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Emilius L, Bremm F, Binder AK, Schaft N, Dörrie J. Tumor Antigens beyond the Human Exome. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4673. [PMID: 38731892 PMCID: PMC11083240 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094673] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With the advent of immunotherapeutics, a new era in the combat against cancer has begun. Particularly promising are neo-epitope-targeted therapies as the expression of neo-antigens is tumor-specific. In turn, this allows the selective targeting and killing of cancer cells whilst healthy cells remain largely unaffected. So far, many advances have been made in the development of treatment options which are tailored to the individual neo-epitope repertoire. The next big step is the achievement of efficacious "off-the-shelf" immunotherapies. For this, shared neo-epitopes propose an optimal target. Given the tremendous potential, a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms which lead to the formation of neo-antigens is of fundamental importance. Here, we review the various processes which result in the formation of neo-epitopes. Broadly, the origin of neo-epitopes can be categorized into three groups: canonical, noncanonical, and viral neo-epitopes. For the canonical neo-antigens that arise in direct consequence of somatic mutations, we summarize past and recent findings. Beyond that, our main focus is put on the discussion of noncanonical and viral neo-epitopes as we believe that targeting those provides an encouraging perspective to shape the future of cancer immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisabeth Emilius
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Bremm
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Amanda Katharina Binder
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (L.E.); (F.B.); (A.K.B.); (J.D.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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2
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Nejo T, Wang L, Leung KK, Wang A, Lakshmanachetty S, Gallus M, Kwok DW, Hong C, Chen LH, Carrera DA, Zhang MY, Stevers NO, Maldonado GC, Yamamichi A, Watchmaker PB, Naik A, Shai A, Phillips JJ, Chang SM, Wiita AP, Wells JA, Costello JF, Diaz AA, Okada H. Challenges in the discovery of tumor-specific alternative splicing-derived cell-surface antigens in glioma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6362. [PMID: 38493204 PMCID: PMC10944514 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56684-0] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite advancements in cancer immunotherapy, solid tumors remain formidable challenges. In glioma, profound inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of antigen landscape hampers therapeutic development. Therefore, it is critical to consider alternative sources to expand the repertoire of targetable (neo-)antigens and improve therapeutic outcomes. Accumulating evidence suggests that tumor-specific alternative splicing (AS) could be an untapped reservoir of antigens. In this study, we investigated tumor-specific AS events in glioma, focusing on those predicted to generate major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-presentation-independent, cell-surface antigens that could be targeted by antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor-T cells. We systematically analyzed bulk RNA-sequencing datasets comparing 429 tumor samples (from The Cancer Genome Atlas) and 9166 normal tissue samples (from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project), and identified 13 AS events in 7 genes predicted to be expressed in more than 10% of the patients, including PTPRZ1 and BCAN, which were corroborated by an external RNA-sequencing dataset. Subsequently, we validated our predictions and elucidated the complexity of the isoforms using full-length transcript amplicon sequencing on patient-derived glioblastoma cells. However, analyses of the RNA-sequencing datasets of spatially mapped and longitudinally collected clinical tumor samples unveiled remarkable spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the candidate AS events. Furthermore, proteomics analysis did not reveal any peptide spectra matching the putative antigens. Our investigation illustrated the diverse characteristics of the tumor-specific AS events and the challenges of antigen exploration due to their notable spatiotemporal heterogeneity and elusive nature at the protein levels. Redirecting future efforts toward intracellular, MHC-presented antigens could offer a more viable avenue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahide Nejo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Kevin K Leung
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Albert Wang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Senthilnath Lakshmanachetty
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Marco Gallus
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Darwin W Kwok
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Chibo Hong
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Lee H Chen
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Diego A Carrera
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Michael Y Zhang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Nicholas O Stevers
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Gabriella C Maldonado
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Akane Yamamichi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Payal B Watchmaker
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Akul Naik
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anny Shai
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Joanna J Phillips
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Susan M Chang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Arun P Wiita
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - James A Wells
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph F Costello
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron A Diaz
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), 1450 3Rd Street, Box 0520, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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3
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Xiong L, Hu F, Li Z, Zhou X, Zheng Y. The research trends of ferroptosis in diabetes: a bibliometric analysis. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1365828. [PMID: 38510357 PMCID: PMC10951384 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1365828] [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: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Exploring the mechanism of ferroptosis as a potential avenue for investigating the pathogenesis and therapeutic outlook of diabetes mellitus and its complications has emerged as a focal point within recent years. Herein, we employ a bibliometric approach to delineate the current landscape of ferroptosis research in the context of diabetes mellitus. Our objective is to furnish insights and scholarly references conducive to the advancement of comprehensive investigations and innovations in related domains. Methods We included studies on ferroptosis in diabetes, obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. All publications were transported in plaintext full-record format and were analyzed by CiteSpace 6.2.R4 for bibliometric analysis. Results Four hundred and forty-eight records that met the criteria were included. The publications released during the initial 3 years were relatively small, while there was a sudden surge of publications published in 2022 and 2023. Representing 41 countries and 173 institutions, China and Wuhan University led the research on ferroptosis in diabetes. The author with the highest number of published papers is Zhongming Wu, while Dixon SJ is the most frequently cited author. The journal with the highest number of co-citations is Cell. The most common keywords include oxidative stress, cell death, lipid peroxidation, and metabolism. Extracted keywords predominantly focus on NLRP3 inflammatory, diabetic kidney disease, mitochondria, iron overload, and cardiomyopathy. Conclusion The escalating recognition of ferroptosis as a potential therapeutic target for deciphering the intricate mechanisms underlying diabetes and its complications is underscored by a noteworthy surge in relevant research publications. This surge has catapulted ferroptosis into the spotlight as a burgeoning and vibrant research focus within the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yujiao Zheng
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
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4
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Shi Q, Li X, Liu Y, Chen Z, He X. FLIBase: a comprehensive repository of full-length isoforms across human cancers and tissues. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D124-D133. [PMID: 37697439 PMCID: PMC10767943 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory processes at the RNA transcript level play a crucial role in generating transcriptome diversity and proteome composition in human cells, impacting both physiological and pathological states. This study introduces FLIBase (www.FLIBase.org), a specialized database that focuses on annotating full-length isoforms using long-read sequencing techniques. We collected and integrated long-read (351 samples) and short-read (12 469 samples) RNA sequencing data from diverse normal and cancerous human tissues and cells. The current version of FLIBase comprises a total of 983 789 full-length spliced isoforms, identified through long-read sequences and verified using short-read exon-exon splice junctions. Of these, 188 248 isoforms have been annotated, while 795 541 isoforms remain unannotated. By overcoming the limitations of short-read RNA sequencing methods, FLIBase provides an accurate and comprehensive representation of full-length transcripts. These comprehensive annotations empower researchers to undertake various downstream analyses and investigations. Importantly, FLIBase exhibits a significant advantage in identifying a substantial number of previously unannotated isoforms and tumor-specific RNA transcripts. These tumor-specific RNA transcripts have the potential to serve as a source of immunogenic recurrent neoantigens. This remarkable discovery holds tremendous promise for advancing the development of tailored RNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for various types of human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qili Shi
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xinrong Li
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yizhe Liu
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhiao Chen
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xianghuo He
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Cook AL, Sur S, Dobbyn L, Watson E, Cohen JD, Ptak B, Lee BS, Paul S, Hsiue E, Popoli M, Vogelstein B, Papadopoulos N, Bettegowda C, Gabrielson K, Zhou S, Kinzler KW, Wyhs N. Identification of nonsense-mediated decay inhibitors that alter the tumor immune landscape. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.28.573594. [PMID: 38234817 PMCID: PMC10793421 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.28.573594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Despite exciting developments in cancer immunotherapy, its broad application is limited by the paucity of targetable antigens on the tumor cell surface. As an intrinsic cellular pathway, nonsense- mediated decay (NMD) conceals neoantigens through the destruction of the RNA products from genes harboring truncating mutations. We developed and conducted a high throughput screen, based on the ratiometric analysis of transcripts, to identify critical mediators of NMD. This screen revealed disruption of kinase SMG1's phosphorylation of UPF1 as a potent disruptor of NMD. This led us to design a novel SMG1 inhibitor, KVS0001, that elevates the expression of transcripts and proteins resulting from truncating mutations in vivo and in vitro . Most importantly, KVS0001 concomitantly increased the presentation of immune-targetable HLA class I-associated peptides from NMD-downregulated proteins on the surface of cancer cells. KVS0001 provides new opportunities for studying NMD and the diseases in which NMD plays a role, including cancer and inherited diseases. One Sentence Summary Disruption of the nonsense-mediated decay pathway with a newly developed SMG1 inhibitor with in-vivo activity increases the expression of T-cell targetable cancer neoantigens resulting from truncating mutations.
