Adaptive resistance to FLT3 inhibitors is potentiated by ROS-driven DNA repair signalling
Alterations in the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene are the most frequent driver mutations in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), linked to a high risk of relapse in patients with internal tandem duplications (FLT3-ITD). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the FLT3 protein are approved for clinical use, yet resistance often emerges. This resistance is mainly seen following the acquisition of additional point mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD), resulting in a double mutant FLT3-ITD/TKD, which sustains cell signalling and survival despite the presence of FLT3 inhibitors. Here, we developed a FLT3-mutant AML model with adaptive resistance to type II TKIs, sorafenib, and quizartinib by in vitro drug selection. Through global multiomic profiling, we identified upregulation of proteins involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, particularly NADPH-oxidases, driving cellular ROS-addiction, with resistant cells relying on ROS for survival, and genome fidelity preserved by ATM-driven DNA repair. Transcriptomic analysis of adult and paediatric AML (pAML) patients identified high ATM expression as a biomarker for shorter median overall survival in both the de novo and relapsed settings. Inhibition of ATM with clinically relevant therapy WSD-0628 effectively killed TKI- and chemotherapy-resistant AML cells in vitro and significantly extended the survival of mice with sorafenib- and quizartinib-resistant FLT3-ITD AML in vivo. We propose a new treatment strategy to improve survival of patients who develop resistance to sorafenib and quizartinib, as well as relapsed and refractory pAML, exploiting resistance mechanisms to precision therapies and cell-intrinsic features of high-risk cases, highlighting a clinically relevant salvage strategy.