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Inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (ID2) regulates the expression of developmental genes and tumorigenesis in ewing sarcoma. Oncogene 2022; 41:2873-2884. [PMID: 35422476 PMCID: PMC9107507 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02310-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sarcomas are difficult to treat and the therapy, even when effective, is associated with long-term and life-threatening side effects. In addition, the treatment regimens for many sarcomas, including Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and osteosarcoma, are relatively unchanged over the past two decades, indicating a critical lack of progress. Although differentiation-based therapies are used for the treatment of some cancers, the application of this approach to sarcomas has proven challenging. Here, using a CRISPR-mediated gene knockout approach, we show that Inhibitor of DNA Binding 2 (ID2) is a critical regulator of developmental-related genes and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo in Ewing sarcoma tumors. We also identified that homoharringtonine, which is an inhibitor of protein translation and FDA-approved for the treatment of leukemia, decreases the level of the ID2 protein and significantly reduces tumor growth and prolongs mouse survival in an Ewing sarcoma xenograft model. Furthermore, in addition to targeting ID2, homoharringtonine also reduces the protein levels of ID1 and ID3, which are additional members of the ID family of proteins with well-described roles in tumorigenesis, in multiple types of cancer. Overall, these results provide insight into developmental regulation in Ewing sarcoma tumors and identify a novel, therapeutic approach to target the ID family of proteins using an FDA-approved drug.
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2
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Ramachandran B, Rajkumar T, Gopisetty G. Challenges in modeling EWS-FLI1-driven transgenic mouse model for Ewing sarcoma. Am J Transl Res 2021; 13:12181-12194. [PMID: 34956445 PMCID: PMC8661172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
EWS-FLI1 is a master regulator of Ewing sarcoma (ES) oncogenesis. Although EWS-FLI1 represents a clear therapeutic target, targeted therapeutic inhibitors are lacking. Scientific literature has indicated accumulating information pertaining to EWS-FLI1 translocation, pathogenesis, function, oncogenic partnerships, and potential clinical relevance. However, attempts to develop EWS-FLI1-driven human-like ES mouse models or in vivo systems ended up with limited success. Establishing such models as preclinical screening tools may accelerate the development of EWS-FLI1 targeted therapeutic inhibitors. This review summarizes the current scenario, which focuses on the limitations, challenges, and possible reasons for past failures in model development and also plausible interim alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Ramachandran
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute (W.I.A) No. 38, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Thangarajan Rajkumar
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute (W.I.A) No. 38, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Gopal Gopisetty
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute (W.I.A) No. 38, Sardar Patel Road, Adyar, Chennai 600036, India
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3
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Modeling cancer progression using human pluripotent stem cell-derived cells and organoids. Stem Cell Res 2020; 49:102063. [PMID: 33137568 PMCID: PMC7849931 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.102063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional cancer cell lines and animal models have been mainstays of cancer research. More recently, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and hPSC-derived organoid technologies, together with genome engineering approaches, have provided a complementary platform to model cancer progression. Here, we review the application of these technologies in cancer modeling with respect to the cell-of-origin, cancer propagation, and metastasis. We further discuss the benefits and challenges accompanying the use of hPSC models for cancer research and discuss their broad applicability in drug discovery, biomarker identification, decoding molecular mechanisms, and the deconstruction of clonal and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. In summary, hPSC-derived organoids provide powerful models to recapitulate the pathogenic states in cancer and to perform drug discovery.