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Maeng JH, Jang HJ, Du AY, Tzeng SC, Wang T. Using long-read CAGE sequencing to profile cryptic-promoter-derived transcripts and their contribution to the immunopeptidome. Genome Res 2023; 33:gr.277061.122. [PMID: 38065624 PMCID: PMC10760525 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277061.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that the noncoding genome can produce unannotated proteins as antigens that induce immune response. One major source of this activity is the aberrant epigenetic reactivation of transposable elements (TEs). In tumors, TEs often provide cryptic or alternate promoters, which can generate transcripts that encode tumor-specific unannotated proteins. Thus, TE-derived transcripts (TE transcripts) have the potential to produce tumor-specific, but recurrent, antigens shared among many tumors. Identification of TE-derived tumor antigens holds the promise to improve cancer immunotherapy approaches; however, current genomics and computational tools are not optimized for their detection. Here we combined CAGE technology with full-length long-read transcriptome sequencing (long-read CAGE, or LRCAGE) and developed a suite of computational tools to significantly improve immunopeptidome detection by incorporating TE and other tumor transcripts into the proteome database. By applying our methods to human lung cancer cell line H1299 data, we show that long-read technology significantly improves mapping of promoters with low mappability scores and that LRCAGE guarantees accurate construction of uncharacterized 5' transcript structure. Augmenting a reference proteome database with newly characterized transcripts enabled us to detect noncanonical antigens from HLA-pulldown LC-MS/MS data. Lastly, we show that epigenetic treatment increased the number of noncanonical antigens, particularly those encoded by TE transcripts, which might expand the pool of targetable antigens for cancers with low mutational burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Heon Maeng
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - H Josh Jang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Alan Y Du
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Shin-Cheng Tzeng
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA;
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
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Yao T, Zhang Z, Li Q, Huang R, Hong Y, Li C, Zhang F, Huang Y, Fang Y, Cao Q, Jin X, Li C, Wang Z, Lin XJ, Li L, Wei W, Wang Z, Shen J. Long-Read Sequencing Reveals Alternative Splicing-Driven, Shared Immunogenic Neoepitopes Regardless of SF3B1 Status in Uveal Melanoma. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1671-1687. [PMID: 37756564 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0083] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-specific neoepitopes are promising targets in cancer immunotherapy. However, the identification of functional tumor-specific neoepitopes remains challenging. In addition to the most common source, single-nucleotide variants (SNV), alternative splicing (AS) represents another rich source of neoepitopes and can be utilized in cancers with low SNVs such as uveal melanoma (UM). UM, the most prevalent adult ocular malignancy, has poor clinical outcomes due to a lack of effective therapies. Recent studies have revealed the promise of harnessing tumor neoepitopes to treat UM. Previous studies have focused on neoepitope targets associated with mutations in splicing factor 3b subunit 1 (SF3B1), a key splicing factor; however, little is known about the neoepitopes that are commonly shared by patients independent of SF3B1 status. To identify the AS-derived neoepitopes regardless of SF3B1 status, we herein used a comprehensive nanopore long-read-sequencing approach to elucidate the landscape of AS and novel isoforms in UM. We also performed high-resolution mass spectrometry to further validate the presence of neoepitope candidates and analyzed their structures using the AlphaFold2 algorithm. We experimentally evaluated the antitumor effects of these neoepitopes and found they induced robust immune responses by stimulating interferon (IFN)γ production and activating T cell-based UM tumor killing. These results provide novel insights into UM-specific neoepitopes independent of SF3B1 and lay the foundation for developing therapies by targeting these actionable neoepitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengteng Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, National Facility for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, National Facility for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, National Facility for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhong Hong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Li
- High Performance Computing Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingying Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Fang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, National Facility for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Cao
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoliang Jin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunliang Li
- Department of Tumor Cell Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Zefeng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinhua James Lin
- High Performance Computing Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingjie Li
- Department of Histoembryology, Genetics and Developmental Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoyang Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, National Facility for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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8
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Nejo T, Wang L, Leung KK, Wang A, Lakshmanachetty S, Gallus M, Kwok DW, Hong C, Chen LH, Carrera DA, Zhang MY, Stevers NO, Maldonado GC, Yamamichi A, Watchmaker P, Naik A, Shai A, Phillips JJ, Chang SM, Wiita AP, Wells JA, Costello JF, Diaz AA, Okada H. Challenges in the discovery of tumor-specific alternative splicing-derived cell-surface antigens in glioma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564156. [PMID: 37961484 PMCID: PMC10634890 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Background Despite advancements in cancer immunotherapy, solid tumors remain formidable challenges. In glioma, profound inter-and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of antigen landscape hampers therapeutic development. Therefore, it is critical to consider alternative sources to expand the repertoire of targetable (neo-)antigens and improve therapeutic outcomes. Accumulating evidence suggests that tumor-specific alternative splicing (AS) could be an untapped reservoir of neoantigens. Results In this study, we investigated tumor-specific AS events in glioma, focusing on those predicted to generate major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-presentation-independent, cell-surface neoantigens that could be targeted by antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. We systematically analyzed bulk RNA-sequencing datasets comparing 429 tumor samples (from The Cancer Genome Atlas [TCGA]) and 9,166 normal tissue samples (from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project [GTEx]), and identified 13 AS events in 7 genes predicted to be expressed in more than 10% of the patients, including PTPRZ1 and BCAN , which were corroborated by an external RNA-sequencing dataset. Subsequently, we validated our predictions and elucidated the complexity of the isoforms using full-length transcript amplicon sequencing on patient-derived glioblastoma cells. However, analyses of the RNA-sequencing datasets of spatially mapped and longitudinally collected clinical tumor samples unveiled remarkable spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the candidate AS events. Furthermore, proteomics analysis did not reveal any peptide spectra matching the putative neoantigens. Conclusions Our investigation illustrated the diverse characteristics of the tumor-specific AS events and the challenges of antigen exploration due to their notable spatiotemporal heterogeneity and elusive nature at the protein levels. Redirecting future efforts toward intracellular, MHC-presented antigens could offer a more viable avenue.
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Xia Y, Jin Z, Zhang C, Ouyang L, Dong Y, Li J, Guo L, Jing B, Shi Y, Miao S, Xi R. TAGET: a toolkit for analyzing full-length transcripts from long-read sequencing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5935. [PMID: 37741817 PMCID: PMC10518008 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41649-0] [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: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-molecule Real-time Isoform Sequencing (Iso-seq) of transcriptomes by PacBio can generate very long and accurate reads, thus providing an ideal platform for full-length transcriptome analysis. We present an integrated computational toolkit named TAGET for Iso-seq full-length transcript data analyses, including transcript alignment, annotation, gene fusion detection, and quantification analyses such as differential expression gene analysis and differential isoform usage analysis. We evaluate the performance of TAGET using a public Iso-seq dataset and newly sequenced Iso-seq datasets from tumor patients. TAGET gives significantly more precise novel splice site prediction and enables more accurate novel isoform and gene fusion discoveries, as validated by experimental validations and comparisons with RNA-seq data. We identify and experimentally validate a differential isoform usage gene ECM1, and further show that its isoform ECM1b may be a tumor-suppressor in laryngocarcinoma. Our results demonstrate that TAGET provides a valuable computational toolkit and can be applied to many full-length transcriptome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchao Xia
- College of Science, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, 100192, Beijing, China
- Beijing GeneX Health Co.,Ltd, 100195, Beijing, China
| | - Zijie Jin
- Peking University International Cancer Institute, Health Science Center, Peking University, 100191, Beijing, China
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | | | - Linkun Ouyang
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhao Dong
- Beijing GeneX Health Co.,Ltd, 100195, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Lvze Guo
- Beijing GeneX Health Co.,Ltd, 100195, Beijing, China
| | - Biyang Jing
- Beijing GeneX Health Co.,Ltd, 100195, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Shi
- BeiGene (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Susheng Miao
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150081, Harbin, China.
