1
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Houghton PJ. Advances in the treatment of BRAF-mutant low-grade glioma with MAPK inhibitors. Transl Pediatr 2024; 13:513-517. [PMID: 38590382 PMCID: PMC10998999 DOI: 10.21037/tp-23-541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Houghton
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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2
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Mooney B, Negri GL, Shyp T, Delaidelli A, Zhang HF, Spencer Miko SE, Weiner AK, Radaoui AB, Shraim R, Lizardo MM, Hughes CS, Li A, El-Naggar AM, Rouleau M, Li W, Dimitrov DS, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Diskin SJ, Maris JM, Morin GB, Sorensen PH. Surface and Global Proteome Analyses Identify ENPP1 and Other Surface Proteins as Actionable Immunotherapeutic Targets in Ewing Sarcoma. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1022-1037. [PMID: 37812652 PMCID: PMC10905525 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2187] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ewing sarcoma is the second most common bone sarcoma in children, with 1 case per 1.5 million in the United States. Although the survival rate of patients diagnosed with localized disease is approximately 70%, this decreases to approximately 30% for patients with metastatic disease and only approximately 10% for treatment-refractory disease, which have not changed for decades. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed for metastatic and refractory Ewing sarcoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN This study analyzed 19 unique Ewing sarcoma patient- or cell line-derived xenografts (from 14 primary and 5 metastatic specimens) using proteomics to identify surface proteins for potential immunotherapeutic targeting. Plasma membranes were enriched using density gradient ultracentrifugation and compared with a reference standard of 12 immortalized non-Ewing sarcoma cell lines prepared in a similar manner. In parallel, global proteome analysis was carried out on each model to complement the surfaceome data. All models were analyzed by Tandem Mass Tags-based mass spectrometry to quantify identified proteins. RESULTS The surfaceome and global proteome analyses identified 1,131 and 1,030 annotated surface proteins, respectively. Among surface proteins identified, both approaches identified known Ewing sarcoma-associated proteins, including IL1RAP, CD99, STEAP1, and ADGRG2, and many new cell surface targets, including ENPP1 and CDH11. Robust staining of ENPP1 was demonstrated in Ewing sarcoma tumors compared with other childhood sarcomas and normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS Our comprehensive proteomic characterization of the Ewing sarcoma surfaceome provides a rich resource of surface-expressed proteins in Ewing sarcoma. This dataset provides the preclinical justification for exploration of targets such as ENPP1 for potential immunotherapeutic application in Ewing sarcoma. See related commentary by Bailey, p. 934.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Mooney
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gian Luca Negri
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Taras Shyp
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alberto Delaidelli
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hai-Feng Zhang
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sandra E. Spencer Miko
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amber K. Weiner
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Alexander B. Radaoui
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Rawan Shraim
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael M. Lizardo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher S. Hughes
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amy Li
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amal M. El-Naggar
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Rouleau
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Center for Antibody Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Dimiter S. Dimitrov
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Center for Antibody Therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Sharon J. Diskin
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - John M. Maris
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Gregg B. Morin
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Poul H. Sorensen
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Pomella S, Cassandri M, D'Archivio L, Porrazzo A, Cossetti C, Phelps D, Perrone C, Pezzella M, Cardinale A, Wachtel M, Aloisi S, Milewski D, Colletti M, Sreenivas P, Walters ZS, Barillari G, Di Giannatale A, Milano GM, De Stefanis C, Alaggio R, Rodriguez-Rodriguez S, Carlesso N, Vakoc CR, Velardi E, Schafer BW, Guccione E, Gatz SA, Wasti A, Yohe M, Ignatius M, Quintarelli C, Shipley J, Miele L, Khan J, Houghton PJ, Marampon F, Gryder BE, De Angelis B, Locatelli F, Rota R. MYOD-SKP2 axis boosts tumorigenesis in fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma by preventing differentiation through p57 Kip2 targeting. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8373. [PMID: 38102140 PMCID: PMC10724275 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44130-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are pediatric mesenchymal-derived malignancies encompassing PAX3/7-FOXO1 Fusion Positive (FP)-RMS, and Fusion Negative (FN)-RMS with frequent RAS pathway mutations. RMS express the master myogenic transcription factor MYOD that, whilst essential for survival, cannot support differentiation. Here we discover SKP2, an oncogenic E3-ubiquitin ligase, as a critical pro-tumorigenic driver in FN-RMS. We show that SKP2 is overexpressed in RMS through the binding of MYOD to an intronic enhancer. SKP2 in FN-RMS promotes cell cycle progression and prevents differentiation by directly targeting p27Kip1 and p57Kip2, respectively. SKP2 depletion unlocks a partly MYOD-dependent myogenic transcriptional program and strongly affects stemness and tumorigenic features and prevents in vivo tumor growth. These effects are mirrored by the investigational NEDDylation inhibitor MLN4924. Results demonstrate a crucial crosstalk between transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms through the MYOD-SKP2 axis that contributes to tumorigenesis in FN-RMS. Finally, NEDDylation inhibition is identified as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in FN-RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pomella
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Cassandri
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia D'Archivio
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonella Porrazzo
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Cossetti
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Doris Phelps
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Clara Perrone
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Michele Pezzella
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonella Cardinale
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sara Aloisi
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - David Milewski
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH,, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marta Colletti
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Prethish Sreenivas
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zoë S Walters
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology, Divisions of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Giovanni Barillari
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Di Giannatale
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maria Milano
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Rita Alaggio
- Department of Pathology Unit, Department of Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Rodriguez-Rodriguez
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Nadia Carlesso
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | | | - Enrico Velardi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Beat W Schafer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susanne A Gatz
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
| | - Ajla Wasti
- Children and Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Marielle Yohe
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Myron Ignatius
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Janet Shipley
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology, Divisions of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Lucio Miele
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Javed Khan
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH,, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Berkley E Gryder
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Biagio De Angelis
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy.
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4
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He F, Bandyopadhyay AM, Klesse LJ, Rogojina A, Chun SH, Butler E, Hartshorne T, Holland T, Garcia D, Weldon K, Prado LNP, Langevin AM, Grimes AC, Sugalski A, Shah S, Assanasen C, Lai Z, Zou Y, Kurmashev D, Xu L, Xie Y, Chen Y, Wang X, Tomlinson GE, Skapek SX, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva RT, Zheng S. Genomic profiling of subcutaneous patient-derived xenografts reveals immune constraints on tumor evolution in childhood solid cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7600. [PMID: 37990009 PMCID: PMC10663468 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Subcutaneous patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are an important tool for childhood cancer research. Here, we describe a resource of 68 early passage PDXs established from 65 pediatric solid tumor patients. Through genomic profiling of paired PDXs and patient tumors (PTs), we observe low mutational similarity in about 30% of the PT/PDX pairs. Clonal analysis in these pairs show an aggressive PT minor subclone seeds the major clone in the PDX. We show evidence that this subclone is more immunogenic and is likely suppressed by immune responses in the PT. These results suggest interplay between intratumoral heterogeneity and antitumor immunity may underlie the genetic disparity between PTs and PDXs. We further show that PDXs generally recapitulate PTs in copy number and transcriptomic profiles. Finally, we report a gene fusion LRPAP1-PDGFRA. In summary, we report a childhood cancer PDX resource and our study highlights the role of immune constraints on tumor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Funan He
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Abhik M Bandyopadhyay
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Laura J Klesse
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anna Rogojina
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Sang H Chun
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Erin Butler
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Taylor Hartshorne
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Trevor Holland
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Dawn Garcia
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Korri Weldon
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Luz-Nereida Perez Prado
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Langevin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Allison C Grimes
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Aaron Sugalski
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Shafqat Shah
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chatchawin Assanasen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yi Zou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gail E Tomlinson
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Stephen X Skapek
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Raushan T Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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5
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Rogojina A, Klesse LJ, Butler E, Kim J, Zhang H, Xiao X, Guo L, Zhou Q, Hartshorne T, Garcia D, Weldon K, Holland T, Bandyopadhyay A, Prado LP, Wang S, Yang DM, Langevan AM, Zou Y, Grimes AC, Assanasen C, Gidvani-Diaz V, Zheng S, Lai Z, Chen Y, Xie Y, Tomlinson GE, Skapek SX, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Xu L. Comprehensive characterization of patient-derived xenograft models of pediatric leukemia. iScience 2023; 26:108171. [PMID: 37915590 PMCID: PMC10616347 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) remain valuable models for understanding the biology and for developing novel therapeutics. To expand current PDX models of childhood leukemia, we have developed new PDX models from Hispanic patients, a subgroup with a poorer overall outcome. Of 117 primary leukemia samples obtained, successful engraftment and serial passage in mice were achieved in 82 samples (70%). Hispanic patient samples engrafted at a rate (51/73, 70%) that was similar to non-Hispanic patient samples (31/45, 70%). With a new algorithm to remove mouse contamination in multi-omics datasets including methylation data, we found PDX models faithfully reflected somatic mutations, copy-number alterations, RNA expression, gene fusions, whole-genome methylation patterns, and immunophenotypes found in primary tumor (PT) samples in the first 50 reported here. This cohort of characterized PDX childhood leukemias represents a valuable resource in that germline DNA sequencing has allowed the unambiguous determination of somatic mutations in both PT and PDX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rogojina
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Laura J. Klesse
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Health Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Erin Butler
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Health Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jiwoong Kim
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - He Zhang
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Xue Xiao
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lei Guo
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Qinbo Zhou
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Taylor Hartshorne
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Dawn Garcia
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Korri Weldon
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Trevor Holland
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Luz Perez Prado
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Shidan Wang
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Donghan M. Yang
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Langevan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yi Zou
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Allison C. Grimes
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Chatchawin Assanasen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Gail E. Tomlinson
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Stephen X. Skapek
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s Health Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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6
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Kitagawa R, Niikura Y, Becker A, Houghton PJ, Kitagawa K. EWSR1 maintains centromere identity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112568. [PMID: 37243594 PMCID: PMC10758295 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The centromere is essential for ensuring high-fidelity transmission of chromosomes. CENP-A, the centromeric histone H3 variant, is thought to be the epigenetic mark of centromere identity. CENP-A deposition at the centromere is crucial for proper centromere function and inheritance. Despite its importance, the precise mechanism responsible for maintenance of centromere position remains obscure. Here, we report a mechanism to maintain centromere identity. We demonstrate that CENP-A interacts with EWSR1 (Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1) and EWSR1-FLI1 (the oncogenic fusion protein in Ewing sarcoma). EWSR1 is required for maintaining CENP-A at the centromere in interphase cells. EWSR1 and EWSR1-FLI1 bind CENP-A through the SYGQ2 region within the prion-like domain, important for phase separation. EWSR1 binds to R-loops through its RNA-recognition motif in vitro. Both the domain and motif are required for maintaining CENP-A at the centromere. Therefore, we conclude that EWSR1 guards CENP-A in centromeric chromatins by binding to centromeric RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa Kitagawa
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, Mays Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3000, USA
| | - Yohei Niikura
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, Mays Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3000, USA
| | - Argentina Becker
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, Mays Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3000, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, Mays Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3000, USA
| | - Katsumi Kitagawa
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, Mays Cancer Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3000, USA.
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7
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Nayak T, Wang LJ, Ning M, Rubannelsonkumar G, Jin E, Zheng S, Houghton PJ, Huang Y, Chiu YC, Chen Y. DepLink: an R Shiny app to systematically link genetic and pharmacologic dependencies of cancer. Bioinform Adv 2023; 3:vbad076. [PMID: 37359725 PMCID: PMC10290235 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbad076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Motivation Large-scale genetic and pharmacologic dependency maps are generated to reveal genetic vulnerabilities and drug sensitivities of cancer. However, user-friendly software is needed to systematically link such maps. Results Here, we present DepLink, a web server to identify genetic and pharmacologic perturbations that induce similar effects on cell viability or molecular changes. DepLink integrates heterogeneous datasets of genome-wide CRISPR loss-of-function screens, high-throughput pharmacologic screens and gene expression signatures of perturbations. The datasets are systematically connected by four complementary modules tailored for different query scenarios. It allows users to search for potential inhibitors that target a gene (Module 1) or multiple genes (Module 2), mechanisms of action of a known drug (Module 3) and drugs with similar biochemical features to an investigational compound (Module 4). We performed a validation analysis to confirm the capability of our tool to link the effects of drug treatments to knockouts of the drug's annotated target genes. By querying with a demonstrating example of CDK6, the tool identified well-studied inhibitor drugs, novel synergistic gene and drug partners and insights into an investigational drug. In summary, DepLink enables easy navigation, visualization and linkage of rapidly evolving cancer dependency maps. Availability and implementation The DepLink web server, demonstrating examples and detailed user manual are available at https://shiny.crc.pitt.edu/deplink/. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapsya Nayak
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Li-Ju Wang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Michael Ning
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Gabriela Rubannelsonkumar
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Eric Jin
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yufei Huang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yu-Chiao Chiu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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8
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He F, Bandyopadhyay AM, Klesse L, Rogojina A, Butler E, Hartshorne T, Holland T, Prado LP, Langevan AM, Grimes AC, Assanasen C, Lai Z, Zou Y, Kurmashev D, Xu L, Xie Y, Chen Y, Wang X, Tomlinson GE, Skapek SX, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Zheng S. Abstract 3572: Genomic profiling of subcutaneous patient derived xenograft models of solid childhood cancer. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-3572] [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: Cancer causes significant mortality and morbidity in children. Current therapies are effective but can cause long-term health problems for patients. Development of new therapies relies on faithful preclinical models. Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are an important tool for pre-clinical testing in childhood cancer research. It remains incompletely understood how well genomically PDXs recapitulate primary patient tumors (PTs), particularly in rare cancers.
