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Heeke S, Gay CM, Estecio MR, Tran H, Morris BB, Zhang B, Tang X, Raso MG, Rocha P, Lai S, Arriola E, Hofman P, Hofman V, Kopparapu P, Lovly CM, Concannon K, De Sousa LG, Lewis WE, Kondo K, Hu X, Tanimoto A, Vokes NI, Nilsson MB, Stewart A, Jansen M, Horváth I, Gaga M, Panagoulias V, Raviv Y, Frumkin D, Wasserstrom A, Shuali A, Schnabel CA, Xi Y, Diao L, Wang Q, Zhang J, Van Loo P, Wang J, Wistuba II, Byers LA, Heymach JV. Tumor- and circulating-free DNA methylation identifies clinically relevant small cell lung cancer subtypes. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:225-237.e5. [PMID: 38278149 PMCID: PMC10982990 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.01.001] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy composed of distinct transcriptional subtypes, but implementing subtyping in the clinic has remained challenging, particularly due to limited tissue availability. Given the known epigenetic regulation of critical SCLC transcriptional programs, we hypothesized that subtype-specific patterns of DNA methylation could be detected in tumor or blood from SCLC patients. Using genomic-wide reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) in two cohorts totaling 179 SCLC patients and using machine learning approaches, we report a highly accurate DNA methylation-based classifier (SCLC-DMC) that can distinguish SCLC subtypes. We further adjust the classifier for circulating-free DNA (cfDNA) to subtype SCLC from plasma. Using the cfDNA classifier (cfDMC), we demonstrate that SCLC phenotypes can evolve during disease progression, highlighting the need for longitudinal tracking of SCLC during clinical treatment. These data establish that tumor and cfDNA methylation can be used to identify SCLC subtypes and might guide precision SCLC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carl M Gay
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marcos R Estecio
- Epigenetic and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hai Tran
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Benjamin B Morris
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bingnan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ximing Tang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Gabriela Raso
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pedro Rocha
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Siqi Lai
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Edurne Arriola
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul Hofman
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, IHU RespirERA, Nice Hospital, University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Veronique Hofman
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, IHU RespirERA, Nice Hospital, University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Prasad Kopparapu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christine M Lovly
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kyle Concannon
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luana Guimaraes De Sousa
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Whitney Elisabeth Lewis
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kimie Kondo
- Epigenetic and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xin Hu
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Azusa Tanimoto
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Natalie I Vokes
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Monique B Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Allison Stewart
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maarten Jansen
- Pulmonary Department, Ziekenhuisgroep Twente, Hengelo, the Netherlands
| | - Ildikó Horváth
- National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mina Gaga
- 7th Respiratory Medicine Department, Athens Chest Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Yael Raviv
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology, Institute, Soroka Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | - Yuanxin Xi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter Van Loo
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Chen C, Liu Y, Luo M, Yang J, Chen Y, Wang R, Zhou J, Zang Y, Diao L, Han L. PancanQTLv2.0: a comprehensive resource for expression quantitative trait loci across human cancers. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D1400-D1406. [PMID: 37870463 PMCID: PMC10767806 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad916] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis is a powerful tool used to investigate genetic variations in complex diseases, including cancer. We previously developed a comprehensive database, PancanQTL, to characterize cancer eQTLs using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, and linked eQTLs with patient survival and GWAS risk variants. Here, we present an updated version, PancanQTLv2.0 (https://hanlaboratory.com/PancanQTLv2/), with advancements in fine-mapping causal variants for eQTLs, updating eQTLs overlapping with GWAS linkage disequilibrium regions and identifying eQTLs associated with drug response and immune infiltration. Through fine-mapping analysis, we identified 58 747 fine-mapped eQTLs credible sets, providing mechanic insights of gene regulation in cancer. We further integrated the latest GWAS Catalog and identified a total of 84 592 135 linkage associations between eQTLs and the existing GWAS loci, which represents a remarkable ∼50-fold increase compared to the previous version. Additionally, PancanQTLv2.0 uncovered 659516 associations between eQTLs and drug response and identified 146948 associations between eQTLs and immune cell abundance, providing potentially clinical utility of eQTLs in cancer therapy. PancanQTLv2.0 expanded the resources available for investigating gene expression regulation in human cancers, leading to advancements in cancer research and precision oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxuan Chen
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuan Liu
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mei Luo
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Jingwen Yang
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yamei Chen
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Runhao Wang
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Joseph Zhou
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yong Zang
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Brown Center for Immunotherapy, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Konen JM, Rodriguez BL, Wu H, Fradette JJ, Gibson L, Diao L, Wang J, Schmidt S, Wistuba II, Zhang J, Gibbons DL. Autotaxin suppresses cytotoxic T cells via LPAR5 to promote anti-PD-1 resistance in non-small cell lung cancer. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e163128. [PMID: 37655662 PMCID: PMC10471170 DOI: 10.1172/jci163128] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancers that harbor concurrent KRAS and TP53 (KP) mutations are immunologically warm tumors with partial responsiveness to anti-PD-(L)1 blockade; however, most patients observe little or no durable clinical benefit. To identify novel tumor-driven resistance mechanisms, we developed a panel of KP murine lung cancer models with intrinsic resistance to anti-PD-1 and queried differential gene expression between these tumors and anti-PD-1-sensitive tumors. We found that the enzyme autotaxin (ATX), and the metabolite it produces, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), were significantly upregulated in resistant tumors and that ATX directly modulated antitumor immunity, with its expression negatively correlating with total and effector tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. Pharmacological inhibition of ATX, or the downstream receptor LPAR5, in combination with anti-PD-1 was sufficient to restore the antitumor immune response and efficaciously control lung tumor growth in multiple KP tumor models. Additionally, ATX was significantly correlated with inflammatory gene signatures, including a CD8+ cytolytic score in multiple lung adenocarcinoma patient data sets, suggesting that an activated tumor-immune microenvironment upregulates ATX and thus provides an opportunity for cotargeting to prevent acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 treatment. These data reveal the ATX/LPA axis as an immunosuppressive pathway that diminishes the immune checkpoint blockade response in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. Konen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - B. Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Haoyi Wu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jared J. Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Laura Gibson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Surgical Oncology
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
| | | | - Ignacio I. Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, and
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Don L. Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Rodriguez BL, Chen L, Li Y, Miao S, Peng DH, Fradette JJ, Diao L, Konen JM, Alvarez FRR, Solis LM, Yi X, Padhye A, Gibson LA, Ochieng JK, Zhou X, Wang J, Gibbons DL. Targeting immunosuppressive Ly6C+ classical monocytes reverses anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 immunotherapy resistance. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1161869. [PMID: 37449205 PMCID: PMC10336223 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1161869] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite significant clinical advancement with the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) there are still a major subset of patients that develop adaptive/acquired resistance. Understanding resistance mechanisms to ICB is critical to developing new therapeutic strategies and improving patient survival. The dynamic nature of the tumor microenvironment and the mutational load driving tumor immunogenicity limit the efficacy to ICB. Recent studies indicate that myeloid cells are drivers of ICB resistance. In this study we sought to understand which immune cells were contributing to resistance and if we could modify them in a way to improve response to ICB therapy. Results Our results show that combination anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 produces an initial antitumor effect with evidence of an activated immune response. Upon extended treatment with anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 acquired resistance developed with an increase of the immunosuppressive populations, including T-regulatory cells, neutrophils and monocytes. Addition of anti-Ly6C blocking antibody to anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 was capable of completely reversing treatment resistance and restoring CD8 T cell activity in multiple KP lung cancer models and in the autochthonous lung cancer KrasLSL-G12D/p53fl/fl model. We found that there were higher classical Ly6C+ monocytes in anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 combination resistant tumors. B7 blockade illustrated the importance of dendritic cells for treatment efficacy of anti-Ly6C/PD-1/CTLA-4. We further determined that classical Ly6C+ monocytes in anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 resistant tumors are trafficked into the tumor via IFN-γ and the CCL2-CCR2 axis. Mechanistically we found that classical monocytes from ICB resistant tumors were unable to differentiate into antigen presenting cells and instead differentiated into immunosuppressive M2 macrophages or myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Classical Ly6C+ monocytes from ICB resistant tumors had a decrease in both Flt3 and PU.1 expression that prevented differentiation into dendritic cells/macrophages. Conclusions Therapeutically we found that addition of anti-Ly6C to the combination of anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 was capable of complete tumor eradication. Classical Ly6C+ monocytes differentiate into immunosuppressive cells, while blockade of classical monocytes drives dendritic cell differentiation/maturation to reinvigorate the anti-tumor T cell response. These findings support that immunotherapy resistance is associated with infiltrating monocytes and that controlling the differentiation process of monocytes can enhance the therapeutic potential of ICB.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Limo Chen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yanli Li
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shucheng Miao
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- United of Texas (UT) Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - David H. Peng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jared J. Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jessica M. Konen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Frank R. Rojas Alvarez
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Luisa M. Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiaohui Yi
- Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Aparna Padhye
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- United of Texas (UT) Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Laura A. Gibson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Joshua K. Ochieng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiaofei Zhou
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Don L. Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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Zhang B, Yang Y, Stewart C, Ramkumar K, Wang R, Cardnell R, Diao L, Wang Q, Wang J, Byers L, Gay C, Heymach J. Abstract 3196: Subtype-specific targeting of cell surfaceome with CAR T therapies in small cell lung cancer. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3196] [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
Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly lethal malignancy with limited treatment options. Most SCLC are “immune-cold” and respond poorly to immunotherapy. Targeting SCLC cell surfaceome with cellular therapies have shown promising efficacy and tolerability in DLL3-targeting CAR T (AMG119) and Bispecific T-cell engager (tarlatamab). Recent work has defined subtypes of SCLC based on master transcription factors ASCL1 (SCLC-A), NEUROD1 (SCLC-N), POU2F3 (SCLC-P) and an immune cell-rich “inflamed” subtype(SCLC-I). Notably, SCLC-A and SCLC-N express neuroendocrine (NE) features while SCLC-P and SCLC-I are non-neuroendocrine (non-NE). We hypothesize that SCLC may have distinct surfaceome expressions based on their subtypes, which can be successfully targeted with cellular therapies such as CAR T.
Methods: Transcriptional profiling of patient tumors identified several putative cell surfaceome targets in SCLC. We confirmed their expression level by Western blot and flow cytometry in SCLC cell lines stratified by subtypes. Top targets were selected based on abundant expression in SCLC and restricted normal tissue expression. We then constructed third-generation CAR T-cells against the top targets and tested their efficacy in cancer cell/CAR T co-culture models and in vivo.
Results: We validated cell surface expression of top targets DLL3, CD56 and GD2; and generated CAR Ts against these targets to test cytotoxicity across a large panel of SCLC cell lines. Specifically, DLL3 is present predominantly in SCLC-A and SCLC-N (NE) subtypes. CAR T against DLL3 showed robust cytotoxicity in vitro against DLL3-expressing cell lines (5 out of 6 SCLC-A/N cell lines, versus 1 out of 6 SCLC-P/I cell lines; median cytotoxicity 94% vs. 43%, p=0.0082, Mann-Whitney U test), as well as promising in vivo activity. We also confirmed CD56 (NCAM1) was broadly expressed on the cell surface in SCLC A/P/N subtypes, and 8 out of 9 cell lines with high CD56 expression demonstrated over 50% cytotoxicity in co-culture models. GD2 was found to be enriched specifically in SCLC-N subtype of SCLC. As expected, GD2-targeting CAR T had higher cytotoxicity in SCLC-N subtypes of SCLC compared to other subtypes (median cytotoxicity 91% vs 22%, p=0.047). Moreover, given that novel therapeutics are often tested in the relapsed setting, we tested target expressions in SCLC cell lines after treatment with cisplatin and etoposide (standard frontline chemotherapy for SCLC) to see if target levels change. We found that surface target expressions increased instead of decreased in most cell lines, suggesting that they may be suitable targets in the relapsed setting also.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated efficacy of CAR Ts targeting several cell surfaceome targets enriched in certain subtypes of SCLC. The data supports further investigation of a subtype-specific personalized treatment of SCLC using CAR T therapies against surfaceome targets.
