1
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Gambelli A, Nespolo A, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Pivetta E, Pellarin I, Nicoloso MS, Scapin C, Stefanatti L, Segatto I, Favero A, D'Andrea S, Mucignat MT, Bartoletti M, Lucia E, Schiappacassi M, Spessotto P, Canzonieri V, Giorda G, Puglisi F, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Sonego M, Baldassarre G. Platinum-induced upregulation of ITGA6 promotes chemoresistance and spreading in ovarian cancer. EMBO Mol Med 2024:10.1038/s44321-024-00069-3. [PMID: 38658801 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00069-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Platinum (PT)-resistant Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) grows as a metastatic disease, disseminating in the abdomen and pelvis. Very few options are available for PT-resistant EOC patients, and little is known about how the acquisition of PT-resistance mediates the increased spreading capabilities of EOC. Here, using isogenic PT-resistant cells, genetic and pharmacological approaches, and patient-derived models, we report that Integrin α6 (ITGA6) is overexpressed by PT-resistant cells and is necessary to sustain EOC metastatic ability and adhesion-dependent PT-resistance. Using in vitro approaches, we showed that PT induces a positive loop that, by stimulating ITGA6 transcription and secretion, contributes to the formation of a pre-metastatic niche enabling EOC cells to disseminate. At molecular level, ITGA6 engagement regulates the production and availability of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), over-stimulating the IGF1R pathway and upregulating Snail expression. In vitro data were recapitulated using in vivo models in which the targeting of ITGA6 prevents PT-resistant EOC dissemination and improves PT-activity, supporting ITGA6 as a promising druggable target for EOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Gambelli
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Anna Nespolo
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Eliana Pivetta
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Ilenia Pellarin
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Milena S Nicoloso
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Chiara Scapin
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Linda Stefanatti
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Andrea Favero
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Mucignat
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Michele Bartoletti
- Deparment of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Emilio Lucia
- Gynecological Surgery Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Paola Spessotto
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, TS, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giorda
- Gynecological Surgery Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Deparment of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, UD, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maura Sonego
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy.
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2
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Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Capece M, Reggiani Bonetti L, Nigita G, Calore F, Rentsch S, Magistri P, Ballarin R, Di Benedetto F, Distefano R, Cirombella R, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Lovat F, Croce CM. Nutrient restriction-activated Fra-2 promotes tumor progression via IGF1R in miR-15a downmodulated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:31. [PMID: 38342897 PMCID: PMC10859382 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01740-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease, characterized by an intense desmoplastic reaction that compresses blood vessels and limits nutrient supplies. PDAC aggressiveness largely relies on its extraordinary capability to thrive and progress in a challenging tumor microenvironment. Dysregulation of the onco-suppressor miR-15a has been extensively documented in PDAC. Here, we identified the transcription factor Fos-related antigen-2 (Fra-2) as a miR-15a target mediating the adaptive mechanism of PDAC to nutrient deprivation. We report that the IGF1 signaling pathway was enhanced in nutrient deprived PDAC cells and that Fra-2 and IGF1R were significantly overexpressed in miR-15a downmodulated PDAC patients. Mechanistically, we discovered that miR-15a repressed IGF1R expression via Fra-2 targeting. In miR-15a-low context, IGF1R hyperactivated mTOR, modulated the autophagic flux and sustained PDAC growth in nutrient deprivation. In a genetic mouse model, Mir15aKO PDAC showed Fra-2 and Igf1r upregulation and mTOR activation in response to diet restriction. Consistently, nutrient restriction improved the efficacy of IGF1R inhibition in a Fra-2 dependent manner. Overall, our results point to a crucial role of Fra-2 in the cellular stress response due to nutrient restriction typical of pancreatic cancer and support IGF1R as a promising and vulnerable target in miR-15a downmodulated PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, 00189, Italy
| | - Marina Capece
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Luca Reggiani Bonetti
- Department of Diagnostic, Clinic and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nigita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Federica Calore
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Sydney Rentsch
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Paolo Magistri
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Roberto Ballarin
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Di Benedetto
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Rosario Distefano
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Roberto Cirombella
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, 00189, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, 00189, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, 33081, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, 33081, Italy
| | - Francesca Lovat
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA.
| | - Carlo M Croce
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA.
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3
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Favero A, Segatto I, Capuano A, Mattevi MC, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Musco L, D'Andrea S, Dall'Acqua A, Gava C, Perin T, Massarut S, Marchini C, Baldassarre G, Spessotto P, Belletti B. Loss of the extracellular matrix glycoprotein EMILIN1 accelerates Δ16HER2-driven breast cancer initiation in mice. NPJ Breast Cancer 2024; 10:5. [PMID: 38184660 PMCID: PMC10771445 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00608-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important component of the tumor microenvironment and undergoes extensive remodeling during both initiation and progression of breast cancer (BC). EMILIN1 is an ECM glycoprotein, whose function has been linked to cancer and metastasis. However, EMILIN1 role during mammary gland and BC development has never been investigated. In silico and molecular analyses of human samples from normal mammary gland and BC showed that EMILIN1 expression was lower in tumors than in healthy mammary tissue and it predicted poor prognosis, particularly in HER2-positive BC. HER2+ BC accounts for 15-20% of all invasive BC and is characterized by high aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The Δ16HER2 isoform, a splice variant with very high oncogenic potential, is frequently expressed in HER2+ BC and correlates with metastatic disease. To elucidate the role of EMILIN1 in BC, we analyzed the phenotype of MMTV-Δ16HER2 transgenic mice, developing spontaneous multifocal mammary adenocarcinomas, crossed with EMILIN1 knock-out (KO) animals. We observed that Δ16HER2/EMILIN1 KO female mice exhibited an accelerated normal mammary gland development and a significantly anticipated appearance of palpable tumors (13.32 vs 15.28 weeks). This accelerated tumor initiation was corroborated by an increased number of tumor foci observed in mammary glands from Δ16HER2/EMILIN1 KO mice compared to the wild-type counterpart. Altogether our results underscore the centrality of ECM in the process of BC initiation and point to a role for EMILIN1 during normal mammary gland development and in protecting from HER2-driven breast tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Favero
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Capuano
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Mattevi
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorena Musco
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall'Acqua
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Chiara Gava
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
- Medical Department, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Tiziana Perin
- Unit of Pathology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Samuele Massarut
- Unit of Breast Surgery, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Biology Division, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Paola Spessotto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy.
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4
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Tombari C, Zannini A, Bertolio R, Pedretti S, Audano M, Triboli L, Cancila V, Vacca D, Caputo M, Donzelli S, Segatto I, Vodret S, Piazza S, Rustighi A, Mantovani F, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Blandino G, Tripodo C, Bicciato S, Mitro N, Del Sal G. Author Correction: Mutant p53 sustains serine-glycine synthesis and essential amino acids intake promoting breast cancer growth. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7129. [PMID: 37932286 PMCID: PMC10628279 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43018-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Tombari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zannini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Rebecca Bertolio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Pedretti
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Audano
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Triboli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Valeria Cancila
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Davide Vacca
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuel Caputo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Donzelli
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Simone Vodret
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvano Piazza
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rustighi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fiamma Mantovani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvio Bicciato
- Center for Genome Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giannino Del Sal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy.
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5
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Tombari C, Zannini A, Bertolio R, Pedretti S, Audano M, Triboli L, Cancila V, Vacca D, Caputo M, Donzelli S, Segatto I, Vodret S, Piazza S, Rustighi A, Mantovani F, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Blandino G, Tripodo C, Bicciato S, Mitro N, Del Sal G. Mutant p53 sustains serine-glycine synthesis and essential amino acids intake promoting breast cancer growth. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6777. [PMID: 37880212 PMCID: PMC10600207 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42458-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Reprogramming of amino acid metabolism, sustained by oncogenic signaling, is crucial for cancer cell survival under nutrient limitation. Here we discovered that missense mutant p53 oncoproteins stimulate de novo serine/glycine synthesis and essential amino acids intake, promoting breast cancer growth. Mechanistically, mutant p53, unlike the wild-type counterpart, induces the expression of serine-synthesis-pathway enzymes and L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1)/CD98 heavy chain heterodimer. This effect is exacerbated by amino acid shortage, representing a mutant p53-dependent metabolic adaptive response. When cells suffer amino acids scarcity, mutant p53 protein is stabilized and induces metabolic alterations and an amino acid transcriptional program that sustain cancer cell proliferation. In patient-derived tumor organoids, pharmacological targeting of either serine-synthesis-pathway and LAT1-mediated transport synergizes with amino acid shortage in blunting mutant p53-dependent growth. These findings reveal vulnerabilities potentially exploitable for tackling breast tumors bearing missense TP53 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Tombari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zannini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Rebecca Bertolio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Pedretti
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Audano
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Triboli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Valeria Cancila
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Davide Vacca
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuel Caputo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Donzelli
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Simone Vodret
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvano Piazza
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rustighi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fiamma Mantovani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvio Bicciato
- Center for Genome Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giannino Del Sal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy.
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6
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Coan M, Toso M, Cesaratto L, Rigo I, Borgna S, Dalla Pietà A, Zandonà L, Iuri L, Zucchetto A, Piazza C, Baldassarre G, Spizzo R, Nicoloso MS. LINC01605 Is a Novel Target of Mutant p53 in Breast and Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13736. [PMID: 37762037 PMCID: PMC10531163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancers. Most TP53 genomic alterations are missense mutations, which cause a loss of its tumour suppressor functions while providing mutant p53 (mut_p53) with oncogenic features (gain-of-function). Loss of p53 tumour suppressor functions alters the transcription of both protein-coding and non-protein-coding genes. Gain-of-function of mut_p53 triggers modification in gene expression as well; however, the impact of mut_p53 on the transcription of the non-protein-coding genes and whether these non-protein-coding genes affect oncogenic properties of cancer cell lines are not fully explored. In this study, we suggested that LINC01605 (also known as lincDUSP) is a long non-coding RNA regulated by mut_p53 and proved that mut_p53 directly regulates LINC01605 by binding to an enhancer region downstream of the LINC01605 locus. We also showed that the loss or downregulation of LINC01605 impairs cell migration in a breast cancer cell line. Eventually, by performing a combined analysis of RNA-seq data generated in mut_TP53-silenced and LINC01605 knockout cells, we showed that LINC01605 and mut_p53 share common gene pathways. Overall, our findings underline the importance of ncRNAs in the mut_p53 network in breast and ovarian cancer cell lines and in particular the importance of LINC01605 in mut_p53 pro-migratory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Coan
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Martina Toso
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Laura Cesaratto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Rigo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Silvia Borgna
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Anna Dalla Pietà
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Luigi Zandonà
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Iuri
- Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Antonella Zucchetto
- Division of Clinical and Experimental Onco-Hematology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Carla Piazza
- Department of Mathematics, Informatics and Physics, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Spizzo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Milena Sabrina Nicoloso
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, Italy
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7
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Fejza A, Camicia L, Carobolante G, Poletto E, Paulitti A, Schinello G, Di Siena E, Cannizzaro R, Iozzo RV, Baldassarre G, Andreuzzi E, Spessotto P, Mongiat M. Emilin2 fosters vascular stability by promoting pericyte recruitment. Matrix Biol 2023; 122:18-32. [PMID: 37579864 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis, the formation of the new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is an essential process occurring under both normal and pathological conditions, such as inflammation and cancer. This complex process is regulated by several cytokines, growth factors and extracellular matrix components modulating endothelial cell and pericyte function. In this study, we discovered that the extracellular matrix glycoprotein Elastin Microfibril Interfacer 2 (Emilin2) plays a prominent role in pericyte physiology. This work was originally prompted by the observations that tumor-associated vessels from Emilin2-/- mice display less pericyte coverage, impaired vascular perfusion, and reduced drug efficacy, suggesting that Emilin2 could promote vessel maturation and stabilization affecting pericyte recruitment. We found that Emilin2 affects different mechanisms engaged in pericyte recruitment and vascular stabilization. First, human primary endothelial cells challenged with recombinant Emilin2 synthesized and released ∼ 2.1 and 1.2 folds more PDGF-BB and HB-EGF, two cytokines known to promote pericyte recruitment. We also discovered that Emilin2, by directly engaging α5β1 and α6β1 integrins, highly expressed in pericytes, served as an adhesion substrate and haptotactic stimulus for pericytes. Moreover, Emilin2 evoked increased NCadherin expression via the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor, leading to enhanced vascular stability by fostering interconnection between endothelial cells and pericytes. Finally, restoring pericyte coverage in melanoma and ovarian tumor vessels developed in Emilin2-/- mice improved drug delivery to the tumors. Collectively, our results implicate Emilin2 as a prominent regulator of pericyte function and suggest that Emilin2 expression could represent a promising maker to predict the clinical outcome of patients with melanoma, ovarian, and potentially other forms of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albina Fejza
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; UBT-Higher Education Institution, Kalabria, Street Rexhep Krasniqi Nr. 56, Prishtina 10000, Kosovo
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Greta Carobolante
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Evelina Poletto
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Alice Paulitti
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; VivaBioCell S.P.A., Udine, Italy
| | - Giorgia Schinello
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Emanuele Di Siena
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Renato Cannizzaro
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Oncological Gastroenterology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste 34127, Italy
| | - Renato V Iozzo
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, and the Translational Cellular Oncology Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Eva Andreuzzi
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste 34137, Italy
| | - Paola Spessotto
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Maurizio Mongiat
- Department of Research and Diagnosis, Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy.
