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Ciccone R, Quintarelli C, Camera A, Pezzella M, Caruso S, Manni S, Ottaviani A, Guercio M, Del Bufalo F, Quadraccia MC, Orlando D, Di Cecca S, Sinibaldi M, Aurigemma M, Iaffaldano L, Sarcinelli A, D'Amore ML, Ceccarelli M, Nazio F, Marabitti V, Giorda E, Pezzullo M, De Stefanis C, Carai A, Rossi S, Alaggio R, Del Baldo G, Becilli M, Mastronuzzi A, De Angelis B, Locatelli F. GD2-Targeting CAR T-cell Therapy for Patients with GD2+ Medulloblastoma. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:2545-2557. [PMID: 38551501 PMCID: PMC11145172 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-1880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Medulloblastoma (MB), the most common childhood malignant brain tumor, has a poor prognosis in about 30% of patients. The current standard of care, which includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, is often responsible for cognitive, neurologic, and endocrine side effects. We investigated whether chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells directed toward the disialoganglioside GD2 can represent a potentially more effective treatment with reduced long-term side effects. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN GD2 expression was evaluated on primary tumor biopsies of MB children by flow cytometry. GD2 expression in MB cells was also evaluated in response to an EZH2 inhibitor (tazemetostat). In in vitro and in vivo models, GD2+ MB cells were targeted by a CAR-GD2.CD28.4-1BBζ (CAR.GD2)-T construct, including the suicide gene inducible caspase-9. RESULTS GD2 was expressed in 82.68% of MB tumors. The SHH and G3-G4 subtypes expressed the highest levels of GD2, whereas the WNT subtype expressed the lowest. In in vitro coculture assays, CAR.GD2 T cells were able to kill GD2+ MB cells. Pretreatment with tazemetostat upregulated GD2 expression, sensitizing GD2dimMB cells to CAR.GD2 T cells cytotoxic activity. In orthotopic mouse models of MB, intravenously injected CAR.GD2 T cells significantly controlled tumor growth, prolonging the overall survival of treated mice. Moreover, the dimerizing drug AP1903 was able to cross the murine blood-brain barrier and to eliminate both blood-circulating and tumor-infiltrating CAR.GD2 T cells. CONCLUSIONS Our experimental data indicate the potential efficacy of CAR.GD2 T-cell therapy. A phase I/II clinical trial is ongoing in our center (NCT05298995) to evaluate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of CAR.GD2 therapy in high-risk MB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselia Ciccone
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Camera
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Pezzella
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Caruso
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Manni
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Ottaviani
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marika Guercio
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Del Bufalo
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Cecilia Quadraccia
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Orlando
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Di Cecca
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Matilde Sinibaldi
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariasole Aurigemma
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Iaffaldano
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sarcinelli
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa D'Amore
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Ceccarelli
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Nazio
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Veronica Marabitti
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Ezio Giorda
- Research Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Pezzullo
- Research Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Carai
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Rossi
- Department of Laboratories, Pathology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Alaggio
- Department of Laboratories, Pathology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giada Del Baldo
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Becilli
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Biagio De Angelis
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Onco-Haematology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
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2
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Zhou H, Gui J, Zhu L, Mi Y. The Role and Mechanism of the Histone Methyltransferase G9a in Tumors: Update. Onco Targets Ther 2024; 17:449-462. [PMID: 38832355 PMCID: PMC11146345 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s451108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Methylation-mediated gene silencing is closely related to the occurrence and development of human tumors. The euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2, also known as G9a) is highly expressed in many tumors and is generally considered to be an oncogene, which is associated with the poor outcome of many tumors. Combined immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade therapy also have good efficacy and certain safety. However, there are still many difficulties in the drugs targeting G9a, and the combined effect and safety of G9a with many drugs is still under study. This article aims to summarize the role and mechanism of G9a and its inhibitors in tumors in the past two years, and to understand the application prospect of G9a from the perspective of diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangsheng Zhou
- Wuxi Medical College, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiandong Gui
- Wuxi Medical College, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lijie Zhu
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Mi
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, People’s Republic of China
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3
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Xie W, Wang J, Tian S, Zhao H, Cao L, Liang Z, Yang J, Zhao Y, Wang B, Jiang F, Ma J. RNF126-mediated ubiquitination of FSP1 affects its subcellular localization and ferroptosis. Oncogene 2024; 43:1463-1475. [PMID: 38514855 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-02949-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is a prevalent malignant brain tumor among children, which can be classified into four primary molecular subgroups. Group 3 MB (G3-MB) is known to be highly aggressive and associated with a poor prognosis, necessitating the development of novel and effective therapeutic interventions. Ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death induced by lipid peroxidation, has been identified as a natural tumor suppression mechanism in various cancers. Nevertheless, the potential role of ferroptosis in the treatment of G3-MB remains unexplored. In this study, we demonstrate that RNF126 acts as an anti-ferroptotic gene by interacting with ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1, also known as AIFM2) and ubiquitinating FSP1 at the 4KR-2 sites. Additionally, the deletion of RNF126 reduces the subcellular localization of FSP1 in the plasma membrane, resulting in an increase in the CoQ/CoQH2 ratio in G3-MB. The RNF126-FSP1-CoQ10 pathway plays a pivotal role in suppressing phospholipid peroxidation and ferroptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Clinically, RNF126 exhibited elevated expression in G3-MB and its overexpression was significantly associated with reduced patient survival. Our findings indicate that RNF126 regulates G3-MB sensitivity to ferroptosis by ubiquitinating FSP1, which provides new evidence for the potential G3-MB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanqun Xie
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuaiwei Tian
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Heng Zhao
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liangliang Cao
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuangzhuang Liang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Baocheng Wang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Shendy NAM, Bikowitz M, Sigua LH, Zhang Y, Mercier A, Khashana Y, Nance S, Liu Q, Delahunty IM, Robinson S, Goel V, Rees MG, Ronan MA, Wang T, Kocak M, Roth JA, Wang Y, Freeman BB, Orr BA, Abraham BJ, Roussel MF, Schonbrunn E, Qi J, Durbin AD. Group 3 medulloblastoma transcriptional networks collapse under domain specific EP300/CBP inhibition. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3483. [PMID: 38664416 PMCID: PMC11045757 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47102-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemical discovery efforts commonly target individual protein domains. Many proteins, including the EP300/CBP histone acetyltransferases (HATs), contain several targetable domains. EP300/CBP are critical gene-regulatory targets in cancer, with existing high potency inhibitors of either the catalytic HAT domain or protein-binding bromodomain (BRD). A domain-specific inhibitory approach to multidomain-containing proteins may identify exceptional-responding tumor types, thereby expanding a therapeutic index. Here, we discover that targeting EP300/CBP using the domain-specific inhibitors, A485 (HAT) or CCS1477 (BRD) have different effects in select tumor types. Group 3 medulloblastoma (G3MB) cells are especially sensitive to BRD, compared with HAT inhibition. Structurally, these effects are mediated by the difluorophenyl group in the catalytic core of CCS1477. Mechanistically, bromodomain inhibition causes rapid disruption of genetic dependency networks that are required for G3MB growth. These studies provide a domain-specific structural foundation for drug discovery efforts targeting EP300/CBP and identify a selective role for the EP300/CBP bromodomain in maintaining genetic dependency networks in G3MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha A M Shendy
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Melissa Bikowitz
- Drug Discovery Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Logan H Sigua
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Audrey Mercier
- Tumor Cell Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yousef Khashana
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stephanie Nance
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ian M Delahunty
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Tumor Cell Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Vanshita Goel
- Tumor Cell Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Matthew G Rees
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Tingjian Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mustafa Kocak
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Yingzhe Wang
- Preclinical Pharmacokinetics Shared Resource, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Burgess B Freeman
- Preclinical Pharmacokinetics Shared Resource, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Brent A Orr
- Department of Pathology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Brian J Abraham
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Martine F Roussel
- Tumor Cell Biology Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ernst Schonbrunn
- Drug Discovery Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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5
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Fallon I, Hernando H, Almacellas-Rabaiget O, Marti-Fuster B, Spadoni C, Bigner DD, Méndez E. Development of a high-throughput screening platform to identify new therapeutic agents for Medulloblastoma Group 3. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100147. [PMID: 38355016 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.100147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Pediatric brain tumors (PBTs) represent about 25 % of all pediatric cancers and are the most common solid tumors in children and adolescents. Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most frequently occurring malignant PBT, accounting for almost 10 % of all pediatric cancer deaths. MB Group 3 (MB G3) accounts for 25-30 % of all MB cases and has the worst outcome, particularly when associated with MYC amplification. However, no targeted treatments for this group have been developed so far. Here we describe a unique high throughput screening (HTS) platform specifically designed to identify new therapies for MB G3. The platform incorporates optimized and validated 2D and 3D efficacy and toxicity models, that account for tumor heterogenicity, limited efficacy and unacceptable toxicity from the very early stage of drug discovery. The platform has been validated by conducting a pilot HTS campaign with a 1280 lead-like compound library. Results showed 8 active compounds, targeting MB reported targets and several are currently approved or in clinical trials for pediatric patients with PBTs, including MB. Moreover, hits were combined to avoid tumor resistance, identifying 3 synergistic pairs, one of which is currently under clinical study for recurrent MB and other PBTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Fallon
- Oncoheroes Biosciences S.L., Barcelona, Spain; Grup d'Enginyeria de Materials, Institut Químic de Sarrià, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, 08017, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Darell D Bigner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eva Méndez
- Oncoheroes Biosciences S.L., Barcelona, Spain.