Method: To characterize the fidelity of early passage subcutaneous PDXs derived from pediatric solid tumors, we established 70 early passage PDX models from 16 cancer types. The cohort comprises some very rare cancers such as hepatoblastoma (n=13), germ cell tumor (n=10), osteosarcoma (n=13), and Wilms tumor (n=14). We performed low pass whole genome, exome, and RNA sequencing on these PDXs, their matched PTs and germline samples when materials were available.
Result: Overall, we observed low somatic mutation rates in these tumors; however, prior chemotherapy was associated with higher mutation rate. Of the 25 PT/PDX pairs, 20 showed high mutation similarity. The five pairs with low mutation similarity showed evidence of clonal selection. We observed high genomic instability in osteosarcoma. Consistently, more fusions were identified in this cancer type. PTs and PDXs showed high similarity in the copy number pattern, including both broad and focal events. GISTIC analysis identified recurrently amplified or deleted genes including MYC, CCNE1, TP53, PTEN, and BCL2. On the transcriptional level, though PTs and PDXs were generally similar, their expression is more reflective of tissue of origin. We identified fusions that are characteristic of the cancer type such as BCOR-CCND3 in an Ewing like sarcoma. We also identified an NTRK fusion in an osteosarcoma. In summary, we show that PDXs generally recapitulate PTs in mutations, copy number changes, and expression. The dataset represents a valuable resource for future preclinical and mechanistic studies.
Citation Format: Funan He, Abhik M. Bandyopadhyay, Laura Klesse, Anna Rogojina, Erin Butler, Taylor Hartshorne, Trevor Holland, Luz Perez Prado, Anne-Marie Langevan, Allison C. Grimes, Chatchawin Assanasen, Zhao Lai, Yi Zou, Dias Kurmashev, Lin Xu, Yang Xie, Yidong Chen, Xiaojing Wang, Gail E. Tomlinson, Stephen X. Skapek, Raushan T. Kurmasheva, Peter J. Houghton, Siyuan Zheng. Genomic profiling of subcutaneous patient derived xenograft models of solid childhood 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 3572.
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Affiliation(s)
- Funan He
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Abhik M. Bandyopadhyay
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Laura Klesse
- 2University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Anna Rogojina
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Erin Butler
- 2University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | | | - Trevor Holland
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Luz Perez Prado
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | | | - Zhao Lai
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Yi Zou
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Lin Xu
- 4Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Yang Xie
- 4Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Yidong Chen
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Gail E. Tomlinson
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
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9
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Ghilu S, Houghton PJ, Zheng S, Kurmasheva RT. Abstract 1680: Characterization of sensitivity to single agents and combination treatments (VAC and VI) and development of acquired resistance in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma xenograft models. Cancer Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2023-1680] [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
For childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a tumor demonstrating characteristics of skeletal muscle lineage, survival has not changed significantly in over two decades. In a recent high-risk clinical trial (ARST0431) 25% of patients progressed during 52 weeks of chemo-radiation treatment, and 80% had tumor recurrence or progression within 24 months. Two drug modules comprise the core for treatment: VAC (vincristine, actinomycin-D, cyclophosphamide) and VI (vincristine, irinotecan). However, the molecular basis for intrinsic or acquired resistance to these combinations is poorly understood.To simulate clinical heterogeneity of RMS, we have developed 40 PDX/CDX xenograft models and using Single Mouse Testing (SMT) have characterized the sensitivity of each model to individual agents and to VAC/VI combinations. Tumor volume regression and Event-Free Survival (EFS) were used to assess chemosensitivity. To select for acquired resistance, tumor bearing mice were treated with one cycle of VAC or VI, tumor was transplanted upon regrowth when volume reached 400% of that on day 1 of treatment. The process was repeated for up to 5 cycles of therapy. Development of resistance was measured by decreased EFS and tumor progression during treatment. Parental and isogenic lines with acquired resistance were snap frozen for DNA and RNA sequencing. Sensitivity for each tumor models was assessed by EFS for treated vs untreated tumor and probability plotted against time (days) after initiating treatment. Each single agent significantly extended EFS compared to control EFS (P<0.001), consistent with known clinical activity. Of note VAC and VI combinations had greater than additive EFS (e.g. EFSVAC>>EFSvincristine + EFSactD + EFScyclophosphamide). The sensitivity of the 40 xenograft models to VAC ranged from Progressive Disease with EFS <42 days to Maintained Complete Response at 140 days. A similar range in sensitivity to VI was observed also, but the correlation between sensitivity to VAC and VI was poor (r=0.375) indicating greater sensitivity of a model to one combination than the other. Ten lines have been selected in vivo for acquired resistance to VAC and VI. Resistance was developed between cycle 2 and cycle 5 of treatment with a mean decrease in EFS of 65 +/- 15% compared to the EFS on drug cycle 1. In summary, we have characterized the sensitivity of 40 RMS xenograft models to single agents and VAC/VI combinations and have developed 20 models with acquired resistance to these combinations. Tumor tissue has been obtained from all 40 models and from 20 models with acquired drug resistance. Sequencing of these models is ongoing and preliminary results will be presented. Supported by 1 UO1 CA263981-01.
Citation Format: Samson Ghilu, Peter J. Houghton, Siyuan Zheng, Raushan T. Kurmasheva. Characterization of sensitivity to single agents and combination treatments (VAC and VI) and development of acquired resistance in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma xenograft models [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 1680.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson Ghilu
- 1Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Siyuan Zheng
- 1Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
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10
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Shackleford TJ, Hariharan S, Vaseva AV, Alagoa K, Espinoza M, Bid HK, Li F, Zhong H, Phelps DA, Roberts RD, Cam H, London CA, Guttridge DC, Chen Y, Rao M, Shiio Y, Houghton PJ. Redundant Signaling as the Predominant Mechanism for Resistance to Antibodies Targeting the Type-I Insulin-Like Growth Factor Receptor in Cells Derived from Childhood Sarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:539-550. [PMID: 36696581 PMCID: PMC10073271 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0625] [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: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) induce objective responses in only 5% to 15% of children with sarcoma. Understanding the mechanisms of resistance may identify combination therapies that optimize efficacy of IGF-1R-targeted antibodies. Sensitivity to the IGF-1R-targeting antibody TZ-1 was determined in rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma cell lines. Acquired resistance to TZ-1 was developed and characterized in sensitive Rh41 cells. The BRD4 inhibitor, JQ1, was evaluated as an agent to prevent acquired TZ-1 resistance in Rh41 cells. The phosphorylation status of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) was assessed. Sensitivity to TZ-1 in vivo was determined in Rh41 parental and TZ-1-resistant xenografts. Of 20 sarcoma cell lines, only Rh41 was sensitive to TZ-1. Cells intrinsically resistant to TZ-1 expressed multiple (>10) activated RTKs or a relatively less complex set of activated RTKs (∼5). TZ-1 decreased the phosphorylation of IGF-1R but had little effect on other phosphorylated RTKs in all resistant lines. TZ-1 rapidly induced activation of RTKs in Rh41 that was partially abrogated by knockdown of SOX18 and JQ1. Rh41/TZ-1 cells selected for acquired resistance to TZ-1 constitutively expressed multiple activated RTKs. TZ-1 treatment caused complete regressions in Rh41 xenografts and was significantly less effective against the Rh41/TZ-1 xenograft. Intrinsic resistance is a consequence of redundant signaling in pediatric sarcoma cell lines. Acquired resistance in Rh41 cells is associated with rapid induction of multiple RTKs, indicating a dynamic response to IGF-1R blockade and rapid development of resistance. The TZ-1 antibody had greater antitumor activity against Rh41 xenografts compared with other IGF-1R-targeted antibodies tested against this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J. Shackleford
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
- Saint Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Angelina V. Vaseva
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Hemant K. Bid
- Resonant Therapeutics, Inc. Life Sciences Institute (LSI) University of Michigan
| | - Fuyang Li
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Doris A. Phelps
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | - Hakan Cam
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
| | - Cheryl A. London
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Boston
| | - Denis C. Guttridge
- Darby Children’s Research Institute, Medical College of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Manjeet Rao
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Yuzuru Shiio
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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11
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Jayabal P, Zhou F, Ma X, Bondra KM, Blackman B, Weintraub ST, Chen Y, Chévez-Barrios P, Houghton PJ, Gallie B, Shiio Y. Nitric oxide suppression by secreted frizzled-related protein 2 drives retinoblastoma. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112103. [PMID: 36773293 PMCID: PMC10412738 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112103] [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: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the infant retina primarily driven by loss of the Rb tumor suppressor gene, which is undruggable. Here, we report an autocrine signaling, mediated by secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2), which suppresses nitric oxide and enables retinoblastoma growth. We show that coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CXADR) is the cell-surface receptor for SFRP2 in retinoblastoma cells; that CXADR functions as a "dependence receptor," transmitting a growth-inhibitory signal in the absence of SFRP2; and that the balance between SFRP2 and CXADR determines nitric oxide production. Accordingly, high SFRP2 RNA expression correlates with high-risk histopathologic features in retinoblastoma. Targeting SFRP2 signaling by SFRP2-binding peptides or by a pharmacological inhibitor rapidly induces nitric oxide and profoundly inhibits retinoblastoma growth in orthotopic xenograft models. These results reveal a cytokine signaling pathway that regulates nitric oxide production and retinoblastoma cell proliferation and is amenable to therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panneerselvam Jayabal
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Fuchun Zhou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiuye Ma
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Kathryn M Bondra
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Barron Blackman
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Susan T Weintraub
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Population Health Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Patricia Chévez-Barrios
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Brenda Gallie
- The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Yuzuru Shiio
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
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12
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Hensch NR, Bondra K, Wang L, Sreenivas P, Zhao XR, Modi P, Vaseva AV, Houghton PJ, Ignatius MS. Sensitization to Ionizing Radiation by MEK Inhibition Is Dependent on SNAI2 in Fusion-Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:123-134. [PMID: 36162055 PMCID: PMC10046682 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0310] [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: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (FN-RMS), a pediatric malignancy with skeletal muscle characteristics, >90% of high-risk patients have mutations that activate the RAS/MEK signaling pathway. We recently discovered that SNAI2, in addition to blocking myogenic differentiation downstream of MEK signaling in FN-RMS, represses proapoptotic BIM expression to protect RMS tumors from ionizing radiation (IR). As clinically relevant concentrations of the MEK inhibitor trametinib elicit poor responses in preclinical xenograft models, we investigated the utility of low-dose trametinib in combination with IR for the treatment of RAS-mutant FN-RMS. We hypothesized that trametinib would sensitize FN-RMS to IR through its downregulation of SNAI2 expression. While we observed little to no difference in myogenic differentiation or cell survival with trametinib treatment alone, robust differentiation and reduced survival were observed after IR. In addition, IR-induced apoptosis was significantly increased in FN-RMS cells treated concurrently with trametinib, as was increased BIM expression. SNAI2's role in these processes was established using overexpression rescue experiments, where overexpression of SNAI2 prevented IR-induced myogenic differentiation and apoptosis. Moreover, combining MEK inhibitor with IR resulted in complete tumor regression and a 2- to 4-week delay in event-free survival (EFS) in preclinical xenograft and patient-derived xenograft models. Our findings demonstrate that the combination of MEK inhibition and IR results in robust differentiation and apoptosis, due to the reduction of SNAI2, which leads to extended EFS in FN-RMS. SNAI2 thus is a potential biomarker of IR insensitivity and target for future therapies to sensitize aggressive sarcomas to IR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R. Hensch
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Kathryn Bondra
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Long Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Prethish Sreenivas
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Xiang R. Zhao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Paulomi Modi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Angelina V. Vaseva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Myron S. Ignatius
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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13
