Targeting DESI2 as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for JAK2-Mutant Leukemias

The JAK2-V617F mutation is the most common genetic alteration in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), which can progress to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML), a chemotherapy-resistant disease with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Although the JAK1/2 inhibitor Ruxolitinib is clinically approved, its efficacy is limited by toxicity to normal cells and the development of drug resistance. Here, the deSUMOylase DESI2 is identified as a novel component of the JAK2-V617F complex by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Mechanistically, DESI2 selectively binds to and stabilizes JAK2-V617F by mediating its deSUMOylation and deubiquitination at lysine 962 (K962). Importantly, DESI2 protein is specifically and highly expressed in JAK2-mutant-driven cell lines and MPN primary clinical samples, suggesting its potential role in JAK2-V617F regulation and disease progression. Genetic depletion of DESI2 suppresses both JAK2 mutant cell growth and MPN disease onset in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, through a compound screen, followed by chemical proteomics and compound optimization, WWQ-03-012 is discovered, which selectively degrades mutant JAK2, induces primary leukemia cells death, and inhibits MPN progression through targeting DESI2 enzymatic activity in vitro and in vivo. These studies provide a novel therapeutic strategy against mutated JAK2 signaling in MPN and sAML.