Citation Format: Bingnan Zhang, Yan Yang, C.Allison Stewart, Kavya Ramkumar, Runsheng Wang, Robert Cardnell, Lixia Diao, Qi Wang, Jing Wang, Lauren Byers, Carl Gay, John Heymach. Subtype-specific targeting of cell surfaceome with CAR T therapies in small cell lung cancer [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 3196.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Yang
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Lixia Diao
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Qi Wang
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jing Wang
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Carl Gay
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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Stewart CA, Diao L, Xi Y, Wang R, Ramkumar K, Rodriguez BL, Morris BB, Shen L, Zhang B, Yang Y, Tanimoto A, Novegil VY, Soto LMS, da Rocha PFS, Vokes N, Gibbons DL, Frumovitz M, Fujimoto J, Wang J, Glisson B, Byers LA, Gay CM. Abstract 4525: YAP1 in relapsed pulmonary high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) is associated with CDKN2A loss, intact RB1, EMT and therapeutic vulnerability to MEK1 and CDK4/6 inhibition. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-4525] [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
Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are clinically aggressive carcinomas commonly arising from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, typically categorized as large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNECs) or small cell carcinomas (most commonly small cell lung cancer (SCLC)). Clinically, pulmonary LCNECs (pLCNECs) mirror the course common to SCLC - initial response followed by rapid and insurmountable resistance to one-size-fits-all approaches. Recently, SCLC has been subdivided into four subtypes with unique vulnerabilities, three of which are defined by the transcription factors ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3, while a fourth group exhibits an inflamed signature. We hypothesize that pLCNEC may be similarly classified into molecularly distinct subsets with unique therapeutic vulnerabilities - a fundamental step toward personalized medicine. We applied our SCLC 1300 gene signature to pLCNEC patient tumors and, as in SCLC, found three distinct subtypes determined by differential expression of ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3, but with a unique fourth subtype marked by expression of the transcription factor YAP1. Unlike in treatment-naïve SCLC, where YAP1 is absent, YAP1 expression clearly defines pLCNEC as two, roughly equal subsets with the YAP1-low tumors encompassing tumors expressing the other three transcription factors. Conversely, YAP1-high pLCNEC is more mesenchymal and inflamed, and less neuroendocrine (NE), reminiscent of inflamed SCLC. Additionally, YAP1-high status is associated with smoking exposure (P<0.001, FC=81), high frequency of CDKN2A homozygous deletion and SMARCA4 mutations, as well as intact RB1. These features are distinct from SCLC, wherein transcriptional subtypes lack distinct genomic characteristics. Consistent with CDKN2A deletion, YAP1-high pLCNEC cell lines have increased sensitivity to MEK1 and CDK4/6 inhibition. We also demonstrate that RB1 loss downregulates YAP1 expression, which may account for the absence of YAP1 in treatment-naïve SCLC due to ubiquitous loss of RB1. In contrast to treatment-naïve SCLC, where our group and others have been unable to detect YAP1, single-cell RNAseq analysis of biopsies from patients with relapsed SCLC identified emerging YAP1-positive cancer cell populations, which are similarly associated with increased EMT, immune cell infiltration (CD8+ T-cells), and loss of NE gene expression. This suggests that the ability for cancer cells to acquire YAP1 expression and, perhaps, pLCNEC-like features, may be a resistance mechanism in relapsed SCLC, contributing to the abundant intratumoral heterogeneity and highlighting potential vulnerabilities to overcome resistance. In summary, YAP1 may be a predictive biomarker of intact RB1 and response to cellular and checkpoint immunotherapy and MEK1/CDK4/6 inhibition in pLCNEC and relapsed SCLC.
Citation Format: C. Allison Stewart, Lixia Diao, Yuanxin Xi, Runsheng Wang, Kavya Ramkumar, B. Leticia Rodriguez, Benjamin B. Morris, Li Shen, Bingnan Zhang, Yan Yang, Azusa Tanimoto, Veronica Y. Novegil, Luisa M. Solis Soto, Pedro F. Simoes da Rocha, Natalie Vokes, Don L. Gibbons, Michael Frumovitz, Junya Fujimoto, Jing Wang, Bonnie Glisson, Lauren A. Byers, Carl M. Gay. YAP1 in relapsed pulmonary high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) is associated with CDKN2A loss, intact RB1, EMT and therapeutic vulnerability to MEK1 and CDK4/6 inhibition. [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 4525.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lixia Diao
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Yuanxin Xi
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Li Shen
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Yan Yang
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jing Wang
- 1UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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Nilsson MB, Yang Y, Heeke S, Patel SA, Poteete A, Udagawa H, Elamin YY, Moran CA, Kashima Y, Arumugam T, Yu X, Ren X, Diao L, Shen L, Wang Q, Zhang M, Robichaux JP, Shi C, Pfeil AN, Tran H, Gibbons DL, Bock J, Wang J, Minna JD, Kobayashi SS, Le X, Heymach JV. CD70 is a therapeutic target upregulated in EMT-associated EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:340-355.e6. [PMID: 36787696 PMCID: PMC10259078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Effective therapeutic strategies are needed for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations that acquire resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) mediated by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We investigate cell surface proteins that could be targeted by antibody-based or adoptive cell therapy approaches and identify CD70 as being highly upregulated in EMT-associated resistance. Moreover, CD70 upregulation is an early event in the evolution of resistance and occurs in drug-tolerant persister cells (DTPCs). CD70 promotes cell survival and invasiveness, and stimulation of CD70 triggers signal transduction pathways known to be re-activated with acquired TKI resistance. Anti-CD70 antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and CD70-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell and CAR NK cells show potent activity against EGFR TKI-resistant cells and DTPCs. These results identify CD70 as a therapeutic target for EGFR mutant tumors with acquired EGFR TKI resistance that merits clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique B Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sonia A Patel
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alissa Poteete
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hibiki Udagawa
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yasir Y Elamin
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cesar A Moran
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yukie Kashima
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Thiruvengadam Arumugam
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoxing Yu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Ren
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Minying Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jacqulyne P Robichaux
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chunhua Shi
- Department of Biologics Development, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Allyson N Pfeil
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hai Tran
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason Bock
- Department of Oncology Research BIT, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John D Minna
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Susumu S Kobayashi
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Japan; Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiuning Le
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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8
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Della Corte CM, Fasano M, Ciaramella V, Cimmino F, Cardnell R, Gay CM, Ramkumar K, Diao L, Di Liello R, Viscardi G, Famiglietti V, Ciardiello D, Martini G, Napolitano S, Tuccillo C, Troiani T, Martinelli E, Wang J, Byers L, Morgillo F, Ciardiello F. Anti-tumor activity of cetuximab plus avelumab in non-small cell lung cancer patients involves innate immunity activation: findings from the CAVE-Lung trial. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:109. [PMID: 35346313 PMCID: PMC8962159 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02332-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We recently conducted Cetuximab-AVElumab-Lung (CAVE-Lung), a proof-of-concept, translational and clinical trial, to evaluate the combination of two IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (mAb): avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 drug, and cetuximab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) drug, as second- or third-line treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We have reported clinically relevant anti-tumor activity in 6/16 patients. Clinical benefit was accompanied by Natural Killer (NK) cell-mediated antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC). Among the 6 responding patients, 3 had progressed after initial response to a previous treatment with single agent anti-PD-1, nivolumab or pembrolizumab. Methods We report long-term clinical follow-up and additional findings on the anti-tumor activity and on the immune effects of cetuximab plus avelumab treatment for these 3 patients. Results As of November 30, 2021, 2/3 patients were alive. One patient was still on treatment from 34 months, while the other two patients had progression free survival (PFS) of 15 and 19 months, respectively. Analysis of serially collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) revealed long-term activation of NK cell-mediated ADCC. Comprehensive genomic profile analysis found somatic mutations and germline rare variants in DNA damage response (DDR) genes. Furthermore, by transcriptomic analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset we found that DDR mutant NSCLC displayed high STING pathway gene expression. In NSCLC patient-derived three-dimensional in vitro spheroid cultures, cetuximab plus avelumab treatment induced additive cancer cell growth inhibition as compared to single agent treatment. This effect was partially blocked by treatment with an anti-CD16 mAb, suggesting a direct involvement of NK cell activation. Furthermore, cetuximab plus avelumab treatment induced 10-, 20-, and 20-fold increase, respectively, in the gene expression of CCL5 and CXCL10, two STING downstream effector cytokines, and of interferon β, as compared to untreated control samples. Conclusions DDR mutations may contribute to DDR-induced STING pathway with sustained innate immunity activation following cetuximab plus avelumab combination in previously treated, PD-1 inhibitor responsive NSCLC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02332-2.
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Bajaj R, Rodriguez BL, Russell WK, Warner AN, Diao L, Wang J, Raso MG, Lu W, Khan K, Solis LS, Batra H, Tang X, Fradette JF, Kundu ST, Gibbons DL. Impad1 and Syt11 work in an epistatic pathway that regulates EMT-mediated vesicular trafficking to drive lung cancer invasion and metastasis. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111429. [PMID: 36170810 PMCID: PMC9665355 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a highly aggressive and metastatic disease responsible for approximately 25% of all cancer-related deaths in the United States. Using high-throughput in vitro and in vivo screens, we have previously established Impad1 as a driver of lung cancer invasion and metastasis. Here we elucidate that Impad1 is a direct target of the epithelial microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-200 and miR~96 and is de-repressed during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT); thus, we establish a mode of regulation of the protein. Impad1 modulates Golgi apparatus morphology and vesicular trafficking through its interaction with a trafficking protein, Syt11. These changes in Golgi apparatus dynamics alter the extracellular matrix and the tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote invasion and metastasis. Inhibiting Impad1 or Syt11 disrupts the cancer cell secretome, regulates the TME, and reverses the invasive or metastatic phenotype. This work identifies Impad1 as a regulator of EMT and secretome-mediated changes during lung cancer progression. Metastasis remains the primary cause of cancer-related deaths, and a better understanding of the process will determine new therapeutic avenues. Bajaj et al. show that the Golgi apparatus and Golgi apparatus-associated proteins play a key role in determining tumor metastasis, indicating the importance of targeting the organelle during cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakhee Bajaj
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA; UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - William K Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Amanda N Warner
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA; UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Maria G Raso
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Khaja Khan
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Luisa S Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Harsh Batra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ximing Tang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jared F Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA; UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Samrat T Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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10
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuan Liu
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leandro C Hermida
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Tumor Microenvironment Center, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - E Michael Gertz
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qiang Li
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory (CDSL), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Leng Han
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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11
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Heeke S, Gay C, Estecio M, Stewart A, Tran H, Zhang B, Tang X, Raso M, Concannon K, De Sousa LG, Lewis W, Kondo K, Nilsson M, Xi Y, Diao L, Wang Q, Zhang J, Wang J, Wistuba I, Byers L, Heymach J. MA01.03 Exploiting DNA Methylation for Classification of SCLC Subtypes from Liquid Biopsies Using a Robust Machine Learning Approach. J Thorac Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.07.076] [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: 11/15/2022]
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12
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Li Y, Yan X, Zhang L, Diao L. Thyme-Loaded Nanofibrous Dressing for Skin Wound Healing: A Combination of Chinese Traditional Medicine with Cutting-Edge Technology. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2022. [DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2022.3440] [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: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The skin has vital functions and its defects and damages must be properly treated and healed. Chinese traditional herbal medicine has a long history in skin wound healing, and its merging with novel approaches (nanotechnology) has resulted in more promising results. The current study
aimed to combine the biological properties of a long-lasting Chinese traditional herbal medicine (Thyme) with cutting-edge technology (electrospinning) to the fabricated interactive and bioactive wound dressing. The extract of Thyme was obtained and added into the polymeric solution and converted
to the nanofibrous wound dressing. The SEM analysis revealed that the fabricated nanofibers were intact without deformity with an acceptable nanometric diameter. The release kinetics evaluation showed that 80±4% of the extract was released from the nanofibers during the first 24 h.
Hemolysis lower than 8% for all nanofibers revealed hemocompatibility in the fabricated wound dressings. The in vitro studies confirmed the cytocompatibility of the nanofibers. The applied animal studies exhibited that the Thyme-loaded nanofibrous dressing enhanced the wound-healing
process in a dose-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate the combination of Chinese traditional herbal medicine with modern cutting-edge technology, resulting in an interactive nanofibrous mat with promising potential as the wound dressing material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250013, China
| | - Xin Yan
- Department of Medical Insurance, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250013, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250013, China
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Medical Insurance, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan City, Shandong Province, 250013, China
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13
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Schmidt ST, Akhave N, Knightly RE, Reuben A, Vokes N, Zhang J, Li J, Fujimoto J, Byers LA, Sanchez-Espiridion B, Diao L, Wang J, Federico L, Forget MA, McGrail DJ, Weissferdt A, Lin SY, Lee Y, Suzuki E, Kovacs JJ, Behrens C, Wistuba II, Futreal A, Vaporciyan A, Sepesi B, Heymach JV, Bernatchez C, Haymaker C, Cascone T, Zhang J, Bristow CA, Heffernan TP, Negrao MV, Gibbons DL. Shared Nearest Neighbors Approach and Interactive Browser for Network Analysis of a Comprehensive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Data Set. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2022; 6:e2200040. [PMID: 35944232 PMCID: PMC9470146 DOI: 10.1200/cci.22.00040] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Advances in biological measurement technologies are enabling large-scale studies of patient cohorts across multiple omics platforms. Holistic analysis of these data can generate actionable insights for translational research and necessitate new approaches for data integration and mining. METHODS We present a novel approach for integrating data across platforms on the basis of the shared nearest neighbors algorithm and use it to create a network of multiplatform data from the immunogenomic profiling of non-small-cell lung cancer project. RESULTS Benchmarking demonstrates that the shared nearest neighbors-based network approach outperforms a traditional gene-gene network in capturing established interactions while providing new ones on the basis of the interplay between measurements from different platforms. When used to examine patient characteristics of interest, our approach provided signatures associated with and new leads related to recurrence and TP53 oncogenotype. CONCLUSION The network developed offers an unprecedented, holistic view into immunogenomic profiling of non-small-cell lung cancer, which can be explored through the accompanying interactive browser that we built.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie T. Schmidt
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Neal Akhave
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ryan E. Knightly
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Alexandre Reuben
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Natalie Vokes
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Lauren A. Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Lorenzo Federico
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Marie-Andree Forget
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Daniel J. McGrail
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Annikka Weissferdt
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Shiaw-Yih Lin
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Younghee Lee
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Erika Suzuki
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jeffrey J. Kovacs
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Carmen Behrens
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ignacio I. Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Andrew Futreal
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ara Vaporciyan
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Boris Sepesi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - John V. Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Chantale Bernatchez
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Cara Haymaker
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Tina Cascone
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Christopher A. Bristow
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Timothy P. Heffernan
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Discovery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Marcelo V. Negrao
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Don L. Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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14
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Heeke S, Gay CM, Estecio MR, Stewart A, Tran H, Zhang B, Tang X, Raso G, Concannon K, De Sousa LG, Lewis WE, Nilsson M, Xi Y, Diao L, Wang Q, Zhang J, Wang J, Wistuba II, Byers LA, Heymach JV. Abstract 3473: Use of DNA methylation from tumor and plasma to identify four major small cell lung cancer subtypes with distinct biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-3473] [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
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive cancer with limited treatment options and generally poor prognosis. Treatment of SCLC has not considerably changed over the last decades with therapeutic options focusing on unselected populations. Although in the past SCLC was thought to be a relatively homogenous malignancy, recent reports from our group and others identified four major distinct subgroups of SCLC, each with different therapeutic vulnerabilities. Three of the subtypes are defined by the expression of a specific transcription factor, ASCL1 (SCLC-A), NEUROD1 (SCLC-N) and POU2F3 (SCLC-P) while the fourth subtype is defined by an inflamed phenotype (SCLC-I). While our initial subtyping of SCLC is based on a gene expression signature comprised of ~1300 genes, which makes routine implementation challenging, we hypothesized that DNA methylation as a proxy to gene expression might be a more suitable approach for biomarker development in SCLC. We assembled a cohort of 105 SCLC formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples (82/105 Stage > IIIb) and performed matched RNA-Sequencing (RNAseq) and methylation profiling using reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). To validate our findings and expand our analysis across different sample types, we profiled a panel of 59 fully characterized SCLC cell lines as well as 68 patient-derived xenograft models. We found that methylation levels differ markedly between the four subtypes, with the SCLC-N presenting with a hypermethylated phenotype and the SCLC-P with a hypomethylated phenotype across the genome, highlighting the profound differences in the underlying epigenetic regulation among the SCLC subtypes and supporting DNA methylation analysis as a potential readout for identifying SCLC subtypes. Furthermore, in order to subtype the clinical SCLC samples, we developed a predictive model using an extreme gradient boost model using RNA expression and DNA methylation, respectively, to allow the classification with 94.5% accuracy in the tissue testing cohort. Using a cohort of matched plasma samples, we further demonstrated that the DNA methylation differences were indeed preserved in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) allowing subtype classification with an accuracy of 87.5%. These data indicate that DNA methylation can be used for reliable subtyping of SCLC in tissue and in liquid biopsy samples. In summary, using a large cohort of predominantly extensive stage SCLC clinical samples, we were able to identify profound differences in DNA methylation that can be exploited as a novel biomarker for the classification of SCLC into four distinct subtypes with both tissue biopsy and non-invasive using plasma. Considering the previously shown therapeutic vulnerabilities of the four subtypes, these findings will enable the rapid initiation of personalized clinical trials in SCLC.