| | - Ruibin Xi
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
- Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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10
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Sun Q, Han Y, He J, Wang J, Ma X, Ning Q, Zhao Q, Jin Q, Yang L, Li S, Li Y, Zhi Q, Zheng J, Dong D. Long-read sequencing reveals the landscape of aberrant alternative splicing and novel therapeutic target in colorectal cancer. Genome Med 2023; 15:76. [PMID: 37735421 PMCID: PMC10512518 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01226-y] [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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternative splicing complexity plays a vital role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Improved understanding of novel splicing events and the underlying regulatory mechanisms may contribute new insights into developing new therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS Here, we combined long-read sequencing technology with short-read RNA-seq methods to investigate the transcriptome complexity in CRC. By using experiment assays, we explored the function of newly identified splicing isoform TIMP1 Δ4-5. Moreover, a CRISPR/dCasRx-based strategy to induce the TIMP1 exon 4-5 exclusion was introduced to inhibit neoplasm growth. RESULTS A total of 90,703 transcripts were identified, of which > 62% were novel compared with current transcriptome annotations. These novel transcripts were more likely to be sample specific, expressed at relatively lower levels with more exons, and oncogenes displayed a characteristic to generate more transcripts in CRC. Clinical outcome data analysis showed that 1472 differentially expressed alternative splicing events (DEAS) were tightly associated with CRC patients' prognosis, and many novel isoforms were likely to be important determinants for patient survival. Among these, newly identified splicing isoform TIMP1 Δ4-5 was significantly downregulated in CRC. Further in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that ectopic expression of TIMP1 Δ4-5 significantly suppresses tumor cell growth and metastasis. Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) acts as a onco-splicing regulator through sustaining the inclusion of TIMP1 exon 4-5. Furthermore, CRISPR/dCasRx-based strategies designed to induce TIMP1 exon 4-5 exclusion have the potential to restrain the CRC growth. CONCLUSIONS This data provides a rich resource for deeper studies of gastrointestinal malignancies. Newly identified splicing isoform TIMP1 Δ4-5 plays an important role in mediating CRC progression and may be a potential therapy target in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Sun
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, Xuzhou, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Jiangsu, Xuzhou, 221004, China
- Future Health Laboratory, Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, 314100, China
| | - Ye Han
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jianxing He
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xuejie Ma
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qianqian Ning
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qing Zhao
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qian Jin
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Future Health Laboratory, Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, 314100, China
| | - Yang Li
- International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, 322000, China
| | - Qiaoming Zhi
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Junnian Zheng
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, Xuzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Jiangsu, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
| | - Dong Dong
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, Xuzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Jiangsu, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
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11
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Schaft N, Dörrie J, Schuler G, Schuler-Thurner B, Sallam H, Klein S, Eisenberg G, Frankenburg S, Lotem M, Khatib A. The future of affordable cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1248867. [PMID: 37736099 PMCID: PMC10509759 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1248867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of cancer was revolutionized within the last two decades by utilizing the mechanism of the immune system against malignant tissue in so-called cancer immunotherapy. Two main developments boosted cancer immunotherapy: 1) the use of checkpoint inhibitors, which are characterized by a relatively high response rate mainly in solid tumors; however, at the cost of serious side effects, and 2) the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, which were shown to be very efficient in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but failed to show high clinical effectiveness in solid tumors until now. In addition, active immunization against individual tumors is emerging, and the first products have reached clinical approval. These new treatment options are very cost-intensive and are not financially compensated by health insurance in many countries. Hence, strategies must be developed to make cancer immunotherapy affordable and to improve the cost-benefit ratio. In this review, we discuss the following strategies: 1) to leverage the antigenicity of "cold tumors" with affordable reagents, 2) to use microbiome-based products as markers or therapeutics, 3) to apply measures that make adoptive cell therapy (ACT) cheaper, e.g., the use of off-the-shelf products, 4) to use immunotherapies that offer cheaper platforms, such as RNA- or peptide-based vaccines and vaccines that use shared or common antigens instead of highly personal antigens, 5) to use a small set of predictive biomarkers instead of the "sequence everything" approach, and 6) to explore affordable immunohistochemistry markers that may direct individual therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gerold Schuler
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Beatrice Schuler-Thurner
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Husam Sallam
- Molecular Genetics and Genetic Toxicology, Health Science Department, American Arab University, Ramallah, Palestine
| | - Shiri Klein
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Galit Eisenberg
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shoshana Frankenburg
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Lotem
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
- Hadassah Cancer Research Institute, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Areej Khatib
- Women's Health Research Unit, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
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12
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Nasif S, Colombo M, Uldry AC, Schröder M, de Brot S, Mühlemann O. Inhibition of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay reduces the tumorigenicity of human fibrosarcoma cells. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad048. [PMID: 37681034 PMCID: PMC10480688 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic RNA decay pathway with roles in cellular stress responses, differentiation, and viral defense. It functions in both quality control and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. NMD has also emerged as a modulator of cancer progression, although available evidence supports both a tumor suppressor and a pro-tumorigenic role, depending on the model. To further investigate the role of NMD in cancer, we knocked out the NMD factor SMG7 in the HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cell line, resulting in suppression of NMD function. We then compared the oncogenic properties of the parental cell line, the SMG7-knockout, and a rescue cell line in which we re-introduced both isoforms of SMG7. We also tested the effect of a drug inhibiting the NMD factor SMG1 to distinguish NMD-dependent effects from putative NMD-independent functions of SMG7. Using cell-based assays and a mouse xenograft tumor model, we showed that suppression of NMD function severely compromises the oncogenic phenotype. Molecular pathway analysis revealed that NMD suppression strongly reduces matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP9) expression and that MMP9 re-expression partially rescues the oncogenic phenotype. Since MMP9 promotes cancer cell migration and invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis, its downregulation may contribute to the reduced tumorigenicity of NMD-suppressed cells. Collectively, our results highlight the potential value of NMD inhibition as a therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Nasif
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martino Colombo
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Christine Uldry
- Proteomics & Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus S Schröder
- NCCR RNA & Disease Bioinformatics Support,Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simone de Brot
- COMPATH, Institute of Animal Pathology, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Mühlemann
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland
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13
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Shao MM, Zhai K, Huang ZY, Yi FS, Zheng SC, Liu YL, Qiao X, Chen QY, Wang Z, Shi HZ. Characterization of the alternative splicing landscape in lung adenocarcinoma reveals novel prognosis signature associated with B cells. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279018. [PMID: 37432957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death. Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a special microenvironment for lung cancer metastasis. Alternative splicing, which is regulated by splicing factors, affects the expression of most genes and influences carcinogenesis and metastasis. METHODS mRNA-seq data and alternative splicing events in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). A risk model was generated by Cox regression analyses and LASSO regression. Cell isolation and flow cytometry were used to identify B cells. RESULTS We systematically analyzed the splicing factors, alternative splicing events, clinical characteristics, and immunologic features of LUAD in the TCGA cohort. A risk signature based on 23 alternative splicing events was established and identified as an independent prognosis factor in LUAD. Among all patients, the risk signature showed a better prognostic value in metastatic patients. By single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, we found that among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, B cells were most significantly correlated to the risk score. Furthermore, we investigated the classification and function of B cells in MPE, a metastatic microenvironment of LUAD, and found that regulatory B cells might participate in the regulation of the immune microenvironment of MPE through antigen presentation and promotion of regulatory T cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS We evaluated the prognostic value of alternative splicing events in LUAD and metastatic LUAD. We found that regulatory B cells had the function of antigen presentation, inhibited naïve T cells from differentiating into Th1 cells, and promoted Treg differentiation in LUAD patients with MPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ming Shao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Kan Zhai
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong-Yin Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng-Shuang Yi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng-Cai Zheng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Lan Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Qiao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Yu Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huan-Zhong Shi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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14
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Zhu D, Yang J, Zhang M, Han Z, Shao M, Fan Q, Ma Y, Xie D, Xiao W. Identification of neoantigens and immunological subtypes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma for mRNA vaccine development and patient selection. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204798. [PMID: 37315301 PMCID: PMC10292886 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204798] [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: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common urological malignancy with diverse histological types. This study aimed to detect neoantigens in ccRCC to develop mRNA vaccines and distinguish between ccRCC immunological subtypes for construction of an immune landscape to select patients suitable for vaccination. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas SpliceSeq database, The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the International Cancer Genome Consortium cohorts, we comprehensively analysed potential tumour antigens of ccRCC associated with aberrant alternative splicing, somatic mutation, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factors, antigen-presenting cells, and overall survival. Immune subtypes (C1/C2) and nine immune gene modules of ccRCC were identified by consistency clustering and weighted correlation network analysis. The immune landscape as well as molecular and cellular characteristics of immunotypes were assessed. Rho-guanine nucleotide exchange factor 3 (ARHGEF3) was identified as a new ccRCC antigen for development of an mRNA vaccine. A higher tumour mutation burden, differential expression of immune checkpoints, and immunogenic cell death were observed in cases with the C2 immunotype. Cellular characteristics increased the complexity of the immune environment, and worse outcomes were observed in ccRCC cases with the C2 immunotype. We constructed the immune landscape for selecting patients with the C2 immunotype suitable for vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daoqi Zhu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiabin Yang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Minyi Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhongxiao Han
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Meng Shao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Qin Fan
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Yun Ma
- Department of pharmacy, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Dandan Xie
- The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
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15
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Pan Y, Phillips JW, Zhang BD, Noguchi M, Kutschera E, McLaughlin J, Nesterenko PA, Mao Z, Bangayan NJ, Wang R, Tran W, Yang HT, Wang Y, Xu Y, Obusan MB, Cheng D, Lee AH, Kadash-Edmondson KE, Champhekar A, Puig-Saus C, Ribas A, Prins RM, Seet CS, Crooks GM, Witte ON, Xing Y. IRIS: Discovery of cancer immunotherapy targets arising from pre-mRNA alternative splicing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221116120. [PMID: 37192158 PMCID: PMC10214192 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221116120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is prevalent in cancer, generating an extensive but largely unexplored repertoire of novel immunotherapy targets. We describe Isoform peptides from RNA splicing for Immunotherapy target Screening (IRIS), a computational platform capable of discovering AS-derived tumor antigens (TAs) for T cell receptor (TCR) and chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies. IRIS leverages large-scale tumor and normal transcriptome data and incorporates multiple screening approaches to discover AS-derived TAs with tumor-associated or tumor-specific expression. In a proof-of-concept analysis integrating transcriptomics and immunopeptidomics data, we showed that hundreds of IRIS-predicted TCR targets are presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules. We applied IRIS to RNA-seq data of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). From 2,939 NEPC-associated AS events, IRIS predicted 1,651 epitopes from 808 events as potential TCR targets for two common HLA types (A*02:01 and A*03:01). A more stringent screening test prioritized 48 epitopes from 20 events with "neoantigen-like" NEPC-specific expression. Predicted epitopes are often encoded by microexons of ≤30 nucleotides. To validate the immunogenicity and T cell recognition of IRIS-predicted TCR epitopes, we performed in vitro T cell priming in combination with single-cell TCR sequencing. Seven TCRs transduced into human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) showed high activity against individual IRIS-predicted epitopes, providing strong evidence of isolated TCRs reactive to AS-derived peptides. One selected TCR showed efficient cytotoxicity against target cells expressing the target peptide. Our study illustrates the contribution of AS to the TA repertoire of cancer cells and demonstrates the utility of IRIS for discovering AS-derived TAs and expanding cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Pan
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - John W. Phillips
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Beatrice D. Zhang
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Miyako Noguchi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Eric Kutschera
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Jami McLaughlin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | | | - Zhiyuan Mao
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Nathanael J. Bangayan
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Robert Wang
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Wendy Tran
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Harry T. Yang
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Yang Xu
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Matthew B. Obusan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Donghui Cheng
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Alex H. Lee
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Kathryn E. Kadash-Edmondson
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Ameya Champhekar
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Cristina Puig-Saus
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Robert M. Prins
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Christopher S. Seet
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Gay M. Crooks
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Owen N. Witte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Yi Xing
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA19104
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16
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Abstract
Dysregulated RNA splicing is a molecular feature that characterizes almost all tumour types. Cancer-associated splicing alterations arise from both recurrent mutations and altered expression of trans-acting factors governing splicing catalysis and regulation. Cancer-associated splicing dysregulation can promote tumorigenesis via diverse mechanisms, contributing to increased cell proliferation, decreased apoptosis, enhanced migration and metastatic potential, resistance to chemotherapy and evasion of immune surveillance. Recent studies have identified specific cancer-associated isoforms that play critical roles in cancer cell transformation and growth and demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of correcting or otherwise antagonizing such cancer-associated mRNA isoforms. Clinical-grade small molecules that modulate or inhibit RNA splicing have similarly been developed as promising anticancer therapeutics. Here, we review splicing alterations characteristic of cancer cell transcriptomes, dysregulated splicing's contributions to tumour initiation and progression, and existing and emerging approaches for targeting splicing for cancer therapy. Finally, we discuss the outstanding questions and challenges that must be addressed to translate these findings into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division and Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Olga Anczuków
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA.