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6
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Thompson EM, Kang KD, Stevenson K, Zhang H, Gromeier M, Ashley D, Brown M, Friedman GK. Elucidating cellular response to treatment with viral immunotherapies in pediatric high-grade glioma and medulloblastoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 40:101875. [PMID: 38183802 PMCID: PMC10809117 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
HSV G207, a double-stranded, DNA virus, and the polio:rhinovirus chimera, PVSRIPO, a single positive-strand RNA virus, are viral immunotherapies being used to treat pediatric malignant brain tumors in clinical trials. The purpose of this work is to elucidate general response patterns and putative biomarkers of response. Multiple pediatric high-grade glioma and medulloblastoma cell lines were treated with various multiplicities of infection of G207 or PVSRIPO. There was a significant inverse correlation between expression of one HSV cellular receptor, CD111, and the lethal dose of 50% of cells (LD50) of cells treated with G207 (r = -0.985, P<0.001) but no correlation between PVSRIPO cellular receptor expression (CD155) and LD50. RNA sequencing of control cells and cells treated for 8 and 24 h revealed that there were few shared differentially expressed (DE) genes between cells treated with PVSRIPO and G207: GCLM, LANCL2, and RBM3 were enriched whilst ADAMTS1 and VEGFA were depleted. Likewise, there were few shared DE genes enriched between medulloblastoma and high-grade glioma cell lines treated with G207: GPSM2, CHECK2, SEPTIN2, EIF4G2, GCLM, GDAP1, LANCL2, and PWP1. Treatment with G207 and PVSRIPO appear to cause disparate gene enrichment and depletion suggesting disparate molecular mechanisms in malignant pediatric brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Thompson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Kyung-Don Kang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kevin Stevenson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hengshan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - David Ashley
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael Brown
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gregory K Friedman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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7
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Zeuner S, Vollmer J, Sigaud R, Oppermann S, Peterziel H, ElHarouni D, Oehme I, Witt O, Milde T, Ecker J. Combination drug screen identifies synergistic drug interaction of BCL-XL and class I histone deacetylase inhibitors in MYC-amplified medulloblastoma cells. J Neurooncol 2024; 166:99-112. [PMID: 38184819 PMCID: PMC10824805 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04526-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Patients with MYC-amplified Group 3 medulloblastoma (MB) (subtype II) show poor progression-free survival rates. Class I histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are highly effective for the treatment of MYC-amplified MB in vitro and in vivo. Drug combination regimens including class I HDACi may represent an urgently needed novel treatment approach for this high risk disease. METHODS A medium-throughput in vitro combination drug screen was performed in three MYC-amplified and one non-MYC-amplified MB cell line testing 75 clinically relevant drugs alone and in combination with entinostat. The drug sensitivity score (DSS) was calculated based on metabolic inhibition quantified by CellTiter-Glo. The six top synergistic combination hits were evaluated in a 5 × 5 combination matrix and a seven-ray design. Synergy was validated and characterized by cell counts, caspase-3-like-activity and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase-(PARP)-cleavage. On-target activity of drugs was validated by immunoprecipitation and western blot. BCL-XL dependency of the observed effect was explored with siRNA mediated knockdown of BCL2L1, and selective inhibition with targeted compounds (A-1331852, A-1155463). RESULTS 20/75 drugs effectively reduced metabolic activity in combination with entinostat in all three MYC-amplified cell lines (DSS ≥ 10). The combination entinostat and navitoclax showed the strongest synergistic interaction across all MYC-amplified cell lines. siRNA mediated knockdown of BCL2L1, as well as targeted inhibition with selective inhibitors showed BCL-XL dependency of the observed effect. Increased cell death was associated with increased caspase-3-like-activity. CONCLUSION Our study identifies the combination of class I HDACi and BCL-XL inhibitors as a potential new approach for the treatment of MYC-amplified MB cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Zeuner
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johanna Vollmer
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Romain Sigaud
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sina Oppermann
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Heike Peterziel
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dina ElHarouni
- Department of Bioinformatics and Omics Data Analytics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ina Oehme
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olaf Witt
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Till Milde
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Ecker
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), NCT Heidelberg, a partnership between DKFZ and Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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8
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Wolin AR, Vincent MY, Hotz T, Purdy SC, Rosenbaum SR, Hughes CJ, Hsu JY, Oliphant MUJ, Armstrong B, Wessells V, Varella-Garcia M, Galbraith MD, Pierce A, Wang D, Venkataraman S, Danis E, Veo B, Serkova N, Espinosa JM, Gustafson DL, Vibhakar R, Ford HL. EYA2 tyrosine phosphatase inhibition reduces MYC and prevents medulloblastoma progression. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:2287-2301. [PMID: 37486991 PMCID: PMC10708924 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric brain malignancy. Patients with the Group 3 subtype of medulloblastoma (MB) often exhibit MYC amplification and/or overexpression and have the poorest prognosis. While Group 3 MB is known to be highly dependent on MYC, direct targeting of MYC remains elusive. METHODS Patient gene expression data were used to identify highly expressed EYA2 in Group 3 MB samples, assess the correlation between EYA2 and MYC, and examine patient survival. Genetic and pharmacological studies were performed on EYA2 in Group 3 derived MB cell models to assess MYC regulation and viability in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS EYA2 is more highly expressed in Group 3 MB than other MB subgroups and is essential for Group 3 MB growth in vitro and in vivo. EYA2 regulates MYC expression and protein stability in Group 3 MB, resulting in global alterations of MYC transcription. Inhibition of EYA2 tyrosine phosphatase activity, using a novel small molecule inhibitor (NCGC00249987, or 9987), significantly decreases Group 3 MB MYC expression in both flank and intracranial growth in vivo. Human MB RNA-seq data show that EYA2 and MYC are significantly positively correlated, high EYA2 expression is significantly associated with a MYC transcriptional signature, and patients with high EYA2 and MYC expression have worse prognoses than those that do not express both genes at high levels. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that EYA2 is a critical regulator of MYC in Group 3 MB and suggest a novel therapeutic avenue to target this highly lethal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur R Wolin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Melanie Y Vincent
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Taylor Hotz
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Stephen C Purdy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Sheera R Rosenbaum
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Connor J Hughes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jessica Y Hsu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael U J Oliphant
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Integrated Physiology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Brock Armstrong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Veronica Wessells
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Marileila Varella-Garcia
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Matthew D Galbraith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Angela Pierce
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Sujatha Venkataraman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Etienne Danis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Bethany Veo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Natalie Serkova
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Joaquin M Espinosa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Daniel L Gustafson
- Clinical Sciences Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Rajeev Vibhakar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Heide L Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (AMC), Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Integrated Physiology Graduate Program, University of Colorado AMC, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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9
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Chapman OS, Luebeck J, Sridhar S, Wong ITL, Dixit D, Wang S, Prasad G, Rajkumar U, Pagadala MS, Larson JD, He BJ, Hung KL, Lange JT, Dehkordi SR, Chandran S, Adam M, Morgan L, Wani S, Tiwari A, Guccione C, Lin Y, Dutta A, Lo YY, Juarez E, Robinson JT, Korshunov A, Michaels JEA, Cho YJ, Malicki DM, Coufal NG, Levy ML, Hobbs C, Scheuermann RH, Crawford JR, Pomeroy SL, Rich JN, Zhang X, Chang HY, Dixon JR, Bagchi A, Deshpande AJ, Carter H, Fraenkel E, Mischel PS, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Bafna V, Mesirov JP, Chavez L. Circular extrachromosomal DNA promotes tumor heterogeneity in high-risk medulloblastoma. Nat Genet 2023; 55:2189-2199. [PMID: 37945900 PMCID: PMC10703696 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01551-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Circular extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in patient tumors is an important driver of oncogenic gene expression, evolution of drug resistance and poor patient outcomes. Applying computational methods for the detection and reconstruction of ecDNA across a retrospective cohort of 481 medulloblastoma tumors from 465 patients, we identify circular ecDNA in 82 patients (18%). Patients with ecDNA-positive medulloblastoma were more than twice as likely to relapse and three times as likely to die within 5 years of diagnosis. A subset of tumors harbored multiple ecDNA lineages, each containing distinct amplified oncogenes. Multimodal sequencing, imaging and CRISPR inhibition experiments in medulloblastoma models reveal intratumoral heterogeneity of ecDNA copy number per cell and frequent putative 'enhancer rewiring' events on ecDNA. This study reveals the frequency and diversity of ecDNA in medulloblastoma, stratified into molecular subgroups, and suggests copy number heterogeneity and enhancer rewiring as oncogenic features of ecDNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen S Chapman
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jens Luebeck
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sunita Sridhar
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ivy Tsz-Lo Wong
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Deobrat Dixit
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shanqing Wang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gino Prasad
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Utkrisht Rajkumar
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Meghana S Pagadala
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jon D Larson
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Britney Jiayu He
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - King L Hung
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Lange
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Siavash R Dehkordi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Miriam Adam
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ling Morgan
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sameena Wani
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ashutosh Tiwari
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Caitlin Guccione
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yingxi Lin
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Aditi Dutta
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yan Yuen Lo
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, Rady Children's Hospital and Healthcare Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Edwin Juarez
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - James T Robinson
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrey Korshunov
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuropathology (B300), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - John-Edward A Michaels
- Papé Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics and Knight Cancer Insitute, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Yoon-Jae Cho
- Papé Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics and Knight Cancer Insitute, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Denise M Malicki
- Division of Pathology, UC San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Nicole G Coufal
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael L Levy
- Division of Pathology, UC San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Charlotte Hobbs
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, Rady Children's Hospital and Healthcare Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Richard H Scheuermann
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - John R Crawford
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine and Children's Hospital Orange County, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Scott L Pomeroy
- Eli and Edythe Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xinlian Zhang
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jesse R Dixon
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anindya Bagchi
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Hannah Carter
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Paul S Mischel
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robert J Wechsler-Reya
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vineet Bafna
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jill P Mesirov
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lukas Chavez
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, Rady Children's Hospital and Healthcare Center, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
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10
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Fowler MJ, Riley CO, Tomasson E, Mehta S, Grande-Allen J, Ballester L, Sandberg DI, Janssen CF, Sirianni RW. Engineering subarachnoid trabeculae with electrospun poly(caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds to study leptomeningeal metastasis in medulloblastoma. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 155:213646. [PMID: 37918168 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) occurs when cancer cells infiltrate the subarachnoid space (SAS) and metastasize to the fibrous structures that surround the brain and spinal cord. These structures include the leptomeninges (i.e., the pia mater and arachnoid mater), as well as subarachnoid trabeculae, which are collagen-rich fibers that provide mechanical structure for the SAS, support resident cells, and mediate flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although there is a strong expectation that the presence of fibers within the SAS influences LM to be a major driver of tumor progression and lethality, exactly how trabecular architecture relates to the process of metastasis in cancer is poorly understood. This lack of understanding is likely due in part to the difficulty of accessing and manipulating this tissue compartment in vivo. Here, we utilized electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) to produce structures bearing remarkable morphological similarity to native SAS fiber architecture. First, we profiled the native architecture of leptomeningeal and trabecular fibers collected from rhesus macaque monkeys, evaluating both qualitative and quantitative differences in fiber ultrastructure for various regions of the CNS. We then varied electrospinning parameters to produce a small library of PCL scaffolds possessing distinct architectures mimicking the range of fiber properties observed in vivo. For proof of concept, we studied the metastasis-related behaviors of human pediatric medulloblastoma cells cultured in different fiber microenvironments. These studies demonstrated that a more open, porous fiber structure facilitates DAOY cell spread across and infiltration into the meningeal mimic. Our results present a new tissue engineered model of the subarachnoid space and affirm the expectation that fiber architecture plays an important role in mediating metastasis-related behaviors in an in vitro model of pediatric medulloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha J Fowler
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Colin O Riley
- Department of Neurological Surgery, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Erik Tomasson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Shail Mehta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jane Grande-Allen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Leomar Ballester
- Department of Pathology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States of America
| | - David I Sandberg
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School/UTHealth and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, United States of America
| | | | - Rachael W Sirianni
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States of America; Department of Neurological Surgery, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America.
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11
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Mariotto E, Rampazzo E, Bortolozzi R, Rruga F, Zeni I, Manfreda L, Marchioro C, Canton M, Cani A, Magni R, Luchini A, Bresolin S, Viola G, Persano L. Molecular and functional profiling of chemotolerant cells unveils nucleoside metabolism-dependent vulnerabilities in medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:183. [PMID: 37978570 PMCID: PMC10655385 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01679-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance is considered one of the main causes of tumor relapse, still challenging researchers for the identification of the molecular mechanisms sustaining its emergence. Here, we setup and characterized chemotherapy-resistant models of Medulloblastoma (MB), one of the most lethal pediatric brain tumors, to uncover targetable vulnerabilities associated to their resistant phenotype. Integration of proteomic, transcriptomic and kinomic data revealed a significant deregulation of several pathways in resistant MB cells, converging to cell metabolism, RNA/protein homeostasis, and immune response, eventually impacting on patient outcome. Moreover, resistant MB cell response to a large library of compounds through a high-throughput screening (HTS), highlighted nucleoside metabolism as a relevant vulnerability of chemotolerant cells, with peculiar antimetabolites demonstrating increased efficacy against them and even synergism with conventional chemotherapeutics. Our results suggest that drug-resistant cells significantly rewire multiple cellular processes, allowing their adaptation to a chemotoxic environment, nevertheless exposing alternative actionable susceptibilities for their specific targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mariotto
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
- Unit of Biostatistics, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Loredan 18, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy.
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy.
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy.
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy.
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Largo Meneghetti 2, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Fatlum Rruga
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Ilaria Zeni
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Chiara Marchioro
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Martina Canton
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Alice Cani
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Ruben Magni
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, MSN 1A9, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA
| | - Alessandra Luchini
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, MSN 1A9, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
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12
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Qin N, Paisana E, Picard D, Leprivier G, Langini M, Custódia C, Cascão R, Conrad C, Peitzsch M, Stefanski A, Stühler K, Fischer U, Faria CC, Dietrich S, Reifenberger G, Remke M. The long non-coding RNA OTX2-AS1 promotes tumor growth and predicts response to BCL-2 inhibition in medulloblastoma. J Neurooncol 2023; 165:329-342. [PMID: 37976029 PMCID: PMC10689561 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04508-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Primary brain tumors are a leading cause of cancer-related death in children, and medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. The current molecular characterization of medulloblastoma is mainly based on protein-coding genes, while little is known about the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). This study aimed to elucidate the role of the lncRNA OTX2-AS1 in medulloblastoma. METHODS Analyses of DNA copy number alterations, methylation profiles, and gene expression data were used to characterize molecular alterations of OTX2-AS1 in medulloblastoma tissue samples. In vitro analyses of medulloblastoma cell models and orthotopic in vivo experiments were carried out for functional characterization of OTX2-AS1. High-throughput drug screening was employed to identify pharmacological inhibitors, while proteomics and metabolomics analyses were performed to address potential mechanisms of drug action. RESULTS We detected amplification and consecutive overexpression of OTX2 and OTX2-AS1 in a subset of medulloblastomas. In addition, OTX2-AS1 promoter methylation was linked to OTX2-AS1 expression. OTX2-AS1 knockout reduced medulloblastoma cell viability and cell migration in vitro and prolonged survival in the D283 orthotopic medulloblastoma mouse xenograft model. Pharmacological inhibition of BCL-2 suppressed the growth of OTX2-AS1 overexpressing medulloblastoma cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed a pro-tumorigenic role of OTX2-AS1 in medulloblastoma and identified BCL-2 inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach to target OTX2-AS1 overexpressing medulloblastoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Qin
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- High-Throughput Drug Screening Core Facility, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Mildred Scheel School of Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (MSSO ABCD), Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Eunice Paisana
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Daniel Picard
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gabriel Leprivier
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Maike Langini
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carlos Custódia
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Rita Cascão
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Catleen Conrad
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mirko Peitzsch
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anja Stefanski
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Medicine 1, Heinrich Heine University Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kai Stühler
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Medicine 1, Heinrich Heine University Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ute Fischer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia C Faria
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, 1649-028, Portugal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, EPE, Lisbon, 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Sascha Dietrich
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Guido Reifenberger
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Essen/Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marc Remke
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- High-Throughput Drug Screening Core Facility, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany
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13
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Fitzgerald MC, O'Halloran PJ, Kerrane SA, Ní Chonghaile T, Connolly NMC, Murphy BM. The identification of BCL-XL and MCL-1 as key anti-apoptotic proteins in medulloblastoma that mediate distinct roles in chemotherapy resistance. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:705. [PMID: 37898609 PMCID: PMC10613306 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06231-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant paediatric brain tumour, representing 20% of all paediatric intercranial tumours. Current aggressive treatment protocols and the use of radiation therapy in particular are associated with high levels of toxicity and significant adverse effects, and long-term sequelae can be severe. Therefore, improving chemotherapy efficacy could reduce the current reliance on radiation therapy. Here, we demonstrated that systems-level analysis of basal apoptosis protein expression and their signalling interactions can differentiate between medulloblastoma cell lines that undergo apoptosis in response to chemotherapy, and those that do not. Combining computational predictions with experimental BH3 profiling, we identified a therapeutically-exploitable dependence of medulloblastoma cells on BCL-XL, and experimentally validated that BCL-XL targeting, and not targeting of BCL-2 or MCL-1, can potentiate cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in medulloblastoma cell lines with low sensitivity to cisplatin treatment. Finally, we identified MCL-1 as an anti-apoptotic mediator whose targeting is required for BCL-XL inhibitor-induced apoptosis. Collectively, our study identifies that BCL-XL and MCL-1 are the key anti-apoptotic proteins in medulloblastoma, which mediate distinct protective roles. While BCL-XL has a first-line role in protecting cells from apoptosis basally, MCL-1 represents a second line of defence that compensates for BCL-XL upon its inhibition. We provide rationale for the further evaluation of BCL-XL and MCL-1 inhibitors in the treatment of medulloblastoma, and together with current efforts to improve the cancer-specificity of BCL-2 family inhibitors, these novel treatment strategies have the potential to improve the future clinical management of medulloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Claire Fitzgerald
- Department of Physiology & Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
- National Children's Research Centre at the Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin, D12 N512, Ireland
| | - Philip J O'Halloran
- Department of Physiology & Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sean A Kerrane
- Department of Physiology & Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
- National Children's Research Centre at the Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin, D12 N512, Ireland
| | - Triona Ní Chonghaile
- Department of Physiology & Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
| | - Niamh M C Connolly
- Department of Physiology & Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
- Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland
| | - Brona M Murphy
- Department of Physiology & Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 31A York Street, Dublin, D02 YN77, Ireland.