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Wang X, Langevin AM, Houghton PJ, Zheng S. Genomic disparities between cancers in adolescent and young adults and in older adults. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7223. [PMID: 36433963 PMCID: PMC9700745 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34959-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancers cause significant mortality and morbidity in adolescents and young adults (AYAs), but their biological underpinnings are incompletely understood. Here, we analyze clinical and genomic disparities between AYAs and older adults (OAs) in more than 100,000 cancer patients. We find significant differences in clinical presentation between AYAs and OAs, including sex, metastasis rates, race and ethnicity, and cancer histology. In most cancer types, AYA tumors show lower mutation burden and less genome instability. Accordingly, most cancer genes show less mutations and copy number changes in AYAs, including the noncoding TERT promoter mutations. However, CTNNB1 and BRAF mutations are consistently overrepresented in AYAs across multiple cancer types. AYA tumors also exhibit more driver gene fusions that are frequently observed in pediatric cancers. We find that histology is an important contributor to genetic disparities between AYAs and OAs. Mutational signature analysis of hypermutators shows stronger endogenous mutational processes such as MMR-deficiency but weaker exogenous processes such as tobacco exposure in AYAs. Finally, we demonstrate a panoramic view of clinically actionable genetic events in AYA tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Wang
- grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Department of Population Health Sciences, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880MD Anderson Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA
| | - Anne-Marie Langevin
- grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880MD Anderson Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Department of Pediatrics, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880MD Anderson Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880Department of Population Health Sciences, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA ,grid.267309.90000 0001 0629 5880MD Anderson Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX USA
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14
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Shraim R, Weiner AK, Conkrite KL, Radaoui AB, Maris JM, Mosse YP, Diskin SJ, Sacan A, Garcia BA, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva RT, Sorensen P, Morin GB, Mooney B. Abstract A009: Proteogenomic prioritization of immunotherapeutic targets in rhabdomyosarcoma nominate MEGF10 for preclinical development. Clin Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3265.sarcomas22-a009] [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: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) has a high unmet need in terms of precision therapy development as there are currently no approved immunotherapies or targeted therapies, and few in the developmental pipeline. Here we sought to identify cell surface oncoproteins as a target for novel RMS-directed immunotherapies. Methods: We first performed plasma membrane enrichment followed by mass spectrometry to define the cell surface landscape of 7 fusion(+) and 14 fusion(-) RMS patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. The surfaceome data was filtered to only “high confidence” surface proteins by querying protein localization databases, Compartments (https://compartments.jensenlab.org/) and CIRFESS (https://gundrylab.shinyapps.io/cirfess/). We then developed a prioritization algorithm that uses a rank-product approach to score surface proteins. The input to the algorithm is a matrix that integrates multiple datasets to score the surface proteins based on their suitability to be an optimal immunotherapeutic target. In addition to the surfaceome data generated here, we also integrated matched RNA-sequencing data from eleven of the RMS PDX models, RNA-sequencing data from GTEx (n=15,253) and a recently developed normal tissue proteomics dataset (n=201) [Jiang. Cell. 2020], a list from Gene Ontology that included genes involved in muscle development pathways, and the gene dependency list for RMS in DepMap (https://depmap.org/portal/). Results: A total of 913 and 937 high confidence surface proteins were annotated from the mass spectrometry data for fusion(+) and fusion(−) samples, respectively. A dendrogram separated the surface protein profiles into two clusters based on fusion(+) and fusion(−) RMS subtypes, thus the algorithm was run separately on each subtype. Within the top 50% of prioritized targets, 88% and 86% of the targets overlapped and 12% and 14% were identified exclusively in fusion(+) and fusion(−) subtypes, respectively. ALK, a previously putative protein marker in fusion(+) RMS, scored in the top 10% of the fusion(+) targets based on the algorithm, and surprisingly we saw abundant ALK expression in 6/14 fusion(−) PDX samples. MEGF10, a novel target, was ranked as the top target for both fusion(+) and fusion(−) RMS. MEGF10 plays a role in cell adhesion, motility, and proliferation. It scored as a significant dependency in DepMap for RMS (p-value=0.0002). Based on RNA-sequencing and proteomics, MEGF10 shows no expression in most healthy tissues surveyed, with several orders of magnitude lower expression detected in RNASeq in muscle and brain tissue, but not in the proteomic datasets. Conclusion: Here, we defined the surfaceome of RMS, and found substantial overlap in surface proteins between fusion(+) and fusion(−) RMS subtypes. We validated previous observations that ALK is expressed in RMS, here verifying that the protein is expressed on the plasma membrane. MEGF10 appears to be a strong novel candidate target for RMS immunotherapies, and ongoing work to validate our proteogenomic findings will be reported.
Citation Format: Rawan Shraim, Amber K. Weiner, Karina L. Conkrite, Alexander B. Radaoui, John M. Maris, Yael P. Mosse, Sharon J. Diskin, Ahmet Sacan, Benjamin A. Garcia, Peter J. Houghton, Raushan T. Kurmasheva, Poul Sorensen, Gregg B. Morin, Brian Mooney. Proteogenomic prioritization of immunotherapeutic targets in rhabdomyosarcoma nominate MEGF10 for preclinical development [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Sarcomas; 2022 May 9-12; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2022;28(18_Suppl):Abstract nr A009.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawan Shraim
- 1Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA,
| | | | | | | | - John M. Maris
- 1Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA,
| | - Yael P. Mosse
- 1Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA,
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Poul Sorensen
- 5University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Brian Mooney
- 5University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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15
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Li F, Bondra KM, Ghilu S, Studebaker A, Liu Q, Michalek JE, Kogiso M, Li XN, Kalapurakal JA, James CD, Burma S, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ. Regulation of TORC1 by MAPK Signaling Determines Sensitivity and Acquired Resistance to Trametinib in Pediatric BRAFV600E Brain Tumor Models. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3836-3849. [PMID: 35797217 PMCID: PMC10230442 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1052] [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: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigated why three patient-derived xenograft (PDX) childhood BRAFV600E-mutant brain tumor models are highly sensitive to trametinib. Mechanisms of acquired resistance selected in situ, and approaches to prevent resistance were also examined, which may translate to both low-grade glioma (LGG) molecular subtypes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Sensitivity to trametinib [MEK inhibitor (MEKi)] alone or in combination with rapamycin (TORC1 inhibitor), was evaluated in pediatric PDX models. The effect of combined treatment of trametinib with rapamycin on development of trametinib resistance in vivo was examined. PDX tissue and tumor cells from trametinib-resistant xenografts were characterized. RESULTS In pediatric models TORC1 is activated through ERK-mediated inactivation of the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC): consequently inhibition of MEK also suppressed TORC1 signaling. Trametinib-induced tumor regression correlated with dual inhibition of MAPK/TORC1 signaling, and decoupling TORC1 regulation from BRAF/MAPK control conferred trametinib resistance. In mice, acquired resistance to trametinib developed within three cycles of therapy in all three PDX models. Resistance to trametinib developed in situ is tumor-cell-intrinsic and the mechanism was tumor line specific. Rapamycin retarded or blocked development of resistance. CONCLUSIONS In these three pediatric BRAF-mutant brain tumors, TORC1 signaling is controlled by the MAPK cascade. Trametinib suppressed both MAPK/TORC1 pathways leading to tumor regression. While low-dose intermittent rapamycin to enhance inhibition of TORC1 only modestly enhanced the antitumor activity of trametinib, it prevented or retarded development of trametinib resistance, suggesting future therapeutic approaches using rapamycin analogs in combination with MEKis that may be therapeutically beneficial in both KIAA1549::BRAF- and BRAFV600E-driven gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyang Li
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Kathryn M. Bondra
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Samson Ghilu
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Adam Studebaker
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Qianqian Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Joel E. Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Mari Kogiso
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiao-Nan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John A. Kalapurakal
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - C. David James
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sandeep Burma
- Department of Neurosurgery, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
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16
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Hingorani P, Zhang W, Zhang Z, Xu Z, Wang WL, Roth ME, Wang Y, Gill JB, Harrison DJ, Teicher BA, Erickson SW, Gatto G, Kolb EA, Smith MA, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Gorlick R. Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targeting HER2, Is Effective in Pediatric Malignancies: A Report by the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1318-1325. [PMID: 35657346 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
HER2 is expressed in many pediatric solid tumors and is a target for innovative immune therapies including CAR-T cells and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC). We evaluated the preclinical efficacy of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd, DS-8201a), a humanized monoclonal HER2-targeting antibody conjugated to a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor, DXd, in patient- and cell line-derived xenograft (PDX/CDX) models. HER2 mRNA expression was determined using RNA-seq and protein expression via IHC across multiple pediatric tumor PDX models. Osteosarcoma (OS), malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT), and Wilms tumor (WT) models with varying HER2 expression were tested using 10 mice per group. Additional histologies such as Ewing sarcoma (EWS), rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), neuroblastoma (NB), and brain tumors were evaluated using single mouse testing (SMT) experiments. T-DXd or vehicle control was administered intravenously to mice harboring established flank tumors at a dose of 5 mg/kg on day 1. Event-free survival (EFS) and objective response were compared between treatment and control groups. HER2 mRNA expression was observed across histologies, with the highest expression in WT (median = 22 FPKM), followed by MRT, OS, and EWS. The relationship between HER2 protein and mRNA expression was inconsistent. T-DXd significantly prolonged EFS in 6/7 OS, 2/2 MRT, and 3/3 WT PDX models. Complete response (CR) or maintained CR (MCR) were observed for 4/5 WT and MRT models, whereas stable disease was the best response among OS models. SMT experiments also demonstrated activity across multiple solid tumors. Clinical trials assessing the efficacy of a HER2-directed ADC in pediatric patients with HER2-expressing tumors should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Hingorani
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wendong Zhang
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhongting Zhang
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhaohui Xu
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wei-Lien Wang
- Division of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael E Roth
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yifei Wang
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jonathan B Gill
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Douglas J Harrison
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | | | - Gregory Gatto
- Global Health Technologies, RTI International, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Edward A Kolb
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Malcolm A Smith
- Cancer Therapeutics Evaluation Program, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Research Cancer Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Richard Gorlick
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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17
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Del Pozo V, Robles AJ, Fontaine S, Liu Q, Michalek JE, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva R. Abstract 1086: PEGylated talazoparib enhances therapeutic window of its combination with temozolomide in Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-1086] [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: The Ewing family of sarcomas is the fourth most common highly malignant childhood cancer. Current standard therapy is relatively ineffective for relapsed and metastatic Ewing sarcoma predominantly due to development of resistance to chemotherapeutics. Nanoparticle-formulated drugs are reported to increase uptake into tumor tissue, while reducing drug access to normal tissues, because of reduced permeability of normal vasculature. This potentially leads to lower dose exposure in normal tissues and reduced toxicity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antitumor activity of the PEGylated poly(ADP) ribose polymerase 1/2 (PARP1/2) inhibitor talazoparib combined with the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) in Ewing sarcoma xenograft models and other pediatric cancers.
Method:. We evaluated the preclinical efficacy of PEGylated talazoparib (PEG~TLZ), alone or in combination with TMZ, in Ewing sarcoma and glioblastoma patient derived xenograft (PDX) models. Additional solid tumor models, such as rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms tumor, malignant rhabdoid tumor, osteosarcoma, and synovial sarcoma were evaluated using a novel single mouse testing approach. PEG~TLZ was administered as a single administration intraperitoneally to mice bearing subcutaneous tumors at a single dose of 5 - 20 µmol/kg alone, or at 10 µmol/kg on day 1 combined with TMZ administered orally at 40 mg/kg starting on day 3 or 4 for 5 consecutive days.
Results: Mice bearing Ewing sarcoma and MGMT-deficient glioblastoma xenografts tolerated PEG~TLZ+TMZ with minimal toxicity and achieved maintained complete response (MCR). The time-separated drug administration schedule of the single dose of PEG~TLZ followed by the 5-day TMZ treatment demonstrated objective responses in Ewing sarcoma, rhabdoid tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, and glioblastoma PDX models.
Conclusion: We evaluated the range of PEG~TLZ+TMZ activity among pediatric solid tumor panels using conventional and single-mouse testing approaches, and demonstrated that PEG~TLZ combined with delayed TMZ administration enhances the therapeutic window of the treatment compared to free TLZ. From the clinical standpoint, the single intravenous administration of PEG~TLZ could be advantageous for treating infants and young children.