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17
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Liu M, Han Z, Zhi Y, Ruan Y, Cao G, Wang G, Xu X, Mu J, Kang J, Dai F, Wen X, Zhang Q, Li F. Long-read sequencing reveals oncogenic mechanism of HPV-human fusion transcripts in cervical cancer. Transl Res 2023; 253:80-94. [PMID: 36223881 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Integration of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) into the host genome is a crucial event for the development of cervical cancer, however, the underlying mechanism of HPV integration-driven carcinogenesis remains unknown. Here, we performed long-read RNA sequencing on 12 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and cervical cancer patients, including 3 pairs of cervical cancer and corresponding para-cancerous tissue samples to investigate the full-length landscape of cross-species genome integrations. In addition to massive unannotated isoforms, transcriptional regulatory events, and gene chimerism, more importantly, we found that HPV-human fusion events were prevalent in HPV-associated cervical cancers. Combined with the genome data, we revealed the existence of a universal transcription pattern in these fusion events, whereby structurally similar fusion transcripts were generated by specific splicing in E6 and a canonical splicing donor site in E1 linking to various human splicing acceptors. Highly expressed HPV-human fusion transcripts, eg, HPV16 E6*I-E7-E1SD880-human gene, were the key driver of cervical carcinogenesis, which could trigger overexpression of E6*I and E7, and destroy the transcription of tumor suppressor genes CMAHP, TP63 and P3H2. Finally, evidence from in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrates that the novel read-through fusion gene mRNA, E1-CMAHP (E1C, formed by the integration of HPV58 E1 with CMAHP), existed in the fusion transcript can promote malignant transformation of cervical epithelial cells via regulating downstream oncogenes to participate in various biological processes. Taken together, we reveal a previously unknown mechanism of HPV integration-driven carcinogenesis and provide a novel target for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiqiang Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yong Zhi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yetian Ruan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangxu Cao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangxue Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinxin Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianbing Mu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Jiuhong Kang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangping Dai
- Genome-decoding Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd, Nantong, China
| | - Xuejun Wen
- Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, School of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
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18
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Transcriptome profiling for precision cancer medicine using shallow nanopore cDNA sequencing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2378. [PMID: 36759549 PMCID: PMC9911782 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29550-8] [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: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome profiling is a mainstay of translational cancer research and is increasingly finding its way into precision oncology. While bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is widely available, high investment costs and long data return time are limiting factors for clinical applications. We investigated a portable nanopore long-read sequencing device (MinION, Oxford Nanopore Technologies) for transcriptome profiling of tumors. In particular, we investigated the impact of lower coverage than that of larger sequencing devices by comparing shallow nanopore RNA-seq data with short-read RNA-seq data generated using reversible dye terminator technology (Illumina) for ten samples representing four cancer types. Coupled with ShaNTi (Shallow Nanopore sequencing for Transcriptomics), a newly developed data processing pipeline, a turnaround time of five days was achieved. The correlation of normalized gene-level counts between nanopore and Illumina RNA-seq was high for MinION but not for very low-throughput Flongle flow cells (r = 0.89 and r = 0.24, respectively). A cost-saving approach based on multiplexing of four samples per MinION flow cell maintained a high correlation with Illumina data (r = 0.56-0.86). In addition, we compared the utility of nanopore and Illumina RNA-seq data for analysis tools commonly applied in translational oncology: (1) Shallow nanopore and Illumina RNA-seq were equally useful for inferring signaling pathway activities with PROGENy. (2) Highly expressed genes encoding kinases targeted by clinically approved small-molecule inhibitors were reliably identified by shallow nanopore RNA-seq. (3) In tumor microenvironment composition analysis, quanTIseq performed better than CIBERSORT, likely due to higher average expression of the gene set used for deconvolution. (4) Shallow nanopore RNA-seq was successfully applied to detect fusion genes using the JAFFAL pipeline. These findings suggest that shallow nanopore RNA-seq enables rapid and biologically meaningful transcriptome profiling of tumors, and warrants further exploration in precision cancer medicine studies.
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19
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The Pattern of RNA Editing Changes in Pleural Mesothelioma upon Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032874. [PMID: 36769192 PMCID: PMC9917482 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032874] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a cancer where epithelioid, biphasic and sarcomatoid histotypes are observed. Sarcomatoid PM is characterized by mesenchymal features. Multi-omics have been used to characterize the epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) phenotype at the molecular level. We contribute to this effort by including the analysis of RNA editing. We extracted samples with the highest vs. lowest Epithelial score from two PM cohorts and observed increased RNA editing in introns and decreased RNA editing in 3'UTR upon EMT. The same was observed in primary PM primary cultures stratified by transcriptomics analysis into two groups, one of them enriched with mesenchymal features. Our data demonstrate that, as has been observed in other cancer types, RNA editing associates to EMT phenotype in PM.
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20
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Staszewski J, Lazarewicz N, Konczak J, Migdal I, Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska E. UPF1-From mRNA Degradation to Human Disorders. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030419. [PMID: 36766761 PMCID: PMC9914065 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030419] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Up-frameshift protein 1 (UPF1) plays the role of a vital controller for transcripts, ready to react in the event of an incorrect translation mechanism. It is well known as one of the key elements involved in mRNA decay pathways and participates in transcript and protein quality control in several different aspects. Firstly, UPF1 specifically degrades premature termination codon (PTC)-containing products in a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD)-coupled manner. Additionally, UPF1 can potentially act as an E3 ligase and degrade target proteins independently from mRNA decay pathways. Thus, UPF1 protects cells against the accumulation of misfolded polypeptides. However, this multitasking protein may still hide many of its functions and abilities. In this article, we summarize important discoveries in the context of UPF1, its involvement in various cellular pathways, as well as its structural importance and mutational changes related to the emergence of various pathologies and disease states. Even though the state of knowledge about this protein has significantly increased over the years, there are still many intriguing aspects that remain unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Staszewski
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (J.S.); (E.M.-D.)
| | - Natalia Lazarewicz
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
- Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, University of Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Julia Konczak
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Migdal
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (J.S.); (E.M.-D.)
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21
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Epigenetic and transcriptional activation of the secretory kinase FAM20C as an oncogene in glioma. J Genet Genomics 2023:S1673-8527(23)00023-1. [PMID: 36708808 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Gliomas are the most prevalent and aggressive malignancies of the nervous system. Previous bioinformatic studies have revealed the crucial role of the secretory pathway kinase FAM20C in the prediction of glioma invasion and malignancy. However, little is known about the pathogenesis of FAM20C in the regulation of glioma. Here, we construct the full-length transcriptome atlas in paired gliomas and observe that 22 genes are upregulated by full-length transcriptome and differential APA analysis. Analysis of ATAC-seq data reveals that both FAM20C and NPTN are the hub genes with chromatin openness and differential expression. Further, in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that FAM20C stimulates the proliferation and metastasis of glioma cells. Meanwhile, NPTN, a novel cancer suppressor gene, counteracts the function of FAM20C by inhibiting both the proliferation and migration of glioma. The blockade of FAM20C by neutralizing antibodies results in the regression of xenograft tumors. Moreover, MAX, BRD4, MYC, and REST are found to be the potential trans-active factors for the regulation of FAM20C. Taken together, our results uncover the oncogenic role of FAM20C in glioma and shed new light on the treatment of glioma by abolishing FAM20C.
