and MDS (n=55). Unsupervised clustering based on gene expression profiles revealed that biTET2/SRSF2 clustered irrespective of their diagnostic group with greater dispersion being observed based on diagnosis. MDS and CMML with biTET2/SRSF2 had less differentially expressed genes compared to MDS and CMML with biTET2/SRSF2 relative to other MDS and CMML genotypes. Among 138 OM-CMML pts in whom progression to overt CMML was evaluable, 37 (27%) progressed to overt CMML of which 26 (70%) belonged to the biTET2/SRSF2 group. Competing risk analysis confirmed higher cumulative incidence and shorter time to CMML progression among biTET2/SRSF2 OM-CMML. Using ElasticNet regression we identified BM monocytosis and 14 genomic variables (including biTET2 and TET2-SRSF2) as predictors of overt CMML progression among OM-CMML. We developed a score-based model able to predict progression with high reliability (AUC 0.805, sensitivity 0.70, specificity 0.76). Model accuracy was confirmed by optimism-corrected bootstrap internal validation (AUC 0.668). Monocytic bias, BM classical monocytosis (>94% CD16- monocytes) and higher overt CMML progression in biTET2/SRSF2 was confirmed in a validation cohort (28, 66 and 22 pts with OM-CMML, MDS and MD-CMML, respectively). BM monocytosis of biTET2/SRSF2 was confirmed in this cohort with morphologic and FC monocyte frequency quantification having high concordance (r=0.737, p<0.001). Genomic subgroup analysis discriminated survival outcomes more reliably than diagnostic categories alone. Our findings suggest that the presence of biTET2 or TET2-SRSF2 co-mutations, combined with BM monocytosis, can more reliably identify true CMML cases within the OM-CMML spectrum. Integrating genomic determinants into the CMML diagnostic framework enhances diagnostic accuracy.
Expert consensus opinion on the management of hairy cell leukemia in elderly patients
Fagarasanu, Andrei, Kreitman, Robert J. , Rogers, Kerry A. , Saven, Alan, Seymour, John F. , Tallman, Martin S. , Tiacci, Enrico , Wörmann, Bernhard , Grever, Michael R. , Levy, Ilana , Seymour, John F , Yurkovski, Ilana Levy , Tadmor, Tamar , Demeter, Judit , Parikh, Sameer A. , Ravandi, Farhad , Tam, Constantine S. , Zenz, Thorsten , Zent, Clive S.

Leukemia & Lymphoma | October 10, 2025 | Volume: 66 | Issue: 14 | Pages: 2611-2617

10.1080/10428194.2025.2562961 Get It

Landscape and clinicopathologic features of RAS pathway mutations in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
Montalban‐Bravo, Guillermo , Loghavi, Sanam , Li, Ziyi , Chien, Kelly S. , Kanagal‐Shamanna, Rashmi , Natu, Anuya , Gurney, Mark E. , Bazinet, Alexandre , Sasaki, Koji , Kadia, Tapan M. , Ravandi, Farhad, Pemmaraju, Naveen , Finke, Christy M. , Al‐Kali, Aref , Gangat, Naseema , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Bueso‐Ramos, Carlos E. , Tefferi, Ayalew, Kantarjian, H., Garcia‐Manero, Guillermo , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Kantarjian, Hagop M. , Chien, Kelly , Gurney, Mark , Sasaki, Koji , DiNardo, Courtney , Daver, Naval , Short, Nicholas , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Issa, Ghayas , Al-Kali, Aref , Csizmar, Clifford , Gangat, Naseema , Patnaik, Mrinal , Loghavi, Sanam , Kanagal-Shamanna, Rashmi , Kantarjian, Hagop , Bataller, Alex , Hammond, Danielle , Borthakur, Gautam , Swaminathan, Mahesh , DiNardo, Courtney D. , Ravandi, Farhad , Daver, Naval , Short, Nicholas J. , Lasho, Terra L. , Csizmar, Clifford M. , Alkhateeb, Hassan B. , Tefferi, Ayalew

Blood Advances | July 11, 2025 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 19 | Pages: 5105-5117