Citation Format: Simon Heeke, Carl M. Gay, Marcos R. Estecio, Allison Stewart, Hai Tran, Bingnan Zhang, Ximing Tang, Gabriela Raso, Kyle Concannon, Luana Guimaraes De Sousa, Whitney E. Lewis, Monique Nilsson, Yuanxin Xi, Lixia Diao, Qi Wang, Jianjun Zhang, Jing Wang, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Lauren A. Byers, John V. Heymach. Use of DNA methylation from tumor and plasma to identify four major small cell lung cancer subtypes with distinct biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3473.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hai Tran
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Qi Wang
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Jing Wang
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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15
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Nilsson MB, Yang Y, Patel S, Heeke S, Le X, Aruguman T, Robichaux J, Yu X, Poteete A, Ren X, Diao L, Shen L, Wang Q, Zhang F, Clemente LC, Soto LS, Shi C, Tran H, Bock J, Wang J, Wistuba II, Minna JD, Heymach JV. Abstract 1827: CD70 is a novel therapeutic target for EGFR mutant NSCLC with acquired, EMT-associated EGFR TKI resistance. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-1827] [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
Approximately 15% of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and nearly 35% of Asian patients with NSCLC harbor activating mutations within the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Although these patients are initially highly sensitive to first or second generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) including erlotinib or third-generation inhibitors including osimertinib, EGFR TKI-refractory disease inevitably emerges. While therapeutic strategies to target resistant disease that emerges though secondary EGFR mutations or MET amplification have been developed, there remains a void of therapeutic options for patients where resistance occurs through EGFR-independent mechanism such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) or transformation to small cell lung cancer (SCLC). To identify cell surface proteins that could be targeted by antibody-based or adoptive cell therapy approaches we interrogated RNAseq data from EGFR mutant NSCLC cell lines (HCC827 and HCC4006) and their associated EGFR TKI resistant variants previously shown to have developed resistance through EMT and filtered gene expression data to include only genes which transcribed proteins localized to the cell surface. We identified CD70 as a being highly upregulated in EGFR TKI resistant cells (p = 7.2e-42). Given that CD70 expression is highly restricted and only transiently expressed on immune cells, CD70 was selected as a top candidate cell surface protein for targeting studies. Western blotting and flow cytometry analysis confirmed CD70 protein levels to be highly upregulated in EGFR TKI resistant cells that had undergone EMT but not in cells harboring secondary EGFR mutations or MET amplifications. We also observed CD70 upregulation in osimertinib-treated drug tolerant persister cells, indicating that CD70 upregulation is an early event in the evolution of TKI resistance. Moreover, patient-derived models of acquired EGFR TKI resistance also exhibited CD70 positivity. Our data also indicated that in EGFR mutant NSCLC cells, CD70 could be upregulated through decreased CD70 promoter methylation as well as by the EMT regulators, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and ZEB1, both of which were upregulated in TKI resistant cells. In EGFR TKI resistant cells, CD70 knockdown impaired cell viability and invasiveness, and stimulation of CD70 using the exogenous binding partner CD27 resulted in activation of AKT and MAPK, pathways known to be re-activated with acquired TKI resistance. CD70-targeting approaches including anti-CD70 antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and CD70-targeting CAR T cell and CAR NK cells showed promising in vitro and in vivo activity against CD70 positive tumor cells and in osimertinib drug-tolerant persister cells. These results identify CD70 as a novel therapeutic target for EGFR mutant tumors with acquired EGFR TKI resistance that merits further investigation in the clinic.
Citation Format: Monique B. Nilsson, Yan Yang, Sonia Patel, Simon Heeke, Xiuning Le, Thiru Aruguman, Jacqulyne Robichaux, Xiaoxing Yu, Alissa Poteete, Xiaoyang Ren, Lixia Diao, Li Shen, Qi Wang, Fahao Zhang, Leticia Campos Clemente, Luisa Solis Soto, Chunhua Shi, Hai Tran, Jason Bock, Jing Wang, Ignacio I. Wistuba, John D. Minna, John V. Heymach. CD70 is a novel therapeutic target for EGFR mutant NSCLC with acquired, EMT-associated EGFR TKI resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1827.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Yang
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Li Shen
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Qi Wang
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Hai Tran
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Jing Wang
- 1MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - John D. Minna
- 2The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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Kundu ST, Rodriguez BL, Gibson LA, Warner AN, Perez MG, Bajaj R, Fradette JJ, Class CA, Solis LM, Rojas Alvarez FR, Wistuba II, Diao L, Chen F, Sachdeva M, Wang J, Kirsch DG, Creighton CJ, Gibbons DL. The microRNA-183/96/182 cluster inhibits lung cancer progression and metastasis by inducing an interleukin-2-mediated antitumor CD8 + cytotoxic T-cell response. Genes Dev 2022; 36:582-600. [PMID: 35654454 PMCID: PMC9186390 DOI: 10.1101/gad.349321.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Here, Kundu et al. investigated the role of the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster (m96cl) in lung cancer and used a novel conditional m96cl mouse to establish that loss of m96cl accelerated the growth of K-Ras mutant autochthonous lung adenocarcinomas. Overall, the authors identified a novel mechanistic role of the m96cl in the suppression of lung cancer growth and metastasis by inducing an IL2-mediated systemic CD8+ CTL immune response. One of the mechanisms by which cancer cells acquire hyperinvasive and migratory properties with progressive loss of epithelial markers is the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We have previously reported that in different cancer types, including nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster (m96cl) is highly repressed in cells that have undergone EMT. In the present study, we used a novel conditional m96cl mouse to establish that loss of m96cl accelerated the growth of Kras mutant autochthonous lung adenocarcinomas. In contrast, ectopic expression of the m96cl in NSCLC cells results in a robust suppression of migration and invasion in vitro, and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Detailed immune profiling of the tumors revealed a significant enrichment of activated CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+ CTLs) in m96cl-expressing tumors, and m96cl-mediated suppression of tumor growth and metastasis was CD8+ CTL-dependent. Using coculture assays with naïve immune cells, we show that m96cl expression drives paracrine stimulation of CD8+ CTL proliferation and function. Using tumor microenvironment-associated gene expression profiling, we identified that m96cl elevates the interleukin-2 (IL2) signaling pathway and results in increased IL2-mediated paracrine stimulation of CD8+ CTLs. Furthermore, we identified that the m96cl modulates the expression of IL2 in cancer cells by regulating the expression of transcriptional repressors Foxf2 and Zeb1, and thereby alters the levels of secreted IL2 in the tumor microenvironment. Last, we show that in vivo depletion of IL2 abrogates m96cl-mediated activation of CD8+ CTLs and results in loss of metastatic suppression. Therefore, we have identified a novel mechanistic role of the m96cl in the suppression of lung cancer growth and metastasis by inducing an IL2-mediated systemic CD8+ CTL immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samrat T Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Laura A Gibson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Amanda N Warner
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Mabel G Perez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Rakhee Bajaj
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jared J Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Caleb A Class
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Luisa M Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Frank R Rojas Alvarez
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Fengju Chen
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Mohit Sachdeva
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - David G Kirsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Chad J Creighton
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Diao L, Badkhshan S, VanDyke M, Lewis Z, Dropkin B, Joice G, Sanders S, Hudak S, Morey A. Penile Extra-Tunical Graft Reconstruction of Peyronie's Disease Concavity Deformities. J Sex Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.01.073] [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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Della Corte C, Fasano M, Ciaramella V, Cimmino F, Cardnell R, Gay C, Ramkumar K, Diao L, Di Liello R, Viscardi G, Famiglietti V, Ciardiello D, Martini G, Napolitano S, Troiani T, Martinelli E, Wang J, Byers L, Morgillo F, Ciardiello F. 163P Anti-tumor activity of cetuximab plus avelumab in non-small cell lung cancer patients involves innate immunity activation: Findings from the CAVE-lung trial. Ann Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2022.02.195] [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: 11/25/2022] Open
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Bhanvadia R, Dropkin B, Wolfe A, Diao L, Sanders S, Joice G, Roehrborn C, Hudak S, Morey A. Artificial Urinary Sphincter Reverses Weight Gain Associated with Post-Prostatectomy Incontinence. J Sex Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2022.01.172] [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: 11/25/2022]
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Ye Y, Zhang Y, Yang N, Gao Q, Ding X, Kuang X, Bao R, Zhang Z, Sun C, Zhou B, Wang L, Hu Q, Lin C, Gao J, Lou Y, Lin SH, Diao L, Liu H, Chen X, Mills GB, Han L. Profiling of immune features to predict immunotherapy efficacy. Innovation (N Y) 2022; 3:100194. [PMID: 34977836 PMCID: PMC8688727 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies exhibit substantial clinical benefit in different cancers, but relatively low response rates in the majority of patients highlight the need to understand mutual relationships among immune features. Here, we reveal overall positive correlations among immune checkpoints and immune cell populations. Clinically, patients benefiting from ICB exhibited increases for both immune stimulatory and inhibitory features after initiation of therapy, suggesting that the activation of the immune microenvironment might serve as the biomarker to predict immune response. As proof-of-concept, we demonstrated that the immune activation score (ISΔ) based on dynamic alteration of interleukins in patient plasma as early as two cycles (4–6 weeks) after starting immunotherapy can accurately predict immunotherapy efficacy. Our results reveal a systematic landscape of associations among immune features and provide a noninvasive, cost-effective, and time-efficient approach based on dynamic profiling of pre- and on-treatment plasma to predict immunotherapy efficacy. Reveal a systematic landscape of associations among immune features in primary, metastatic, and ICB-treated tumors The activation of the immune microenvironment might serve as the biomarker of immunotherapy Dynamic alteration of interleukins in patient plasma can accurately predict immunotherapy efficacy Provide a noninvasive, cost-effective, and time-efficient approach to predict immunotherapy efficacy
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Affiliation(s)
- Youqiong Ye
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yongchang Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Lung Cancer and Gastrointestinal Unit, Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Nong Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Lung Cancer and Gastrointestinal Unit, Hunan Cancer Hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Qian Gao
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Xinyu Ding
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinwei Kuang
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Rujuan Bao
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chaoyang Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Bingying Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Qingsong Hu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chunru Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianjun Gao
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yanyan Lou
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Steven H Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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Jing Y, Chen X, Li K, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Chen Y, Liu Y, Wang Y, Lin SH, Diao L, Wang J, Lou Y, Johnson DB, Chen X, Liu H, Han L. Association of antibiotic treatment with immune-related adverse events in patients with cancer receiving immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003779. [PMID: 35058327 PMCID: PMC8772460 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To determine whether antibiotic treatment is a risk factor for immune-related adverse events (irAEs) across different patients with cancer receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies. Methods The retrospective analysis includes clinical information from 767 patients with cancer treated at Hunan Cancer Hospital from 2017 to 2020. The pharmacovigilance data analysis includes individual cases of 38,705 safety reports from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from 2014 to 2020, and 25,122 cases of safety reports from the World Health Organization database VigiBase from 2014 to 2019. All cases that received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment were included. Multiomics data from patients across 25 cancer types were download from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Logistic regression and propensity score algorithm was employed to calculate OR of irAEs. Results Retrospective analysis of in-house patients showed that irAE potential risks are higher in all cancer (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.38 to 3.22, false discovery rate (FDR) adjusted-p=1.93×10−3) and patients with lung cancer (OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.67 to 5.95, FDR adjusted-p=1.93×10−3) when using antibiotics. Potential risk of irAEs in patients with lung cancer with antibiotic treatment is significantly higher in FAERS (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.59; FDR adjusted-p=1.62×10−5) and VigiBase (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.59, FDR adjusted-p=0.05). Mechanistically, decreased microbial diversity caused by antibiotics use may increase the irAE risk through mediating the irAE-related factors. Conclusions Our study is the first to comprehensively demonstrate the associations of irAEs and antibiotic during anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy across a wide spectrum of cancers by analyzing multisource data. Administration of antibiotics should be carefully evaluated in patients with cancer treated by anti-PD-1/PD-L1 to avoid potentially increasing irAE risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jing
- Clinical Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xue Chen
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kunyan Li
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yaoming Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yiqing Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yuan Liu
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yushu Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Steven H Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanyan Lou
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Douglas B Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
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22
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Jing Y, Liu Y, Li Q, Ye Y, Diao L, Huang Y, Zhou Y, Green MR, Mills GB, Han L. Expression of chimeric antigen receptor therapy targets detected by single-cell sequencing of normal cells may contribute to off-tumor toxicity. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:1558-1559. [PMID: 34678153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jing
- Clinical Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yuan Liu
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qiang Li
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Youqiong Ye
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yun Huang
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael R Green
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
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Schmidt ST, Akhave N, Reuben A, Cascone T, Zhang J, Li J, Fujimoto J, Byers LA, Sanchez-Espiridion B, Diao L, Wang J, Federico L, Forget MA, McGrail DJ, Weissferdt A, Lin SY, Lee Y, Vokes N, Behrens C, Wistuba II, Futreal A, Vaporciyan A, Sepesi B, Heymach JV, Bernatchez C, Haymaker C, Zhang J, Bristow CA, Heffernan TP, Negrao MV, Gibbons DL. Abstract P009: A shared nearest neighbors approach for integrated, multi-platform networks and its application to the exploration of multiomics data from early-stage non-small cell lung cancers. Mol Cancer Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-21-p009] [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
Background: The ImmunogenomiC prOfiling of Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Project (ICON) represents an ambitious undertaking to comprehensively characterize immuno-genomic diversity in NSCLC across diverse platforms. The depth and breadth of this cohort presented a unique opportunity to develop a specialized method for multi-platform data integration and exploration, which can be broadly applied to forthcoming large-scale patient profiling studies. Such a holistic approach can unlock insights for therapeutic targets, biomarkers, and treatment plans by providing a more complete view of phenomena driving disease pathogenesis and evolution. Purpose: We developed a novel shared nearest neighbors (SNN) approach to create an integrated network of ICON’s multi-platform data and identified collections of closely related measurements within the resulting network tied to noteworthy patient characteristics, including recurrence and oncogenotype. Methods: The ICON dataset is derived from tumor and normal lung tissue samples collected from 150 patients at time of resection as well as blood samples collected then and at intervals during the year following. Tissue samples underwent RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), whole exome sequencing, T-cell receptor sequencing, multiplex immunofluorescence for immune cells, and reverse phase protein array profiling; flow cytometry for immune cells was performed on tissue and blood samples. From these data, the ICON data network was built using an integrative approach based on the SNN algorithm in which genes were linked on the basis of their shared top correlates in orthogonal datasets. Results: The ICON data network currently includes over 20,000 genes linked by over 500,000 connections derived from correlations between RNA-seq and orthogonal platforms. We captured established associations between cancer-related genes and examined these along with new ones in the network. To do so, we used the InfoMap algorithm to extract more interpretable sub-networks, termed modules, from the ICON data network. Single sample gene set enrichment scores for each module were used in multivariate analysis to highlight modules linked to clinical characteristics of interest. As an example, we found modules significantly tied to disease recurrence. The most notable of these was strongly associated with metabolic pathways, and other modules associated with platelets and ion channels were also identified. The metabolic pathway module is being explored as a prognostic biomarker, underscoring the opportunites enabled by mining the network. Conclusions: Through the framework developed, we identified modules in the ICON data network significantly associated with important patient characteristics like recurrence and oncogenotype. We are validating the gene sets identified as potential biomarkers and are developing an interactive application to facilitate further mining of the network. Taken together, our SNN network-building approach enables the integration and exploration of patient data from diverse platforms.
