Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41994327›Full record

ArticleBlood neoplasia2026

Acid ceramidase inhibition enhances BCL-2 targeting in venetoclax-resistant acute myeloid leukemia.

Johnson Ung, Su-Fern Tan, Jeremy J P Shaw, Maansi Taori, Tess M Deddens, Giovana Venancio, McLane M Montgomery, James T Hagen, Raphael T Aruleba, Upendar R Golla and 13 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Blood neoplasia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Johnson UngDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Su-Fern TanDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Jeremy J P ShawDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Maansi TaoriDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Tess M DeddensDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Giovana VenancioDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
McLane M MontgomeryDepartment of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
James T HagenDepartment of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
Raphael T ArulebaDepartment of Cancer Biology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
Upendar R GollaDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
Arati SharmaPenn State Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
B Bishal PaudelDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Irene LeeDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Bhavishya RamamoorthyDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Kevin A JanesDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.
Francine Garrett-BakelmanDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Myles C CabotUniversity of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA.
Kelsey H Fisher-WellmanDepartment of Cancer Biology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
Todd E FoxDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
David F ClaxtonDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA.
Charles E ChalfantDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
David J FeithDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.
Thomas P LoughranDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA.

Funding

Women's Oncology Program - WONP30CA044579 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE · PI Dina Gould Halme · 1987 to 2026
$72.1M
Tissue Repository and Animal Models CoreP01CA171983 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI FOX, TODD E · 2013 to 2024
$19.9M
Cancer Research Training Program: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic StrategiesT32CA009109 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE · PI Andrew Carl Dudley, Melanie R Rutkowski · 1985 to 2026
$13.9M
Project 3P01CA302570 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI Thomas P. Loughran · 2025 to 2026
$7.8M
Mechanisms and In Vivo Efficacy of Synergistic Acid Ceramidase and Bcl-2 Inhibition in Acute Myeloid LeukemiaF99CA284252 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI UNG, JOHNSON · 2023 to 2024
$76k
Targeting Acid Ceramidase and Bcl-2 in Acute Myeloid LeukemiaF31CA271809 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · PI UNG, JOHNSON · 2022 to 2023
$46k
NCI NIH HHS F31 CA271809NCI NIH HHS F99 CA284252NCI NIH HHS P01 CA171983NCI NIH HHS P01 CA302570NCI NIH HHS P30 CA044579NCI NIH HHS T32 CA009109
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Resistance to combination regimens containing the B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor and BH3 mimetic venetoclax in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a growing clinical challenge for this extensively used agent. We previously established the antileukemic properties of ceramide, a tumor-suppressive sphingolipid, in AML, and demonstrated that upregulated expression of acid ceramidase (AC), a ceramide-neutralizing enzyme, supports leukemic survival and resistance to BH3 mimetics. Here, we report the antileukemic efficacy and mechanisms of cotargeting AC and BCL-2 in venetoclax-resistant AML. Analysis of the BeatAML data set revealed a positive relationship between increased AC gene expression and venetoclax resistance. Pharmacologic AC inhibition with the ceramide analog SACLAC enhanced single-agent venetoclax cytotoxicity and the venetoclax + cytarabine combination in AML cell lines with primary or acquired venetoclax resistance. SACLAC + venetoclax was synergistically lethal when evaluated ex vivo across a cohort of venetoclax-resistant (n = 21) and venetoclax-sensitive (n = 46) primary samples from patients with AML. Moreover, the SACLAC + venetoclax combination was equipotent to the combination of venetoclax + cytarabine at reducing cell viability across primary patient samples. Mechanistically, cotargeting AC and BCL-2 increased ceramide to levels that trigger a cytotoxic integrated stress response (ISR), ISR-mediated NOXA protein upregulation, mitochondrial dysregulation, and caspase-dependent cell death. Importantly, AC knockdown sensitized AML cells to venetoclax and induced NOXA protein accumulation, whereas NOXA knockdown protected against AC and BCL-2 cotargeting. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the efficacy of cotargeting AC and BCL-2, and rationalize targeting AC as a therapeutic approach for venetoclax-sensitive and -resistant AML.

Identifiers

PMID41994327
PMCPMC13080632

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.