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8
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Segatto I, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Pellarin I, Dall'Acqua A, Berton S, Citron F, D'Andrea S, Mungo G, Viotto D, Musco L, Di Napoli A, Aloe Spiriti MA, Canzonieri V, Gattei V, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. Loss of CDKN1B induces an age-related clonal hematopoietic disorder via Notch2 activity dysregulation. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2023. [PMID: 37337406 PMCID: PMC10354406 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Segatto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilenia Pellarin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall'Acqua
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Stefania Berton
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Francesca Citron
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Giorgia Mungo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Davide Viotto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Lorena Musco
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Arianna Di Napoli
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Division of Pathology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Valter Gattei
- Division of Clinical and Experimental Onco-Hematology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano (PN), Italy
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9
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Vinciguerra GLR, Capece M, Bonetti LR, Magistri P, Calore F, Nigita G, Distefano R, Ballarin R, Benedetto FD, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Lovat F, Croce CM. Abstract 4823: The novel miR-15a/Fra-2/IGF1R axis drives response to starvation-induced cell stress in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-4823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a relatively uncommon malignancy; however, its incidence is rising worldwide, and it is expected to become the second-leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. From a histological point of view, PDAC is characterized by a prominent desmoplastic reaction that compresses blood vessels, limiting oxygen and nutrient availability in the tumor microenvironment. Despite that, PDAC cells are capable to adapt dynamically to these stress conditions, adopting different strategies that includes the strict regulation of the autophagic flux. Thus, studying these adaptive mechanisms is crucial to understand PDAC progression and to establish new therapeutic modalities to tackle it. Here, we explore the role of the tumor suppressor miR-15a in the regulation of its putative target Fra-2, a transcription factor, commonly activated by cell stress. By employing IPA on PDAC tumors from TCGA dataset, we found that both miR-15a and its target Fra-2 are predicted to regulate the IGF-1 signaling pathway. In an independent cohort of 44 PDAC samples, miR-15a levels inversely correlated with both Fra-2 and IGF1R expression; conversely, Fra-2 significantly correlated with IGF1R. By chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assay, we assessed that miR-15a directly targeted Fra-2 and IGF1R that, in turn, is transcriptionally regulated by Fra-2 activity. Then, we investigated the role of miR-15a/Fra-2 regulation of IGF1R in the response to starvation-induced cell stress. In starved PDAC cell lines, Fra-2 transcriptional activity triggered IGF1R promoter, causing IGF1R overexpression in control cells but not in miR-15a-overexpressing cells. Consistently, the IGF1 release after starvation induced phosphorylation of IGF1R and activation of the downstream mTOR pathway in control cells but not in miR-15a-overexpressing cells. Therefore, TEM and western blot analysis demonstrated that activation of mTOR via IGF1 release reduced the autophagic flux of PDAC control cell lines compared to miR-15a overexpressing cells under starvation. To assess our results in vivo, we injected PDAC cells wild type or Fra-2 knockout into the flank of nude mice. At tumor onset, mice were randomly divided in two groups and fed with control or hypoproteic diet for three weeks. Hypoproteic diet did not interfere with the growth of wild-type tumors, by contrast, significantly impaired Fra-2KO tumors growth rate. Tumor analysis revealed that hypoproteic diet potently induced IGF1R overexpression and mTOR pathway activation in wild-type tumors but not in Fra-2KO tumors. Our findings demonstrate that IGF1R expression is regulated by miR-15a directly and indirectly via Fra-2 in PDAC. This novel miR-15a/Fra-2/IGF1R axis, triggered by starvation, regulates the autophagic flux and growth of PDAC cells in stress condition, and could be targeted by specific small inhibitors.
Citation Format: Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra, Marina Capece, Luca Reggiani Bonetti, Paolo Magistri, Federica Calore, Giovanni Nigita, Rosario Distefano, Roberto Ballarin, Fabrizio Di Benedetto, Andrea Vecchione, Barbara Belletti, Gustavo Baldassarre, Francesca Lovat, Carlo M. Croce. The novel miR-15a/Fra-2/IGF1R axis drives response to starvation-induced cell stress in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4823.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Barbara Belletti
- 4Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Aviano, Italy
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10
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Ciliberto G, Canfora M, Terrenato I, Agnoletto C, Agustoni F, Amoroso L, Baldassarre G, Curigliano G, Delmonte A, De Luca A, Fiorentino M, Gregorc V, Ibrahim T, Lazzari C, Mastronuzzi A, Pronzato P, Santoro A, Scambia G, Tommasi S, Vingiani A, Giacomini P, De Maria R. Bridging therapeutic opportunities: a survey by the Italian molecular tumor board workgroup of Alliance Against Cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:305. [PMID: 36245005 PMCID: PMC9575294 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02512-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular tumor boards (MTBs) match molecular alterations with targeted anticancer drugs upon failure of the available therapeutic options. Special and local needs are most likely to emerge through the comparative analysis of MTB networks, but these are rarely reported. This manuscript summarizes the state-of-art of 16 active Italian MTBs, as it emerges from an online survey curated by Alliance Against Cancer (ACC). MAIN TEXT Most MTBs (13/16) are exclusively supported through local Institutional grants and meet regularly. All but one adopts a fully virtual or a mixed face-to-face/virtual calling/attendance meeting model. It appears that the ACC MTB initiative is shaping a hub-and-spoke virtual MTB network reminiscent of non-redundant, cost-effective healthcare organization models. Unfortunately, public awareness of MTB opportunities presently remains insufficient. Only one center has a website. Dedicated e-mail addresses are for the exclusive use of the MTB staff. More than half of ACC members consider a miscellanea of most or all solid and hematological malignancies, and more than one-third consider neoplasms arising at any anatomical location. The average number of Staff Members in MTBs is 9. More than 10 staff members simultaneously attend MTB meetings in 13 MTBs. A medical oncologist is invariably present and is in charge of introducing the clinical case either with (45%) or without previous discussion in organ-specific multidisciplinary Boards. All but two MTBs take charge of not only patients with no standard-of-care (SoC) therapy option, but also cases receiving NGS profiling in SoC settings, implying a larger number of yearly cases. All MTBs run targeted NGS panels. Three run whole-exome and/or RNAseq approaches. ESCAT-ESMO and/or Onco-KB levels of evidence are similarly used for diagnostic reporting. Most MTBs (11) provide a written diagnostic report within 15 days. Conclusions are invariably communicated to the patient by the medical oncologist. CONCLUSIONS MTB networking is crucial not only for molecular diagnosis and therapy assignment, but also for healthcare governance. Survey results show that MTBs review therapeutic opportunities at the crossover between standard-of-care with off-label, the former task being much beyond their scope. Societal and scientific implications of this beyond-the-scope MTB function may be relevant for healthcare in Italy and abroad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennaro Ciliberto
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Canfora
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Terrenato
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Agnoletto
- grid.419546.b0000 0004 1808 1697ROV, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Francesco Agustoni
- grid.419425.f0000 0004 1760 3027Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Loredana Amoroso
- grid.419504.d0000 0004 1760 0109IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- grid.418321.d0000 0004 1757 9741Centro Di Riferimento Oncologico Di Aviano IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Istituto Europeo Di Oncologia IRCCS, Milan, Italy ,grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Dipartimento Di Oncologia Ed Emato-Oncologia, Università La Statale Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Angelo Delmonte
- grid.419563.c0000 0004 1755 9177Istituto Romagnolo Per Lo Studio Dei Tumori “Dino Amadori” - IRST IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | - Antonella De Luca
- grid.508451.d0000 0004 1760 8805Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Vanesa Gregorc
- grid.419555.90000 0004 1759 7675Istituto Di Candiolo - FPO (Fondazione del Piemonte Per L’Oncologia) IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Toni Ibrahim
- grid.419038.70000 0001 2154 6641IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Lazzari
- grid.18887.3e0000000417581884IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- grid.414125.70000 0001 0727 6809IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Pronzato
- grid.419504.d0000 0004 1760 0109IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Armando Santoro
- grid.417728.f0000 0004 1756 8807IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital-Humanitas Cancer Center, Rozzano, Milan Italy ,grid.452490.eDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- grid.8142.f0000 0001 0941 3192Dipartimento Di Ostetricia E Ginecologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy ,grid.414603.4Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Vingiani
- grid.417893.00000 0001 0807 2568Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizio Giacomini
- grid.417520.50000 0004 1760 5276IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- grid.8142.f0000 0001 0941 3192Dipartimento Di Ostetricia E Ginecologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy ,grid.8142.f0000 0001 0941 3192Dipartimento Di Medicina E Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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11
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Capoluongo ED, Pellegrino B, Arenare L, Califano D, Scambia G, Beltrame L, Serra V, Scaglione GL, Spina A, Cecere SC, De Cecio R, Normanno N, Colombo N, Lorusso D, Russo D, Nardelli C, D'Incalci M, Llop-Guevara A, Pisano C, Baldassarre G, Mezzanzanica D, Artioli G, Setaro M, Tasca G, Roma C, Campanini N, Cinieri S, Sergi A, Musolino A, Perrone F, Chiodini P, Marchini S, Pignata S. Alternative academic approaches for testing homologous recombination deficiency in ovarian cancer in the MITO16A/MaNGO-OV2 trial. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100585. [PMID: 36156447 PMCID: PMC9512829 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The detection of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) can identify patients who are more responsive to platinum and poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). MyChoice CDx (Myriad) is the most used HRD test in ovarian cancer (OC). However, some limitations of commercial tests exist, because of the high rate of inconclusive results, costs, and the impossibility of evaluating functional resistance mechanisms. Patients and methods Two academic genomic tests and a functional assay, the RAD51 foci, were evaluated to detect HRD. One hundred patients with high-grade OC enrolled in the MITO16A/MaNGO-OV2 trial and treated with first-line therapy with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab were analyzed. Results The failure rate of the two genomic assays was 2%. The sensitivity in detecting HRD when compared with Myriad was 98.1% and 90.6%, respectively. The agreement rate with Myriad was 0.92 and 0.87, with a Cohen’s κ coefficient corresponding to 0.84 and 0.74, respectively. For the RAD51 foci assay, the failure rate was 30%. When the test was successful, discordant results for deficient and proficient tumors were observed, and additional HRD patients were identified compared to Myriad; sensitivity was 82.9%, agreement rate was 0.65, and Cohen’s κ coefficient was 0.18. The HRD detected by genomic assays and residual tumor at primary surgery and stage was correlated with progression-free survival at multivariate analysis. Conclusions Results suggest the feasibility of academic tests for assessing HRD status that show robust concordance with Myriad and correlation with clinical outcome. The contribution of the functional information related to the RAD51 foci test to the genomic data needs further investigation. Deficiency in homologous recombination repair of DNA generates genomic instability and permanent genomic changes. HRD status is fundamental for identifying OC patients suitable for platinum and PARPi treatment. HRD testing is considered a topic with urgent need for improvement, going beyond those available commercially. Within this study, two academic genomic tests and a functional assay, the RAD51 foci, were evaluated to detect HRD. Our tests compare favorably with the reference Myriad assay and correlate with the outcome of high-grade OC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Capoluongo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples; Azienda Ospedaliera per L'Emergenza, Cannizzaro, Catania
| | - B Pellegrino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma; Medical Oncology and Breast Unit, University Hospital of Parma, Parma; Gruppo Oncologico Italiano di Ricerca Clinica (GOIRC), Parma
| | - L Arenare
- Clinical Trial Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - D Califano
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS - Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - G Scambia
- Department of Women and Child Health, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome; Department of Life Science and Public Health, Catholic University of Sacred Heart Largo Agostino Gemelli, Rome
| | - L Beltrame
- Molecular Pharmacology laboratory., Group of Cancer Pharmacology IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - V Serra
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - G L Scaglione
- Advanced Biotechnology, Università Federico II-CEINGE, Naples; IDI-IRCSS, Rome
| | - A Spina
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS - Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - S C Cecere
- Uro-Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - R De Cecio
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli
| | - N Normanno
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli
| | - N Colombo
- University of Milan-Bicocca and European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan
| | - D Lorusso
- Department of Women and Child Health, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome; Department of Life Science and Public Health, Catholic University of Sacred Heart Largo Agostino Gemelli, Rome
| | - D Russo
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS - Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - C Nardelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples; Advanced Biotechnology, Università Federico II-CEINGE, Naples
| | - M D'Incalci
- Molecular Pharmacology laboratory., Group of Cancer Pharmacology IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan
| | | | - C Pisano
- Uro-Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - G Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano
| | - D Mezzanzanica
- Molecular Therapies Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan
| | - G Artioli
- Oncologia Medica, ULSS2 Marca Trevigiana, Treviso
| | - M Setaro
- Advanced Biotechnology, Università Federico II-CEINGE, Naples
| | - G Tasca
- Division of Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova
| | - C Roma
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli
| | - N Campanini
- Unit of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Hospital of Parma, Parma
| | - S Cinieri
- Oncologia Medica, Ospedale Senatore Antonio Perrino, Brindisi
| | - A Sergi
- Molecular Pharmacology laboratory., Group of Cancer Pharmacology IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy; Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
| | - A Musolino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma; Medical Oncology and Breast Unit, University Hospital of Parma, Parma; Gruppo Oncologico Italiano di Ricerca Clinica (GOIRC), Parma
| | - F Perrone
- Clinical Trial Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples
| | - P Chiodini
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Statistics, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Napoli, Italy
| | - S Marchini
- Molecular Pharmacology laboratory., Group of Cancer Pharmacology IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
| | - S Pignata
- Uro-Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples.
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12
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Pane K, Zanfardino M, Grimaldi AM, Baldassarre G, Salvatore M, Incoronato M, Franzese M. Discovering Common miRNA Signatures Underlying Female-Specific Cancers via a Machine Learning Approach Driven by the Cancer Hallmark ERBB. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061306. [PMID: 35740327 PMCID: PMC9219956 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Big data processing, using omics data integration and machine learning (ML) methods, drive efforts to discover diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for clinical decision making. Previously, we used the TCGA database for gene expression profiling of breast, ovary, and endometrial cancers, and identified a top-scoring network centered on the ERBB2 gene, which plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis in the three estrogen-dependent tumors. Here, we focused on microRNA expression signature similarity, asking whether they could target the ERBB family. We applied an ML approach on integrated TCGA miRNA profiling of breast, endometrium, and ovarian cancer to identify common miRNA signatures differentiating tumor and normal conditions. Using the ML-based algorithm and the miRTarBase database, we found 205 features and 158 miRNAs targeting ERBB isoforms, respectively. By merging the results of both databases and ranking each feature according to the weighted Support Vector Machine model, we prioritized 42 features, with accuracy (0.98), AUC (0.93–95% CI 0.917–0.94), sensitivity (0.85), and specificity (0.99), indicating their diagnostic capability to discriminate between the two conditions. In vitro validations by qRT-PCR experiments, using model and parental cell lines for each tumor type showed that five miRNAs (hsa-mir-323a-3p, hsa-mir-323b-3p, hsa-mir-331-3p, hsa-mir-381-3p, and hsa-mir-1301-3p) had expressed trend concordance between breast, ovarian, and endometrium cancer cell lines compared with normal lines, confirming our in silico predictions. This shows that an integrated computational approach combined with biological knowledge, could identify expression signatures as potential diagnostic biomarkers common to multiple tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Pane
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, 80143 Naples, Italy; (K.P.); (A.M.G.); (M.S.); (M.I.); (M.F.)
| | - Mario Zanfardino
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, 80143 Naples, Italy; (K.P.); (A.M.G.); (M.S.); (M.I.); (M.F.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anna Maria Grimaldi
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, 80143 Naples, Italy; (K.P.); (A.M.G.); (M.S.); (M.I.); (M.F.)