Citation Format: Stephanie T. Schmidt, Neal Akhave, Alexandre Reuben, Tina Cascone, Jianhua Zhang, Jun Li, Junya Fujimoto, Lauren A. Byers, Beatriz Sanchez-Espiridion, Lixia Diao, Jing Wang, Lorenzo Federico, Marie-Andree Forget, Daniel J McGrail, Annikka Weissferdt, Shiaw-Yih Lin, Younghee Lee, Natalie Vokes, Carmen Behrens, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Andrew Futreal, Ara Vaporciyan, Boris Sepesi, John V. Heymach, Chantale Bernatchez, Cara Haymaker, Jianjun Zhang, Christopher A. Bristow, Timothy P. Heffernan, Marcelo V. Negrao, Don L. Gibbons. A shared nearest neighbors approach for integrated, multi-platform networks and its application to the exploration of multiomics data from early-stage non-small cell lung cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2021 Oct 7-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2021;20(12 Suppl):Abstract nr P009.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neal Akhave
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Tina Cascone
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jun Li
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Lauren A. Byers
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Lixia Diao
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jing Wang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Shiaw-Yih Lin
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Younghee Lee
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Natalie Vokes
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Carmen Behrens
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Andrew Futreal
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Ara Vaporciyan
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Boris Sepesi
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - John V. Heymach
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Cara Haymaker
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | - Don L. Gibbons
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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24
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Chen M, Chen R, Jin Y, Li J, Hu X, Zhang J, Fujimoto J, Hubert SM, Gay CM, Zhu B, Tian Y, McGranahan N, Lee WC, George J, Hu X, Chen Y, Wu M, Behrens C, Chow CW, Pham HHN, Fukuoka J, Wu J, Parra ER, Little LD, Gumbs C, Song X, Wu CJ, Diao L, Wang Q, Cardnell R, Zhang J, Wang J, Le X, Gibbons DL, Heymach JV, Jack Lee J, William WN, Cheng C, Glisson B, Wistuba I, Andrew Futreal P, Thomas RK, Reuben A, Byers LA, Zhang J. Cold and heterogeneous T cell repertoire is associated with copy number aberrations and loss of immune genes in small-cell lung cancer. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6655. [PMID: 34789716 PMCID: PMC8599854 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26821-8] [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: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is speculated to harbor complex genomic intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) associated with high recurrence rate and suboptimal response to immunotherapy. Here, using multi-region whole exome/T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing as well as immunohistochemistry, we reveal a rather homogeneous mutational landscape but extremely cold and heterogeneous TCR repertoire in limited-stage SCLC tumors (LS-SCLCs). Compared to localized non-small cell lung cancers, LS-SCLCs have similar predicted neoantigen burden and genomic ITH, but significantly colder and more heterogeneous TCR repertoire associated with higher chromosomal copy number aberration (CNA) burden. Furthermore, copy number loss of IFN-γ pathway genes is frequently observed and positively correlates with CNA burden. Higher mutational burden, higher T cell infiltration and positive PD-L1 expression are associated with longer overall survival (OS), while higher CNA burden is associated with shorter OS in patients with LS-SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China. .,The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China. .,Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China. .,Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310022, China.
| | - Runzhe Chen
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060 China ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Ying Jin
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China
| | - Jun Li
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Xin Hu
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Jiexin Zhang
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Shawna M. Hubert
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Carl M. Gay
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Bo Zhu
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Yanhua Tian
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA ,grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Nicholas McGranahan
- grid.11485.390000 0004 0422 0975Cancer Research United Kingdom-University College London Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, London, WC1E6BT UK
| | - Won-Chul Lee
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Julie George
- grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Department of Translational Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, 50931 Germany ,grid.411097.a0000 0000 8852 305XDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Xiao Hu
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China
| | - Yamei Chen
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China
| | - Meijuan Wu
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China ,Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022 China
| | - Carmen Behrens
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Chi-Wan Chow
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Hoa H. N. Pham
- grid.174567.60000 0000 8902 2273Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate school of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Junya Fukuoka
- grid.174567.60000 0000 8902 2273Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate school of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Jia Wu
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Image Physics, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Edwin Roger Parra
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Latasha D. Little
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Curtis Gumbs
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Xingzhi Song
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Chang-Jiun Wu
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Qi Wang
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Robert Cardnell
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Jing Wang
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Xiuning Le
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Don L. Gibbons
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - John V. Heymach
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - J. Jack Lee
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Biostatistics, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - William N. William
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Chao Cheng
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XInstitute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Bonnie Glisson
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - P. Andrew Futreal
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Roman K. Thomas
- grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Department of Translational Genomics, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, 50931 Germany ,grid.411097.a0000 0000 8852 305XDepartment of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, 50931 Germany ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584DKFZ, German Cancer Research Center and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, 69115 Germany
| | - Alexandre Reuben
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
| | - Lauren A. Byers
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA. .,Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
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25
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Stewart CA, Gay CM, Ramkumar K, Cargill KR, Cardnell RJ, Nilsson MB, Heeke S, Park EM, Kundu ST, Diao L, Wang Q, Shen L, Xi Y, Zhang B, Della Corte CM, Fan Y, Kundu K, Gao B, Avila K, Pickering CR, Johnson FM, Zhang J, Kadara H, Minna JD, Gibbons DL, Wang J, Heymach JV, Byers LA. Lung Cancer Models Reveal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2-Induced Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Contributes to Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pathophysiology. J Thorac Oncol 2021; 16:1821-1839. [PMID: 34274504 PMCID: PMC8282443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Coronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which enters host cells through the cell surface proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2. METHODS Using a variety of normal and malignant models and tissues from the aerodigestive and respiratory tracts, we investigated the expression and regulation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. RESULTS We find that ACE2 expression is restricted to a select population of epithelial cells. Notably, infection with SARS-CoV-2 in cancer cell lines, bronchial organoids, and patient nasal epithelium induces metabolic and transcriptional changes consistent with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including up-regulation of ZEB1 and AXL, resulting in an increased EMT score. In addition, a transcriptional loss of genes associated with tight junction function occurs with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, is repressed by EMT through the transforming growth factor-β, ZEB1 overexpression, and onset of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance. This suggests a novel model of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in which infected cells shift toward an increasingly mesenchymal state, associated with a loss of tight junction components with acute respiratory distress syndrome-protective effects. AXL inhibition and ZEB1 reduction, as with bemcentinib, offer a potential strategy to reverse this effect. CONCLUSIONS These observations highlight the use of aerodigestive and, especially, lung cancer model systems in exploring the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and offer important insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the morbidity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 in healthy patients and patients with cancer alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Allison Stewart
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Carl M Gay
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kavya Ramkumar
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kasey R Cargill
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Robert J Cardnell
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Monique B Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Elizabeth M Park
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Samrat T Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yuanxin Xi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Bingnan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Carminia Maria Della Corte
- Oncology Division, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," Naples, Italy
| | - Youhong Fan
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kiran Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Boning Gao
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Kimberley Avila
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Curtis R Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Faye M Johnson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Humam Kadara
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John D Minna
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lauren Averett Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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26
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Galan-Cobo A, Stellrecht CM, Yilmaz E, Yang C, Qian Y, Qu X, Akhter I, Ayres ML, Fan Y, Tong P, Diao L, Ding J, Giri U, Gudikote J, Nilsson M, Wierda WG, Wang J, Skoulidis F, Minna JD, Gandhi V, Heymach JV. Enhanced Vulnerability of LKB1-Deficient NSCLC to Disruption of ATP Pools and Redox Homeostasis by 8-Cl-Ado. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 20:280-292. [PMID: 34654720 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0448] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Loss-of-function somatic mutations of STK11, a tumor suppressor gene encoding LKB1 that contributes to the altered metabolic phenotype of cancer cells, is the second most common event in lung adenocarcinomas and often co-occurs with activating KRAS mutations. Tumor cells lacking LKB1 display an aggressive phenotype, with uncontrolled cell growth and higher energetic and redox stress due to its failure to balance ATP and NADPH levels in response to cellular stimulus. The identification of effective therapeutic regimens for patients with LKB1-deficient non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a major clinical need. Here, we report that LKB1-deficient NSCLC tumor cells displayed reduced basal levels of ATP and to a lesser extent other nucleotides, and markedly enhanced sensitivity to 8-Cl-adenosine (8-Cl-Ado), an energy-depleting nucleoside analog. Treatment with 8-Cl-Ado depleted intracellular ATP levels, raised redox stress, and induced cell death leading to a compensatory suppression of mTOR signaling in LKB1-intact, but not LKB1-deficient, cells. Proteomic analysis revealed that the MAPK/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways were activated in response to 8-Cl-Ado treatment and targeting these pathways enhanced the antitumor efficacy of 8-Cl-Ado. IMPLICATIONS: Together, our findings demonstrate that LKB1-deficient tumor cells are selectively sensitive to 8-Cl-Ado and suggest that therapeutic approaches targeting vulnerable energy stores combined with signaling pathway inhibitors merit further investigation for this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Galan-Cobo
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Christine M Stellrecht
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Emrullah Yilmaz
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Yu Qian
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiao Qu
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
| | - Ishita Akhter
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Mary L Ayres
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Youhong Fan
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pan Tong
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jie Ding
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, P.R. China
| | - Uma Giri
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jayanthi Gudikote
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Monique Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - William G Wierda
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ferdinandos Skoulidis
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John D Minna
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research and Simmons Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas.,Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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27
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Cargill KR, Stewart CA, Park EM, Ramkumar K, Gay CM, Cardnell RJ, Wang Q, Diao L, Shen L, Fan YH, Chan WK, Lorenzi PL, Oliver TG, Wang J, Byers LA. Targeting MYC-enhanced glycolysis for the treatment of small cell lung cancer. Cancer Metab 2021; 9:33. [PMID: 34556188 PMCID: PMC8461854 DOI: 10.1186/s40170-021-00270-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The transcription factor MYC is overexpressed in 30% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors and is known to modulate the balance between two major pathways of metabolism: glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. This duality of MYC underscores the importance of further investigation into its role in SCLC metabolism and could lead to insights into metabolic targeting approaches. Methods We investigated differences in metabolic pathways in transcriptional and metabolomics datasets based on cMYC expression in patient and cell line samples. Metabolic pathway utilization was evaluated by flow cytometry and Seahorse extracellular flux methodology. Glycolysis inhibition was evaluated in vitro and in vivo using PFK158, a small molecular inhibitor of PFKFB3. Results MYC-overexpressing SCLC patient samples and cell lines exhibited increased glycolysis gene expression directly mediated by MYC. Further, MYC-overexpressing cell lines displayed enhanced glycolysis consistent with the Warburg effect, while cell lines with low MYC expression appeared more reliant on oxidative metabolism. Inhibition of glycolysis with PFK158 preferentially attenuated glucose uptake, ATP production, and lactate in MYC-overexpressing cell lines. Treatment with PFK158 in xenografts delayed tumor growth and decreased glycolysis gene expression. Conclusions Our study highlights an in-depth characterization of SCLC metabolic programming and presents glycolysis as a targetable mechanism downstream of MYC that could offer therapeutic benefit in a subset of SCLC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40170-021-00270-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasey R Cargill
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - C Allison Stewart
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Park
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kavya Ramkumar
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carl M Gay
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robert J Cardnell
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - You-Hong Fan