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22
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Neoantigens: promising targets for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:9. [PMID: 36604431 PMCID: PMC9816309 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01270-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 115.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in neoantigen research have accelerated the development and regulatory approval of tumor immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy and antibody-based therapies, especially for solid tumors. Neoantigens are newly formed antigens generated by tumor cells as a result of various tumor-specific alterations, such as genomic mutation, dysregulated RNA splicing, disordered post-translational modification, and integrated viral open reading frames. Neoantigens are recognized as non-self and trigger an immune response that is not subject to central and peripheral tolerance. The quick identification and prediction of tumor-specific neoantigens have been made possible by the advanced development of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic technologies. Compared to tumor-associated antigens, the highly immunogenic and tumor-specific neoantigens provide emerging targets for personalized cancer immunotherapies, and serve as prospective predictors for tumor survival prognosis and immune checkpoint blockade responses. The development of cancer therapies will be aided by understanding the mechanism underlying neoantigen-induced anti-tumor immune response and by streamlining the process of neoantigen-based immunotherapies. This review provides an overview on the identification and characterization of neoantigens and outlines the clinical applications of prospective immunotherapeutic strategies based on neoantigens. We also explore their current status, inherent challenges, and clinical translation potential.
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23
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Sun Z, Jing C, Zhan H, Guo X, Suo N, Kong F, Tao W, Xiao C, Hu D, Wang H, Jiang S. Identification of tumor antigens and immune landscapes for bladder urothelial carcinoma mRNA vaccine. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1097472. [PMID: 36761744 PMCID: PMC9905425 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1097472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) is associated with high mortality and recurrence. Although mRNA-based vaccines are promising treatment strategies for combating multiple solid cancers, their efficacy against BLCA remains unclear. We aimed to identify potential effective antigens of BLCA for the development of mRNA-based vaccines and screen for immune clusters to select appropriate candidates for vaccination. Methods Gene expression microarray data and clinical information were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas and GSE32894, respectively. The mRNA splicing patterns were obtained from the SpliceSeq portal. The cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics was used to visualize genetic alteration profiles. Furthermore, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) analysis, correlation analysis, consensus clustering analysis, immune cell infiltration analysis, and weighted co-expression network analysis were conducted. Results Six upregulated and mutated tumor antigens related to NMD, and infiltration of APCs were identified in patients with BLCA, including HP1BP3, OSBPL9, SSH3, ZCCHC8, FANCI, and EIF4A2. The patients were subdivided into two immune clusters (IC1 and IC2) with distinct clinical, cellular and molecular features. Patients in IC1 represented immunologically 'hot' phenotypes, whereas those in IC2 represented immunologically 'cold' phenotypes. Moreover, the survival rate was better in IC2 than in IC1, and the immune landscape of BLCA indicated significant inter-patient heterogeneity. Finally, CALD1, TGFB3, and ANXA6 were identified as key genes of BLCA through WGCNA analysis, and their mRNA expression levels were measured using qRT-PCR. Conclusion HP1BP3, OSBPL9, SSH3, ZCCHC8, FANCI, and EIF4A2 were identified as potential antigens for developing mRNA-based vaccines against BLCA, and patients in IC2 might benefit more from vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuolun Sun
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Changying Jing
- Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany.,Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Hailun Zhan
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xudong Guo
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Ning Suo
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Feng Kong
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Wen Tao
- Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chutian Xiao
- Department of Urology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Daoyuan Hu
- Department of Urology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanbo Wang
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Shaobo Jiang
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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24
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Matsushima S, Ajiro M, Iida K, Chamoto K, Honjo T, Hagiwara M. Chemical induction of splice-neoantigens attenuates tumor growth in a preclinical model of colorectal cancer. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabn6056. [PMID: 36449604 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn6056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Neoantigen production is a determinant of cancer immunotherapy. However, the expansion of neoantigen abundance for cancer therapeutics is technically challenging. Here, we report that the synthetic compound RECTAS can induce the production of splice-neoantigens that could be used to boost antitumor immune responses. RECTAS suppressed tumor growth in a CD8+ T cell- and tumor major histocompatibility complex class I-dependent manner and enhanced immune checkpoint blockade efficacy. Subsequent transcriptome analysis and validation for immunogenicity identified six splice-neoantigen candidates whose expression was induced by RECTAS treatment. Vaccination of the identified neoepitopes elicited T cell responses capable of killing cancer cells in vitro, in addition to suppression of tumor growth in vivo upon sensitization with RECTAS. Collectively, these results provide support for the further development of splice variant-inducing treatments for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Matsushima
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.,Pharmacology Research Laboratories, Watarase Research Center, Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Tochigi 329-0114, Japan
| | - Masahiko Ajiro
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kei Iida
- Medical Research Support Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Osaka 577-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Chamoto
- Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tasuku Honjo
- Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Hagiwara
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
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25
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Meraviglia-Crivelli D, Villanueva H, Zheleva A, Villalba-Esparza M, Moreno B, Menon AP, Calvo A, Cebollero J, Barainka M, de los Mozos IR, Huesa-Berral C, Pastor F. IL-6/STAT3 signaling in tumor cells restricts the expression of frameshift-derived neoantigens by SMG1 induction. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:211. [PMID: 36443756 PMCID: PMC9703761 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01679-6] [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: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The quality and quantity of tumor neoantigens derived from tumor mutations determines the fate of the immune response in cancer. Frameshift mutations elicit better tumor neoantigens, especially when they are not targeted by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). For tumor progression, malignant cells need to counteract the immune response including the silencing of immunodominant neoantigens (antigen immunoediting) and promoting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Although NMD inhibition has been reported to induce tumor immunity and increase the expression of cryptic neoantigens, the possibility that NMD activity could be modulated by immune forces operating in the tumor microenvironment as a new immunoediting mechanism has not been addressed. METHODS We study the effect of SMG1 expression (main kinase that initiates NMD) in the survival and the nature of the tumor immune infiltration using TCGA RNAseq and scRNAseq datasets of breast, lung and pancreatic cancer. Different murine tumor models were used to corroborate the antitumor immune dependencies of NMD. We evaluate whether changes of SMG1 expression in malignant cells impact the immune response elicited by cancer immunotherapy. To determine how NMD fluctuates in malignant cells we generated a luciferase reporter system to track NMD activity in vivo under different immune conditions. Cytokine screening, in silico studies and functional assays were conducted to determine the regulation of SMG1 via IL-6/STAT3 signaling. RESULTS IL-6/STAT3 signaling induces SMG1, which limits the expression of potent frameshift neoantigens that are under NMD control compromising the outcome of the immune response. CONCLUSION We revealed a new neoantigen immunoediting mechanism regulated by immune forces (IL-6/STAT3 signaling) responsible for silencing otherwise potent frameshift mutation-derived neoantigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Meraviglia-Crivelli
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Helena Villanueva
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Angelina Zheleva
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Villalba-Esparza
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510 USA
| | - Beatriz Moreno
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ashwathi Puravankara Menon
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Alfonso Calvo
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271IDISNA, CIBERONC, Program in Solid Tumors (CIMA), Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Avenida Pío XII, 55, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Javier Cebollero
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Martin Barainka
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Igor Ruiz de los Mozos
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Gene Therapy Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.424222.00000 0001 2242 5374Department of Personalized Medicine, NASERTIC, Government of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carlos Huesa-Berral
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Department of Physics and Applied Mathematics, School of Science, University of Navarra, E-31008 Pamplona, Navarra Spain
| | - Fernando Pastor
- grid.5924.a0000000419370271Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain ,grid.5924.a0000000419370271Department of Molecular Therapies, CIMA (Center for Applied Medical Research) University of Navarre, Av. de Pío XII, 55, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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26
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Cao L, Zhang Q, Song H, Lin K, Pang E. DeepASmRNA: Reference-free prediction of alternative splicing events with a scalable and interpretable deep learning model. iScience 2022; 25:105345. [PMID: 36325068 PMCID: PMC9619290 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is crucial for a wide range of biological processes. However, limited by the availability of reference genomes, genome-wide patterns of alternative splicing remain unknown in most nonmodel organisms. We present an attention-based convolutional neural network model, DeepASmRNA, for predicting alternative splicing events using only transcriptomic data. DeepASmRNA consists of two parts: identification of alternatively spliced transcripts and classification of alternative splicing events, which outperformed the state-of-the-art method, AStrap, and other deep learning models. Then, we utilize transfer learning to increase the performance in species with limited training data and use an interpretation method to decipher splicing codes. Finally, applying Amborella, DeepASmRNA can identify more AS events than AStrap while maintaining the same level of precision, suggesting that DeepASmRNA has superior sensitivity to identify alternative splicing events. In summary, DeepASmRNA is scalable and interpretable for detecting genome-wide patterns of alternative splicing in species without a reference genome. DeepASmRNA uses only the transcriptome to predict alternative splicing events DeepASmRNA identifies adjacent HSPs to greatly improve the recall DeepASmRNA uses attention-based convolutional neural network to classify AS events Transfer learning is used to increase the predictive power of a target species
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Cao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Quanbao Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hongtao Song
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Kui Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Erli Pang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Corresponding author
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Du G, Zhang Q, Huang X, Wang Y. Molecular mechanism of ferroptosis and its role in the occurrence and treatment of diabetes. Front Genet 2022; 13:1018829. [PMID: 36160012 PMCID: PMC9500181 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1018829] [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: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death, which is different from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Specifically, under the action of divalent iron or ester oxygenase, unsaturated fatty acids that are highly expressed on the cell membrane are catalyzed to produce lipid peroxidation, which induces cell death. In addition, the expression of the antioxidant system [glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)] is decreased. Ferroptosis plays an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. In this article, we review the molecular mechanism of ferroptosis in the development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. We also summarize the emerging questions in this particular area of research, some of which remain unanswered. Overall, this is a comprehensive review focusing on ferroptosis-mediated diabetes and providing novel insights in the treatment of diabetes from the perspective of ferroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghui Du
