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Camero S, Milazzo L, Vulcano F, Ceccarelli F, Pontecorvi P, Pedini F, Rossetti A, Scialis ES, Gerini G, Cece F, Pomella S, Cassandri M, Porrazzo A, Romano E, Festuccia C, Gravina GL, Ceccarelli S, Rota R, Lotti LV, Midulla F, Angeloni A, Marchese C, Marampon F, Megiorni F. Antitumour effects of SFX-01 molecule in combination with ionizing radiation in preclinical and in vivo models of rhabdomyosarcoma. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:814. [PMID: 38977944 PMCID: PMC11229215 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12536-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a multimodal approach including surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy, the 5-year event-free survival rate for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood, remains very poor for metastatic patients, mainly due to the selection and proliferation of tumour cells driving resistance mechanisms. Personalised medicine-based protocols using new drugs or targeted therapies in combination with conventional treatments have the potential to enhance the therapeutic effects, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues in a wide range of human malignancies, with several clinical trials being started. In this study, we analysed, for the first time, the antitumour activity of SFX-01, a complex of synthetic d, l-sulforaphane stabilised in alpha-cyclodextrin (Evgen Pharma plc, UK), used as single agent and in combination with irradiation, in four preclinical models of alveolar and embryonal RMS. Indeed, SFX-01 has shown promise in preclinical studies for its ability to modulate cellular pathways involved in inflammation and oxidative stress that are essential to be controlled in cancer treatment. METHODS RH30, RH4 (alveolar RMS), RD and JR1 (embryonal RMS) cell lines as well as mouse xenograft models of RMS were used to evaluate the biological and molecular effects induced by SFX-01 treatment. Flow cytometry and the modulation of key markers analysed by q-PCR and Western blot were used to assess cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy and production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RMS cells exposed to SFX-01. The ability to migrate and invade was also investigated with specific assays. The possible synergistic effects between SFX-01 and ionising radiation (IR) was studied in both the in vitro and in vivo studies. Student's t-test or two-way ANOVA were used to test the statistical significance of two or more comparisons, respectively. RESULTS SFX-01 treatment exhibited cytostatic and cytotoxic effects, mediated by G2 cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction and suppression of autophagy. Moreover, SFX-01 was able to inhibit the formation and the proliferation of 3D tumorspheres as monotherapy and in combination with IR. Finally, SFX-01, when orally administered as single agent, displayed a pattern of efficacy at reducing the growth of tumour masses in RMS xenograft mouse models; when combined with a radiotherapy regime, it was observed to act synergistically, resulting in a more positive outcome than would be expected by adding each exposure alone. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our results provide evidence for the antitumour properties of SFX-01 in preclinical models of RMS tumours, both as a standalone treatment and in combination with irradiation. These forthcoming findings are crucial for deeper investigations of SFX-01 molecular mechanisms against RMS and for setting up clinical trials in RMS patients in order to use the SFX-01/IR co-treatment as a promising therapeutic approach, particularly in the clinical management of aggressive RMS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Milazzo
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Vulcano
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Pontecorvi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pedini
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rossetti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Elena Sofia Scialis
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University "G. D'Annunzio" Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giulia Gerini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Cece
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Pomella
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Cassandri
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Porrazzo
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Romano
- Department of Sense Organs, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Festuccia
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Giovanni Luca Gravina
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Midulla
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Angeloni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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2
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de Traux de Wardin H, Dermawan JK, Merlin MS, Wexler LH, Orbach D, Vanoli F, Schleiermacher G, Geoerger B, Ballet S, Guillemot D, Frouin E, Cyrille S, Delattre O, Pierron G, Antonescu CR. Sequential genomic analysis using a multisample/multiplatform approach to better define rhabdomyosarcoma progression and relapse. NPJ Precis Oncol 2023; 7:96. [PMID: 37730754 PMCID: PMC10511463 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00445-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomic spectrum of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) progression from primary to relapse is not fully understood. In this pilot study, we explore the sensitivity of various targeted and whole-genome NGS platforms in order to assess the best genomic approach of using liquid biopsy in future prospective clinical trials. Moreover, we investigate 35 paired primary/relapsed RMS from two contributing institutions, 18 fusion-positive (FP-RMS) and 17 fusion-negative RMS (FN-RMS) by either targeted DNA or whole exome sequencing (WES). In 10 cases, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from multiple timepoints through clinical care and progression was analyzed for feasibility of liquid biopsy in monitoring treatment response/relapse. ctDNA alterations were evaluated using a targeted 36-gene custom RMS panel at high coverage for single-nucleotide variation and fusion detection, and a shallow whole-genome sequencing for copy number variation. FP-RMS have a stable genome with relapse, with common secondary alterations CDKN2A/B, MYCN, and CDK4 present at diagnosis and impacting survival. FP-RMS lacking major secondary events at baseline acquire recurrent MYCN and AKT1 alterations. FN-RMS acquire a higher number of new alterations, most commonly SMARCA2 missense mutations. ctDNA analyses detect pathognomonic variants in all RMS patients within our collection at diagnosis, regardless of type of alterations, and confirmed at relapse in 86% of FP-RMS and 100% FN-RMS. Moreover, a higher number of fusion reads is detected with increased disease burden and at relapse in patients following a fatal outcome. These results underscore patterns of tumor progression and provide rationale for using liquid biopsy to monitor treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry de Traux de Wardin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Unit of Somatic Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Josephine K Dermawan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marie-Sophie Merlin
- University of Lorraine, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire (CHRU), Childrens' Hospital, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Leonard H Wexler
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Orbach
- SIREDO Oncology Center (Care, Innovation and Research for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer), PSL University, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Fabio Vanoli
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gudrun Schleiermacher
- SIREDO Oncology Center (Care, Innovation and Research for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer), PSL University, Institut Curie, Paris, France
- U830 INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Birgit Geoerger
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1015, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, 94805, France
| | - Stelly Ballet
- Unit of Somatic Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Stacy Cyrille
- Department of Biometrics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Delattre
- SIREDO Oncology Center (Care, Innovation and Research for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer), PSL University, Institut Curie, Paris, France
- U830 INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Gaelle Pierron
- Unit of Somatic Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
| | - Cristina R Antonescu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Pomella S, Danielli SG, Alaggio R, Breunis WB, Hamed E, Selfe J, Wachtel M, Walters ZS, Schäfer BW, Rota R, Shipley JM, Hettmer S. Genomic and Epigenetic Changes Drive Aberrant Skeletal Muscle Differentiation in Rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2823. [PMID: 37345159 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, represents an aberrant form of skeletal muscle differentiation. Both skeletal muscle development, as well as regeneration of adult skeletal muscle are governed by members of the myogenic family of regulatory transcription factors (MRFs), which are deployed in a highly controlled, multi-step, bidirectional process. Many aspects of this complex process are deregulated in RMS and contribute to tumorigenesis. Interconnected loops of super-enhancers, called core regulatory circuitries (CRCs), define aberrant muscle differentiation in RMS cells. The transcriptional regulation of MRF expression/activity takes a central role in the CRCs active in skeletal muscle and RMS. In PAX3::FOXO1 fusion-positive (PF+) RMS, CRCs maintain expression of the disease-driving fusion oncogene. Recent single-cell studies have revealed hierarchically organized subsets of cells within the RMS cell pool, which recapitulate developmental myogenesis and appear to drive malignancy. There is a large interest in exploiting the causes of aberrant muscle development in RMS to allow for terminal differentiation as a therapeutic strategy, for example, by interrupting MEK/ERK signaling or by interfering with the epigenetic machinery controlling CRCs. In this review, we provide an overview of the genetic and epigenetic framework of abnormal muscle differentiation in RMS, as it provides insights into fundamental mechanisms of RMS malignancy, its remarkable phenotypic diversity and, ultimately, opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pomella
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara G Danielli
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rita Alaggio
- Department of Pathology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Willemijn B Breunis
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ebrahem Hamed
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joanna Selfe
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 FNG, UK
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zoe S Walters
- Translational Epigenomics Team, Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Beat W Schäfer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS Istituto Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Janet M Shipley
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 FNG, UK
| | - Simone Hettmer
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre Freiburg (CCCF), University Medical Center Freiburg, 790106 Freiburg, Germany
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4
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The Roles of Exosomes in Metastasis of Sarcoma: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Targets. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13030456. [PMID: 36979391 PMCID: PMC10046038 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcoma is a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal neoplasms with a high rate of lung metastasis. The cellular mechanisms responsible for sarcoma metastasis remain poorly understood. Furthermore, there are limited efficacious therapeutic strategies for treating metastatic sarcoma. Improved diagnostic and therapeutic modalities are of increasing importance for the treatment of sarcoma due to their high mortality in the advanced stages of the disease. Recent evidence demonstrates that the exosome, a type of extracellular vesicle released by virtually all cells in the body, is an important facilitator of intercellular communication between the cells and the surrounding environment. The exosome is gaining significant attention among the medical research community, but there is little knowledge about how the exosome affects sarcoma metastasis. In this review, we summarize the multifaceted roles of sarcoma-derived exosomes in promoting the process of metastasis via the formation of pre-metastatic niche (PMN), the regulation of immunity, angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and the migration of sarcoma cells. We also highlight the potential of exosomes as innovative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets in sarcoma metastasis.
