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Popper H, Brcic L, Eidenhammer S. Does subtyping of high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas have an impact on therapy selection? Transl Lung Cancer Res 2023; 12:2412-2426. [PMID: 38205203 PMCID: PMC10775006 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-23-505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Background Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNEC) are characterized by a rapid progressive course. Therapy for SCLC has not much changed for decades, and in LCNEC controversies exist, favoring either SCLC-like or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-like therapy. Three subtypes of SCLC identified in cell cultures, namely ASCL1, NeuroD1, and POU2F3 have been confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The fourth type based on the expression of YAP1 was questioned, and another type, inflamed SCLC, was proposed. Methods SCLC and LCNEC samples were investigated by immunohistochemistry for different subtypes. Additionally, immunohistochemical markers as potential tools to identify patients who might respond to targeted treatment were investigated. For validation a biopsy set was added. Results ASCL1, NeuroD1, and POU2F3 were expressed in different percentages in SCLC and LCNEC. Similar percentages of expression were found in biopsies. ATOH was expressed in combination with one of the subtypes. YAP1 and TAZ were expressed in some SCLC and LCNEC cases. HES1 expression was seen in few cases. Predominantly stroma cells expressed programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). The dominant MYC protein was N-MYC. Aurora kinase A (AURKA) was expressed in the majority of both carcinomas, whereas fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) in few. Conclusions SCLC and LCNEC can be subtyped into ASCL1-, NeuroD1-, and POU2F3-positive types. AURKA expression and positivity for N-MYC protein was not associated with subtypes. AURKA and FGFR2 are both possible targets for inhibition in SCLC and LCNEC, but patients' selection should be based on expression of the enzyme. Combined chemo- and immunotherapy might be decided by PD-L1 staining of stroma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luka Brcic
- D&F Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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52
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Gutiérrez M, Zamora I, Freeman MR, Encío IJ, Rotinen M. Actionable Driver Events in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:105. [PMID: 38203275 PMCID: PMC10778712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010105] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) stands out as the most aggressive form of lung cancer, characterized by an extremely high proliferation rate and a very poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate that falls below 7%. Approximately two-thirds of patients receive their diagnosis when the disease has already reached a metastatic or extensive stage, leaving chemotherapy as the remaining first-line treatment option. Other than the recent advances in immunotherapy, which have shown moderate results, SCLC patients cannot yet benefit from any approved targeted therapy, meaning that this cancer remains treated as a uniform entity, disregarding intra- or inter-tumoral heterogeneity. Continuous efforts and technological improvements have enabled the identification of new potential targets that could be used to implement novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we provide an overview of the most recent approaches for SCLC treatment, providing an extensive compilation of the targeted therapies that are currently under clinical evaluation and inhibitor molecules with promising results in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirian Gutiérrez
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
| | - Irene Zamora
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
| | - Michael R. Freeman
- Departments of Urology and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
- Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ignacio J. Encío
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
- IdiSNA, Navarre Institute for Health Research, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mirja Rotinen
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
- IdiSNA, Navarre Institute for Health Research, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
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53
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Bhowmick S, Roy K, Saha A. Structure-guided screening of protein-protein interaction for the identification of Myc-Max heterodimer complex modulators. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-19. [PMID: 38109131 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2294174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
De-regulation of oncogenic myelocytomatosis (c-Myc or Myc) transcription factor is one of the most common molecular anomalies encountered in human cancers, and it is typically linked to many aggressive malignancies including breast, lung, cervix, colon glioblastomas, and other haematological organs. The Myc belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix zipper protein family (bHLH-ZIP), and its dimerization with another principal interactor protein partner Myc-associated factor X (Max) is essentially required for cellular transformation, cell growth and proliferation, and transcriptional activation. Intermolecular interactions have been evaluated between hetero-dimer Myc-Max protein, which identified protein-protein interaction (PPI) specific modulators using highly précised molecular docking study followed by long-range interaction stability analyzed through molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. Moreover, ADME profile analyses have been estimated for screened hit compounds. MM-GBSA-based binding free energy (ΔG) estimations have been performed for all screened hit compounds obtained from multi-step molecular docking-based virtual screening technique. According to the employed various rigorous multi-chemometric techniques, four identified inhibitors/modulators appear to have a considerable number of intermolecular contacts with hotspot residues in the hetero-dimer interface region of the Myc-Max PPI complex. However, identified hit compounds might need further structural optimization or extensive biophysical analyses for better understanding of the molecular mechanism for exhibiting the Myc-Max PPI interface binding stability.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shovonlal Bhowmick
- Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Kunal Roy
- Drug Theoretics and Cheminformatics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
| | - Achintya Saha
- Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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54
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Kwon J, Zhang J, Mok B, Allsup S, Kim C, Toretsky J, Han C. USP13 drives lung squamous cell carcinoma by switching lung club cell lineage plasticity. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:204. [PMID: 38093367 PMCID: PMC10717271 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is associated with high mortality and limited targeted therapies. USP13 is one of the most amplified genes in LUSC, yet its role in lung cancer is largely unknown. Here, we established a novel mouse model of LUSC by overexpressing USP13 on KrasG12D/+; Trp53flox/flox background (KPU). KPU-driven lung squamous tumors faithfully recapitulate key pathohistological, molecular features, and cellular pathways of human LUSC. We found that USP13 altered lineage-determining factors such as NKX2-1 and SOX2 in club cells of the airway and reinforced the fate of club cells to squamous carcinoma development. We showed a strong molecular association between USP13 and c-MYC, leading to the upregulation of squamous programs in murine and human lung cancer cells. Collectively, our data demonstrate that USP13 is a molecular driver of lineage plasticity in club cells and provide mechanistic insight that may have potential implications for the treatment of LUSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntae Kwon
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Jinmin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Boram Mok
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Samuel Allsup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Chul Kim
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington D.C, USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Jeffrey Toretsky
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Cecil Han
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA.
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA.
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55
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Chen CC, Tran W, Song K, Sugimoto T, Obusan MB, Wang L, Sheu KM, Cheng D, Ta L, Varuzhanyan G, Huang A, Xu R, Zeng Y, Borujerdpur A, Bayley NA, Noguchi M, Mao Z, Morrissey C, Corey E, Nelson PS, Zhao Y, Huang J, Park JW, Witte ON, Graeber TG. Temporal evolution reveals bifurcated lineages in aggressive neuroendocrine small cell prostate cancer trans-differentiation. Cancer Cell 2023; 41:2066-2082.e9. [PMID: 37995683 PMCID: PMC10878415 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Trans-differentiation from an adenocarcinoma to a small cell neuroendocrine state is associated with therapy resistance in multiple cancer types. To gain insight into the underlying molecular events of the trans-differentiation, we perform a multi-omics time course analysis of a pan-small cell neuroendocrine cancer model (termed PARCB), a forward genetic transformation using human prostate basal cells and identify a shared developmental, arc-like, and entropy-high trajectory among all transformation model replicates. Further mapping with single cell resolution reveals two distinct lineages defined by mutually exclusive expression of ASCL1 or ASCL2. Temporal regulation by groups of transcription factors across developmental stages reveals that cellular reprogramming precedes the induction of neuronal programs. TFAP4 and ASCL1/2 feedback are identified as potential regulators of ASCL1 and ASCL2 expression. Our study provides temporal transcriptional patterns and uncovers pan-tissue parallels between prostate and lung cancers, as well as connections to normal neuroendocrine cell states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Chun Chen
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Tran
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kai Song
- Department of Bioengineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tyler Sugimoto
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew B Obusan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katherine M Sheu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Donghui Cheng
- Eli and Edythe Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Ta
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Grigor Varuzhanyan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arthur Huang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Runzhe Xu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yuanhong Zeng
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amirreza Borujerdpur
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Bayley
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Miyako Noguchi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Mao
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Colm Morrissey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Peter S Nelson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medical Sciences and the First Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jiaoti Huang
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jung Wook Park
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Owen N Witte
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Thomas G Graeber
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; California NanoSystems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Metabolomics Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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56
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Denize T, Meador CB, Rider AB, Ganci ML, Barth JL, Kem M, Mino-Kenudson M, Hung YP. Concordance of ASCL1, NEUROD1 and POU2F3 transcription factor-based subtype assignment in paired tumour samples from small cell lung carcinoma. Histopathology 2023; 83:912-924. [PMID: 37644667 DOI: 10.1111/his.15034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) can be classified into transcription factor-based subtypes (ASCL1, NeuroD1, POU2F3). While in-vitro studies suggest intratumoral heterogeneity in the expression of these markers, how SCLC subtypes vary over time and among locations in patients remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS We searched a consecutive series of patients at our institution in 2006-22 for those with greater than one available formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded SCLC sample in multiple sites and/or time-points. Immunohistochemistry for ASCL1, NeuroD1 and POU2F3 was performed and evaluated using H-scores, with subtype assigned based on the positive marker (H-score threshold >10) with the highest H-score. The 179 samples (75, lung; 51, lymph nodes; 53, non-nodal metastases) from 84 patients (74 with two, 10 with more than two samples) included 98 (54.7%) ASCL1-dominant, 47 (26.3%) NeuroD1-dominant, 15 (8.4%) POU2F3-dominant, 17 (9.5%) triple-negative and two (1.1%) ASCL1/NeuroD1 co-dominant samples. NeuroD1-dominant subtype was enriched in non-lung locations. Subtype concordance from pairwise comparison was 71.4% overall and 89.7% after accounting for ASCL1/NeuroD1-dual expressors and technical factors including <500 cells/slide, H-score thresholds and sample decalcification. No significant difference in subtype concordance was noted with a longer time lapse or with extrathoracic versus intrathoracic samples in this cohort. CONCLUSIONS After accounting for technical factors, transcription factor-based subtyping was discordant among multiple SCLC samples in ~10% of patients, regardless of sample locations and time lapse. Our findings highlighted the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of SCLC in clinical samples and potential challenges, including technical and biological factors, that might limit concordance in SCLC transcription factor-based subtyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Denize
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine B Meador
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna B Rider
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria L Ganci
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jaimie L Barth
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marina Kem
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mari Mino-Kenudson
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yin P Hung
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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57
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Huang P, Duan W, Ruan C, Wang L, Hosea R, Wu Z, Zeng J, Wu S, Kasim V. NeuroD1-GPX4 signaling leads to ferroptosis resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011098. [PMID: 38134213 PMCID: PMC10773945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell death resistance is a hallmark of tumor cells that drives tumorigenesis and drug resistance. Targeting cell death resistance-related genes to sensitize tumor cells and decrease their cell death threshold has attracted attention as a potential antitumor therapeutic strategy. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Recent studies have reported that NeuroD1, first discovered as a neurodifferentiation factor, is upregulated in various tumor cells and plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis. However, its involvement in tumor cell death resistance remains unknown. Here, we found that NeuroD1 was highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and was associated with tumor cell death resistance. We revealed that NeuroD1 enhanced HCC cell resistance to ferroptosis, a type of cell death caused by aberrant redox homeostasis that induces lipid peroxide accumulation, leading to increased HCC cell viability. NeuroD1 binds to the promoter of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a key reductant that suppresses ferroptosis by reducing lipid peroxide, and activates its transcriptional activity, resulting in decreased lipid peroxide and ferroptosis. Subsequently, we showed that NeuroD1/GPX4-mediated ferroptosis resistance was crucial for HCC cell tumorigenic potential. These findings not only identify NeuroD1 as a regulator of tumor cell ferroptosis resistance but also reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying the oncogenic function of NeuroD1. Furthermore, our findings suggest the potential of targeting NeuroD1 in antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Duan