10.1182/bloodadvances.2025016529 Get It

Abstract RAS pathway (RASp) mutations induce proliferative features, and promote transformation in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). However, the unique clonal landscape and hierarchy of distinct RASp mutations remain unexplored. To characterize the landscape, architecture, and implications of unique RASp mutations in CMML, we evaluated a cohort of 814 patients with CMML. We identified 461 RASp mutations among 342 patients (42%). N/KRAS and CBL mutations were the most common, frequently involved the P-loop or RING domains, respectively, and frequently appeared as dominant events (63% and 65%, respectively). BRAF, NF1, and PTPN11 mutations spanned throughout the gene structure, and frequently appeared as subclonal events (75%, 64%, and 59%, respectively). CBL mutations frequently occurred in codominance with SRSF2 and multihit TET2, and were enriched for KIT mutations. PTPN11 mutations more frequently co-occurred with SETBP1 and DNMT3A mutations, and were infrequently codominant with TET2 or ASXL1. RASp mutations predicted for shorter overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-2.07; P = .0075) and leukemia-free survival (LFS; HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.26-2.20; P = .0011), influenced outcomes of myelodysplastic and TET2 mutant CMML, and cooperated with IDH2 and RUNX1 mutations to induce shorter LFS. These data set the bases for refined genomic classifications of CMML, and underscore the need to develop RAS-directed therapies for patients with CMML.
BLAST: A Globally Applicable and Molecularly Versatile Survival Model for Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Tefferi, Ayalew , Fathima, Saubia , Abdelmagid, Maymona, Alsugair, Ali, Aperna, Fnu, Rezasoltani, Mahsa , Yousuf, Muhammad , Natu, Anuya , Csizmar, Clifford M. , Gurney, Mark E. , Finke, Christy M. , Chien, Kelly S. , Bazinet, Alexandre , Kadia, Tapan M. , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Pardanani, Animesh , Zepeda‐Mendoza, Cinthya , Reichard, Kaaren K. , He, Rong , Sasaki, Koji , Garcia‐Manero, Guillermo , Gangat, Naseema , Montalban‐Bravo, Guillermo , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Alsugair, Ali Khalid A, Gurney, Mark , Kanagal-Shamanna, Rashmi , Hammond, Danielle , Chien, Kelly , DiNardo, Courtney , Daver, Naval , Zepeda-Mendoza, Cinthya, He, Rong , Loghavi, Sanam , Sasaki, Koji , Larson, Dirk , Onida, Francesco , Gangat, Naseema , Patnaik, Mrinal , Csizmar, Clifford , Fathima, Saubia , Lasho, Terra L. , Kanagal‐Shamanna, Rashmi , Hammond, Danielle , DiNardo, Courtney D. , Daver, Naval , Borthakur, Gautam , Loghavi, Sanam , Passamonti, Francesco , Ravandi, Farhad , Larson, Dirk R.

Blood Journal | May 7, 2025 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1182/blood.2024027170 Get It

We sought to develop a survival model in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) that is primarily based on clinical variables and examine additional impact from mutations and karyotype. 457 molecularly-annotated patients were considered. Multivariable analysis identified circulating Blasts ≥2% (1 point), Leukocytes ≥13 x 109/L (1 point), and severe (2 points) or moderate (1 point) Anemia as preferred risk variables in developing a clinical risk Stratification Tool for overall survival (OS), acronymized to "BLAST": low-risk (0 points; median 63 months); intermediate-risk (1 point; median 28 months; HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6-3.0), and high-risk (2-4 points; median 13 months; 5.4, 4.1-7.3); the corresponding 3/5 year OS rates were 68%/53%, 43%/18%, and 12%/1%. BLAST model performance (AUC 0.77/0.85 at 3/5-years) was shown to be comparable to that of the molecular CMML-specific prognostic scoring system (CMML-mol; AUC 0.73/0.75) and the international prognostic scoring system-molecular (IPSS-M; AUC 0.73/0.74). Multivariable analysis of mutations and karyotype identified PHF6MUT and TET2MUT as being "favorable" and DNMT3AMUT, U2AF1MUT, BCORMUT, SETBP1MUT, ASXL1MUT, NRASMUT, PTPN11MUT, RUNX1MUT, TP53MUT, and adverse karyotype, "unfavorable". Molecular information was subsequently encoded in a combined clinical-molecular risk model (BLAST-mol; AUC 0.80/0.86 at 3/5-years) that included the aforementioned BLAST clinical risk variables and a 3-tiered molecular risk score. BLAST and BLAST-mol were subsequently validated by two separate external cohorts. Independent risk factors for blast transformation included DNMT3AMUT, ASXL1MUT, PHF6WT, leukocytes ≥13 x 109/L, and ≥2% circulating or ≥10% bone marrow blasts. The current study proposes an easy to implement, globally applicable, and molecularly adaptive risk model for CMML.
Landscape and Clinicopathologic Features of RAS Pathway Mutations in Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Montalban‐Bravo, Guillermo , Chien, Kelly S. , Kanagal‐Shamanna, Rashmi , Bazinet, Alexandre , Kadia, Tapan M. , Pemmaraju, Naveen , Issa, Ghayas C., Finke, Christy M. , Al‐Kali, Aref , Gangat, Naseema , Mangaonkar, Abhishek A. , Tefferi, Ayalew , Garcia‐Manero, Guillermo , Patnaik, Mrinal M. , Kanagal-Shamanna, Rashmi , Loghavi, Sanam , Natu, Anuya , Gurney, Mark E. , Hammond, Danielle , Borthakur, Gautam , Swaminathan, Mahesh , DiNardo, Courtney D. , Ravandi, Farhad , Daver, Naval , Issa, Ghayas , Lasho, Terra L. , Csizmar, Clifford M. , Alkhateeb, Hassan B. , Kantarjian, Hagop M.