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy;
| | - Marco Salvatore
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, 80143 Naples, Italy; (K.P.); (A.M.G.); (M.S.); (M.I.); (M.F.)
| | | | - Monica Franzese
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, 80143 Naples, Italy; (K.P.); (A.M.G.); (M.S.); (M.I.); (M.F.)
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13
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Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Sonego M, Segatto I, Dall’Acqua A, Vecchione A, Baldassarre G, Belletti B. CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Combination Therapies: Better in Company Than Alone: A Mini Review. Front Oncol 2022; 12:891580. [PMID: 35712501 PMCID: PMC9197541 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.891580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyclin D-CDK4/6 complexes play a pivotal role in controlling the cell cycle. Deregulation in cyclin D-CDK4/6 pathway has been described in many types of cancer and it invariably leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Many efforts have been made to develop a target therapy able to inhibit CDK4/6 activity. To date, three selective CDK4/6 small inhibitors have been introduced in the clinic for the treatment of hormone positive advanced breast cancer patients, following the impressive results obtained in phase III clinical trials. However, since their approval, clinical evidences have demonstrated that about 30% of breast cancer is intrinsically resistant to CDK4/6 inhibitors and that prolonged treatment eventually leads to acquired resistance in many patients. So, on one hand, clinical and preclinical studies fully support to go beyond breast cancer and expand the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors in other tumor types; on the other hand, the question of primary and secondary resistance has to be taken into account, since it is now very clear that neoplastic cells rapidly develop adaptive strategies under treatment, eventually resulting in disease progression. Resistance mechanisms so far discovered involve both cell-cycle and non-cell-cycle related escape strategies. Full understanding is yet to be achieved but many different pathways that, if targeted, may lead to reversion of the resistant phenotype, have been already elucidated. Here, we aim to summarize the knowledge in this field, focusing on predictive biomarkers, to recognize intrinsically resistant tumors, and therapeutic strategies, to overcome acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Maura Sonego
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall’Acqua
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
- *Correspondence: Barbara Belletti,
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14
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Sgubin M, Pegoraro S, Pellarin I, Ros G, Sgarra R, Piazza S, Baldassarre G, Belletti B, Manfioletti G. HMGA1 positively regulates the microtubule-destabilizing protein stathmin promoting motility in TNBC cells and decreasing tumour sensitivity to paclitaxel. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:429. [PMID: 35504904 PMCID: PMC9065117 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04843-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) is an architectural chromatin factor involved in the regulation of gene expression and a master regulator in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). In TNBC, HMGA1 is overexpressed and coordinates a gene network that controls cellular processes involved in tumour development, progression, and metastasis formation. Here, we find that the expression of HMGA1 and of the microtubule-destabilizing protein stathmin correlates in breast cancer (BC) patients. We demonstrate that HMGA1 depletion leads to a downregulation of stathmin expression and activity on microtubules resulting in decreased TNBC cell motility. We show that this pathway is mediated by the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27kip1 (p27). Indeed, the silencing of HMGA1 expression in TNBC cells results both in an increased p27 protein stability and p27-stathmin binding. When the expression of both HMGA1 and p27 is silenced, we observe a significant rescue in cell motility. These data, obtained in cellular models, were validated in BC patients. In fact, we find that patients with high levels of both HMGA1 and stathmin and low levels of p27 have a statistically significant lower survival probability in terms of relapse-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) with respect to the patient group with low HMGA1, low stathmin, and high p27 expression levels. Finally, we show in an in vivo xenograft model that depletion of HMGA1 chemo-sensitizes tumour cells to paclitaxel, a drug that is commonly used in TNBC treatments. This study unveils a new interaction among HMGA1, p27, and stathmin that is critical in BC cell migration. Moreover, our data suggest that taxol-based treatments may be more effective in reducing the tumour burden when tumour cells express low levels of HMGA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Sgubin
- grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy ,grid.418321.d0000 0004 1757 9741Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Silvia Pegoraro
- grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ilenia Pellarin
- grid.418321.d0000 0004 1757 9741Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gloria Ros
- grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy ,grid.5970.b0000 0004 1762 9868Present Address: International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Area of Neuroscience Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Riccardo Sgarra
- grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvano Piazza
- grid.425196.d0000 0004 1759 4810International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano 99, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- grid.418321.d0000 0004 1757 9741Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- grid.418321.d0000 0004 1757 9741Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Guidalberto Manfioletti
- grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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15
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Fanetti G, Musco L, Citron F, Segatto I, Micciché F, Turturici I, Lupato V, Matrone F, Giacomarra V, Barzan L, Franchin G, Baldassarre G. PO-1107 miR-9 as predictor of response to Radiotherapy and Cetuximab in patients with head and neck cancers. Radiother Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8140(22)03071-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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16
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Schettino C, Musacchio L, Bartoletti M, Chiodini P, Arenare L, Baldassarre G, Califano D, Capoluongo E, Costi MP, D'Incalci M, Marchini S, Mezzanzanica D, Normanno N, Scala S, Greggi S, Perrone F, Pignata S. Olaparib beyond progression compared with platinum chemotherapy after secondary cytoreductive surgery in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer: phase III randomized, open-label MITO 35b study, a project of the MITO-MANGO groups. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2022; 32:799-803. [DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2022-003435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundPoly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors have transformed the management landscape for patients with ovarian cancer, demonstrating remarkable improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival. Unfortunately, most relapses are due to an acquired mechanism of resistance to these agents. We hypothesize that secondary cytoreductive surgery, removing resistant clones, might help to overcome the development of resistance to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, prolonging their therapeutic effect.Primary ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of olaparib beyond progression compared with standard platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer progressed during or after poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor maintenance therapy after secondary cytoreductive surgery.Study HypothesisOlaparib administered beyond progression is more effective in increasing progression-free survival and progression-free survival 2 compared with second-line platinum-based chemotherapy in patients after secondary cytoreductive surgery.Trial DesignPhase III, randomized, open-label, multicenter trial. Eligible patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive olaparib or platinum-based chemotherapy of the investigator’s choice.Major Eligibility CriteriaEligible patients must have high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian cancer progressed during or after first-line poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor maintenance therapy and must have undergone secondary cytoreductive surgery.Primary EndpointThe dual primary endpoints will include progression-free survival and progression-free survival 2. Progression-free survival is defined by the investigator using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 as the time between randomization and progression or death from any cause. Progression-free survival 2 is defined by the investigator using RECIST version 1.1 as the time frame from randomization to the second progression or death from any cause after subsequent treatment.Sample SizeApproximately 200 patients will be enrolled in this study.Estimated Dates for Completing Accrual and Presenting ResultsEnrollment will be completed in 2024. Results will be presented in 2026.Trial RegistrationEudraCT 2021-000245-41 NCT05255471
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17
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Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Dall'Acqua A, Segatto I, Mattevi MC, Russo F, Favero A, Cirombella R, Mungo G, Viotto D, Karimbayli J, Pesce M, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. p27kip1 expression and phosphorylation dictate Palbociclib sensitivity in KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:951. [PMID: 34654798 PMCID: PMC8519959 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04241-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In colorectal cancer, mutation of KRAS (RASMUT) reduces therapeutic options, negatively affecting prognosis of the patients. In this setting, administration of CDK4/6-inhibitors, alone or in combination with other drugs, is being tested as promising therapeutic strategy. Identifying sensitive patients and overcoming intrinsic and acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition represent still open challenges, to obtain better clinical responses. Here, we investigated the role of the CDK inhibitor p27kip1 in the response to the selective CDK4/6-inhibitor Palbociclib, in colorectal cancer. Our results show that p27kip1 expression inversely correlated with Palbociclib response, both in vitro and in vivo. Generating a model of Palbociclib-resistant RASMUT colorectal cancer cells, we observed an increased expression of p27kip1, cyclin D, CDK4 and CDK6, coupled with an increased association between p27kip1 and CDK4. Furthermore, Palbociclib-resistant cells showed increased Src-mediated phosphorylation of p27kip1 on tyrosine residues and low doses of Src inhibitors re-sensitized resistant cells to Palbociclib. Since p27kip1 showed variable expression in RASMUT colorectal cancer samples, our study supports the possibility that p27kip1 could serve as biomarker to stratify patients who might benefit from CDK4/6 inhibition, alone or in combination with Src inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall'Acqua
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Mattevi
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Francesca Russo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Andrea Favero
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberto Cirombella
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Mungo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Davide Viotto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Javad Karimbayli
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Margherita Pesce
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
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18
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Califano D, Gallo D, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, De Cecio R, Arenare L, Signoriello S, Russo D, Ferrandina G, Citron F, Losito NS, Gargiulo P, Simeon V, Scambia G, Cecere SC, Montella M, Colombo N, Tognon G, Bignotti E, Zannoni GF, Canzonieri V, Ciucci A, Spina A, Scognamiglio G, Del Sesto M, Schettino C, Piccirillo MC, Perrone F, Chiodini P, Pignata S, Baldassarre G. Evaluation of Angiogenesis-Related Genes as Prognostic Biomarkers of Bevacizumab Treated Ovarian Cancer Patients: Results from the Phase IV MITO16A/ManGO OV-2 Translational Study. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205152. [PMID: 34680301 PMCID: PMC8533892 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The possibility to identify, with appropriate biomarkers, patients that might mostly benefit from any given treatment is the basis of personalized oncology. Cancer biomarkers should be properly identified and validated on a large number of patients possibly enrolled in dedicated clinical trials. Here, we report the first molecular results of the MITO16A-ManGo-OV2 phase IV trial that was specifically designed to identify prognostic biomarkers of survival in epithelial ovarian cancer patients treated in first line with carboplatin-paclitaxel plus Bevacizumab (NCT01706120), a treatment for which validated predictive or prognostic biomarkers are still lacking. With this work we propose not only novel possible biomarkers for Bevacizumab-treated patients but also a way through which they can be properly collected, analyzed and statistically evaluated in the frame of large multicenter clinical trials. Abstract Background. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a rare, highly lethal disease. In a subset of high grade EOC patients, maintenance therapy with the antiangiogenic drug Bevacizumab (BEV) is a valuable option. To date, no validated predictive or prognostic biomarkers exist for selecting EOC patients that might benefit from BEV treatment. Methods. Immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR evaluated the expression of seven angiogenesis-related proteins and of a twelve microRNAs angio-signature in EOC patients, treated in first line with chemotherapy plus BEV (MITO16A/ManGO OV-2 phase IV trial). Centralized statistical analyses assessed the associations between each biomarker, clinical prognostic factors and survival outcomes. Results. High miR-484 expression was associated with longer progression-free and overall survival. Notably, the combined expression of miR-484 and its target VEGFB identified a subset of patients that might mostly benefit from BEV treatment. No other significant correlations were found between the other analyzed biomarkers and patients’ survival. The application of a shrinkage procedure to adjust for over-fitting hazard ratio estimates reduced the association significance. Conclusions. The analysis of angiogenesis related biomarkers in EOC patients homogenously treated with BEV in first line provides novel insight in their prognostic value and suggests that some of them might merit to be tested as predictive markers of drug activity in dedicated randomized trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Califano
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (D.C.); (D.R.); (A.S.)
| | - Daniela Gallo
- Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy; (D.G.); (G.F.); (G.S.); (G.F.Z.); (A.C.)
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Rossella De Cecio
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (R.D.C.); (N.S.L.); (G.S.); (M.D.S.)
| | - Laura Arenare
- Clinical Trials Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (P.G.); (C.S.); (M.C.P.); (F.P.)
| | - Simona Signoriello
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Statistics, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Napoli, Italy; (S.S.); (V.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Daniela Russo
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (D.C.); (D.R.); (A.S.)
| | - Gabriella Ferrandina
- Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy; (D.G.); (G.F.); (G.S.); (G.F.Z.); (A.C.)
- Istituto di Ginecologia e Ostetricia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Citron
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Nunzia Simona Losito
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (R.D.C.); (N.S.L.); (G.S.); (M.D.S.)
| | - Piera Gargiulo
- Clinical Trials Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (P.G.); (C.S.); (M.C.P.); (F.P.)
| | - Vittorio Simeon
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Statistics, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Napoli, Italy; (S.S.); (V.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy; (D.G.); (G.F.); (G.S.); (G.F.Z.); (A.C.)
