Functional consequence and therapeutic targeting of cryptic ALK fusions in monosomy 7 acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients have a wide array of cytogenetic and molecular aberrations, which can influence response to therapy. Monosomy 7 is a rare subset within pediatric AML (prevalence of <2%) that is highly associated with poor outcomes. Fusions involving the anaplastic tyrosine kinase ( ALK ) gene were exclusively identified in 14.3% of this high‐risk cohort, while absent across all other AML. Given the dismal outcomes of monosomy 7, we evaluated the use of crizotinib, an FDA‐approved tyrosine kinase inhibitor, used to treat patients with ALK fusions. Our findings suggest that crizotinib may serve as a novel therapy for these patients.