- National Children's Research Centre at the Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin, D12 N512, Ireland.
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14
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Pissas KP, Schilling M, Tian Y, Gründer S. Functional characterization of acid-sensing ion channels in the cerebellum-originating medulloblastoma cell line DAOY and in cerebellar granule neurons. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:1073-1087. [PMID: 37474775 PMCID: PMC10409673 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02839-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are Na+ channels that are almost ubiquitously expressed in neurons of the brain. Functional ASIC1a is also expressed in glioblastoma stem cells, where it might sense the acidic tumor microenvironment. Prolonged acidosis induces cell death in neurons and reduces tumor sphere formation in glioblastoma via activation of ASIC1a. It is currently unknown whether ASICs are expressed and involved in acid-induced cell death in other types of brain tumors. In this study, we investigated ASICs in medulloblastoma, using two established cell lines, DAOY and UW228, as in vitro models. In addition, we characterized ASICs in the most numerous neuron of the brain, the cerebellar granule cell, which shares the progenitor cell with some forms of medulloblastoma. We report compelling evidence using RT-qPCR, western blot and whole-cell patch clamp that DAOY and cerebellar granule cells, but not UW228 cells, functionally express homomeric ASIC1a. Additionally, Ca2+-imaging revealed that extracellular acidification elevated intracellular Ca2+-levels in DAOY cells independently of ASICs. Finally, we show that overexpression of RIPK3, a key component of the necroptosis pathway, renders DAOY cells susceptible to acid-induced cell death via activation of ASIC1a. Our data support the idea that ASIC1a is an important acid sensor in brain tumors and that its activation has potential to induce cell death in tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Schilling
- Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yuemin Tian
- Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Gründer
- Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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15
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Li Y, Wang H, Sun B, Su G, Cang Y, Zhao L, Zhao S, Li Y, Mao B, Ma P. Smurf1 and Smurf2 mediated polyubiquitination and degradation of RNF220 suppresses Shh-group medulloblastoma. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:494. [PMID: 37537194 PMCID: PMC10400574 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06025-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh)-group medulloblastoma (MB) (Shh-MB) encompasses a clinically and molecularly distinct group of cancers originating from the developing nervous system with aberrant high Shh signaling as a causative driver. We recently reported that RNF220 is required for sustained high Shh signaling during Shh-MB progression; however, how high RNF220 expression is achieved in Shh-MB is still unclear. In this study, we found that the ubiquitin E3 ligases Smurf1 and Smurf2 interact with RNF220, and target it for polyubiquitination and degradation. In MB cells, knockdown or overexpression of Smurf1 or Smurf2 promotes or inhibits cell proliferation, colony formation and xenograft growth, respectively, by controlling RNF220 protein levels, and thus modulating Shh signaling. Furthermore, in clinical human MB samples, the protein levels of Smurf1 or Smurf2 were negatively correlated with those of RNF220 or GAB1, a Shh-MB marker. Overall, this study highlights the importance of the Smurf1- and Smurf2-RNF220 axes during the pathogenesis of Shh-MB and provides new therapeutic targets for Shh-MB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650203, China
| | - Huishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Laboratory of Animal Tumour Models, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guifeng Su
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Yu Cang
- Department of Urology, the Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming, 650021, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- Animal Center of Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Shuhua Zhao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, China
| | - Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
| | - Bingyu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese of Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
| | - Pengcheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
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16
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Fang H, Zhang Y, Lin C, Sun Z, Wen W, Sheng H, Lin J. Primary microcephaly gene CENPE is a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1227143. [PMID: 37593739 PMCID: PMC10427915 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1227143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the subtypes with the highest genetic heterogeneity in MB, and its current treatment strategies have unsatisfactory results and significant side effects. As a member of the centromere protein (CENP) family, centromeric protein E (CENPE) is a microtubule plus-end-directed kinetochore protein. Heterozygous mutations in CENPE can leads to primary microcephaly syndrome. It has been reported that CENPE is upregulated in MB, but its role in MB development is still unknown. Methods We downloaded the relevant RNA seq data and matched clinical information from the GEO database. Bioinformatics analysis includes differential gene expression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, nomogram analysis, ROC curve analysis, immune cell infiltration analysis, and gene function enrichment analysis. Moreover, the effects of CENPE expression on cell proliferation, cell cycle, and p53 signaling pathway of non-WNT/non-SHH MB were validated using CENPE specific siRNA in vitro experiments. Results Compared with normal tissues, CENPE was highly expressed in MB tissues and served as an independent prognostic factor for survival in non-WNT/non-SHH MB patients. The nomogram analysis and ROC curve further confirmed these findings. At the same time, immune cell infiltration analysis showed that CENPE may participate in the immune response and tumor microenvironment (TME) of non-WNT/non-SHH MB. In addition, gene enrichment analysis showed that CENPE was closely related to the cell cycle and p53 pathway in non-WNT/non-SHH MB. In vitro experimental validation showed that knockdown of CENPE inhibited cell proliferation by activating the p53 signaling pathway and blocking the cell cycle. Conclusion The expression of CENPE in non-WNT/non-SHH MB was positively correlated with poor prognosis. CENPE may affect tumor progression by regulating cell cycle, p53 pathway, and immune infiltration. Hence, CENPE is highly likely a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for non-WNT/non-SHH MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huangyi Fang
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yusong Zhang
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Jiashan, Jiaxing, China
| | | | - Zhenkai Sun
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wei Wen
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hansong Sheng
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jian Lin
- Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Diseases of Wenzhou, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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17
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Nakata S, Murai J, Okada M, Takahashi H, Findlay TH, Malebranche K, Parthasarathy A, Miyashita S, Gabdulkhaev R, Benkimoun I, Druillennec S, Chabi S, Hawkins E, Miyahara H, Tateishi K, Yamashita S, Yamada S, Saito T, On J, Watanabe J, Tsukamoto Y, Yoshimura J, Oishi M, Nakano T, Imamura M, Imai C, Yamamoto T, Takeshima H, Sasaki AT, Rodriguez FJ, Nobusawa S, Varlet P, Pouponnot C, Osuka S, Pommier Y, Kakita A, Fujii Y, Raabe EH, Eberhart CG, Natsumeda M. Epigenetic upregulation of Schlafen11 renders
WNT- and SHH-activated medulloblastomas sensitive to cisplatin. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:899-912. [PMID: 36273330 PMCID: PMC10158119 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intensive chemotherapeutic regimens with craniospinal irradiation have greatly improved survival in medulloblastoma patients. However, survival markedly differs among molecular subgroups and their biomarkers are unknown. Through unbiased screening, we found Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11), which is known to improve response to DNA damaging agents in various cancers, to be one of the top prognostic markers in medulloblastomas. Hence, we explored the expression and functions of SLFN11 in medulloblastoma. METHODS SLFN11 expression for each subgroup was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 98 medulloblastoma patient samples and by analyzing transcriptomic databases. We genetically or epigenetically modulated SLFN11 expression in medulloblastoma cell lines and determined cytotoxic response to the DNA damaging agents cisplatin and topoisomerase I inhibitor SN-38 in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS High SLFN11 expressing cases exhibited significantly longer survival than low expressing cases. SLFN11 was highly expressed in the WNT-activated subgroup and in a proportion of the SHH-activated subgroup. While WNT activation was not a direct cause of the high expression of SLFN11, a specific hypomethylation locus on the SLFN11 promoter was significantly correlated with high SLFN11 expression. Overexpression or deletion of SLFN11 made medulloblastoma cells sensitive and resistant to cisplatin and SN-38, respectively. Pharmacological upregulation of SLFN11 by the brain-penetrant histone deacetylase-inhibitor RG2833 markedly increased sensitivity to cisplatin and SN-38 in SLFN11-negative medulloblastoma cells. Intracranial xenograft studies also showed marked sensitivity to cisplatin by SLFN11-overexpression in medulloblastoma cells. CONCLUSIONS High SLFN11 expression is one factor which renders favorable outcomes in WNT-activated and a subset of SHH-activated medulloblastoma possibly through enhancing response to cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Nakata
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
| | - Masayasu Okada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Takahashi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Tyler H Findlay
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristen Malebranche
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Akhila Parthasarathy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Satoshi Miyashita
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ramil Gabdulkhaev
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ilan Benkimoun
- Department of Neuropathology, GHU Paris-Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Sabine Druillennec
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Sara Chabi
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Eleanor Hawkins
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Hiroaki Miyahara
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Kensuke Tateishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shinji Yamashita
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Shiori Yamada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Taiki Saito
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Jotaro On
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Jun Watanabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Tsukamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Junichi Yoshimura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Makoto Oishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Toshimichi Nakano
- Department of Radiology and Radiation Oncology Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Masaru Imamura
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Chihaya Imai
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Yamamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideo Takeshima
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Atsuo T Sasaki
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Fausto J Rodriguez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Center at UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Pascale Varlet
- Department of Neuropathology, GHU Paris-Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Celio Pouponnot
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Satoru Osuka
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, USA
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yukihiko Fujii
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Eric H Raabe
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles G Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Manabu Natsumeda
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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18
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Dang DD, Rosenblum JS, Shah AH, Zhuang Z, Doucet-O’Hare TT. Epigenetic Regulation in Primary CNS Tumors: An Opportunity to Bridge Old and New WHO Classifications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2511. [PMID: 37173979 PMCID: PMC10177493 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Originally approved in 1979, a specific grading classification for central nervous system (CNS) tumors was devised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in an effort to guide cancer treatment and better understand prognosis. These "blue books" have since undergone several iterations based on tumor location, advancements in histopathology, and most recently, diagnostic molecular pathology in its fifth edition. As new research methods have evolved to elucidate complex molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis, a need to update and integrate these findings into the WHO grading scheme has become apparent. Epigenetic tools represent an area of burgeoning interest that encompasses all non-Mendelian inherited genetic features affecting gene expression, including but not limited to chromatin remodeling complexes, DNA methylation, and histone regulating enzymes. The SWItch/Sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex is the largest mammalian family of chromatin remodeling proteins and is estimated to be altered in 20-25% of all human malignancies; however, the ways in which it contributes to tumorigenesis are not fully understood. We recently discovered that CNS tumors with SWI/SNF mutations have revealed an oncogenic role for endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), remnants of exogenous retroviruses that integrated into the germline and are inherited like Mendelian genes, several of which retain open reading frames for proteins whose expression putatively contributes to tumor formation. Herein, we analyzed the latest WHO classification scheme for all CNS tumors with documented SWI/SNF mutations and/or aberrant ERV expression, and we summarize this information to highlight potential research opportunities that could be integrated into the grading scheme to better delineate diagnostic criteria and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle D. Dang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jared S. Rosenblum
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashish H. Shah
- Section of Virology and Immunotherapy, Department of Neurosurgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Zhengping Zhuang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tara T. Doucet-O’Hare
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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19
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Fratini L, Dalmolin MGS, Sinigaglia M, da Silveira Perla A, de Farias CB, Brunetto AL, Brunetto AT, da Cunha Jaeger M, Roesler R. ZEB1 is a Subgroup-Specific Marker of Prognosis and Potential Drug Target in Medulloblastoma. Neuromolecular Med 2023; 25:64-74. [PMID: 35716340 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-022-08716-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant brain tumor that afflicts mostly children and adolescents and presents four distinct molecular subgroups, known as WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4. ZEB1 is a transcription factor that promotes the expression of mesenchymal markers while restraining expression of epithelial and polarity genes. Because of ZEB1 involvement in cerebellum development, here we investigated the role of ZEB1 in MB. We found increased expression of ZEB1 in MB tumor samples compared to normal cerebellar tissue. Expression was higher in the SHH subgroup when compared to all other MB molecular subgroups. High ZEB1 expression was associated with poor prognosis in Group 3 and Group 4, whereas in patients with WNT tumors poorer prognosis were related to lower ZEB1 expression. There was a moderate correlation between ZEB1 and MYC expression in Group 3 and Group 4 MB. Treatment with the immunomodulator and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor fingolimod (FTY720) reduced ZEB1 expression specifically in D283 cells, which are representative of Group 3 and Group 4 MB. These findings reveal novel subgroup-specific associations of ZEB1 expression with survival in patients with MB and suggest that ZEB1 expression can be reduced by pharmacological agents that target HDAC activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Fratini
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil.