- Istituto di Ginecologia e Ostetricia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Chiara Cecere
- Urogynaecological Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (S.C.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Marco Montella
- Pathology Unit, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Nicoletta Colombo
- Gynecologic Cancer Program, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20126 Bicocca, Italy;
| | - Germana Tognon
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (G.T.); (E.B.)
| | - Eliana Bignotti
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (G.T.); (E.B.)
| | - Gian Franco Zannoni
- Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy; (D.G.); (G.F.); (G.S.); (G.F.Z.); (A.C.)
| | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS CRO Aviano, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Ciucci
- Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy; (D.G.); (G.F.); (G.S.); (G.F.Z.); (A.C.)
| | - Anna Spina
- Microenvironment Molecular Targets Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (D.C.); (D.R.); (A.S.)
| | - Giosuè Scognamiglio
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (R.D.C.); (N.S.L.); (G.S.); (M.D.S.)
| | - Michele Del Sesto
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (R.D.C.); (N.S.L.); (G.S.); (M.D.S.)
| | - Clorinda Schettino
- Clinical Trials Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (P.G.); (C.S.); (M.C.P.); (F.P.)
| | - Maria Carmela Piccirillo
- Clinical Trials Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (P.G.); (C.S.); (M.C.P.); (F.P.)
| | - Francesco Perrone
- Clinical Trials Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (L.A.); (P.G.); (C.S.); (M.C.P.); (F.P.)
| | - Paolo Chiodini
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Statistics, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Napoli, Italy; (S.S.); (V.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Sandro Pignata
- Urogynaecological Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (S.C.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0434-659-759
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19
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DE Carlo E, Schiappacassi M, Pelizzari G, Baresic T, Del Conte A, Stanzione B, DA Ros V, Doliana R, Baldassarre G, Bearz A. Acquired EGFR C797G Mutation Detected by Liquid Biopsy as Resistance Mechanism After Treatment With Osimertinib: A Case Report. In Vivo 2021; 35:2941-2945. [PMID: 34410991 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of T790M-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. More recently, osimertinib demonstrated improved disease control compared to other EGFR-TKIs. Multiple mechanisms of resistance have been described in T790M-positive patients who experienced treatment failure with osimertinib. CASE REPORT We report the case of a 78-year-old non-smoker woman with stage IV EGFR L858R-positive lung adenocarcinoma presented with T790M mutation after five years of treatment with gefitinib. The patient was started on osimertinib, but after two and a half years of treatment experienced disease progression. The analyses of circulating tumor DNA using next-generation sequencing showed, together with the pre-existing T790M and exon 21 L858R, the presence of the EGFR C797G resistance mutation. CONCLUSION Our case report revealed a rare EGFR-dependent acquired resistance mutation to osimertinib in circulating tumor DNA. Liquid biopsy appears to be a promising resource to understand the biology of osimertinib resistance by clonal evolution monitoring and the identification of novel resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa DE Carlo
- Clinical Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy;
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Molecular Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pelizzari
- Oncology Department, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Tania Baresic
- Nuclear Medicine Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Del Conte
- Clinical Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Brigida Stanzione
- Clinical Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Valentina DA Ros
- Clinical Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberto Doliana
- Molecular Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bearz
- Clinical Oncology Department - Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
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20
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Citron F, Segatto I, Musco L, Pellarin I, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Franchin G, Fanetti G, Miccichè F, Giacomarra V, Lupato V, Favero A, Concina I, Srinivasan S, Avanzo M, Castiglioni I, Barzan L, Sulfaro S, Petrone G, Viale A, Draetta GF, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. miR-9 modulates and predicts the response to radiotherapy and EGFR inhibition in HNSCC. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e12872. [PMID: 34062049 PMCID: PMC8261495 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) plus the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody Cetuximab (CTX) is an effective combination therapy for a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. However, predictive markers of efficacy are missing, resulting in many patients treated with disappointing results and unnecessary toxicities. Here, we report that activation of EGFR upregulates miR-9 expression, which sustains the aggressiveness of HNSCC cells and protects from RT-induced cell death. Mechanistically, by targeting KLF5, miR-9 regulates the expression of the transcription factor Sp1 that, in turn, stimulates tumor growth and confers resistance to RT+CTX in vitro and in vivo. Intriguingly, high miR-9 levels have no effect on the sensitivity of HNSCC cells to cisplatin. In primary HNSCC, miR-9 expression correlated with Sp1 mRNA levels and high miR-9 expression predicted poor prognosis in patients treated with RT+CTX. Overall, we have discovered a new signaling axis linking EGFR activation to Sp1 expression that dictates the response to combination treatments in HNSCC. We propose that miR-9 may represent a valuable biomarker to select which HNSCC patients might benefit from RT+CTX therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Citron
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
- Department of Genomic MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTXUSA
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Lorena Musco
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Ilenia Pellarin
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
- Faculty of Medicine and PsychologyDepartment of Clinical and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Rome “Sapienza”Santo Andrea HospitalRomeItaly
| | - Giovanni Franchin
- Oncologic Radiotherapy UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Giuseppe Fanetti
- Oncologic Radiotherapy UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Francesco Miccichè
- Università Cattolica del Sacro CuoreFondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino GemelliPolo Scienze Oncologiche ed EmatologicheRomeItaly
| | - Vittorio Giacomarra
- Division of OtorhinolaryngologyAzienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli AngeliPordenoneItaly
| | - Valentina Lupato
- Division of OtorhinolaryngologyAzienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli AngeliPordenoneItaly
| | - Andrea Favero
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Isabella Concina
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Sanjana Srinivasan
- Department of Genomic MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTXUSA
| | - Michele Avanzo
- Medical Physics UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Isabella Castiglioni
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and PhysiologyNational Research Council (IBFM‐CNR)MilanItaly
- Department of PhysicsUniversità degli Studi di Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
| | - Luigi Barzan
- Division of OtorhinolaryngologyAzienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli AngeliPordenoneItaly
| | - Sandro Sulfaro
- Division of PathologyAzienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli AngeliPordenoneItaly
| | - Gianluigi Petrone
- Università Cattolica del Sacro CuoreFondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino GemelliPolo Scienze Oncologiche ed EmatologicheRomeItaly
- Present address:
Centro Diagnostica MINERVARomeItaly
| | - Andrea Viale
- Department of Genomic MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTXUSA
| | - Giulio F Draetta
- Department of Genomic MedicineThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTXUSA
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and PsychologyDepartment of Clinical and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Rome “Sapienza”Santo Andrea HospitalRomeItaly
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology UnitCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSNational Cancer InstituteAvianoItaly
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21
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Bianchi F, Dama E, Di Nicolantonio F, Baldassarre G, Guerriero I, Torchiaro E, Bruno A, Blandino G, Allavena P, Chiarugi P, Sozzi G, D'Incalci M, Normanno N. COVID-19 epidemic strongly affected cancer research in Italy: a survey of the Italian Cancer Society (SIC). ESMO Open 2021; 6:100165. [PMID: 34052554 PMCID: PMC8176317 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Italy was among the first countries hit by the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The application of strict lockdown measures disproportionately affected both cancer patient care as well as basic and translational cancer research. Materials and methods The Italian Cancer Society (SIC) conducted a survey on the effect of lockdown on laboratories involved in cancer research in Italy. The survey was completed by 570 researchers at different stages of their career, working in cancer centers, research institutes and universities from 19 Italian regions. Results During the lockdown period, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency on face-to-face research activities was high, with a complete (47.7%) or partial (36.1%) shutdown of the laboratories. In the post-lockdown period, research activities were resumed in most of the respondents’ institutions (80.4%), though with some restrictions (77.2%). COVID-19 testing was offered to research personnel only in ~50% of research institutions. Overall, the response to the pandemic was fragmented as in many cases institutions adopted different strategies often aimed at limiting possible infections without a clearly defined contingency plan. Nevertheless, research was able to provide the first answers and possible ways out of the pandemic, also with the contribution of many cancer researchers that sacrificed their research programs to help overcome the pandemic by offering their knowledge and technologies. Conclusions Given the current persistence of an emergency situation in many European countries, a more adequate organization of research centers will be urgent and necessary to ensure the continuity of laboratory activities in a safe environment. The SIC conducted a survey on the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on cancer research laboratories in Italy. The impact of the lockdown on research activities was high, with complete or partial shutdown of >80% of the laboratories. Response to the pandemic was fragmented with different strategies adopted without a clearly defined contingency plan. An adequate organization of research centers is urgently needed to ensure laboratory activities in a safe environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Bianchi
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Cancer Biomarkers Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - E Dama
- Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Cancer Biomarkers Unit, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - F Di Nicolantonio
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Turin, Italy; Candiolo Cancer Institute, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - G Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - I Guerriero
- Biogem, Institute for Genetic Research 'G. Salvatore', Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - E Torchiaro
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - A Bruno
- Laboratory of Immunology, Unit of Molecular Pathology, Immunology and Biochemistry, IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, Italy
| | - G Blandino
- Oncogenomic and Epigenetic Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - P Allavena
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - P Chiarugi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - G Sozzi
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - M D'Incalci
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - N Normanno
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
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22
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Palmero L, Mazzeo R, Buriolla S, Allegri L, Bortot L, Franzoni A, Michelotti A, Stefani EC, Turra G, Zilli M, Di Nardo P, Roncato R, Bonotto M, Cecchin E, Belletti B, Toffoli G, Gerratana L, Baldassarre G, Damante G, Puglisi F. Refining neutropenia risk assessment in patients treated with first-line endocrine therapy (ET) and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) through a cell-free DNA workflow (cfDNA). J Clin Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.1027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
1027 Background: The combination of ET and CDK4/6i is the current standard of care for hormone receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative MBC (luminal MBC), with neutropenia being the main dose limiting toxicity. We previously observed the potential association between leucocyte count (WBC) and different fractions of cell free circulating DNA (cfDNA) (Bortot et al 2020). The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a cfDNA-based workflow as a new tool to assess the risk of treatment induced neutropenia. Methods: The study analyzed a prospective cohort 83 luminal MBC patients (pts) treated with first line ET and CDK4/6i in the CRO-2018-56 multicenter study from 2018 to 2021. cfDNA was characterized through droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) based on different ACTB DNA fragments lengths: short (s), medium (m) and long (l). Blood samples were collected before treatment start (BL) and at the first clinical evaluation after 3 months (E1). Associations between clinical characteristics, neutropenia and cfDNA were explored through Kruskal Wallis, time to G3 neutropenia (NG3) (TTN) was analyzed through log-rank and Cox regression. Results: Neutropenia was G3 in 44 out of 83 pts (53%) and G4 in 2 pts (2%). Median TTN was 1.8 months, 60% of NG3 occurred within 3.7 months. Overall, 74 pts (89%) resolved toxicity within 7 days, 10 pts (12%) reduced CDK4/6i dose after NG3. BL neutrophils count (Neu) and WBC were significantly lower in pts that developed NG3 (P = 0.0013 and P = 0.0020 respectively). De novo metastatic pts had numerically higher Neu (median 4825 vs 3895), but only a numerically lower risk of NG3 was observed (HR 0.53 P = 0.064). Although bone involvement was not associated with risk of developing NG3, the total number of metastatic lesions was associated with higher NG3 (P = 0.0016). In particular, > 5 metastatic lesions were associated with higher NG3 risk (p = 0.013). E1 ACTB_m was significantly lower with respect to BL in pts that experienced NG3 (median 100% vs 16%, P = 0.0136 in NG3 no vs yes) with a consistent impact on the risk of NG3 (HR: 2.81, P = 0.025). No associations were observed for the other ACTB fragment length fractions. BL Neu and ACTB_m dichotomized at the median were then combined to describe 4 distinct TTN risk groups (P = 0.0006). Interestingly, pts with low BL Neu and low E1 ACTB_m had a median TTN of 0.9 months, while pts with high BL Neu and high E1 ACTB_m have not experienced NG3 after a median follow-up of 16.1 months. Conclusions: The present study proofed the concept of using cfDNA to provide clinically meaningful data not only about tumor biology, but also for a comprehensive patient assessment. Based on these results, a prospective study focused on a multiparametric neutropenia risk assessment will be started.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenza Palmero
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | - Roberta Mazzeo
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | - Silvia Buriolla
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Allegri
- Department of Medicine (DAME) - University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Lucia Bortot
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Alessandra Franzoni
- Institute of Human Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Anna Michelotti
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Turra
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Miriam Zilli
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Paola Di Nardo
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Rossana Roncato
- Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Marta Bonotto
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Toffoli
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medicine-Hematology and Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Chicago, IL
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Damante
- Università di Udine, Institute of Human Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC) Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
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23
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Mazzeo R, Bortot L, Michelotti A, Buriolla S, Palmero L, Franzoni A, Bertoli E, Targato G, Allegri L, Da Ros L, Alberti M, Di Nardo P, Bonotto M, Sodde S, Belletti B, Spazzapan S, Baldassarre G, Damante G, Gerratana L, Puglisi F. Liquid biopsy for baseline evaluation of tumor burden in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer: A proof of principle study. J Clin Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e13008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
e13008 Background: Liquid biopsy-based biomarkers, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), are increasingly important for the characterization of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Currently, CA15.3 is the most commonly used serum marker for monitoring disease burden. To date, no liquid biopsy-based biomarkers have been proposed for this scope in clinical practice. Methods: The CRO-2018-56 multicenter study prospectively enrolled 83 patients (pts) with luminal-like MBC treated with first line endocrine therapy (ET) and CDK4/6 inhibitors. All pts were characterized for ctDNA through droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in from 2018 to 2021. Clinicopathological and laboratory characteristics at baseline were tested for associations with tumor markers, ACTB fragments lengths, methylation status of ESR1 main promoters (expressed as promA and promB ratio, i.e., met_ratio) and ESR1/PIK3CA mutational status through Kruskal-Wallis test and Chi-square test. Prognosis was tested in terms of Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) through log-rank test. Results: At baseline, in 26 (31%) pts disease was diagnosed as de novo metastatic, 66 (80%) pts had < 3 of metastatic sites, and 41 (49%) pts had < 5 of metastatic lesions. Bone metastases were detected in 53 (64%) pts, liver metastases in 21 (25%) pts, and lung lesions in 30 (36%) pts. A ctDNA-detected ESR1 mutation and a PIK3CA mutation were found in 15% of pts and in 34% pts, respectively. Met_ratio was > 1.5 in 35 (42%) of pts. Median CA15.3 was 48.2 U/mL and median CEA was 3.8 U/mL. Number of liver metastases and number of metastatic sites were significantly higher in pts with ESR1 mutation (respectively, P = 0.0055 and P = 0.0208). CA15.3 and ctDNA yield were significantly higher in pts with number of metastatic sites ≥ 3, (respectively, P = 0.0164, and P = 0.0239), while number of metastatic sites ≥ 3 and number of metastatic lesions ≥ 5 were significantly associated with CEA > 3.8 U/mL (respectively, P = 0.039, and P = 0.029). Presence of bone metastases was significantly associated with PIK3CA mutation (P = 0.040), while number of metastatic sites ≥ 3 was significantly associated with ESR1 mutation (P = 0.022). No association with tumor burden was observed for different ACTB DNA fragments lengths. Met_ratio > 1.5 was significantly associated with lower number of metastatic lesions (P = 0.031). Number of metastatic sites ≥ 3, high ctDNA yield and CEA were associated with worse OS (respectively P = 0.0465, P = 0.0250 and P = 0.0474), while only CEA impacted on PFS (P = 0.0097). Conclusions: In pts with luminal-like MBC, some liquid biopsy-based biomarkers (i.e., ctDNA-detected ESR1 and PIK3CA mutations, ctDNA yield) were significantly associated with the burden of disease. The potential clinical validity and utility of these results deserve to be tested in an expansion cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Mazzeo
