MIR29B regulates expression of MLLT11 (AF1Q), an MLL fusion partner, and low MIR29B expression associates with adverse cytogenetics and poor overall survival in AML

P>MLLT11, an MLL fusion partner, is a poor prognostic biomarker for paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), adult normal cytogenetics AML, and adult myelodysplastic syndrome. MLLT11 is highly regulated during haematopoietic progenitor differentiation and development but its regulatory mechanisms have not been defined. In this study, we demonstrate by transfection experiments that MIR29B directly regulates MLLT11 expression in vitro. MIR29B expression level was also inversely related to MLLT11 expression in a cohort of 56 AML patients (P < 0 center dot 05). AML patients with low MIR29B/elevated MLLT11 expression had poor overall survival (P = 0 center dot 038). Therefore, MIR29B may be a potential prognostic biomarker for AML patients.