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4
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García-Domínguez DJ, Hontecillas-Prieto L, León EA, Sánchez-Molina S, Rodríguez-Núñez P, Morón FJ, Hajji N, Mackintosh C, de Álava E. An inducible ectopic expression system of EWSR1-FLI1 as a tool for understanding Ewing sarcoma oncogenesis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234243. [PMID: 32502203 PMCID: PMC7274397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of the chimeric EWSR1-FLI1 oncoprotein is the main and initiating event defining Ewing sarcoma (ES). The dysregulation of epigenomic and proteomic homeostasis induced by the oncoprotein contributes to a wide variety of events involved in oncogenesis and tumor progression. Attempts at studying the effects of EWSR1-FLI1 in non-tumor cells to understand the mechanisms underlying sarcomagenesis have been unsuccessful to date, as ectopic expression of EWSR1-FLI1 blocks cell cycle progression and induces apoptosis in the tested cell lines. Therefore, it is essential to find a permissive cell type for EWSR1-FLI1 expression that allows its endogenous molecular functions to be studied. Here we have demonstrated that HeLa cell lines are permissive to EWSR1-FLI1 ectopic expression, and that our model substantially recapitulates the endogenous activity of the EWSR1-FLI1 fusion protein. This model could contribute to better understanding ES sarcomagenesis by helping to understand the molecular mechanisms induced by the EWSR1-FLI1 oncoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. García-Domínguez
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla/CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
- * E-mail: (DJGD); (EDA)
| | - Lourdes Hontecillas-Prieto
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla/CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
| | - Eduardo Andrés León
- Bioinformatics Unit, Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina “López-Neyra”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Sara Sánchez-Molina
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica—Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Rodríguez-Núñez
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla/CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
| | - Francisco J. Morón
- Genomics Core Facility, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Nabil Hajji
- Division of Brain Sciences, The John Fulcher Molecular Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | | | - Enrique de Álava
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla/CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
- Department of Normal and Pathological Cytology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- * E-mail: (DJGD); (EDA)
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5
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Oncogenic hijacking of a developmental transcription factor evokes vulnerability toward oxidative stress in Ewing sarcoma. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2423. [PMID: 32415069 PMCID: PMC7228971 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16244-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive childhood cancer likely originating from mesenchymal stem cells or osteo-chondrogenic progenitors. It is characterized by fusion oncoproteins involving EWSR1 and variable members of the ETS-family of transcription factors (in 85% FLI1). EWSR1-FLI1 can induce target genes by using GGAA-microsatellites as enhancers. Here, we show that EWSR1-FLI1 hijacks the developmental transcription factor SOX6 – a physiological driver of proliferation of osteo-chondrogenic progenitors – by binding to an intronic GGAA-microsatellite, which promotes EwS growth in vitro and in vivo. Through integration of transcriptome-profiling, published drug-screening data, and functional in vitro and in vivo experiments including 3D and PDX models, we discover that constitutively high SOX6 expression promotes elevated levels of oxidative stress that create a therapeutic vulnerability toward the oxidative stress-inducing drug Elesclomol. Collectively, our results exemplify how aberrant activation of a developmental transcription factor by a dominant oncogene can promote malignancy, but provide opportunities for targeted therapy. Ewing sarcoma is characterized by the fusion of EWSR1 and FLI1. Here, the authors show that EWSR1-FLI1 increases the activity of the developmental transcription factor SOX6, which promotes tumor growth but also increases sensitivity to oxidative stress.
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6
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Miller HE, Gorthi A, Bassani N, Lawrence LA, Iskra BS, Bishop AJR. Reconstruction of Ewing Sarcoma Developmental Context from Mass-Scale Transcriptomics Reveals Characteristics of EWSR1-FLI1 Permissibility. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E948. [PMID: 32290418 PMCID: PMC7226175 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer of enigmatic cellular origins typically resulting from a single translocation event t (11; 22) (q24; q12). The resulting fusion gene, EWSR1-FLI1, is toxic or unstable in most primary tissues. Consequently, attempts to model Ewing sarcomagenesis have proven unsuccessful thus far, highlighting the need to identify the cellular features which permit stable EWSR1-FLI1 expression. By re-analyzing publicly available RNA-Sequencing data with manifold learning techniques, we uncovered a group of Ewing-like tissues belonging to a developmental trajectory between pluripotent, neuroectodermal, and mesodermal cell states. Furthermore, we demonstrated that EWSR1-FLI1 expression levels control the activation of these developmental trajectories within Ewing sarcoma cells. Subsequent analysis and experimental validation demonstrated that the capability to resolve R-loops and mitigate replication stress are probable prerequisites for stable EWSR1-FLI1 expression in primary tissues. Taken together, our results demonstrate how EWSR1-FLI1 hijacks developmental gene programs and advances our understanding of Ewing sarcomagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry E. Miller
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (H.E.M.)