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wai Kin Chan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Philip L Lorenzi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Trudy G Oliver
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Ruan H, Li Q, Liu Y, Liu Y, Lussier C, Diao L, Han L. GPEdit: the genetic and pharmacogenomic landscape of A-to-I RNA editing in cancers. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D1231-D1237. [PMID: 34534336 PMCID: PMC8728115 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered A-to-I RNA editing has been widely observed in many human cancers and some editing sites are associated with drug sensitivity, implicating its therapeutic potential. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that a quantitative trait loci mapping approach is effective to understanding the genetic basis of RNA editing. We systematically performed RNA editing quantitative trait loci (edQTL) analysis in 33 human cancer types for >10 000 cancer samples and identified 320 029 edQTLs. We also identified 1688 ed-QTLs associated with patient overall survival and 4672 ed-QTLs associated with GWAS risk loci. Furthermore, we demonstrated the associations between RNA editing and >1000 anti-cancer drug response with ∼3.5 million significant associations. We developed GPEdit (https://hanlab.uth.edu/GPEdit/) to facilitate a global map of the genetic and pharmacogenomic landscape of RNA editing. GPEdit is a user-friendly and comprehensive database that provides an opportunity for a better understanding of the genetic impact and the effects on drug response of RNA editing in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Ruan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qiang Li
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuan Liu
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yaoming Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Charles Lussier
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Computer Science and Statistics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Mitchell KG, Diao L, Karpinets T, Negrao MV, Tran HT, Parra ER, Corsini EM, Reuben A, Federico L, Bernatchez C, Dejima H, Francisco-Cruz A, Wang J, Antonoff MB, Vaporciyan AA, Swisher SG, Cascone T, Wistuba II, Heymach JV, Gibbons DL, Zhang J, Haymaker CL, Sepesi B. Neutrophil expansion defines an immunoinhibitory peripheral and intratumoral inflammatory milieu in resected non-small cell lung cancer: a descriptive analysis of a prospectively immunoprofiled cohort. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2019-000405. [PMID: 32350118 PMCID: PMC7213906 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The biological underpinnings of the prognostic and predictive significance of a relative neutrophilia in patients with non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) are undefined. We sought to comprehensively examine the relationships between circulating and intratumoral neutrophil populations and features of the immune contexture in patients undergoing NSCLC resection. Methods Preoperative soluble cytokine and angiogenic factors; tumor multiplex immunofluorescence; RNA, whole exome, and T-cell receptor sequencing; and flow cytometry were analyzed for relationships with populations of circulating (from complete blood counts) and intratumoral neutrophils (transcriptional signatures) in a prospectively enrolled resected NSCLC cohort (n=66). In a historical cohort (n=1524), preoperative circulating neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were analyzed for associations with overall survival (OS). Results Circulating neutrophil populations were positively correlated with increased tumor burden, and surgical tumor resection was followed by a subsequent reduction in peripheral neutrophil counts. Expansion of the circulating neutrophil compartment was associated with increased levels of pro-granulopoietic (IL-1β, IL-17A, TNFα, IL-6) and TH2-associated (IL-5, IL-13) cytokines. Tumors with high intratumoral neutrophil burden were marked by a blunted T-cell response characterized by reduced expression of cytotoxic T-cell genes (CD8A, CD8B, GZMA, GZMB), decreased CD3+CD8+ cell infiltration, and diminished expression of IFNγ-related genes. The associations between increased intratumoral neutrophil burden and reduced CD3+CD8+ infiltration persisted after adjustment for tumor size, histology, mutational burden, and PD-L1 expression. In 1524 patients, elevated preoperative circulating neutrophil count was independently associated with worse OS (main effect HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.68, p=0.002). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that neutrophil expansion reflects protumorigenic and immunosuppressive processes that manifest as worse OS in patients undergoing NSCLC resection. These results justify further investigation of therapeutic strategies targeting neutrophil-associated immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle G Mitchell
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tatiana Karpinets
- Genomic Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Marcelo V Negrao
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hai T Tran
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Edwin R Parra
- Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Erin M Corsini
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alexandre Reuben
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lorenzo Federico
- Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Chantale Bernatchez
- Melanoma Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hitoshi Dejima
- Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alejandro Francisco-Cruz
- Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Mara B Antonoff
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ara A Vaporciyan
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Stephen G Swisher
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tina Cascone
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - John V Heymach
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Cara L Haymaker
- Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Boris Sepesi
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Dong Y, Jia Y, Sha Y, Diao L, Cai S, Qiu Z, Guo Y, Tan A, Huang Y, Zhong Y, Ye H, Liu S. P–371 Clinical value assessment between endometrial receptivity array and immune profiling in patients with implantation failure. Hum Reprod 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab130.370] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Study question
To evaluate whether the pregnancy outcomes could be improved in implantation failure patients by endometrial receptivity array, endometrial immune profiling, or a combination of both.
Summary answer
There was no statistical difference between different endometrial receptivity evaluation and treatment in improving the clinical pregnancy rate.
What is known already
Both endometrial receptivity array and endometrial immune profiling were promised to improve the endometrial receptivity and subsequent clinical pregnancy. However, less is known about the efficiency between each other and whether the combination could further enhance their clinical value.
Study design, size, duration
Between November 2019 and September 2020, 143 women with a history of at least two or more consecutive implantation failure in IVF/ICSI treatment in Chengdu Xinan Gynecology Hospital were included. They were divided into three groups: ‘ERA + Immune Profiling’ (n = 70), ‘Immune Profiling’ (n = 41), and ‘ERA’ (n = 32).
Participants/materials, setting, methods
Inclusion criteria were age ≤ 38, with normal uterus and uterine cavity. All patients were suggested to evaluate endometrial receptivity by ERA test (Igenomix, Valencia, Spain) and endometrial immune profiling based on immunohistochemistry simultaneously, who would be free to choose each or both evaluation approaches. Personal Embryo Transfer and/or personal medical care were adopted according to evaluation results. Clinical pregnancy was confirmed by gestational sacs observed under ultrasonography.
Main results and the role of chance
The overall prevalence of displaced window of implantation (WOI) is 84.3%, and nearly 74.8% (83/111) patients were diagnosed as endometrial immune dysregulation. Clinical Pregnancy rate and embryonic implantation rate decreased in the ‘Immune Test’ groups, but without a statistical difference (P = 0.311, and 0.158, respectively). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that different endometrial receptivity evaluation and treatment was not associated the clinical pregnancy rate, suggesting the performance of different endometrial receptivity evaluation and treatment is similar in improving the clinical pregnancy rate. Neither the immune profiling (CD56, P = 0.591; FOXP3, P = 0.195; CD68, P = 0.820; CD163, P = 0.926; CD1a, P = 0.561; CD57, P = 0.221; CD8, P = 0.427; CD138 CE, P = 0.372) nor histologic endometrial dating defined by Noyes criteria (P = 0.374) were associated with ERA phases.
Limitations, reasons for caution
Although the selection of evaluation approaches was based on patients’ willingness, the variances of baseline characteristics and immune profiling existed in different groups. The immunological treatment efficacy based on immune profiling was not evaluated before embryo transfer.
Wider implications of the findings: To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing the pregnancy outcomes after two typical endometrial receptivity evaluation approaches. The findings highlight the unsubstitutability for each assessment, indicating that both asynchronous and pathological WOI contribute to implantation failure.
Trial registration number
X2019004
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Dong
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - Y Jia
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - Y Sha
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - L Diao
- Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics- Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Reproductive Immunology for Peri-implantation, Shenzheng, China
| | - S Cai
- Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics- Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Reproductive Immunology for Peri-implantation, Shenzheng, China
| | - Z Qiu
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - Y Guo
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - A Tan
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - Y Huang
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - Y Zhong
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Andrology, Chengdu, China
| | - H Ye
- Chengdu Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, The Department of Reproductive Immunology, Chengdu, China
| | - S Liu
- Shenzhen Zhongshan Institute for Reproduction and Genetics- Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Reproductive Immunology for Peri-implantation, Shenzheng, China
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Patel SA, Herynk MH, Cascone T, Saigal B, Nilsson MB, Tran H, Ramachandran S, Diao L, Wang J, Le X, Minna J, Wistuba II, Heymach JV. Estrogen Promotes Resistance to Bevacizumab in Murine Models of NSCLC. J Thorac Oncol 2021; 16:2051-2064. [PMID: 34311109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.07.007] [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: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Subgroup analyses from clinical studies have suggested that among patients with metastatic NSCLC receiving chemotherapy, females may derive less benefit from the addition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (BV) than males. This has raised the question of whether estrogen may affect the response to antiangiogenic therapy. METHODS To address this, we investigated the effects of estrogen on tumor growth, angiogenesis, and the response to BV in human xenograft models of NSCLC. RESULTS We observed that estrogen induced marked resistance to BV, which was accompanied by a 2.3-fold increase in tumor vascular pericyte coverage (p = 0.01) and an up-regulation of proangiogenic factors, VEGF and platelet-derived growth factor-BB. We also investigated the role of infiltrating myeloid cells, a population that has been associated with resistance to anti-VEGF therapies. We observed that estrogen induced a greater than twofold increase (p = 0.001) in the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells and concomitant increases in the myeloid recruitment factors, G-CSF and CXCL1. Blockade of the estrogen receptor pathway using fulvestrant resensitized tumors to VEGF targeting as evidenced by reduced tumor vasculature and an increase in overall survival in our NSCLC xenograft models. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these data provide evidence that estrogen may promote resistance to VEGF-targeted therapies, potentially by enhancing pericyte coverage and myeloid recruitment, and suggest that estrogen receptor blockade merits further investigation as an approach to enhance the effects of antiangiogenic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia A Patel
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Matthew H Herynk
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Tina Cascone
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Babita Saigal
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Monique B Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Hai Tran
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sumankalai Ramachandran
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiuning Le
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John Minna
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Padhye A, Konen JM, Rodriguez BL, Fradette JJ, Ochieng JK, Diao L, Wang J, Lu W, Solis LS, Batra H, Raso MG, Peoples MD, Minelli R, Carugo A, Bristow CA, Gibbons DL. Targeting CDK4 overcomes EMT-mediated tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance in KRAS mutant lung cancer. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e148392. [PMID: 34309585 PMCID: PMC8492319 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.148392] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lack of sustained response to therapeutic agents in patients with KRAS-mutant lung cancer poses a major challenge and arises partly due to intratumor heterogeneity that defines phenotypically distinct tumor subpopulations. To attain better therapeutic outcomes, it is important to understand the differential therapeutic sensitivities of tumor cell subsets. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition is a biological phenomenon that can alter the state of cells along a phenotypic spectrum and cause transcriptional rewiring to produce distinct tumor cell subpopulations. We utilized functional shRNA screens, in in vitro and in vivo models, to identify and validate an increased dependence of mesenchymal tumor cells on cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) for survival, as well as a mechanism of resistance to MEK inhibitors. High zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 levels in mesenchymal tumor cells repressed p21, leading to perturbed CDK4 pathway activity. Increased dependence on CDK4 rendered mesenchymal cancer cells particularly vulnerable to selective CDK4 inhibitors. Coadministration of CDK4 and MEK inhibitors in heterogeneous tumors effectively targeted different tumor subpopulations, subverting the resistance to either single-agent treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Padhye
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Jessica M Konen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Jared J Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Joshua K Ochieng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Luisa S Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Harsh Batra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Maria G Raso
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Michael D Peoples
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Development, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Rosalba Minelli
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Development, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Alessandro Carugo
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Development, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Christopher A Bristow
- TRACTION Platform, Division of Therapeutics Development, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
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Gay CM, Stewart CA, Diao L, Nabet BY, Fujimoto J, Solis LM, Lu W, Xi Y, Cardnell RJ, Vokes NI, Ramkumar K, Swisher SG, Roth JA, Glisson BS, Shames DS, Wistuba II, Wang J, Minna J, Heymach JV, Byers LA. Abstract 22: A novel, inflamed small cell lung cancer transcriptional subtype, SCLC-I, defines a subset of patients with distinct immunotherapy vulnerability. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-22] [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
Background
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine malignancy with dismal survival outcomes and no established predictive biomarkers. The landmark randomized, phase III IMpower133 trial established the new frontline standard of care for extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) as etoposide/platinum (EP) plus immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) [anti-PD-L1; atezolizumab (atezo)] based on an overall survival (OS) benefit compared to EP plus placebo. However, this survival benefit is limited in unselected populations, emphasizing the need for predictive biomarkers. Preclinically, there is emerging evidence of transcriptional heterogeneity among SCLC tumors, but the impact on therapeutic benefit remains undefined. Using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) analysis of gene expression data from 81 SCLC tumors samples, we previously identified four subtypes, including three defined largely by differential expression of the transcription factors ASCL1 (SCLC-A), NEUROD1 (SCLC-N), and POU2F3 (SCLC-P), and a novel, fourth subtype with low expression of all three transcription factor signatures.