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Cao Ruan
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingxian Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rendy Hosea
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zheng Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianting Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shourong Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Vivi Kasim
- The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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Carlisle JW, Leal T. Advancing immunotherapy in small cell lung cancer. Cancer 2023; 129:3525-3534. [PMID: 37602492 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a rapidly progressive neuroendocrine carcinoma that, until recently, had a very small armamentarium of effective treatments. Advances in DNA sequencing and whole transcriptomics have delineated key subtypes; therefore, SCLC is no longer viewed as a homogeneous cancer. Chemoimmunotherapy with PD1 blockade is now the standard of care for advanced disease, and ongoing research efforts are moving this strategy into the limited stage setting. Combination strategies of immunotherapy with radiation are also under active clinical trial in both limited and extensive stage disease. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a rapidly progressive neuroendocrine carcinoma that, until recently, had a very small armamentarium of effective treatments. Chemoimmunotherapy with immune check point inhibitors is now the standard of care for advanced disease. This comprehensive review provides an overview of current treatment strategies for SCLC, unmet needs in this patient population, and emerging treatment strategies incorporating immunotherapy that will hopefully further improve outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer W Carlisle
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ticiana Leal
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Thoracic Medical Oncology Program, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Weber MC, Izzo LT, Oliver TG. Epigenetic Regulators Open the Door to SCLC Plasticity. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3495-3497. [PMID: 37756567 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a neuroendocrine tumor type with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. SCLC comprises multiple molecular subtypes that are defined by the expression of the lineage-related transcription factors ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and more controversially, YAP1. SCLC exhibits remarkable plasticity with the capacity to transition between molecular states; because these states are associated with unique therapeutic susceptibilities, SCLC has been likened to a moving therapeutic target. While MYC's role in driving the ASCL1-to-NEUROD1 (A-to-N) transition is established, additional mechanisms governing SCLC plasticity remain largely obscure. A recent study by Duplaquet and colleagues, published in Nature Cell Biology, employs an innovative genetically engineered mouse model of SCLC harboring loss of KDM6A-a histone lysine demethylase mutated in approximately 2% of SCLC cases. KDM6A loss in SCLC alters chromatin accessibility and increases the potential for A-to-N plasticity in vivo. Through characterization of the epigenetic landscape, Duplaquet and colleagues identified histone methylation as a key regulator of SCLC plasticity. These findings provide not only a new model system for studying SCLC plasticity, but also identify new epigenetic mechanisms involved, which will ultimately be critical for designing more effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Weber
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Luke T Izzo
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Trudy G Oliver
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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60
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Zhu Y, Li S, Wang H, Chi K, Ren W, Huang X, Zhuo M, Lin D. Molecular subtype expression and genomic profiling differ between surgically resected pure and combined small cell lung carcinoma. Hum Pathol 2023; 141:118-129. [PMID: 37586462 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
A new molecular subtype classification method has been proposed for small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). However, little is known about the differences between the pure (P-SCLC) and combined subtypes (C-SCLC). We aimed to compare the molecular subtype expression and genomic profiling in terms of clinical relevance between the two groups. 154 surgically resected SCLCs were analyzed for protein expression of four subtypes (ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and YAP1) and two predictive markers (DLL3 and MYC) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). We also performed whole exome sequencing of 60 samples to examine genomic profiles. A total of 113 patients with P-SCLC and 41 with C-SCLC were included. In P-SCLC and C-SCLC, the expression of these markers was 78.8% and 41.5%, 98.2% and 97.6%, 42.5% and 51.2%, 38.9% and 85.4%, 85.0% and 68.3%, and 24.8% and 34.1%, respectively. ASCL1 and DLL3 were highly expressed in P-SCLC (p = 0.000 and p = 0.021, respectively), and YAP1 expression was significantly enriched in C-SCLC (p = 0.000). NGS results, including 45 P-SCLCs and 15 C-SCLCs, indicated that EGFR gene mutations were mostly observed in C-SCLCs (p = 0.000). C-SCLC showed higher CNA burden and wGII than P-SCLC (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05); conversely, P-SCLC had higher TMB burden and SDI (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05). YAP1 expression was associated with poor prognosis in P-SCLC but with favorable prognosis in C-SCLC. P-SCLC and C-SCLC are heterogeneous diseases characterized by different molecular subtype expressions and genomic profiles. Our data provide a basis for adopting histological subtype-based treatments, and further prospective studies are required to confirm our conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department I of Thoracic Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Haiyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Kaiwen Chi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Wenhao Ren
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Xiaozheng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Minglei Zhuo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department I of Thoracic Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China.
| | - Dongmei Lin
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China.
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Chen Y, Li H, Fan Y. Shaping the tumor immune microenvironment of SCLC: Mechanisms, and opportunities for immunotherapy. Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 120:102606. [PMID: 37579532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive neuroendocrine tumor with a poor prognosis. Whereas immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach for treating SCLC, its unique tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) might limit patient responses. To fully characterize the TIME and understand the mechanism of its formation with respect to SCLC is crucial. The recent rapid development of multi-omics technologies has rapidly advanced knowledge of TIME features and the regulatory mechanisms associated with SCLC. This review summarizes the TIME features of SCLC as well as shaping the TIME according to the genomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics of tumors. Future opportunities and challenges for immunotherapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Chen
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China; Postgraduate Training base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China; Postgraduate Training base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.
| | - Yun Fan
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China; Postgraduate Training base Alliance of Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.
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Ozen M, Lopez CF. Data-driven structural analysis of small cell lung cancer transcription factor network suggests potential subtype regulators and transition pathways. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:55. [PMID: 37907529 PMCID: PMC10618210 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00316-2] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease and challenging to treat due to its mixture of transcriptional subtypes and subtype transitions. Transcription factor (TF) networks have been the focus of studies to identify SCLC subtype regulators via systems approaches. Yet, their structures, which can provide clues on subtype drivers and transitions, are barely investigated. Here, we analyze the structure of an SCLC TF network by using graph theory concepts and identify its structurally important components responsible for complex signal processing, called hubs. We show that the hubs of the network are regulators of different SCLC subtypes by analyzing first the unbiased network structure and then integrating RNA-seq data as weights assigned to each interaction. Data-driven analysis emphasizes MYC as a hub, consistent with recent reports. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the pathways connecting functionally distinct hubs may control subtype transitions and test this hypothesis via network simulations on a candidate pathway and observe subtype transition. Overall, structural analyses of complex networks can identify their functionally important components and pathways driving the network dynamics. Such analyses can be an initial step for generating hypotheses and can guide the discovery of target pathways whose perturbation may change the network dynamics phenotypically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Ozen
- Dept. of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Multiscale Modeling Group, SI3, Altos Labs, Redwood City, CA, USA
| | - Carlos F Lopez
- Dept. of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Multiscale Modeling Group, SI3, Altos Labs, Redwood City, CA, USA.
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Tian L, Li H, Zhao P, Liu Y, Lu Y, Zhong R, Jin Y, Tan T, Cheng Y. C-Myc-induced hypersialylation of small cell lung cancer facilitates pro-tumoral phenotypes of macrophages. iScience 2023; 26:107771. [PMID: 37731607 PMCID: PMC10507237 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunosuppressive myeloid cell populations have been documented in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) subtypes, playing a key role in remolding the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the cancer-associated transcriptional features of monocytes and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in SCLC remain poorly understood. Herein, we analyzed the molecular features and functions of monocyte/macrophage subsets aiming to inhibit monocyte recruitment and pro-tumor behavior of macrophages. We observe that NEUROD1-high SCLC subtype (SCLC-N) exhibits subtype-specific hypersialylation induced by the unique target c-Myc (MYC) of NEUROD1. The hypersialylation can alter macrophage phenotypes and pro-tumor behavior by regulating the expression of the immune-inhibiting lectin receptors on monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) in SCLC-N. Inhibiting the aberrant sialic acid metabolic pathways in SCLC can significantly enhance the phagocytosis of macrophages. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the cancer-specific immune signature of monocytes and macrophages and reveals tumor-associated biomarkers as potential therapeutic targets for SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Tian
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Postdoctoral Research Workstation, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Hui Li
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Peiyan Zhao
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yuanhua Lu
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Postdoctoral Research Workstation, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Rui Zhong
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yulong Jin
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Tianyu Tan
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, and The First Affliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ying Cheng
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130012, China
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Chen HJ, Gardner EE, Shah Y, Zhang K, Thakur A, Zhang C, Elemento O, Varmus H. FORMATION OF MALIGNANT, METASTATIC SMALL CELL LUNG CANCERS THROUGH OVERPRODUCTION OF cMYC PROTEIN IN TP53 AND RB1 DEPLETED PULMONARY NEUROENDOCRINE CELLS DERIVED FROM HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.06.561244. [PMID: 37873210 PMCID: PMC10592623 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.06.561244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
We recently described our initial efforts to develop a model for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that were differentiated to form pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs), a putative cell of origin for neuroendocrine-positive SCLC. Although reduced expression of the tumor suppressor genes TP53 and RB1 allowed the induced PNECs to form subcutaneous growths in immune-deficient mice, the tumors did not display the aggressive characteristics of SCLC seen in human patients. Here we report that the additional, doxycycline-regulated expression of a transgene encoding wild-type or mutant cMYC protein promotes rapid growth, invasion, and metastasis of these hESC-derived cells after injection into the renal capsule. Similar to others, we find that the addition of cMYC encourages the formation of the SCLC-N subtype, marked by high levels of NEUROD1 RNA. Using paired primary and metastatic samples for RNA sequencing, we observe that the subtype of SCLC does not change upon metastatic spread and that production of NEUROD1 is maintained. We also describe histological features of these malignant, SCLC-like tumors derived from hESCs and discuss potential uses of this model in efforts to control and better understand this recalcitrant neoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Joyce Chen
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- The Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Yajas Shah
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Kui Zhang
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- The Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Abhimanyu Thakur
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- The Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Olivier Elemento
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Harold Varmus
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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Guo W, Zhou B, Bie F, Huai Q, Xue X, Guo L, Tan F, Xue Q, Zhao L, Gao S. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals transcriptional heterogeneity of multiple primary lung cancer. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1453. [PMID: 37846760 PMCID: PMC10580343 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With the advancements in early diagnosis, more and more patients with multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) have been identified. However, the progression of MPLC involves complex changes in cell composition and metabolic function, which remains largely controversial. OBJECTIVE Our study aims to comprehensively reveal the cellular characteristics and inter-cellular connections of MPLC. METHODS We performed scRNA-seq from 23 samples of six MPLC patients, combined with bulk whole-exome sequencing. We performed trajectory analysis to investigate the transition of different cell types during the development of MPLC. RESULTS A total of 1 67 397 cells were sequenced derived from tumour and adjacent tissues of MPLC patients, and tumour, normal, immune and stromal cells were identified. Two states of epithelial cells were identified, which were associated with immune response and cell death, respectively. Furthermore, both CD8+ naïve and memory T cells participated in the differentiation of CD8+ T cells. The terminal states of CD8+ T cells were exhausted T cells and cytotoxic T cells, which positively regulated cell death and were implicated in the regulation of cytokine production, respectively. Two main subpopulations of B cells with distinct functions were identified, which participate in the regulation of the immune response and antigen presentation, respectively. In addition, we found a specific type of endothelial cells that were abundant in tumour samples, with an increasing trend from normal to tumour samples. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed the comprehensive landscape of different cells of MPLC, which might reveal the key cellular mechanisms and, therefore, may provide new insights into the early diagnosis and treatment of MPLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Therapy Research for Lung CancerChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Bolun Zhou