Blood | December 6, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3204-3204

10.1182/blood-2024-208890 Get It

Introduction: Somatic mutations in RAS pathway genes are present in ~30% of patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and are usually associated with myeloproliferative features. Whether mutations in distinct RAS pathway genes share similar genomic context and have similar implications remains unknown. Such an understanding might inform future studies evaluating genotype-specific therapies (RAS-codon specific and pan-RAS inhibitors) or cooperative leukemogenic mechanisms. This multicenter study examines the landscape of RAS pathway mutations (RASMT) in CMML. Methods: Newly diagnosed CMML patients evaluated at MD Anderson Cancer Center (n=449, 54%) and Mayo Clinic (n=383, n=46%) were included after IRB approval. Clonal relationships were tested using Pearson goodness-of-fit. Clones with the highest variant allele frequency (VAF), or with VAF close to 40% were defined as dominant, and those present at VAF <20% in the presence of another dominant clone were defined as subclonal. RASMT genes included NRAS, KRAS, BRAF, CBL, CBLC, PTPN11 and NF1. Standard statistical measures were applied. Results: Among 832 CMML patients (median age 71 years, 68% male) 387 (47%) had myeloproliferative (MP) and 445 (53%) had myelodysplastic (MD) CMML. A total of 350 (42%) patients had RASMT with higher prevalence among MP-CMML compared to MD-CMML (55% vs 31%, p<0.001). Among patients with RASMT, 262 (32%), 59 (7%), 20 (2%), 6 (<1%) and 3 (<1%) had 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 distinct RASMT, respectively. Importantly, 17 patients harbored a RASmt as the only detectable somatic mutation, with KRASMT being the most frequent (n=10, 59%), including 3 (18%) patients with >1 RASMT. Among RASMT patients, a trend for higher hemoglobin (12.7 vs 10.8 g/dL, p=0.054) was observed in NF1MT CMML and lower WBC (14.4 vs 27.9 x109/L, p=0.067) values in CBLMT CMML. In total, 479 somatic mutations in RAS pathway genes were identified the most frequent involving NRAS (n=169, 35%) followed by CBL (n=120, 25%), KRAS (n=102, 21%), PTPN11 (n=38, 8%), NF1 (n=34, 7%), BRAF (n=11, 2%) and CBLC (n=5, 1%). Most frequently involved codons for each RAS pathway gene were as follows: G594 (n=3) for BRAF, R420 (n=22) and C404 (n=15) for CBL, G12 (n=41; G12D: 13, G12C: 3) and A146 (n=16) for KRAS, G12 (n=116; G12D: 74, G12C: 5) for NRAS and A72 (n=8) for PTPN11. CBLMT CMML had higher ASXL1 (58% vs 44%, p=0.011), BRAF (8% vs 4%, p=0.017), IDH2 (10% vs 4%, p=0.024), KIT (5% vs 1%, p=0.038), SRSF2 (54% vs 40%, p=0.004), TET2 (59% vs 47%, p=0.019) and ZRSR2 (10% vs 4%, p=0.014) co-mutation frequency. Of note, DNMT3A mutations were mutually exclusive of CBLMT CMML (0% vs 7%, p=0.007), and multihit TET2 was more common among