SLC25A1 reprograms mitochondrial and fatty acid metabolism to promote the progression of acute myeloid leukemia

Abnormal metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), contributing to leukemia initiation, progression and drug resistance. The key mitochondrial citrate transporter SLC25A1 plays an essential role in regulating cellular energy metabolism and shows to play an important role in lipid metabolism regulation. However, the role of SLC25A1 in the pathogenesis and aberrant lipid metabolism in AML remain unexplored. In this study, our analysis of public datasets and patient samples revealed that SLC25A1 expression was markedly elevated in AML and was associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of SLC25A1 significantly suppressed AML cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, without affecting cell cycle progression or differentiation. Moreover, SLC25A1 proved vital for AML tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that SLC25A1 inhibition disrupted citrate homeostasis, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced fatty acid metabolism. Notably, we developed a novel SLC25A1 inhibitor, CTPI3, which effectively inhibits the progression of AML in vivo, and synergizes with venetoclax to kill AML cells by mitochondrial and fatty acid metabolism regulation. In summary, our findings highlight that SLC25A1 plays a vital role of in maintaining AML cell survival and regulating its drug sensitivity, and further developed a more effective novel drug targeting SLC25A1, providing additional therapeutic options for venetoclax-resistant patients and highlighting SLC25A1 as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for AML.