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5
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Lak NS, Voormanns TL, Zappeij-Kannegieter L, van Zogchel LM, Fiocco M, van Noesel MM, Merks JH, van der Schoot CE, Tytgat GA, Stutterheim J. Improving Risk Stratification for Pediatric Patients with Rhabdomyosarcoma by Molecular Detection of Disseminated Disease. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:5576-5585. [PMID: 34285060 PMCID: PMC9401561 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Survival of children with rhabdomyosarcoma that suffer from recurrent or progressive disease is poor. Identifying these patients upfront remains challenging, indicating a need for improvement of risk stratification. Detection of tumor-derived mRNA in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) using reverse-transcriptase qPCR (RT-qPCR) is a more sensitive method to detect disseminated disease. We identified a panel of genes to optimize risk stratification by RT-qPCR. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Candidate genes were selected using gene expression data from rhabdomyosarcoma and healthy hematologic tissues, and a multiplexed RT-qPCR was developed. Significance of molecular disease was determined in a cohort of 99 Dutch patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (72 localized and 27 metastasized) treated according to the European pediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG) RMS2005 protocol. RESULTS We identified the following 11 rhabdomyosarcoma markers: ZIC1, ACTC1, MEGF10, PDLIM3, SNAI2, CDH11, TMEM47, MYOD1, MYOG, and PAX3/7-FOXO1. RT-qPCR was performed for this 11-marker panel on BM and PB samples from the patient cohort. Five-year event-free survival (EFS) was 35.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 17.5%-53.5%] for the 33/99 RNA-positive patients, versus 88.0% (95% CI, 78.9%-97.2%) for the 66/99 RNA-negative patients (P < 0.0001). Five-year overall survival (OS) was 54.8% (95% CI, 36.2%-73.4%) and 93.7% (95% CI, 86.6%-100.0%), respectively (P < 0.0001). RNA panel positivity was negatively associated with EFS (Hazard Ratio = 9.52; 95% CI, 3.23-28.02), whereas the RMS2005 risk group stratification was not, in the multivariate Cox regression model. CONCLUSIONS This study shows a strong association between PCR-based detection of disseminated disease at diagnosis with clinical outcome in pediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, also compared with conventional risk stratification. This warrants further validation in prospective trials as additional technique for risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie S.M. Lak
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Lieke M.J. van Zogchel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marta Fiocco
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Mathematical Institute, University of Leiden, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Data Science, Medical Statistics Section, Leiden University Medical Centre, University of Leiden, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Max M. van Noesel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Godelieve A.M. Tytgat
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Janine Stutterheim
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Corresponding Author: Janine Stutterheim, Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Utrecht, Utrecht, 3584 CS, the Netherlands. E-mail:
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Protein Arginine Methyltransferase (PRMT) Inhibitors-AMI-1 and SAH Are Effective in Attenuating Rhabdomyosarcoma Growth and Proliferation in Cell Cultures. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158023. [PMID: 34360791 PMCID: PMC8348967 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a malignant soft tissue cancer that develops mostly in children and young adults. With regard to histopathology, four rhabdomyosarcoma types are distinguishable: embryonal, alveolar, pleomorphic and spindle/sclerosing. Currently, increased amounts of evidence indicate that not only gene mutations, but also epigenetic modifications may be involved in the development of RMS. Epigenomic changes regulate the chromatin architecture and affect the interaction between DNA strands, histones and chromatin binding proteins, thus, are able to control gene expression. The main aim of the study was to assess the role of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT) in the cellular biology of rhabdomyosarcoma. In the study we used two pan-inhibitors of PRMT, called AMI-1 and SAH, and evaluated their effects on proliferation and apoptosis of RMS cells. We observed that AMI-1 and SAH reduce the invasive phenotype of rhabdomyosarcoma cells by decreasing their proliferation rate, cell viability and ability to form cell colonies. In addition, microarray analysis revealed that these inhibitors attenuate the activity of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and affect expression of genes related to it.
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Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive childhood mesenchymal tumor with two major molecular and histopathologic subtypes: fusion-positive (FP)RMS, characterized by the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion protein and largely of alveolar histology, and fusion-negative (FN)RMS, the majority of which exhibit embryonal tumor histology. Metastatic disease continues to be associated with poor overall survival despite intensive treatment strategies. Studies on RMS biology have provided some insight into autocrine as well as paracrine signaling pathways that contribute to invasion and metastatic propensity. Such pathways include those driven by the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion oncoprotein in FPRMS and signaling pathways such as IGF/RAS/MEK/ERK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, cMET, FGFR4, and PDGFR in both FP and FNRMS. In addition, specific cytoskeletal proteins, G protein coupled receptors, Hedgehog, Notch, Wnt, Hippo, and p53 pathways play a role, as do specific microRNA. Paracrine factors, including secreted proteins and RMS-derived exosomes that carry cargo of protein and miRNA, have also recently emerged as potentially important players in RMS biology. This review summarizes the known factors contributing to RMS invasion and metastasis and their implications on identifying targets for treatment and a better understanding of metastatic RMS.
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8
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Camero S, Camicia L, Marampon F, Ceccarelli S, Shukla R, Mannarino O, Pizer B, Schiavetti A, Pizzuti A, Tombolini V, Marchese C, Dominici C, Megiorni F. BET inhibition therapy counteracts cancer cell survival, clonogenic potential and radioresistance mechanisms in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Cancer Lett 2020; 479:71-88. [PMID: 32200036 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The antitumour effects of OTX015, a first-in-class BET inhibitor (BETi), were investigated as a single agent or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) in preclinical in vitro models of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma. Herein, we demonstrated the upregulation of BET Bromodomain gene expression in RMS tumour biopsies and cell lines compared to normal skeletal muscle. In vitro experiments showed that OTX015 significantly reduced RMS cell proliferation by altering cell cycle modulators and apoptotic related proteins due to the accumulation of DNA breaks that cells are unable to repair. Interestingly, OTX015 also impaired migration capacity and tumour-sphere architecture by downregulating pro-stemness genes and was able to potentiate ionizing radiation effects by reducing the expression of different drivers of tumour dissemination and resistance mechanisms, including the GNL3 gene, that we correlated for the first time with the RMS phenotype. In conclusion, our research sheds further light on the molecular events of OTX015 action against RMS cells and indicates this novel BETi as an effective option to improve therapeutic strategies and overcome the development of resistant cancer cells in patients with RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rajeev Shukla
- Department of Perinatal and Paediatric Pathology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Olga Mannarino
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Barry Pizer
- Department of Oncology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP, UK.
| | - Amalia Schiavetti
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Carlo Dominici
- Department of Maternal, Infantile, and Urological Sciences, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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9
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Linos K. Sarcomas. Genomic Med 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-22922-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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10
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Xia CL, Lyu Y, Li C, Li H, Zhang ZT, Yin SW, Mao Y, Li W, Kong LY, Liang B, Jiang HK, Li-Ling J, Liu CX, Wei J. Rare De Novo IGF2 Variant on the Paternal Allele in a Patient With Silver-Russell Syndrome. Front Genet 2019; 10:1161. [PMID: 31803239 PMCID: PMC6872539 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Silver–Russell syndrome (SRS) is a rare, well-recognized disorder characterized by growth restriction, including intrauterine and postnatal growth. Most SRS cases are caused by hypomethylation of the paternal imprinting center 1 (IC1) in chromosome 11p15.5 and maternal uniparental disomy in chromosome 7 (UPD7). Here, we report on a Chinese family with a 4 year old male proband presenting with low birth weight, growth retardation, short stature, a narrow chin, delayed bone age, and speech delays, as a result of a rare molecular etiology. Whole-exome sequencing was conducted, and a novel de novo IGF2 splicing variant, NM_000612.4: c.157+5G > A, was identified on the paternal allele. In vitro functional analysis by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing revealed that the variant leads to an aberrant RNA transcript lacking exon 2. Our results further confirm the IGF2 variant mediates SRS and expand the pathogenic variant and phenotypic spectrum of IGF2-mediated SRS. The results indicate that, beyond DNA methylation and UPD7 and CDKN1C variant tests, IGF2 gene screening should also be considered for SRS molecular diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ling Xia
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuan Lyu
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chuang Li
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Huan Li
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhi-Tao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shao-Wei Yin
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yan Mao
- Basecare Medical Device Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Wen Li
- Basecare Medical Device Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | | | - Bo Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Kun Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jesse Li-Ling
- Jinxin Research Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Jinjiang Maternal and Children's Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Cai-Xia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jun Wei
- Key Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine of Liaoning Province, Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Higher Education of Liaoning Province, Liaoning Centre for Prenatal Diagnosis, Research Center of China Medical University Birth Cohort, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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11
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Bharathy N, Berlow NE, Wang E, Abraham J, Settelmeyer TP, Hooper JE, Svalina MN, Bajwa Z, Goros MW, Hernandez BS, Wolff JE, Pal R, Davies AM, Ashok A, Bushby D, Mancini M, Noakes C, Goodwin NC, Ordentlich P, Keck J, Hawkins DS, Rudzinski ER, Mansoor A, Perkins TJ, Vakoc CR, Michalek JE, Keller C. Preclinical rationale for entinostat in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Skelet Muscle 2019; 9:12. [PMID: 31113472 PMCID: PMC6528217 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-019-0198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in the pediatric cancer population. Survival among metastatic RMS patients has remained dismal yet unimproved for years. We previously identified the class I-specific histone deacetylase inhibitor, entinostat (ENT), as a pharmacological agent that transcriptionally suppresses the PAX3:FOXO1 tumor-initiating fusion gene found in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS), and we further investigated the mechanism by which ENT suppresses PAX3:FOXO1 oncogene and demonstrated the preclinical efficacy of ENT in RMS orthotopic allograft and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. In this study, we investigated whether ENT also has antitumor activity in fusion-negative eRMS orthotopic allografts and PDX models either as a single agent or in combination with vincristine (VCR). METHODS We tested the efficacy of ENT and VCR as single agents and in combination in orthotopic allograft and PDX mouse models of eRMS. We then performed CRISPR screening to identify which HDAC among the class I HDACs is responsible for tumor growth inhibition in eRMS. To analyze whether ENT treatment as a single agent or in combination with VCR induces myogenic differentiation, we performed hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining in tumors. RESULTS ENT in combination with the chemotherapy VCR has synergistic antitumor activity in a subset of fusion-negative eRMS in orthotopic "allografts," although PDX mouse models were too hypersensitive to the VCR dose used to detect synergy. Mechanistic studies involving CRISPR suggest that HDAC3 inhibition is the primary mechanism of cell-autonomous cytoreduction in eRMS. Following cytoreduction in vivo, residual tumor cells in the allograft models treated with chemotherapy undergo a dramatic, entinostat-induced (70-100%) conversion to non-proliferative rhabdomyoblasts. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the targeting class I HDACs may provide a therapeutic benefit for selected patients with eRMS. ENT's preclinical in vivo efficacy makes ENT a rational drug candidate in a phase II clinical trial for eRMS.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage
- Benzamides/administration & dosage
- Benzamides/therapeutic use
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Cell Differentiation/drug effects
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cellular Reprogramming/drug effects
- Cellular Reprogramming/genetics
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
- Female
- Histone Deacetylase 1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Histone Deacetylase 1/genetics
- Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/administration & dosage
- Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- Pyridines/administration & dosage
- Pyridines/therapeutic use
- RNA-Seq
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar/drug therapy
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar/enzymology
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar/pathology
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal/drug therapy
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal/enzymology
- Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal/pathology
- Tumor Burden/drug effects
- Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects
- Tumor Microenvironment/genetics
- Vincristine/administration & dosage
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendra Bharathy
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 12655 Sw Beaverdam Rd. W, Beaverton, OR, 97005, USA.