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Aparna Gorthi
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (H.E.M.)
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Nicklas Bassani
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Liesl A. Lawrence
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (H.E.M.)
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Brian S. Iskra
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (H.E.M.)
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Alexander J. R. Bishop
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (H.E.M.)
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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7
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Rodríguez-Núñez P, Romero-Pérez L, Amaral AT, Puerto-Camacho P, Jordán C, Marcilla D, Grünewald TG, Alonso J, de Alava E, Díaz-Martín J. Hippo pathway effectors YAP1/TAZ induce an EWS-FLI1-opposing gene signature and associate with disease progression in Ewing sarcoma. J Pathol 2020; 250:374-386. [PMID: 31880317 DOI: 10.1002/path.5379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
YAP1 and TAZ (WWTR1) oncoproteins are the final transducers of the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway. Deregulation of the pathway leads to YAP1/TAZ activation fostering tumorigenesis in multiple malignant tumor types, including sarcoma. However, oncogenic mutations within the core components of the Hippo pathway are uncommon. Ewing sarcoma (EwS), a pediatric cancer with low mutation rate, is characterized by a canonical fusion involving the gene EWSR1 and FLI1 as the most common partner. The fusion protein is a potent driver of oncogenesis, but secondary alterations are scarce, and little is known about other biological factors that determine the risk of relapse or progression. We have observed YAP1/TAZ expression and transcriptional activity in EwS cell lines. Analyses of 55 primary human EwS samples revealed that high YAP1/TAZ expression was associated with progression of the disease and predicted poorer outcome. We did not observe recurrent SNV or copy number gains/losses in Hippo pathway-related loci. However, differential CpG methylation of the RASSF1 locus (a regulator of the Hippo pathway) was observed in EwS cell lines compared with mesenchymal stem cells, the putative cell of origin of EwS. Hypermethylation of RASSF1 correlated with the transcriptional silencing of the tumor suppressor isoform RASFF1A, and transcriptional activation of the pro-tumorigenic isoform RASSF1C, which promotes YAP1/TAZ activation. Knockdown of YAP1/TAZ decreased proliferation and invasion abilities of EwS cells and revealed that YAP1/TAZ transcription activity is inversely correlated with the EWS-FLI1 transcriptional signature. This transcriptional antagonism could be explained partly by EWS-FLI1-mediated transcriptional repression of TAZ. Thus, YAP1/TAZ may override the transcriptional program induced by the fusion protein, contributing to the phenotypic plasticity determined by dynamic fluctuation of the fusion protein, a recently proposed model for disease dissemination in EwS. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Rodríguez-Núñez
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Laura Romero-Pérez
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Ana T Amaral
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Puerto-Camacho
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Carmen Jordán
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - David Marcilla
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Thomas Gp Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Javier Alonso
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CB06/07/1009; CIBERER-ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique de Alava
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Normal and Pathological Cytology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Juan Díaz-Martín
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, CSIC-Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Dallmayer M, Li J, Ohmura S, Alba Rubio R, Baldauf MC, Hölting TLB, Musa J, Knott MML, Stein S, Cidre-Aranaz F, Wehweck FS, Romero-Pérez L, Gerke JS, Orth MF, Marchetto A, Kirchner T, Bach H, Sannino G, Grünewald TGP. Targeting the CALCB/RAMP1 axis inhibits growth of Ewing sarcoma. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:116. [PMID: 30741933 PMCID: PMC6370763 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1372-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive cancer characterized by chromosomal translocations generating fusions of the EWSR1 gene with ETS transcription factors (in 85% FLI1). EWSR1-FLI1 induces gene expression via binding to enhancer-like GGAA-microsatellites, whose activity correlates with the number of consecutive GGAA-repeats. Herein we investigate the role of the secretory neuropeptide CALCB (calcitonin-related polypeptide β) in EwS, which signals via the CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) receptor complex, containing RAMP1 (receptor activity modifying protein 1) as crucial part for receptor specificity. Analysis of 2678 gene expression microarrays comprising 50 tumor entities and 71 normal tissue types revealed that CALCB is specifically and highly overexpressed in EwS. Time-course knockdown experiments showed that CALCB expression is tightly linked to that of EWSR1-FLI1. Consistently, gene set enrichment analyses of genes whose expression in primary EwS is correlated to that of CALCB indicated that it is co-expressed with other EWSR1-FLI1 target genes and associated with signatures involved in stemness and proliferation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) data for FLI1 and histone marks from EwS cell lines demonstrated that EWSR1-FLI1 binds to a GGAA-microsatellite close to CALCB, which exhibits characteristics of an active enhancer. Reporter assays confirmed the strong EWSR1-FLI1- and length-dependent enhancer activity of this GGAA-microsatellite. Mass spectrometric analyses of EwS cell culture supernatants demonstrated that CALCB is secreted by EwS cells. While short-term RNA interference-mediated CALCB knockdown had no effect on proliferation and clonogenic growth of EwS cells in vitro, its long-term knockdown decreased EwS growth in vitro and in vivo. Similarly, knockdown of RAMP1 reduced clonogenic/spheroidal growth and tumorigenicity, and small-molecule inhibitors directed against the RAMP1-comprising CGRP receptor reduced growth of EwS. Collectively, our findings suggest that CALCB is a direct EWSR1-FLI1 target and that targeting the CALCB/RAMP1 axis may offer a new therapeutic strategy for inhibition of EwS growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Dallmayer
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jing Li
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Shunya Ohmura
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rebeca Alba Rubio
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michaela C Baldauf
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tilman L B Hölting
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julian Musa
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Max M L Knott
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Stein
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Florencia Cidre-Aranaz
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabienne S Wehweck
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Romero-Pérez
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia S Gerke
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aruna Marchetto
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Horacio Bach
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and IIRC Antibody Engineering and Proteomics facility, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Giuseppina Sannino
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Institute of Pathology of the LMU Munich, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany. .,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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9
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Tavakkoli M, Mueller L. Cutaneous Ewing Sarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma of the Bone: Distinct Diseases. Case Rep Oncol 2018; 11:729-734. [PMID: 30519175 PMCID: PMC6276761 DOI: 10.1159/000492667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive mesenchymal malignancy. It is the second most common bone tumor among children and adolescents and less commonly presents as a soft tissue or primary skin lesion. Cutaneous Ewing sarcoma has only been reported in case reports and case series. In this article, we describe a 12-year-old Hispanic female cured of localized, cutaneous Ewing sarcoma (pT1aN0M0) at the 40-month follow-up following surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy according to the COG AEWS1031 protocol for Ewing sarcoma of the bone. To our knowledge, this is the first article to provide a potential biological explanation for the differences in the prognosis of Ewing sarcoma of the bone, soft tissue, and skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montreh Tavakkoli
- New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
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10
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Myelolytic Treatments Enhance Oncolytic Herpes Virotherapy in Models of Ewing Sarcoma by Modulating the Immune Microenvironment. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2018; 11:62-74. [PMID: 30505937 PMCID: PMC6249791 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer that promotes the infiltration and activation of pro-tumor M2-like macrophages. Oncolytic virotherapy that selectively infects and destroys cancer cells is a promising option for treating Ewing sarcoma. The effect of tumor macrophages on oncolytic virus therapy, however, is variable among solid tumors and is unknown in Ewing sarcoma. We tested the effects of macrophage reduction using liposomal clodronate (Clodrosome) and trabectedin on the antitumor efficacy of intratumoral oncolytic herpes simplex virus, rRp450, in two Ewing sarcoma xenograft models. Both agents enhanced antitumor efficacy without increasing virus replication. The most profound effects were in A673 with only a transient effect on response rates in TC71. Interestingly, A673 was more dependent than TC71 on macrophages for its tumorigenesis. We found Clodrosome and virus together induced expression of antitumorigenic genes and reduced expression of protumorigenic genes in both the tumor-associated macrophages and the overall tumor stroma. Trabectedin reduced intratumoral natural killer (NK) cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and M2-like macrophages, and prevented their increase following virotherapy. Our data suggest that a combination of trabectedin and oncolytic herpes virotherapy warrants testing in the clinical setting.
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11
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Koppenhafer SL, Goss KL, Terry WW, Gordon DJ. mTORC1/2 and Protein Translation Regulate Levels of CHK1 and the Sensitivity to CHK1 Inhibitors in Ewing Sarcoma Cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2018; 17:2676-2688. [PMID: 30282812 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of Ewing sarcoma has changed very little in the past two decades and novel treatment approaches are needed. We recently identified that Ewing sarcoma cells are uniquely vulnerable to inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides. We subsequently found that the inhibition of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) increases the sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to inhibitors of RNR, such as gemcitabine. However, Ewing sarcoma cells exhibit high levels of the CHK1 protein, which may represent an adaptive response to elevated levels of endogenous DNA replication stress. Consequently, we began this work with the aim of determining the impact of CHK1 levels on drug sensitivity, as well as identifying the mechanisms and pathways that regulate CHK1 levels in Ewing sarcoma cells. In this report, we show that the high levels of the CHK1 protein in Ewing sarcoma cells limit the efficacy of CHK1 inhibitors. However, inhibition of mTORC1/2 activates the translational repressor 4E-BP1, reduces protein synthesis, and decreases levels of the CHK1 protein in Ewing sarcoma cells. Similarly, we identified that the CHK1 inhibitor prexasertib also activates 4E-BP1, inhibits protein synthesis, and reduces CHK1 protein levels in Ewing sarcoma cells. Moreover, the combination of prexasertib and gemcitabine was synergistic in vitro, caused tumor regression in vivo, and significantly prolonged mouse survival in a Ewing sarcoma xenograft experiment. Overall, our results provide insight into Ewing sarcoma biology and support further investigation of the CHK1 pathway as a therapeutic target in Ewing sarcoma tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacia L Koppenhafer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Kelli L Goss
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - William W Terry
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - David J Gordon
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
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Goss KL, Gordon DJ. Gene expression signature based screening identifies ribonucleotide reductase as a candidate therapeutic target in Ewing sarcoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:63003-63019. [PMID: 27557498 PMCID: PMC5325343 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a critical need in cancer therapeutics to identify targeted therapies that will improve outcomes and decrease toxicities compared to conventional, cytotoxic chemotherapy. Ewing sarcoma is a highly aggressive bone and soft tissue cancer that is caused by the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein. Although EWS-FLI1 is specific for cancer cells, and required for tumorigenesis, directly targeting this transcription factor has proven challenging. Consequently, targeting unique dependencies or key downstream mediators of EWS-FLI1 represent important alternative strategies. We used gene expression data derived from a genetically defined model of Ewing sarcoma to interrogate the Connectivity Map and identify a class of drugs, iron chelators, that downregulate a significant number of EWS-FLI1 target genes. We then identified ribonucleotide reductase M2 (RRM2), the iron-dependent subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), as one mediator of iron chelator toxicity in Ewing sarcoma cells. Inhibition of RNR in Ewing sarcoma cells caused apoptosis in vitro and attenuated tumor growth in an in vivo, xenograft model. Additionally, we discovered that the sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to inhibition or suppression of RNR is mediated, in part, by high levels of SLFN11, a protein that sensitizes cells to DNA damage. This work demonstrates a unique dependency of Ewing sarcoma cells on RNR and supports further investigation of RNR inhibitors, which are currently used in clinical practice, as a novel approach for treating Ewing sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli L Goss
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - David J Gordon
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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13
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Baldauf MC, Orth MF, Dallmayer M, Marchetto A, Gerke JS, Rubio RA, Kiran MM, Musa J, Knott MML, Ohmura S, Li J, Akpolat N, Akatli AN, Özen Ö, Dirksen U, Hartmann W, de Alava E, Baumhoer D, Sannino G, Kirchner T, Grünewald TGP. Robust diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma by immunohistochemical detection of super-enhancer-driven EWSR1-ETS targets. Oncotarget 2017; 9:1587-1601. [PMID: 29416716 PMCID: PMC5788584 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is an undifferentiated small-round-cell sarcoma. Although molecular detection of pathognomonic EWSR1-ETS fusions such as EWSR1-FLI1 enables definitive diagnosis, substantial confusion can arise if molecular diagnostics are unavailable. Diagnosis based on the conventional immunohistochemical marker CD99 is unreliable due to its abundant expression in morphological mimics. To identify novel diagnostic immunohistochemical markers for Ewing sarcoma, we performed comparative expression analyses in 768 tumors representing 21 entities including Ewing-like sarcomas, which confirmed that CIC-DUX4-, BCOR-CCNB3-, EWSR1-NFATc2-, and EWSR1-ETS-translocated sarcomas are distinct entities, and revealed that ATP1A1, BCL11B, and GLG1 constitute specific markers for Ewing sarcoma. Their high expression was validated by immunohistochemistry and proved to depend on EWSR1-FLI1-binding to highly active proximal super-enhancers. Automated cut-off-finding and combination-testing in a tissue-microarray comprising 174 samples demonstrated that detection of high BCL11B and/or GLG1 expression is sufficient to reach 96% specificity for Ewing sarcoma. While 88% of tested Ewing-like sarcomas displayed strong CD99-immunoreactivity, none displayed combined strong BCL11B- and GLG1-immunoreactivity. Collectively, we show that ATP1A1, BCL11B, and GLG1 are EWSR1-FLI1 targets, of which BCL11B and GLG1 offer a fast, simple, and cost-efficient way to diagnose Ewing sarcoma by immunohistochemistry. These markers may significantly reduce the number of misdiagnosed patients, and thus improve patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela C Baldauf
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Dallmayer
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aruna Marchetto
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia S Gerke
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rebeca Alba Rubio
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Merve M Kiran
- Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Julian Musa
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian M L Knott
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Shunya Ohmura
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jing Li
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nusret Akpolat
- Department of Pathology, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Ayse N Akatli
- Department of Pathology, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Özlem Özen
- Department of Pathology, Başkent University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Uta Dirksen
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hartmann
- Gerhard-Domagk-Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Münster, Westfalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
| | - Enrique de Alava
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, CIBERONC, Seville, Spain
| | - Daniel Baumhoer
- Bone Tumour Reference Center, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppina Sannino
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Goss KL, Koppenhafer SL, Harmoney KM, Terry WW, Gordon DJ. Inhibition of CHK1 sensitizes Ewing sarcoma cells to the ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor gemcitabine. Oncotarget 2017; 8:87016-87032. [PMID: 29152060 PMCID: PMC5675612 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a bone and soft tissue sarcoma that occurs in children and young adults. The EWS-FLI1 gene fusion is the driver mutation in most Ewing sarcoma tumors and functions, in part, as an aberrant transcription factor. We recently identified that Ewing sarcoma cells are sensitive to inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which catalyzes the formation of deoxyribonucleotides from ribonucleotides. In this report, we show that Ewing sarcoma cells are sensitive to treatment with clofarabine, which is a nucleoside analogue and allosteric inhibitor of RNR. However, clofarabine is a reversible inhibitor of RNR and we found that the effect of clofarabine is limited when using a short (6-hour) drug treatment. Gemcitabine, on the other hand, is an irreversible inhibitor of the RRM1 subunit of RNR and this drug induces apoptosis in Ewing sarcoma cells when used in both 6-hour and longer drug treatments. Treatment of Ewing sarcoma cells with gemcitabine also results in activation of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1), which is a critical mediator of cell survival in the setting of impaired DNA replication. Notably, inhibition of CHK1 function in Ewing sarcoma cells using a small-molecule CHK1 inhibitor, or siRNA knockdown, in combination with gemcitabine results in increased toxicity both in vitro and in vivo in a mouse xenograft experiment. Overall, our results provide insight into Ewing sarcoma biology and identify a candidate therapeutic target, and drug combination, in Ewing sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli L Goss
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - Stacia L Koppenhafer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - Kathryn M Harmoney
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - William W Terry
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
| | - David J Gordon
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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