TET2MT/CBLMT vs TET2MT/CBLWT CMML (82% vs 67%, p =0.039). CMML with NF1 mutations had higher BCORL1 (8% vs 0%, p=0.005), PTPN11 (15% vs 3%, p=0.014) and SETBP1 (23% vs 8%, p=0.022) mutational cooccurrences. NRASMT CMML was enriched for ASXL1 (53% vs 43%, p=0.042), ETNK1 (5% vs 1%, p=0.004), GATA2 (4% vs 1%, p=0.034) and STAG2 (4% vs 1 %, p=0.023) mutations but had lower JAK2 (1% vs 6%, p=0.036) and TP53 (1% vs 5%, p=0.022) mutational frequency. PTPN11 mutations were associated with higher NF1 (29% vs 7%, p=0.014), SETBP1 (27% vs 9%, p=0.01) and WT1 (6% vs <1%, p=0.014) mutational cooccurrences and lower SRSF2 (23% vs 42%, p=0.05) frequency. We evaluated RAS mutant clonal dominance in 253 (72%) RASMT patients. NRAS (63% vs 38%), KRAS (63% vs 38%) and CBL (65% vs 35%) mutations were more frequently observed as dominant clones while PTPN11 (44% vs 56%), BRAF (25% vs 75%) and NF1 (35% vs 65%) mutations were more frequently subclonal events, particularly of TET2, ASXL1 or SRSF2 mutant clones. Presence of a RAS pathway mutation was associated with shorter LFS (36 vs 53 months, HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.2, p=0.020), with presence of multiple RAS mutations shortening LFS further (53, 43, 27 months for 0, 1 and >1, p=0.017). PTPN11 mutations predicted for shorter OS (18 vs 39 months, HR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-2.8, p=0.035) and LFS (14 vs 36 months, HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-2.9, p=0.008). Presence of >1 RAS pathway mutation was associated with shorter OS in ASXL1MT/TET2MT CMML compared to those with no RAS mutations (24 vs 53 months, HR 4.2, 95% CI 1.6-10.8, p=0.004). Conclusions: RAS mutations exhibit distinct genomic features and clonal hierarchy in CMML and cooperate with other somatic mutations to drive clinical outcomes. This study forms the foundation for assessment of novel RAS pathway inhibitors in CMML.
Covalent Menin Inhibitor Bmf-219 in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Acute Leukemia (AL): Preliminary Phase 1 Data from the Covalent-101 Study
Montesinos, Pau , Bashey, Asad, Burgués, Juan Miguel Bergua, Curran, Emily , Leeuw, David C. Christian de, Huls, Geert A., Janssen, Jeroen J. W. M. , Jeyakumar, Deepa , Jongen‐Lavrencic, Mojca, Mateos, María‐Victoria , Rambaldi, Alessandro , Schiller, Gary J. , Ahmed, Uzma , Cacovean, Alexandru, Morris, Stephan W., Follit, Courtney A., Munneke, Brian, Mandap, Clarissa, Vimal, Mona, Butler, Thomas W. , Montesinos, Pau , Rambaldi, Alessandro , Lancet, Jeffrey E. , Ravandi, Farhad , Barrientos, Jacqueline C. , Badar, Talha , Alegre, Adrían , Brunetti, Lorenzo , Leeuw, David C. de , Derenzini, Enrico , Kishtagari, Ashwin , Morillo, Daniel , Rosenberg, Aaron , Waghmare, Ganesh, Butler, Thomas, Carraway, Hetty E.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 2916-2916