| | - Noah E Berlow
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 12655 Sw Beaverdam Rd. W, Beaverton, OR, 97005, USA
| | - Eric Wang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Jinu Abraham
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Teagan P Settelmeyer
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 12655 Sw Beaverdam Rd. W, Beaverton, OR, 97005, USA
| | - Jody E Hooper
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Matthew N Svalina
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 12655 Sw Beaverdam Rd. W, Beaverton, OR, 97005, USA
| | - Zia Bajwa
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 12655 Sw Beaverdam Rd. W, Beaverton, OR, 97005, USA
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Martin W Goros
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Brian S Hernandez
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Johannes E Wolff
- Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Cleveland Clinic Children's, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
- Present Address: AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Ranadip Pal
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | | | - Arya Ashok
- Champions Oncology, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - James Keck
- The Jackson Laboratory, Sacramento, CA, 95838, USA
| | | | | | - Atiya Mansoor
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Theodore J Perkins
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | | | - Joel E Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Charles Keller
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 12655 Sw Beaverdam Rd. W, Beaverton, OR, 97005, USA.
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12
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Kohama I, Kosaka N, Chikuda H, Ochiya T. An Insight into the Roles of MicroRNAs and Exosomes in Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E428. [PMID: 30917542 PMCID: PMC6468388 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11030428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sarcomas are rare solid tumors, but at least one-third of patients with sarcoma die from tumor-related disease. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a noncoding RNA that regulates gene expression in all cells and plays a key role in the progression of cancers. Recently, it was identified that miRNAs are transferred between cells by enclosure in extracellular vesicles, especially exosomes. The exosome is a 100 nm-sized membraned vesicle that is secreted by many kinds of cells and contains miRNA, mRNA, DNA, and proteins. Cancer uses exosomes to influence not only the tumor microenvironment but also the distant organ to create a premetastatic niche. The progression of sarcoma is also regulated by miRNAs and exosomes. These miRNAs and exosomes can be targeted as biomarkers and treatments. In this review, we summarize the studies of miRNA and exosomes in sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaku Kohama
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showamachi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
| | - Nobuyoshi Kosaka
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.
- Department of Translational Research for Extracellular Vesicles, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka Chikuda
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showamachi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.
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13
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Bhat AV, Palanichamy Kala M, Rao VK, Pignata L, Lim HJ, Suriyamurthy S, Chang KT, Lee VK, Guccione E, Taneja R. Epigenetic Regulation of the PTEN-AKT-RAC1 Axis by G9a Is Critical for Tumor Growth in Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer Res 2019; 79:2232-2243. [PMID: 30833420 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-2676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is an aggressive pediatric cancer with poor prognosis. As transient and stable modifications to chromatin have emerged as critical mechanisms in oncogenic signaling, efforts to target epigenetic modifiers as a therapeutic strategy have accelerated in recent years. To identify chromatin modifiers that sustain tumor growth, we performed an epigenetic screen and found that inhibition of lysine methyltransferase G9a significantly affected the viability of ARMS cell lines. Targeting expression or activity of G9a reduced cellular proliferation and motility in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Transcriptome and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis provided mechanistic evidence that the tumor-suppressor PTEN was a direct target gene of G9a. G9a repressed PTEN expression in a methyltransferase activity-dependent manner, resulting in increased AKT and RAC1 activity. Re-expression of constitutively active RAC1 in G9a-deficient tumor cells restored oncogenic phenotypes, demonstrating its critical functions downstream of G9a. Collectively, our study provides evidence for a G9a-dependent epigenetic program that regulates tumor growth and suggests targeting G9a as a therapeutic strategy in ARMS. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that RAC1 is an effector of G9a oncogenic functions and highlight the potential of G9a inhibitors in the treatment of ARMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay V Bhat
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Monica Palanichamy Kala
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vinay Kumar Rao
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Luca Pignata
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huey Jin Lim
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sudha Suriyamurthy
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kenneth T Chang
- Department of Pathology, KK Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Victor K Lee
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Reshma Taneja
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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14
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Camero S, Ceccarelli S, De Felice F, Marampon F, Mannarino O, Camicia L, Vescarelli E, Pontecorvi P, Pizer B, Shukla R, Schiavetti A, Mollace MG, Pizzuti A, Tombolini V, Marchese C, Megiorni F, Dominici C. PARP inhibitors affect growth, survival and radiation susceptibility of human alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2019; 145:137-152. [PMID: 30357520 PMCID: PMC6326011 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-018-2774-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are used in a wide range of human solid tumours but a limited evidence is reported in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most frequent childhood soft-tissue sarcoma. The cellular and molecular effects of Olaparib, a specific PARP1/2 inhibitor, and AZD2461, a newly synthesized PARP1/2/3 inhibitor, were assessed in alveolar and embryonal RMS cells both as single-agent and in combination with ionizing radiation (IR). METHODS Cell viability was monitored by trypan blue exclusion dye assays. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry, and alterations of specific molecular markers were investigated by, Real Time PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments. Irradiations were carried out at a dose rate of 2 Gy (190 UM/min) or 4 Gy (380 UM/min). Radiosensitivity was assessed by using clonogenic assays. RESULTS Olaparib and AZD2461 dose-dependently reduced growth of both RH30 and RD cells by arresting growth at G2/M phase and by modulating the expression, activation and subcellular localization of specific cell cycle regulators. Downregulation of phospho-AKT levels and accumulation of γH2AX, a specific marker of DNA damage, were significantly and persistently induced by Olaparib and AZD2461 exposure, this leading to apoptosis-related cell death. Both PARPi significantly enhanced the effects of IR by accumulating DNA damage, increasing G2 arrest and drastically reducing the clonogenic capacity of RMS-cotreated cells. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that the combined exposure to PARPi and IR might display a role in the treatment of RMS tumours compared with single-agent exposure, since stronger cytotoxic effects are induced, and compensatory survival mechanisms are prevented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Felice
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Olga Mannarino
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Enrica Vescarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Pontecorvi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Barry Pizer
- Department of Oncology, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP UK
| | - Rajeev Shukla
- Department of Perinatal and Paediatric Pathology, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Amalia Schiavetti
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Mollace
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Dominici
- Department of Paediatrics, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
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15
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Gravina GL, Festuccia C, Popov VM, Di Rocco A, Colapietro A, Sanità P, Monache SD, Musio D, De Felice F, Di Cesare E, Tombolini V, Marampon F. c-Myc Sustains Transformed Phenotype and Promotes Radioresistance of Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell Lines. Radiat Res 2017; 185:411-22. [PMID: 27104757 DOI: 10.1667/rr14237.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
We have previously reported that the MEK/ERK pathway sustains in vitro and in vivo transformed phenotype and radioresistance of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) cell lines. Furthermore, we found that aberrant MEK/ERK signaling activation promotes c-Myc oncoprotein accumulation. In this study, the role of c-Myc in sustaining the ERMS transformed and radioresistant phenotype is characterized. RD and TE671 cell lines conditionally expressing MadMyc chimera protein, c-Myc-dominant negative and shRNA directed to c-Myc were used. Targeting c-Myc counteracted in vitro ERMS adherence and in suspension, growth motility and the expression of pro-angiogenic factors. c-Myc depletion decreased MMP-9, MMP-2, u-PA gelatinolytic activity, neural cell adhesion molecule sialylation status, HIF-1α, VEGF and increased TSP-1 protein expression levels. Rapid but not sustained targeting c-Myc radiosensitized ERMS cells by radiation-induced apoptosis, DNA damage and impairing the expression of DNA repair proteins RAD51 and DNA-PKcs, thereby silencing affected ERMS radioresistance. c-Myc sustains ERMS transformed phenotype and radioresistance by protecting cancer cells from radiation-induced apoptosis and DNA damage, while promoting radiation-induced DNA repair. This data suggest that c-Myc targeting can be tested as a promising treatment in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Gravina
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - C Festuccia
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - V M Popov
- b Department of Radiation Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Center for Innovation Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - A Di Rocco
- c Department of Orthopedics/Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - A Colapietro
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - P Sanità
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - S Delle Monache
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - D Musio
- d Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - F De Felice
- d Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - E Di Cesare
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - V Tombolini
- d Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - F Marampon
- a Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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16
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Missiaglia E, Shepherd CJ, Aladowicz E, Olmos D, Selfe J, Pierron G, Delattre O, Walters Z, Shipley J. MicroRNA and gene co-expression networks characterize biological and clinical behavior of rhabdomyosarcomas. Cancer Lett 2016; 385:251-260. [PMID: 27984116 PMCID: PMC5157784 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 10/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) in children and adolescents are heterogeneous sarcomas broadly defined by skeletal muscle features and the presence/absence of PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion genes. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression in a cell context specific manner. Sequencing analyses of microRNAs in 64 RMS revealed expression patterns separating skeletal muscle, fusion gene positive and negative RMS. Integration with parallel gene expression data assigned biological functions to 12 co-expression networks/modules that reassuringly included myogenic roles strongly correlated with microRNAs known in myogenesis and RMS development. Modules also correlated with clinical outcome and fusion status. Regulation of microRNAs by the fusion protein was demonstrated after PAX3-FOXO1 reduction, exemplified by miR-9-5p. MiR-9-5p levels correlated with poor outcome, even within fusion gene positive RMS, and were higher in metastatic versus non-metastatic disease. MiR-9-5p reduction inhibited RMS cell migration. Our findings reveal microRNAs in a regulatory framework of biological and clinical significance in RMS. RNAseq profiled miRNA expression in 64 rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS). MiRNA expression distinguished muscle and RMS on the basis of fusion gene status. Co-expression networks linked to function, clinical data and fusion gene status. Identified miRNAs, including miR-9-5p, altered by the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion protein. Demonstrated clinical and functional role for miR-9-5p in RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Missiaglia
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Chris J Shepherd
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Ewa Aladowicz
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - David Olmos
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Joanna Selfe
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Gaëlle Pierron
- Unité de Génétique Somatique, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Olivier Delattre
- Unité de Génétique Somatique, Institut Curie, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75248, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Zoe Walters
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Janet Shipley
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, Divisions of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, SM2 5NG, UK.