Citation Format: Vanessa Del Pozo, Andrew J. Robles, Shaun Fontaine, Qianqian Liu, Joel E. Michalek, Peter J. Houghton, Raushan Kurmasheva. PEGylated talazoparib enhances therapeutic window of its combination with temozolomide in Ewing sarcoma [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 1086.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qianqian Liu
- 1University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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18
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Willis KR, Sathe AA, Xing C, Koduru P, Artunduaga M, Butler EB, Park JY, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Chen KS, Rakheja D. Extrarenal Anaplastic Wilms Tumor: A Case Report With Genomic Analysis and Tumor Models. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2022; 44:147-154. [PMID: 35129140 PMCID: PMC9035038 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000002413] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Primary extrarenal Wilms tumors are rare neoplasms that are presumed to arise from metanephric or mesonephric remnants outside of the kidney. Their pathogenesis is debated but has not been studied, and there are no reports of genomic descriptions of extrarenal Wilms tumors. We describe a diffusely anaplastic extrarenal Wilms tumor that occurred in the lower abdomen and upper pelvis of a 10-year-old boy. In addition to the clinical, histopathologic, and radiologic features, we describe the cytogenetic changes and exomic profile of the tumor. The tumor showed loss of the tumor suppressor AMER1, loss of chromosome regions 1p, 16q, and 22q, gain of chromosome 8, and loss of function TP53 mutation-findings known to occur in renal Wilms tumors. This is the first description of the exomic profile of a primary extrarenal Wilms tumor. Our data indicate that primary extrarenal Wilms tumors may follow the same pathogenetic pathways that are seen in renal Wilms tumors. Finally, we describe the establishment of first ever tumor models (primary cell line and patient-derived xenograft) from an extrarenal Wilms tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adwait A Sathe
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development
| | - Chao Xing
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development
- Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | | | - Maddy Artunduaga
- Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology
- Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas
| | - Erin B Butler
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | - Jason Y Park
- Departments of Pathology
- Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas
| | - Raushan T Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Kenneth S Chen
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas
| | - Dinesh Rakheja
- Departments of Pathology
- Children's Health System of Texas, Dallas
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19
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Wang Y, Tian X, Zhang W, Zhang Z, Lazcano R, Hingorani P, Roth ME, Gill JD, Harrison DJ, Xu Z, Jusu S, Kannan S, Wang J, Lazar AJ, Earley EJ, Erickson SW, Gelb T, Huxley P, Lahdenranta J, Mudd G, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Smith MA, Kolb EA, Gorlick R. Comprehensive surfaceome profiling to identify and validate novel cell-surface targets in osteosarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:903-913. [PMID: 35312779 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Immunoconjugates targeting cell-surface antigens have demonstrated clinical activity to enable regulatory approval in several solid and hematologic malignancies. We hypothesize that a rigorous and comprehensive surfaceome profiling approach to identify osteosarcoma-specific cell-surface antigens can similarly enable development of effective therapeutics in this disease. Herein, we describe an integrated proteomic and transcriptomic surfaceome profiling approach to identify cell-surface proteins that are highly expressed in osteosarcoma but minimally expressed on normal tissues. Using this approach, we identified targets that are highly expressed in osteosarcoma. Three targets, MT1-MMP, CD276, and MRC2, were validated as overexpressed in osteosarcoma. Further, we tested BT1769, an MT1-MMP-targeted Bicycle toxin conjugate, in osteosarcoma PDX models. The results showed BT1769 had encouraging anti-tumor activity, high affinity for its target and a favorable pharmacokinetic profile. This confirms the hypothesis that our approach identifies novel targets with significant therapeutic potential in osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Wang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xiangjun Tian
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Wendong Zhang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Zhongting Zhang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rossana Lazcano
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States
| | - Pooja Hingorani
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Michael E Roth
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan D Gill
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Douglas J Harrison
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Zhaohui Xu
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sylvester Jusu
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Jing Wang
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, ´Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alexander J Lazar
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Eric J Earley
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Tara Gelb
- Bicycle Therapeutics, Lexington, MA, United States
| | | | | | - Gemma Mudd
- Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Raushan T Kurmasheva
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Peter J Houghton
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | - Edward A Kolb
- Nemours Children's Health System, Wilmington, DE, United States
| | - Richard Gorlick
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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20
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Khoogar R, Li F, Chen Y, Ignatius M, Lawlor ER, Kitagawa K, Huang THM, Phelps DA, Houghton PJ. Single-cell RNA profiling identifies diverse cellular responses to EWSR1/FLI1 downregulation in Ewing sarcoma cells. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2022; 45:19-40. [PMID: 34997546 PMCID: PMC10959445 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-021-00640-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The EWSR1/FLI1 gene fusion is the most common rearrangement leading to cell transformation in Ewing sarcoma (ES). Previous studies have indicated that expression at the cellular level is heterogeneous, and that levels of expression may oscillate, conferring different cellular characteristics. In ES the role of EWSR1/FLI1 in regulating subpopulation dynamics is currently unknown. METHODS We used siRNA to transiently suppress EWSR1/FLI1 expression and followed population dynamics using both single cell expression profiling, CyTOF and functional assays to define characteristics of exponentially growing ES cells and of ES cells in which EWSR1/FLI1 had been downregulated. Novel transcriptional states with distinct features were assigned using random forest feature selection in combination with machine learning. Cells isolated from ES xenografts in immune-deficient mice were interrogated to determine whether characteristics of specific subpopulations of cells in vitro could be identified. Stem-like characteristics were assessed by primary and secondary spheroid formation in vitro, and invasion/motility was determined for each identified subpopulation. Autophagy was determined by expression profiling, cell sorting and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS We defined a workflow to study EWSR1/FLI1 driven transcriptional states and phenotypes. We tracked EWSR1/FLI1 dependent proliferative activity over time to discover sources of intra-tumoral diversity. Single-cell RNA profiling was used to compare expression profiles in exponentially growing populations (si-Control) or in two dormant populations (D1, D2) in which EWSR1/FLI1 had been suppressed. Three distinct transcriptional states were uncovered contributing to ES intra-heterogeneity. Our predictive model identified ~1% cells in a dormant-like state and ~ 2-4% cells with stem-like and neural stem-like features in an exponentially proliferating ES cell line and in ES xenografts. Following EWSR1/FLI1 knockdown, cells re-entering the proliferative cycle exhibited greater stem-like properties, whereas for those cells remaining quiescent, FAM134B-dependent dormancy may provide a survival mechanism. CONCLUSIONS We show that time-dependent changes induced by suppression of oncogenic EWSR1/FLI1 expression induces dormancy, with different subpopulation dynamics. Cells re-entering the proliferative cycle show enhanced stem-like characteristics, whereas those remaining dormant for prolonged periods appear to survive through autophagy. Cells with these characteristics identified in exponentially growing cell populations and in tumor xenografts may confer drug resistance and could potentially contribute to metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Khoogar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Fuyang Li
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Myron Ignatius
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Lawlor
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington Medical School, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Katsumi Kitagawa
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Tim H-M Huang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Doris A Phelps
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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21
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Khurshid S, Montes M, Comiskey DF, Shane B, Matsa E, Jung F, Brown C, Bid HK, Wang R, Houghton PJ, Roberts R, Rigo F, Chandler D. Splice-switching of the insulin receptor pre-mRNA alleviates tumorigenic hallmarks in rhabdomyosarcoma. NPJ Precis Oncol 2022; 6:1. [PMID: 35017650 PMCID: PMC8752779 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-021-00245-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive pediatric tumor with a poor prognosis for metastasis and recurrent disease. Large-scale sequencing endeavors demonstrate that Rhabdomyosarcomas have a dearth of precisely targetable driver mutations. However, IGF-2 signaling is known to be grossly altered in RMS. The insulin receptor (IR) exists in two alternatively spliced isoforms, IR-A and IR-B. The IGF-2 signaling molecule binds both its innate IGF-1 receptor as well as the insulin receptor variant A (IR-A) with high affinity. Mitogenic and proliferative signaling via the canonical IGF-2 pathway is, therefore, augmented by IR-A. This study shows that RMS patients express increased IR-A levels compared to control tissues that predominantly express the IR-B isoform. We also found that Hif-1α is significantly increased in RMS tumors, portraying their hypoxic phenotype. Concordantly, the alternative splicing of IR adapts to produce more IR-A in response to hypoxic stress. Upon examining the pre-mRNA structure of the gene, we identified a potential hypoxia-responsive element, which is also the binding site for the RNA-binding protein CUG-BP1 (CELF1). We designed Splice Switching Oligonucleotides (SSO) against this binding site to decrease IR-A levels in RMS cell lines and, consequently, rescue the IR-B expression levels. SSO treatment resulted in a significant reduction in cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Our data shows promising insight into how impeding the IGF-2 pathway by reducing IR-A expression mitigates tumor growth. It is evident that Rhabdomyosarcomas use IR alternative splicing as yet another survival strategy that can be exploited as a therapeutic intervention in conjunction with already established anti-IGF-1 receptor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safiya Khurshid
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Matias Montes
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Daniel F Comiskey
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Brianne Shane
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Eleftheria Matsa
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Francesca Jung
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Chelsea Brown
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | | | - Ruoning Wang
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greenhey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ryan Roberts
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Dawn Chandler
- Department of Pediatrics and the Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.
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22
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Ghilu S, Morton CL, Vaseva AV, Zheng S, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ. Approaches to identifying drug resistance mechanisms to clinically relevant treatments in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer Drug Resist 2022; 5:80-89. [PMID: 35450020 PMCID: PMC8992598 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2021.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Aim Despite aggressive multiagent protocols, patients with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have poor prognosis. In a recent high-risk trial (ARST0431), 25% of patients failed within the first year, while on therapy and 80% had tumor progression within 24 months. However, the mechanisms for tumor resistance are essentially unknown. Here we explore the use of preclinical models to develop resistance to complex chemotherapy regimens used in ARST0431. Methods A Single Mouse Testing (SMT) protocol was used to evaluate the sensitivity of 34 RMS xenograft models to one cycle of vincristine, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide (VAC) treatment. Tumor response was determined by caliper measurement, and tumor regression and event-free survival (EFS) were used as endpoints for evaluation. Treated tumors at regrowth were transplanted into recipient mice, and the treatment was repeated until tumors progressed during the treatment period (i.e., became resistant). At transplant, tumor tissue was stored for biochemical and omics analysis. Results The sensitivity to VAC of 34 RMS models was determined. EFS varied from 3 weeks to > 20 weeks. Tumor models were classified as having intrinsic resistance, intermediate sensitivity, or high sensitivity to VAC therapy. Resistance to VAC was developed in multiple models after 2-5 cycles of therapy; however, there were examples where sensitivity remained unchanged after 3 cycles of treatment. Conclusion The SMT approach allows for in vivo assessment of drug sensitivity and development of drug resistance in a large number of RMS models. As such, it provides a platform for assessing in vivo drug resistance mechanisms at a "population" level, simulating conditions in vivo that lead to clinical resistance. These VAC-resistant models represent "high-risk" tumors that mimic a preclinical phase 2 population and will be valuable for identifying novel agents active against VAC-resistant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson Ghilu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Christopher L. Morton
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Angelina V. Vaseva
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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23
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Robles AJ, Dai W, Haldar S, Ma H, Anderson VM, Overacker RD, Risinger AL, Loesgen S, Houghton PJ, Cichewicz RH, Mooberry SL. Altertoxin II, a Highly Effective and Specific Compound against Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246176. [PMID: 34944795 PMCID: PMC8699301 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246176] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A screening program designed to identify natural products with selective cytotoxic effects against cell lines representing different types of pediatric solid tumors led to the identification of altertoxin II as a highly potent and selective cytotoxin against Ewing sarcoma cell lines. Altertoxin II, but not the related compounds altertoxin I and alteichin, was highly effective against every Ewing sarcoma cell line tested, with an average 25-fold selectivity for these cells as compared to cells representing other pediatric and adult cancers. Mechanism of action studies revealed that altertoxin II causes DNA double-strand breaks, a rapid DNA damage response, and cell cycle accumulation in the S phase. Our studies also demonstrate that the potent effects of altertoxin II are partially dependent on the progression through the cell cycle, because the G1 arrest initiated by a CDK4/6 inhibitor decreased antiproliferative potency more than 10 times. Importantly, the cell-type-selective DNA-damaging effects of altertoxin II in Ewing sarcoma cells occur independently of its ability to bind directly to DNA. Ultimately, we found that altertoxin II has a dose-dependent in vivo antitumor efficacy against a Ewing sarcoma xenograft, suggesting that it has potential as a therapeutic drug lead and will be useful to identify novel targets for Ewing-sarcoma-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Robles
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.L.R.)
- Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Wentao Dai
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, and Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (W.D.); (S.H.); (H.M.); (V.M.A.)
| | - Saikat Haldar
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, and Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (W.D.); (S.H.); (H.M.); (V.M.A.)
| | - Hongyan Ma
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, and Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (W.D.); (S.H.); (H.M.); (V.M.A.)
| | - Victoria M. Anderson
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, and Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (W.D.); (S.H.); (H.M.); (V.M.A.)
| | - Ross D. Overacker
- Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (R.D.O.); (S.L.)
| | - April L. Risinger
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.L.R.)
- Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Sandra Loesgen
- Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (R.D.O.); (S.L.)
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Robert H. Cichewicz
- Natural Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications and Research Technologies, and Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (W.D.); (S.H.); (H.M.); (V.M.A.)
- Correspondence: (R.H.C.); (S.L.M.); Tel.: +1-405-325-6969 (R.H.C.); +1-210-567-4788 (S.L.M.); Fax: +1-405-325-6111 (R.H.C.); +1-210-567-4300 (S.L.M.)
| | - Susan L. Mooberry
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.L.R.)
- Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
- Correspondence: (R.H.C.); (S.L.M.); Tel.: +1-405-325-6969 (R.H.C.); +1-210-567-4788 (S.L.M.); Fax: +1-405-325-6111 (R.H.C.); +1-210-567-4300 (S.L.M.)