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
| | - Matheus Gibeke Siqueira Dalmolin
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-110, Brazil
| | - Marialva Sinigaglia
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-110, Brazil
| | - Alexandre da Silveira Perla
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil
- Neurology Service, São José Hospital, Santa Casa de Misericórdia Porto Alegre Hospital Complex, Porto Alegre, RS, 90020-090, Brazil
| | - Caroline Brunetto de Farias
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-110, Brazil
| | - Algemir L Brunetto
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-110, Brazil
| | - André T Brunetto
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-110, Brazil
| | - Mariane da Cunha Jaeger
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, RS, 90620-110, Brazil
| | - Rafael Roesler
- Cancer and Neurobiology Laboratory, Experimental Research Center, Clinical Hospital (CPE-HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil.
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
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20
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Zou H, Poore B, Brown EE, Qian J, Xie B, Asimakidou E, Razskazovskiy V, Ayrapetian D, Sharma V, Xia S, Liu F, Chen A, Guan Y, Li Z, Wanggou S, Saulnier O, Ly M, Fellows-Mayle W, Xi G, Tomita T, Resnick AC, Mack SC, Raabe EH, Eberhart CG, Sun D, Stronach BE, Agnihotri S, Kohanbash G, Lu S, Herrup K, Rich JN, Gittes GK, Broniscer A, Hu Z, Li X, Pollack IF, Friedlander RM, Hainer SJ, Taylor MD, Hu B. A neurodevelopmental epigenetic programme mediated by SMARCD3-DAB1-Reelin signalling is hijacked to promote medulloblastoma metastasis. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:493-507. [PMID: 36849558 PMCID: PMC10014585 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01093-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
How abnormal neurodevelopment relates to the tumour aggressiveness of medulloblastoma (MB), the most common type of embryonal tumour, remains elusive. Here we uncover a neurodevelopmental epigenomic programme that is hijacked to induce MB metastatic dissemination. Unsupervised analyses of integrated publicly available datasets with our newly generated data reveal that SMARCD3 (also known as BAF60C) regulates Disabled 1 (DAB1)-mediated Reelin signalling in Purkinje cell migration and MB metastasis by orchestrating cis-regulatory elements at the DAB1 locus. We further identify that a core set of transcription factors, enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) and nuclear factor I X (NFIX), coordinates with the cis-regulatory elements at the SMARCD3 locus to form a chromatin hub to control SMARCD3 expression in the developing cerebellum and in metastatic MB. Increased SMARCD3 expression activates Reelin-DAB1-mediated Src kinase signalling, which results in a MB response to Src inhibition. These data deepen our understanding of how neurodevelopmental programming influences disease progression and provide a potential therapeutic option for patients with MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zou
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Changsha, China
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bradley Poore
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Emily E Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jieqi Qian
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bin Xie
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Evridiki Asimakidou
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vladislav Razskazovskiy
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Deanna Ayrapetian
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vaibhav Sharma
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shunjin Xia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Apeng Chen
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yongchang Guan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zhengwei Li
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Siyi Wanggou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Olivier Saulnier
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Ly
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy Fellows-Mayle
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Guifa Xi
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tadanori Tomita
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Adam C Resnick
- Center for Data-Driven Discovery in Biomedicine, Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen C Mack
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Eric H Raabe
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charles G Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dandan Sun
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beth E Stronach
- Office of Research, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sameer Agnihotri
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gary Kohanbash
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Songjian Lu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Karl Herrup
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George K Gittes
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alberto Broniscer
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Zhongliang Hu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xuejun Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Brain Tumor Research, Changsha, China
| | - Ian F Pollack
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert M Friedlander
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sarah J Hainer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Michael D Taylor
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Baoli Hu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- John G. Rangos Sr Research Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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21
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CD155 is a putative therapeutic target in medulloblastoma. Clin Transl Oncol 2023; 25:696-705. [PMID: 36301489 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor, consisting of four molecular subgroups (WNT, SHH, Group 3, Group 4) and 12 subtypes. Expression of the cell surface poliovirus receptor (PVR), CD155, is necessary for entry of the viral immunotherapeutic agent, PVSRIPO, a polio:rhinovirus chimera. CD155, physiologically expressed in the mononuclear phagocytic system, is widely expressed ectopically in solid tumors. The objective of this study is to elucidate CD155 expression as both a receptor for PVSRIPO and a therapeutic target in medulloblastoma. METHODS PVR mRNA expression was determined in several patient cohorts and human medulloblastoma cell lines. Patient samples were also analyzed for CD155 expression using immunohistochemistry and cell lines were analyzed using Western Blots. CD155 was blocked using a monoclonal antibody and cell viability, invasion, and migration were assessed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION PVR mRNA expression was highest in the WNT subgroup and lowest in Group 4. PVR expression in the subgroups of medulloblastoma were similar to other pediatric brain and non-brain tumors. PVR expression was largely not associated with subgroup or subtype. Neither PVR protein expression intensity nor frequency were associated with overall survival. PVR expression was elevated in Group 3 patients with metastases but there was no difference in paired primary and metastatic medulloblastoma. Blocking PVR resulted in dose-dependent cell death, decreased invasion in vitro, and modestly inhibited cell migration. CONCLUSIONS CD155 is expressed across medulloblastoma subgroups and subtypes. Blocking CD155 results in cell death and decreased cellular invasion. This study provides rationale for CD155-targeting agents including PVSRIPO and antibody-mediated blockade of CD155.
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22
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Contenti J, Bost F, Mazure NM. [Medulloblastoma: The latest major advances]. Bull Cancer 2023; 110:412-423. [PMID: 36822958 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant brain tumor that mainly affects children. It is rarely found in adults. Among the four groups of MB defined today according to molecular characteristics, group 3 is the least favorable with an overall survival rate of 50 %. Current treatments, based on surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, are not sufficiently adapted to the different characteristics of the four MB groups. However, the use of new cellular and animal models has opened new doors to interesting therapeutic avenues. In this review, we detail recent advances in MB research, with a focus on the genes and pathways that drive tumorigenesis, with particular emphasis on the animal models that have been developed to study tumor biology, as well as advances in new targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Contenti
- Université Côte d'Azur, C3M, Inserm U1065, 151, route de Saint-Antoine-de-Ginestière, BP2 3194, 06204 Nice cedex 03, France; CHU de Nice, 30, voie Romaine, 06000 Nice, France.
| | - Frédéric Bost
- Université Côte d'Azur, C3M, Inserm U1065, 151, route de Saint-Antoine-de-Ginestière, BP2 3194, 06204 Nice cedex 03, France
| | - Nathalie M Mazure
- Université Côte d'Azur, C3M, Inserm U1065, 151, route de Saint-Antoine-de-Ginestière, BP2 3194, 06204 Nice cedex 03, France.
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23
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Luo Z, Xin D, Liao Y, Berry K, Ogurek S, Zhang F, Zhang L, Zhao C, Rao R, Dong X, Li H, Yu J, Lin Y, Huang G, Xu L, Xin M, Nishinakamura R, Yu J, Kool M, Pfister SM, Roussel MF, Zhou W, Weiss WA, Andreassen P, Lu QR. Loss of phosphatase CTDNEP1 potentiates aggressive medulloblastoma by triggering MYC amplification and genomic instability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:762. [PMID: 36765089 PMCID: PMC9918503 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36400-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC-driven medulloblastomas are highly aggressive childhood brain tumors, however, the molecular and genetic events triggering MYC amplification and malignant transformation remain elusive. Here we report that mutations in CTDNEP1, a CTD nuclear-envelope-phosphatase, are the most significantly enriched recurrent alterations in MYC-driven medulloblastomas, and define high-risk subsets with poorer prognosis. Ctdnep1 ablation promotes the transformation of murine cerebellar progenitors into Myc-amplified medulloblastomas, resembling their human counterparts. CTDNEP1 deficiency stabilizes and activates MYC activity by elevating MYC serine-62 phosphorylation, and triggers chromosomal instability to induce p53 loss and Myc amplifications. Further, phosphoproteomics reveals that CTDNEP1 post-translationally modulates the activities of key regulators for chromosome segregation and mitotic checkpoint regulators including topoisomerase TOP2A and checkpoint kinase CHEK1. Co-targeting MYC and CHEK1 activities synergistically inhibits CTDNEP1-deficient MYC-amplified tumor growth and prolongs animal survival. Together, our studies demonstrate that CTDNEP1 is a tumor suppressor in highly aggressive MYC-driven medulloblastomas by controlling MYC activity and mitotic fidelity, pointing to a CTDNEP1-dependent targetable therapeutic vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaili Luo
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Dazhuan Xin
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yunfei Liao
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Kalen Berry
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Sean Ogurek
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Feng Zhang
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Liguo Zhang
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Chuntao Zhao
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Rohit Rao
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Xinran Dong
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Jianzhong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Yifeng Lin
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Guoying Huang
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Lingli Xu
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Mei Xin
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Ryuichi Nishinakamura
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Marcel Kool
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ); Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan M Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ); Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martine F Roussel
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Wenhao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital, Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
| | - William A Weiss
- Department of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Surgery, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Paul Andreassen
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Q Richard Lu
- Brain Tumor Center, Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
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24
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Grigore FN, Yang SJ, Chen CC, Koga T. Pioneering models of pediatric brain tumors. Neoplasia 2023; 36:100859. [PMID: 36599191 PMCID: PMC9823239 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2022.100859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Among children and adolescents in the United States (0 to 19 years old), brain and other central nervous system tumors are the second most common types of cancers, surpassed in incidence only by leukemias. Despite significant progress in the diagnosis and treatment modalities, brain cancer remains the leading cause of death in the pediatric population. There is an obvious unfulfilled need to streamline the therapeutic strategies and improve survival for these patients. For that purpose, preclinical models play a pivotal role. Numerous models are currently used in pediatric brain tumor research, including genetically engineered mouse models, patient-derived xenografts and cell lines, and newer models that utilize novel technologies such as genome engineering and organoids. Furthermore, extensive studies by the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) researchers and others have revealed multiomic landscapes of variable pediatric brain tumors. Combined with such integrative data, these novel technologies have enabled numerous applicable models. Genome engineering, including CRISPR/Cas9, expanded the flexibility of modeling. Models generated through genome engineering enabled studying particular genetic alterations in clean isogenic backgrounds, facilitating the dissection of functional mechanisms of those mutations in tumor biology. Organoids have been applied to study tumor-to-tumor-microenvironment interactions and to address developmental aspects of tumorigenesis, which is essential in some pediatric brain tumors. Other modalities, such as humanized mouse models, could potentially be applied to pediatric brain tumors. In addition to current valuable models, such novel models are anticipated to expedite functional tumor biology study and establish effective therapeutics for pediatric brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florina-Nicoleta Grigore
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, MMC96, Room D-429, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Serena Johanna Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, MMC96, Room D-429, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Clark C Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, MMC96, Room D-429, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Tomoyuki Koga
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, MMC96, Room D-429, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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25
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Graziani V, Garcia AR, Alcolado LS, Le Guennec A, Henriksson MA, Conte MR. Metabolic rewiring in MYC-driven medulloblastoma by BET-bromodomain inhibition. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1273. [PMID: 36690651 PMCID: PMC9870962 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27375-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumour in children. High-risk MB patients harbouring MYC amplification or overexpression exhibit a very poor prognosis. Aberrant activation of MYC markedly reprograms cell metabolism to sustain tumorigenesis, yet how metabolism is dysregulated in MYC-driven MB is not well understood. Growing evidence unveiled the potential of BET-bromodomain inhibitors (BETis) as next generation agents for treating MYC-driven MB, but whether and how BETis may affect tumour cell metabolism to exert their anticancer activities remains unknown. In this study, we explore the metabolic features characterising MYC-driven MB and examine how these are altered by BET-bromodomain inhibition. To this end, we employed an NMR-based metabolomics approach applied to the MYC-driven MB D283 and D458 cell lines before and after the treatment with the BETi OTX-015. We found that OTX-015 triggers a metabolic shift in both cell lines resulting in increased levels of myo-inositol, glycerophosphocholine, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, glycine, serine, pantothenate and phosphocholine. Moreover, we show that OTX-015 alters ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, phosphatidylinositol signalling system, glycerophospholipid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathways in both cell lines. These insights provide a metabolic characterisation of MYC-driven childhood MB cell lines, which could pave the way for the discovery of novel druggable pathways. Importantly, these findings will also contribute to understand the downstream effects of BETis on MYC-driven MB, potentially aiding the development of new therapeutic strategies to combat medulloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Graziani