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17
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Walsh EM, Niu M, Bergholz J, Xiao ZXJ. Nutlin-3 down-regulates retinoblastoma protein expression and inhibits muscle cell differentiation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 461:293-9. [PMID: 25871794 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The p53 tumor suppressor gene plays a critical role in regulation of proliferation, cell death and differentiation. The MDM2 oncoprotein is a major negative regulator for p53 by binding to and targeting p53 for proteasome-mediated degradation. The small molecule inhibitor, nutlin-3, disrupts MDM2-p53 interaction resulting in stabilization and activation of p53 protein. We have previously shown that nutlin-3 activates p53, leading to MDM2 accumulation as concomitant of reduced retinoblastoma (Rb) protein stability. It is well known that Rb is important in muscle development and myoblast differentiation and that rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), or cancer of the skeletal muscle, typically harbors MDM2 amplification. In this study, we show that nutlin-3 inhibited myoblast proliferation and effectively prevented myoblast differentiation, as evidenced by lack of expression of muscle differentiation markers including myogenin and myosin heavy chain (MyHC), as well as a failure to form multinucleated myotubes, which were associated with dramatic increases in MDM2 expression and decrease in Rb protein levels. These results indicate that nutlin-3 can effectively inhibit muscle cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica M Walsh
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - MengMeng Niu
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China
| | - Johann Bergholz
- Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China
| | - Zhi-Xiong Jim Xiao
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China.
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18
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Scott EM, Teixeira LBC, Flanders DJ, Dubielzig RR, McLellan GJ. Canine orbital rhabdomyosarcoma: a report of 18 cases. Vet Ophthalmol 2015; 19:130-7. [PMID: 25846977 DOI: 10.1111/vop.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe clinical and pathological features of canine orbital rhabdomyosarcoma (COR). METHODS Retrospective review of patients with COR from the archives of the Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (1983-2014). RESULTS Eighteen cases of COR were identified, all diagnosed in an 8-year period (2006-2014). Affected dogs were typically young (range 1-8; median 2 years), and both sexes were equally represented. Common clinical signs included exophthalmos (16/18) with dorsolateral deviation of the globe (10/18) and elevation of the nictitans (12/18). Ultrasonography, performed in nine cases, revealed an orbital mass with mixed echogenicity and posterior globe indentation. Advanced imaging, performed in nine cases, demonstrated a soft tissue mass with variable contrast enhancement and lysis of the orbital bones (5/9). Histologically, all tumors were subclassified as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. All neoplasms demonstrated positive immunohistochemical labeling for desmin, and 14/18 were positive for skeletal muscle actin. Follow-up information was available for 15/18 cases. Older dogs, aged 6-8 years, had no clinical signs of recurrence or metastasis 8-13 months postdiagnosis (4/4). Most younger dogs (9/11), aged 1-4 years, were euthanized within 6 months (median 2.5 months) of diagnosis due to recurrence at the surgical site (5/9) and/or metastasis (5/9). CONCLUSIONS Canine orbital rhabdomyosarcoma is a highly malignant neoplasm in juvenile dogs, but may be amenable to surgical resection in older dogs. This duality in biologic behavior may reflect differences in tissue of origin between juvenile onset tumors and adult onset tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Scott
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Leandro B C Teixeira
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | | | - Richard R Dubielzig
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Gillian J McLellan
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
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19
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Tarnowski M, Tkacz M, Czerewaty M, Poniewierska-Baran A, Grymuła K, Ratajczak MZ. 5‑Azacytidine inhibits human rhabdomyosarcoma cell growth by downregulating insulin‑like growth factor 2 expression and reactivating the H19 gene product miR‑675, which negatively affects insulin‑like growth factors and insulin signaling. Int J Oncol 2015; 46:2241-50. [PMID: 25707431 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2015.2906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and 1 (IGF1) and insulin (INS) promote proliferation of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cells by interacting with the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and the insulin receptor (INSR). Loss of imprinting (LOI) by DNA hypermethylation at the differentially methylated region (DMR) for the IGF2‑H19 locus is commonly observed in RMS cells and results in an increase in the expression of proliferation-promoting IGF2 and downregulation of proliferation-inhibiting non-coding H19 miRNAs. One of these miRNAs, miR‑675, has been reported in murine cells to be a negative regulator of IGF1R expression. To better address the role of IGF2 and 1, as well as INS signaling in the pathogenesis of RMS and the involvement of LOI at the IGF2‑H19 locus, we employed the DNA demethylating agent 5‑azacytidine (AzaC). We observed that AzaC‑mediated demethylation of the DMR at the IGF2‑H19 locus resulted in downregulation of IGF2 and an increase in the expression of H19. This epigenetic change resulted in a decrease in RMS proliferation due to downregulation of IGF2 and, IGF1R expression in an miR‑675‑dependent manner. Interestingly, we observed that miR‑675 not only inhibited the expression of IGF1R in a similar manner in human and murine cells, but we also observed its negative effect on the expression of the INSR. These results confirm the crucial role of LOI at the IGF2‑H19 DMR in the pathogenesis of RMS and are relevant to the development of new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Tarnowski
- Department of Physiology Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Marta Tkacz
- Department of Physiology Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Michał Czerewaty
- Department of Physiology Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Grymuła
- Department of Physiology Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Mariusz Z Ratajczak
- Stem Cell Biology Program at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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20
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Liu CX, Li XY, Li CF, Chen YZ, Cui XB, Hu JM, Li F. Compound HRAS/PIK3CA mutations in Chinese patients with alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014; 15:1771-4. [PMID: 24641407 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.4.1771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common type of soft tissue tumor in children and adolescents; yet only a few screens for oncogenic mutations have been conducted for RMS. To identify novel mutations and potential therapeutic targets, we conducted a high-throughput Sequenom mass spectrometry-based analysis of 238 known mutations in 19 oncogenes in 17 primary formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded RMS tissue samples and two RMS cell lines. Mutations were detected in 31.6% (6 of 19) of the RMS specimens. Specifically, mutations in the NRAS gene were found in 27.3% (3 of 11) of embryonal RMS cases, while mutations in NRAS, HRAS, and PIK3CA genes were identified in 37.5% (3 of 8) of alveolar RMS (ARMS) cases; moreover, PIK3CA mutations were found in 25% (2 of 8) of ARMS specimens. The results demonstrate that tumor profiling in archival tissue samples is a useful tool for identifying diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets and suggests that these HRAS/ PIK3CA mutations play a critical role in the genesis of RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China E-mail :
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21
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Czifra G, Szöllősi A, Nagy Z, Boros M, Juhász I, Kiss A, Erdődi F, Szabó T, Kovács I, Török M, Kovács L, Blumberg PM, Bíró T. Protein kinase Cδ promotes proliferation and induces malignant transformation in skeletal muscle. J Cell Mol Med 2014; 19:396-407. [PMID: 25283340 PMCID: PMC4407591 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.12452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we investigated the isoform-specific roles of certain protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in the regulation of skeletal muscle growth. Here, we provide the first intriguing functional evidence that nPKCδ (originally described as an inhibitor of proliferation in various cells types) is a key player in promoting both in vitro and in vivo skeletal muscle growth. Recombinant overexpression of a constitutively active nPKCδ in C2C12 myoblast increased proliferation and inhibited differentiation. Conversely, overexpression of kinase-negative mutant of nPKCδ (DN-nPKCδ) markedly inhibited cell growth. Moreover, overexpression of nPKCδ also stimulated in vivo tumour growth and induced malignant transformation in immunodeficient (SCID) mice whereas that of DN-nPKCδ suppressed tumour formation. The role of nPKCδ in the formation of rhabdomyosarcoma was also investigated where recombinant overexpression of nPKCδ in human rhabdomyosarcoma RD cells also increased cell proliferation and enhanced tumour formation in mouse xenografts. The other isoforms investigated (PKCα, β, ε) exerted only minor (mostly growth-inhibitory) effects in skeletal muscle cells. Collectively, our data introduce nPKCδ as a novel growth-promoting molecule in skeletal muscles and invite further trials to exploit its therapeutic potential in the treatment of skeletal muscle malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Czifra
- DE-MTA "Lendület" Cellular Physiology Research Group, Department of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Debrecen, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary
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22
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Cieśla M, Dulak J, Józkowicz A. MicroRNAs and epigenetic mechanisms of rhabdomyosarcoma development. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2014; 53:482-92. [PMID: 24831881 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2014.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children. Two main subtypes of rhabdomyosarcoma with different molecular pattern and distinct clinical behaviour may be identified - embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. All types of rhabdomyosarcoma are believed to be of myogenic origin as they express high levels of myogenesis-related factors. They all, however, fail to undergo a terminal differentiation which results in tumour formation. In the aberrant regulation of myogenesis in rhabdomyosarcoma, microRNAs and epigenetic factors are particularly involved. Indeed, these mediators seem to be even more significant for the development of rhabdomyosarcoma than canonical myogenic transcription factors like MyoD, a master regulatory switch for myogenesis. Therefore, in this review we focus on the regulation of rhabdomyosarcoma progression by microRNAs, and especially on microRNAs of the myo-miRNAs family (miR-1, -133a/b and -206), other well-known myogenic regulators like miR-29, and on microRNAs recently recognized to play a role in the differentiation of rhabdomyosarcoma, such as miR-450b-5p or miR-203. We also review changes in epigenetic modifiers associated with rhabdomyosarcoma, namely histone deacetylases and methyltransferases, especially from the Polycomp Group, like Yin Yang1 and Enhancer of Zeste Homolog2. Finally, we summarize how the functioning of these molecules can be affected by oxidative stress and how antioxidative enzymes can influence the development of this tumour. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Rare Cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Cieśla
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Józef Dulak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Alicja Józkowicz
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.