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24
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Garcia N, Del Pozo V, Yohe ME, Goodwin CM, Shackleford TJ, Wang L, Baxi K, Chen Y, Rogojina AT, Zimmerman SM, Peer CJ, Figg WD, Ignatius MS, Wood KC, Houghton PJ, Vaseva AV. Vertical Inhibition of the RAF-MEK-ERK Cascade Induces Myogenic Differentiation, Apoptosis and Tumor Regression in H/NRAS Q61X-mutant Rhabdomyosarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 21:170-183. [PMID: 34737198 PMCID: PMC8742779 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic RAS signaling is an attractive target for fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (FN-RMS). Our study validates the role of the ERK MAPK effector pathway in mediating RAS dependency in a panel of H/NRASQ61X-mutant RMS cells and correlates in vivo efficacy of the MEK inhibitor trametinib with pharmacodynamics of ERK activity. A screen is used to identify trametinib-sensitizing targets and combinations are evaluated in cells and tumor xenografts. We find that the ERK MAPK pathway is central to H/NRASQ61X-dependency in RMS cells, however there is poor in vivo response to clinically relevant exposures with trametinib, which correlates with inefficient suppression of ERK activity. CRISPR screening points to vertical inhibition of the RAF-MEK-ERK cascade by co-suppression of MEK and either CRAF or ERK. CRAF is central to rebound pathway activation following MEK or ERK inhibition. Concurrent CRAF suppression and MEK or ERK inhibition, or concurrent pan-RAF and MEK/ERK inhibition (pan-RAFi + MEKi/ERKi), or concurrent MEK and ERK inhibition (MEKi + ERKi) all synergistically block ERK activity and induce myogenic differentiation and apoptosis. In vivo assessment of pan-RAFi + ERKi or MEKi + ERKi potently suppress growth of H/NRASQ61X RMS tumor xenografts, with pan-RAFi + ERKi being more effective and better tolerated. We conclude that CRAF reactivation limits the activity of single agent MEK/ERK inhibitors in FN-RMS. Vertical targeting of the RAF-MEK-ERK cascade, and particularly co-targeting of CRAF and MEK or ERK, or the combination of pan-RAF inhibitors with MEK or ERK inhibitors, have synergistic activity and potently suppress H/NRASQ61X-mutant RMS tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Craig M Goodwin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Long Wang
- Cancer Therapy & Research Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center
| | - Kunal Baxi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UTHSCSA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
| | | | | | - Cody J Peer
- Clinical Pharmacology Program, National Cancer Institute
| | - William D Figg
- Clinical Pharmacology Program and Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute
| | | | - Kris C Wood
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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25
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Kurmasheva RT, Erickson SW, Han R, Teicher BA, Smith MA, Roth M, Gorlick R, Houghton PJ. In vivo evaluation of the lysine-specific demethylase (KDM1A/LSD1) inhibitor SP-2577 (Seclidemstat) against pediatric sarcoma preclinical models: A report from the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium (PPTC). Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021; 68:e29304. [PMID: 34453478 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
SP-2577(Seclidemstat), an inhibitor of lysine-specific demthylase KDM1A (LSD1) that is overexpressed in pediatric sarcomas, was evaluated against pediatric sarcoma xenografts. SP-2577 (100 mg/kg/day × 28 days) statistically significantly (p < .05) inhibited growth of three of eight Ewing sarcoma (EwS), four of five rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), and four of six osteosarcoma (OS) xenografts. The increase in EFS T/C was modest (<1.5) for all models except RMS Rh10 (EFS T/C = 2.8). There were no tumor regressions or consistent changes in dimethyl histone H3(K4), HOXM1, DAX1, c-MYC and N-MYC, or tumor histology/differentiation. SP-2577 has limited activity against these pediatric sarcoma models at the dose and schedule evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ruolan Han
- Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Beverly A Teicher
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Malcolm A Smith
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Roth
- Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard Gorlick
- Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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26
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Wang L, Hensch NR, Bondra K, Sreenivas P, Zhao XR, Chen J, Moreno Campos R, Baxi K, Vaseva AV, Sunkel BD, Gryder BE, Pomella S, Stanton BZ, Zheng S, Chen EY, Rota R, Khan J, Houghton PJ, Ignatius MS. SNAI2-Mediated Repression of BIM Protects Rhabdomyosarcoma from Ionizing Radiation. Cancer Res 2021; 81:5451-5463. [PMID: 34462275 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-4191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) and chemotherapy are mainstays of treatment for patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, yet the molecular mechanisms that underlie the success or failure of radiotherapy remain unclear. The transcriptional repressor SNAI2 was previously identified as a key regulator of IR sensitivity in normal and malignant stem cells through its repression of the proapoptotic BH3-only gene PUMA/BBC3. Here, we demonstrate a clear correlation between SNAI2 expression levels and radiosensitivity across multiple rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. Modulating SNAI2 levels in rhabdomyosarcoma cells through its overexpression or knockdown altered radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. SNAI2 expression reliably promoted overall cell growth and inhibited mitochondrial apoptosis following exposure to IR, with either variable or minimal effects on differentiation and senescence, respectively. Importantly, SNAI2 knockdown increased expression of the proapoptotic BH3-only gene BIM, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing experiments established that SNAI2 is a direct repressor of BIM/BCL2L11. Because the p53 pathway is nonfunctional in the rhabdomyosarcoma cells used in this study, we have identified a new, p53-independent SNAI2/BIM signaling axis that could potentially predict clinical responses to IR treatment and be exploited to improve rhabdomyosarcoma therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: SNAI2 is identified as a major regulator of radiation-induced apoptosis in rhabdomyosarcoma through previously unknown mechanisms independent of p53.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Nicole R Hensch
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Kathryn Bondra
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Prethish Sreenivas
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Xiang R Zhao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Jiangfei Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,School of Environmental Safety and Public Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rodrigo Moreno Campos
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Kunal Baxi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Angelina V Vaseva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Benjamin D Sunkel
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Berkley E Gryder
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Silvia Pomella
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Benjamin Z Stanton
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Eleanor Y Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Javed Khan
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Myron S Ignatius
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas. .,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
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27
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Lavoie RR, Gargollo PC, Ahmed ME, Kim Y, Baer E, Phelps DA, Charlesworth CM, Madden BJ, Wang L, Houghton PJ, Cheville J, Dong H, Granberg CF, Lucien F. Surfaceome Profiling of Rhabdomyosarcoma Reveals B7-H3 as a Mediator of Immune Evasion. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13184528. [PMID: 34572755 PMCID: PMC8466404 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel therapeutic strategies are needed for the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children. By using a combination of cell surface proteomics and transcriptomic profiling of RMS and normal muscle, we generated a catalog of targetable cell surface proteins enriched in RMS tumors. Among the top candidates, we identified B7-H3 as the major immunoregulatory molecule expressed by RMS tumors. By using a large cohort of tissue specimens, we demonstrated that B7-H3 is expressed in a majority of RMS tumors while not detected in normal human tissues. Through a deconvolution analysis of the RMS tumor RNA-seq data, we showed that B7-H3-rich tumors are enriched in macrophages M1, NK cells, and depleted in CD8+-T cells. Furthermore, in vitro functional assays showed that B7-H3 knockout in RMS tumor cells increases T-cell mediated cytotoxicity. Altogether, our study uncovers new potential targets for the treatment of RMS and provides the first biological insights into the role of B7-H3 in RMS biology, paving the way for the development of next-generation immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane R. Lavoie
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
| | - Patricio C. Gargollo
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
| | - Mohamed E. Ahmed
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
| | - Yohan Kim
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
| | - Emily Baer
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
| | - Doris A. Phelps
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (D.A.P.); (P.J.H.)
| | | | - Benjamin J. Madden
- Proteomic Core, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (C.M.C.); (B.J.M.)
| | - Liguo Wang
- Division of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA;
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (D.A.P.); (P.J.H.)
| | - John Cheville
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA;
| | - Haidong Dong
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA
| | - Candace F. Granberg
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
| | - Fabrice Lucien
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55902, USA; (R.R.L.); (P.C.G.); (M.E.A.); (Y.K.); (E.B.); (H.D.); (C.F.G.)
- Correspondence:
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Chiu YC, Zheng S, Wang LJ, Iskra BS, Rao MK, Houghton PJ, Huang Y, Chen Y. Predicting and characterizing a cancer dependency map of tumors with deep learning. Sci Adv 2021; 7:7/34/eabh1275. [PMID: 34417181 PMCID: PMC8378822 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh1275] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide loss-of-function screens have revealed genes essential for cancer cell proliferation, called cancer dependencies. It remains challenging to link cancer dependencies to the molecular compositions of cancer cells or to unscreened cell lines and further to tumors. Here, we present DeepDEP, a deep learning model that predicts cancer dependencies using integrative genomic profiles. It uses a unique unsupervised pretraining that captures unlabeled tumor genomic representations to improve the learning of cancer dependencies. We demonstrated DeepDEP's improvement over conventional machine learning methods and validated the performance with three independent datasets. By systematic model interpretations, we extended the current dependency maps with functional characterizations of dependencies and a proof-of-concept in silico assay of synthetic essentiality. We applied DeepDEP to pan-cancer tumor genomics and built the first pan-cancer synthetic dependency map of 8000 tumors with clinical relevance. In summary, DeepDEP is a novel tool for investigating cancer dependency with rapidly growing genomic resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chiao Chiu
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Li-Ju Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Brian S Iskra
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Manjeet K Rao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yufei Huang
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Jayabal P, Zhou F, Lei X, Ma X, Blackman B, Weintraub ST, Houghton PJ, Shiio Y. NELL2-cdc42 signaling regulates BAF complexes and Ewing sarcoma cell growth. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109254. [PMID: 34233189 PMCID: PMC8312579 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109254] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BAF chromatin remodeling complexes play important roles in chromatin regulation and cancer. Here, we report that Ewing sarcoma cells are dependent on the autocrine signaling mediated by NELL2, a secreted glycoprotein that has been characterized as an axon guidance molecule. NELL2 uses Robo3 as the receptor to transmit critical growth signaling. NELL2 signaling inhibits cdc42 and upregulates BAF complexes and EWS-FLI1 transcriptional output. We demonstrate that cdc42 is a negative regulator of BAF complexes, inducing actin polymerization and complex disassembly. Furthermore, we identify NELL2highCD133highEWS-FLI1high and NELL2lowCD133lowEWS-FLI1low populations in Ewing sarcoma, which display phenotypes consistent with high and low NELL2 signaling, respectively. We show that NELL2, CD133, and EWS-FLI1 positively regulate each other and upregulate BAF complexes and cell proliferation in Ewing sarcoma. These results reveal a signaling pathway regulating critical chromatin remodeling complexes and cancer cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panneerselvam Jayabal
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Fuchun Zhou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiufen Lei
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiuye Ma
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Barron Blackman
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Susan T Weintraub
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yuzuru Shiio
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
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Lock RB, Evans K, El-Zein N, Lannutti BJ, Jessen KA, Earley EJ, Erickson SW, Smith MA, Kurmasheva R, Houghton PJ. Abstract 3038: Evaluation of ROR1-targeted antibody-drug conjugates against ROR1-expressing pediatric preclinical models - a report from the pediatric preclinical testing consortium (PPTC). Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-3038] [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: ROR1 is an orphan-receptor tyrosine kinase-like surface antigen that is expressed primarily during development but is not expressed on normal adult tissues. ROR1 is expressed on multiple adult hematologic and solid cancers, making it a target for antibody-based therapies. UC-961 (cirmtuzumab), a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody, binds with high affinity to a specific extracellular epitope of human ROR1 and rapidly internalizes and traffics to lysosomes. VLS-101 is an ADC developed by conjugating UC-961 to a cleavable linker with an MMAE payload. VLS-211 was generated by conjugating UC-961 with a PNU payload. VLS-101 is in clinical development for adults with hematologic and solid cancers and has received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma. To better define the utility of ROR1 as an immuno-oncology target for pediatric cancers, we evaluated VLS-101 and VLS-211 against pediatric preclinical models selected based on ROR1 expression.
Methods: Models were selected based on RNA-seq transcript levels for ROR1 with subsequent confirmation by flow cytometry for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) models. For the ALL models, UC-961 (5 mg/kg), VLS-101 (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg), and VLS-211 (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) were each administered weekly x 3. For the Ewing sarcoma (EWS) models, the dose of VLS-211 was 0.5 and 1 mg/kg. Four models were treated using a twice-weekly or every 4-day treatment schedule while 2 models were treated weekly.
Results: Elevated ROR1 gene expression among PPTC models was most notable among the ALL and EWS panels. Leukemia cell surface expression of ROR1 correlated with transcript levels. ALL models with elevated ROR1 expression [TCF3-HLF (1), TCF3-PBX1 (2), ETV6-RUNX1 (2), and BCR-ABL1 (1)] as well as a non-expressing model were tested against the ROR1 ADCs. Activity of each ADC was ROR1 expression-level dependent, and for VLS-211 dose-dependency was noted. At the highest doses of each ADC studied, 2 of 6 (VLS-101) and 3 of 6 (VLS-211) ROR1-expressing models showed objective responses. For most models, median time to event was longer for VLS-211 versus VLS-101. Five EWS models were studied, and expression-level dependent activity was observed for both ADCs. VLS-101 induced tumor regressions in 2 of 5 models, while VLS211 induced regressions in 3 of 5 models. Time to event was generally longer for VLS-211 compared to VLS-101. No objective responses were observed to UC-961 for the ALL and EWS models.