- Department of Microbiology and Tumor Biology, Biomedicum B7, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Aida Rodriguez Garcia
- Department of Microbiology and Tumor Biology, Biomedicum B7, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lourdes Sainero Alcolado
- Department of Microbiology and Tumor Biology, Biomedicum B7, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adrien Le Guennec
- Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Marie Arsenian Henriksson
- Department of Microbiology and Tumor Biology, Biomedicum B7, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Maria R Conte
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
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26
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Sengupta S, Senthil Kumar S, Bondra K, Sobo M, Mo X, Drissi R. Limitations of radiosensitization by direct telomerase inhibition to treat high-risk medulloblastoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1104670. [PMID: 36741010 PMCID: PMC9891285 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1104670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. Previous studies have elucidated the genomic landscape of MB leading to the recognition of four core molecular subgroups (WNT, SHH, group 3 and group 4) with distinct clinical outcomes. Group 3 has the worst prognosis of all MB. Radiotherapy (RT) remains a major component in the treatment of poor prognosis MB but is rarely curative alone and is associated with acute and long-term toxicities. A hallmark of cancer cells is their unlimited proliferative potential which correlates closely with telomere length. The vast majority of malignant tumors activate telomerase to maintain telomere length, whereas this activity is barely detectable in most normal human somatic tissues, making telomerase inhibition a rational therapeutic target in the setting of cancer recurrence and therapy resistance. We and others have previously shown that short telomeres confer sensitivity to ionizing radiation (IR) suggesting that telomerase inhibition mediated telomere shortening will improve the efficacy of RT while minimizing its side effects. Here, we investigated the efficacy of the combination of IR with IMT, a potent telomerase inhibitor, in an in vivo model of group 3 MB. Our results indicate that although IMT inhibited MB telomerase activity resulting in telomere shortening and delayed tumor growth, the combination with IR did not prevent tumor recurrence and did not improve survival compared to the treatment with IR alone. Together, these findings suggest that the radiosensitization by direct telomerase inhibition is not an effective approach to treat high-risk pediatric brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satarupa Sengupta
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Shiva Senthil Kumar
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Kathryn Bondra
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas (UT) Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Matthew Sobo
- Department of Technical and Scientific Support, Diapharma, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Xiaokui Mo
- Center for Biostatistics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Rachid Drissi
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
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27
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Jonchere B, Williams J, Zindy F, Liu J, Robinson S, Farmer DM, Min J, Yang L, Stripay JL, Wang Y, Freeman BB, Yu J, Shelat AA, Rankovic Z, Roussel MF. Combination of Ribociclib with BET-Bromodomain and PI3K/mTOR Inhibitors for Medulloblastoma Treatment In Vitro and In Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:37-51. [PMID: 36318650 PMCID: PMC9808370 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Despite improvement in the treatment of medulloblastoma over the last years, numerous patients with MYC- and MYCN-driven tumors still fail current therapies. Medulloblastomas have an intact retinoblastoma protein RB, suggesting that CDK4/6 inhibition might represent a therapeutic strategy for which drug combination remains understudied. We conducted high-throughput drug combination screens in a Group3 (G3) medulloblastoma line using the CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) ribociclib at IC20, referred to as an anchor, and 87 oncology drugs approved by FDA or in clinical trials. Bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) and PI3K/mTOR inhibitors potentiated ribociclib inhibition of proliferation in an established cell line and freshly dissociated tumor cells from intracranial xenografts of G3 and Sonic hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastomas in vitro. A reverse combination screen using the BET inhibitor JQ1 as anchor, revealed CDK4/6i as the most potentiating drugs. In vivo, ribociclib showed single-agent activity in medulloblastoma models whereas JQ1 failed to show efficacy due to high clearance and insufficient free brain concentration. Despite in vitro synergy, combination of ribociclib with the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor paxalisib did not significantly improve the survival of G3 and SHH medulloblastoma-bearing mice compared with ribociclib alone. Molecular analysis of ribociclib and paxalisib-treated tumors revealed that E2F targets and PI3K/AKT/MTORC1 signaling genes were depleted, as expected. Importantly, in one untreated G3MB model HD-MB03, the PI3K/AKT/MTORC1 gene set was enriched in vitro compared with in vivo suggesting that the pathway displayed increased activity in vitro. Our data illustrate the difficulty in translating in vitro findings in vivo. See related article in Mol Cancer Ther (2022) 21(8):1306-1317.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Jonchere
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Justin Williams
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Frederique Zindy
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jingjing Liu
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Dana M. Farmer
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jaeki Min
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jennifer L. Stripay
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Yingzhe Wang
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Preclinical PK Shared Resource, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Burgess B. Freeman
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Preclinical PK Shared Resource, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Anang A. Shelat
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Zoran Rankovic
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Martine F. Roussel
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
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Jones JK, Zhang H, Lyne AM, Cavalli FMG, Hassen WE, Stevenson K, Kornahrens R, Yang Y, Li S, Dell S, Reitman ZJ, Herndon JE, Hoj J, Pendergast AM, Thompson EM. ABL1 and ABL2 promote medulloblastoma leptomeningeal dissemination. Neurooncol Adv 2023; 5:vdad095. [PMID: 37781087 PMCID: PMC10540884 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdad095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, and leptomeningeal dissemination (LMD) of medulloblastoma both portends a poorer prognosis at diagnosis and is incurable at recurrence. The biological mechanisms underlying LMD are unclear. The Abelson (ABL) tyrosine kinase family members, ABL1 and ABL2, have been implicated in cancer cell migration, invasion, adhesion, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance, and are upstream mediators of the oncogene c-MYC in fibroblasts and lung cancer cells. However, their role in medulloblastoma has not yet been explored. The purpose of this work was to elucidate the role of ABL1/2 in medulloblastoma LMD. Methods ABL1 and ABL2 mRNA expression of patient specimens was analyzed. shRNA knockdowns of ABL1/2 and pharmacologic inhibition of ABL1/2 were used for in vitro and in vivo analyses of medulloblastoma LMD. RNA sequencing of ABL1/2 genetic knockdown versus scrambled control medulloblastoma was completed. Results ABL1/2 mRNA is highly expressed in human medulloblastoma and pharmacologic inhibition of ABL kinases resulted in cytotoxicity. Knockdown of ABL1/2 resulted in decreased adhesion of medulloblastoma cells to the extracellular matrix protein, vitronectin (P = .0013), and significantly decreased tumor burden in a mouse model of medulloblastoma LMD with improved overall survival (P = .0044). Furthermore, both pharmacologic inhibition of ABL1/2 and ABL1/2 knockdown resulted in decreased expression of c-MYC, identifying a putative signaling pathway, and genes/pathways related to oncogenesis and neurodevelopment were differentially expressed between ABL1/2 knockdown and control medulloblastoma cells. Conclusions ABL1 and ABL2 have potential roles in medulloblastoma LMD upstream of c-MYC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill K Jones
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hengshan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Lyne
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- Inserm, U900, Paris, France
- MINES ParisTech, CBI – Centre for Computational Biology, PL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Florence M G Cavalli
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- Inserm, U900, Paris, France
- MINES ParisTech, CBI – Centre for Computational Biology, PL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Wafa E Hassen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kevin Stevenson
- Duke University Molecular Physiology Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Reb Kornahrens
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yuanfan Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sean Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Case Western University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Samuel Dell
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke Cancer Institute
| | - Zachary J Reitman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James E Herndon
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jacob Hoj
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Eric M Thompson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Skouras P, Markouli M, Strepkos D, Piperi C. Advances on Epigenetic Drugs for Pediatric Brain Tumors. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1519-1535. [PMID: 36154607 PMCID: PMC10472812 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220922150456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric malignant brain tumors represent the most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths in childhood. The therapeutic scheme of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy has improved patient management, but with minimal progress in patients' prognosis. Emerging molecular targets and mechanisms have revealed novel approaches for pediatric brain tumor therapy, enabling personalized medical treatment. Advances in the field of epigenetic research and their interplay with genetic changes have enriched our knowledge of the molecular heterogeneity of these neoplasms and have revealed important genes that affect crucial signaling pathways involved in tumor progression. The great potential of epigenetic therapy lies mainly in the widespread location and the reversibility of epigenetic alterations, proposing a wide range of targeting options, including the possible combination of chemoand immunotherapy, significantly increasing their efficacy. Epigenetic drugs, including inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases, histone deacetylases and demethylases, are currently being tested in clinical trials on pediatric brain tumors. Additional novel epigenetic drugs include protein and enzyme inhibitors that modulate epigenetic modification pathways, such as Bromodomain and Extraterminal (BET) proteins, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 (CDK9), AXL, Facilitates Chromatin Transcription (FACT), BMI1, and CREB Binding Protein (CBP) inhibitors, which can be used either as standalone or in combination with current treatment approaches. In this review, we discuss recent progress on epigenetic drugs that could possibly be used against the most common malignant tumors of childhood, such as medulloblastomas, high-grade gliomas and ependymomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Skouras
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Mariam Markouli
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Strepkos
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Piperi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
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Riedel NC, de Faria FW, Alfert A, Bruder JM, Kerl K. Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Systems in Pediatric and Adult Brain Tumor Precision Medicine. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235972. [PMID: 36497454 PMCID: PMC9738956 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary brain tumors often possess a high intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity, which fosters insufficient treatment response for high-grade neoplasms, leading to a dismal prognosis. Recent years have seen the emergence of patient-specific three-dimensional in vitro models, including organoids. They can mimic primary parenteral tumors more closely in their histological, transcriptional, and mutational characteristics, thus approximating their intratumoral heterogeneity better. These models have been established for entities including glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. They have proven themselves to be reliable platforms for studying tumor generation, tumor-TME interactions, and prediction of patient-specific responses to establish treatment regimens and new personalized therapeutics. In this review, we outline current 3D cell culture models for adult and pediatric brain tumors, explore their current limitations, and summarize their applications in precision oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Riedel
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Flavia W. de Faria
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Amelie Alfert
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Jan M. Bruder
- Department for Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for molecular Biomedicine, 48148 Münster, Germany
| | - Kornelius Kerl
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-251-83-47742; Fax: +49-251-83-47828
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31
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Gu X, He M, Lebedev T, Lin CH, Hua ZY, Zheng YG, Li ZJ, Yang JY, Li XG. PRMT1 is an important factor for medulloblastoma cell proliferation and survival. Biochem Biophys Rep 2022; 32:101364. [PMID: 36237442 PMCID: PMC9550604 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) has been implicated in a number of brain tumors, but the role of PRMT1 in medulloblastoma, the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, remains unexplored. By examining the publicly available databases of pediatric brain tumor collection, we found that PRMT1 was predominantly expressed in medulloblastomas across all the pediatric brain tumors and that the high-level expression of PRMT1 correlated with poor survival of medulloblastoma patients. To determine the role of PRMT1 in medulloblastoma cells, we established an inducible knockdown system and demonstrated that PRMT1 depletion decreased medulloblastoma cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the diamidine compounds, previously shown to exhibit selective PRMT1 inhibition, suppressed medulloblastoma cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, we observed induction of medulloblastoma cell apoptosis by the potent diamidine compounds at low micromolar concentrations. Together, our results suggest that PRMT1 could be an actionable therapeutic target in medulloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Gu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Animal Models for Environmental and Metabolic Diseases, Medical Research Center, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Miao He
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
- PhD Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Timofey Lebedev
- Department of Cancer Cell Biology, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Cheng-Han Lin
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City, 406040, Taiwan
| | - Zhong-Yan Hua
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Animal Models for Environmental and Metabolic Diseases, Medical Research Center, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Y. George Zheng
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Zhi-Jie Li
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Research and Application of Animal Models for Environmental and Metabolic Diseases, Medical Research Center, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jer-Yen Yang
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City, 406040, Taiwan
| | - Xing-Guo Li
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung City, 406040, Taiwan
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32
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Schoen LF, Craveiro RB, Pietsch T, Moritz T, Troeger A, Jordans S, Dilloo D. The
PI3K
inhibitor pictilisib and the multikinase inhibitors pazopanib and sorafenib have an impact on Rac1 level and migration of medulloblastoma in vitro. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:5832-5845. [DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leonie F. Schoen
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Center for Pediatrics University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany
| | | | - Torsten Pietsch
- Department of Neuropathology University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Thomas Moritz
- Institute of Experimental Hematology Hannover Medical School Hannover Germany
| | - Anja Troeger
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation University Hospital Regensburg Regensburg Germany
| | - Silvia Jordans