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23
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Aberrant CDK4 amplification in refractory rhabdomyosarcoma as identified by genomic profiling. Sci Rep 2014; 4:3623. [PMID: 24406431 PMCID: PMC3887377 DOI: 10.1038/srep03623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most commonly occurring type of soft tissue tumor in children. However, it is rare in adults, and therefore, very little is known about the most appropriate treatment strategy for adult RMS patients. We performed genomic analysis of RMS cells derived from a 27-year-old male patient whose disease was refractory to treatment. A peritoneal seeding nodule from the primary tumor, pleural metastases, malignant pleural effusion, and ascites obtained during disease progression, were analyzed. Whole exome sequencing revealed 23 candidate variants, and 10 of 23 mutations were validated by Sanger sequencing. Three of 10 mutations were present in both primary and metastatic tumors, and 3 mutations were detected only in metastatic specimens. Comparative genomic hybridization array analysis revealed prominent amplification in the 12q13–14 region, and more specifically, the CDK4 proto-oncogene was highly amplified. ALK overexpression was observed at both protein and RNA levels. However, an ALK fusion assay using NanoString technology failed to show any ALK rearrangements. Little genetic heterogeneity was observed between primary and metastatic RMS cells. We propose that CDK4, located at 12q14, is a potential target for drug development for RMS treatment.
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24
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Diao Y, Guo X, Jiang L, Wang G, Zhang C, Wan J, Jin Y, Wu Z. miR-203, a tumor suppressor frequently down-regulated by promoter hypermethylation in rhabdomyosarcoma. J Biol Chem 2013; 289:529-39. [PMID: 24247238 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.494716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma found in children and young adults. It is characterized by the expression of a number of skeletal muscle-specific proteins, including MyoD and muscle α-actin. However, unlike normal myoblasts, RMS cells differentiate poorly both in vivo and in culture. As microRNAs are known to regulate tumorigenesis, intensive efforts have been made to identify microRNAs that are involved in RMS development. In this work, we found that miR-203 was frequently down-regulated by promoter hypermethylation in both RMS cell lines and RMS biopsies and could be reactivated by DNA-demethylating agents. Re-expression of miR-203 in RMS cells inhibited their migration and proliferation and promoted terminal myogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, miR-203 exerts its tumor-suppressive effect by directly targeting p63 and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor in RMS cells, which promotes myogenic differentiation by inhibiting the Notch and the JAK1/STAT1/STAT3 pathways, respectively. Our work reveals that miR-203 functions as a tumor suppressor in RMS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yarui Diao
- From the Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, 518036 Shenzhen
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25
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Novák J, Vinklárek J, Bienertová-Vašků J, Slabý O. MicroRNAs involved in skeletal muscle development and their roles in rhabdomyosarcoma pathogenesis. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60:1739-46. [PMID: 23813576 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.24664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs known to fulfill various functions in tissue development, function, and pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) represents the most common soft tissue tumor in the pediatric population. miRs have been shown to play important roles in RMS pathogenesis and some of the studies suggest their potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and even therapeutic tools facilitating better management of this disease. This review summarizes current information about the role of miRs in the development of normal skeletal muscle and their deregulation in RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Novák
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathological Physiology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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26
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Storer NY, White RM, Uong A, Price E, Nielsen GP, Langenau DM, Zon LI. Zebrafish rhabdomyosarcoma reflects the developmental stage of oncogene expression during myogenesis. Development 2013; 140:3040-50. [PMID: 23821038 DOI: 10.1242/dev.087858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a pediatric malignancy thought to arise from the uncontrolled proliferation of myogenic cells. Here, we have generated models of rhabdomyosarcoma in the zebrafish by inducing oncogenic KRAS(G12D) expression at different stages during muscle development. Several zebrafish promoters were used, including the cdh15 and rag2 promoters, which drive gene expression in early muscle progenitors, and the mylz2 promoter, which is expressed in differentiating myoblasts. The tumors that developed differed in their ability to recapitulate normal myogenesis. cdh15:KRAS(G12D) and rag2:KRAS(G12D) fish developed tumors that displayed an inability to complete muscle differentiation as determined by histological appearance and gene expression analyses. By contrast, mylz2:KRAS(G12D) tumors more closely resembled mature skeletal muscle and were most similar to well-differentiated human rhabdomyosarcoma in terms of gene expression. mylz2:KRAS(G12D) fish showed significantly improved survival compared with cdh15:KRAS(G12D) and rag2:KRAS(G12D) fish. Tumor-propagating activity was enriched in myf5-expressing cell populations within all of the tumor types. Our results demonstrate that oncogenic KRAS(G12D) expression at different stages during muscle development has profound effects on the ability of tumor cells to recapitulate normal myogenesis, altering the tumorigenic capability of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narie Y Storer
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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27
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Lost miRNA surveillance of Notch, IGFR pathway—road to sarcomagenesis. Tumour Biol 2013; 35:483-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s13277-013-1068-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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28
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Siegel AL, Gurevich DB, Currie PD. A myogenic precursor cell that could contribute to regeneration in zebrafish and its similarity to the satellite cell. FEBS J 2013; 280:4074-88. [PMID: 23607511 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The cellular basis for mammalian muscle regeneration has been an area of intense investigation over recent decades. The consensus is that a specialized self-renewing stem cell, termed the satellite cell, plays a major role during the process of regeneration in amniotes. How broadly this mechanism is deployed within the vertebrate phylogeny remains an open question. A lack of information on the role of cells analogous to the satellite cell in other vertebrate systems is even more unexpected given the fact that satellite cells were first designated in frogs. An intriguing aspect of this debate is that a number of amphibia and many fish species exhibit epimorphic regenerative processes in specific tissues, whereby regeneration occurs by the dedifferentiation of the damaged tissue, without deploying specialized stem cell populations analogous to satellite cells. Hence, it is feasible that a cellular process completely distinct from that deployed during mammalian muscle regeneration could operate in species capable of epimorphic regeneration. In this minireview, we examine the evidence for the broad phylogenetic distribution of satellite cells. We conclude that, in the vertebrates examined so far, epimorphosis does not appear to be deployed during muscle regeneration, and that analogous cells expressing similar marker genes to satellite cells appear to be deployed during the regenerative process. However, the functional definition of these cells as self-renewing muscle stem cells remains a final hurdle to the definition of the satellite cell as a generic vertebrate cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Siegel
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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29
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Mentrikoski MJ, Golden W, Bourne TD, Legallo R. Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma of the neck with t(6;8) translocation: report of a case and literature review. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2013; 16:35-8. [PMID: 23113671 DOI: 10.2350/12-04-1180-cr.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma is an uncommon subtype of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Found almost exclusively in children, these tumors are classically located in the paratesticular and head and neck regions. Morphologically these lesions can resemble several other benign or malignant soft-tissue spindle cell lesions, especially smooth muscle or myofibroblastic tumors, and thus immunohistochemical staining is often needed to prove skeletal muscle differentiation. Although there is extensive literature reporting the genetics of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, little is reported specific to the spindle cell subtype. Below we present the case of a 7-month-old male presenting with a large posterior neck mass that was diagnosed as spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma. Karyotype evaluation revealed a t(6;8) (p12;q11.2) chromosomal translocation within the lesion. We review the histologic and immunohistochemical diagnosis of these tumors and discuss the genetics of rhabdomyoscarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Mentrikoski
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, 1215 Lee Street Box 800214, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
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30
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Covell DG, Wallqvist A, Kenney S, Vistica DT. Bioinformatic analysis of patient-derived ASPS gene expressions and ASPL-TFE3 fusion transcript levels identify potential therapeutic targets. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48023. [PMID: 23226201 PMCID: PMC3511488 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression data, collected from ASPS tumors of seven different patients and from one immortalized ASPS cell line (ASPS-1), was analyzed jointly with patient ASPL-TFE3 (t(X;17)(p11;q25)) fusion transcript data to identify disease-specific pathways and their component genes. Data analysis of the pooled patient and ASPS-1 gene expression data, using conventional clustering methods, revealed a relatively small set of pathways and genes characterizing the biology of ASPS. These results could be largely recapitulated using only the gene expression data collected from patient tumor samples. The concordance between expression measures derived from ASPS-1 and both pooled and individual patient tumor data provided a rationale for extending the analysis to include patient ASPL-TFE3 fusion transcript data. A novel linear model was exploited to link gene expressions to fusion transcript data and used to identify a small set of ASPS-specific pathways and their gene expression. Cellular pathways that appear aberrantly regulated in response to the t(X;17)(p11;q25) translocation include the cell cycle and cell adhesion. The identification of pathways and gene subsets characteristic of ASPS support current therapeutic strategies that target the FLT1 and MET, while also proposing additional targeting of genes found in pathways involved in the cell cycle (CHK1), cell adhesion (ARHGD1A), cell division (CDC6), control of meiosis (RAD51L3) and mitosis (BIRC5), and chemokine-related protein tyrosine kinase activity (CCL4).