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | - Lucia Bortot
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Anna Michelotti
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | - Silvia Buriolla
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - lorenza Palmero
- Department of Medical Area, University of Udine; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, CRO of Aviano, Udine, Italy
| | - Alessandra Franzoni
- Institute of Human Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Elisa Bertoli
- Department of Medicine (DAME) - University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giada Targato
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital; Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Allegri
- Department of Medicine (DAME) - University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Lucia Da Ros
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Martina Alberti
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Paola Di Nardo
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Marta Bonotto
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Sara Sodde
- Clinical Trial Office, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Simon Spazzapan
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Damante
- Università di Udine, Institute of Human Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC) Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medicine-Hematology and Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Chicago, IL
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
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24
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Lombardi R, Sonego M, Pucci B, Addi L, Iannelli F, Capone F, Alfano L, Roca MS, Milone MR, Moccia T, Costa A, Di Gennaro E, Bruzzese F, Baldassarre G, Budillon A. HSP90 identified by a proteomic approach as druggable target to reverse platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:1005-1023. [PMID: 33331136 PMCID: PMC8024727 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquired resistance to platinum (Pt)-based therapies is an urgent unmet need in the management of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. Here, we characterized by an unbiased proteomics method three isogenic EOC models of acquired Pt resistance (TOV-112D, OVSAHO, and MDAH-2774). Using this approach, we identified several differentially expressed proteins in Pt-resistant (Pt-res) compared to parental cells and the chaperone HSP90 as a central hub of these protein networks. Accordingly, up-regulation of HSP90 was observed in all Pt-res cells and heat-shock protein 90 alpha isoform knockout resensitizes Pt-res cells to cisplatin (CDDP) treatment. Moreover, pharmacological HSP90 inhibition using two different inhibitors [17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG) and ganetespib] synergizes with CDDP in killing Pt-res cells in all tested models. Mechanistically, genetic or pharmacological HSP90 inhibition plus CDDP -induced apoptosis and increased DNA damage, particularly in Pt-res cells. Importantly, the antitumor activities of HSP90 inhibitors (HSP90i) were confirmed both ex vivo in primary cultures derived from Pt-res EOC patients ascites and in vivo in a xenograft model. Collectively, our data suggest an innovative antitumor strategy, based on Pt compounds plus HSP90i, to rechallenge Pt-res EOC patients that might warrant further clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Lombardi
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Maura Sonego
- Division of Molecular OncologyCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSAvianoItaly
| | - Biagio Pucci
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Laura Addi
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Federica Iannelli
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Francesca Capone
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Luigi Alfano
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy UnitIstituto Nazionale Tumori ‐ IRCCS, Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Maria Serena Roca
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Maria Rita Milone
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Tania Moccia
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Alice Costa
- Division of Molecular OncologyCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSAvianoItaly
- University of TriesteItaly
| | - Elena Di Gennaro
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Francesca Bruzzese
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular OncologyCentro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO)IRCCSAvianoItaly
| | - Alfredo Budillon
- Experimental Pharmacology Unit‐Laboratories of Naples and Mercogliano (AV)Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” – IRCCSNaplesItaly
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Giglio S, De Nunzio C, Cirombella R, Stoppacciaro A, Faruq O, Volinia S, Baldassarre G, Tubaro A, Ishii H, Croce CM, Vecchione A. A preliminary study of micro-RNAs as minimally invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of prostate cancer patients. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:79. [PMID: 33622375 PMCID: PMC7903618 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01875-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background A prostate cancer diagnosis is based on biopsy sampling that is an invasive, expensive procedure, and doesn’t accurately represent multifocal disease. Methods To establish a model using plasma miRs to distinguish Prostate cancer patients from non-cancer controls, we enrolled 600 patients histologically diagnosed as having or not prostate cancer at biopsy. Two hundred ninety patients were eligible for the analysis. Samples were randomly divided into discovery and validation cohorts. Results NGS-miR-expression profiling revealed a miRs signature able to distinguish prostate cancer from non-cancer plasma samples. Of 51 miRs selected in the discovery cohort, we successfully validated 5 miRs (4732-3p, 98-5p, let-7a-5p, 26b-5p, and 21-5p) deregulated in prostate cancer samples compared to controls (p ≤ 0.05). Multivariate and ROC analyses show miR-26b-5p as a strong predictor of PCa, with an AUC of 0.89 (CI = 0.83–0.95;p < 0.001). Combining miRs 26b-5p and 98-5p, we developed a model that has the best predictive power in discriminating prostate cancer from non-cancer (AUC = 0.94; CI: 0,835-0,954). To distinguish between low and high-grade prostate cancer, we found that miR-4732-3p levels were significantly higher; instead, miR-26b-5p and miR-98-5p levels were lower in low-grade compared to the high-grade group (p ≤ 0.05). Combining miR-26b-5p and miR-4732-3p we have the highest diagnostic accuracy for high-grade prostate cancer patients, (AUC = 0.80; CI 0,69-0,873). Conclusions Noninvasive diagnostic tests may reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies. The 2-miRs-diagnostic model (miR-26b-5p and miR-98-5p) and the 2-miRs-grade model (miR-26b-5p and miR-4732-3p) are promising minimally invasive tools in prostate cancer clinical management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-01875-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Giglio
- University of Rome "Sapienza", Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | - Cosimo De Nunzio
- University of Rome "Sapienza", Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Cirombella
- University of Rome "Sapienza", Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Omar Faruq
- University of Rome "Sapienza", Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Volinia
- Department of morphological surgery and experimental medicine, Università degli Studi, Via Fossato di Mortara 64b, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, CRO National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Andrea Tubaro
- University of Rome "Sapienza", Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | - Hideshi Ishii
- Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT: 081), Suita, Yamadaoka 2-2, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Carlo M Croce
- Department of Cancer Genetics, The Ohio University, 460W12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- University of Rome "Sapienza", Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00198, Rome, Italy.
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26
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Lupato V, Polesel J, La Torre FB, Fanetti G, Fratta E, Gobitti C, Baldassarre G, Vaccher E, Franchin G, Giacomarra V. A pre-operative prognostic score for the selection of patients for salvage surgery after recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Sci Rep 2021; 11:502. [PMID: 33436706 PMCID: PMC7804332 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79759-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Salvage surgery in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma has a poor outcome, both in terms of survival and quality of life. Therefore, the identification of pre-operative prognostic factors to improve the selection of patients who could benefit the most from salvage surgery is clinically relevant. The present study is a single-center retrospective analysis of 164 patients treated with salvage surgery after recurrence of head and neck cancer. Progression free survival and overall survival were calculated through Kaplan–Meier method. Hazard risk (HR) and corresponding confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through Cox proportional hazard model, adjusting for potential confounders. Significant predictors were combined into a prognostic score, attributing one point to each factor. Progression-free survival and overall survival were respectively 50.3% and 56.5% at 2 years, and 36.6% and 44.2% at 5 years. Four pre-operative factors were independently associated with poor prognosis: age > 70 years (HR = 2.18; 95% CI 1.27–3.73), initial stage IV (HR = 2.37; 95% CI 1.18–4.76), disease free interval < 12 months (HR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.01–2.94), and loco-regional recurrence (HR = 2.22; 95% CI 1.22–4.04). No post operative factor was associated with oncologic outcomes. Patients with 3–4 unfavorable factors showed a 5-year overall survival of 0.0% compared to 65.7% in those with 0–1 unfavorable factors (HR = 5.61; 95% CI 2.89–10.92). Despite the low number of patients, 3–4 unfavorable factors were associated to worse prognosis in all sub-sites. In conclusion, age > 70 years, initial stage IV, disease-free interval < 12 months, and loco-regional recurrence are strong independent pre-operative predictors of poor outcome in patients undergoing salvage surgery. Patients with two or more of these factors should be informed about the low success rate after salvage surgery and alternative treatments should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lupato
- Division of Otolaryngology, General Hospital "Santa Maria Degli Angeli", Pordenone, Italy
| | - Jerry Polesel
- Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Fabio Biagio La Torre
- Division of Otolaryngology, General Hospital "Santa Maria Degli Angeli", Pordenone, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fanetti
- Division of Radiotherapy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Fratta
- Division of Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Carlo Gobitti
- Division of Radiotherapy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Emanuela Vaccher
- Division of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Franchin
- Division of Radiotherapy, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Vittorio Giacomarra
- Division of Otolaryngology, General Hospital "Santa Maria Degli Angeli", Pordenone, Italy
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27
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Viotto D, Russo F, Anania I, Segatto I, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Dall'Acqua A, Bomben R, Perin T, Cusan M, Schiappacassi M, Gerratana L, D'Andrea S, Citron F, Vit F, Musco L, Mattevi MC, Mungo G, Nicoloso MS, Sonego M, Massarut S, Sorio R, Barzan L, Franchin G, Giorda G, Lucia E, Sulfaro S, Giacomarra V, Polesel J, Toffolutti F, Canzonieri V, Puglisi F, Gattei V, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. CDKN1B mutation and copy number variation are associated with tumor aggressiveness in luminal breast cancer. J Pathol 2020; 253:234-245. [PMID: 33140857 PMCID: PMC7839435 DOI: 10.1002/path.5584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The CDKN1B gene, encoding for the CDK inhibitor p27kip1, is mutated in defined human cancer subtypes, including breast, prostate carcinomas and small intestine neuroendocrine tumors. Lessons learned from small intestine neuroendocrine tumors suggest that CDKN1B mutations could be subclonal, raising the question of whether a deeper sequencing approach could lead to the identification of higher numbers of patients with mutations. Here, we addressed this question and analyzed human cancer biopsies from breast (n = 396), ovarian (n = 110) and head and neck squamous carcinoma (n = 202) patients, using an ultra‐deep sequencing approach. Notwithstanding this effort, the mutation rate of CDKN1B remained substantially aligned with values from the literature, showing that essentially only hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer displayed CDKN1B mutations in a relevant number of cases (3%). However, the analysis of copy number variation showed that another fraction of luminal breast cancer displayed loss (8%) or gain (6%) of the CDKN1B gene, further reinforcing the idea that the function of p27kip1 is important in this type of tumor. Intriguingly, an enrichment for CDKN1B alterations was found in samples from premenopausal luminal breast cancer patients (n = 227, 4%) and in circulating cell‐free DNA from metastatic luminal breast cancer patients (n = 59, 8.5%), suggesting that CDKN1B alterations could correlate with tumor aggressiveness and/or occur later during disease progression. Notably, many of the identified somatic mutations resulted in p27kip1 protein truncation, leading to loss of most of the protein or of its C‐terminal domain. Using a gene‐editing approach in a luminal breast cancer cell line, MCF‐7, we observed that the expression of p27kip1 truncating mutants that lose the C‐terminal domains failed to rescue most of the phenotypes induced by CDKN1B gene knockout, indicating that the functions retained by the C‐terminal portion are critical for its role as an oncosuppressor, at least in luminal breast cancer. © 2020 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Viotto
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Francesca Russo
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ilaria Anania
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall'Acqua
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Bomben
- Onco-Hematology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Tiziana Perin
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Martina Cusan
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Francesca Citron
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Filippo Vit
- University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.,Onco-Hematology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lorena Musco
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Mattevi
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giorgia Mungo
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Milena S Nicoloso
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Maura Sonego
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Samuele Massarut
- Breast Surgery Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberto Sorio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Luigi Barzan
- Division of Otorhinolaryngology, General Hospital of Pordenone Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy
| | - Giovanni Franchin
- Radiotherapy Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giorda
- Gynecological Surgery Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Emilio Lucia
- Gynecological Surgery Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Sandro Sulfaro
- Unit of Pathology, General Hospital of Pordenone Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy
| | - Vittorio Giacomarra
- Division of Otorhinolaryngology, General Hospital of Pordenone Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy
| | - Jerry Polesel
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Federica Toffolutti
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Valter Gattei
- Onco-Hematology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO Aviano), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
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28
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Pellarin I, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. RNA splicing alteration in the response to platinum chemotherapy in ovarian cancer: A possible biomarker and therapeutic target. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:586-615. [PMID: 33058230 DOI: 10.1002/med.21741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery, alternative splicing has been recognized as a powerful way for a cell to amplify the genetic information and for a living organism to adapt, evolve, and survive. We now know that a very high number of genes are regulated by alternative splicing and that alterations of splicing have been observed in different types of human diseases, including cancer. Here, we review the accumulating knowledge that links the regulation of alternative splicing to the response to chemotherapy, focusing our attention on ovarian cancer and platinum-based treatments. Moreover, we discuss how expanding information could be exploited to identify new possible biomarkers of platinum response, to better select patients, and/or to design new therapies able to overcome platinum resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Pellarin
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
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29
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Giglio S, De Nunzio C, Cirombella R, Stoppacciaro A, Pesce M, Omar F, Volinia S, Baldassarre G, Tubaro A, Croce C, Vecchione A. Micro-RNAs as minimally invasive biomarkers for diagnosis, staging and outcome prediction in prostate cancer patients. EUR UROL SUPPL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/s2666-1683(20)35402-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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30
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Gerratana L, Basile D, Franzoni A, Allegri L, Viotto D, Corvaja C, Bortot L, Bertoli E, Buriolla S, Targato G, Da Ros L, Russo S, Bonotto M, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Damante G, Puglisi F. Plasma-Based Longitudinal Evaluation of ESR1 Epigenetic Status in Hormone Receptor-Positive HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:550185. [PMID: 33072577 PMCID: PMC7531252 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.550185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Endocrine therapy (ET) is the mainstay of treatment for hormone receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer; however, adaptive mechanisms emerge in about 25–30% of cases through alterations in the estrogen receptor ligand-binding domain, with a consequent ligand-independent estrogen receptor activity. Epigenetic-mediated events are less known and potentially involved in alternative mechanisms of resistance. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) epigenetic characterization through liquid biopsy and to show its potential longitudinal application for an early ET sensitivity assessment. Methods A cohort of 49 women with hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative MBC was prospectively enrolled and characterized through circulating tumor DNA using methylation-specific droplet digital PCR (MS-ddPCR) before treatment start (BL) and after 3 months concomitantly with computed tomography (CT) scan restaging (EV1). ESR1 epigenetic status was defined by assessing the methylation of its main promoters (promA and promB). The most established cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) factors associated with ET resistance [ESR1 and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) mutations] were assessed through next-generation sequencing. Associations were tested through Mann–Whitney U test, matched pairs variations through Wilcoxon signed rank test, and survival was analyzed by log-rank test. Results The ET backbone was mainly based on aromatase inhibitors (AIs) (70.83%) in association with CDK4/6 inhibitors (93.75%). Significantly lower promA levels at baseline were observed in patients with liver metastases (P = 0.0212) and in patients with ESR1 mutations (P = 0.0091). No significant impact on PFS was observed for promA (P = 0.3777) and promB (P = 0.7455) dichotomized at the median while a ≥2-fold increase in promB or in either promA or promB at EV1 resulted in a significantly worse prognosis (respectively P = 0.0189, P = 0.0294). A significant increase at EV1 was observed for promB among patients with PIK3CA mutation (P = 0.0173). A trend was observed for promB in ESR1 wild-type patients and for promA in the ESR1 mutant subgroup. Conclusion The study proofed the concept of an epigenetic characterization strategy based on ctDNA and is capable of being integrated in the current clinical workflow to give useful insights on treatment sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Debora Basile
