Deregulations of the expression of the S100A8 and S100A9 genes and/or proteins, as well as changes in their plasma levels or their levels of secretion in the bone marrow microenvironment, are frequently observed in acute myeloblastic leukemias (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL). These deregulations impact the prognosis of patients through various mechanisms of cellular or extracellular regulation of the viability of leukemic cells. In particular, S100A8 and S100A9 in monomeric, homodimeric, or heterodimeric forms are able to modulate the survival and the sensitivity to chemotherapy of leukemic clones through their action on the regulation of intracellular calcium, on oxidative stress, on the activation of apoptosis, and thanks to their implications, on cell death regulation by autophagy and pyroptosis. Moreover, biologic effects of S100A8/9 via both TLR4 and RAGE on hematopoietic stem cells contribute to the selection and expansion of leukemic clones by excretion of proinflammatory cytokines and/or immune regulation. Hence, the therapeutic targeting of S100A8 and S100A9 appears to be a promising way to improve treatment efficiency in acute leukemias.
Keywords: S100A8/S100A9; acute lymphoid leukemia; acute myeloid leukemia; inflammation in cancer.