Method and Results
Using transcriptional and proteomic data from patient tumors and tumor-derived models, we molecularly characterized each of the four identified subtypes. The previously undescribed fourth subtype, dubbed SCLC-Inflamed (SCLC-I) showed high expression of non-neuroendocrine transcription factors (e.g. REST) and markers of EMT. Most distinctly, relative to the “cold” immune microenvironment typical of SCLC tumors, SCLC-I tumors possess markedly higher expression of interferon-γ signatures and immune checkpoints, including CD274 (PD-L1). Furthermore, cell type deconvolution using CIBERSORTx identified significantly higher infiltration into SCLC-I tumors by multiple immune cell types including T-cells, NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. We predicted SCLC-I might derive disproportionate benefit from ICB due to its inflamed features. To test this, we applied our NMF-derived gene signature to 276 treatment-naïve, ES-SCLC patient tumors from the IMpower133 trial to assign patient subtype. The distribution of subtypes was as follows: SCLC-A 51%, SCLC-N 23%, SCLC-I 18% and SCLC-P 7%. While there was a trend toward OS benefit with the addition of atezo in each subtype, the benefit was numerically greater in SCLC-I. Specifically, median OS (atezo vs placebo arm) in months (mo) was 18.2 mo vs 10.4 mo for SCLC-I tumors, while median OS for the other three subtypes ranged from 9.6-10.9 mo (atezo arm) and 6.0-10.6 mo (placebo arm).
Conclusion
Unbiased transcriptional analyses identify four subtypes with distinct tumor and immune features. While all subtypes experienced improved OS with addition of anti-PD-L1 to frontline EP, SCLC-I patients appear to experience the most durable benefit.
Citation Format: Carl M. Gay, C. Allison Stewart, Lixia Diao, Barzin Y. Nabet, Junya Fujimoto, Luisa M. Solis, Wei Lu, Yuanxin Xi, Robert J. Cardnell, Natalie I. Vokes, Kavya Ramkumar, Stephen G. Swisher, Jack A. Roth, Bonnie S. Glisson, David S. Shames, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Jing Wang, John Minna, John V. Heymach, Lauren A. Byers. A novel, inflamed small cell lung cancer transcriptional subtype, SCLC-I, defines a subset of patients with distinct immunotherapy vulnerability [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 22.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl M. Gay
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Lixia Diao
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Junya Fujimoto
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Luisa M. Solis
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Wei Lu
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Yuanxin Xi
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | - Kavya Ramkumar
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Jack A. Roth
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | - Jing Wang
- 1University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - John Minna
- 3University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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Rocha P, Salazar R, Zhang J, Ledesma D, Solorzano JL, Mino B, Villalobos P, Dejima H, Douse DY, Diao L, Mitchell KG, Le X, Zhang J, Weissferdt A, Parra-Cuentas E, Cascone T, Rice DC, Sepesi B, Kalhor N, Moran C, Vaporciyan A, Heymach J, Gibbons DL, Lee JJ, Kadara H, Wistuba I, Behrens C, Solis LM. CD73 expression defines immune, molecular, and clinicopathological subgroups of lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 70:1965-1976. [PMID: 33416944 PMCID: PMC8195808 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02820-4] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION CD73 is a membrane-bound enzyme crucial in adenosine generation. The adenosinergic pathway plays a critical role in immunosuppression and in anti-tumor effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Here, we interrogated CD73 expression in a richly annotated cohort of human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its association with clinicopathological, immune, and molecular features to better understand the role of this immune marker in LUAD pathobiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Protein expression of CD73 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 106 archived LUADs from patients that underwent surgical treatment without neoadjuvant therapy. Total CD73 (T +) was calculated as the average of luminal (L +) and basolateral (BL +) percentage membrane expression scores for each LUAD and was used to classify tumors into three groups based on the extent of T CD73 expression (high, low, and negative). RESULTS CD73 expression was significantly and progressively increased across normal-appearing lung tissue, adenomatous atypical hyperplasia, adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, and LUAD. In LUAD, BL CD73 expression was associated with an increase in PD-L1 expression in tumor cells and increase of tumor-associated immune cells. Stratification of LUADs based on T CD73 extent also revealed that tumors with high expression of this enzyme overall exhibited significantly elevated immune infiltration and PD-L1 protein expression. Immune profiling demonstrated that T-cell inflammation and adenosine signatures were significantly higher in CD73-expressing lung adenocarcinomas relative to those lacking CD73. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that higher CD73 expression is associated with an overall augmented host immune response, suggesting potential implications in the immune pathobiology of early stage lung adenocarcinoma. Our findings warrant further studies to explore the role of CD73 in immunotherapeutic response of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Rocha
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruth Salazar
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jiexin Zhang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Comp Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Debora Ledesma
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jose L Solorzano
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Barbara Mino
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pamela Villalobos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hitoshi Dejima
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dzifa Y Douse
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Comp Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kyle Gregory Mitchell
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiuning Le
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Edwin Parra-Cuentas
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tina Cascone
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David C Rice
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Boris Sepesi
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Neda Kalhor
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cesar Moran
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ara Vaporciyan
- Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John Heymach
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J Jack Lee
- Department of Bioinformatics and Comp Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Humam Kadara
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carmen Behrens
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luisa Maren Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2130 West Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Cargill KR, Stewart CA, Park EM, Cardnell RJ, Fan YH, Wang Q, Diao L, Chan WK, Lorenzi PL, Wang J, Byers LA. Abstract 2335: Targeting MYC-enhanced glycolysis in small cell lung cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-2335] [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
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 15% of lung cancer cases with a poor five year survival rate of 6%. The National Cancer Institute has designated SCLC as one of two “recalcitrant” cancers and urges translational research to advance treatment options. In our effort to maximize treatment benefits, we have aimed our investigation at uncovering metabolic differences contributing to disease progression that may be targeted through specific pathway inhibition. Although metabolism is relatively unstudied in SCLC, metabolic reprogramming is recognized as a hallmark of cancer and can be regulated by several different mechanisms. Notably, the transcription factor MYC is overexpressed in 30% SCLC tumors and is known to modulate the balance between two major pathways of metabolism: glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. While mitochondrial respiration is the preferred source of energy production in terminally differentiated cells, many cancer cells switch to become predominantly glycolytic in an effort to generate energy quickly and produce biomolecules and electron carriers required for proliferation—a phenomena known as the Warburg Effect. Since MYC is expressed in only a subset of highly aggressive SCLC, we applied bimodal separation to both patient and cell line SCLC datasets to establish defined MYC subsets (MYCLow; MYCHigh) and performed gene ontology pathway analysis to genes that were significantly upregulated among the MYC-expressing samples. This revealed that 37% of significantly upregulated genes were linked to metabolic processes and further investigation showed many of those genes were linked to the glycolysis pathway. We also confirmed upregulation of protein expression through reverse phase protein array (RPPA). With glycolysis proving to be increased in MYCHigh samples, we simultaneously characterized pathway utilization in cell lines at baseline and in the presence of a potent glycolysis inhibitor. MYCHigh cell lines exhibited greater glucose consumption and lactate secretion, which was significantly decreased by glycolytic inhibition. Likewise, mitochondrial analysis revealed lower oxygen consumption and ATP production that were further reduced in the presence of the glycolysis inhibitor. Although mitochondrial density was unchanged regardless of MYC expression or glycolytic inhibition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was greatly enhanced in the MYCHigh subset upon suppression of glycolysis. Lastly, SCLC xenografts derived from a MYCHigh SCLC cell line showed significantly slower tumor growth whereas MYCLow derived xenografts exhibited no significant difference in tumor growth. Together, these data provide evidence of metabolic differences among SCLC subsets such that MYC expression induces reliance on glycolysis, which can be targeted for therapeutic intervention.
Citation Format: Kasey R. Cargill, C. Allison Stewart, Elizabeth M. Park, Robert J. Cardnell, You Hong Fan, Qi Wang, Lixia Diao, Wai Kin Chan, Philip L. Lorenzi, Jing Wang, Lauren A. Byers. Targeting MYC-enhanced glycolysis in small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2335.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - You Hong Fan
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Qi Wang
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Lixia Diao
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Wai Kin Chan
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | - Jing Wang
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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Rocha P, Stewart CA, Parra E, Solis LM, Gay CM, Cardnell RJ, Uraoka N, Francisco-Cruz A, Dejima H, Xi Y, Diao L, Wang J, Negrao MV, Zhang J, Wistuba I, Gibbons DL, Byers LA. Abstract 2758: Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) reveals differences in tumor immune microenvironment between molecularly-defined subsets of small cell lung cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-2758] [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: Despite the recent approval of immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICI) as a treatment option in the extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) setting, survival has not significantly changed in the last decades. Recent scientific efforts have led to the identification of 4 major subtypes defined by expression of three transcription factors: ASCL1 (SCLC-A), NEUROD1 (SCLC-N), POU2F3 (SCLC-P) with the fourth subtype characterized by increased expression of immune genes (Inflamed subtype - SCLC-I). Transcriptomic results, along with recent immunotherapy trials, suggest that modulation of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) could potential be critical to achieving clinical responses in a subset of patients, hence a comprehensive study of the TIME in SCLC is imperative. Here we report the feasibility of a multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) methodology to analyze the TIME in SCLC.
Methods: FFPE sections from surgically resected SCLC (N=4, one representative case across all SCLC subtypes) were identified from the ICON Project at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. We used mIF to identify and quantify immune markers grouped into two 6-antibody panels: Panel 1: cytokeratin (CK, AE1/AE3), CD3, CD8, PD-1, PD-L1 and CD68; Panel 2: CK, CD20, granzyme B, FOXP3, CD45RO, and CD57. Finally, genomic (WES), transcriptomic (RNA sequencing) and proteomic (RPPA) data from these cases were integrated with the mIF data.
Results: SCLC molecular subtypes (SCLC-A, N, P, I) were classified using transcriptomic and proteomic data. Analysis of TIME unveils a higher immune cell infiltration within SCLC-I subtype compared with the other cases representing, immune “cold” SCLC subtypes. SCLC-I subtype showed a 2-13 folder higher (range) immune cell density than SCLC-A, N and P subtypes (measured as a median of cell density). Specifically, T cells (CD3+) (695 and 242 cells/mm2, for SCLC-I and the median for the other subtypes respectively), T cytotoxic cells (CD3+ CD8+) (206 and 105), activated T cells (CD3+ CD8+ granzyme+) (20 and 2), antigen experienced ‘like' T cells (CD3+ PD-1+) (17 and 0), memory T cells (CD3+ CD45RO+) (328 and 91) and macrophages (CD68+) (773 and 57). PD-L1 expression in malignant cells did not show significant differences within the 4 SCLC subtypes. However, PD-L1 expression in macrophages was significantly higher in the SCLC-I subtype, suggesting an increase of IFN-gamma in the TIME.
Conclusions: TIME study show the use of mIF in SCLC tumors to be feasible, and could potentially provide key information towards the identification of SCLC patients that could benefit from ICI. For the first time we complemented transcriptomic data from SCLC tumors with mIF analysis unveiling the complex interplay of the host immune response and malignant cells. Our preliminary results warrant further studies to explore the role of TIME in immunotherapeutic response in SCLC.