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Fenglong Bie
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryShandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical UniversityJinanShandongP. R. China
| | - Qilin Huai
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Xuemin Xue
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Fengwei Tan
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Therapy Research for Lung CancerChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Qi Xue
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Therapy Research for Lung CancerChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingP. R. China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
| | - Shugeng Gao
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingP. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Therapy Research for Lung CancerChinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingP. R. China
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Pearsall SM, Williamson SC, Humphrey S, Hughes E, Morgan D, García Marqués FJ, Awanis G, Carroll R, Burks L, Shue YT, Bermudez A, Frese KK, Galvin M, Carter M, Priest L, Kerr A, Zhou C, Oliver TG, Humphries JD, Humphries MJ, Blackhall F, Cannell IG, Pitteri SJ, Hannon GJ, Sage J, Dive C, Simpson KL. Lineage Plasticity in SCLC Generates Non-Neuroendocrine Cells Primed for Vasculogenic Mimicry. J Thorac Oncol 2023; 18:1362-1385. [PMID: 37455012 PMCID: PMC10561473 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2023.07.012] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), the process of tumor cell transdifferentiation to endow endothelial-like characteristics supporting de novo vessel formation, is associated with poor prognosis in several tumor types, including SCLC. In genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of SCLC, NOTCH, and MYC co-operate to drive a neuroendocrine (NE) to non-NE phenotypic switch, and co-operation between NE and non-NE cells is required for metastasis. Here, we define the phenotype of VM-competent cells and molecular mechanisms underpinning SCLC VM using circulating tumor cell-derived explant (CDX) models and GEMMs. METHODS We analyzed perfusion within VM vessels and their association with NE and non-NE phenotypes using multiplex immunohistochemistry in CDX, GEMMs, and patient biopsies. We evaluated their three-dimensional structure and defined collagen-integrin interactions. RESULTS We found that VM vessels are present in 23/25 CDX models, 2 GEMMs, and in 20 patient biopsies of SCLC. Perfused VM vessels support tumor growth and only NOTCH-active non-NE cells are VM-competent in vivo and ex vivo, expressing pseudohypoxia, blood vessel development, and extracellular matrix organization signatures. On Matrigel, VM-primed non-NE cells remodel extracellular matrix into hollow tubules in an integrin β1-dependent process. CONCLUSIONS We identified VM as an exemplar of functional heterogeneity and plasticity in SCLC and these findings take considerable steps toward understanding the molecular events that enable VM. These results support therapeutic co-targeting of both NE and non-NE cells to curtail SCLC progression and to improve the outcomes of patients with SCLC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Pearsall
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart C Williamson
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Humphrey
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ellyn Hughes
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Derrick Morgan
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Griselda Awanis
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Carroll
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Burks
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Ting Shue
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Abel Bermudez
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford, California
| | - Kristopher K Frese
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Galvin
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mathew Carter
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Lynsey Priest
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair Kerr
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Cong Zhou
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Trudy G Oliver
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jonathan D Humphries
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J Humphries
- Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Blackhall
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom; Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom; Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ian G Cannell
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon J Pitteri
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford, California
| | - Gregory J Hannon
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson Way, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Caroline Dive
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom.
| | - Kathryn L Simpson
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Zhu Y, Li S, Wang H, Ren W, Chi K, Wu J, Mao L, Huang X, Zhuo M, Lin D. Molecular subtypes, predictive markers and prognosis in small-cell lung carcinoma. J Clin Pathol 2023:jcp-2023-209109. [PMID: 37775262 DOI: 10.1136/jcp-2023-209109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS A new molecular subtype classification was proposed for small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). We aimed to further validate the classification in various SCLC patient samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC) to highlight its clinical significance. METHODS We analysed the protein expression of four subtype (achaete-scute family BHLH transcription factor 1 (ASCL1), neuronal differentiation 1 (NEUROD1), POU class 2 homeobox 3 (POU2F3) and Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator (YAP1)) and two predictive markers (delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) and MYC) using IHC in 216 specimens from 195 SCLC patients, including 21 pairs of resected biopsy tumours. Associations among molecular subtypes, clinicopathological features and prognostic implications were also explored. RESULTS The ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, YAP1, DLL3 and MYC-positive expression rates were 70.3%, 56.9%, 14.9%, 19.0%, 75.4% and 22.6%, respectively. DLL3 expression had positive and negative associations with that of ASCL1 and POU2F3/YAP1, respectively, whereas MYC had the opposite effect. Strong associations of ASCL1 (Ρ=0.8603, p<0.0001), NEUROD1 (Ρ=0.8326, p<0.0001), POU2F3 (Ρ=0.6950, p<0.0001) and YAP1 (Ρ=0.7466, p<0.0001) expressions were detected between paired resected biopsy tumours. In addition to SCLC-A (ASCL1-dominant), SCLC-N (NEUROD1-dominant) and SCLC-P (POU2F3-dominant), unsupervised hierarchical cluster analyses identified a fourth, quadruple-negative SCLC subtype (SCLC-QN) characterised by the low expression of all four subtype-specific proteins, and 55.4% (n=108), 27.2% (n=53), 11.8% (n=23) and 5.6% (n=11) were categorised as SCLC-A, SCLC-N, SCLC-P and SCLC-QN, respectively. Significant enrichment of SCLC-P in the combined SCLC cohort was observed, and adenocarcinoma was more prevalent in SCLC-A, while large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma was more commonly seen in SCLC-P. No survival difference was found among molecular subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide clinical insights into the diagnostic, prognostic and predictive significance of SCLC molecular subtype classifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department I of Thoracic Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhao Ren
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Kaiwen Chi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jianghua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Luning Mao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaozheng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Minglei Zhuo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department I of Thoracic Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Dongmei Lin
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
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Chen P, Sun C, Wang H, Zhao W, Wu Y, Guo H, Zhou C, He Y. YAP1 expression is associated with survival and immunosuppression in small cell lung cancer. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:636. [PMID: 37752152 PMCID: PMC10522695 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06053-y] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is considered a major breakthrough in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), although its anti-tumor efficacy is limited. With a high degree of malignancy and high heterogeneity, SCLC is difficult to treat in the clinic. A new combination strategy is urgently needed to further improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with SCLC. By immunofluorescence, 100 SCLC patients in a local cohort were classified into the SCLC-A (high ASCL1 expression; n = 36), SCLC-N (high NEUROD1 expression; n = 32), SCLC-P (high POU2F3 expression; n = 14), and SCLC-Y (high YAP1 expression; n = 18) subtypes. Each SCLC molecular subtype represented different prognoses, tumor microenvironment traits, and immunotherapy sensitivities. Analysis of both the local and public cohorts suggested that the SCLC-Y subtype exhibited the worst clinical outcome (p < 0.05) when compared with other subtypes. SCLC with high YAP1 expression was characterized by high PD-L1 expression, high stromal score, T-cell functional impairment, and a close relationship with immune-related pathways. YAP1 upregulated PD-L1 expression and suppressed T cell activation, thus leading to immune evasion. In in vitro experiments, blockade of YAP1 promoted cancer cell apoptosis, immune cell proliferation, T-cell activation, and cytotoxic T-cell infiltration, thus further potentiating the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with the SCLC-Y subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixin Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
- Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenglong Sun
- Radiotherapy Department, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei, 230041, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
- Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Wencheng Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
- Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Haoyue Guo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
- Tongji University, No 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Caicun Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yayi He
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Medical School Cancer Institute, Tongji University School of Medicine, No 507 Zhengmin Road, Shanghai, 200433, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang Y, Karagiannis D, Liu H, Lin M, Fang Y, Jiang M, Chen X, Suresh S, Huang H, She J, Shi F, Yang P, El-Rifai W, Zaika A, Oro AE, Rustgi AK, Wang TC, Lu C, Que J. Epigenetic regulation of p63 blocks squamous-to-neuroendocrine transdifferentiation in esophageal development and malignancy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.09.556982. [PMID: 37745439 PMCID: PMC10515764 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.09.556982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
While cell fate determination and maintenance are important in establishing and preserving tissue identity and function during development, aberrant cell fate transition leads to cancer cell heterogeneity and resistance to treatment. Here, we report an unexpected role for the transcription factor p63 (Trp63/TP63) in the fate choice of squamous versus neuroendocrine lineage in esophageal development and malignancy. Deletion of p63 results in extensive neuroendocrine differentiation in the developing mouse esophagus and esophageal progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells. In human esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma (eNEC) cells, p63 is transcriptionally silenced by EZH2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Upregulation of the major p63 isoform ΔNp63α, through either ectopic expression or EZH2 inhibition, promotes squamous transdifferentiation of eNEC cells. Together these findings uncover p63 as a rheostat in coordinating the transition between squamous and neuroendocrine cell fates during esophageal development and tumor progression.
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Duplaquet L, Li Y, Booker MA, Xie Y, Olsen SN, Patel RA, Hong D, Hatton C, Denize T, Walton E, Laimon YN, Li R, Jiang Y, Bronson RT, Southard J, Li S, Signoretti S, Qiu X, Cejas P, Armstrong SA, Long HW, Tolstorukov MY, Haffner MC, Oser MG. KDM6A epigenetically regulates subtype plasticity in small cell lung cancer. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:1346-1358. [PMID: 37591951 PMCID: PMC10546329 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01210-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) exists broadly in four molecular subtypes: ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3 and Inflammatory. Initially, SCLC subtypes were thought to be mutually exclusive, but recent evidence shows intra-tumoural subtype heterogeneity and plasticity between subtypes. Here, using a CRISPR-based autochthonous SCLC genetically engineered mouse model to study the consequences of KDM6A/UTX inactivation, we show that KDM6A inactivation induced plasticity from ASCL1 to NEUROD1 resulting in SCLC tumours that express both ASCL1 and NEUROD1. Mechanistically, KDM6A normally maintains an active chromatin state that favours the ASCL1 subtype with its loss decreasing H3K4me1 and increasing H3K27me3 at enhancers of neuroendocrine genes leading to a cell state that is primed for ASCL1-to-NEUROD1 subtype switching. This work identifies KDM6A as an epigenetic regulator that controls ASCL1 to NEUROD1 subtype plasticity and provides an autochthonous SCLC genetically engineered mouse model to model ASCL1 and NEUROD1 subtype heterogeneity and plasticity, which is found in 35-40% of human SCLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Duplaquet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yixiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A Booker
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yingtian Xie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Naomi Olsen
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Radhika A Patel
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deli Hong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charlie Hatton
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Denize
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Walton
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yasmin N Laimon
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yijia Jiang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roderick T Bronson
- Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jackson Southard
- Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shuqiang Li
- Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabina Signoretti
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xintao Qiu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paloma Cejas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scott A Armstrong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Henry W Long
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Y Tolstorukov
- Department of Informatics and Analytics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael C Haffner
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew G Oser
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA, USA.