- Department of Outpatient, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Medicine, University of Electronics and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaobo Huang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaobo Huang, ; Yi Wang,
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaobo Huang, ; Yi Wang,
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28
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Yu G, He X, Li X, Wu Y. Driving neoantigen-based cancer vaccines for personalized immunotherapy into clinic: A burdensome journey to promising land. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113464. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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Deng Z, Zhan P, Yang K, Liu L, Liu J, Gao W. Identification of personalized neoantigen-based vaccines and immune subtype characteristic analysis of glioblastoma based on abnormal alternative splicing. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:3581-3600. [PMID: 36119813 PMCID: PMC9442016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of personalized neoantigen-based vaccines in cancer immunotherapy has shown promise. In this study, a large-scale bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify potential GBM-associated neoantigens based on abnormal alternative splicing, and then screen suitable patients for vaccination. Gene expression profiles and clinical information were collected from TCGA. We filtered the percent-spliced-in (PSI) spectrum of alternative splicing events in the dataset to identify abnormal alternative splicing events. MAF package was used to identify and analyse tumour mutation burden (TMB) in cancer samples. Tumour Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) was used to calculate and visualize the infiltration of antigen presenting cells (APCs). In addition, consistent clustering algorithm utilized to identify immune subtypes of GBM. Five potential tumour neoantigens (LRP1, TCF12, DERL3, WIPI2, and TSHZ3) were identified in GBM by selecting genes both with abnormal alternative splicing (upregulated) and gene frameshift mutations, in which LRP1 was significantly associated with APCs. According to the expressions of five potential tumour neoantigens, 160 patients with GBM were divided into three immune subtypes. Patients in cluster3 exhibited good prognoses. Furthermore, the characteristics, including TMB, abnormal alternative splicing events, immune activity, immune cells proportion, and association with tumour biomarkers, were unique in each immune subtypes. The characteristics of cluster3 illustrated that cluster3 participants were more suitable candidates for vaccination. LRP1 was identified as a potential neoantigen for immunotherapy against GBM, and patients in cluster3 were more suitable for vaccination. Our findings provide important guidance for the development of novel neoantigens and therapeutic targets in patients with GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang Deng
- Department of Pharmacy, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Peiyan Zhan
- Department of Neurology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Ke Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Li Liu
- Office of Academic Research, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Jue Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Wenqi Gao
- Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University and TechnologyWuhan 430015, Hubei, China
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Kiyose H, Nakagawa H, Ono A, Aikata H, Ueno M, Hayami S, Yamaue H, Chayama K, Shimada M, Wong JH, Fujimoto A. Comprehensive analysis of full-length transcripts reveals novel splicing abnormalities and oncogenic transcripts in liver cancer. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010342. [PMID: 35926060 PMCID: PMC9380957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes generate transcripts of various functions by alternative splicing. However, in most transcriptome studies, short-reads sequencing technologies (next-generation sequencers) have been used, leaving full-length transcripts unobserved directly. Although long-reads sequencing technologies would enable the sequencing of full-length transcripts, the data analysis is difficult. In this study, we developed an analysis pipeline named SPLICE and analyzed cDNA sequences from 42 pairs of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and matched non-cancerous livers with an Oxford Nanopore sequencer. Our analysis detected 46,663 transcripts from the protein-coding genes in the HCCs and the matched non-cancerous livers, of which 5,366 (11.5%) were novel. A comparison of expression levels identified 9,933 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in 4,744 genes. Interestingly, 746 genes with DETs, including the LINE1-MET transcript, were not found by a gene-level analysis. We also found that fusion transcripts of transposable elements and hepatitis B virus (HBV) were overexpressed in HCCs. In vitro experiments on DETs showed that LINE1-MET and HBV-human transposable elements promoted cell growth. Furthermore, fusion gene detection showed novel recurrent fusion events that were not detected in the short-reads. These results suggest the efficiency of full-length transcriptome studies and the importance of splicing variants in carcinogenesis. Genes generate transcripts of various functions by alternative splicing. However, in most transcriptome studies, short-reads sequencing technologies (next-generation sequencers) have been used, leaving full-length transcripts unobserved directly. In this study, we developed an analysis pipeline named SPLICE for long-read transcriptome sequencing and analyzed cDNA sequences from 42 pairs of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and matched non-cancerous livers with an Oxford Nanopore sequencer. Our analysis detected 5,366 novel transcripts and 9,933 differentially expressed transcripts in 4,744 genes between HCCs and non-cancerous livers. An analysis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcripts showed that fusion transcripts of the HBV gene and human transposable elements were overexpressed in HBV-infected HCCs. We also identified fusion genes that were not found in the short-reads. These results suggest that long-reads sequencing technologies provide a fuller understanding of cancer transcripts and that our method contributes to the analysis of transcriptome sequences by such technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kiyose
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hidewaki Nakagawa
- Laboratory for Cancer Genomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ono
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Aikata
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Masaki Ueno
- Department of Surgery II, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Shinya Hayami
- Department of Surgery II, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yamaue
- Department of Surgery II, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Chayama
- Collaborative Research Laboratory of Medical Innovation, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Research Center for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Mihoko Shimada
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jing Hao Wong
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiro Fujimoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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31
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Meraviglia-Crivelli D, Zheleva A, Barainka M, Moreno B, Villanueva H, Pastor F. Therapeutic Strategies to Enhance Tumor Antigenicity: Making the Tumor Detectable by the Immune System. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081842. [PMID: 36009389 PMCID: PMC9405394 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081842] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the oncology field, but many patients still do not respond to current immunotherapy approaches. One of the main challenges in broadening the range of responses to this type of treatment is the limited source of tumor neoantigens. T cells constitute a main line of defense against cancer, and the decisive step to trigger their activation is mediated by antigen recognition. Antigens allow the immune system to differentiate between self and foreign, which constitutes a critical step in recognition of cancer cells and the consequent development or control of the malignancy. One of the keystones to achieving a successful antitumor response is the presence of potent tumor antigens, known as neoantigens. However, tumors develop strategies to evade the immune system and resist current immunotherapies, and many tumors present a low tumor mutation burden limiting the presence of tumor antigenicity. Therefore, new approaches must be taken into consideration to overcome these shortcomings. The possibility of making tumors more antigenic represents a promising front to further improve the success of immunotherapy in cancer. Throughout this review, we explored different state-of-the-art tools to induce the presentation of new tumor antigens by intervening at protein, mRNA or genomic levels in malignant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Meraviglia-Crivelli
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (D.M.-C.); (A.Z.); (M.B.); (B.M.); (H.V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Angelina Zheleva
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (D.M.-C.); (A.Z.); (M.B.); (B.M.); (H.V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Martin Barainka
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (D.M.-C.); (A.Z.); (M.B.); (B.M.); (H.V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Moreno
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (D.M.-C.); (A.Z.); (M.B.); (B.M.); (H.V.)
| | - Helena Villanueva
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (D.M.-C.); (A.Z.); (M.B.); (B.M.); (H.V.)
| | - Fernando Pastor
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Center for Applied Medical Research, CIMA, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (D.M.-C.); (A.Z.); (M.B.); (B.M.); (H.V.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Recinto de Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Karousis ED, Mühlemann O. The broader sense of nonsense. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:921-935. [PMID: 35780009 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The term 'nonsense-mediated mRNA decay' (NMD) was initially coined to describe the translation-dependent degradation of mRNAs harboring premature termination codons (PTCs), but it is meanwhile known that NMD also targets many canonical mRNAs with numerous biological implications. The molecular mechanisms determining on which RNAs NMD ensues are only partially understood. Considering the broad range of NMD-sensitive RNAs and the variable degrees of their degradation, we highlight here the hallmarks of mammalian NMD and point out open questions. We review the links between NMD and disease by summarizing the role of NMD in cancer, neurodegeneration, and viral infections. Finally, we describe strategies to modulate NMD activity and specificity as potential therapeutic approaches for various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos D Karousis
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Oliver Mühlemann
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Sakamoto Y, Miyake S, Oka M, Kanai A, Kawai Y, Nagasawa S, Shiraishi Y, Tokunaga K, Kohno T, Seki M, Suzuki Y, Suzuki A. Phasing analysis of lung cancer genomes using a long read sequencer. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3464. [PMID: 35710642 PMCID: PMC9203510 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31133-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal backgrounds of cancerous mutations still remain elusive. Here, we conduct the phasing analysis of non-small cell lung cancer specimens of 20 Japanese patients. By the combinatory use of short and long read sequencing data, we obtain long phased blocks of 834 kb in N50 length with >99% concordance rate. By analyzing the obtained phasing information, we reveal that several cancer genomes harbor regions in which mutations are unevenly distributed to either of two haplotypes. Large-scale chromosomal rearrangement events, which resemble chromothripsis events but have smaller scales, occur on only one chromosome, and these events account for the observed biased distributions. Interestingly, the events are characteristic of EGFR mutation-positive lung adenocarcinomas. Further integration of long read epigenomic and transcriptomic data reveal that haploid chromosomes are not always at equivalent transcriptomic/epigenomic conditions. Distinct chromosomal backgrounds are responsible for later cancerous aberrations in a haplotype-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Sakamoto
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shuhei Miyake
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Miho Oka
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akinori Kanai
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kawai
- Genome Medical Science Project (Toyama), National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoi Nagasawa
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuichi Shiraishi
- Division of Genome Analysis Platform Development, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsushi Tokunaga
- Genome Medical Science Project (Toyama), National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kohno
- Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahide Seki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
| | - Ayako Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
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Anagnostou V, Bardelli A, Chan TA, Turajlic S. The status of tumor mutational burden and immunotherapy. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:652-656. [PMID: 35764740 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00382-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valsamo Anagnostou
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Alberto Bardelli
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, TO, Italy. .,Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO - IRCCS, Candiolo, TO, Italy.