Citation Format: Pedro Rocha, C. Allison Stewart, Edwin Parra, Luisa M. Solis, Carl M. Gay, Robert J. Cardnell, Naohiro Uraoka, Alejandro Francisco-Cruz, Hitoshi Dejima, Yuanxin Xi, Lixia Diao, Jing Wang, Marcelo V. Negrao, Jianjun Zhang, Ignacio Wistuba, Don L. Gibbons, Lauren A. Byers. Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) reveals differences in tumor immune microenvironment between molecularly-defined subsets of small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2758.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jing Wang
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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Nilsson MB, Sun H, Robichaux J, Pfeifer M, McDermott U, Travers J, Diao L, Xi Y, Tong P, Shen L, Hofstad M, Kawakami M, Le X, Liu X, Fan Y, Poteete A, Hu L, Negrao MV, Tran H, Dmitrovsky E, Peng D, Gibbons DL, Wang J, Heymach JV. A YAP/FOXM1 axis mediates EMT-associated EGFR inhibitor resistance and increased expression of spindle assembly checkpoint components. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/559/eaaz4589. [PMID: 32878980 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz4589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) remains a clinical challenge. Especially challenging are cases in which resistance emerges through EGFR-independent mechanisms, such as through pathways that promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Through an integrated transcriptomic, proteomic, and drug screening approach, we identified activation of the yes-associated protein (YAP) and forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) axis as a driver of EMT-associated EGFR TKI resistance. EGFR inhibitor resistance was associated with broad multidrug resistance that extended across multiple chemotherapeutic and targeted agents, consistent with the difficulty of effectively treating resistant disease. EGFR TKI-resistant cells displayed increased abundance of spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) proteins, including polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), Aurora kinases, survivin, and kinesin spindle protein (KSP). Moreover, EGFR TKI-resistant cells exhibited vulnerability to SAC inhibitors. Increased activation of the YAP/FOXM1 axis mediated an increase in the abundance of SAC components in resistant cells. The clinical relevance of these finding was indicated by evaluation of specimens from patients with EGFR mutant lung cancer, which showed that high FOXM1 expression correlated with expression of genes encoding SAC proteins and was associated with a worse clinical outcome. These data revealed the YAP/FOXM1 axis as a central regulator of EMT-associated EGFR TKI resistance and that this pathway, along with SAC components, are therapeutic vulnerabilities for targeting this multidrug-resistant phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique B Nilsson
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Huiying Sun
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jacqulyne Robichaux
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | | | - Jon Travers
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Lixia Diao
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuanxin Xi
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pan Tong
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mia Hofstad
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Masanori Kawakami
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiuning Le
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xi Liu
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Youhong Fan
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alissa Poteete
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Limei Hu
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marcelo V Negrao
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hai Tran
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ethan Dmitrovsky
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David Peng
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John V Heymach
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Peng DH, Rodriguez BL, Diao L, Gaudreau PO, Padhye A, Konen JM, Ochieng JK, Class CA, Fradette JJ, Gibson L, Chen L, Wang J, Byers LA, Gibbons DL. Th17 cells contribute to combination MEK inhibitor and anti-PD-L1 therapy resistance in KRAS/p53 mutant lung cancers. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2606. [PMID: 33972557 PMCID: PMC8110980 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22875-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [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: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockade in mutant KRAS lung cancers is critical to developing novel combination therapies and improving patient survival. Here, we show that MEK inhibition enhanced PD-L1 expression while PD-L1 blockade upregulated MAPK signaling in mutant KRAS lung tumors. Combined MEK inhibition with anti-PD-L1 synergistically reduced lung tumor growth and metastasis, but tumors eventually developed resistance to sustained combinatorial therapy. Multi-platform profiling revealed that resistant lung tumors have increased infiltration of Th17 cells, which secrete IL-17 and IL-22 cytokines to promote lung cancer cell invasiveness and MEK inhibitor resistance. Antibody depletion of IL-17A in combination with MEK inhibition and PD-L1 blockade markedly reduced therapy-resistance in vivo. Clinically, increased expression of Th17-associated genes in patients treated with PD-1 blockade predicted poorer overall survival and response in melanoma and predicated poorer response to anti-PD1 in NSCLC patients. Here we show a triple combinatorial therapeutic strategy to overcome resistance to combined MEK inhibitor and PD-L1 blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Peng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, 550 First Avenue, Smilow Building 10th Floor, Suite 1010, New York, NY, USA
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pierre-Olivier Gaudreau
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Thoracic & Upper GI Cancer Research Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aparna Padhye
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica M Konen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joshua K Ochieng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Caleb A Class
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jared J Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laura Gibson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Limo Chen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Le X, Negrao MV, Reuben A, Federico L, Diao L, McGrail D, Nilsson M, Robichaux J, Munoz IG, Patel S, Elamin Y, Fan YH, Lee WC, Parra E, Solis Soto LM, Chen R, Li J, Karpinets T, Khairullah R, Kadara H, Behrens C, Sepesi B, Wang R, Zhu M, Wang L, Vaporciyan A, Roth J, Swisher S, Haymaker C, Zhang J, Wang J, Wong KK, Byers LA, Bernatchez C, Zhang J, Wistuba II, Gibbons DL, Akbay EA, Heymach JV. Characterization of the Immune Landscape of EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Identifies CD73/Adenosine Pathway as a Potential Therapeutic Target. J Thorac Oncol 2021; 16:583-600. [PMID: 33388477 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [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: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lung adenocarcinomas harboring EGFR mutations do not respond to immune checkpoint blockade therapy and their EGFR wildtype counterpart. The mechanisms underlying this lack of clinical response have been investigated but remain incompletely understood. METHODS We analyzed three cohorts of resected lung adenocarcinomas (Profiling of Resistance Patterns of Oncogenic Signaling Pathways in Evaluation of Cancer of Thorax, Immune Genomic Profiling of NSCLC, and The Cancer Genome Atlas) and compared tumor immune microenvironment of EGFR-mutant tumors to EGFR wildtype tumors, to identify actionable regulators to target and potentially enhance the treatment response. RESULTS EGFR-mutant NSCLC exhibited low programmed death-ligand 1, low tumor mutational burden, decreased number of cytotoxic T cells, and low T cell receptor clonality, consistent with an immune-inert phenotype, though T cell expansion ex vivo was preserved. In an analysis of 75 immune checkpoint genes, the top up-regulated genes in the EGFR-mutant tumors (NT5E and ADORA1) belonged to the CD73/adenosine pathway. Single-cell analysis revealed that the tumor cell population expressed CD73, both in the treatment-naive and resistant tumors. Using coculture systems with EGFR-mutant NSCLC cells, T regulatory cell proportion was decreased with CD73 knockdown. In an immune-competent mouse model of EGFR-mutant lung cancer, the CD73/adenosine pathway was markedly up-regulated and CD73 blockade significantly inhibited tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS Our work revealed that EGFR-mutant NSCLC has an immune-inert phenotype. We identified the CD73/adenosine pathway as a potential therapeutic target for EGFR-mutant NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuning Le
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Marcelo V Negrao
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Alexandre Reuben
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lorenzo Federico
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Division of Basic Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Daniel McGrail
- Department of System Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Monique Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jacqulyne Robichaux
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Irene Guijarro Munoz
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sonia Patel
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yasir Elamin
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - You-Hong Fan
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Won-Chul Lee
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Edwin Parra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Luisa Maren Solis Soto
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Runzhe Chen
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Tatiana Karpinets
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Roohussaba Khairullah
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Humam Kadara
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Carmen Behrens
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Boris Sepesi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ruiping Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Mingrui Zhu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Linghua Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ara Vaporciyan
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jack Roth
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephen Swisher
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Cara Haymaker
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Chantale Bernatchez
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Esra A Akbay
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Jing Y, Diao L, Han L. Adverse events associated with potential drugs for COVID-19: a case study from real-world data. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:1232-1238. [PMID: 33003194 PMCID: PMC7543289 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted as a global pandemic. The World Health Organization announced the most promising drugs in SOLIDARITY for the global trial, and several other drugs are under investigation through ongoing clinical trials to prove the effectiveness and safety of potential therapeutics. Here, we depicted the safety profile of these drugs and investigated their associated adverse events (AEs). We observed the associated AEs in different organs/systems, especially in skin and subcutaneous tissue, immune system and musculoskeletal and connective tissue. Furthermore, we observed strong bias of AEs in different groups of sex and age. Our study provides knowledge of the toxicity of potential COVID-19 drugs. While these drugs hold promise to fight the global pandemic, healthcare providers should pay attention to AEs to maximize the treatment benefit while minimizing toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jing
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, USA
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Jing Y, Zhang Y, Wang J, Li K, Chen X, Heng J, Gao Q, Ye Y, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Lou Y, Lin SH, Diao L, Liu H, Chen X, Mills GB, Han L. Association Between Sex and Immune-Related Adverse Events During Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy. J Natl Cancer Inst 2021; 113:1396-1404. [PMID: 33705549 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [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: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulated evidence supports the existence of sex-associated differences in immune systems. Understanding the role of sex in immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is important for management of irAE in patients receiving immunotherapy. METHODS We performed meta-analysis on published clinical study data and multivariable logistic regression on pharmacovigilance data and applied a propensity algorithm to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) omics data. We further validated our observations in two independent in-house cohorts of 179 and 767 cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. RESULTS A meta-analysis using 13 clinical studies that reported on 1,096 female patients (36.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 35.0%-38.5%) and 1,886 male patients (63.2%, 95% CI = 61.5%-65.0%) demonstrated no statistically significant irAE risk difference between the sexes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19; 95% CI = 0.91-1.54; 2-sided P = 0.21). Multivariable logistic regression analysis of 12,225 patients from FAERS and 10,979 patients from VigiBase showed no statistically significant difference in irAEs by sex. A propensity score algorithm used on multi-omics data for 6,019 patients from TCGA found no statistically significant difference by sex for irAE-related factors/pathways. The retrospective analysis of two in-house patient cohorts validated these results (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.98-2.47; FDR = 0.13, for cohort 1; OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 0.86-1.57; FDR = 0.39, for cohort 2). CONCLUSION We observed minimal sex-associated differences in irAEs among cancer patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. It may be unnecessary to consider gender effects for irAE management in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jing
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.,Clinical Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongchang Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Lung Cancer and Gastrointestinal Unit, Hunan cancer hospital/The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kunyan Li
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xue Chen
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jianfu Heng
- Early Clinical Trial Center, Office of National Drug Clinical Trial Institution, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qian Gao
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Youqiong Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yaoming Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yanyan Lou
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Steven H Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.,Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA
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Gay CM, Stewart CA, Park EM, Diao L, Groves SM, Heeke S, Nabet BY, Fujimoto J, Solis LM, Lu W, Xi Y, Cardnell RJ, Wang Q, Fabbri G, Cargill KR, Vokes NI, Ramkumar K, Zhang B, Della Corte CM, Robson P, Swisher SG, Roth JA, Glisson BS, Shames DS, Wistuba II, Wang J, Quaranta V, Minna J, Heymach JV, Byers LA. Patterns of transcription factor programs and immune pathway activation define four major subtypes of SCLC with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:346-360.e7. [PMID: 33482121 PMCID: PMC8143037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 372] [Impact Index Per Article: 124.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Despite molecular and clinical heterogeneity, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is treated as a single entity with predictably poor results. Using tumor expression data and non-negative matrix factorization, we identify four SCLC subtypes defined largely by differential expression of transcription factors ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3 or low expression of all three transcription factor signatures accompanied by an Inflamed gene signature (SCLC-A, N, P, and I, respectively). SCLC-I experiences the greatest benefit from the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy, while the other subtypes each have distinct vulnerabilities, including to inhibitors of PARP, Aurora kinases, or BCL-2. Cisplatin treatment of SCLC-A patient-derived xenografts induces intratumoral shifts toward SCLC-I, supporting subtype switching as a mechanism of acquired platinum resistance. We propose that matching baseline tumor subtype to therapy, as well as manipulating subtype switching on therapy, may enhance depth and duration of response for SCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl M Gay
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - C Allison Stewart
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Park
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarah M Groves
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Barzin Y Nabet
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Luisa M Solis
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wei Lu
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuanxin Xi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robert J Cardnell
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Kasey R Cargill
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Natalie I Vokes
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kavya Ramkumar
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bingnan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carminia M Della Corte
- Department of Precision Medicine, Oncology Division, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Paul Robson
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Stephen G Swisher
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jack A Roth
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bonnie S Glisson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David S Shames
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco CA, USA
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John Minna
- Department of Internal Medicine and Simmons Cancer Center, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren Averett Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Ramkumar K, Stewart CA, Cargill KR, Corte CMD, Wang Q, Shen L, Diao L, Cardnell RJ, Peng DH, Rodriguez BL, Fan YH, Heymach JV, Wang J, Gay CM, Gibbons DL, Byers LA. AXL Inhibition Induces DNA Damage and Replication Stress in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells and Promotes Sensitivity to ATR Inhibitors. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:485-497. [PMID: 33172976 PMCID: PMC7925356 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AXL, a TAM (TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK) family receptor tyrosine kinase, is increasingly being recognized as a key determinant of resistance to targeted therapies, as well as chemotherapy and radiation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other cancers. We further show here that high levels of AXL and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition were frequently expressed in subsets of both treatment-naïve and treatment-relapsed NSCLC. Previously, we and others have demonstrated a role for AXL in mediating DNA damage response (DDR), as well as resistance to inhibition of WEE1, a replication stress response kinase. Here, we show that BGB324 (bemcentinib), a selective small-molecule AXL inhibitor, caused DNA damage and induced replication stress, indicated by ATR/CHK1 phosphorylation, more significantly in TP53-deficient NSCLC cell lines. Similar effects were also observed in large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) cell lines. High AXL protein levels were also associated with resistance to ATR inhibition. Combined inhibition of AXL and ATR significantly decreased cell proliferation of NSCLC and LCNEC cell lines. Mechanistically, combined inhibition of AXL and ATR significantly increased RPA32 hyperphosphorylation and DNA double-strand breaks and induced markers of mitotic catastrophe. Notably, NSCLC cell lines with low levels of SLFN11, a known predictive biomarker for platinum and PARP inhibitor sensitivity, were more sensitive to AXL/ATR cotargeting. These findings demonstrate a novel and unexpected role for AXL in replication stress tolerance, with potential therapeutic implications. IMPLICATIONS: These findings demonstrate that the combination of AXL and ATR inhibitors could be a promising therapeutic combination for NSCLC, LCNEC, and other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavya Ramkumar
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - C. Allison Stewart
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kasey R. Cargill
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Carminia M. Della Corte
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Current affiliation: University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Qi Wang
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert J. Cardnell
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David H. Peng