Conclusions: VLS-101 and VLS-211 showed expression-level dependent activity against ALL and EWS models. These results support ROR1 as a relevant immuno-oncology target for the subset of B-ALL and Ewing sarcoma cases with elevated ROR1 expression. Further research is required to identify the optimal payload for ROR1 ADCs for use against pediatric cancers.
Citation Format: Richard B. Lock, Kathryn Evans, Narimanne El-Zein, Brian J. Lannutti, Katti A. Jessen, Eric J. Earley, Stephen W. Erickson, Malcolm A. Smith, Raushan Kurmasheva, Peter J. Houghton. Evaluation of ROR1-targeted antibody-drug conjugates against ROR1-expressing pediatric preclinical models - a report from the pediatric preclinical testing consortium (PPTC) [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 3038.
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Harrison D, Gill J, Hingorani P, Roth M, Zhang W, Teicher B, Earley EJ, Erickson SW, Gatto G, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Smith MA, Kolb EA, Gorlick R. Abstract LB252: Evaluation of the pan-class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor copanlisib in the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium osteosarcoma in vivo models. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-lb252] [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. Copanlisib is a pan-class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with activity against all four PI3K class I isoforms (PI3Kα, PI3Kβ, PI3Kγ, and PI3Kδ). Copanlisib was approved for use by the FDA in the treatment of refractory follicular lymphoma in 2017. Preclinical data have suggested that deregulation of the PI3K pathway is a key driver of multiple malignancies. The relevance of this pathway in osteosarcoma tumorigenesis remains a subject of debate, however, whole genome and RNA sequencing data have revealed several PI3K aberrations in osteosarcoma tumor samples. The in vivo effects of copanlisib were studied in the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium osteosarcoma xenograft models. Methods. The in vivo anticancer effects of copanlisib were assessed in a panel of 6 osteosarcoma models (OS-2, OS-9, OS-31, OS-33, OS-36, and OS-60). Copanlisib was administered by oral gavage at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, two days on and five days off, repeated weekly for 4 weeks. Time to event and tumor volume responses were defined and analyzed utilizing standard PPTC statistical methods. Results. Copanlisib was well tolerated in the models with minimal weight loss and no treatment related mortality as compared to controls. Copanlisib induced prolonged event-free survival (EFS) in 5/6 osteosarcoma models (p<0.05, Gehan-Wilcoxon). Tumor regression (mean minimum attained relative tumor volume (minRTV) < 1.0) was not observed for any of the tested models. 3/6 models exhibited lower min RTV compared to untreated controls (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum). All osteosarcoma models showed progressive disease as their objective response measure. Conclusions. While copanlisib induced prolonged EFS in 5/6 osteosarcoma models, no tumor regression was seen, with all models developing progressive disease suggesting minimal activity. While copanlisib did not result in tumor regression, further study is needed to fully explore the role of the PI3K pathway in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma.
Citation Format: Douglas Harrison, Jonathan Gill, Pooja Hingorani, Michael Roth, Wendong Zhang, Beverly Teicher, Eric J. Earley, Stephen W. Erickson, Gregory Gatto, Raushan T. Kurmasheva, Peter J. Houghton, Malcolm A. Smith, Edward A. Kolb, Richard Gorlick. Evaluation of the pan-class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor copanlisib in the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium osteosarcoma in vivo models [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 LB252.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Gill
- 1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Pooja Hingorani
- 1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Michael Roth
- 1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Wendong Zhang
- 1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | | | | | | | | | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- 4Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- 4Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
| | | | | | - Richard Gorlick
- 1The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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Vassal G, Houghton PJ, Pfister SM, Smith MA, Caron HN, Li XN, Shields DJ, Witt O, Molenaar JJ, Colombetti S, Schüler J, Stancato LF. International Consensus on Minimum Preclinical Testing Requirements for the Development of Innovative Therapies For Children and Adolescents with Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:1462-1468. [PMID: 34108262 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0394] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death in children. For the many children who experience relapses of their malignant solid tumors, usually after very intensive first-line therapy, curative treatment options are scarce. Preclinical drug testing to identify promising treatment elements that match the molecular make-up of the tumor is hampered by the fact that (i) molecular genetic data on pediatric solid tumors from relapsed patients and thus our understanding of tumor evolution and therapy resistance are very limited to date and (ii) for many of the high-risk entities, no appropriate and molecularly well-characterized patient-derived models and/or genetic mouse models are currently available. However, recent regulatory changes enacted by the European Medicines Agency (class waiver changes) and the maturation of the RACE for Children act with the FDA, will require a significant increase in preclinical pediatric cancer research and clinical development must occur. We detail the outcome of a pediatric cancer international multistakeholder meeting whose output aims at defining an international consensus on minimum preclinical testing requirements for the development of innovative therapies for children and adolescents with cancer. Recommendations based on the experience of the NCI funded PPTP/C (www.ncipptc.org) and the EU funded ITCC-P4 public private partnership (www.itccp4.eu) are provided for the use of cell-based and mouse models for pediatric solid malignancies, as well as guidance on the scope and content of preclinical proof-of-concept data packages to inform clinical development dependent on clinical urgency. These recommendations can serve as a minimal guidance necessary to jumpstart preclinical pediatric research globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Vassal
- Institute Gustave Roussy, Université Paris Saclay, Villejuif, France.
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Stefan M Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Malcolm A Smith
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Xiao-Nan Li
- Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - David J Shields
- Pfizer Centers for Therapeutic Innovation, Pfizer Inc., New York, New York
| | - Olaf Witt
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Centrum for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Julia Schüler
- Charles River Discovery Research Services Germany, Freiburg, Germany
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Luo J, Odaka Y, Huang Z, Cheng B, Liu W, Li L, Shang C, Zhang C, Wu Y, Luo Y, Yang S, Houghton PJ, Guo X, Huang S. Dihydroartemisinin Inhibits mTORC1 Signaling by Activating the AMPK Pathway in Rhabdomyosarcoma Tumor Cells. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061363. [PMID: 34205996 PMCID: PMC8226784 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061363] [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: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an anti-malarial drug, has been shown to possess potent anticancer activity, partly by inhibiting the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. However, how DHA inhibits mTORC1 is still unknown. Here, using rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) as a model, we found that DHA reduced cell proliferation and viability in RMS cells, but not those in normal cells, which was associated with inhibition of mTORC1. Mechanistically, DHA did not bind to mTOR or FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12). In addition, DHA neither inhibited insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase ½ (Erk1/2), nor activated phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in the cells. Rather, DHA activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Pharmacological inhibition of AMPK, ectopic expression dominant negative or kinase-dead AMPK, or knockdown of AMPKα attenuated the inhibitory effect of DHA on mTORC1 in the cells. Additionally, DHA was able to induce dissociation of regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (raptor) from mTOR and inhibit mTORC1 activity. Moreover, treatment with artesunate, a prodrug of DHA, dose-dependently inhibited tumor growth and concurrently activated AMPK and suppressed mTORC1 in RMS xenografts. The results indicated that DHA inhibits mTORC1 by activating AMPK in tumor cells. Our finding supports that DHA or artesunate has a great potential to be repositioned for treatment of RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yoshinobu Odaka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Zhu Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
- Research Center of Aquatic Organism Conservation and Water Ecosystem Restoration in Anhui Province, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, China
| | - Bing Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Wang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Chaowei Shang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - Yan Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - Shengyong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3000, USA;
| | - Xiaofeng Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Correspondence: (X.G.); (S.H.); Tel.: +86-20-38295980 (X.G.); +1-318-675-7759 (S.H.)
| | - Shile Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA; (J.L.); (Y.O.); (Z.H.); (B.C.); (W.L.); (L.L.); (C.S.); (C.Z.); (Y.W.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932, USA
- Correspondence: (X.G.); (S.H.); Tel.: +86-20-38295980 (X.G.); +1-318-675-7759 (S.H.)
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Zhou F, Elzi DJ, Jayabal P, Ma X, Chiu YC, Chen Y, Blackman B, Weintraub ST, Houghton PJ, Shiio Y. GDF6-CD99 Signaling Regulates Src and Ewing Sarcoma Growth. Cell Rep 2021; 33:108332. [PMID: 33147457 PMCID: PMC7688343 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here that the autocrine signaling mediated by growth and differentiation factor 6 (GDF6), a member of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family of cytokines, maintains Ewing sarcoma growth by preventing Src hyperactivation. Surprisingly, Ewing sarcoma depends on the prodomain, not the BMP domain, of GDF6. We demonstrate that the GDF6 prodomain is a ligand for CD99, a transmembrane protein that has been widely used as a marker of Ewing sarcoma. The binding of the GDF6 prodomain to the CD99 extracellular domain results in recruitment of CSK (C-terminal Src kinase) to the YQKKK motif in the intracellular domain of CD99, inhibiting Src activity. GDF6 silencing causes hyperactivation of Src and p21-dependent growth arrest. We demonstrate that two GDF6 prodomain mutants linked to Klippel-Feil syndrome are hyperactive in CD99-Src signaling. These results reveal a cytokine signaling pathway that regulates the CSK-Src axis and cancer cell proliferation and suggest the gain-of-function activity for disease-causing GDF6 mutants. Ewing sarcoma is driven by the EWS-ETS fusion oncoprotein, but little is known about the extracellular signaling regulating this cancer. Zhou et al. report that the prodomain of GDF6 is a ligand for CD99, inhibiting Src through CSK and maintaining Ewing sarcoma growth in an autocrine fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuchun Zhou
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - David J Elzi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; BioAffinity Technologies, Inc., 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Panneerselvam Jayabal
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiuye Ma
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yu-Chiao Chiu
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Population Health Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Barron Blackman
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Susan T Weintraub
- Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yuzuru Shiio
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Mays Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
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Vatner R, James CD, Sathiaseelan V, Bondra KM, Kalapurakal JA, Houghton PJ. Radiation therapy and molecular-targeted agents in preclinical testing for immunotherapy, brain tumors, and sarcomas: Opportunities and challenges. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021; 68 Suppl 2:e28439. [PMID: 32827353 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite radiation therapy (RT) being an integral part of the treatment of most pediatric cancers and the recent discovery of novel molecular-targeted agents (MTAs) in this era of precision medicine with the potential to improve the therapeutic ratio of modern chemoradiotherapy regimens, there are only a few preclinical trials being conducted to discover novel radiosensitizers and radioprotectors. This has resulted in a paucity of translational clinical trials combining RT and novel MTAs. This report describes the opportunities and challenges of investigating RT together with MTAs in preclinical testing for immunotherapy, brain tumors, and sarcomas in pediatric oncology. We discuss the need for improving the collaboration between radiation oncologists, biologists, and physicists to improve the reliability, reproducibility, and translational potential of RT-based preclinical research. Current translational clinical trials using RT and MTAs for immunotherapy, brain tumors, and sarcomas are described. The technologic advances in experimental RT, availability of novel experimental tumor models, advances in immunology and tumor biology, and the discovery of novel MTAs together hold considerable promise for good quality preclinical and clinical multimodality research to improve the current rates of survival and toxicity in children afflicted with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Vatner
- Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | | | - Kathryn M Bondra
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas
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Ghilu S, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ. Developing New Agents for Treatment of Childhood Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities for Preclinical Testing. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10071504. [PMID: 33916592 PMCID: PMC8038510 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10071504] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing new therapeutics for the treatment of childhood cancer has challenges not usually associated with adult malignancies. Firstly, childhood cancer is rare, with approximately 12,500 new diagnoses annually in the U.S. in children 18 years or younger. With current multimodality treatments, the 5-year event-free survival exceeds 80%, and 70% of patients achieve long-term “cure”, hence the overall number of patients eligible for experimental drugs is small. Childhood cancer comprises many disease entities, the most frequent being acute lymphoblastic leukemias (25% of cancers) and brain tumors (21%), and each of these comprises multiple molecular subtypes. Hence, the numbers of diagnoses even for the more frequently occurring cancers of childhood are small, and undertaking clinical trials remains a significant challenge. Consequently, development of preclinical models that accurately represent each molecular entity can be valuable in identifying those agents or combinations that warrant clinical evaluation. Further, new regulations under the Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity for Children Act (RACE For Children Act) will change the way in which drugs are developed. Here, we will consider some of the limitations of preclinical models and consider approaches that may improve their ability to translate therapy to clinical trial more accurately.
