Evolutionary history of transformation from chronic lymphocytic leukemia to Richter syndrome

Erin M. Parry, Ignaty Leshchiner, Romain Guièze, Connor Johnson, Eugen Tausch, Sameer A. Parikh, Camilla Lemvigh, Julien Broséus, Sébastien Hergalant, Conor Messer, Filippo Utro, Chaya Levovitz, Kahn Rhrissorrakrai, Liang Li, Daniel Rosebrock, Shanye Yin, Stephanie Deng, Kara Slowik, Raquel Jacobs, Teddy HuangShuqiang Li, Geoff Fell, Robert Redd, Ziao Lin, Binyamin A. Knisbacher, Dimitri Livitz, Christof Schneider, Neil Ruthen, Liudmila Elagina, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, Bria Persaud, Aina Martinez, Stacey M. Fernandes, Noelia Purroy, Annabelle J. Anandappa, Jialin Ma, Julian Hess, Laura Z. Rassenti, Thomas J. Kipps, Nitin Jain, William Wierda, Florence Cymbalista, Pierre Feugier, Neil E. Kay, Kenneth J. Livak, Brian P. Danysh, Chip Stewart, Donna Neuberg, Matthew S. Davids, Jennifer R. Brown, Laxmi Parida, Stephan Stilgenbauer, Gad Getz, Catherine J. Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Richter syndrome (RS) arising from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) exemplifies an aggressive malignancy that develops from an indolent neoplasm. To decipher the genetics underlying this transformation, we computationally deconvoluted admixtures of CLL and RS cells from 52 patients with RS, evaluating paired CLL–RS whole-exome sequencing data. We discovered RS-specific somatic driver mutations (including IRF2BP2, SRSF1, B2M, DNMT3A and CCND3), recurrent copy-number alterations beyond del(9p21)(CDKN2A/B), whole-genome duplication and chromothripsis, which were confirmed in 45 independent RS cases and in an external set of RS whole genomes. Through unsupervised clustering, clonally related RS was largely distinct from diffuse large B cell lymphoma. We distinguished pathways that were dysregulated in RS versus CLL, and detected clonal evolution of transformation at single-cell resolution, identifying intermediate cell states. Our study defines distinct molecular subtypes of RS and highlights cell-free DNA analysis as a potential tool for early diagnosis and monitoring.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)158-169
Number of pages12
JournalNature Medicine
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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