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Center for Pediatrics University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany
| | - Dagmar Dilloo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Center for Pediatrics University Hospital Bonn Bonn Germany
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Hu Y, Zhu S, Xu R, Wang M, Chen F, Zhang Z, Feng B, Wang J, Chen Z, Wang J. Delta-catenin attenuates medulloblastoma cell invasion by targeting EMT pathway. Front Genet 2022; 13:867872. [PMID: 36303547 PMCID: PMC9595215 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.867872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric malignant tumor in central nervous system. Although its prognosis has been improved enormously by the combination treatments with surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, it still could progress via invasion and distant dissemination. We aimed to investigate molecular mechanisms of medulloblastoma invasion in the current work. Methods: The gene expression profile of medulloblastoma were analyzed based on the data deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and filtered according to brain specific proteins in the Uniprot. Delta-catenin was identified and further analyzed about its expression and roles in the prognosis of medulloblastoma patient. The function of delta-catenin on cell invasion and migration were investigated by transwell and wound healing assay. Whether delta-catenin participates in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulated invasion was also studied. Results: Delta-catenin expression was highly upregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues from medulloblastoma patients in five independent, nonoverlapping cohorts. Furthermore, delta-catenin expression level was upregulated in WNT subgroup, and significantly correlated with better prognosis, and associated with metastasis through GEO database analysis. Functional assays indicated that delta-catenin inhibited medulloblastoma cell invasion and migration through regulating the key factors of EMT pathway, such as E-cadherin and vimentin. Conclusion: Delta-catenin might be a positive predictor for prognosis of medulloblastoma patients, through attenuating medulloblastoma cell invasion by inhibiting EMT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sihan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rizhen Xu
- Department of Surgery, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Manxia Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Furong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zeshun Zhang
- Department of Surgery, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Binghong Feng
- Department of Pharmacology, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Wang, Zhongping Chen, Jian Wang,
| | - Zhongping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Wang, Zhongping Chen, Jian Wang,
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Wang, Zhongping Chen, Jian Wang,
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Schakelaar MY, Monnikhof M, Crnko S, Pijnappel E, Meeldijk J, Ten Broeke T, Bovenschen N. Cellular Immunotherapy for Medulloblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2022; 25:617-627. [PMID: 36219688 PMCID: PMC10076947 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children, making up ~20% of all primary pediatric brain tumors. Current therapies consist of maximal surgical resection and aggressive radio- and chemotherapy. A third of the treated patients cannot be cured and survivors are often left with devastating long-term side effects. Novel efficient and targeted treatment is desperately needed for this patient population. Cellular immunotherapy aims to enhance and utilize immune cells to target tumors, and has been proven successful in various cancers. However, for MB, the knowledge and possibilities of cellular immunotherapy are limited. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of cellular immunotherapy for MB, from fundamental in vitro research to in vivo models and (ongoing) clinical trials. In addition, we compare our findings to cellular immunotherapy in glioma, an MB-like intracranial tumor. Finally, future possibilities for MB are discussed to improve efficacy and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Y Schakelaar
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Monnikhof
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Crnko
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Pijnappel
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Meeldijk
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Toine Ten Broeke
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Niels Bovenschen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Bachelor Research Hub, Educational Center, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
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35
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Chen Z, Ioris RM, Richardson S, Van Ess AN, Vendrell I, Kessler BM, Buffa FM, Busino L, Clifford SC, Bullock AN, D'Angiolella V. Disease-associated KBTBD4 mutations in medulloblastoma elicit neomorphic ubiquitylation activity to promote CoREST degradation. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:1955-1969. [PMID: 35379950 PMCID: PMC9525703 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-022-00983-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour in children. Genomic studies have identified distinct disease subgroups: wnt/wingless (WNT), sonic hedgehog (SHH), and non-WNT/non-SHH, comprising group 3 and group 4. Alterations in WNT and SHH signalling form the pathogenetic basis for their subgroups, whereas those for non-WNT/non-SHH tumours remain largely elusive. Recent analyses have revealed recurrent in-frame insertions in the E3 ubiquitin ligase adaptor Kelch Repeat and BTB Domain Containing 4 (KBTBD4) in cases of group 3/4 medulloblastoma. Critically, group 3/4 tumours with KBTBD4 mutations typically lack other gene-specific alterations, such as MYC amplification, indicating KBTBD4 insertion mutations as the primary genetic driver. Delineating the role of KBTBD4 mutations thus offers significant opportunities to understand tumour pathogenesis and to exploit the underpinning mechanisms therapeutically. Here, we show a novel mechanism in cancer pathogenesis whereby indel mutations in KBTBD4 drive its recognition of neo-substrates for degradation. We observe that KBTBD4 mutants promote the recruitment and ubiquitylation of the REST Corepressor (CoREST), which forms a complex to modulate chromatin accessibility and transcriptional programmes. The degradation of CoREST promoted by KBTBD4 mutation diverts epigenetic programmes inducing significant alterations in transcription to promote increased stemness of cancer cells. Transcriptional analysis of >200 human group 3 and 4 medulloblastomas by RNA-seq, highlights the presence of CoREST and stem-like signatures in tumours with KBTBD4 mutations, which extend to a further sub-set of non-mutant tumours, suggesting CoREST alterations as a novel pathogenetic mechanism of wide relevance in groups 3 and 4. Our findings uncover KBTBD4 mutation as a novel driver of epigenetic reprogramming in non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma, establish a novel mode of tumorigenesis through gain-of-function mutations in ubiquitin ligases (neo-substrate recruitment) and identify both mutant KBTBD4 and CoREST complexes as new druggable targets for improved tumour-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoyao Chen
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Rafael M Ioris
- Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
| | - Stacey Richardson
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Ava N Van Ess
- Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Iolanda Vendrell
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Francesca M Buffa
- Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Luca Busino
- Department of Cancer Biology and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Steven C Clifford
- Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Alex N Bullock
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
| | - Vincenzo D'Angiolella
- Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
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36
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Yi J, Kim B, Shi X, Zhan X, Lu QR, Xuan Z, Wu J. PRC2 Heterogeneity Drives Tumor Growth in Medulloblastoma. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2874-2886. [PMID: 35731926 PMCID: PMC9388591 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-4313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intratumor epigenetic heterogeneity is emerging as a key mechanism underlying tumor evolution and drug resistance. Epigenetic abnormalities frequently occur in medulloblastoma, the most common childhood malignant brain tumor. Medulloblastoma is classified into four subtypes including SHH medulloblastoma, which is characterized by elevated sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling and a cerebellum granule neuron precursor (CGNP) cell-of-origin. Here, we report that the histone H3K27 methyltransferase polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) is often heterogeneous within individual SHH medulloblastoma tumors. In mouse models, complete deletion of the PRC2 core subunit EED inhibited medulloblastoma growth, while a mosaic deletion of EED significantly enhanced tumor growth. EED is intrinsically required for CGNP maintenance by inhibiting both neural differentiation and cell death. Complete deletion of EED led to CGNP depletion and reduced occurrence of medulloblastoma. Surprisingly, medulloblastomas with mosaic EED levels grew faster than control wild-type tumors and expressed increased levels of oncogenes such as Igf2, which is directly repressed by PRC2 and has been demonstrated to be both necessary and sufficient for SHH medulloblastoma progression. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) mediated the oncogenic effects of PRC2 heterogeneity in tumor growth. Assessing clones of a human medulloblastoma cell line with different EED levels confirmed that EEDlow cells can stimulate the growth of EEDhigh cells through paracrine IGF2 signaling. Thus, PRC2 heterogeneity plays an oncogenic role in medulloblastoma through both intrinsic growth competence and non-cell autonomous mechanisms in distinct tumor subclones. SIGNIFICANCE The identification of an oncogenic function of PRC2 heterogeneity in medulloblastoma provides insights into subclone competition and cooperation during heterogeneous tumor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqing Yi
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - BongWoo Kim
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xuanming Shi
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xiaoming Zhan
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Q. Richard Lu
- Brain Tumor Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Zhenyu Xuan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Jiang Wu
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA,Correspondence: Jiang Wu, PhD, , Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Dallas TX 75390-9040, Phone: 214-648-1824
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Deng Y, Wen H, Yang H, Zhu Z, Huang Q, Bi Y, Wang P, Zhou M, Guan J, Zhang W, Li M. Identification of PBK as a hub gene and potential therapeutic target for medulloblastoma. Oncol Rep 2022; 48:125. [PMID: 35593307 PMCID: PMC9164263 DOI: 10.3892/or.2022.8336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most frequent malignant brain tumor in pediatrics. Since the current standard of care for MB consisting of surgery, cranio-spinal irradiation and chemotherapy often leads to a high morbidity rate, a number of patients suffer from long-term sequelae following treatment. Targeted therapies hold the promise of being more effective and less toxic. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify hub genes with an upregulated expression in MB and to search for potential therapeutic targets from these genes. For this purpose, gene expression profile datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and processed using R 3.6.0 software to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between MB samples and normal brain tissues. A total of 282 upregulated and 436 downregulated DEGs were identified. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated DEGs were predominantly enriched in the cell cycle, DNA replication and cell division. The top 10 hub genes were identified from the protein-protein interaction network of upregulated genes, and one identified hub gene [PDZ binding kinase (PBK)] was selected for further investigation due to its possible role in the pathogenesis of MB. The aberrant expression of PBK in MB was verified in additional independent gene expression datasets. Survival analysis demonstrated that a higher expression level of PBK was significantly associated with poorer clinical outcomes in non-Wingless MBs. Furthermore, targeting PBK with its inhibitor, HI-TOPK-032, impaired the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of two MB cell lines, with the diminished phosphorylation of downstream effectors of PBK, including ERK1/2 and Akt, and the activation of caspase-3. Hence, these results suggest that PBK may be a potential prognostic biomarker and a novel candidate of targeted therapy for MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhao Deng
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Huantao Wen
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Hanjie Yang
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Zhengqiang Zhu
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Qiongzhen Huang
- Neurosurgery Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Yuewei Bi
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Pengfei Wang
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Ming Zhou
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Jianwei Guan
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Wangming Zhang
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
| | - Min Li
- Neurosurgery Center, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory on Brain Function Repair and Regeneration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, P.R. China
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Hatziagapiou K, Bethanis K, Koniari E, Christoforides E, Nikola O, Andreou A, Mantzou A, Chrousos GP, Kanaka-Gantenbein C, Lambrou GI. Biophysical Studies and In Vitro Effects of Tumor Cell Lines of Cannabidiol and Its Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040706. [PMID: 35456540 PMCID: PMC9027293 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytocannabinoids possess anticancer properties, as established in vitro and in vivo. However, they are characterized by high lipophilicity. To improve the properties of cannabidiol (CBD), such as solubility, stability, and bioavailability, CBD inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins (CDs) might be employed, offering targeted, faster, and prolonged CBD release. The aim of the present study is to investigate the in vitro effects of CBD and its inclusion complexes in randomly methylated β-CD (RM-β-CD) and 2-hyroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD). The enhanced solubility of CBD upon complexation with CDs was examined by phase solubility study, and the structure of the inclusion complexes of CBD in 2,6-di-O-methyl-β-CD (DM-β-CD) and 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-β-CD (TM-β-CD) was determined by X-ray crystallography. The structural investigation was complemented by molecular dynamics simulations. The cytotoxicity of CBD and its complexes with RM-β-CD and HP-β-CD was tested on two cell lines, the A172 glioblastoma and TE671 rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. Methylated β-CDs exhibited the best inclusion ability for CBD. A dose-dependent effect of CBD on both cancer cell lines and improved efficacy of the CBD–CDs complexes were verified. Thus, cannabinoids may be considered in future clinical trials beyond their palliative use as possible inhibitors of cancer growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyriaki Hatziagapiou
- Choremeio Research Laboratory, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.H.); (O.N.); (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
- Division of Endocrinology, First Department of Pediatrics, Metabolism, and Diabetes, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Health and Care Sciences, State University of West Attica, Agiou Spiridonos 28, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Kostas Bethanis
- Physics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece;
- Correspondence: (K.B.); (G.I.L.)
| | - Eleni Koniari
- UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (G.P.C.)
| | - Elias Christoforides
- Physics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Olti Nikola
- Choremeio Research Laboratory, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.H.); (O.N.); (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
| | - Athena Andreou
- Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Aimilia Mantzou
- Choremeio Research Laboratory, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.H.); (O.N.); (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
- Division of Endocrinology, First Department of Pediatrics, Metabolism, and Diabetes, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George P. Chrousos
- UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (E.K.); (G.P.C.)
| | - Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein
- Choremeio Research Laboratory, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.H.); (O.N.); (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
- Division of Endocrinology, First Department of Pediatrics, Metabolism, and Diabetes, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George I. Lambrou
- Choremeio Research Laboratory, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon & Levadeias 8, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.H.); (O.N.); (A.M.); (C.K.-G.)
