The super-enhancer regulatory gene SH2D1A promotes the progression of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by activating CHI3L2

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive leukemia subtype and a prevalent malignancy in children, with poor prognosis, high relapse rates, and drug resistance. Recent research has shown that super-enhancer-regulated genes play crucial roles in T-ALL progression. In this study, we identified SH2 domain containing 1 A (SH2D1A) as a gene regulated by super-enhancers, and is overexpressed, which correlates with unfavorable clinical outcomes in T-ALL. To investigate its role, we silenced SH2D1A expression in T-ALL cell models using RNA interference. This led to a significant reduction in cell proliferation, colony formation, and promoted apoptosis, as demonstrated by CCK-8 assays, soft agar colony formation, and flow cytometry analysis. In vivo, knockdown of SH2D1A significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival in mice bearing T-ALL. Mechanistically, we found that SH2D1A contributes to T-ALL progression by upregulating CHI3L2, a downstream effector that promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis. Using ChIP-Seq and RNA-seq technologies, we confirmed that SH2D1A regulates CHI3L2 expression through super-enhancer-mediated regulation in T-ALL cells. Our findings suggest that SH2D1A and CHI3L2 act as oncogenes in T-ALL, and may represent novel therapeutic targets. This research offers new insights into the molecular mechanisms of T-ALL and highlights potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.