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. .,National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Samra Turajlic
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK. .,Skin and Renal Units, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. .,Melanoma and Kidney Cancer Team, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
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35
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Neoantigens – the next frontier in precision immunotherapy for B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Blood Rev 2022; 56:100969. [DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2022.100969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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36
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Venkataramany AS, Schieffer KM, Lee K, Cottrell CE, Wang PY, Mardis ER, Cripe TP, Chandler DS. Alternative RNA Splicing Defects in Pediatric Cancers: New Insights in Tumorigenesis and Potential Therapeutic Vulnerabilities. Ann Oncol 2022; 33:578-592. [PMID: 35339647 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2022.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compared to adult cancers, pediatric cancers are uniquely characterized by a genomically stable landscape and lower tumor mutational burden. However, alternative splicing, a global cellular process that produces different mRNA/protein isoforms from a single mRNA transcript, has been increasingly implicated in the development of pediatric cancers. DESIGN We review the current literature on the role of alternative splicing in adult cancer, cancer predisposition syndromes, and pediatric cancers. We also describe multiple splice variants identified in adult cancers and confirmed through comprehensive genomic profiling in our institutional cohort of rare, refractory and relapsed pediatric and adolescent young adult cancer patients. Finally, we summarize the contributions of alternative splicing events to neoantigens and chemoresistance and prospects for splicing-based therapies. RESULTS Published dysregulated splicing events can be categorized as exon inclusion, exon exclusion, splicing factor upregulation, or splice site alterations. We observe these phenomena in cancer predisposition syndromes (Lynch syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, CHEK2) and pediatric leukemia (B-ALL), sarcomas (Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma), retinoblastoma, Wilms tumor, and neuroblastoma. Within our institutional cohort, we demonstrate splice variants in key regulatory genes (CHEK2, TP53, PIK3R1, MDM2, KDM6A, NF1) that resulted in exon exclusion or splice site alterations, which were predicted to impact functional protein expression and promote tumorigenesis. Differentially spliced isoforms and splicing proteins also impact neoantigen creation and treatment resistance, such as imatinib or glucocorticoid regimens. Additionally, splice-altering strategies with the potential to change the therapeutic landscape of pediatric cancers include antisense oligonucleotides, adeno-associated virus gene transfers, and small molecule inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS Alternative splicing plays a critical role in the formation and growth of pediatric cancers, and our institutional cohort confirms and highlights the broad spectrum of affected genes in a variety of cancers. Further studies that elucidate the mechanisms of disease-inducing splicing events will contribute toward the development of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Venkataramany
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - K M Schieffer
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - K Lee
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - C E Cottrell
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - P Y Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - E R Mardis
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - T P Cripe
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplant, Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - D S Chandler
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States.
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37
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Chen Z, He X. Application of third-generation sequencing in cancer research. MEDICAL REVIEW (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2021; 1:150-171. [PMID: 37724303 PMCID: PMC10388785 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2021-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
In the past several years, nanopore sequencing technology from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology from Pacific BioSciences (PacBio) have become available to researchers and are currently being tested for cancer research. These methods offer many advantages over most widely used high-throughput short-read sequencing approaches and allow the comprehensive analysis of transcriptomes by identifying full-length splice isoforms and several other posttranscriptional events. In addition, these platforms enable structural variation characterization at a previously unparalleled resolution and direct detection of epigenetic marks in native DNA and RNA. Here, we present a comprehensive summary of important applications of these technologies in cancer research, including the identification of complex structure variants, alternatively spliced isoforms, fusion transcript events, and exogenous RNA. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of the newly developed nanopore direct RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach in advancing epitranscriptome research in cancer. Although the unique challenges still present for these new single-molecule long-read methods, they will unravel many aspects of cancer genome complexity in unprecedented ways and present an encouraging outlook for continued application in an increasing number of different cancer research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiao Chen
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianghuo He
- Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer in Shanghai, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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38
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Bongiorno R, Colombo MP, Lecis D. Deciphering the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway to identify cancer cell vulnerabilities for effective cancer therapy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:376. [PMID: 34852841 PMCID: PMC8638473 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02192-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a highly conserved cellular surveillance mechanism, commonly studied for its role in mRNA quality control because of its capacity of degrading mutated mRNAs that would produce truncated proteins. However, recent studies have proven that NMD hides more complex tasks involved in a plethora of cellular activities. Indeed, it can control the stability of mutated as well as non-mutated transcripts, tuning transcriptome regulation. NMD not only displays a pivotal role in cell physiology but also in a number of genetic diseases. In cancer, the activity of this pathway is extremely complex and it is endowed with both pro-tumor and tumor suppressor functions, likely depending on the genetic context and tumor microenvironment. NMD inhibition has been tested in pre-clinical studies showing favored production of neoantigens by cancer cells, which can stimulate the triggering of an anti-tumor immune response. At the same time, NMD inhibition could result in a pro-tumor effect, increasing cancer cell adaptation to stress. Since several NMD inhibitors are already available in the clinic to treat genetic diseases, these compounds could be redirected to treat cancer patients, pending the comprehension of these variegated NMD regulation mechanisms. Ideally, an effective strategy should exploit the anti-tumor advantages of NMD inhibition and simultaneously preserve its intrinsic tumor suppressor functions. The targeting of NMD could provide a new therapeutic opportunity, increasing the immunogenicity of tumors and potentially boosting the efficacy of the immunotherapy agents now available for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bongiorno
- Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Paolo Colombo
- Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Lecis
- Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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Impact of alternative splicing on mechanisms of resistance to anticancer drugs. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 193:114810. [PMID: 34673012 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A shared characteristic of many tumors is the lack of response to anticancer drugs. Multiple mechanisms of pharmacoresistance (MPRs) are involved in permitting cancer cells to overcome the effect of these agents. Pharmacoresistance can be primary (intrinsic) or secondary (acquired), i.e., triggered or enhanced in response to the treatment. Moreover, MPRs usually result in the lack of sensitivity to several agents, which accounts for diverse multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes. MPRs are based on the dynamic expression of more than one hundred genes, constituting the so-called resistome. Alternative splicing (AS) during pre-mRNA maturation results in changes affecting proteins involved in the resistome. The resulting splicing variants (SVs) reduce the efficacy of anticancer drugs by lowering the intracellular levels of active agents, altering molecular targets, enhancing both DNA repair ability and defensive mechanism of tumors, inducing changes in the balance between pro-survival and pro-apoptosis signals, modifying interactions with the tumor microenvironment, and favoring malignant phenotypic transitions. Reasons accounting for cancer-associated aberrant splicing include mutations that create or disrupt splicing sites or splicing enhancers or silencers, abnormal expression of splicing factors, and impaired signaling pathways affecting the activity of the splicing machinery. Here we have reviewed the impact of AS on MPR in cancer cells.