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Allegri
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Davide Viotto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Carla Corvaja
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lucia Bortot
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Elisa Bertoli
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Oncology, ASUFC University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Silvia Buriolla
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giada Targato
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Oncology, ASUFC University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Lucia Da Ros
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Stefania Russo
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Marta Bonotto
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Damante
- Institute of Human Genetics, ASUFC University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Sonego
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
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Masoudi-Khoram N, Abdolmaleki P, Hosseinkhan N, Nikoofar A, Mowla SJ, Monfared H, Baldassarre G. Differential miRNAs expression pattern of irradiated breast cancer cell lines is correlated with radiation sensitivity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9054. [PMID: 32493932 PMCID: PMC7270150 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65680-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is a fundamental step in the treatment of breast cancer patients. The treatment efficiency is however reduced by the possible onset of radiation resistance. In order to develop the effective treatment approach, it is important to understand molecular basis of radiosensitivity in breast cancer. The purpose of the present study was to investigate different radiation response of breast cancer cell lines, and find out if this response may be related to change in the microRNAs expression profile. MDA-MB-231 and T47D cells were subjected to different doses of radiation, then MTT and clonogenic assays were performed to assess radiation sensitivity. Cytofluorometric and western blot analysis were performed to gain insight into cell cycle distribution and protein expression. MicroRNA sequencing and bioinformatics prediction methods were used to identify the difference in microRNAs expression between two breast cancer cells and the related genes and pathways. T47D cells were more sensitive to radiation respect to MDA-MB-231 cells as demonstrated by a remarkable G2 cell cycle arrest followed by a greater reduction in cell viability and colony forming ability. Accordingly, T47D cells showed higher increase in the phosphorylation of ATM, TP53 and CDK1 (markers of radiation response) and faster and more pronounced increase in RAD51 and γH2AX expression (markers of DNA damage), when compared to MDA-MB-231 cells. The two cell lines had different microRNAs expression profiles with a confirmed significant differential expression of miR-16-5p, which targets cell cycle related genes and predicts longer overall survival of breast cancer patients, as determined by bioinformatics analysis. These results suggest a possible role for miR-16-5p as radiation sensitizing microRNA and as prognostic/predictive biomarker in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Masoudi-Khoram
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parviz Abdolmaleki
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Nazanin Hosseinkhan
- Endocrine Research Center, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Nikoofar
- Department of Radiotherapy, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Javad Mowla
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamideh Monfared
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Experimental Oncology 2, Department of Translational Research, CRO, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
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Bartoletti M, Pelizzari G, Gerratana L, Bortot L, Lombardi D, Nicoloso M, Scalone S, Giorda G, Baldassarre G, Sorio R, Puglisi F. Bevacizumab or PARP-Inhibitors Maintenance Therapy for Platinum-Sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Network Meta-Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113805. [PMID: 32471250 PMCID: PMC7312982 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Targeted agents such as bevacizumab (BEV) or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) which have been added as concomitant or maintenance therapies have been shown to improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (PS rOC). In the absence of direct comparison, we performed a network meta-analysis considering BRCA genes status. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE for trials involving patients with PS rOC treated with BEV or PARPi. Different comparisons were performed for patients included in the PARPi trials, according to BRCA genes status as follows: all comers (AC) population, BRCA 1/2 mutated (BRCAm), and BRCA wild type patients (BRCAwt). Results: In the overall population, PARPi prolonged PFS with respect to BEV (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.70, 95% CI 0.54–0.91). In the BRCA mutated carriers, the PFS improvement in favor of PARPi appeared to be higher (HR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.36–0.59) while in BRCAwt patients the superiority of PARPi over BEV failed to reach a statistically significance level (HR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.63–1.20); however, according to the SUCRA analysis, PARPi had the highest probability of being ranked as the most effective therapy (90% and 60%, for PARPi and BEV, respectively). Conclusions: PARPi performed better as compared with BEV in terms of PFS for the treatment of PS rOC, especially in BRCAm patients who had not previously received PARPi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Bartoletti
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (G.P.); (L.G.); (L.B.); (F.P.)
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0434-659-139
| | - Giacomo Pelizzari
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (G.P.); (L.G.); (L.B.); (F.P.)
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (G.P.); (L.G.); (L.B.); (F.P.)
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Lucia Bortot
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (G.P.); (L.G.); (L.B.); (F.P.)
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Davide Lombardi
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Milena Nicoloso
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (M.N.); (G.B.)
| | - Simona Scalone
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Giorgio Giorda
- Unit of Gynecological Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy;
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (M.N.); (G.B.)
| | - Roberto Sorio
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (G.P.); (L.G.); (L.B.); (F.P.)
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Cancer Prevention, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (D.L.); (S.S.); (R.S.)
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Pellarin I, Dall'Acqua A, Gambelli A, Pellizzari I, D'Andrea S, Sonego M, Lorenzon I, Schiappacassi M, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. Splicing factor proline- and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) protein regulates platinum response in ovarian cancer-modulating SRSF2 activity. Oncogene 2020; 39:4390-4403. [PMID: 32332923 PMCID: PMC7253352 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1292-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), response to platinum (PT)-based chemotherapy dictates subsequent treatments and predicts patients' prognosis. Alternative splicing is often deregulated in human cancers and can be altered by chemotherapy. Whether and how changes in alternative splicing regulation could impact on the response of EOC to PT-based chemotherapy is still not clarified. We identified the splicing factor proline and glutamine rich (SFPQ) as a critical mediator of response to PT in an unbiased functional genomic screening in EOC cells and, using a large cohort of primary and recurrent EOC samples, we observed that it is frequently overexpressed in recurrent PT-treated samples and that its overexpression correlates with PT resistance. At mechanistic level, we show that, under PT treatment, SFPQ, in complex with p54nrb, binds and regulates the activity of the splicing factor SRSF2. SFPQ/p54nrb complex decreases SRSF2 binding to caspase-9 RNA, favoring the expression of its alternative spliced antiapoptotic form. As a consequence, SFPQ/p54nrb protects cells from PT-induced death, eventually contributing to chemoresistance. Overall, our work unveils a previously unreported SFPQ/p54nrb/SRSF2 pathway that in EOC cells plays a central role in regulating alternative splicing and PT-induced apoptosis and that could result in the design of new possible ways of intervention to overcome PT resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Pellarin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall'Acqua
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Alice Gambelli
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Ilenia Pellizzari
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Maura Sonego
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Ilaria Lorenzon
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, PN, Italy.
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35
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Citron F, Segatto I, Vinciguerra GLR, Musco L, Russo F, Mungo G, D'Andrea S, Mattevi MC, Perin T, Schiappacassi M, Massarut S, Marchini C, Amici A, Vecchione A, Baldassarre G, Belletti B. Downregulation of miR-223 Expression Is an Early Event during Mammary Transformation and Confers Resistance to CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Luminal Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2019; 80:1064-1077. [PMID: 31862778 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-1793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
miR-223 is an anti-inflammatory miRNA that in cancer acts either as an oncosuppressor or oncopromoter, in a context-dependent manner. In breast cancer, we demonstrated that it dampens the activation of the EGF pathway. However, little is known on the role of miR-223 during breast cancer onset and progression. miR-223 expression was decreased in breast cancer of luminal and HER2 subtypes and inversely correlated with patients' prognosis. In normal luminal mammary epithelial cells, miR-223 acted cell autonomously in the control of their growth and morphology in three-dimensional context. In the MMTV-Δ16HER2 transgenic mouse model, oncogene transformation resulted in a timely abrogation of miR-223 expression, likely due to activation of E2F1, a known repressor of miR-223 transcription. Accordingly, treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors, which eventually results in restraining E2F1 activity, restored miR-223 expression and miR-223 ablation induced luminal breast cancer resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition, both in vitro and in vivo. Notably, miR-223 expression was lost in microdissected ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from patients with luminal and HER2-positive breast cancer. Altogether, these results identify downmodulation of miR-223 as an early step in luminal breast cancer onset and suggest that it could be used to identify aggressive DCIS and predict the response to targeted therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: miR-223 may represent a predictive biomarker of response to CDK4/6 inhibitors and its loss could identify DCIS lesions that are likely to progress into invasive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Citron
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza" Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorena Musco
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Francesca Russo
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giorgia Mungo
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Mattevi
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Tiziana Perin
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Samuele Massarut
- Breast Surgery Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- Department of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Augusto Amici
- Department of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza" Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
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Sonego M, Poletto E, Pivetta E, Nicoloso MS, Pellicani R, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Citron F, Sorio R, Mongiat M, Baldassarre G. TIMP-1 is Overexpressed and Secreted by Platinum Resistant Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cells. Cells 2019; 9:cells9010006. [PMID: 31861382 PMCID: PMC7016675 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer in developed countries, and the development of new strategies to overcome chemoresistance is an awaited clinical need. Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, has been validated as a therapeutic target in this tumor type. The aim of this study is to verify if EOC cells with acquired resistance to platinum (PT) treatment display an altered angiogenic potential. Using a proteomic approach, we identified the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) as the only secreted factor whose expression was up-regulated in PT-resistant TOV-112D and OVSAHO EOC cells used as study models. We report that TIMP-1 acts as a double-edged sword in the EOC microenvironment, directly affecting the response to PT treatment on tumor cells and indirectly altering migration and proliferation of endothelial cells. Interestingly, we found that high TIMP-1 levels in stage III–IV EOC patients associate with decreased overall survival, especially if they were treated with PT or bevacizumab. Taken together, these results pinpoint TIMP-1 as a key molecule involved in the regulation of EOC PT-resistance and progression disclosing the possibility that it could be used as a new biomarker of PT-resistance and/or therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Sonego
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (M.M.); (G.B.); Tel.: +39-0434-659-761 (M.S.); +39-0434-659-561 (M.M.); +39-0434-659-759 (G.B.); Fax: +39-0434-659-428 (M.S. & M.M. & G.B.)
| | - Evelina Poletto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Eliana Pivetta
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Milena S. Nicoloso
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
- Deparment of Medical Oncology Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy;
| | - Rosanna Pellicani
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Francesca Citron
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
| | - Roberto Sorio
- Deparment of Medical Oncology Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Mongiat
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (M.M.); (G.B.); Tel.: +39-0434-659-761 (M.S.); +39-0434-659-561 (M.M.); +39-0434-659-759 (G.B.); Fax: +39-0434-659-428 (M.S. & M.M. & G.B.)
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy; (E.P.); (E.P.); (M.S.N.); (R.P.); (G.L.R.V.); (F.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.S.); (M.M.); (G.B.); Tel.: +39-0434-659-761 (M.S.); +39-0434-659-561 (M.M.); +39-0434-659-759 (G.B.); Fax: +39-0434-659-428 (M.S. & M.M. & G.B.)
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Grisard E, Coan M, Cesaratto L, Rigo I, Zandonà L, Paulitti A, Andreuzzi E, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Poletto E, Del Ben F, Brisotto G, Biscontin E, Turetta M, Dassi E, Mirnezami A, Canzonieri V, Vecchione A, Baldassarre G, Mongiat M, Spizzo R, Nicoloso MS. Sleeping beauty genetic screen identifies miR-23b::BTBD7 gene interaction as crucial for colorectal cancer metastasis. EBioMedicine 2019; 46:79-93. [PMID: 31303496 PMCID: PMC6710852 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a deadly disease. Identifying locally advanced CRC patients with high risk of developing metastasis and improving outcome of metastatic CRC patients require discovering master regulators of metastasis. In this context, the non-coding part of the human genome is still largely unexplored. Methods To interrogate the non-coding part of the human genome and disclose regulators of CRC metastasis, we combined a transposon-based forward genetic screen with a novel in vitro assay, which forces cells to grow deprived of cell-substrate and cell-cell contacts (i.e. forced single cell suspension assay - fSCS). Findings We proved that fSCS selects CRC cells with mesenchymal and pro-metastatic traits. Moreover, we found that the transposon insertions conferred CRC cells resistance to fSCS and thus metastatic advantage. Among the retrieved transposon insertions, we demonstrated that the one located in the 3′UTR of BTBD7 disrupts miR-23b::BTBD7 interaction and contributes to pro-metastatic traits. In addition, miR-23b and BTBD7 correlate with CRC metastasis both in preclinical experiments and in clinical samples. Interpretation fSCS is a simple and scalable in vitro assay to investigate pro-metastatic traits and transposon-based genetic screens can interrogate the non-coding part of the human genome (e.g. miRNA::target interactions). Finally, both Btbd7 and miR-23b represent promising prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in CRC. Fund This work was supported by Marie Curie Actions (CIG n. 303877) and Friuli Venezia Giulia region (Grant Agreement n°245574), Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC, MFAG n°13589), Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2010-2319387 and PE-2016-02361040) and 5x1000 to CRO Aviano.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Grisard
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Michela Coan
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Laura Cesaratto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Ilenia Rigo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Luigi Zandonà
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Alice Paulitti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Eva Andreuzzi
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Poletto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Fabio Del Ben
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Giulia Brisotto
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Eva Biscontin
- Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Matteo Turetta
- Pathology Department, University Hospital of Udine, Italy
| | - Erik Dassi
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Alex Mirnezami
- Cancer Sciences, University Surgical Unit, University of Southampton, UK
| | - Vincenzo Canzonieri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy; Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste Medical School, Trieste, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Maurizio Mongiat
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
| | - Riccardo Spizzo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy.
| | - Milena S Nicoloso
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Italy
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Citron F, Vinciguerra GLR, Fanetti G, Segatto I, Belletti B, Vecchione A, Franchin G, Baldassarre G. Abstract 3128: miR-9 expression regulates and predicts the response to EGFR inhibitors in head & neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2019-3128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction. Most Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients are diagnosed with a locally advanced disease. Radiotherapy (RT) plus anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (Cetuximab - CTX) represents an effective combination therapy for locally advanced HNSCC patients. However, the 5-year overall survival is still 45%, mainly due to the appearance of loco-regional recurrences, suggesting that the identification and validation of predictive biomarkers of CTX activity is urgently needed to identify patients at high-risk of recurrence, who will benefit more from this therapeutic strategy. We recently validated a 4-microRNAs (miRs) signature, related to Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and able to stratify HNSCC patients at high-risk of recurrence development. Among these 4 miRs, miR-9 was the only up-regulated in primary tumors from patients who developed recurrence within 2-year follow-up. Here we evaluated whether miR-9 expression had a functional role in HNSCC onset, progression and response to therapies.
