Genotype-immunophenotype relationships in <i>NPM1</i> -mutated AML clonal evolution uncovered by single-cell multiomic analysis

M Morgan Drucker (1Division of Oncology, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH) D Darren Lee M Michael Bowman (4Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA) X Xuan Zhang B Bailee N. Kain (5Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH) D Deedra Nicolet (6The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH) R Roopsha Bandopadhyay (4Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA) V Varsha Singh Z Zhe Wang R Richard M. Stone (8Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA) C Caner Saygin (9Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL) K Krzysztof Mrózek (6The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH) A Andrew J. Carroll (Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham) D Daniel T. Starczynowski R Ross L. Levine J John C. Byrd N Nathan Salomonis (2Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH) S Sarah J. Skuli (12University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati, OH) H H. Leighton Grimes A Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld (6The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH) R Robert L. Bowman (Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) L Linde A. Miles (2Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH)

Abstract

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a multiclonal disease, existing as a milieu of clones with unique but related genotypes as initiating clones acquire subsequent mutations. However, bulk sequencing cannot fully capture AML clonal architecture or the clonal evolution that occurs as patients undergo therapy. To interrogate clonal evolution, we performed simultaneous single-cell molecular profiling and immunophenotyping on 43 samples from 32 patients with NPM1 (nucleophosmin 1)–mutated AML at different time points in disease progression. Here, we show that diagnosis and relapse AML samples display similar clonal architecture patterns, but signaling mutations drive increased clonal complexity, specifically at relapse, which correlates with overall survival. We uncovered unique genotype-immunophenotype relationships regardless of disease state, suggesting leukemic lineage trajectories can be hard-wired by the mutations present. Analysis of longitudinal samples from patients on front-line AML therapy identified dynamic clonal and immunophenotypic changes consistent with the genotype-immunophenotype relationships we identified.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 147, Issue 26
Published June 25, 2026
Pages 3209-3216
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (22)

M

Morgan Drucker

1Division of Oncology, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

D

Darren Lee

M

Michael Bowman

4Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

X

Xuan Zhang

B

Bailee N. Kain

5Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH

D

Deedra Nicolet

6The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH

R

Roopsha Bandopadhyay

4Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

V

Varsha Singh

Z

Zhe Wang

R

Richard M. Stone

8Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

C

Caner Saygin

9Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

K

Krzysztof Mrózek

6The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH

A

Andrew J. Carroll

Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham

D

Daniel T. Starczynowski

R

Ross L. Levine

J

John C. Byrd

N

Nathan Salomonis

2Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

S

Sarah J. Skuli

12University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, Cincinnati, OH

H

H. Leighton Grimes

A

Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld

6The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH

R

Robert L. Bowman

Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

L

Linde A. Miles

2Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH