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Johnson GA, Gould SI, Sánchez-Rivera FJ. Deconstructing cancer with precision genome editing. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:803-819. [PMID: 38629716 PMCID: PMC11088927 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230984] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Recent advances in genome editing technologies are allowing investigators to engineer and study cancer-associated mutations in their endogenous genetic contexts with high precision and efficiency. Of these, base editing and prime editing are quickly becoming gold-standards in the field due to their versatility and scalability. Here, we review the merits and limitations of these precision genome editing technologies, their application to modern cancer research, and speculate how these could be integrated to address future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A. Johnson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA, U.S.A
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA, U.S.A
| | - Samuel I. Gould
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA, U.S.A
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA, U.S.A
| | - Francisco J. Sánchez-Rivera
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA, U.S.A
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA, U.S.A
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Fűr GM, Nemes K, Magó É, Benő AÁ, Topolcsányi P, Moldvay J, Pongor LS. Applied models and molecular characteristics of small cell lung cancer. Pathol Oncol Res 2024; 30:1611743. [PMID: 38711976 PMCID: PMC11070512 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2024.1611743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive type of cancer frequently diagnosed with metastatic spread, rendering it surgically unresectable for the majority of patients. Although initial responses to platinum-based therapies are often observed, SCLC invariably relapses within months, frequently developing drug-resistance ultimately contributing to short overall survival rates. Recently, SCLC research aimed to elucidate the dynamic changes in the genetic and epigenetic landscape. These have revealed distinct subtypes of SCLC, each characterized by unique molecular signatures. The recent understanding of the molecular heterogeneity of SCLC has opened up potential avenues for precision medicine, enabling the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. In this review, we delve into the applied models and computational approaches that have been instrumental in the identification of promising drug candidates. We also explore the emerging molecular diagnostic tools that hold the potential to transform clinical practice and patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Mihalekné Fűr
- Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Kolos Nemes
- Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Éva Magó
- Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
- Genome Integrity and DNA Repair Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Alexandra Á. Benő
- Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Petronella Topolcsányi
- Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Judit Moldvay
- Department of Pulmonology, Szeged University Szent-Gyorgyi Albert Medical School, Szeged, Hungary
- 1st Department of Pulmonology, National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lőrinc S. Pongor
- Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Core Group, Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), Szeged, Hungary
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Istadi A, Porazinski S, Pajic M. Cancer variant modeling in vivo. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:383-385. [PMID: 38123743 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-02080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aji Istadi
- Personalised Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sean Porazinski
- Personalised Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marina Pajic
- Personalised Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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Qin X, Tape CJ. Functional analysis of cell plasticity using single-cell technologies. Trends Cell Biol 2024:S0962-8924(24)00006-0. [PMID: 38355348 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.01.006] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Metazoan organisms are heterocellular systems composed of hundreds of different cell types, which arise from an isogenic genome through differentiation. Cellular 'plasticity' further enables cells to alter their fate in response to exogenous cues and is involved in a variety of processes, such as wound healing, infection, and cancer. Recent advances in cellular model systems, high-dimensional single-cell technologies, and lineage tracing have sparked a renaissance in plasticity research. Here, we discuss the definition of cell plasticity, evaluate state-of-the-art model systems and techniques to study cell-fate dynamics, and explore the application of single-cell technologies to obtain functional insights into cell plasticity in healthy and diseased tissues. The integration of advanced biomimetic model systems, single-cell technologies, and high-throughput perturbation studies is enabling a new era of research into non-genetic plasticity in metazoan systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Qin
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
| | - Christopher J Tape
- Cell Communication Lab, Department of Oncology, University College London Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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Oser MG, MacPherson D, Oliver TG, Sage J, Park KS. Genetically-engineered mouse models of small cell lung cancer: the next generation. Oncogene 2024; 43:457-469. [PMID: 38191672 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02929-7] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains the most fatal form of lung cancer, with patients in dire need of new and effective therapeutic approaches. Modeling SCLC in an immunocompetent host is essential for understanding SCLC pathogenesis and ultimately discovering and testing new experimental therapeutic strategies. Human SCLC is characterized by near universal genetic loss of the RB1 and TP53 tumor suppressor genes. Twenty years ago, the first genetically-engineered mouse model (GEMM) of SCLC was generated using conditional deletion of both Rb1 and Trp53 in the lungs of adult mice. Since then, several other GEMMs of SCLC have been developed coupling genomic alterations found in human SCLC with Rb1 and Trp53 deletion. Here we summarize how GEMMs of SCLC have contributed significantly to our understanding of the disease in the past two decades. We also review recent advances in modeling SCLC in mice that allow investigators to bypass limitations of the previous generation of GEMMs while studying new genes of interest in SCLC. In particular, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated somatic gene editing can accelerate how new genes of interest are functionally interrogated in SCLC tumorigenesis. Notably, the development of allograft models and precancerous precursor models from SCLC GEMMs provides complementary approaches to GEMMs to study tumor cell-immune microenvironment interactions and test new therapeutic strategies to enhance response to immunotherapy. Ultimately, the new generation of SCLC models can accelerate research and help develop new therapeutic strategies for SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Oser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - David MacPherson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Trudy G Oliver
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kwon-Sik Park
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
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