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Lv D, Chang Z, Cai Y, Li J, Wang L, Jiang Q, Xu K, Ding N, Li X, Xu J, Li Y. TransLnc: a comprehensive resource for translatable lncRNAs extends immunopeptidome. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D413-D420. [PMID: 34570220 PMCID: PMC8728190 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
LncRNAs are not only well-known as non-coding elements, but also serve as templates for peptide translation, playing important roles in fundamental cellular processes and diseases. Here, we describe a database, TransLnc (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/TransLnc/), which aims to provide comprehensive experimentally supported and predicted lncRNA peptides in multiple species. TransLnc currently documents approximate 583 840 peptides encoded by 33 094 lncRNAs. Six types of direct and indirect evidences supporting the coding potential of lncRNAs were integrated, and 65.28% peptides entries were with at least one type of evidence. Considering the strong tissue-specific expression of lncRNAs, TransLnc allows users to access lncRNA peptides in any of the 34 tissues involved in. In addition, both the unique characteristic and homology relationship were also predicted and provided. Importantly, TransLnc provides computationally predicted tumour neoantigens from peptides encoded by lncRNAs, which would provide novel insights into cancer immunotherapy. There were 220 791 and 237 915 candidate neoantigens binding by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II molecules, respectively. Several flexible tools were developed to aid retrieve and analyse, particularly lncRNAs tissue expression patterns, clinical relevance across cancer types. TransLnc will serve as a valuable resource for investigating the translation capacity of lncRNAs and greatly extends the cancer immunopeptidome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhong Lv
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Zhenghong Chang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Yangyang Cai
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Junyi Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Liping Wang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Qiushuang Jiang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Kang Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Na Ding
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China
| | - Xia Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Information and Engineering, Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Juan Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Information and Engineering, Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Yongsheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Information and Engineering, Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
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Karousis ED, Gypas F, Zavolan M, Mühlemann O. Nanopore sequencing reveals endogenous NMD-targeted isoforms in human cells. Genome Biol 2021; 22:223. [PMID: 34389041 PMCID: PMC8361881 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02439-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic, translation-dependent degradation pathway that targets mRNAs with premature termination codons and also regulates the expression of some mRNAs that encode full-length proteins. Although many genes express NMD-sensitive transcripts, identifying them based on short-read sequencing data remains a challenge. RESULTS To identify and analyze endogenous targets of NMD, we apply cDNA Nanopore sequencing and short-read sequencing to human cells with varying expression levels of NMD factors. Our approach detects full-length NMD substrates that are highly unstable and increase in levels or even only appear when NMD is inhibited. Among the many new NMD-targeted isoforms that our analysis identifies, most derive from alternative exon usage. The isoform-aware analysis reveals many genes with significant changes in splicing but no significant changes in overall expression levels upon NMD knockdown. NMD-sensitive mRNAs have more exons in the 3΄UTR and, for those mRNAs with a termination codon in the last exon, the length of the 3΄UTR per se does not correlate with NMD sensitivity. Analysis of splicing signals reveals isoforms where NMD has been co-opted in the regulation of gene expression, though the main function of NMD seems to be ridding the transcriptome of isoforms resulting from spurious splicing events. CONCLUSIONS Long-read sequencing enables the identification of many novel NMD-sensitive mRNAs and reveals both known and unexpected features concerning their biogenesis and their biological role. Our data provide a highly valuable resource of human NMD transcript targets for future genomic and transcriptomic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelos D Karousis
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Foivos Gypas
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mihaela Zavolan
- Biozentrum, University of Basel and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Mühlemann
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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De Paoli-Iseppi R, Gleeson J, Clark MB. Isoform Age - Splice Isoform Profiling Using Long-Read Technologies. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:711733. [PMID: 34409069 PMCID: PMC8364947 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.711733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) of RNA is a key mechanism that results in the expression of multiple transcript isoforms from single genes and leads to an increase in the complexity of both the transcriptome and proteome. Regulation of AS is critical for the correct functioning of many biological pathways, while disruption of AS can be directly pathogenic in diseases such as cancer or cause risk for complex disorders. Current short-read sequencing technologies achieve high read depth but are limited in their ability to resolve complex isoforms. In this review we examine how long-read sequencing (LRS) technologies can address this challenge by covering the entire RNA sequence in a single read and thereby distinguish isoform changes that could impact RNA regulation or protein function. Coupling LRS with technologies such as single cell sequencing, targeted sequencing and spatial transcriptomics is producing a rapidly expanding suite of technological approaches to profile alternative splicing at the isoform level with unprecedented detail. In addition, integrating LRS with genotype now allows the impact of genetic variation on isoform expression to be determined. Recent results demonstrate the potential of these techniques to elucidate the landscape of splicing, including in tissues such as the brain where AS is particularly prevalent. Finally, we also discuss how AS can impact protein function, potentially leading to novel therapeutic targets for a range of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael B. Clark
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Mehterov N, Kazakova M, Sbirkov Y, Vladimirov B, Belev N, Yaneva G, Todorova K, Hayrabedyan S, Sarafian V. Alternative RNA Splicing-The Trojan Horse of Cancer Cells in Chemotherapy. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12071085. [PMID: 34356101 PMCID: PMC8306420 DOI: 10.3390/genes12071085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all transcribed human genes undergo alternative RNA splicing, which increases the diversity of the coding and non-coding cellular landscape. The resultant gene products might have distinctly different and, in some cases, even opposite functions. Therefore, the abnormal regulation of alternative splicing plays a crucial role in malignant transformation, development, and progression, a fact supported by the distinct splicing profiles identified in both healthy and tumor cells. Drug resistance, resulting in treatment failure, still remains a major challenge for current cancer therapy. Furthermore, tumor cells often take advantage of aberrant RNA splicing to overcome the toxicity of the administered chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, deciphering the alternative RNA splicing variants in tumor cells would provide opportunities for designing novel therapeutics combating cancer more efficiently. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive outline of the recent findings in alternative splicing in the most common neoplasms, including lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, glioma, colon, and blood malignancies. Molecular mechanisms developed by cancer cells to promote oncogenesis as well as to evade anticancer drug treatment and the subsequent chemotherapy failure are also discussed. Taken together, these findings offer novel opportunities for future studies and the development of targeted therapy for cancer-specific splicing variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Mehterov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Maria Kazakova
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Yordan Sbirkov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Boyan Vladimirov
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Nikolay Belev
- Medical Simulation and Training Center, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Galina Yaneva
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Varna, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria;
| | - Krassimira Todorova
- Laboratory of Reproductive OMICs Technologies, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.T.); (S.H.)
| | - Soren Hayrabedyan
- Laboratory of Reproductive OMICs Technologies, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.T.); (S.H.)
| | - Victoria Sarafian
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +359-882-512-952
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Guccione E, Schwarz M, Di Tullio F, Mzoughi S. Cancer synthetic vulnerabilities to protein arginine methyltransferase inhibitors. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 59:33-42. [PMID: 34052526 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein arginine methylation is an abundant post-translational modification involved in the modulation of essential cellular processes ranging from transcription, post-transcriptional RNA metabolism, and propagation of signaling cascades to the regulation of the DNA damage response. Excitingly for the field, in the past few years there have been remarkable advances in the development of molecular tools and clinical compounds able to selectively and potently inhibit protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) functions. In this review, we first discuss how the somatic mutations that confer advantages to cancer cells are often associated with vulnerabilities that can be exploited by PRMTs' inhibition. In a second part, we discuss strategies to uncover synthetic lethal combinations between existing therapies and PRMT inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Guccione
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Megan Schwarz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Federico Di Tullio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Slim Mzoughi
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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45
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Nogueira G, Fernandes R, García-Moreno JF, Romão L. Nonsense-mediated RNA decay and its bipolar function in cancer. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:72. [PMID: 33926465 PMCID: PMC8082775 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) was first described as a quality-control mechanism that targets and rapidly degrades aberrant mRNAs carrying premature termination codons (PTCs). However, it was found that NMD also degrades a significant number of normal transcripts, thus arising as a mechanism of gene expression regulation. Based on these important functions, NMD regulates several biological processes and is involved in the pathophysiology of a plethora of human genetic diseases, including cancer. The present review aims to discuss the paradoxical, pro- and anti-tumorigenic roles of NMD, and how cancer cells have exploited both functions to potentiate the disease. Considering recent genetic and bioinformatic studies, we also provide a comprehensive overview of the present knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of different NMD modulation-based approaches in cancer therapy, reflecting on the challenges imposed by the complexity of this disease. Furthermore, we discuss significant advances in the recent years providing new perspectives on the implications of aberrant NMD-escaping frameshifted transcripts in personalized immunotherapy design and predictive biomarker optimization. A better understanding of how NMD differentially impacts tumor cells according to their own genetic identity will certainly allow for the application of novel and more effective personalized treatments in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo Nogueira
- Departamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal.,BioISI - Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rafael Fernandes
- Departamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal.,BioISI - Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Juan F García-Moreno
- Departamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal.,BioISI - Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Luísa Romão
- Departamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal. .,BioISI - Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
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46
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Su Z, Huang D. Alternative Splicing of Pre-mRNA in the Control of Immune Activity. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040574. [PMID: 33921058 PMCID: PMC8071365 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The human immune response is a complex process that responds to numerous exogenous antigens in preventing infection by microorganisms, as well as to endogenous components in the surveillance of tumors and autoimmune diseases, and a great number of molecules are necessary to carry the functional complexity of immune activity. Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA plays an important role in immune cell development and regulation of immune activity through yielding diverse transcriptional isoforms to supplement the function of limited genes associated with the immune reaction. In addition, multiple factors have been identified as being involved in the control of alternative splicing at the cis, trans, or co-transcriptional level, and the aberrant splicing of RNA leads to the abnormal modulation of immune activity in infections, immune diseases, and tumors. In this review, we summarize the recent discoveries on the generation of immune-associated alternative splice variants, clinical disorders, and possible regulatory mechanisms. We also discuss the immune responses to the neoantigens produced by alternative splicing, and finally, we issue some alternative splicing and immunity correlated questions based on our knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjing Su
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Shantou University Medical College, No. 22, Xinling Road, Shantou 515041, China
- Correspondence: (Z.S.); (D.H.)
| | - Dongyang Huang
- Department of Cell Biology, Shantou University Medical College, No. 22, Xinling Road, Shantou 515041, China
- Correspondence: (Z.S.); (D.H.)
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47
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Pan Y, Kadash-Edmondson KE, Wang R, Phillips J, Liu S, Ribas A, Aplenc R, Witte ON, Xing Y. RNA Dysregulation: An Expanding Source of Cancer Immunotherapy Targets. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:268-282. [PMID: 33711255 PMCID: PMC8761020 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer transcriptomes frequently exhibit RNA dysregulation. As the resulting aberrant transcripts may be translated into cancer-specific proteins, there is growing interest in exploiting RNA dysregulation as a source of tumor antigens (TAs) and thus novel immunotherapy targets. Recent advances in high-throughput technologies and rapid accumulation of multiomic cancer profiling data in public repositories have provided opportunities to systematically characterize RNA dysregulation in cancer and identify antigen targets for immunotherapy. However, given the complexity of cancer transcriptomes and proteomes, important conceptual and technological challenges exist. Here, we highlight the expanding repertoire of TAs arising from RNA dysregulation and introduce multiomic and big data strategies for identifying optimal immunotherapy targets. We discuss extant barriers for translating these targets into effective therapies as well as the implications for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Pan
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathryn E Kadash-Edmondson
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert Wang
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John Phillips
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Richard Aplenc
- Division of Oncology, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Owen N Witte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yi Xing
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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