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Wollenzien H, Tecleab YA, Szczepaniak-Sloane R, Restaino A, Kareta MS. Single-Cell Evolutionary Analysis Reveals Drivers of Plasticity and Mediators of Chemoresistance in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:892-907. [PMID: 37256926 PMCID: PMC10527088 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is often a heterogeneous tumor, where dynamic regulation of key transcription factors can drive multiple populations of phenotypically different cells which contribute differentially to tumor dynamics. This tumor is characterized by a very low 2-year survival rate, high rates of metastasis, and rapid acquisition of chemoresistance. The heterogeneous nature of this tumor makes it difficult to study and to treat, as it is not clear how or when this heterogeneity arises. Here we describe temporal, single-cell analysis of SCLC to investigate tumor initiation and chemoresistance in both SCLC xenografts and an autochthonous SCLC model. We identify an early population of tumor cells with high expression of AP-1 network genes that are critical for tumor growth. Furthermore, we have identified and validated the cancer testis antigens (CTA) PAGE5 and GAGE2A as mediators of chemoresistance in human SCLC. CTAs have been successfully targeted in other tumor types and may be a promising avenue for targeted therapy in SCLC. IMPLICATIONS Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of SCLC can shed light on key mechanisms such as cellular plasticity, heterogeneity, and chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Wollenzien
- Cancer Biology and Immunotherapies Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Genetics & Genomics Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
| | | | - Robert Szczepaniak-Sloane
- Cancer Biology and Immunotherapies Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Genetics & Genomics Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Anthony Restaino
- Cancer Biology and Immunotherapies Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Michael S. Kareta
- Cancer Biology and Immunotherapies Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Genetics & Genomics Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
- Functional Genomics & Bioinformatics Core, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA
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Lo YC, Rivera-Concepcion J, Vasmatzis G, Aubry MC, Leventakos K. Subtype of SCLC Is an Intrinsic and Persistent Feature Through Systemic Treatment. JTO Clin Res Rep 2023; 4:100561. [PMID: 37731627 PMCID: PMC10507151 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2023.100561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction SCLC is an aggressive malignancy with poor outcome. Most patients have disease recurrence despite treatments with multiple modalities. Subtyping of SCLC has been proposed recently, and novel agents targeting specific subtypes are actively being investigated. In this study, we evaluated the plasticity of subtypes in paired pre- and post-treatment samples. The aim was to understand possible subtype evolution after chemotherapy resistance that could lead to alternate targeted therapy strategies. Methods A total of 68 samples from 32 patients with sufficient paired specimens were identified from 1998 to 2022. ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3 immunohistochemistry studies were performed on all cases, and subtyping by predominant expression was determined. Subtype comparison in each patient was performed, and expression analysis was performed on the basis of subtypes. Results Of 32 cases, 28 (88%) had the same subtype in pre- and first post-treatment specimens. Protein expression level of subtype-specific transcription factor remained stable after chemotherapy. Two of five (40%) NEUROD1-predominant SCLC switched to ASCL1-predominant phenotype after treatment. One case had a pitfall of scoring ASCL1 on specimen with marked crushing artifacts. One case revealed the challenge of proper subtyping for samples with borderline POU2F3 expression. Conclusions Subtype of SCLC generally remains the same after acquiring chemotherapy resistance. Plasticity was observed with rare cases switching from NEUROD1-predominant to ASC1-predominant SCLC. Resubtyping is unnecessary for the consideration of novel subtype-specific targeted agents, except cases with NEUROD1-predominant subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Chun Lo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Joel Rivera-Concepcion
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Current Affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - George Vasmatzis
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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Schultz CW, Zhang Y, Elmeskini R, Zimmermann A, Fu H, Murai Y, Wangsa D, Kumar S, Takahashi N, Atkinson D, Saha LK, Lee C, Elenbaas B, Desai P, Sebastian R, Sharma AK, Abel M, Schroeder B, Krishnamurthy M, Kumar R, Roper N, Aladjem M, Zenke FT, Ohler ZW, Pommier Y, Thomas A. ATR inhibition augments the efficacy of lurbinectedin in small-cell lung cancer. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17313. [PMID: 37491889 PMCID: PMC10405061 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202217313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most lethal type of lung cancer. Specifically, MYC-driven non-neuroendocrine SCLC is particularly resistant to standard therapies. Lurbinectedin was recently approved for the treatment of relapsed SCLC, but combinatorial approaches are needed to increase the depth and duration of responses to lurbinectedin. Using high-throughput screens, we found inhibitors of ataxia telangiectasia mutated and rad3 related (ATR) as the most effective agents for augmenting lurbinectedin efficacy. First-in-class ATR inhibitor berzosertib synergized with lurbinectedin in multiple SCLC cell lines, organoid, and in vivo models. Mechanistically, ATR inhibition abrogated S-phase arrest induced by lurbinectedin and forced cell cycle progression causing mitotic catastrophe and cell death. High CDKN1A/p21 expression was associated with decreased synergy due to G1 arrest, while increased levels of ERCC5/XPG were predictive of increased combination efficacy. Importantly, MYC-driven non-neuroendocrine tumors which are resistant to first-line therapies show reduced CDKN1A/p21 expression and increased ERCC5/XPG indicating they are primed for response to lurbinectedin-berzosertib combination. The combination is being assessed in a clinical trial NCT04802174.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Schultz
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Yang Zhang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Rajaa Elmeskini
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, IncFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMDUSA
| | - Astrid Zimmermann
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyMerck KGaA, Biopharma R&DDarmstadtGermany
| | - Haiqing Fu
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Yasuhisa Murai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Darawalee Wangsa
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Nobuyuki Takahashi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Medical Oncology BranchNational Center for Global Health and MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Devon Atkinson
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, IncFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMDUSA
| | - Liton Kumar Saha
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Chien‐Fei Lee
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyEMD Serono Research and Development Institute Inc., Biopharma R&DBillericaMAUSA
| | - Brian Elenbaas
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyEMD Serono Research and Development Institute Inc., Biopharma R&DBillericaMAUSA
| | - Parth Desai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Robin Sebastian
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Ajit Kumar Sharma
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Melissa Abel
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Brett Schroeder
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Manan Krishnamurthy
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Nitin Roper
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Mirit Aladjem
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Frank T Zenke
- Translational Innovation Platform OncologyMerck KGaA, Biopharma R&DDarmstadtGermany
| | - Zoe Weaver Ohler
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, IncFrederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederickMDUSA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer ResearchNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
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Davies A, Zoubeidi A, Beltran H, Selth LA. The Transcriptional and Epigenetic Landscape of Cancer Cell Lineage Plasticity. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:1771-1788. [PMID: 37470668 PMCID: PMC10527883 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Lineage plasticity, a process whereby cells change their phenotype to take on a different molecular and/or histologic identity, is a key driver of cancer progression and therapy resistance. Although underlying genetic changes within the tumor can enhance lineage plasticity, it is predominantly a dynamic process controlled by transcriptional and epigenetic dysregulation. This review explores the transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of lineage plasticity and their interplay with other features of malignancy, such as dysregulated metabolism, the tumor microenvironment, and immune evasion. We also discuss strategies for the detection and treatment of highly plastic tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Lineage plasticity is a hallmark of cancer and a critical facilitator of other oncogenic features such as metastasis, therapy resistance, dysregulated metabolism, and immune evasion. It is essential that the molecular mechanisms of lineage plasticity are elucidated to enable the development of strategies to effectively target this phenomenon. In this review, we describe key transcriptional and epigenetic regulators of cancer cell plasticity, in the process highlighting therapeutic approaches that may be harnessed for patient benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair Davies
- Oncology Research Discovery, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Amina Zoubeidi
- Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Himisha Beltran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Luke A. Selth
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, 5042 Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005 Australia
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Saida Y, Watanabe S, Kikuchi T. Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Current Landscape and Future Prospects. Onco Targets Ther 2023; 16:657-671. [PMID: 37551311 PMCID: PMC10404428 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s272552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by aggressive disease progression and tendency to metastasize. Although chemotherapy for extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) has remained unchanged for decades, immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the primary therapy for ES-SCLC. However, the number of patients benefiting from immunotherapy is limited, and the treatment outcomes remain unsatisfactory. In addition, predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy have not yet been identified. Recent reports have shed light on the genomics of SCLC and defined four distinct molecular subtypes based on transcription factor expression. This may increase our understanding of the biology of SCLC and identify novel therapeutic targets and drugs. In this article, we review the current standard management of ES-SCLC and present the most recent reports to further our understanding of molecular classification, predictive biomarkers, and prospective therapies, including immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Saida
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Satoshi Watanabe
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Kikuchi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
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Cai L, DeBerardinis RJ, Xie Y, Minna JD, Xiao G. A Comparative Study of Neuroendocrine Heterogeneity in Small Cell Lung Cancer and Neuroblastoma. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:795-807. [PMID: 37255415 PMCID: PMC10390888 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-23-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Lineage plasticity has long been documented in both small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroblastoma, two clinically distinct neuroendocrine (NE) cancers. In this study, we quantified the NE features of cancer as NE scores and performed a systematic comparison of SCLC and neuroblastoma. We found neuroblastoma and SCLC cell lines have highly similar molecular profiles and shared therapeutic sensitivity. In addition, NE heterogeneity was observed at both the inter- and intra-cell line levels. Surprisingly, we did not find a significant association between NE scores and overall survival in SCLC or neuroblastoma. We described many shared and unique NE score-associated features between SCLC and neuroblastoma, including dysregulation of Myc oncogenes, alterations in protein expression, metabolism, drug resistance, and selective gene dependencies. IMPLICATIONS Our work establishes a reference for molecular changes and vulnerabilities associated with NE to non-NE transdifferentiation through mutual validation of SCLC and neuroblastoma samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Cai
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Children's Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Ralph J. DeBerardinis
- Children's Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Yang Xie
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - John D. Minna
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Guanghua Xiao
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Varghese DG, Del Rivero J, Bergsland E. Grade Progression and Intrapatient Tumor Heterogeneity as Potential Contributors to Resistance in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3712. [PMID: 37509373 PMCID: PMC10378410 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a heterogenous group of tumors that are incurable when metastatic, regardless of grade. The aim of this article is to understand tumor heterogeneity and grade progression as possible contributors to drug resistance in gastroentropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). Heterogeneity has been observed in the genetic, pathological, and imaging features of these tumors at baseline. Diagnostic challenges related to tumor sampling and the potential for changes in grade over time further confound our ability to optimize therapy for patients. A better understanding of NEN biology and tumor heterogeneity at baseline and over time could lead to the development of new therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Grace Varghese
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 94158, USA
| | - Jaydira Del Rivero
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 94158, USA
| | - Emily Bergsland
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Acosta J, Li Q, Freeburg NF, Murali N, Indeglia A, Grothusen GP, Cicchini M, Mai H, Gladstein AC, Adler KM, Doerig KR, Li J, Ruiz-Torres M, Manning KL, Stanger BZ, Busino L, Murphy M, Wan L, Feldser DM. p53 restoration in small cell lung cancer identifies a latent cyclophilin-dependent necrosis mechanism. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4403. [PMID: 37479684 PMCID: PMC10362054 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40161-9] [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: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The p53 tumor suppressor regulates multiple context-dependent tumor suppressive programs. Although p53 is mutated in ~90% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors, how p53 mediates tumor suppression in this context is unknown. Here, using a mouse model of SCLC in which endogenous p53 expression can be conditionally and temporally regulated, we show that SCLC tumors maintain a requirement for p53 inactivation. However, we identify tumor subtype heterogeneity between SCLC tumors such that p53 reactivation induces senescence in a subset of tumors, while in others, p53 induces necrosis. We pinpoint cyclophilins as critical determinants of a p53-induced transcriptional program that is specific to SCLC tumors and cell lines poised to undergo p53-mediated necrosis. Importantly, inhibition of cyclophilin isomerase activity, or genetic ablation of specific cyclophilin genes, suppresses p53-mediated necrosis by limiting p53 transcriptional output without impacting p53 chromatin binding. Our study demonstrates that intertumoral heterogeneity in SCLC influences the biological response to p53 restoration, describes a cyclophilin-dependent mechanism of p53-regulated cell death, and uncovers putative mechanisms for the treatment of this most-recalcitrant tumor type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonuelle Acosta