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Covell
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), Frederick, MD, USA.
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31
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Camões MJ, Paulo P, Ribeiro FR, Barros-Silva JD, Almeida M, Costa VL, Cerveira N, Skotheim RI, Lothe RA, Henrique R, Jerónimo C, Teixeira MR. Potential downstream target genes of aberrant ETS transcription factors are differentially affected in Ewing's sarcoma and prostate carcinoma. PLoS One 2012. [PMID: 23185447 PMCID: PMC3501462 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
FLI1 and ERG, the major ETS transcription factors involved in rearrangements in the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) and in prostate carcinomas (PCa), respectively, belong to the same subfamily, having 98% sequence identity in the DNA binding domain. We therefore decided to investigate whether the aberrant transcription factors in both malignancies have some common downstream targets. We crossed a publicly available list of all putative EWSR1-FLI1 target genes in ESFT with our microarray expression data on 24 PCa and 6 non-malignant prostate tissues (NPT) and choose four genes among the top-most differentially expressed between PCa with (PCa ERG+) and without (PCa ETS-) ETS fusion genes (HIST1H4L, KCNN2, ECRG4 and LDOC1), as well as four well-validated direct targets of the EWSR1-FLI1 chimeric protein in ESFT (NR0B1, CAV1, IGFBP3 and TGFBR2). Using quantitative expression analysis in 16 ESFT and seven alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (ARMS), we were able to validate the four genes previously described as direct targets of the EWSR1-FLI1 oncoprotein, showing overexpression of CAV1 and NR0B1 and underexpression of IGFBP3 and TGFBR2 in ESFT as compared to ARMS. Although none of these four genes showed significant expression differences between PCa ERG+ and PCa ETS-, CAV1, IGFBP3 and TGFBR2 were less expressed in PCa in an independent series of 56 PCa and 15 NPT, as also observed for ECRG4 and LDOC1, suggesting a role in prostate carcinogenesis in general. On the other hand, we demonstrate for the first time that both HIST1H4L and KCNN2 are significantly overexpressed in PCa ERG+ and that ERG binds to the promoter of these genes. Conversely, KCNN2 was found underexpressed in ESFT relative to ARMS, suggesting that the EWSR1-ETS oncoprotein may have the opposite effect of ERG rearrangements in PCa. We conclude that aberrant ETS transcription factors modulate target genes differently in ESFT and PCa.
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MESH Headings
- Caveolin 1/genetics
- Caveolin 1/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- DAX-1 Orphan Nuclear Receptor/genetics
- DAX-1 Orphan Nuclear Receptor/metabolism
- DNA-Binding Proteins
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/genetics
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/metabolism
- Male
- Microarray Analysis
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
- Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism
- Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Protein c-fli-1/metabolism
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets/genetics
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets/metabolism
- Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II
- Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics
- Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/genetics
- Sarcoma, Ewing/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Ewing/pathology
- Trans-Activators/genetics
- Trans-Activators/metabolism
- Transcriptional Regulator ERG
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J. Camões
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Genetics Group, Research Centre of the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Paulo
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Genetics Group, Research Centre of the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Franclim R. Ribeiro
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Genetics Group, Research Centre of the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João D. Barros-Silva
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Genetics Group, Research Centre of the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mafalda Almeida
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Research Centre of The Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vera L. Costa
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Research Centre of The Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Cerveira
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Genetics Group, Research Centre of the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rolf I. Skotheim
- Department of Cancer Prevention, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ragnhild A. Lothe
- Department of Cancer Prevention, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Cancer Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rui Henrique
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Research Centre of The Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carmen Jerónimo
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Research Centre of The Portuguese Oncology Institute, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel R. Teixeira
- Department of Genetics, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Cancer Genetics Group, Research Centre of the Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Centre for Cancer Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- * E-mail:
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Soundararajan A, Abraham J, Nelon LD, Prajapati SI, Zarzabal LA, Michalek JE, McHardy SF, Hawkins DS, Malempati S, Keller C. 18F-FDG microPET imaging detects early transient response to an IGF1R inhibitor in genetically engineered rhabdomyosarcoma models. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59:485-92. [PMID: 22238194 PMCID: PMC3924883 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.24075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Accepted: 12/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) are among the most common and most treatment resistant soft tissue sarcomas of childhood. Here, we evaluated the potential of (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) as a marker of therapeutic response to picropodophyllin (PPP), an IGF1R inhibitor, in a conditional mouse model of ARMS and a conditional model of ERMS/undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS). PROCEDURE Primary tumor cell cultures from Myf6Cre,Pax3:Fkhr,p53 and Pax7CreER,Ptch1,p53 conditional models of ARMS and ERMS/UPS were found to be highly sensitive to PPP (IC(50) values 150 and 200 nM, respectively). Animals of each model were then treated with 80 mg/kg/day PPP by intraperitoneal injection for 12 days and imaged by (18)F-FDG microPET. RESULTS Tumor volumes on day 4 for PPP-treated ARMS and ERMS mice were lower than untreated control mouse tumor volumes, although treated tumors were larger than day 0. However, tumor FDG uptake was significantly reduced on day 4 for PPP-treated mice compared to pretreatment baseline or untreated control mice on day 4 (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, by day 12 tumor volumes and FDG uptake for treated mice had increased significantly, indicating rapidly evolving resistance to therapy. CONCLUSIONS (18)F-FDG PET imaging is a potential imaging biomarker of molecular susceptibility to targeted agents early in treatment for this aggressive form of sarcoma, but may find best use serially for Phase I/II studies where chemotherapy and targeted agents are combined to cytoreduce tumors and abrogate Igf1r inhibitor resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Soundararajan
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
| | - Jinu Abraham
- Pediatric Cancer Biology Program, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA
| | - Laura D. Nelon
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
| | - Suresh I. Prajapati
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
| | - Lee Ann Zarzabal
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
| | - Joel E. Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
| | | | - Douglas S. Hawkins
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington
| | - Suman Malempati
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA
| | - Charles Keller
- Pediatric Cancer Biology Program, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239 USA,corresponding author: Pediatric Cancer Biology Program, Pape’ Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Mail Code: L321, Portland, OR 97239-3098, Tel 503.494.1210, Fax 503.418.5044,
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Fulda S, Rajalingam K, Dikic I. Ubiquitylation in immune disorders and cancer: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic implications. EMBO Mol Med 2012; 4:545-56. [PMID: 22730341 PMCID: PMC3407942 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201100707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2012] [Revised: 04/30/2012] [Accepted: 05/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugation of ubiquitin to proteins (ubiquitylation) has emerged to be one of the most crucial post-translational modifications controlling virtually all cellular processes. What was once regarded as a mere signal for protein degradation has turned out to be a major regulator of molecular signalling networks. Deregulation of ubiquitin signalling is closely associated with various human pathologies. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of ubiquitin signalling in immune deficiencies and cancer as well as the available therapeutic strategies targeting the ubiquitin system in combating these pathogenic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Fulda
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Martín Liberal J, Lagares-Tena L, Sáinz-Jaspeado M, Mateo-Lozano S, García del Muro X, Tirado OM. Targeted therapies in sarcomas: challenging the challenge. Sarcoma 2012; 2012:626094. [PMID: 22701332 PMCID: PMC3372278 DOI: 10.1155/2012/626094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal malignancies that very often lead to death. Nowadays, chemotherapy is the only available treatment for most sarcomas but there are few active drugs and clinical results still remain very poor. Thus, there is an imperious need to find new therapeutic alternatives in order to improve sarcoma patient's outcome. During the last years, there have been described a number of new molecular pathways that have allowed us to know more about cancer biology and tumorigenesis. Sarcomas are one of the tumors in which more advances have been made. Identification of specific chromosomal translocations, some important pathways characterization such as mTOR pathway or the insulin-like growth factor pathway, the stunning development in angiogenesis knowledge, and brand new agents like viruses have lead to the development of new therapeutic options with promising results. This paper makes an exhaustive review of preclinical and clinical evidence of the most recent targeted therapies in sarcomas and provides a future view of treatments that may lead to improve prognosis of patients affected with this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Martín Liberal
- Laboratori d'Oncología Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Lagares-Tena
- Laboratori d'Oncología Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Sáinz-Jaspeado
- Laboratori d'Oncología Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Mateo-Lozano
- Nanomedicine Research Program, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Research Center, CIBBIM-Nanomedicine, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Research Institute, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier García del Muro
- Laboratori d'Oncología Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oscar M. Tirado
- Laboratori d'Oncología Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
