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Wang T, Liu L, Fang J, Jin H, Natarajan S, Sheppard H, Lu M, Turner G, Confer T, Johnson M, Steinberg J, Ha L, Yadak N, Jain R, Picketts DJ, Ma X, Murphy A, Davidoff AM, Glazer ES, Easton J, Chen X, Wang R, Yang J. Conditional c-MYC activation in catecholaminergic cells drives distinct neuroendocrine tumors: neuroblastoma vs somatostatinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584622. [PMID: 38559042 PMCID: PMC10980015 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The MYC proto-oncogenes (c-MYC, MYCN , MYCL ) are among the most deregulated oncogenic drivers in human malignancies including high-risk neuroblastoma, 50% of which are MYCN -amplified. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) based on the MYCN transgene have greatly expanded the understanding of neuroblastoma biology and are powerful tools for testing new therapies. However, a lack of c-MYC-driven GEMMs has hampered the ability to better understand mechanisms of neuroblastoma oncogenesis and therapy development given that c-MYC is also an important driver of many high-risk neuroblastomas. In this study, we report two transgenic murine neuroendocrine models driven by conditional c-MYC induction in tyrosine hydroxylase (Th) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (Dbh)-expressing cells. c-MYC induction in Th-expressing cells leads to a preponderance of Pdx1 + somatostatinomas, a type of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET), resembling human somatostatinoma with highly expressed gene signatures of δ cells and potassium channels. In contrast, c-MYC induction in Dbh-expressing cells leads to onset of neuroblastomas, showing a better transforming capacity than MYCN in a comparable C57BL/6 genetic background. The c-MYC murine neuroblastoma tumors recapitulate the pathologic and genetic features of human neuroblastoma, express GD2, and respond to anti-GD2 immunotherapy. This model also responds to DFMO, an FDA-approved inhibitor targeting ODC1, which is a known MYC transcriptional target. Thus, establishing c-MYC-overexpressing GEMMs resulted in different but related tumor types depending on the targeted cell and provide useful tools for testing immunotherapies and targeted therapies for these diseases.
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Yuan Y, Alzrigat M, Rodriguez-Garcia A, Wang X, Bexelius TS, Johnsen JI, Arsenian-Henriksson M, Liaño-Pons J, Bedoya-Reina OC. Target Genes of c-MYC and MYCN with Prognostic Power in Neuroblastoma Exhibit Different Expressions during Sympathoadrenal Development. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4599. [PMID: 37760568 PMCID: PMC10527308 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of the MYC family of transcription factors c-MYC (encoded by MYC), MYCN, and MYCL is prevalent in most human cancers, with an impact on tumor initiation and progression, as well as response to therapy. In neuroblastoma (NB), amplification of the MYCN oncogene and over-expression of MYC characterize approximately 40% and 10% of all high-risk NB cases, respectively. However, the mechanism and stage of neural crest development in which MYCN and c-MYC contribute to the onset and/or progression of NB are not yet fully understood. Here, we hypothesized that subtle differences in the expression of MYCN and/or c-MYC targets could more accurately stratify NB patients in different risk groups rather than using the expression of either MYC gene alone. We employed an integrative approach using the transcriptome of 498 NB patients from the SEQC cohort and previously defined c-MYC and MYCN target genes to model a multigene transcriptional risk score. Our findings demonstrate that defined sets of c-MYC and MYCN targets with significant prognostic value, effectively stratify NB patients into different groups with varying overall survival probabilities. In particular, patients exhibiting a high-risk signature score present unfavorable clinical parameters, including increased clinical risk, higher INSS stage, MYCN amplification, and disease progression. Notably, target genes with prognostic value differ between c-MYC and MYCN, exhibiting distinct expression patterns in the developing sympathoadrenal system. Genes associated with poor outcomes are mainly found in sympathoblasts rather than in chromaffin cells during the sympathoadrenal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yuan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Alzrigat
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aida Rodriguez-Garcia
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xueyao Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Sjöberg Bexelius
- Paediatric Oncology Unit, Astrid Lindgren’s Children Hospital, SE-171 64 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Inge Johnsen
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Arsenian-Henriksson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Judit Liaño-Pons
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
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Krawczyk E, Kitlińska J. Preclinical Models of Neuroblastoma-Current Status and Perspectives. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3314. [PMID: 37444423 PMCID: PMC10340830 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Preclinical in vitro and in vivo models remain indispensable tools in cancer research. These classic models, including two- and three-dimensional cell culture techniques and animal models, are crucial for basic and translational studies. However, each model has its own limitations and typically does not fully recapitulate the course of the human disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of novel, advanced systems that can allow for efficient evaluation of the mechanisms underlying cancer development and progression, more accurately reflect the disease pathophysiology and complexity, and effectively inform therapeutic decisions for patients. Preclinical models are especially important for rare cancers, such as neuroblastoma, where the availability of patient-derived specimens that could be used for potential therapy evaluation and screening is limited. Neuroblastoma modeling is further complicated by the disease heterogeneity. In this review, we present the current status of preclinical models for neuroblastoma research, discuss their development and characteristics emphasizing strengths and limitations, and describe the necessity of the development of novel, more advanced and clinically relevant approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Krawczyk
- Department of Pathology, Center for Cell Reprogramming, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Joanna Kitlińska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Segura MF, Soriano A, Roma J, Piskareva O, Jiménez C, Boloix A, Fletcher JI, Haber M, Gray JC, Cerdá-Alberich L, MartÃnez de Las Heras B, Cañete A, Gallego S, Moreno L. Methodological advances in the discovery of novel neuroblastoma therapeutics. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 17:167-179. [PMID: 34807782 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2002297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system that causes up to 15% of cancer-related deaths among children. Among the ~1,000 newly diagnosed cases per year in Europe, more than half are classified as high-risk, with a 5-year survival rate <50%. Current multimodal treatments have improved survival among these patients, but relapsed and refractory tumors remain a major therapeutic challenge. A number of new methodologies are paving the way for the development of more effective and safer therapies to ultimately improve outcomes for high-risk patients. AREAS COVERED The authors provide a critical review on methodological advances aimed at providing new therapeutic opportunities for neuroblastoma patients, including preclinical models of human disease, generation of omics data to discover new therapeutic targets, and artificial intelligence-based technologies to implement personalized treatments. EXPERT OPINION While survival of childhood cancer has improved over the past decades, progress has been uneven. Still, survival is dismal for some cancers, including high-risk neuroblastoma. Embracing new technologies (e.g. molecular profiling of tumors, 3D in vitro models, etc.), international collaborative efforts and the incorporation of new therapies (e.g. RNA-based therapies, epigenetic therapies, immunotherapy) will ultimately lead to more effective and safer therapies for these subgroups of neuroblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel F Segura
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Aroa Soriano
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Josep Roma
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Olga Piskareva
- Cancer Bioengineering Group, Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.,Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine, Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre (AMBER), RCSI and TCD, Dublin, Ireland.,National Children's Research Centre, OLCHC, Dublin, Ireland School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Carlos Jiménez
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Ariadna Boloix
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jamie I Fletcher
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, Australia
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, Australia
| | - Juliet C Gray
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Leonor Cerdá-Alberich
- Grupo de Investigación Biomédica En Imagen, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Spain
| | | | - Adela Cañete
- Unidad de OncohematologÃa Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Spain
| | - Soledad Gallego
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital-UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucas Moreno
- Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.,Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital-UAB, Barcelona, Spain
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