Epigenomic diagnosis and prognosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Dr. Francisco Marchi (Alma Genomics, Inc) presents the Acute Leukemia Methylome Atlas, built from over 3,000 leukemia samples, demonstrating how long read nanopore sequencing and machine learning can predict AML subtypes and patient outcomes with remarkable accuracy.

Abstract: Despite the critical role of DNA methylation, clinical implementations harnessing its promise have not been described in acute myeloid leukemia. Utilizing DNA methylation from 3314 leukemia patient samples across 11 harmonized cohorts, we describe the Acute Leukemia Methylome Atlas, which includes robust models capable of accurately predicting AML subtypes. A genome-wide prognostic model as well as a targeted panel of 38 CpGs significantly predict five-year survival in our pediatric and adult test cohorts. To accelerate rapid clinical utility, we develop a specimen-to-result protocol that uses long-read nanopore sequencing and machine learning to characterize patients’ whole genomes and epigenomes. Clinical validation on patient samples confirms high concordance between epigenomic signatures and genomic lesions, though uniquely rare karyotypes remained challenging due to limited available training data. These results unveil the potential for increased affordability, speed, and accuracy for patients in need of complex molecular diagnosis and prognosis.

This talk was originally presented at AMP 2025, Boston.