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Current affiliation: Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - B. Leticia Rodriguez
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - You-Hong Fan
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John V. Heymach
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Carl M. Gay
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Don L. Gibbons
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lauren A. Byers
- Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Corresponding author: Lauren A. Byers, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 432, Houston, Texas, 77030. Phone: (713) 745-2982; Fax: (713) 792-1220;
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44
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Konen JM, Rodriguez BL, Padhye A, Ochieng JK, Gibson L, Diao L, Fowlkes NW, Fradette JJ, Peng DH, Cardnell RJ, Kovacs JJ, Wang J, Byers LA, Gibbons DL. Dual Inhibition of MEK and AXL Targets Tumor Cell Heterogeneity and Prevents Resistant Outgrowth Mediated by the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in NSCLC. Cancer Res 2021; 81:1398-1412. [PMID: 33402388 PMCID: PMC8026531 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic epigenetic reprogramming event that occurs in a subset of tumor cells and is an initiating step toward invasion and distant metastasis. The process is reversible and gives plasticity to cancer cells to survive under variable conditions, with the acquisition of cancer stem cell-like characteristics and features such as drug resistance. Therefore, understanding survival dependencies of cells along the phenotypic spectrum of EMT will provide better strategies to target the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of tumors and prevent their ability to bypass single-inhibitor treatment strategies. To address this, we integrated the data from a selective drug screen in epithelial and mesenchymal KRAS/p53 (KP)-mutant lung tumor cells with separate datasets including reverse-phase protein array and an in vivo shRNA dropout screen. These orthogonal approaches identified AXL and MEK as potential mesenchymal and epithelial cell survival dependencies, respectively. To capture the dynamicity of EMT, incorporation of a dual fluorescence EMT sensor system into murine KP lung cancer models enabled real-time analysis of the epigenetic state of tumor cells and assessment of the efficacy of single agent or combination treatment with AXL and MEK inhibitors. Both two- and three-dimensional culture systems and in vivo models revealed that this combination treatment strategy of MEK plus AXL inhibition synergistically killed lung cancer cells by specifically targeting each phenotypic subpopulation. In conclusion, these results indicate that cotargeting the specific vulnerabilities of EMT subpopulations can prevent EMT-mediated drug resistance, effectively controlling tumor cell growth and metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that a novel combination of MEK and AXL inhibitors effectively bypasses EMT-mediated drug resistance in KRAS/p53-mutant non-small cell lung cancer by targeting EMT subpopulations, thereby preventing tumor cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Konen
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - B Leticia Rodriguez
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Aparna Padhye
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas
| | - Joshua K Ochieng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Laura Gibson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Natalie W Fowlkes
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jared J Fradette
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - David H Peng
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Oncology & Angiogenesis, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, New York
| | - Robert J Cardnell
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffrey J Kovacs
- TRACTION, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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45
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Zhang Z, Zhang J, Diao L, Han L. Small non-coding RNAs in human cancer: function, clinical utility, and characterization. Oncogene 2021; 40:1570-1577. [PMID: 33452456 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01630-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) play critical roles in multiple regulatory processes, including transcription, post-transcription, and translation. Emerging evidence reveals the critical roles of sncRNAs in cancer development and their potential role as biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets. In this paper, we review recent research on four sncRNA species with functional significance in cancer: small nucleolar RNAs, transfer RNA, small nuclear RNAs, and piwi-interacting RNAs. We introduce their functional roles in tumorigenesis and discuss the potential utility of sncRNAs as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We further summarize approaches to characterize sncRNAs in a high-throughput manner, including the specific library construction and computational framework. Our review provides a perspective of the functions, clinical utility, and characterization of sncRNAs in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Stewart CA, Gay CM, Ramkumar K, Cargill KR, Cardnell RJ, Nilsson MB, Heeke S, Park EM, Kundu ST, Diao L, Wang Q, Shen L, Xi Y, Zhang B, Della Corte CM, Fan Y, Kundu K, Gao B, Avila K, Pickering CR, Johnson FM, Zhang J, Kadara H, Minna JD, Gibbons DL, Wang J, Heymach JV, Byers LA. Lung cancer models reveal SARS-CoV-2-induced EMT contributes to COVID-19 pathophysiology. bioRxiv 2021:2020.05.28.122291. [PMID: 32577652 PMCID: PMC7302206 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.28.122291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which enters host cells via the cell surface proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Using a variety of normal and malignant models and tissues from the aerodigestive and respiratory tracts, we investigated the expression and regulation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. We find that ACE2 expression is restricted to a select population of highly epithelial cells. Notably, infection with SARS-CoV-2 in cancer cell lines, bronchial organoids, and patient nasal epithelium, induces metabolic and transcriptional changes consistent with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), including upregulation of ZEB1 and AXL, resulting in an increased EMT score. Additionally, a transcriptional loss of genes associated with tight junction function occurs with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, is repressed by EMT via TGFbeta, ZEB1 overexpression and onset of EGFR TKI inhibitor resistance. This suggests a novel model of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in which infected cells shift toward an increasingly mesenchymal state, associated with a loss of tight junction components with acute respiratory distress syndrome-protective effects. AXL-inhibition and ZEB1-reduction, as with bemcentinib, offers a potential strategy to reverse this effect. These observations highlight the utility of aerodigestive and, especially, lung cancer model systems in exploring the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses, and offer important insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in healthy patients and cancer patients alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Allison Stewart
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carl M Gay
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kavya Ramkumar
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kasey R Cargill
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robert J Cardnell
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Monique B Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Simon Heeke
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Park
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samrat T Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuanxin Xi
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bingnan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carminia Maria Della Corte
- Department of Precision Medicine, Oncology Division, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Youhong Fan
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kiran Kundu
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Boning Gao
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kimberley Avila
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Curtis R Pickering
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Faye M Johnson
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Humam Kadara
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John D Minna
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren Averett Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Zhang Z, Hong W, Ruan H, Jing Y, Li S, Liu Y, Wang J, Li W, Diao L, Han L. HeRA: an atlas of enhancer RNAs across human tissues. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D932-D938. [PMID: 33119754 PMCID: PMC7779069 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer RNA (eRNA) is a type of long non-coding RNA transcribed from DNA enhancer regions. Despite critical roles of eRNA in gene regulation, the expression landscape of eRNAs in normal human tissue remains unexplored. Using numerous samples from the Genotype-Tissue Expression project, we characterized 45 411 detectable eRNAs and identified tens of thousands of associations between eRNAs and traits, including gender, race, and age. We constructed a co-expression network to identify millions of putative eRNA regulators and target genes across different tissues. We further constructed a user-friendly data portal, Human enhancer RNA Atlas (HeRA, https://hanlab.uth.edu/HeRA/). In HeRA, users can search, browse, and download the eRNA expression profile, trait-related eRNAs, and eRNA co-expression network by searching the eRNA ID, gene symbol, and genomic region in one or multiple tissues. HeRA is the first data portal to characterize eRNAs from 9577 samples across 54 human tissues and facilitates functional and mechanistic investigations of eRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wei Hong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hang Ruan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ying Jing
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shengli Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yaoming Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wenbo Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leng Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Precision Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Lam VK, Zhang J, Wu CC, Tran HT, Li L, Diao L, Wang J, Rinsurongkawong W, Raymond VM, Lanman RB, Lewis J, Roarty EB, Roth J, Swisher S, Lee JJ, Gibbons DL, Papadimitrakopoulou VA, Heymach JV. Genotype-Specific Differences in Circulating Tumor DNA Levels in Advanced NSCLC. J Thorac Oncol 2020; 16:601-609. [PMID: 33388476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2020.12.011] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plasma-based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an established biomarker for molecular profiling with emerging applications in disease monitoring in multiple tumor types, including, NSCLC. However, determinants of ctDNA shedding and correlation with tumor burden are incompletely understood, particularly in advanced-stage disease. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed ctDNA-based and tissue-based genomic data and imaging from 144 patients with NSCLC. Tumor burden was quantified with computed tomography (CT) and brain magnetic resonance imaging for the overall cohort and 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-CT in a subset of patients. RESULTS There was a moderate but statistically significant correlation between ctDNA variant allele frequency and multiple imaging measures of tumor burden such as CT volume (rho = 0.34, p ≤ 0.0001) and metabolic tumor volume (rho = 0.36, p = 0.003). This correlation was strongest in KRAS-mutant tumors (rho = 0.56, p ≤ 0.001), followed by TP53 mutants (rho = 0.43, p ≤ 0.0001), and weakest in EGFR-mutated (EGFR+) tumors (rho = 0.24, p = 0.077). EGFR+ tumors with EGFR copy number gain had significantly higher variant allele frequency than EGFR+ without copy number gain (p ≤ 0.00001). In multivariable analysis, TP53 and EGFR mutations, visceral metastasis, and tumor burden were independent predictors of increased ctDNA shedding. CONCLUSIONS Levels of detectable ctDNA were affected not only by tumor burden but also by tumor genotype. The genotype-specific differences observed may be due to variations in DNA shedding and cellular turnover. These findings have implications for the emerging use of ctDNA in NSCLC disease monitoring and early detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent K Lam
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Carol C Wu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Hai T Tran
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lerong Li
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Waree Rinsurongkawong
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | | | - Jeff Lewis
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Emily B Roarty
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jack Roth
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephen Swisher
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - J Jack Lee
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Don L Gibbons
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Mak MP, Pasini FS, Diao L, Garcia FOT, Takahashi TK, Nakazato D, Martins RE, Almeida CM, Kulcsar MAV, Lamounier VA, Nunes EM, de Souza IC, Garcia MRT, Amadio AV, Siqueira SAC, Snitcovsky IML, Sichero L, Wang J, de Castro G. Valproic acid combined with cisplatin-based chemoradiation in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients and associated biomarkers. Ecancermedicalscience 2020; 14:1155. [PMID: 33574900 PMCID: PMC7864693 DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2020.1155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cisplatin-based chemoradiation (CCRT) offers locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LAHNSCC) patients high local control rate, however, relapses are frequent. Our goal was to evaluate if association of valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, with CCRT improved response rate (RR) and associated biomarkers. Methods This phase II trial included patients with unresectable locally advanced (LA) oropharynx (OP) squamous cell carcinoma. CCRT began after 2 weeks of VPA (P1). Primary goal was RR at 8 weeks after chemoradiation (CRT)+VPA (P2). Biomarkers included microRNA (miR) polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-array profiling in plasma compared to healthy controls by two-sample t-test. Distribution of p-values was analysed by beta-uniform mixture. Findings were validated by real-time PCR quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for selected miRs in plasma and saliva. p16, HDAC2 and RAD23 Homolog B, Nucleotide Excision Repair Protein (HR23B) tumour immunohistochemistry were evaluated. Results Given significant toxicities, accrual was interrupted after inclusion of ten LA p16 negative OP patients. All were male, smokers/ex-smokers, aged 41–65 and with previous moderate/high alcohol intake. Nine evaluable patients yielded a RR of 88%. At false discovery rate of 5%, 169 miRs were differentially expressed between patients and controls, including lower expression of tumour suppressors (TSs) such as miR-31, -222, -let-7a/b/e and -145. miR-let-7a/e expression was validated by qPCR using saliva. A HDAC2 H-score above 170 was 90% accurate in predicting 6-month disease-free survival. Conclusions VPA and CRT offered high RR; however, with prohibitive toxicities, which led to early trial termination. Patients and controls had a distinct pattern of miR expression, mainly with low levels of TS miRs targeting Tumor protein P53 (TP53). miR-let-7a/e levels were lower in patients compared to controls, which reinforces the aggressive nature of such tumours (NCT01695122).
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Perez Mak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fatima Solange Pasini
- Center for Translational Investigation in Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler St. Floor 4, FCT4.6000, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fabyane O Teixeira Garcia
- Center for Translational Investigation in Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tiago Kenji Takahashi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Denyei Nakazato
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Renata Eiras Martins
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Maria Almeida
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marco Aurelio Vamondes Kulcsar
- Head and Neck Surgery Department, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Valdelania Aparecida Lamounier
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Emily Montosa Nunes
- Center for Translational Investigation in Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabela Cristina de Souza
- Center for Translational Investigation in Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcio Ricardo Taveira Garcia
- Department of Radiology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alex Vieira Amadio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sheila Aparecida C Siqueira
- Department of Pathology, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Eneas de Carvalho Aguiar, 255, CEP 05403-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor Moysés Longo Snitcovsky
- Center for Translational Investigation in Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Laura Sichero
- Center for Translational Investigation in Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jing Wang
- Head and Neck Surgery Department, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gilberto de Castro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av Dr Arnaldo, 251 12th floor, CEP 01246-000, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Nilsson MB, Robichaux J, Herynk MH, Cascone T, Le X, Elamin Y, Patel S, Zhang F, Xu L, Hu L, Diao L, Shen L, He J, Yu X, Nikolinakos P, Saintigny P, Fang B, Girard L, Wang J, Minna JD, Wistuba II, Heymach JV. Altered Regulation of HIF-1α in Naive- and Drug-Resistant EGFR-Mutant NSCLC: Implications for a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Dependent Phenotype. J Thorac Oncol 2020; 16:439-451. [PMID: 33309987 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2020.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The treatment of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors in combination with EGFR inhibitors provides a greater benefit than EGFR inhibition alone, suggesting that EGFR mutation status may define a patient subgroup with greater benefit from VEGF blockade. The mechanisms driving this potentially enhanced VEGF dependence are unknown. METHODS We analyzed the effect of EGFR inhibition on VEGF and HIF-1α in NSCLC models in vitro and in vivo. We determined the efficacy of VEGF inhibition in xenografts and analyzed the impact of acquired EGFR inhibitor resistance on VEGF and HIF-1α. RESULTS NSCLC cells with EGFR-activating mutations exhibited altered regulation of VEGF compared with EGFR wild-type cells. In EGFR-mutant cells, EGFR, not hypoxia, was the dominant regulator of HIF-1α and VEGF. NSCLC tumor models bearing classical or exon 20 EGFR mutations were more sensitive to VEGF inhibition than EGFR wild-type tumors, and a combination of VEGF and EGFR inhibition delayed tumor progression. In models of acquired EGFR inhibitor resistance, whereas VEGF remained overexpressed, the hypoxia-independent expression of HIF-1α was delinked from EGFR signaling, and EGFR inhibition no longer diminished HIF-1α or VEGF expression. CONCLUSIONS In EGFR-mutant NSCLC, EGFR signaling is the dominant regulator of HIF-1α and VEGF in a hypoxia-independent manner, hijacking an important cellular response regulating tumor aggressiveness. Cells with acquired EGFR inhibitor resistance retained elevated expression of HIF-1α and VEGF, and the pathways were no longer EGFR-regulated. This supports VEGF targeting in EGFR-mutant tumors in the EGFR inhibitor-naive and refractory settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique B Nilsson
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jacqulyne Robichaux
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Matthew H Herynk
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Tina Cascone
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiuning Le
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yasir Elamin
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sonia Patel
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Fahao Zhang
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Li Xu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Limei Hu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lixia Diao
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Junqin He
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiaoxing Yu
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Petros Nikolinakos
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pierre Saintigny
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 1052, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Univ Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Bingliang Fang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardio Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Luc Girard
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John D Minna
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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