Methods. miR-9 modified (overexpressing and silenced) HNSCC cells were generated, characterized for their growth and response to radio-, chemo- and targeted-therapies (i.e.Cisplatin, Paclitaxel, 5-Fluorouracil and CTX) in vitro and in vivo. Preclinical evidences were confirmed in a cohort of primary HNSCC samples by intercrossing the expression of miR-9 and selected target genes with patients’ clinical variables and response to therapy.
Results. Biochemical and biological in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that high miR-9 expression triggers EMT and increases tumor initiating properties in HNSCC cells. Interestingly, miR-9 silenced HNSCC cells displayed a higher sensitivity to RT and CTX, but not to chemotherapy, when compared to controls. Using an in vivo model of HNSCC, we observed that intra-tumor injection of anti-miR-9 improves the efficacy of RT alone and remarkably in combination with CTX. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that in HNSCC cells, EGFR activation triggers miR-9 expression that promotes the transcription of SP1, establishing a positive forward loop between EGFR activation and SP1 transcription. Accordingly, in primary HNSCC miR-9 expression strongly correlates with the one of SP1 and EGFR. More importantly, in a cohort of HNSCC patients treated with RT plus CTX, high miR-9 expression acts as an efficient predictive biomarker of intrinsic resistance.
Conclusion. Altogether by integrating wet-lab and clinical data, we provide strong evidences indicating that in HNSCC a subpopulation of miR-9 expressing cells is intrinsically resistant to RT plus CTX therapy, confirming its potential prognostic value. Since we set up an assay to easily and quantitatively evaluate miR-9 expression in diagnostic tumor biopsies, we propose that it could be used to personalize the treatments for this group of patients, avoiding unfaithful toxic therapies.
Citation Format: Francesca Citron, Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra, Giuseppe Fanetti, Ilenia Segatto, Barbara Belletti, Andrea Vecchione, Giovanni Franchin, Gustavo Baldassarre. miR-9 expression regulates and predicts the response to EGFR inhibitors in head & neck squamous cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3128.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ilenia Segatto
- 1CRO-Aviano National Cancer Institute, IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
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Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Antonelli G, Citron F, Berardi G, Angeletti S, Baldassarre G, Vecchione A, Di Giulio E, Pilozzi E. Pathologist second opinion significantly alters clinical management of pT1 endoscopically resected colorectal cancer. Virchows Arch 2019; 475:665-668. [PMID: 31209636 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-019-02603-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We retrospectively collected a series of 82 endoscopically removed early colorectal cancers. Histological specimens were revised by two gastrointestinal pathologists, performing a re-evaluation of all risk factors for lymph node metastasis. The comparison between second opinion and first pathological report revealed that lymphovascular invasion and tumor grading showed a lower level of concordance than other parameters. Our results demonstrated that second opinion modified risk assessment in about 10% of cases. It was mainly due to a lack in reporting of some parameters at the first diagnosis and a different evaluation in second opinion for updated guidelines. Considering the subgroup of patients with modified risk assessment, clinical data revealed that tumors, re-classified as low risk, did not develop lymph node metastasis that, conversely, occurred in patients identified as high risk by second opinion. In conclusion, second opinion significantly alters risk perception of endoscopically removed early colorectal carcinomas representing a valuable tool for their appropriate clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy.
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy.
| | - Giulio Antonelli
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Citron
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giammauro Berardi
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Angeletti
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilio Di Giulio
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Pilozzi
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy
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Bartoletti M, Pelizzari G, Gerratana L, Garattini SK, Basile D, Lisanti C, Bortot L, Corvaja C, Garutti M, Scalone S, Nicoloso M, Bolzonello S, Torrisi E, Da Ros L, Di Nardo P, Lombardi D, Giorda G, Baldassarre G, Sorio R, Puglisi F. Bevacizumab or PARP-inhibitors maintenance therapy for platinum-sensitive (PS) recurrent ovarian cancer (rOC)? A network meta-analysis (NMA). J Clin Oncol 2019. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.5564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
5564 Background: Patients (pts) experiencing a PS rOC are generally re-exposed to a platinum based-chemotherapy (CT). In this setting, the addition of a targeted agent like bevacizumab (BEV) or PARP inhibitors (PARPi) as concomitant and/or maintenance therapy has shown to improve progression free survival (PFS). In the absence of direct comparison in randomized trials (RCTs), we have performed a NMA to evaluate differences in terms of efficacy between BEV and PARPi in pts with PS rOC, according to BRCA status. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase and Medline for RCTs involving pts with PS rOC treated with BEV (n = 3, 1563 pts) or PARPi (n = 5, 1839 pts). Only trials with PFS as primary endpoint were included. Trials in first line setting were excluded. Analyses have been done pooling pts who had received PARPi in three groups, according to the available data on BRCA genes status: all comers (AC), BRCA mutated pts (BRCAm) and BRCA wild-type pts (BRCAwt). A frequentist approach has been used with R statistical software. To rank the effect size of treatments, surface under the cumulative ranking value (SUCRA) has been applied. Results: In AC pts, PARPi improved PFS compared to BEV (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.70, 95% CI 0.54-0.91, test of heterogeneity [I2] = 40.5%). In BRCAm pts the gain in PFS for PARPi was even higher compared to BEV (HR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.36-0.59, I2= 17.2%). In BRCAwt pts the benefit of PARPi over BEV was not statistically significant (HR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.63-1.20, I2= 35.7%) but PARPi had the highest likelihood of being ranked as the best treatment in terms of efficacy according to SUCRA (90% and 60%, respectively for PARPi and BEV). Hazard ratio for PFS between PARPi, BEV and CT in the three cohorts are reported in the table. Conclusions: According to indirect comparisons, PARPi performed the best for the treatment of PS rOC, especially in BRCAm pts who had not previously received PARPi. BEV could be still an option in BRCAwt pts. [Table: see text]
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Bartoletti
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pelizzari
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gerratana
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Silvio Ken Garattini
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Debora Basile
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Camilla Lisanti
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Lucia Bortot
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | - Carla Corvaja
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Simona Scalone
- Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Milena Nicoloso
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Silvia Bolzonello
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy, Aviano, Italy
| | - Elena Torrisi
- Medical Oncology Dept. RCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lucia Da Ros
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Paola Di Nardo
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Davide Lombardi
- Centro di Riferimento Oncologico-National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giorda
- Dipartimento di Oncologia Chirurgica Ginecologica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberto Sorio
- MITO and Centro di Riferimento Oncologico-IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Fabio Puglisi
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine; Dipartimento di Oncologia Medica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Udine, Italy
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Sonego M, Pellarin I, Costa A, Vinciguerra GLR, Coan M, Kraut A, D’Andrea S, Dall’Acqua A, Castillo-Tong DC, Califano D, Losito S, Spizzo R, Couté Y, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Schiappacassi M, Baldassarre G. USP1 links platinum resistance to cancer cell dissemination by regulating Snail stability. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaav3235. [PMID: 31086816 PMCID: PMC6506239 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav3235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy is a common event in patients with cancer, generally associated with tumor dissemination and metastasis. Whether platinum treatment per se activates molecular pathways linked to tumor spreading is not known. Here, we report that the ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) mediates ovarian cancer cell resistance to platinum, by regulating the stability of Snail, which, in turn, promotes tumor dissemination. At the molecular level, we observed that upon platinum treatment, USP1 is phosphorylated by ATM and ATR and binds to Snail. Then, USP1 de-ubiquitinates and stabilizes Snail expression, conferring resistance to platinum, increased stem cell-like features, and metastatic ability. Consistently, knockout or pharmacological inhibition of USP1 increased platinum sensitivity and decreased metastatic dissemination in a Snail-dependent manner. Our findings identify Snail as a USP1 target and open the way to a novel strategy to overcome platinum resistance and more successfully treat patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Sonego
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Pellarin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Alice Costa
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza,” Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Coan
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Alexandra Kraut
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG-BGE, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sara D’Andrea
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall’Acqua
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Dan Cacsire Castillo-Tong
- Translational Gynecology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Wien, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Califano
- Genomica Funzionale, Fondazione G. Pascale, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 80100 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Losito
- Anatomia Patologica, Fondazione G. Pascale, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 80100 Naples, Italy
| | - Riccardo Spizzo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Yohann Couté
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, BIG-BGE, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza,” Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
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Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Citron F, Segatto I, Belletti B, Vecchione A, Baldassarre G. p27kip1 at the crossroad between actin and microtubule dynamics. Cell Div 2019; 14:2. [PMID: 30976290 PMCID: PMC6442415 DOI: 10.1186/s13008-019-0045-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The p27kip1 protein, mainly known as a negative regulator of cell proliferation, has also been involved in the control of other cellular processes, including the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics. Notably, these two functions involve distinct protein domains, residing in the N- and C-terminal halves, respectively. In the last two decades, p27kip1 has been reported to interact with microtubule and acto-myosin cytoskeletons, both in direct and indirect ways, overall drawing a picture in which several factors play their role either in synergy or in contrast one with another. As a result, the role of p27kip1 in cytoskeleton dynamics has been implicated in cell migration, both in physiologic and in neoplastic contexts, modulating cytokinesis, lipid raft trafficking, and neuronal development. Recently, two distinct papers have further reported a central role for p27kip1 in the control of microtubule stability and post-translational modifications, dissecting the interaction between p27kip1 and α-tubulin-acetyl-transferase (α-TAT), an enzyme involved in the stability of microtubules, and protein-regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1), a nuclear regulator of the central spindle during mitosis. In light of these recent evidences, we will comment on the role of p27kip1 on cytoskeleton regulation and its implication for cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- 1Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy.,2Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Citron
- 1Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- 1Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- 1Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- 2Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- 1Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081 Aviano, Italy
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De Carlo E, Schiappacassi M, Urbani M, Doliana R, Baldassarre G, Da Ros V, Santarossa S, Chimienti E, Berto E, Fratino L, Bearz A. Therapeutic decision based on molecular detection of resistance mechanism in an ALK-rearranged lung cancer patient: a case report. Onco Targets Ther 2018; 11:8945-8950. [PMID: 30573982 PMCID: PMC6292407 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s184745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of ALK is the therapy of choice for ALK-fusion patients. Unfortunately, all patients under this kind of treatment eventually develop acquired resistance through several well-known mechanisms, such as acquisition of a secondary mutation within the kinase domain, activation of a bypass signaling pathway, or a histological change like small-cell lung cancer transformation. At the time of progression, a tissue re-biopsy may give important molecular and morphological information regarding the mechanisms driving resistance to ALK TKIs. However, this procedure is not always feasible and it may not reflect the tumor heterogeneity, and therefore gives incomplete information. To overcome these drawbacks, the analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from plasma, the so-called liquid biopsy, is emerging as a noninvasive and useful tool for detecting resistance mutations. Secondary resistance mutations are common in second-generation TKIs resistant patients and among these, Gly1202Arg (p.G1202R) emerged as the most frequent mutation. Case presentation We have treated an ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma patient with a sequential strategy of ALK TKIs. Patient follow-up was performed combining clinical, radiological, and molecular profiling. ctDNA was isolated from plasma and by means of ultra-deep next generation sequencing; we searched for secondary ALK resistance mutations on exons 21-25. ALK mutation Gly1202Arg (G1202R) was detected. We have documented consistency between plasma levels of G1202R mutation and radiological progression or improvement. Conclusion Liquid biopsy appears to be a promising tool to anticipate progression and to drive the therapeutic strategy based upon ALK resistance mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa De Carlo
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Molecular Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy
| | - Martina Urbani
- Radiology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy
| | - Roberto Doliana
- Molecular Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy
| | - Valentina Da Ros
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
| | - Sandra Santarossa
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
| | - Emanuela Chimienti
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
| | - Eleonora Berto
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
| | - Lucia Fratino
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
| | - Alessandra Bearz
- Clinical Oncology Department, IRCCS CRO Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Aviano, Italy,