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Abstract
Accurate and complete DNA replication and separation are essential for genetic information inheritance and organism maintenance. Errors in DNA duplication are the main source of genetic instability. Understanding DNA duplication regulation is the key to elucidate the mechanisms and find treatment strategies for human genetic disorders, especially cancer. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a central regulator of cell growth and proliferation by integrating and processing extracellular and intracellular signals to monitor the well-being of cell physiology. mTOR signaling dysregulation is associated with many human diseases including cancer and diabetes. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that mTOR signaling plays a key role in DNA duplication. We herein review the current knowledge of mTOR signaling in the regulation of DNA replication origin licensing, replication fork progression, and stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengfu He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peter J Houghton
- The Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Terence M Williams
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Changxian Shen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
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Kendsersky NM, Lindsay J, Kolb EA, Smith MA, Teicher BA, Erickson SW, Earley EJ, Mosse YP, Martinez D, Pogoriler J, Krytska K, Patel K, Groff D, Tsang M, Ghilu S, Wang Y, Seaman S, Feng Y, Croix BS, Gorlick R, Kurmasheva R, Houghton PJ, Maris JM. The B7-H3-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate m276-SL-PBD Is Potently Effective Against Pediatric Cancer Preclinical Solid Tumor Models. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:2938-2946. [PMID: 33619171 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-4221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Patients with relapsed pediatric solid malignancies have few therapeutic options, and many of these patients die of their disease. B7-H3 is an immune checkpoint protein encoded by the CD276 gene that is overexpressed in many pediatric cancers. Here, we investigate the activity of the B7-H3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) m276-SL-PBD in pediatric solid malignancy patient-derived (PDX) and cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) models. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN B7-H3 expression was quantified by RNA sequencing and by IHC on pediatric PDX microarrays. We tested the safety and efficacy of m276-SL-PBD in two stages. Randomized trials of m276-SL-PBD of 0.5 mg/kg on days 1, 8, and 15 compared with vehicle were performed in PDX or CDX models of Ewing sarcoma (N = 3), rhabdomyosarcoma (N = 4), Wilms tumors (N = 2), osteosarcoma (N = 5), and neuroblastoma (N = 12). We then performed a single mouse trial in 47 PDX or CDX models using a single 0.5 m/kg dose of m276-SL-PBD. RESULTS The vast majority of PDX and CDX samples studied showed intense membranous B7-H3 expression (median H-score 177, SD 52). In the randomized trials, m276-SL-PBD showed a 92.3% response rate, with 61.5% of models showing a maintained complete response (MCR). These data were confirmed in the single mouse trial with an overall response rate of 91.5% and MCR rate of 64.4%. Treatment-related mortality rate was 5.5% with late weight loss observed in a subset of models dosed once a week for 3 weeks. CONCLUSIONS m276-SL-PBD has significant antitumor activity across a broad panel of pediatric solid tumor PDX models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan M Kendsersky
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jarrett Lindsay
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - E Anders Kolb
- A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | | | | | | | - Eric J Earley
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Yael P Mosse
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel Martinez
- Division of Anatomic Pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer Pogoriler
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Division of Anatomic Pathology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kateryna Krytska
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Khushbu Patel
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David Groff
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Matthew Tsang
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Samson Ghilu
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Yifei Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Steven Seaman
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Yang Feng
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Brad St Croix
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Richard Gorlick
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Cancer Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Raushan Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
| | - John M Maris
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. .,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Kurmasheva RT, Erickson SW, Earley E, Smith MA, Houghton PJ. In vivo evaluation of the EZH2 inhibitor (EPZ011989) alone or in combination with standard of care cytotoxic agents against pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumor preclinical models-A report from the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021; 68:e28772. [PMID: 33089597 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28772] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program (PPTP) previously reported the activity of the EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat (EPZ6438) against xenograft models of rhabdoid tumors. Here, we determined whether an inhibitor of EZH2 enhanced the effect of standard of care chemotherapeutic agents: irinotecan, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide. EPZ011989 significantly prolonged time to event in all the six rhabdoid models studied but did not induce tumor regression. The addition of EPZ011989 to standard of care agents significantly improved time to event in at least one model for each of the agents studied, although this effect was observed in only a minority of the combination testing experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raushan T Kurmasheva
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Eric Earley
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | | | - Peter J Houghton
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
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Yang J, Li Q, Noureen N, Fang Y, Kurmasheva R, Houghton PJ, Wang X, Zheng S. PCAT: an integrated portal for genomic and preclinical testing data of pediatric cancer patient-derived xenograft models. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:D1321-D1327. [PMID: 32810235 PMCID: PMC7778893 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa698] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although cancer is the leading cause of disease-related mortality in children, the relative rarity of pediatric cancers poses a significant challenge for developing novel therapeutics to further improve prognosis. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, which are usually developed from high-risk tumors, are a useful platform to study molecular driver events, identify biomarkers and prioritize therapeutic agents. Here, we develop PDX for Childhood Cancer Therapeutics (PCAT), a new integrated portal for pediatric cancer PDX models. Distinct from previously reported PDX portals, PCAT is focused on pediatric cancer models and provides intuitive interfaces for querying and data mining. The current release comprises 324 models and their associated clinical and genomic data, including gene expression, mutation and copy number alteration. Importantly, PCAT curates preclinical testing results for 68 models and 79 therapeutic agents manually collected from individual agent testing studies published since 2008. To facilitate comparisons of patterns between patient tumors and PDX models, PCAT curates clinical and molecular data of patient tumors from the TARGET project. In addition, PCAT provides access to gene fusions identified in nearly 1000 TARGET samples. PCAT was built using R-shiny and MySQL. The portal can be accessed at http://pcat.zhenglab.info or http://www.pedtranscriptome.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juechen Yang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Qilin Li
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Nighat Noureen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yanbing Fang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,School of Natural Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Raushan Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Siyuan Zheng
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.,Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Fontaine SD, Ashley GW, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva RT, Diolaiti M, Ashworth A, Peer CJ, Nguyen R, Figg WD, Beckford-Vera DR, Santi DV. A Very Long-Acting PARP Inhibitor Suppresses Cancer Cell Growth in DNA Repair-Deficient Tumor Models. Cancer Res 2020; 81:1076-1086. [PMID: 33323380 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PARP inhibitors are approved for treatment of cancers with BRCA1 or BRCA2 defects. In this study, we prepared and characterized a very long-acting PARP inhibitor. Synthesis of a macromolecular prodrug of talazoparib (TLZ) was achieved by covalent conjugation to a PEG40kDa carrier via a β-eliminative releasable linker. A single injection of the PEG∼TLZ conjugate was as effective as ∼30 daily oral doses of TLZ in growth suppression of homologous recombination-defective tumors in mouse xenografts. These included the KT-10 Wilms' tumor with a PALB2 mutation, the BRCA1-deficient MX-1 triple-negative breast cancer, and the BRCA2-deficient DLD-1 colon cancer; the prodrug did not inhibit an isogenic DLD-1 tumor with wild-type BRCA2. Although the half-life of PEG∼TLZ and released TLZ in the mouse was only ∼1 day, the exposure of released TLZ from a single safe, effective dose of the prodrug exceeded that of oral TLZ given daily over one month. μPET/CT imaging showed high uptake and prolonged retention of an 89Zr-labeled surrogate of PEG∼TLZ in the MX-1 BRCA1-deficient tumor. These data suggest that the long-lasting antitumor effect of the prodrug is due to a combination of its long t 1/2, the high exposure of TLZ released from the prodrug, increased tumor sensitivity upon continued exposure, and tumor accumulation. Using pharmacokinetic parameters of TLZ in humans, we designed a long-acting PEG∼TLZ for humans that may be superior in efficacy to daily oral TLZ and would be useful for treatment of PARP inhibitor-sensitive cancers in which oral medications are not tolerated. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that a single injection of a long-acting prodrug of the PARP inhibitor talazoparib in murine xenografts provides tumor suppression equivalent to a month of daily dosing of talazoparib.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Morgan Diolaiti
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Alan Ashworth
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Cody J Peer
- Pharmacology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ryan Nguyen
- Pharmacology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - William D Figg
- Pharmacology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Denis R Beckford-Vera
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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VanCleave A, Palmer M, Fang F, Torres HM, Ross A, Lieferman PC, Tecleab Y, Houghton PJ, Tao J. Abstract 2755: Defining the properties of the OS-33 osteosarcoma cell line and the effects of mTORC1 inhibition by rapamycin treatment. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-2755] [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
Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare cancer associated with high mortality rates and poor prognosis with the occurrence of remission and/or metastasis. In the past four decades, there has been a stagnation in the improvement of treatment methods and survival rates due to the incomplete knowledge about OS biology, as well as a limited amount of patient samples and tumor cell lines that can be used for drug testing. The generation of novel cell lines will not only lead to an increase in our understanding of OS biology, but also elucidate the cellular mechanisms behind the disease's initiation and progression, providing a tool to design more effective treatment methods. In this study, we established a human OS cell line from a patient derived xenograft (PDX) model of OS-33, which has been heavily used in pre-clinical studies. To characterize this newly established OS-33 cell line in vitro, we performed Western Blot (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), scratch, colony formation, proliferation, and trans-well migration and invasion assays, where we treated the cells with varying amounts of an mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin. We further characterized this cell line by testing its cellular differentiation capability, identified chromosomal abnormalities, and performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). We found that the OS-33 cell line retained its sensitivity to rapamycin through a significant decrease in phosphorylated-S6 compared to total S6 with 1ng/ml treatment being sufficient for significant inhibition, shown in both WB and IF. This is consistent with previous studies on the OS-33 PDX model. Significant inhibition was also present in the colony formation, proliferation, and the trans-well migration and invasion assays. OS-33 cells also exhibited an inability to undergo osteoblast (OB) differentiation when treated solely with the OB differentiation media, but BMP-2 treatment can promote osteoblastic terminal differentiation. Karyotype analysis showed that the OS-33 cell line exhibits the characteristics typical of OS with very high levels of aneuploidy. Ongoing WGS and RNA-seq analysis will reveal structural variations (SV) and actionable/druggable genes in PDX tumor tissue and OS-33 cell line cells. The results from this study could deliver valuable information to understand OS biology in a newly established cell line derived from a treasured PDX model, provide a new tool to investigate the role of signaling pathways, including mTORC1, and improve genome-informed targeted therapy.
Citation Format: Ashley VanCleave, Mykayla Palmer, Fang Fang, Haydee M. Torres, Alan Ross, Patricia Crotwell Lieferman, Yohannes Tecleab, Peter J. Houghton, Jianning Tao. Defining the properties of the OS-33 osteosarcoma cell line and the effects of mTORC1 inhibition by rapamycin treatment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2755.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter J. Houghton
- 5Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Centre at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
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Fontaine SD, Ashley GW, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva R, Diolati M, Ashworth A, Santi DV. Abstract LB-060: A very long-acting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-lb-060] [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
Purpose: The purpose of this work was to prepare and characterize the anti-tumor properties of a prodrug for a very long-acting of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. Background: Four PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have been approved for QD oral use in treatment of human cancers. It is believed that PARP requires continuous inhibition for optimal anti-tumor effects, but, as with any drug with a short t1/2, daily administered PARPi exhibit high Cmax values and peak-to-trough excursions. We speculated that the prolonged exposure and lower Cmax and Cmax/Cmin of a long-acting PARPi might provide a more effective, less toxic therapeutic. In choosing which PARPi to target, a major consideration was whether the carrier has capacity to deliver sufficient levels of the drug over a long dosing interval. Talazoparib (TLZ) was chosen for this study because it is the most potent of the PARP inhibitors, requiring only 1 mg/day in adults compared to hundreds of mg/day for other PARPi's. Experimental procedures: We prepared a long-acting prodrug of TLZ by attaching it to a PEG40kDa carrier by a β-eliminative releasable linker. The chemistry was achieved by a novel alkylation of TLZ at the poorly acidic 2-NH of the phthalazinone moiety with an O-azidoalkyl-N-alkyl-N-chloromethyl carbamate, followed by coupling to PEG-cyclooctyne. Daily PO doses of TLZ or a single IP injection of the PEG-TLZ conjugate were administered to xenografts in mice possessing defects in homologous recombination - either a PALB2 mutation in the KT-10 Wilms tumor, or a BRCA1-deficient MX-1 triple-negative breast cancer. New data: PEG~TLZ was highly effective in treating both KT-10 and MX-1 xenografts. Although the t1/2 of TLZ in the mouse is only ~3 hr, tumor growth in animals treated with PEG~TLZ was suppressed for about one month. The EFS T/C values - the ratio of the median time to event between treated and control groups - of single injections of ~5 mg TLZ/kg as PEG~TLZ in either tumor was more than 4, indicating the drug is a highly active agent at low doses. The amount of TLZ in a single efficacious dose of the PEG~TLZ conjugate was equivalent to the same amount of free TLZ administered in divided daily doses for 4 or more weeks. Although we did not investigate scheduling, dosing PEG~TLZ once every 3 to 4 weeks should be sufficient to suppress tumor growth for extended periods. Conclusion: We developed a novel method of conjugating linkers to the 2N of the phthalazinone moiety of PARPi. We prepared a cleavable PEG~TLZ that releases TLZ with a t1/2 of 160 hr at pH 7.4. In mouse xenografts of tumors with defective HR, single non-toxic doses of PEG~TLZ suppresses tumor growth for ~1 month, and are equi-effective to QD administration of TLZ over that period. We posit that the long lasting effect is due to the long t1/2 of the prodrug, increased sensitivity of the tumor upon continued exposure to TLZ, tumor accumulation of the 15 nm nanomolecule, and counteracting drug resistance by efflux pumps.