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Kikuchi K, Soundararajan A, Zarzabal LA, Weems CR, Nelon LD, Hampton ST, Michalek JE, Rubin BP, Fields AP, Keller C. Protein kinase C iota as a therapeutic target in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Oncogene 2012; 32:286-95. [PMID: 22349825 PMCID: PMC3360112 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer exhibiting skeletal muscle differentiation. New therapeutic targets are required to improve the dismal prognosis for invasive or metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Protein kinase C iota (PKCι) has been shown to play an important role in tumorigenesis of many cancers but little is known about its role in rhabdomyosarcoma. Our gene expression studies in human tumor samples revealed overexpression of PRKCI. We confirmed overexpression of PKCι at the mRNA and protein level using our conditional mouse model that authentically recapitulates the progression of rhabdomyosarcoma in humans. Inhibition of Prkci by RNA interference resulted in a dramatic decrease in anchorage-independent colony formation. Interestingly, treatment of primary cell cultures using aurothiomalate (ATM), which is a gold-containing classical anti-rheumatic agent and a PKCι-specific inhibitor, resulted in decreased interaction between PKCι and Par6, decreased Rac1 activity and reduced cell viability at clinically relevant concentrations. Moreover, co-treatment with ATM and vincristine, a microtubule inhibitor currently used in rhabdomyosarcoma treatment regimens, resulted in a combination index (C. I.) of 0.470–0.793 through cooperative accumulation of non-proliferative multinuclear cells in the G2/M phase, indicating that these two drugs synergize. For in vivo tumor growth inhibition studies, ATM demonstrated a trend towards enhanced vincristine sensitivity. Overall, these results suggest that PKCι is functionally important in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma anchorage-independent growth and tumor cell proliferation and that combination therapy with ATM and microtubule inhibitors holds promise for the treatment of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Kikuchi
- Pediatric Cancer Biology Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA
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A set of imprinted genes required for normal body growth also promotes growth of rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Pediatr Res 2012; 71:32-8. [PMID: 22289848 PMCID: PMC3420822 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2011.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In many normal tissues, proliferation rates decline postnatally, causing somatic growth to slow. Previous evidence suggests that this decline is due, in part, to decline in the expression of growth-promoting imprinted genes including Mest, Plagl1, Peg3, Dlk1, and Igf2. Embryonal cancers are composed of cells that maintain embryonic characteristics and proliferate rapidly in childhood. We hypothesized that the abnormal persistent rapid proliferation in embryonal cancers occurs in part because of abnormal persistent high expression of growth-promoting imprinted genes. RESULTS Analysis of microarray data showed elevated expression of MEST, PLAGL1, PEG3, DLK1, and IGF2 in various embryonal cancers, especially rhabdomyosarcoma, as compared to nonembryonal cancers and normal tissues. Similarly, mRNA expression, assessed by real-time PCR, of MEST, PEG3, and IGF2 in rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines was increased as compared to nonembryonal cancer cell lines. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of MEST, PLAGL1, PEG3, and IGF2 expression inhibited proliferation in Rh30 rhabdomyosarcoma cells. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that the normal postnatal downregulation of growth-promoting imprinted genes fails to occur in some embryonal cancers, particularly rhabdomyosarcoma, and contributes to the persistent rapid proliferation of rhabdomyosarcoma cells and, more generally, that failure of the mechanisms responsible for normal somatic growth deceleration can promote tumorigenesis.
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Yang XL, Zhang SC, Zhang SW, Wang H. Detection of PAX3/PAX7-FKHR fusion transcripts in rhabdomyosarcoma and other small round cell tumors by 1-step reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction: a novel tool for diagnosis and differentiation. Ann Diagn Pathol 2011; 16:107-11. [PMID: 22197543 DOI: 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2011.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Revised: 07/07/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is one of the most frequent soft tissue sarcomas in children. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish it from other small round cell tumors (SRCTs) depending on microscopic observations; although their treatment and prognosis varied widely, the same happens between alveolar RMS (ARMS) and embryonal RMS (ERMS). The role of PAX3/PAX7-FKHR fusion gene has been reported in ARMS but not in ERMS and SRCT. The aim of this study was to explore its value in RMS diagnosis and differentiation. Ninety-eight patients with ARMS (n = 13), ERMS (n = 25), pleomorphic RMS (n = 5), Ewing sarcoma (n = 11), neuroblastoma (n = 18), lymphoma (n = 24), and uncertain SRCT (n = 2) were analyzed. One hundred fifteen RNA samples were extracted from the primary tumor tissue at initial presentation and relapse. One-step reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays for the PAX3/PAX7-FKHR fusion transcripts were performed. Molecular findings were compared with original histologic diagnoses. PAX3-FKHR fusion transcript was detected in 9 ARMS samples, PAX7-FKHR fusion transcript was detected in 7 ARMS samples, and 2 uncertain SRCTs were detected; none of them were detected in ERMS, Ewing sarcoma, neuroblastoma, and lymphoma. Direct sequencing of PAX3 coding regions revealed a heterozygous mutation A→G (nt1380) at codon 448 (AAT→GAT), resulting in substitution of Asn-448 for Asp. Detection of PAX3/PAX7-FKHR fusion transcripts by 1-step reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is a novel tool for RMS diagnosis and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Li Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
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Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare cancers but because of their association with characteristic chromosomal translocations and activating mutations they may be particularly susceptible to molecularly targeted therapies. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) became the paradigm for targeted therapy in solid tumours owing to the success of imatinib, which has transformed the prognosis in this disease. Translocation-driven tumours have proved harder to target, but the impact of fusion proteins on gene expression is beginning to be understood and may also reveal new targets for therapy, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, now that effective inhibitors have been discovered. Angiogenesis inhibition also appears to be a promising area for research in sarcomas and many new targets are emerging at the same time as agents capable of investigating them in the clinic are being developed. It is not unrealistic to hope that targeted therapies will play an increasing role in the management of sarcomas in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Judson
- Sarcoma Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London, UK.
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39
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Liu J, Guzman MA, Pezanowski D, Patel D, Hauptman J, Keisling M, Hou SJ, Papenhausen PR, Pascasio JM, Punnett HH, Halligan GE, de Chadarévian JP. FOXO1-FGFR1 fusion and amplification in a solid variant of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Mod Pathol 2011; 24:1327-35. [PMID: 21666686 DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2011.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common pediatric soft tissue malignancy. Two major subtypes, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, constitute 20 and 60% of all cases, respectively. Approximately 80% of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma carry two signature chromosomal translocations, t(2;13)(q35;q14) resulting in PAX3-FOXO1 fusion, and t(1;13)(p36;q14) resulting in PAX7-FOXO1 fusion. Whether the remaining cases are truly negative for gene fusion has been questioned. We are reporting the case of a 9-month-old girl with a metastatic neck mass diagnosed histologically as solid variant alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Chromosome analysis showed a t(8;13;9)(p11.2;q14;9q32) three-way translocation as the sole clonal aberration. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated a rearrangement at the FOXO1 locus and an amplification of its centromeric region. Single-nucleotide polymorphism-based microarray analysis illustrated a co-amplification of the FOXO1 gene at 13q14 and the FGFR1 gene at 8p12p11.2, suggesting formation and amplification of a chimerical FOXO1-FGFR1 gene. This is the first report to identify a novel fusion partner FGFR1 for the known anchor gene FOXO1 in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglan Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, St Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a morphologically and clinically heterogeneous group of malignant tumors that resemble developing skeletal muscle and is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents. The most prominent sites involve head and neck structures (~40%), genito-urinary track (~25%), and extremities (~20%). Embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS) are the two major RMS subtypes that are distinct in their morphology and genetic make-up. The prognosis for this cancer depends strongly on tumor size, location, staging, and child's age. In general, ERMS has a more favorable outcome, whereas the mortality rate remains high in patients with ARMS, because of its aggressive and metastatic nature. Over the past two decades, researchers have made concerted efforts to delineate genetic and epigenetic changes associated with RMS pathogenesis. These molecular signatures have presented golden opportunities to design targeted therapies for treating this aggressive cancer. This article highlights recent advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of RMS, and addresses promising research areas for further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wang
- Department of Oral Biology and Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 South Paulina Street, RM530CB, m/c 860, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Lee MH, Jothi M, Gudkov AV, Mal AK. Histone methyltransferase KMT1A restrains entry of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cells into a myogenic differentiated state. Cancer Res 2011; 71:3921-31. [PMID: 21493592 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-10-3358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is an aggressive pediatric muscle cancer, which arrested during the process of skeletal muscle differentiation. In muscle myoblast cells, ectopic expression of the histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methytransferase KMT1A blocks differentiation by repressing a myogenic gene expression program. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that activation of a KMT1A-mediated program of transcriptional repression prevents ARMS cells from differentiating. We investigated whether KMT1A represses the expression of differentiation-associated genes in ARMS cells, thereby blocking muscle differentiation. Our results show that expression of KMT1A is induced in human ARMS cancer cell lines when cultured under differentiation-permissible conditions. shRNA-mediated knockdown of KMT1A decreased anchorage dependent and independent cell proliferation and tumor xenograft growth, increased expression of differentiation-associated genes, and promoted the appearance of a terminally differentiated-like phenotype. Finally, shRNA-directed KMT1A knockdown restored the impaired transcriptional activity of the myogenic regulator MyoD. Together, our results suggested that high levels of KMT1A in ARMS cells under differentiation conditions impairs MyoD function, thereby arresting myogenic differentiation in these tumor cells. Thus, targeting KMT1A may be a novel strategy for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hyung Lee
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263, USA
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42