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Fedele M, Fidanza V, Battista S, Pentimalli F, Klein-Szanto AJP, Visone R, De Martino I, Curcio A, Morisco C, Del Vecchio L, Baldassarre G, Arra C, Viglietto G, Indolfi C, Croce CM, Fusco A. Retraction: Haploinsufficiency of the Hmga1 Gene Causes Cardiac Hypertrophy and Myelo-Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Mice. Cancer Res 2018; 78:6908. [PMID: 30552126 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-3457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Fedele M, Pierantoni GM, Berlingieri MT, Battista S, Baldassarre G, Munshi N, Dentice M, Thanos D, Santoro M, Viglietto G, Fusco A. Retraction: Overexpression of Proteins HMGA1 Induces Cell Cycle Deregulation and Apoptosis in Normal Rat Thyroid Cells. Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-3460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Segatto I, Zompit MDM, Citron F, D'Andrea S, Vinciguerra GLR, Perin T, Berton S, Mungo G, Schiappacassi M, Marchini C, Amici A, Vecchione A, Baldassarre G, Belletti B. Stathmin Is Required for Normal Mouse Mammary Gland Development and Δ16HER2-Driven Tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 2018; 79:397-409. [PMID: 30478213 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-2488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Postnatal development of the mammary gland relies on the maintenance of oriented cell division and apicobasal polarity, both of which are often deregulated in cancer. The microtubule (MT) network contributes to control these processes; however, very little is known about the impact of altered MT dynamics in the development of a complex organ and on the role played by MT-interacting proteins such as stathmin. In this study, we report that female stathmin knock-out (STM KO) mice are unable to nurse their litters due to frank impairment of mammary gland development. In mouse mammary epithelial cells, loss of stathmin compromised the trafficking of polarized proteins and the achievement of proper apicobasal polarity. In particular, prolactin receptor internalization and localization was altered in STM KO mammary epithelial cells, leading to decreased protein stability and downmodulation of the Prl/PrlR/STAT5 signaling pathway. Absence of stathmin induced alterations in mitotic spindle orientation, accumulation of mitotic defects, and apoptosis, overall contributing to tissue disorganization and further decreasing the expansion of the mammary epithelial compartment. Loss of stathmin in MMTV-Δ16HER2 transgenic mice decreased the incidence and increased the latency of these very aggressive mammary carcinomas. Collectively, these data identify the essential mammary protein stathmin as protumorigenic and suggest it may serve as a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Stathmin expression is critical to maintain oriented cell division and apicobasal polarity in normal mammary glands and to establish a protumorigenic program that eventually sustains HER2-positive breast cancer formation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Segatto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Mara De Marco Zompit
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Francesca Citron
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.,Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza" Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Perin
- Unit of Pathology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Stefania Berton
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giorgia Mungo
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- Department of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Augusto Amici
- Department of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza" Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
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De Marco C, Rinaldo N, De Vita F, Forzati F, Caira E, Iovane V, Paciello O, Montanaro D, D'Andrea S, Baldassarre G, Papparella S, Malanga D, Baldi A, Viglietto G. The T197A Knock-in Model of Cdkn1b Gene to Study the Effects of p27 Restoration In Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 2018; 18:482-493. [PMID: 30425132 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The CDK inhibitor, p27kip1, encoded by the Cdkn1b gene can negatively modulate cell proliferation. The control of p27 activity during the cell cycle is regulated at multiple levels, including transcription, translation, and protein stability. The last residue of p27 (threonine 198 in human, threonine 197 in mouse) is involved in the control of protein stability. We have generated a murine knock-in model (Cdkn1b T197A) in which threonine 197 is replaced by alanine, which renders p27 protein highly unstable due to a high rate of proteasomal degradation. Expectedly, Cdkn1b T197A/T197A mice present with increased body size and weight, organomegaly, and multiple organ hyperplasia, similar to what is observed in Cdkn1b KO/KO mice. We investigated the effects exerted by the restoration of normal levels of p27 protein in the tissue of Cdkn1b T197A/T197A mice. We found that proteasome inhibition with bortezomib rescues the hyperplasia induced by the lack of p27 expression in Cdkn1b T197A/T197A but not in Cdkn1b KO/KO mice. However, BAY 11-7082, a proteasome inhibitor that stabilizes IκB but not p27, fails to rescue hyperplasia in Cdkn1b T197A/T197A mice. Bortezomib increases p27 half-life and reduces the proliferation in MEFs derived from Cdkn1b T197A/T197A but not from Cdkn1b WT/WT mice, whereas BAY 11-7082 had no effect on the protein levels of p27 and on the proliferation rate of Cdkn1b T197A/T197A MEFs.The results presented here demonstrate that Cdkn1b T197A/T197A mice represent an attractive in vivo model to investigate whether the targeting of p27 degradation machinery might prove beneficial in the treatment of a variety of human proliferative disorders caused by increased turnover of p27 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela De Marco
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia," Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Nicola Rinaldo
- Biogem S.c.a.r.l, Genetic Research Institute "Gaetano Salvatore," Ariano Irpino (AV), Italy
| | - Fernanda De Vita
- Biogem S.c.a.r.l, Genetic Research Institute "Gaetano Salvatore," Ariano Irpino (AV), Italy
| | - Floriana Forzati
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology "G. Salvatore"-CNR c/o Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University "Federico II," Naples, Italy
| | - Elvira Caira
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia," Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Valentina Iovane
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Orlando Paciello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Sara D'Andrea
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Serenella Papparella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Donatella Malanga
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia," Catanzaro, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Viglietto
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia," Catanzaro, Italy.
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Coan M, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Cesaratto L, Gardenal E, Bianchet R, Dassi E, Vecchione A, Baldassarre G, Spizzo R, Nicoloso MS. Exploring the Role of Fallopian Ciliated Cells in the Pathogenesis of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092512. [PMID: 30149579 PMCID: PMC6163198 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women and the first among gynecological malignancies. Despite an initial response to standard chemotherapy, most HGSOC patients relapse. To improve treatment options, we must continue investigating tumor biology. Tumor characteristics (e.g., risk factors and epidemiology) are valuable clues to accomplish this task. The two most frequent risk factors for HGSOC are the lifetime number of ovulations, which is associated with increased oxidative stress in the pelvic area caused by ovulation fluid, and a positive family history due to genetic factors. In the attempt to identify novel genetic factors (i.e., genes) associated with HGSOC, we observed that several genes in linkage with HGSOC are expressed in the ciliated cells of the fallopian tube. This finding made us hypothesize that ciliated cells, despite not being the cell of origin for HGSOC, may take part in HGSOC tumor initiation. Specifically, malfunction of the ciliary beat impairs the laminar fluid flow above the fallopian tube epithelia, thus likely reducing the clearance of oxidative stress caused by follicular fluid. Herein, we review the up-to-date findings dealing with HGSOC predisposition with the hypothesis that fallopian ciliated cells take part in HGSOC onset. Finally, we review the up-to-date literature concerning genes that are located in genomic loci associated with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) predisposition that are expressed by the fallopian ciliated cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Coan
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, IRCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano PN, Italy.
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, IRCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano PN, Italy.
| | - Laura Cesaratto
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, IRCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano PN, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Gardenal
- Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Bianchet
- Scientific Direction, CRO Aviano Italy, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano, Italy.
| | - Erik Dassi
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy.
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of clinical and molecular medicine, university of Rome "Sapienza", c/o sant andrea hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, IRCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano PN, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Spizzo
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, IRCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano PN, Italy.
| | - Milena Sabrina Nicoloso
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Translational Research, IRCCS CRO Aviano-National Cancer Institute, Via Franco Gallini, 2 33081 Aviano PN, Italy.
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Segatto I, Zompit MDM, Vinciguerra GLR, Mungo G, D’Andrea S, Perin T, Baldassarre G, Belletti B. Abstract B57: Microtubule dynamics regulates mammary gland morphogenesis and tumorigenesis via stathmin. Mol Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3125.advbc17-b57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Microtubule (MT) dynamics is essential to provide a correct apico-basal polarization of epithelial cells, by regulating the movement of vesicles and proteins within the cell and by ensuring a correct orientation of the mitotic spindle during cell division. The dynamics of MT is governed by the activity of MT-stabilizing and destabilizing proteins, generally known as MT-acting proteins. Little is known about the role of the MT-dynamics and of MT-acting proteins during development of the mammary gland, a dynamic organ that displays a complex and finely organized apico-basal architecture.
Stathmin, a MT-destabilizing protein, is often overexpressed in breast cancer (BC). By studying knockout (STM KO) mice we observed that STM KO females were unable to nurse their offspring. This phenotype was accompanied by defective development of the mammary gland, particularly evident during pregnancy and postpartum phases. Our results showed that stathmin absence mainly impinged on two key features of the mammary epithelial organization, polarity and proliferation. In vitro, normal mammary epithelial cells silenced for stathmin were not able to form organized acini in 3D-matrices. In vivo, when stathmin was KO, many molecules involved in mammary gland functions were not properly localized, indicating a disruption of the apico-basal polarity. Furthermore, loss of stathmin strongly decreased proliferation and induced disoriented positioning of the mitotic spindle in dividing epithelial cells of the developing alveolus, preventing the correct orientation of the daughter cells.
Loss of polarity and deregulated proliferation are tightly linked to tumorigenesis. We therefore decided to examine the role of stathmin also in the context of HER2-driven tumorigenesis. To this end, we used a transgenic mouse model expressing a constitutively active form of HER2 (Δ16HER2), which is an alternatively spliced, very aggressive form of HER2, and intercrossed them with STM WT and KO mice. We analyzed the role of stathmin in both early and late stages of tumorigenesis. STM KO mice displayed a significantly reduced number of preneoplastic foci and this phenotype was maintained also in late stages of tumorigenesis. In WT mice, preneoplastic lesions expressed high level of stathmin compared with normal tissue, supporting the idea that stathmin played an active role in tumor initiation. Analysis of proliferation in tumors revealed that loss of stathmin strongly decreased the mitotic rate of Δ16HER2-transformed cells. Furthermore, by syngeneic injection of tumor cells in recipient mice of the two different genotypes, we could assess that stathmin plays a cell-autonomous function in tumor initiation.
Our study has shed new light on the field of mammary gland development and of breast cancer biology. Collectively, our data indicate that loss of stathmin by altering the dynamics of microtubules causes a profound disorganization of the normal mammary gland architecture and a delay in initiation of the tumorigenic process. We have uncovered new functions of stathmin that could have important implications in BC, also considering that several microtubule-acting drugs are currently employed in the therapy of BC patients.
Citation Format: Ilenia Segatto, Mara De Marco Zompit, Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra, Giorgia Mungo, Sara D’Andrea, Tiziana Perin, Gustavo Baldassarre, Barbara Belletti. Microtubule dynamics regulates mammary gland morphogenesis and tumorigenesis via stathmin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2017 Oct 7-10; Hollywood, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2018;16(8_Suppl):Abstract nr B57.
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Sonego M, Pellarin I, Costa A, Vinciguerra GLR, Coan M, D’Andrea S, Coutè Y, Spizzo R, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Schiappacassi M, Baldassarre G. Abstract A68: Stabilization of SNAIL by USP-1 mediates chemoresistance and cell plasticity in epithelial ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3265.ovca17-a68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Recurrent, chemotherapy-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) accounts for the most lethality among gynecologic cancers. Unfortunately, during the past 30 years, patients with EOC have experienced little improvement in overall survival, and standard treatment has not advanced beyond PT-based combination chemotherapy. Recent literature suggests that molecular and phenotypic associations exist between chemoresistance and the establishment of an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like program, by regulating the cancer cell plasticity and the tumor spreading. How this phenotype is linked to an alteration of the DNA damage response (DDR) activated by chemotherapy is still unclear and the possible molecular mediators connecting EMT and DDR are still undisclosed.
Using an unbiased screening with shRNAs targeting genes belonging to apoptosis and DDR pathways, we identified ubiquitin specific protease-1 (USP1) as a key mediator of PT sensitivity in EOC. USP1 is a de-ubiquitinase previously implicated in the control of both DDR and EMT via the de-ubiquitination of FANCD2-FANCI and ID proteins, respectively. Here we report that USP1 impairment, using both genetic and pharmacologic approaches, significantly reduced PT-IC50 of different EOC cells encompassing the three most common histotypes (i.e., serous COV-362 and OVCAR8, endometrioid MDAH-2774,and clear cell TOV-21G). Moreover, USP1 regulates expression of several differentiation status-associated genes and controls spheroids formation in both untreated and PT-treated cells, the evasion from 3D-matrix, and the invasion of the mesothelial cell monolayer.
Mechanistically, we identify the EMT transcription factor SNAIL as a new USP1 substrate.
We demonstrated that upon PT treatment, USP1 is phosphorylated by the ATM and ATR kinases and this modification favors the binding of USP1 to SNAIL. USP1, by directly de-ubiquitinating SNAIL, stabilizes its expression and confers higher cell plasticity and resistance to PT-induced cell death. Accordingly, CRISPR-mediated USP1 knockout (KO) or its pharmacologic inhibition strongly decreased the ability of EOC cells to metastasize within the abdominal cavity and increased in vivo PT-induced cell death. Reintroduction of USP1 wild-type protein in USP1 KO cells restored their ability to spread in the abdomen and to resist PT therapy. Conversely, a USP1 mutant not phosphorylable by ATM or ATR failed to properly grow in the abdomen and was highly sensitive to PT treatment.
Finally, we demonstrated that the ability of USP1 to regulate SNAIL is associated with a transcriptional program able to predict worse prognosis of EOC patients.
Overall our work unveils several new relevant insights in the regulation of PT resistance in EOC. First, we report for the first time that a DUB is directly involved in the stabilization of an EMT transcription factor (i.e., SNAIL). Then we demonstrated that USP1 for its ability to link at molecular level EMT and DDR represents a particularly powerful oncoprotein that affects drug response and metastatic dissemination. Finally, we provide evidence that genetic and/or pharmacologic inhibition of USP1 could represent a promising strategy that might positively impact the management of EOC patients.
Citation Format: Maura Sonego, Ilenia Pellarin, Alice Costa, Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra, Michela Coan, Sara D’Andrea, Yohann Coutè, Riccardo Spizzo, Andrea Vecchione, Barbara Belletti, Monica Schiappacassi, Gustavo Baldassarre. Stabilization of SNAIL by USP-1 mediates chemoresistance and cell plasticity in epithelial ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference: Addressing Critical Questions in Ovarian Cancer Research and Treatment; Oct 1-4, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(15_Suppl):Abstract nr A68.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Sonego
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
| | - Ilenia Pellarin
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
| | - Alice Costa
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
| | | | - Michela Coan
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
| | - Sara D’Andrea
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
| | | | - Riccardo Spizzo
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- 2University of Rome La Sapienza, Santo Andrea Hospital, Roma, Italy,
| | - Barbara Belletti
- 1CRO Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, PN, Italy,
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