Citation Format: Shaun D. Fontaine, Gary W. Ashley, Peter J. Houghton, Raushan Kurmasheva, Morgan Diolati, Alan Ashworth, Daniel V. Santi. A very long-acting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-060.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Morgan Diolati
- 3UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Alan Ashworth
- 3UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
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Vaseva AV, Bandyopadhyay A, Pozo VD, Goodwin CM, Gautam P, Wennerberg K, Wood KC, Chen Y, Der CJ, Houghton PJ. Abstract A54: Parallel targeting of RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in RAS-mutant embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.pedca19-a54] [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
RAS pathway mutations are found in nearly 75% of high-risk embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). While RAS oncoproteins are well-established therapeutic targets for many adult human cancers, still very little is known about the role of RAS mutations in the development and maintenance of ERMS. By sequencing, we identified cell lines and PDX tumors harboring activating mutations in H- or NRAS. Further, we showed that mutant H- or NRAS was critical for the growth of all RAS-mutant ERMS cell lines and that RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, but not PI3K/AKT, was mediator of RAS dependency in these cells. However, in vivo treatment of RAS-mutant ERMS xenografts with the MEK inhibitor trametinib showed modest response as compared to BRAF-mutant astrocytoma xenografts. We reasoned that similarly to other RAS-driven cancers, ERMS cells and tumors are able to acquire resistance to inhibitors of the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway. We performed drug-sensitizing pooled CRISPR library screen and identified that inhibition of ERK2 potentiated trametinib treatment. We show that combining trametinib with ERK1/2 inhibitor leads to potent synergistic ERK inhibition and ERMS tumor growth suppression.
Citation Format: Angelina V. Vaseva, Abhik Bandyopadhyay, Vanessa Del Pozo, Craig M. Goodwin, Prson Gautam, Krister Wennerberg, Kris C. Wood, Yidong Chen, Channing J. Der, Peter J. Houghton. Parallel targeting of RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in RAS-mutant embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 17-20; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(14 Suppl):Abstract nr A54.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina V. Vaseva
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Vanessa Del Pozo
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Craig M. Goodwin
- 2Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC,
| | - Prson Gautam
- 3Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,
| | - Krister Wennerberg
- 3Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,
| | - Kris C. Wood
- 4Department of Pharmacology, Duke University, Duke, NC
| | - Yidong Chen
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Channing J. Der
- 2Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC,
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX,
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Kurmasheva RT, Bandyopadhyay A, Favours E, Pozo VD, Ghilu S, Phelps DA, McGeehan GM, Erickson SW, Smith MA, Houghton PJ. Evaluation of VTP-50469, a menin-MLL1 inhibitor, against Ewing sarcoma xenograft models by the pediatric preclinical testing consortium. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020; 67:e28284. [PMID: 32333633 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND VTP-50469 is a potent inhibitor of the menin-MLL1 interaction and is implicated in signaling downstream of EWSR1-FLI1. PROCEDURE VTP-50469 was evaluated against seven Ewing sarcoma (EwS) xenograft models and in vitro against EwS cell lines. RESULTS VTP-50469 showed limited antitumor activity, statistically significantly slowing tumor progression in four tumor models but with no evidence of tumor regression. In vitro, the IC50 concentration was 10 nM for the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)-rearranged leukemia cell line MV4;11, but > 3 μM for EwS cell lines. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to its high level of activity against MLL1-rearranged leukemia xenografts, VTP-50469 shows little activity against EwS models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raushan T Kurmasheva
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Edward Favours
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Vanessa Del Pozo
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Samson Ghilu
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Doris A Phelps
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | | | | | - Peter J Houghton
- UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
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Robles AJ, Kurmasheva RT, Bandyopadhyay A, Phelps DA, Erickson SW, Lai Z, Kurmashev D, Chen Y, Smith MA, Houghton PJ. Evaluation of Eribulin Combined with Irinotecan for Treatment of Pediatric Cancer Xenografts. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:3012-3023. [PMID: 32184294 PMCID: PMC7299830 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-1822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Vincristine combined with camptothecin derivatives showed synergy in preclinical pediatric cancer models, and the combinations are effective in treatment of childhood solid tumors. We determined whether the synergy between vincristine and irinotecan extends to eribulin, another microtubule inhibitor. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Vincristine or eribulin, alone or combined with irinotecan, was studied in 12 xenograft models. Tumor regression and time to event were used to assess antitumor activity. Pharmacodynamic studies and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were conducted 24 and 144 hours after single-agent or combination treatment. Effects on vascular development were studied in Matrigel plugs implanted in mice. The interaction between binary combinations was examined in vitro. RESULTS Eribulin combined with irinotecan was more effective than vincristine-irinotecan in 6 of 12 models. Pharmacodynamic markers induced by eribulin (phospho-histone H3) and irinotecan (γ-H2A.X) were abrogated in combination-treated tumors. The predominant RNA-seq signature in combination-treated tumors was activation of the TP53 pathway with increased nuclear TP53. Massive apoptosis was observed 24 hours only after treatment with the eribulin combination. In vitro, neither combination showed interaction using combination index analysis. Eribulin alone and the combination caused alterations in developing vasculature. CONCLUSIONS The eribulin combination is very active in these xenograft models, but not synergistic in vitro. The combination reduced pharmacodynamic markers indicative of single-agent mechanisms but in tumors, dramatically activated the TP53 pathway. Although a mechanism for in vivo synergy requires further study, it is possible that eribulin-induced inhibition of microtubule dynamics enhances irinotecan-induced nuclear accumulation of TP53, leading to rapid cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Robles
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Raushan T Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Doris A Phelps
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Malcom A Smith
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
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Harrison DJ, Gill JD, Roth ME, Zhang W, Teicher B, Erickson S, Gatto G, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ, Smith MA, Kolb EA, Gorlick R. Initial in vivo testing of a multitarget kinase inhibitor, regorafenib, by the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020; 67:e28222. [PMID: 32207565 PMCID: PMC8670258 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regorafenib is a small molecule multikinase inhibitor that inhibits multiple kinases including BRAF, KIT, PDGFRB, RAF, RET, and VEGFR1-3. PROCEDURES The in vivo anticancer effects of regorafenib were assessed in a panel of six osteosarcoma models, three rhabdomyosarcoma models, and one Ewing sarcoma model. RESULTS Regorafenib induced modest inhibition of tumor growth in the models evaluated. CONCLUSION The overall pattern of response to regorafenib appears similar to that of the kinase inhibitor sorafenib, with pronounced slowing of tumor growth in some models, limited to the period of agent administration, being the primary treatment effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J. Harrison
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jonathan D. Gill
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael E. Roth
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wendong Zhang
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Beverly Teicher
- Cancer Therapeutics Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Greg Gatto
- Global Health Technologies, RTI International, North Carolina
| | - Raushan T. Kurmasheva
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Malcolm A. Smith
- Cancer Therapeutics Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Edward Anders Kolb
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Richard Gorlick
- Division of Pediatrics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Kolb EA, Houghton PJ, Kurmasheva RT, Mosse YP, Maris JM, Erickson SW, Guo Y, Teicher BA, Smith MA, Gorlick R. Preclinical evaluation of the combination of AZD1775 and irinotecan against selected pediatric solid tumors: A Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium report. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020; 67:e28098. [PMID: 31975571 PMCID: PMC8752046 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION WEE1 is a serine kinase central to the G2 checkpoint. Inhibition of WEE1 can lead to cell death by permitting cell-cycle progression despite unrepaired DNA damage. AZD1775 is a WEE1 inhibitor that is in clinical development for children and adults with cancer. METHODS AZD1775 was tested using a dose of 120 mg/kg administered orally for days 1 to 5. Irinotecan was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg for days 1 to 5 (one hour after AZD1775 when used in combination). AZD1775 and irinotecan were studied alone and in combination in neuroblastoma (n = 3), osteosarcoma (n = 4), and Wilms tumor (n = 3) xenografts. RESULTS AZD1775 as a single agent showed little activity. Irinotecan induced objective responses in two neuroblastoma lines (PRs), and two Wilms tumor models (CR and PR). The combination of AZD1775 + irinotecan-induced objective responses in two neuroblastoma lines (PR and CR) and all three Wilms tumor lines (CR and 2 PRs). The objective response measure improved compared with single-agent treatment for one neuroblastoma (PR to CR), two osteosarcoma (PD1 to PD2), and one Wilms tumor (PD2 to PR) xenograft lines. Of note, the combination yielded CR (n = 1) and PR (n = 2) in all the Wilms tumor lines. The event-free survival was significantly longer for the combination compared with single-agent irinotecan in all models tested. The magnitude of the increase was greatest in osteosarcoma and Wilms tumor xenografts. CONCLUSIONS AZD1775 potentiates the effects of irinotecan across most of the xenograft lines tested, with effect size appearing to vary across tumor panels.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Anders Kolb
- Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Wilmington, Delaware
| | | | | | - Yael P. Mosse
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - John M. Maris
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Yuelong Guo
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | | | | | - Richard Gorlick
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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Vaseva AV, Bandyopadhyay A, Pozzo VD, Goodwin CM, Gautam P, Wennerberg K, Wood KC, Der CJ, Houghton PJ. Abstract B13: Parallel targeting of RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in RAS-mutant embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Mol Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3125.ras18-b13] [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
Recent sequencing of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma identified the presence of RAS pathway mutations in nearly 75% of high-risk embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). While RAS oncoproteins (HRAS, NRAS and KRAS) are well-established therapeutic targets for many adult human cancers, still very little is known about the role of RAS mutations in the development and maintenance of ERMS. We sequenced ERMS cell lines and PDX tumors and identified 4 cell lines harboring activating mutations in H- or NRAS and two cell lines with wild-type RAS. By siRNA mediated knockdown, we showed that mutant H- or NRAS was critical for the growth of all RAS-mutant ERMS cell lines and that RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, but not PI3K/AKT, was mediator of RAS dependency in these cells. However, in vivo treatment of RAS-mutant ERMS xenografts with the MEK inhibitor trametinib showed modest response as compared to BRAF-mutant astrocytoma xenografts. We reasoned that similarly to other RAS-driven cancers, ERMS tumors are able to acquire resistance to inhibitors of the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway. We performed CRISPR screen and identified that inhibition of ERK2 potentiated trametinib treatment. We show that combining trametinib with ERK1/2 inhibitor leads to potent synergistic MEK/ERK pathway inhibition and ERMS tumor growth suppression.
Citation Format: Angelina V. Vaseva, Abhik Bandyopadhyay, Vanessa Del Pozzo, Craig M. Goodwin, Prson Gautam, Krister Wennerberg, Kris C. Wood, Channing J. Der, Peter J. Houghton. Parallel targeting of RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in RAS-mutant embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting RAS-Driven Cancers; 2018 Dec 9-12; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(5_Suppl):Abstract nr B13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina V. Vaseva
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Vanessa Del Pozzo
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX,
| | - Craig M. Goodwin
- 2Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC,
| | - Prson Gautam
- 3Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,
| | - Krister Wennerberg
- 3Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,
| | - Kris C. Wood
- 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Channing J. Der
- 2Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC,
| | - Peter J. Houghton
- 1Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX,
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Xia L, Bouamar H, Gu X, Zeballos C, Qin T, Wang B, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Yang J, Zhu H, Zhang W, Houghton PJ, Sun LZ. Gli2 mediates the development of castration‑resistant prostate cancer. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:100-112. [PMID: 32319599 PMCID: PMC7252461 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioma‑associated oncogene family zinc finger 2 (Gli2), a key component of the hedgehog signaling pathway, has been previously demonstrated to promote the malignant properties of prostate cancer in vitro. However, the role of Gli2 in the development of castration‑resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, Gli2 expression was knocked down in androgen‑responsive prostate cancer cells using an inducible Gli2 short hairpin RNA. Suppression of Gli2 expression resulted in significant reduction of cell viability, increased the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phases of the cell cycle and reduced the expression of genes associated with cell cycle progression. Gli2 knockdown sensitized both androgen‑dependent and ‑independent prostate cancer cells to the antiandrogen drug Casodex and prevented the outgrowth of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. In addition, Gli2 knockdown significantly suppressed the development of CRPC in a LNCaP xenograft mouse model, which was reversed by the re‑expression of Gli2. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first occasion in which the essential role of Gli2 in the development of CRPC was demonstrated, providing a potential therapeutic target for the intervention of CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xia
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Hakim Bouamar
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Xiang Gu
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Carla Zeballos
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Tai Qin
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Bingzhi Wang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - You Zhou
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Yuhui Wang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Junhua Yang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Haiyan Zhu
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Weishe Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, P.R. China
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Lu-Zhe Sun
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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