- Correspondence: (K.B.); (G.I.L.)
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Gabriel NN, Balaji K, Jayachandran K, Inkman M, Zhang J, Dahiya S, Goldstein M. Loss of H3K27 trimethylation promotes radiotherapy resistance in medulloblastoma and induces an actionable vulnerability to BET inhibition. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2019-2030. [PMID: 35315927 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma has been categorized into four subgroups based on genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptional profiling. Radiation is used for treating medulloblastoma regardless of the subgroup. A better understanding of the molecular pathways determining radiotherapy response could help improve medulloblastoma treatment. Here, we investigated the role of the EZH2-dependent histone H3K27 trimethylation in radiotherapy response in medulloblastoma. The tumors in 47.2% of group 3 and 4 medulloblastoma patients displayed H3K27me3 deficiency. Loss of H3K27me3 was associated with a radioresistant phenotype, high relapse rates, and poor overall survival. In H3K27me3-deficient medulloblastoma cells, an epigenetic switch from H3K27me3 to H3K27ac occurred at specific genomic loci, altering the transcriptional profile. The resulting upregulation of EPHA2 stimulated excessive activation of the pro-survival AKT signaling pathway, leading to radiotherapy resistance. BET inhibition overcame radiation resistance in H3K27me3-deficient medulloblastoma cells by suppressing H3K27ac levels, blunting EPHA2 overexpression, and mitigating excessive AKT signaling. Additionally, BET inhibition sensitized medulloblastoma cells to radiation by enhancing the apoptotic response through suppression of Bcl-xL and upregulation of Bim. This work demonstrates a novel mechanism of radiation resistance in medulloblastoma and identifies an epigenetic marker predictive of radiotherapy response. Based on these findings, we propose an epigenetically guided treatment approach targeting radiotherapy resistance in medulloblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishanth N Gabriel
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kumaresh Balaji
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kay Jayachandran
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Matthew Inkman
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jin Zhang
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
| | - Sonika Dahiya
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Michael Goldstein
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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40
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Ljungblad L, Bergqvist F, Tümmler C, Madawala S, Olsen TK, Andonova T, Jakobsson PJ, Johnsen JI, Pickova J, Strandvik B, Kogner P, Gleissman H, Wickström M. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease CRYAB, production of oncogenic prostaglandin E 2 and suppress tumor growth in medulloblastoma. Life Sci 2022; 295:120394. [PMID: 35157910 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common malignant central nervous system tumors of childhood. Despite intensive treatments that often leads to severe neurological sequelae, the risk for resistant relapses remains significant. In this study we have evaluated the effects of the ω3-long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-LCPUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on MB cell lines and in a MB xenograft model. MAIN METHODS Effects of ω3-LCPUFA treatment of MB cells were assessed using the following: WST-1 assay, cell death probes, clonogenic assay, ELISA and western blot. MB cells were implanted into nude mice and the mice were randomized to DHA, or a combination of DHA and EPA treatment, or to control group. Treatment effects in tumor tissues were evaluated with: LC-MS/MS, RNA-sequencing and immunohistochemistry, and tumors, erythrocytes and brain tissues were analyzed with gas chromatography. KEY FINDINGS ω3-LCPUFA decreased prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion from MB cells, and impaired MB cell viability and colony forming ability and increased apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. DHA reduced tumor growth in vivo, and both PGE2 and prostacyclin were significantly decreased in tumor tissue from treated mice compared to control animals. All ω3-LCPUFA and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid increased in tumors from treated mice. RNA-sequencing revealed 10 downregulated genes in common among ω3-LCPUFA treated tumors. CRYAB was the most significantly altered gene and the downregulation was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings suggest that addition of DHA and EPA to the standard MB treatment regimen might be a novel approach to target inflammation in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Ljungblad
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Filip Bergqvist
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Conny Tümmler
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Samanthi Madawala
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thale Kristin Olsen
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Teodora Andonova
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per-Johan Jakobsson
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Inge Johnsen
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jana Pickova
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Birgitta Strandvik
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition Karolinska Institutet, NEO, Flemingsberg, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Kogner
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Pediatric Oncology, Astrid Lindgrens Childrens Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helena Gleissman
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Wickström
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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G9a/EHMT2 is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker and Molecular Target in SHH Medulloblastoma. Neuromolecular Med 2022; 24:392-398. [PMID: 35113321 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-022-08702-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Changes in epigenetic programming are associated with cancer development during childhood. Components of the epigenetic machinery involved in normal embryonic development and hijacked by pediatric cancers include enzymes mediating post-translational modifications of DNA and histones that regulate chromatin structure, such as histone methyltransferases (HMTs). Overexpression of the HMT G9a (euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase 2, EHMT2) has been described in several cancer types. Medulloblastoma (MB), the main type of malignant brain tumor afflicting children, is currently classified into four molecular subgroups. Here, we show that expression level of the G9a/Ehmt2 gene is higher in MB tumors belonging to the SHH, Group 3, and Group 4 subgroups, compared to Wnt tumors. Remarkably, high G9a expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival in MB patients. We also present evidence that G9a inhibition dose-dependently reduces MB cell viability. Our findings suggest that higher transcription of G9a may be a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with SHH MB, and that inhibiting G9a activity can display antitumor effects in MB.
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The Current Landscape of Targeted Clinical Trials in Non-WNT/Non-SHH Medulloblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030679. [PMID: 35158947 PMCID: PMC8833659 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Medulloblastoma is a form of malignant brain tumor that arises predominantly in infants and young children and can be divided into different groups based on molecular markers. The group of non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma includes a spectrum of heterogeneous subgroups that differ in their biological characteristics, genetic underpinnings, and clinical course of disease. Non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma is currently treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy; however, new drugs are needed to treat patients who are not yet curable and to reduce treatment-related toxicity and side effects. We here review which new treatment options for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma are currently clinically tested. Furthermore, we illustrate the challenges that have to be overcome to reach a new therapeutic standard for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma, for instance the current lack of good preclinical models, and the necessity to conduct trials in a comparably small patient collective. Abstract Medulloblastoma is an embryonal pediatric brain tumor and can be divided into at least four molecularly defined groups. The category non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma summarizes medulloblastoma groups 3 and 4 and is characterized by considerable genetic and clinical heterogeneity. New therapeutic strategies are needed to increase survival rates and to reduce treatment-related toxicity. We performed a noncomprehensive targeted review of the current clinical trial landscape and literature to summarize innovative treatment options for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma. A multitude of new drugs is currently evaluated in trials for which non-WNT/non-SHH patients are eligible, for instance immunotherapy, kinase inhibitors, and drugs targeting the epigenome. However, the majority of these trials is not restricted to medulloblastoma and lacks molecular classification. Whereas many new molecular targets have been identified in the last decade, which are currently tested in clinical trials, several challenges remain on the way to reach a new therapeutic strategy for non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma. These include the severe lack of faithful preclinical models and predictive biomarkers, the question on how to stratify patients for clinical trials, and the relative lack of studies that recruit large, homogeneous patient collectives. Innovative trial designs and international collaboration will be a key to eventually overcome these obstacles.
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Li Y, Yang C, Wang H, Zhao L, Kong Q, Cang Y, Zhao S, Lv L, Li Y, Mao B, Ma P. Sequential stabilization of RNF220 by RLIM and ZC4H2 during cerebellum development and Shh-group medulloblastoma progression. J Mol Cell Biol 2022; 14:6510822. [PMID: 35040952 PMCID: PMC8982406 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is essential for the proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (CGNPs), and its misregulation is linked to various disorders, including cerebellar cancer medulloblastoma (MB). During vertebrate neural development, RNF220, a ubiquitin E3 ligase, is involved in spinal cord patterning by modulating the subcellular location of glioma-associated oncogene homologs (Glis) through ubiquitination. RNF220 is also required for full activation of Shh signaling during cerebellum development in an epigenetic manner through targeting embryonic ectoderm development. ZC4H2 was reported to be involved in spinal cord patterning by acting as an RNF220 stabilizer. Here, we provided evidence to show that ZC4H2 is also required for full activation of Shh signaling in CGNP and MB progression by stabilizing RNF220. In addition, we found that the ubiquitin E3 ligase RING finger LIM domain-binding protein (RLIM) is responsible for ZC4H2 stabilization via direct ubiquitination, through which RNF220 is also thus stabilized. RLIM is a direct target of Shh signaling and is also required for full activation of Shh signaling in CGNP and MB cell proliferation. We further provided clinical evidence to show that the RLIM‒ZC4H2‒RNF220 cascade is involved in Shh-group MB progression. Disease-causative human RLIM and ZC4H2 mutations affect their interaction and regulation. Therefore, our study sheds light on the regulation of Shh signaling during cerebellar development and MB progression and provides insights into neural disorders caused by RLIM or ZC4H2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650203, China
| | - Chencheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650203, China
| | - Huishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650203, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- Experimental Animal Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Qinghua Kong
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yu Cang
- Department of Urology, the Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming 650021, China
| | - Shuhua Zhao
- First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Longbao Lv
- Experimental Animal Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yan Li
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Bingyu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Pengcheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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Westhoff MA, Schuler-Ortoli M, Zerrinius D, Hadzalic A, Schuster A, Strobel H, Scheuerle A, Wong T, Wirtz CR, Debatin KM, Peraud A. Bcl-XL but Not Bcl-2 Is a Potential Target in Medulloblastoma Therapy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15010091. [PMID: 35056150 PMCID: PMC8779796 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common solid tumour in children and, despite current treatment with a rather aggressive combination therapy, accounts for 10% of all deaths associated with paediatric cancer. Breaking the tumour cells’ intrinsic resistance to therapy-induced cell death should lead to less aggressive and more effective treatment options. In other tumour entities, this has been achieved by modulating the balance between the various pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family with small molecule inhibitors. To evaluate the therapeutic benefits of ABT-199 (Venetoclax), a Bcl-2 inhibitor, and ABT-263 (Navitoclax), a dual Bcl-XL/Bcl-2 inhibitor, increasingly more relevant model systems were investigated. Starting from established MB cell lines, progressing to primary patient-derived material and finally an experimental tumour system imbedded in an organic environment were chosen. Assessment of the metabolic activity (a surrogate readout for population viability), the induction of DNA fragmentation (apoptosis) and changes in cell number (the combined effect of alterations in proliferation and cell death induction) revealed that ABT-263, but not ABT-199, is a promising candidate for combination therapy, synergizing with cell death-inducing stimuli. Interestingly, in the experimental tumour setting, the sensitizing effect of ABT-263 seems to be predominantly mediated via an anti-proliferative and not a pro-apoptotic effect, opening a future line of investigation. Our data show that modulation of specific members of the Bcl-2 family might be a promising therapeutic addition for the treatment of MB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike-Andrew Westhoff
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (A.S.); (H.S.); (T.W.); (K.-M.D.)
- Correspondence: (M.-A.W.); (A.P.); Tel.: +49-731-500-57495 (M.-A.W.); +49-731-500-55001 (A.P.)
| | - Marie Schuler-Ortoli
- Section Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Ulm University Hospital, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.S.-O.); (D.Z.); (A.H.)
| | - Daniela Zerrinius
- Section Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Ulm University Hospital, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.S.-O.); (D.Z.); (A.H.)
| | - Amina Hadzalic
- Section Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Ulm University Hospital, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.S.-O.); (D.Z.); (A.H.)
| | - Andrea Schuster
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (A.S.); (H.S.); (T.W.); (K.-M.D.)
| | - Hannah Strobel
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (A.S.); (H.S.); (T.W.); (K.-M.D.)
| | | | - Tiana Wong
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (A.S.); (H.S.); (T.W.); (K.-M.D.)