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Abstract
In this issue of Cancer Cell, Rubin et al. (2011) describe using various conditional mouse models to trace the developmental origin and genetic basis of rhabdomyosarcomas. Their work provides a genetic dissection underlying rhabdomyosarcomas development and unveils unexpected relationship between various soft-tissue tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahab D. Soleimani
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON,
Canada
| | - Michael A. Rudnicki
- Sprott Center for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON,
Canada
- Correspondence:
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Saab R, Spunt SL, Skapek SX. Myogenesis and rhabdomyosarcoma the Jekyll and Hyde of skeletal muscle. Curr Top Dev Biol 2011; 94:197-234. [PMID: 21295688 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-380916-2.00007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma, a neoplasm composed of skeletal myoblast-like cells, represents the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. The application of intensive chemotherapeutics and refined surgical and radiation therapy approaches have improved survival for children with localized disease over the past 3 decades; however, these approaches have not improved the dismal outcome for children with metastatic and recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma. Elegant studies have defined the molecular mechanisms driving skeletal muscle lineage commitment and differentiation, and the machinery that couples differentiation with irreversible cell proliferation arrest. Further, detailed molecular analyses indicate that rhabdomyosarcoma cells have lost the capacity to fully differentiate when challenged to do so in experimental models. We review the intersection of normal skeletal muscle developmental biology and the molecular genetic defects in rhabdomyosarcoma with the underlying premise that understanding how the differentiation process has gone awry will lead to new treatment strategies aimed at promoting myogenic differentiation and concomitant cell cycle arrest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raya Saab
- Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon, Department of Pediatrics, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Olmos D, Tan DSW, Jones RL, Judson IR. Biological rationale and current clinical experience with anti-insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor monoclonal antibodies in treating sarcoma: twenty years from the bench to the bedside. Cancer J 2010; 16:183-94. [PMID: 20526094 DOI: 10.1097/ppo.0b013e3181dbebf9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Two decades have elapsed since insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling was initially implicated in sarcoma biology to the first clinical experience of IGF-1R blockade in sarcoma. During these 21 years, the IGF pathway and its key mediator IGF-1R have been implicated in the genesis, growth, proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to conventional treatment in several sarcoma subtypes. In addition, IGF-1R has been validated, both in vitro and in vivo, as a target for the treatment of sarcoma. Several radiologic and clinical responses to IGF-1R monoclonal antibodies have been reported in Ewing sarcoma patients enrolled in early clinical studies. Furthermore, these therapies were well tolerated, and thus far severe toxicity has been rare. The early clinical evidence of antitumor activity has supported the initiation of various phase II clinical trials in Ewing and other sarcoma subtypes, the results of which are eagerly awaited, as well as studies assessing IGF-1R monoclonal antibodies in combination with traditional cytotoxics or other targeted therapies. Despite these encouraging results, not all patients benefit from IGF-1R inhibition and consequently there is an urgent need for the identification of predictive markers of response.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Olmos
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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Rao PK, Missiaglia E, Shields L, Hyde G, Yuan B, Shepherd CJ, Shipley J, Lodish HF. Distinct roles for miR-1 and miR-133a in the proliferation and differentiation of rhabdomyosarcoma cells. FASEB J 2010; 24:3427-37. [PMID: 20466878 DOI: 10.1096/fj.09-150698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in the pediatric population. As this tumor has an undifferentiated myogenic phenotype, agents that promote differentiation hold particular promise as part of a novel therapeutic approach to combat this type of cancer. In this report, we focus on the contribution of two microRNAs (miRNAs) in rhabdomyosarcomas. Levels of miR-1 and miR-133a are drastically reduced in representative cell lines from each major rhabdomyosarcoma subtype (embryonal and alveolar). Introduction of miR-1 and miR-133a into an embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma-derived cell line is cytostatic, thereby suggesting a tumor suppressor-like role for these myogenic miRNAs. Transcriptional profiling of cells after miR-1 and miR-133a expression reveals that miR-1 (but not miR-133a) exerts a strong promyogenic influence on these poorly differentiated tumor cells. We identify mRNAs that are down-regulated by these miRNAs and propose roles for miR-1 and miR-133a in repressing isoforms of genes that are normally not expressed in muscle. Finally, we show that mRNA targets of miR-1 and miR-133a are up-regulated in rhabdomyosarcomas, suggesting a causative role for these miRNAs in the development of rhabdomyosarcomas. More important, these results point to the promise of enhancing rhabdomyosarcoma therapy using miRNAs as agents that mediate cytostasis and promote muscle differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash K Rao
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Albihn A, Johnsen JI, Henriksson MA. MYC in oncogenesis and as a target for cancer therapies. Adv Cancer Res 2010; 107:163-224. [PMID: 20399964 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-230x(10)07006-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
MYC proteins (c-MYC, MYCN, and MYCL) regulate processes involved in many if not all aspects of cell fate. Therefore, it is not surprising that the MYC genes are deregulated in several human neoplasias as a result from genetic and epigenetic alterations. The near "omnipotency" together with the many levels of regulation makes MYC an attractive target for tumor intervention therapy. Here, we summarize some of the current understanding of MYC function and provide an overview of different cancer forms with MYC deregulation. We also describe available treatments and highlight novel approaches in the pursuit for MYC-targeting therapies. These efforts, at different stages of development, constitute a promising platform for novel, more specific treatments with fewer side effects. If successful a MYC-targeting therapy has the potential for tailored treatment of a large number of different tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Albihn
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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47
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48
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Fernandez K, Serinagaoglu Y, Hammond S, Martin LT, Martin PT. Mice lacking dystrophin or alpha sarcoglycan spontaneously develop embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with cancer-associated p53 mutations and alternatively spliced or mutant Mdm2 transcripts. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2009; 176:416-34. [PMID: 20019182 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Altered expression of proteins in the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex results in muscular dystrophy and has more recently been implicated in a number of forms of cancer. Here we show that loss of either of two members of this complex, dystrophin in mdx mice or alpha sarcoglycan in Sgca(-/-) mice, results in the spontaneous development of muscle-derived embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) after 1 year of age. Many mdx and Sgca(-/-) tumors showed increased expression of insulin-like growth factor 2, retinoblastoma protein, and phosphorylated Akt and decreased expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog gene, much as is found in a human RMS. Further, all mdx and Sgca(-/-) RMS analyzed had increased expression of p53 and murine double minute (mdm)2 protein and contained missense p53 mutations previously identified in human cancers. The mdx RMS also contained missense mutations in Mdm2 or alternatively spliced Mdm2 transcripts that lacked an exon encoding a portion of the p53-binding domain. No Pax3:Fkhr or Pax7:Fkhr translocation mRNA products were evident in any tumor. Expression of natively glycosylated alpha dystroglycan and alpha sarcoglycan was reduced in mdx RMS, whereas dystrophin expression was absent in almost all human RMS, both for embryonal and alveolar RMS subtypes. These studies show that absence of members of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex constitutes a permissive environment for spontaneous development of embryonal RMS associated with mutation of p53 and mutation or altered splicing of Mdm2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Fernandez
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio 43205, USA
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Al-Mubarak L, Al-Khenaizan S. A wolf in sheep's disguise: rhabdomyosarcoma misdiagnosed as infantile hemangioma. J Cutan Med Surg 2009; 13:276-9. [PMID: 19769838 DOI: 10.2310/7750.2009.08048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhabdomyosarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors representing the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. A delay in diagnosis is not uncommon. OBJECTIVE To report a boy with paranasal rhabdomyosarcoma who was misdiagnosed and treated for infantile hemangioma. METHODS AND RESULTS A 2-year-old Saudi boy who presented with a progressively increasing nasal mass for 18 months was misdiagnosed and treated for infantile hemangioma at an outside hospital. Histopathologic examination revealed paranasal rhabdomyosarcoma. CONCLUSION We review some clinical clues that can alert the physician to malignant childhood tumors. We also review management options for childhood rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luluah Al-Mubarak
- College of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Sirvent N, Trassard M, Ebran N, Attias R, Pedeutour F. Fusion of EWSR1 with the DUX4 facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy region resulting from t(4;22)(q35;q12) in a case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 195:12-8. [PMID: 19837262 DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergencyto.2009.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2009] [Revised: 06/08/2009] [Accepted: 06/15/2009] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma and rarely occurs in adults. There are six main subtypes, each histologically, clinically, and cytogenetically distinct. Embryonal RMS is characterized by chromosomal gains, usually not associated with any consistent structural anomaly. We describe here a case of embryonal RMS in a 19-year-old female patient. The conventional cytogenetic analysis showed a t(4;22)(q35;q12) translocation as the sole cytogenetic change. Complementary fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that the translocation breakpoints were located in the EWSR1 gene at 22q12 and the region of the DUX4 and FSHMD1A at 4q35. This constitutes a novel example of the high frequency of EWSR1 rearrangements in various types of sarcomas as well as of its ability to fuse with a large variety of partner genes. Because DUX4 is involved in myogenic differentiation and cell-cycle control, the striated muscle differentiation observed in the present case might be a direct consequence of the alteration of the DUX4 region generated by the t(4;22). The involvement of the DUX4 region might represent the genetic hallmark of a novel subclass of small round cell tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Sirvent
- Laboratory of Solid Tumor Genetics, Nice University Hospital, 06107 Nice, France.
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