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qinglan Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nelson F Freeburg
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nivitha Murali
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alexandra Indeglia
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Grant P Grothusen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michelle Cicchini
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hung Mai
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy C Gladstein
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Keren M Adler
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katherine R Doerig
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jinyang Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Miguel Ruiz-Torres
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kimberly L Manning
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luca Busino
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maureen Murphy
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Liling Wan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David M Feldser
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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79
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Kim J, Kim S, Park SY, Lee GK, Lim KY, Kim JY, Hwang JA, Yu N, Kang EH, Hwang M, Song BR, Park C, Han JY. Molecular Subtypes and Tumor Microenvironment Characteristics of Small-Cell Lung Cancer Associated with Platinum-Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3568. [PMID: 37509231 PMCID: PMC10377352 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although molecular subtypes of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) have been proposed, their clinical relevance and therapeutic implications are not fully understood. Thus, we aimed to refine molecular subtypes and to uncover therapeutic targets. We classified the subtypes based on gene expression (n = 81) and validated them in our samples (n = 87). Non-SCLC samples were compared with SCLC subtypes to identify the early development stage of SCLC. Single-cell transcriptome analysis was applied to dissect the TME of bulk samples. Finally, to overcome platinum resistance, we performed drug screening of patient-derived cells and cell lines. Four subtypes were identified: the ASCL1+ (SCLC-A) subtype identified as TP53/RB-mutated non-SCLC representing the early development stage of SCLC; the immune activation (SCLC-I) subtype, showing high CD8+/PD-L1+ T-cell infiltration and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT); the NEUROD1 (SCLC-N) subtype, which showed neurotransmission process; and the POU2F3+ (SCLC-P) subtype with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EndMT was associated with the worst prognosis. While SCLC-A/N exhibited platinum sensitivity, the EndMT signal of SCLC-I conferred platinum resistance. A BET inhibitor suppressed the aggressive angiogenesis phenotype of SCLC-I. We revealed that EndMT development contributed to a poor outcome in SCLC-I. Moreover, heterogenous TME development facilitated platinum resistance. BET inhibitors are novel candidates for overcoming platinum resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihyun Kim
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Osong Health Technology Administration Complex, 187, Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28159, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunshin Kim
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seog-Yun Park
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Geon Kook Lee
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Kun Young Lim
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Ah Hwang
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Namhee Yu
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Hye Kang
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Mihwa Hwang
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo Ram Song
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Charny Park
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Youn Han
- Research Institute, National Cancer Center, 232 Ilsan-ro, Goyang-si 10408, Kyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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80
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Beik SP, Harris LA, Kochen MA, Sage J, Quaranta V, Lopez CF. Unified tumor growth mechanisms from multimodel inference and dataset integration. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011215. [PMID: 37406008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanistic models of biological processes can explain observed phenomena and predict responses to a perturbation. A mathematical model is typically constructed using expert knowledge and informal reasoning to generate a mechanistic explanation for a given observation. Although this approach works well for simple systems with abundant data and well-established principles, quantitative biology is often faced with a dearth of both data and knowledge about a process, thus making it challenging to identify and validate all possible mechanistic hypothesis underlying a system behavior. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a Bayesian multimodel inference (Bayes-MMI) methodology, which quantifies how mechanistic hypotheses can explain a given experimental datasets, and concurrently, how each dataset informs a given model hypothesis, thus enabling hypothesis space exploration in the context of available data. We demonstrate this approach to probe standing questions about heterogeneity, lineage plasticity, and cell-cell interactions in tumor growth mechanisms of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We integrate three datasets that each formulated different explanations for tumor growth mechanisms in SCLC, apply Bayes-MMI and find that the data supports model predictions for tumor evolution promoted by high lineage plasticity, rather than through expanding rare stem-like populations. In addition, the models predict that in the presence of cells associated with the SCLC-N or SCLC-A2 subtypes, the transition from the SCLC-A subtype to the SCLC-Y subtype through an intermediate is decelerated. Together, these predictions provide a testable hypothesis for observed juxtaposed results in SCLC growth and a mechanistic interpretation for tumor treatment resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha P Beik
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Leonard A Harris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America
- Cancer Biology Program, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Michael A Kochen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Julien Sage
- Departments of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Departments of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Program in Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Carlos F Lopez
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Altos Laboratories, Redwood City, California, United States of America
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81
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Choudhuri SP, Girard L, Lim JYS, Wise JF, Freitas B, Yang D, Wong E, Hamilton S, Chien VD, Gilbreath C, Zhong J, Phat S, Myers DT, Christensen CL, Stanzione M, Wong KK, Farago AF, Meador CB, Dyson NJ, Lawrence MS, Wu S, Drapkin BJ. Acquired Cross-resistance in Small Cell Lung Cancer due to Extrachromosomal DNA Amplification of MYC paralogs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.23.546278. [PMID: 37425738 PMCID: PMC10327110 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.546278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) presents as a highly chemosensitive malignancy but acquires cross-resistance after relapse. This transformation is nearly inevitable in patients but has been difficult to capture in laboratory models. Here we present a pre-clinical system that recapitulates acquired cross-resistance in SCLC, developed from 51 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Each model was tested for in vivo sensitivity to three clinical regimens: cisplatin plus etoposide, olaparib plus temozolomide, and topotecan. These functional profiles captured hallmark clinical features, such as the emergence of treatment-refractory disease after early relapse. Serially derived PDX models from the same patient revealed that cross-resistance was acquired through a MYC amplification on extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). Genomic and transcriptional profiles of the full PDX panel revealed that this was not unique to one patient, as MYC paralog amplifications on ecDNAs were recurrent among cross-resistant models derived from patients after relapse. We conclude that ecDNAs with MYC paralogs are recurrent drivers of cross-resistance in SCLC. SIGNIFICANCE SCLC is initially chemosensitive, but acquired cross-resistance renders this disease refractory to further treatment and ultimately fatal. The genomic drivers of this transformation are unknown. We use a population of PDX models to discover that amplifications of MYC paralogs on ecDNA are recurrent drivers of acquired cross-resistance in SCLC.
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82
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Zhang T, Li W, Diwu D, Chen L, Chen X, Wang H. Efficacy and safety of first-line immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a Bayesian network meta-analysis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1197044. [PMID: 37435087 PMCID: PMC10331819 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1197044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite numerous immunotherapy and chemotherapy regimens available for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), it remains unclear which regimen is the most effective and safest; relative studies comparing such regimens are scarce. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of first-line immunotherapy combinations with chemotherapy for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. In addition, for the first time, comparisons among the first-line systemic regimens on OS and PFS in ES-SCLC by each time node were made. Methods Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Google Scholars, and ClinicalTrials.gov, and major international conferences were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding comparing immunotherapy combinations with chemotherapy as first-line treatments for patients with advanced ES-SCLC from inception to 1 November. Hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) were generated for dichotomous variants by RStudio 4.2.1. The outcomes comprised overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse events of grade 3 or higher (Grade ≥ 3 AEs). Results Eventually, a total of nine RCTs reporting 4,352 individuals with nine regimens were enrolled. The regimens were ipilimumabnu (Ipi), atezolizumab (Atez), durvalumab plus tremelimumab (Durv-Trem), durvalumab (Durv), pembrolizumab (Pemb), adebrelimab (Adeb), serplulimab (Serp), atezolizumab plus tiragolumab (Atez-Tira), and nivolumab (Nivo). With regard to OS, serplulimab (HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.81) was found to yield the best OS benefit when compared with chemotherapy. Meanwhile, serplulimab had the highest probability (46.11%) for better OS. Furthermore, compared with chemotherapy, serplulimab significantly increased the OS rate from the 6th to the 21st month. With regard to PFS, serplulimab (HR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.59) was found to yield the best PFS benefit when compared with chemotherapy. Simultaneously, serplulimab had the highest probability (94.48%) for better PFS. Serplulimab was also a long-lasting first-line regimen in both OS and PFS from a longitudinal perspective. In addition, there was no significant difference among the various treatment options for ORR and grade ≥3 AEs. Conclusion Considering OS, PFS, ORR, and safety profiles, serplulimab with chemotherapy should be recommended as the best therapy for patients with ES-SCLC. Certainly, more head-to-head studies are needed to confirm these findings. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022373291.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianming Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Danbei Diwu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lijun Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Health, Brooks College (Sunnyvale), Sunnyvale, CA, United States
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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83
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Griger J, Widholz SA, Jesinghaus M, de Andrade Krätzig N, Lange S, Engleitner T, Montero JJ, Zhigalova E, Öllinger R, Suresh V, Winkler W, Lier S, Baranov O, Trozzo R, Ben Khaled N, Chakraborty S, Yu J, Konukiewitz B, Steiger K, Pfarr N, Rajput A, Sailer D, Keller G, Schirmacher P, Röcken C, Fagerstedt KW, Mayerle J, Schmidt-Supprian M, Schneider G, Weichert W, Calado DP, Sommermann T, Klöppel G, Rajewsky K, Saur D, Rad R. An integrated cellular and molecular model of gastric neuroendocrine cancer evolution highlights therapeutic targets. Cancer Cell 2023:S1535-6108(23)00208-8. [PMID: 37352862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas (G-NEC) are aggressive malignancies with poorly understood biology and a lack of disease models. Here, we use genome sequencing to characterize the genomic landscapes of human G-NEC and its histologic variants. We identify global and subtype-specific alterations and expose hitherto unappreciated gains of MYC family members in a large part of cases. Genetic engineering and lineage tracing in mice delineate a model of G-NEC evolution, which defines MYC as a critical driver and positions the cancer cell of origin to the neuroendocrine compartment. MYC-driven tumors have pronounced metastatic competence and display defined signaling addictions, as revealed by large-scale genetic and pharmacologic screening of cell lines and organoid resources. We create global maps of G-NEC dependencies, highlight critical vulnerabilities, and validate therapeutic targets, including candidates for clinical drug repurposing. Our study gives comprehensive insights into G-NEC biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joscha Griger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Sebastian A Widholz
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Moritz Jesinghaus
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Philipps University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg (UKGM), Marburg, Germany; Institute for Experimental Cancer Therapy, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Niklas de Andrade Krätzig
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Sebastian Lange
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Engleitner
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Juan José Montero
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Zhigalova
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Rupert Öllinger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Veveeyan Suresh
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Wiebke Winkler
- Immune Regulation and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Svenja Lier
- Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Olga Baranov
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Riccardo Trozzo
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Najib Ben Khaled
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Shounak Chakraborty
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Jiakun Yu
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Björn Konukiewitz
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Nicole Pfarr
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Ashish Rajput
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - David Sailer
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Gisela Keller
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Peter Schirmacher
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Christoph Röcken
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | | | - Julia Mayerle
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Marc Schmidt-Supprian
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Institute of Experimental Hematology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wilko Weichert
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Dinis P Calado
- Immune Regulation and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany; Immunity and Cancer, Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, UK
| | - Thomas Sommermann
- Immune Regulation and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Günter Klöppel
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich 81675, Germany
| | - Klaus Rajewsky
- Immune Regulation and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Institute for Experimental Cancer Therapy, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany.