- Section Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Ulm University Hospital, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.S.-O.); (D.Z.); (A.H.)
| | | | - Klaus-Michael Debatin
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (A.S.); (H.S.); (T.W.); (K.-M.D.)
| | - Aurelia Peraud
- Section Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Ulm University Hospital, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.S.-O.); (D.Z.); (A.H.)
- Correspondence: (M.-A.W.); (A.P.); Tel.: +49-731-500-57495 (M.-A.W.); +49-731-500-55001 (A.P.)
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Pagnuzzi-Boncompagni M, Picco V, Vial V, Planas-Bielsa V, Vandenberghe A, Daubon T, Derieppe MA, Montemagno C, Durivault J, Grépin R, Martial S, Doyen J, Gavard J, Pagès G. Antiangiogenic Compound Axitinib Demonstrates Low Toxicity and Antitumoral Effects against Medulloblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010070. [PMID: 35008234 PMCID: PMC8750527 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Medulloblastoma is the most frequent pediatric brain cancer. Despite great improvements in the treatment of this disease over the last decades, survivors are subject to debilitating adverse effects that strongly impair their quality of life. There is an urgent need to find efficient anticancer therapies with fewer toxic effects. In this study, we suggest that an FDA- and EMA-approved antiangiogenic compound named axitinib may display effective antitumoral effects and low toxicity towards children as compared to a reference treatment currently used in clinical protocols. We also show that this compound can enter the brain compartment and exert antitumoral effects in vivo. Our study paves the way towards a clinical trial of repurposing axitinib to a pediatric brain cancer indication. Abstract Background: Despite the improvement of medulloblastoma (MB) treatments, survivors face severe long-term adverse effects and associated morbidity following multimodal treatments. Moreover, relapses are fatal within a few months. Therefore, chemotherapies inducing fewer adverse effects and/or improving survival at relapse are key for MB patients. Our purpose was to evaluate the last-generation antiangiogenic drugs for their relevance in the therapeutic arsenal of MB. Methods: We screened three EMA- and FDA-approved antiangiogenic compounds (axitinib, cabozantinib and sunitinib) for their ability to reduce cell viability of five MB cell lines and their low toxicity towards two normal cell lines in vitro. Based on this screening, single-agent and combination therapies were designed for in vivo validation. Results: Axitinib, cabozantinib and sunitinib decreased viability of all the tested tumor cells. Although sunitinib was the most efficient in tumor cells, it also impacted normal cells. Therefore, axitinib showed the highest selectivity index for MB cells as compared to normal cells. The compound did not lead to acute toxicity in juvenile rats and crossed the blood–brain barrier. Moreover, axitinib efficiently reduced the growth rate of experimental brain tumors. Analysis of public databases showed that high expression of axitinib targets correlates with poor prognosis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that axitinib is a compelling candidate for MB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Pagnuzzi-Boncompagni
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
| | - Vincent Picco
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
- Correspondence: (V.P.); (G.P.); Tel.: +377-97-77-44-15 (V.P.); +33-4-92-03-12-39 (G.P.)
| | - Valérie Vial
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
| | | | - Ashaina Vandenberghe
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
| | - Thomas Daubon
- Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires (IBGC), CNRS, University of Bordeaux, UMR 5095, 33000 Bordeaux, France;
| | - Marie-Alix Derieppe
- Animalerie Mutualisée, Service Commun des Animaleries, University of Bordeaux, 33600 Pessac, France;
| | - Christopher Montemagno
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
| | - Jérôme Durivault
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
| | - Renaud Grépin
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
| | - Sonia Martial
- Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), University Nice Cote d’Azur, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, 06189 Nice, France;
| | - Jérôme Doyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Centre Antoine-Lacassagne, University of Côte d’Azur, Fédération Claude Lalanne, 06189 Nice, France;
| | - Julie Gavard
- Team SOAP, CRCINA, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Nantes, 44000 Nantes, France;
- Integrated Center of Oncology, 44800 St. Herblain, France
| | - Gilles Pagès
- Biomedical Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Monaco; (M.P.-B.); (V.V.); (A.V.); (C.M.); (J.D.); (R.G.)
- Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), University Nice Cote d’Azur, CNRS UMR 7284, INSERM U1081, 06189 Nice, France;
- Correspondence: (V.P.); (G.P.); Tel.: +377-97-77-44-15 (V.P.); +33-4-92-03-12-39 (G.P.)
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YAP1 Is a Potential Predictive Molecular Biomarker for Response to SMO Inhibitor in Medulloblastoma Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246249. [PMID: 34944872 PMCID: PMC8699675 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in childhood. Currently, MB is assigned in four molecular subgroups (SHH, WNT, Group 3, and Group 4) and subtyped in 12 variants. The alpha subtype of the SHH subgroup bears TP53 mutation and is considered very high risk by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the current study, we have investigated the role of YAP1 expression in SHH MBs. Herein, we show: (1) SHH MB patients genotypically profiled as resistant to SMOi and the aggressive alpha subtype overexpress YAP1; (2) SHH-like cell lines bearing TP53 mutation show improved responsiveness to SMOi upon YAP1 depletion; (3) Sonidegib (smoothened inhibitor) and Verteporfin (YAP1 inhibitor) synergize at specific doses; (4) distinct cell populations in the single-cell RNA-seq patient setting express YAP1 and SMO. Abstract Advances in genomics have led to the identification of twelve relevant molecular subtypes within medulloblastoma (MB). The alpha subtype of Sonic hedgehog-driven MB is resistant to therapy (including smoothened inhibitors) due to activation of genes from the non-canonical SHH pathway, such as MYCN, YAP1, or TP53. Using retrospective cohort microarray data, we found that YAP1 is overexpressed in SHH alpha MB and patients profiled as resistant to SMO inhibitors compared to good responders. Here, we performed YAP1 depletion via CRISPR/Cas9 in two in vitro models of SHH-like MB cells and found that this protein is involved in responsiveness to the SMO inhibitor regarding proliferation, apoptosis, and colony formation. Further, considering the synergic combination of YAP1 depletion with SMO inhibition, we assessed single-cell RNA-seq data from five patients and found that SMO and YAP1 are enriched within cells of SHH MB. Importantly, our data suggest that YAP1 is not only a reliable biomarker for cellular response to SMOi but may indicate prospective testing of combination therapy using YAP1 and SMO inhibitors in preclinical models of SHH MB.
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Lukoseviciute M, Maier H, Poulou-Sidiropoulou E, Rosendahl E, Holzhauser S, Dalianis T, Kostopoulou ON. Targeting PI3K, FGFR, CDK4/6 Signaling Pathways Together With Cytostatics and Radiotherapy in Two Medulloblastoma Cell Lines. Front Oncol 2021; 11:748657. [PMID: 34631586 PMCID: PMC8497987 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.748657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Medulloblastoma (MB) is treated with surgery and chemotherapy, with or without irradiation, but unfortunately >20% of the patients are not cured, and treatment comes with serious long-term side effects, so novel treatments are urgently needed. Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR), and cyclin-D kinases (CDK) play critical roles in cancer, and especially PI3K is crucial in MB, so here targeted therapies against them were explored. Methods MB cell lines DAOY and UW228-3 were exposed to PI3K (BYL719), FGFR (JNJ-42756493), and CDK4/6 (PD-0332991) inhibitors, as single or combined treatments, and their viability, cell confluence, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity were examined. Moreover, the inhibitors were combined with cisplatin, vincristine, or irradiation. Results Single treatments with FGFR, PI3K, or CDK4/6 inhibitors decreased viability and proliferation slightly; however, when combining two inhibitors, or the inhibitors with irradiation, sensitivity was enhanced and lower doses could be used. A more complex pattern was obtained when combining the inhibitors with cisplatin and vincristine. Conclusions The data suggest that combination treatments with PI3K, FGFR, and CDK4/6 inhibitors for MB could be beneficial and their use should be pursued further. Likewise, their combination with irradiation gave positive effects, while the addition of cisplatin and vincristine resulted in more complex patterns, which need to be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrietta Maier
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Erika Rosendahl
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Holzhauser
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tina Dalianis
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Rationally designed drug delivery systems for the local treatment of resected glioblastoma. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 177:113951. [PMID: 34461201 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a particularly aggressive brain cancer associated with high recurrence and poor prognosis. The standard of care, surgical resection followed by concomitant radio- and chemotherapy, leads to low survival rates. The local delivery of active agents within the tumor resection cavity has emerged as an attractive means to initiate oncological treatment immediately post-surgery. This complementary approach bypasses the blood-brain barrier, increases the local concentration at the tumor site while reducing or avoiding systemic side effects. This review will provide a global overview on the local treatment for GBM with an emphasis on the lessons learned from past clinical trials. The main parameters to be considered to rationally design fit-of-purpose biomaterials and develop drug delivery systems for local administration in the GBM resection cavity to prevent the tumor recurrence will be described. The intracavitary local treatment of GBM should i) use materials that facilitate translation to the clinic; ii) be characterized by easy GMP effective scaling up and easy-handling application by the neurosurgeons; iii) be adaptable to fill the tumor-resected niche, mold to the resection cavity or adhere to the exposed brain parenchyma; iv) be biocompatible and possess mechanical properties compatible with the brain; v) deliver a therapeutic dose of rationally-designed or repurposed drug compound(s) into the GBM infiltrative margin. Proof of concept with high translational potential will be provided. Finally, future perspectives to facilitate the clinical translation of the local perisurgical treatment of GBM will be discussed.
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MAPK15 Controls Hedgehog Signaling in Medulloblastoma Cells by Regulating Primary Ciliogenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194903. [PMID: 34638386 PMCID: PMC8508543 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In medulloblastomas, genetic alterations resulting in over-activation and/or deregulation of proteins involved in Hedgehog (HH) signaling lead to cellular transformation, which can be prevented by inhibition of primary ciliogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of MAPK15 in HH signaling and, in turn, in HH-mediated cellular transformation. We first demonstrated, in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts, the ability of this kinase of controlling primary ciliogenesis and canonical HH signaling. Next, we took advantage of transformed human medulloblastoma cells belonging to the SHH-driven subtype, i.e., DAOY and ONS-76 cells, to ascertain the role for MAPK15 in HH-mediated cellular transformation. Specifically, medullo-spheres derived from these cells, an established in vitro model for evaluating progression and malignancy of putative tumor-initiating medulloblastoma cells, were used to demonstrate that MAPK15 regulates self-renewal of these cancer stem cell-like cells. Interestingly, by using the HH-related oncogenes SMO-M2 and GLI2-DN, we provided evidences that disruption of MAPK15 signaling inhibits oncogenic HH overactivation in a specific cilia-dependent fashion. Ultimately, we show that pharmacological inhibition of MAPK15 prevents cell proliferation of SHH-driven medulloblastoma cells, overall suggesting that oncogenic HH signaling can be counteracted by targeting the ciliary gene MAPK15, which could therefore be considered a promising target for innovative "smart" therapies in medulloblastomas.
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Masurkar SA, Deogharkar A, Bharambe HS, Shirsat NV. Downregulation of CRX, a Group 3-specific oncogenic transcription factor, inhibits TGF-β/activin signaling in medulloblastoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 568:76-82. [PMID: 34192607 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.06.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children, consists of four molecular subgroups WNT, SHH, Group 3, and Group 4. Group 3 has the worst survival rate among the four subgroups and is characterized by the expression of retina-specific genes. CRX, the master regulator of the photoreceptor differentiation, is aberrantly expressed in Group 3 medulloblastomas. CRX expression increased the proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, invasion potential, and tumorigenicity of medulloblastoma cells indicating the oncogenic role of CRX in medulloblastoma pathogenesis. CRX knockdown resulted in the downregulation of expression of several retina-specific genes like IMPG2, PDC, RCVRN. and Group 3 specific genes like GABRA5, MYC, PROM1. Thus, CRX plays a major role not only in the expression of retina-specific genes but also in defining Group 3 identity. Increased expression of several pro-apoptotic genes upon CRX knockdown suggests that CRX could protect Group 3 medulloblastoma cells from cell death. Several negative regulators of the TGF-β signaling pathway like SMAD7, PMEPA1, KLF2 were upregulated upon the CRX knockdown. Western blot analysis showed a decrease in the levels of (Phospho)-SMAD2, total levels of SMAD2, SMAD4, and an increase in the levels of SMAD7 indicating inhibition of the TGF-β signaling pathway upon CRX knockdown. Copy number variations in several genes involved in the TGF-β signaling pathway occur in a subset of Group 3 tumors. Autocrine TGF-β/activin signaling has recently been reported to be active in a subset of Group 3 medulloblastomas. CRX knockdown resulting in the inhibition of the TGF-β/activin signaling pathway demonstrates an interaction between the two Group 3 specific oncogenic pathways and suggests simultaneous targeting of both CRX and TGF-β signaling as a possible therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalaka Arun Masurkar
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Akash Deogharkar
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Harish Shrikrishna Bharambe
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Neelam Vishwanath Shirsat
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India.
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