10.1182/blood-2023-173149 Get It

Background: Menin, a protein involved in transcriptional regulation, plays a role in the genesis of multiple cancers. Preclinical data from BMF-219, an investigational, highly selective, oral small-molecule inhibitor of menin, show sustained potent abrogation of menin-dependent oncogenic signaling. BMF-219 is the first and only covalent menin inhibitor in clinical development and is being evaluated in multiple hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and diabetes mellitus. COVALENT-101 (NCT05153330) is a Phase I dose-escalation and -expansion study of BMF-219 in R/R AL (Cohort 1), DLBCL (Cohort 2), MM (Cohort 3), and CLL (Cohort 4). Here we report preliminary safety, PK and anticancer activity data from Cohort 1 (AL). Methods: Doses of BMF-219 are escalated independently for each indication, initially in single-subject cohorts followed by a “3 + 3” design. Eligible patients (pts) include adults with R/R AL ineligible for standard therapy. Initially pts were enrolled agnostic to molecular status. A subsequent amendment introduced quotas for KMT2Ar (MLL1r), NPM1 and other known menin-dependent mutations: CEBP/A, MLL1-PTD, MN1, NUP98, NUP214, PICALM-AF10, SETBP1. Prior exposure to reversible menin inhibitor therapy is permitted. Subjects receive BMF-219 daily for continuous 28-day cycles until progression/intolerability. There are 2 parallel dose-escalation arms: pts not taking (Arm A) or taking (Arm B) moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. The study is ongoing and accruing in the escalation. Expansion cohorts will enroll pts to obtain further safety and efficacy data at the OBD/RP2D. Results: As of data cutoff of 7/24/2023, 26 pts with R/R AL (24 AML; 2 ALL) are enrolled; 7 remain on study treatment. Baseline characteristics include 17(65%) males and 9(35%) females with a median age of 57.5 years (range 33-84). There is a median of 4 (range 1-8) prior lines of therapy and 11 (42%) with prior HSCT(s). Six pts (23%) had KMT2Ar, 3 (12%) KMT2A-PTD, 4 (15%) NPM1, and 13 (50%) WT for KMT2A and NPM1. Dosing began with single-patient cohorts at 100 mg QD (Arm A) and 25 mg QD (Arm B) and has been escalated through 4 dose levels. Thus far, pts have been dosed up to 500 mg QD (Arm A) and 125 mg QD (Arm B). BMF-219 exposures were comparable between arms, with ~2-4-fold higher exposures observed with co-administration of a moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitor. At the highest dose (DL4) in which PK was evaluated, Arm A (500 mg QD) and Arm B (125 mg QD), pts on average achieved ~50% of target exposure (2000 ng*hr/mL) with some pts surpassing it. Higher QD dosing or corresponding BID dosing is expected to achieve desired exposure. BMF-219 has generally been well tolerated with no DLTs observed and no discontinuations due to treatment-related toxicities. No related QTc prolongation was observed. At the time of data cutoff, 23 of 26 pts were included in the safety population. Common TRAEs (≥10%) include vomiting 13% (3) and Differentiation Syndrome (DS) 13% (3). No Grade 5 TRAEs were reported. The only common Grade ≥3 TRAE (≥5%) was DS 13% (3). The efficacy evaluable population includes AML pts who meet the following criteria: dosed at or near predicted efficacious dose (500 mg or above [Arm A]; 125 mg or above [Arm B]), had known menin-dependent mutations, and completed at least one scheduled response assessment (or had a minimum of 7 doses if discontinued prematurely). Thus far, 2 of 5 efficacy evaluable patients achieved a complete remission (1 CR; 1 CRi) and both continue BMF-219 treatment. Patient A: 39/M, NUP98-NSD1, ECOG=0, 500 mg QD, Arm A, 4 prior lines of treatment including intensive chemotherapy and allo-HSCT. At C1D27, marrow blasts were reduced to 6% from 13% at study entry. The patient achieved CR at C2D28 with 0% blasts.Patient B: 70/F, NPM1m, ECOG=1, 125 mg QD, Arm B, 1 prior line of treatment with decitabine and an investigational agent. At C1D28, marrow blasts were reduced to 34% from 52% at study entry. The patient achieved CRi with 3% blasts at C2D28. Conclusion: BMF-219 is generally well tolerated with no DLT observed (and able to be taken with and without CYP3A4 inhibitors) with no pts discontinuing therapy due to toxicity. BMF-219 dose escalation is ongoing and approaching target exposure. BMF-219 demonstrates early signs of clinical activity in different genomic subgroups. The trial is ongoing and includes enrollment for pts diagnosed with AL, DLBCL, MM and CLL.