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84
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Cai L, DeBerardinis RJ, Xiao G, Minna JD, Xie Y. Dissecting molecular, pathological, and clinical features associated with tumor neural/neuroendocrine heterogeneity. iScience 2023; 26:106983. [PMID: 37378310 PMCID: PMC10291506 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lineage plasticity, especially transdifferentiation between neural/neuroendocrine (NE) and non-NE lineage, has been observed in multiple cancer types and linked to increased tumor aggressiveness. However, existing NE/non-NE subtype classifications in various cancer types were established through ad hoc approaches in different studies, making it difficult to align findings across cancer types and extend investigations to new datasets. To address this issue, we developed a generalized strategy to generate quantitative NE scores and a web application to facilitate its implementation. We applied this method to nine datasets covering seven cancer types, including two neural cancers, two neuroendocrine cancers, and three non-NE cancers. Our analysis revealed significant NE inter-tumoral heterogeneity and identified strong associations between NE scores and molecular, histological, and clinical features, including prognosis in different cancer types. These results support the translational utility of NE scores. Overall, our work demonstrated a broadly applicable strategy for determining the NE properties of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Cai
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Children’s Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ralph J. DeBerardinis
- Children’s Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Guanghua Xiao
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - John D. Minna
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yang Xie
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O’Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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85
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Ferencz B, Megyesfalvi Z, Csende K, Fillinger J, Poór V, Lantos A, Pipek O, Sólyom-Tisza A, Rényi-Vámos F, Schelch K, Lang C, Schwendenwein A, Boettiger K, László V, Hoetzenecker K, Döme B, Berta J. Comparative expression analysis of immune-related markers in surgically resected lung neuroendocrine neoplasms. Lung Cancer 2023; 181:107263. [PMID: 37270937 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2023.107263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although immunotherapy has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of lung cancer, the therapeutic approaches for lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (LNENs) are still limited. Our aim was to explore the immunological landscape and the expression of immune checkpoint markers in LNENs. METHODS Surgically removed tumor samples of 26 atypical carcinoid (AC), 30 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) and 29 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients were included. The immune phenotype of each tumor type was assessed by using a panel of 15 immune-related markers. As these markers are potentially expressed by immune cells and/or tumor cells, they might serve as putative targets for immunotherapy. Expression patterns were measured by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. RESULTS Unsupervised hierarchical clustering revealed distinct immunologic profiles across tumor types. Specifically, AC tumors were characterized by high tumor cell CD40 expression and low levels of immune infiltrates whereas SCLC samples had a high CD47 and Inducible T Cell Costimulator (ICOS) expression in tumor cells and immune cells, respectively. High CD70 and CD137 expression by tumor cells as well as elevated expression of CD27, Lymphocyte Activation Gene 3 (LAG3), and CD40 by immune cells were characteristic for LCNEC samples. Overall, SCLC and LCNEC tumors had a more immunogenic phenotype than AC samples. High tumor cell CD47 and CD40 expressions were associated with impaired and improved survival outcomes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS By providing insights into the widely divergent immunologic profiles of LNENs, our results might serve as a basis for the development of novel immunotherapy-related approaches in these devastating malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Ferencz
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary; National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Megyesfalvi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary; National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Kristóf Csende
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Fillinger
- National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Valentin Poór
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Lantos
- National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Pipek
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Ferenc Rényi-Vámos
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary; National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karin Schelch
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Lang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Schwendenwein
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristiina Boettiger
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Viktória László
- National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konrad Hoetzenecker
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Balázs Döme
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary; National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Judit Berta
- National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
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86
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Zhang S, Kim KB, Huang Y, Kim DW, Kim B, Ko KP, Zou G, Zhang J, Jun S, Kirk NA, Hwang YE, Ban YH, Chan JM, Rudin CM, Park KS, Park JI. CRACD loss promotes small cell lung cancer tumorigenesis via EZH2-mediated immune evasion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.15.528365. [PMID: 36824957 PMCID: PMC9949038 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.15.528365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remain unclear. Herein, we investigate the role of CRACD tumor suppressor in SCLC. We found that CRACD is frequently inactivated in SCLC, and Cracd knockout (KO) significantly accelerates SCLC development driven by loss of Rb1, Trp53, and Rbl2. Notably, the Cracd-deficient SCLC tumors display CD8+ T cell depletion and suppression of antigen presentation pathway. Mechanistically, CRACD loss silences the MHC-I pathway through EZH2. EZH2 blockade is sufficient to restore the MHC-I pathway and inhibit CRACD loss-associated SCLC tumorigenesis. Unsupervised single-cell transcriptomic analysis identifies SCLC patient tumors with concomitant inactivation of CRACD, impairment of tumor antigen presentation, and downregulation of EZH2 target genes. Our findings define CRACD loss as a new molecular signature associated with immune evasion of SCLC cells and proposed EZH2 blockade as a viable option for CRACD-negative SCLC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengzhe Zhang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kee-Beom Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
- BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuanjian Huang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dong-Wook Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Bongjun Kim
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kyung-Pil Ko
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gengyi Zou
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sohee Jun
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nicole A. Kirk
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Ye Eun Hwang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Young Ho Ban
- Hamatovascular Biology Center, Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Joseph M. Chan
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Charles M. Rudin
- Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kwon-Sik Park
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jae-Il Park
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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87
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Fernandez-Cuesta L, Sexton-Oates A, Bayat L, Foll M, Lau SCM, Leal T. Spotlight on Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Other Lung Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2023; 43:e390794. [PMID: 37229617 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_390794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Lung neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) encompass a spectrum of neoplasms that are subdivided into the well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors comprising the low- and intermediate-grade typical and atypical carcinoids, respectively, and the poorly differentiated, high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas including large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Here, we review the current morphological and molecular classifications of the NENs on the basis of the updated WHO Classification of Thoracic Tumors and discuss the emerging subclassifications on the basis of molecular profiling and the potential therapeutic implications. We focus on the efforts in subtyping SCLC, a particularly aggressive tumor with few treatment options, and the recent advances in therapy with the adoption of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the frontline setting for patients with extensive-stage SCLC. We further highlight the promising immunotherapy strategies in SCLC that are currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynnette Fernandez-Cuesta
- Rare Cancers Genomics Team, Genomic Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC-WHO, Lyons, France
| | - Alexandra Sexton-Oates
- Rare Cancers Genomics Team, Genomic Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC-WHO, Lyons, France
| | - Leyla Bayat
- Department of Medical Oncology, NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Matthieu Foll
- Rare Cancers Genomics Team, Genomic Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC-WHO, Lyons, France
| | - Sally C M Lau
- Department of Medical Oncology, NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Ticiana Leal
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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88
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Rubio K, Romero-Olmedo AJ, Sarvari P, Swaminathan G, Ranvir VP, Rogel-Ayala DG, Cordero J, Günther S, Mehta A, Bassaly B, Braubach P, Wygrecka M, Gattenlöhner S, Tresch A, Braun T, Dobreva G, Rivera MN, Singh I, Graumann J, Barreto G. Non-canonical integrin signaling activates EGFR and RAS-MAPK-ERK signaling in small cell lung cancer. Theranostics 2023; 13:2384-2407. [PMID: 37215577 PMCID: PMC10196829 DOI: 10.7150/thno.79493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an extremely aggressive cancer type with a patient median survival of 6-12 months. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling plays an important role in triggering SCLC. In addition, growth factor-dependent signals and alpha-, beta-integrin (ITGA, ITGB) heterodimer receptors functionally cooperate and integrate their signaling pathways. However, the precise role of integrins in EGF receptor (EGFR) activation in SCLC remains elusive. Methods: We analyzed human precision-cut lung slices (hPCLS), retrospectively collected human lung tissue samples and cell lines by classical methods of molecular biology and biochemistry. In addition, we performed RNA-sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis in human lung cancer cells and human lung tissue samples, as well as high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis of the protein cargo from extracellular vesicles (EVs) that were isolated from human lung cancer cells. Results: Our results demonstrate that non-canonical ITGB2 signaling activates EGFR and RAS/MAPK/ERK signaling in SCLC. Further, we identified a novel SCLC gene expression signature consisting of 93 transcripts that were induced by ITGB2, which may be used for stratification of SCLC patients and prognosis prediction of LC patients. We also found a cell-cell communication mechanism based on EVs containing ITGB2, which were secreted by SCLC cells and induced in control human lung tissue RAS/MAPK/ERK signaling and SCLC markers. Conclusions: We uncovered a mechanism of ITGB2-mediated EGFR activation in SCLC that explains EGFR-inhibitor resistance independently of EGFR mutations, suggesting the development of therapies targeting ITGB2 for patients with this extremely aggressive lung cancer type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Rubio
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, Laboratoire IMoPA, UMR 7365; F-54000 Nancy, France
- Lung Cancer Epigenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- International Laboratory EPIGEN, Consejo de Ciencia y Tecnología del Estado de Puebla (CONCYTEP), Instituto de Ciencias, EcoCampus, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Addi J. Romero-Olmedo
- Lung Cancer Epigenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Department of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg; Marburg, Germany
| | - Pouya Sarvari
- Independent Researcher, collaborator of International Laboratory EPIGEN-CONCYTEP
| | | | - Vikas P. Ranvir
- Emmy Noether Research Group Epigenetic Machineries and Cancer, Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Diana G. Rogel-Ayala
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, Laboratoire IMoPA, UMR 7365; F-54000 Nancy, France
- Lung Cancer Epigenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Julio Cordero
- Department of Cardiovascular Genomics and Epigenomics, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK)
| | - Stefan Günther
- ECCPS Bioinformatics and Deep Sequencing Platform, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Department of Cardiac Development, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Aditi Mehta
- Lung Cancer Epigenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich; Munich, Germany
| | - Birgit Bassaly
- Institute for Pathology, Justus Liebig University; 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Peter Braubach
- Institute for Pathology, Hannover Medical School; Hanover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH) Research Network; Hanover, Germany
| | - Malgorzata Wygrecka
- Center for Infection and Genomics of the Lung (CIGL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center; Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Lung Health, German Center for Lung Research (DZL); Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Achim Tresch
- CECAD, University of Cologne; Cologne, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne; Cologne, Germany
- Center for Data and Simulation Science, University of Cologne; Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Braun
- Department of Cardiac Development, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Gergana Dobreva
- Department of Cardiovascular Genomics and Epigenomics, European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK)
| | - Miguel N. Rivera
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Indrabahadur Singh
- Emmy Noether Research Group Epigenetic Machineries and Cancer, Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Graumann
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Institute of Translational Proteomics, Department of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg; 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Guillermo Barreto
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, Laboratoire IMoPA, UMR 7365; F-54000 Nancy, France
- Lung Cancer Epigenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research; 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
- International Laboratory EPIGEN, Consejo de Ciencia y Tecnología del Estado de Puebla (CONCYTEP), Instituto de Ciencias, EcoCampus, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; Puebla 72570, Mexico
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89
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Hwang S, Hong TH, Kim HK, Choi YS, Zo JI, Shim YM, Han J, Ahn YC, Pyo H, Noh JM, Lee HY, Kim HJ, Park S, Ahn MJ, Park K, Lee SH, Choi YL, Kim J. Whole-Section Landscape Analysis of Molecular Subtypes in Curatively Resected Small Cell Lung Cancer: Clinicopathologic Features and Prognostic Significance. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100184. [PMID: 37054974 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the recognition of various molecular subtypes in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), most information has been derived from tissue microarrays or biopsy samples. Using whole-sections of curatively resected SCLCs, we aimed to elucidate the clinicopathologic relevance and prognostic significance of the molecular subtypes. Whole-section immunohistochemistry was conducted for 73 resected SCLC samples using antibodies representative of molecular subtypes: ASCL1 (SCLC-A), NEUROD1 (SCLC-N), POU2F3 (SCLC-P), and YAP1. Further, multiplexed immunofluorescence was performed to evaluate the spatial relationship of YAP1 expression with other markers. The molecular subtype was correlated with clinical and histomorphologic features, and its prognostic role was explored in this cohort and validated in a previously published surgical cohort. Overall, the molecular subtypes were SCLC-A (54.8%), SCLC-N (31.5%), SCLC-P (6.8%), and SCLC-TN (triple-negative, 6.8%). We found significant enrichment of SCLC-N (48.0%, p = 0.004) among combined SCLCs. Although a distinct subtype with high YAP1 expression was not found, YAP1 expression was reciprocal with ASCL1/NEUROD1 at the cellular level within tumors and was increased in areas with non-small cell-like morphology. Furthermore, the YAP1-positive SCLCs showed significantly increased recurrence at mediastinal lymph nodes (p = 0.047) and are an independent poor prognostic factor after surgery (adjusted hazard ratio 2.87; 95% confidence interval 1.20-6.86; p = 0.017). The poor prognostic impact of YAP1 was also validated in the external surgical cohort. Our whole-section analysis in resected SCLCs reveals the highly heterogeneous nature of the molecular subtype and its clinicopathologic relevance. Although YAP1 is not a subtype delineator, YAP1 relates to the phenotypic plasticity of SCLC and may serve as a poor prognostic factor in resected SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohyun Hwang
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tae Hee Hong
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea; Department of Digital Health, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hong Kwan Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong Soo Choi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Ill Zo
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Mog Shim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joungho Han
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong Chan Ahn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hongryull Pyo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae Myoung Noh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ho Yun Lee
- Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ho Joong Kim
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sehhoon Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Myung-Ju Ahn
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Keunchil Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Se-Hoon Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Yoon-La Choi
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Jhingook Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
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90
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Alburquerque-Bejar JJ, Navajas-Chocarro P, Saigi M, Ferrero-Andres A, Morillas JM, Vilarrubi A, Gomez A, Mate JL, Munoz-Marmol AM, Romero OA, Blecua P, Davalos V, Esteller M, Pros E, Llabata P, Torres-Diz M, Esteve-Codina A, Sanchez-Cespedes M. MYC activation impairs cell-intrinsic IFNγ signaling and confers resistance to anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy in lung cancer. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101006. [PMID: 37044092 PMCID: PMC10140599 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the adaptive mechanisms that prevent host immune response in cancer will help predict efficacy of anti-programmed death-1 (PD1)/L1 therapies. Here, we study the cell-intrinsic response of lung cancer (LC) to interferon-γ (IFNγ), a cytokine that promotes immunoresponse and modulates programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels. We report complete refractoriness to IFNγ in a subset of LCs as a result of JAK2 or IFNGR1 inactivation. A submaximal response affects another subset that shows constitutive low levels of IFNγ-stimulated genes (IγSGs) coupled with decreased H3K27ac (histone 3 acetylation at lysine 27) deposition and promoter hypermethylation and reduced IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) recruitment to the DNA on IFNγ stimulation. Most of these are neuroendocrine small cell LCs (SCLCs) with oncogenic MYC/MYCL1/MYCN. The oncogenic activation of MYC in SCLC cells downregulates JAK2 and impairs IγSGs stimulation by IFNγ. MYC amplification tends to associate with a worse response to anti-PD1/L1 therapies. Hence alterations affecting the JAK/STAT pathway and MYC activation prevent stimulation by IFNγ and may predict anti-PD1/L1 efficacy in LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Alburquerque-Bejar
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Navajas-Chocarro
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Saigi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Carretera de Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Ferrero-Andres
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan M Morillas
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Vilarrubi
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Gomez
- Biosciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Carrer de la Sagrada Familia, 7, 08500 Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José L Mate
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana M Munoz-Marmol
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera de Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Octavio A Romero
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Blecua
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Veronica Davalos
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Cami de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Calle Monforte de Lemos, 3-5, Pabellon 11, Planta baja, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluis Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Feixa Llarga, s/n, 08907 l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Eva Pros
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Llabata
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Torres-Diz
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) and University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Parc Cientific de Barcelona, Torre I Baldiri Reixac, 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montse Sanchez-Cespedes
- Cancer Genetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), IJC Building, Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Ozen M, Lopez CF. Data-driven structural analysis of Small Cell Lung Cancer transcription factor network suggests potential subtype regulators and transition pathways. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.01.535226. [PMID: 37066351 PMCID: PMC10104011 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.01.535226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease and challenging to treat due to its mixture of transcriptional subtypes and subtype transitions. Transcription factor (TF) networks have been the focus of studies to identify SCLC subtype regulators via systems approaches. Yet, their structures, which can provide clues on subtype drivers and transitions, are barely investigated. Here, we analyze the structure of an SCLC TF network by using graph theory concepts and identify its structurally important components responsible for complex signal processing, called hubs. We show that the hubs of the network are regulators of different SCLC subtypes by analyzing first the unbiased network structure and then integrating RNA-seq data as weights assigned to each interaction. Data-driven analysis emphasizes MYC as a hub, consistent with recent reports. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the pathways connecting functionally distinct hubs may control subtype transitions and test this hypothesis via network simulations on a candidate pathway and observe subtype transition. Overall, structural analyses of complex networks can identify their functionally important components and pathways driving the network dynamics. Such analyses can be an initial step for generating hypotheses and can guide the discovery of target pathways whose perturbation may change the network dynamics phenotypically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Ozen
- Dept. of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
- Currently at: Computational Innovation Hub, Multiscale Modeling Group, Altos Labs, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA
| | - Carlos F. Lopez
- Dept. of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
- Currently at: Computational Innovation Hub, Multiscale Modeling Group, Altos Labs, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA
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92
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Pongor LS, Schultz CW, Rinaldi L, Wangsa D, Redon CE, Takahashi N, Fialkoff G, Desai P, Zhang Y, Burkett S, Hermoni N, Vilk N, Gutin J, Gergely R, Zhao Y, Nichols S, Vilimas R, Sciuto L, Graham C, Caravaca JM, Turan S, Tsai-Wei S, Rajapakse VN, Kumar R, Upadhyay D, Kumar S, Kim YS, Roper N, Tran B, Hewitt SM, Kleiner DE, Aladjem MI, Friedman N, Hager GL, Pommier Y, Ried T, Thomas A. Extrachromosomal DNA Amplification Contributes to Small Cell Lung Cancer Heterogeneity and Is Associated with Worse Outcomes. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:928-949. [PMID: 36715552 PMCID: PMC10073312 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine lung cancer. Oncogenic MYC amplifications drive SCLC heterogeneity, but the genetic mechanisms of MYC amplification and phenotypic plasticity, characterized by neuroendocrine and nonneuroendocrine cell states, are not known. Here, we integrate whole-genome sequencing, long-range optical mapping, single-cell DNA sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization to find extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) as a primary source of SCLC oncogene amplifications and driver fusions. ecDNAs bring to proximity enhancer elements and oncogenes, creating SCLC transcription-amplifying units, driving exceptionally high MYC gene dosage. We demonstrate that cell-free nucleosome profiling can noninvasively detect ecDNA amplifications in plasma, facilitating its genome-wide interrogation in SCLC and other cancers. Altogether, our work provides the first comprehensive map of SCLC ecDNA and describes a new mechanism that governs MYC-driven SCLC heterogeneity. ecDNA-enabled transcriptional flexibility may explain the significantly worse survival outcomes of SCLC harboring complex ecDNA amplifications. SIGNIFICANCE MYC drives SCLC progression, but the genetic basis of MYC-driven SCLC evolution is unknown. Using SCLC as a paradigm, we report how ecDNA amplifications function as MYC-amplifying units, fostering tumor plasticity and a high degree of tumor heterogeneity. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 799.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lőrinc Sándor Pongor
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- HCEMM Cancer Genomics and Epigenetics Research Group, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Christopher W Schultz
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lorenzo Rinaldi
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Darawalee Wangsa
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Christophe E Redon
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nobuyuki Takahashi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gavriel Fialkoff
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Parth Desai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yang Zhang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sandra Burkett
- Molecular Cytogenetic Core Facility, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Nadav Hermoni
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- School of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Noa Vilk
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- School of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jenia Gutin
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rona Gergely
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU, New York, New York
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter NYU Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Yongmei Zhao
- Bioinformatics and Computational Science Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Samantha Nichols
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rasa Vilimas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Linda Sciuto
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chante Graham
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Juan Manuel Caravaca
- Bioinformatics and Computational Science Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Sevilay Turan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Science Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Shen Tsai-Wei
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Vinodh N Rajapakse
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Deep Upadhyay
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yoo Sun Kim
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nitin Roper
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Bao Tran
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Stephen M Hewitt
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - David E Kleiner
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mirit I Aladjem
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nir Friedman
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- School of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gordon L Hager
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Thomas Ried
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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93
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Smith J, Barnett E, Rodger EJ, Chatterjee A, Subramaniam RM. Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Genetics and Epigenetics. PET Clin 2023; 18:169-187. [PMID: 36858744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpet.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a group of rare, heterogeneous tumors of neuroendocrine cell origin, affecting a range of different organs. The clinical management of NENs poses significant challenges, as tumors are often diagnosed at an advanced stage where overall survival remains poor with current treatment regimens. In addition, a host of complex and often unique molecular changes underpin the pathobiology of each NEN subtype. Exploitation of the unique genetic and epigenetic signatures driving each NEN subtype provides an opportunity to enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of NEN in an emerging era of individualized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim Smith
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Te Whatu Ora - Southern, Dunedin Public Hospital, 270 Great King Street, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Edward Barnett
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Euan J Rodger
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Rathan M Subramaniam
- Department of Medicine, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Department of Radiology, Duke University, 2301 Erwin Rd, BOX 3808, Durham, NC 27705, USA
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94
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Matera R, Chiang A. What Is New in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2023; 37:595-607. [PMID: 37024387 DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a rare yet aggressive lung cancer subtype with an extremely poor prognosis of around 1 year. SCLC accounts for 15% of all newly diagnosed lung cancers and is characterized by rapid growth with high potential for metastatic spread and treatment resistance. In the article the authors review some of the most notable efforts to improve outcomes, including trials of novel immunotherapy agents, novel disease targets, and multiple drug combinations.
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95
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Kowash RR, Akbay EA. Tumor intrinsic and extrinsic functions of CD73 and the adenosine pathway in lung cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1130358. [PMID: 37033953 PMCID: PMC10079876 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1130358] [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: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The adenosine pathway is an exciting new target in the field of cancer immunotherapy. CD73 is the main producer of extracellular adenosine. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has one of the highest CD73 expression signatures among all cancer types and the presence of common oncogenic drivers of NSCLC, such as mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and KRAS, correlate with increased CD73 expression. Current immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies only benefit a subset of patients, and it has proved challenging to understand which patients might respond even with the current understanding of predictive biomarkers. The adenosine pathway is well known to disrupt cytotoxic function of T cells, which is currently the main target of most clinical agents. Data thus far suggests that combining ICB therapies already in the clinic with adenosine pathway inhibitors provides promise for the treatment of lung cancer. However, antigen loss or lack of good antigens limits efficacy of ICB; simultaneous activation of other cytotoxic immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells can be explored in these tumors. Clinical trials harnessing both T and NK cell activating treatments are still in their early stages with results expected in the coming years. In this review we provide an overview of new literature on the adenosine pathway and specifically CD73. CD73 is thought of mainly for its role as an immune modulator, however recent studies have demonstrated the tumor cell intrinsic properties of CD73 are potentially as important as its role in immune suppression. We also highlight the current understanding of this pathway in lung cancer, outline ongoing studies examining therapies in combination with adenosine pathway targeting, and discuss future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R. Kowash
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Esra A. Akbay
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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96
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Zhou MJ, Yang JJ, Ma TY, Feng GX, Wang XL, Wang LY, Ge YZ, Gao R, Liu HL, Shan L, Kong L, Chen XH. Increased retinoic acid signaling decreases lung metastasis in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma by inhibiting the noncanonical Notch1 pathway. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:597-611. [PMID: 36879115 PMCID: PMC10073150 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-00957-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
MYB-NFIB fusion and NOTCH1 mutation are common hallmark genetic events in salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC). However, abnormal expression of MYB and NOTCH1 is also observed in patients without MYB-NFIB fusion and NOTCH1 mutation. Here, we explore in-depth the molecular mechanisms of lung metastasis through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and exome target capture sequencing in two SACC patients without MYB-NFIB fusion and NOTCH1 mutation. Twenty-five types of cells in primary and metastatic tissues were identified via Seurat clustering and categorized into four main stages ranging from near-normal to cancer-based on the abundance of each cell cluster in normal tissue. In this context, we identified the Notch signaling pathway enrichment in almost all cancer cells; RNA velocity, trajectory, and sub-clustering analyses were performed to deeply investigate cancer progenitor-like cell clusters in primary tumor-associated lung metastases, and signature genes of progenitor-like cells were enriched in the "MYC_TARGETS_V2" gene set. In vitro, we detected the NICD1-MYB-MYC complex by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and incidentally identified retinoic acid (RA) as an endogenous antagonist of genes in the "MYC_TARGETS_V2" gene set. Following this, we confirmed that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) suppresses the lung metastasis of SACC by correcting erroneous cell differentiation mainly caused by aberrant NOTCH1 or MYB expression. Bioinformatic, RNA-seq, and immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses of primary tissues and metastatic lung tissues from patients with SACC suggested that RA system insufficiency partially promotes lung metastasis. These findings imply the value of the RA system in diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jiao Zhou
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Jia-Jie Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Ting-Yao Ma
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Ge-Xuan Feng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xue-Lian Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Li-Yong Wang
- The Central Laboratory for Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yu-Ze Ge
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Ran Gao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Experimental Animal Models of Human Critical Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Comparative Medicine Center, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Hong-Liang Liu
- SHANDONG Longfine PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD, Shandong, 272622, China
| | - Lin Shan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Lu Kong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Xiao-Hong Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
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97
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Dhungel N, Youngblood R, Chu M, Carroll J, Dragoi AM. Assessing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity in a small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and lung fibroblasts co-culture model. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1096326. [PMID: 36936987 PMCID: PMC10022497 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1096326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the source of important cues that govern epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and facilitate the acquisition of aggressive traits by cancer cells. It is now recognized that EMT is not a binary program, and cancer cells rarely switch to a fully mesenchymal phenotype. Rather, cancer cells exist in multiple hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) states responsible for cell population heterogeneity, which is advantageous for the ever-changing environment during tumor development and metastasis. How are these intermediate states generated and maintained is not fully understood. Here, we show that direct interaction between small cell lung carcinoma cells and lung fibroblasts induces a hybrid EMT phenotype in cancer cells in which several mesenchymal genes involved in receptor interaction with the extracellular matrix (ECM) and ECM remodeling are upregulated while epithelial genes such as E-cadherin remain unchanged or slightly increase. We also demonstrate that several core EMT-regulating transcription factors (EMT-TFs) are upregulated in cancer cells during direct contact with fibroblasts, as is Yes-associated protein (YAP1), a major regulator of the Hippo pathway. Further, we show that these changes are transient and reverse to the initial state once the interaction is disrupted. Altogether, our results provide evidence that tumor cells' direct contact with the fibroblasts in the TME initiates a signaling cascade responsible for hybrid E/M states of cancer cells. These hybrid states are maintained during the interaction and possibly contribute to therapy resistance and immune evasion, while interference with direct contact will result in slow recovery and switch to the initial states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Dhungel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Reneau Youngblood
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Min Chu
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Jennifer Carroll
- Center for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT), LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Dragoi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
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98
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Frost TC, Gartin AK, Liu M, Cheng J, Dharaneeswaran H, Keskin DB, Wu CJ, Giobbie-Hurder A, Thakuria M, DeCaprio JA. YAP1 and WWTR1 expression inversely correlates with neuroendocrine markers in Merkel cell carcinoma. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e157171. [PMID: 36719743 PMCID: PMC9974098 DOI: 10.1172/jci157171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundMerkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine (NE) skin cancer caused by severe UV-induced mutations or expression of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) large and small T antigens (LT and ST). Despite deep genetic differences between MCPyV-positive and -negative subtypes, current clinical diagnostic markers are indistinguishable, and the expression profile of MCC tumors is, to our knowledge, unexplored.MethodsHere, we leveraged bulk and single-cell RNA-Seq of patient-derived tumor biopsies and cell lines to explore the underlying transcriptional environment of MCC.ResultsStrikingly, MCC samples could be separated into transcriptional subtypes that were independent of MCPyV status. Instead, we observed an inverse correlation between a NE gene signature and the Hippo pathway transcription factors Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator (YAP1) and WW domain-containing transcriptional regulator 1 (WWTR1). This inverse correlation was broadly present at the transcript and protein levels in the tumor biopsies as well as in established and patient-derived cell lines. Mechanistically, expression of YAP1 or WWTR1 in a MCPyV-positive MCC cell line induced cell-cycle arrest at least in part through TEA domain-dependent (TEAD-dependent) transcriptional repression of MCPyV LT.ConclusionThese findings identify what we believe to be a previously unrecognized heterogeneity in NE gene expression within MCC and support a model of YAP1/WWTR1 silencing as essential for the development of MCPyV-positive MCC.FundingUS Public Health Service grants R35CA232128, P01CA203655, and P30CA06516.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. Frost
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology and
| | - Ashley K. Gartin
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology and
| | - Mofei Liu
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jingwei Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology and
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Harita Dharaneeswaran
- Department of Medical Oncology and
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma Center of Excellence, Dana-Farber/Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Derin B. Keskin
- Department of Medical Oncology and
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Translational Immunogenomics Laboratory, DFCI, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Metropolitan College, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Catherine J. Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology and
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Translational Immunogenomics Laboratory, DFCI, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anita Giobbie-Hurder
- Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manisha Thakuria
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma Center of Excellence, Dana-Farber/Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James A. DeCaprio
- Program in Virology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology and
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma Center of Excellence, Dana-Farber/Brigham Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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99
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Zhang H, Yang Y, Li X, Yuan X, Chu Q. Targeting the Notch signaling pathway and the Notch ligand, DLL3, in small cell lung cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 159:114248. [PMID: 36645960 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive and poorly differentiated cancer with high-grade neuroendocrine (NE) features, accounting for approximately 15 % of all lung cancers. For decades, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have predominated the treatment strategy for SCLC, but relapses ensue quickly and result in poor survival of patients. Immunotherapy has brought novel insights, yet the efficacy is still restricted to a limited population with SCLC. Notch signaling is identified to play a key role in the initiation and development of SCLC, and the Notch ligand, Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is found broadly and specifically expressed in SCLC cells. Thus, Notch signaling is under active exploration as a potential therapeutic target in SCLC. Herein, we summarized and updated the functional relevance of Notch signaling in SCLC, discussed Notch signaling-targeted therapy for SCLC and the correspondent preclinical and clinical trials, and investigated the promising synergy effects of Notch signaling targeted therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei, China.
| | - Yunkai Yang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei, China.
| | - Xuchang Li
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei, China.
| | - Xun Yuan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei, China.
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, Hubei, China.
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100
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Fousek K, Horn LA, Qin H, Dahut M, Iida M, Yacubovich D, Hamilton DH, Thomas A, Schlom J, Palena C. An Interleukin-15 Superagonist Enables Antitumor Efficacy of Natural Killer Cells Against All Molecular Variants of SCLC. J Thorac Oncol 2023; 18:350-368. [PMID: 36410696 PMCID: PMC9974560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION SCLC is a highly aggressive tumor with a 5-year survival rate of less than 6%. A heterogeneous disease, SCLC is classified into four subtypes that include tumors with neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine features. Immune checkpoint blockade has been recently added for the frontline treatment of SCLC; however, this therapy has only led to modest clinical improvements. The lack of clinical benefit in a cancer type known to have a high tumor mutational burden has been attributed to poor T-cell infiltration and low expression of MHC-class I in most SCLC tumors. In an attempt to devise a more effective immunotherapeutic regimen, this study investigated an alternate approach on the basis of the use of the clinical-stage interleukin-15 superagonist, N-803. METHODS Preclinical models of SCLC spanning all molecular subtypes were used to evaluate the susceptibility of SCLC to natural killer (NK)-mediated lysis in vitro, including NK cells activated by N-803. Antitumor activity of N-803 was evaluated in vivo with a xenograft model of SCLC. RESULTS In vitro and in vivo data revealed differences in susceptibility of SCLC subtypes to lysis by NK cells and that NK cells activated by N-803 effectively lyse SCLC tumor cells across all variant subtypes, regardless of their expression of MHC-class I. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the potential of a novel immune-based intervention using a cytokine-based therapeutic option for the treatment of SCLC. We hypothesize that N-803 may provide benefit to most patients with SCLC, including those with immunologically cold tumors lacking MHC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Fousek
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lucas A. Horn
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Haiyan Qin
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Madeline Dahut
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Masafumi Iida
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Dan Yacubovich
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Duane H. Hamilton
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Claudia Palena
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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