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Dang DD, Rosenblum JS, Shah AH, Zhuang Z, Doucet-O’Hare TT. Epigenetic Regulation in Primary CNS Tumors: An Opportunity to Bridge Old and New WHO Classifications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2511. [PMID: 37173979 PMCID: PMC10177493 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092511] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Originally approved in 1979, a specific grading classification for central nervous system (CNS) tumors was devised by the World Health Organization (WHO) in an effort to guide cancer treatment and better understand prognosis. These "blue books" have since undergone several iterations based on tumor location, advancements in histopathology, and most recently, diagnostic molecular pathology in its fifth edition. As new research methods have evolved to elucidate complex molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis, a need to update and integrate these findings into the WHO grading scheme has become apparent. Epigenetic tools represent an area of burgeoning interest that encompasses all non-Mendelian inherited genetic features affecting gene expression, including but not limited to chromatin remodeling complexes, DNA methylation, and histone regulating enzymes. The SWItch/Sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex is the largest mammalian family of chromatin remodeling proteins and is estimated to be altered in 20-25% of all human malignancies; however, the ways in which it contributes to tumorigenesis are not fully understood. We recently discovered that CNS tumors with SWI/SNF mutations have revealed an oncogenic role for endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), remnants of exogenous retroviruses that integrated into the germline and are inherited like Mendelian genes, several of which retain open reading frames for proteins whose expression putatively contributes to tumor formation. Herein, we analyzed the latest WHO classification scheme for all CNS tumors with documented SWI/SNF mutations and/or aberrant ERV expression, and we summarize this information to highlight potential research opportunities that could be integrated into the grading scheme to better delineate diagnostic criteria and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle D. Dang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jared S. Rosenblum
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashish H. Shah
- Section of Virology and Immunotherapy, Department of Neurosurgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Zhengping Zhuang
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tara T. Doucet-O’Hare
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Sturm MJ, Henao-Restrepo JA, Becker S, Proquitté H, Beck JF, Sonnemann J. Synergistic anticancer activity of combined ATR and ribonucleotide reductase inhibition in Ewing's sarcoma cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023:10.1007/s00432-023-04804-0. [PMID: 37097390 PMCID: PMC10374484 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04804-0] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ewing's sarcoma is a highly malignant childhood tumour whose outcome has hardly changed over the past two decades despite numerous attempts at chemotherapy intensification. It is therefore essential to identify new treatment options. The present study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of combined inhibition of two promising targets, ATR and ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), in Ewing's sarcoma cells. METHODS Effects of the ATR inhibitor VE821 in combination with the RNR inhibitors triapine and didox were assessed in three Ewing's sarcoma cell lines with different TP53 status (WE-68, SK-ES-1, A673) by flow cytometric analysis of cell death, mitochondrial depolarisation and cell cycle distribution as well as by caspase 3/7 activity determination, by immunoblotting and by real-time RT-PCR. Interactions between inhibitors were evaluated by combination index analysis. RESULTS Single ATR or RNR inhibitor treatment produced small to moderate effects, while their combined treatment produced strong synergistic ones. ATR and RNR inhibitors elicited synergistic cell death and cooperated in inducing mitochondrial depolarisation, caspase 3/7 activity and DNA fragmentation, evidencing an apoptotic form of cell death. All effects were independent of functional p53. In addition, VE821 in combination with triapine increased p53 level and induced p53 target gene expression (CDKN1A, BBC3) in p53 wild-type Ewing's sarcoma cells. CONCLUSION Our study reveals that combined targeting of ATR and RNR was effective against Ewing's sarcoma in vitro and thus rationalises an in vivo exploration into the potential of combining ATR and RNR inhibitors as a new strategy for the treatment of this challenging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max-Johann Sturm
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
- Research Centre Lobeda, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Julián Andrés Henao-Restrepo
- Placenta Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sabine Becker
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
- Research Centre Lobeda, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans Proquitté
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - James F Beck
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Sonnemann
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
- Research Centre Lobeda, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
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53
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Keller KM, Koetsier J, Schild L, Amo-Addae V, Eising S, van den Handel K, Ober K, Koopmans B, Essing A, van den Boogaard ML, Langenberg KPS, Jäger N, Kool M, Pfister S, Dolman MEM, Molenaar JJ, van Hooff SR. The potential of PARP as a therapeutic target across pediatric solid malignancies. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:310. [PMID: 37020198 PMCID: PMC10077757 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10319-7] [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: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in children and the need for better therapeutic options remains urgent. Due to the limited number of patients, target and drug development for pediatrics is often supplemented by data from studies focused on adult cancers. Recent evidence shows that pediatric cancers possess different vulnerabilities that should be explored independently from adult cancers. METHODS Using the publicly available Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database, we explore therapeutic targets and biomarkers specific to the pediatric solid malignancies Ewing sarcoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. Results are validated using cell viability assays and high-throughput drug screens are used to identify synergistic combinations. RESULTS Using published drug screening data, PARP is identified as a drug target of interest across multiple different pediatric malignancies. We validate these findings, and we show that efficacy can be improved when combined with conventional chemotherapeutics, namely topoisomerase inhibitors. Additionally, using gene set enrichment analysis, we identify ribosome biogenesis as a potential biomarker for PARP inhibition in pediatric cancer cell lines. CONCLUSION Collectively, our results provide evidence to support the further development of PARP inhibition and the combination with TOP1 inhibition as a therapeutic approach in solid pediatric malignancies. Additionally, we propose ribosome biogenesis as a component to PARP inhibitor sensitivity that should be further investigated to help maximize the potential utility of PARP inhibition and combinations across pediatric solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylee M Keller
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joost Koetsier
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Linda Schild
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Vicky Amo-Addae
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Selma Eising
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Kimberley Ober
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Bianca Koopmans
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anke Essing
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Natalie Jäger
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Paediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marcel Kool
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Paediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Paediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Emmy M Dolman
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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54
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Liu Y, Klein J, Bajpai R, Dong L, Tran Q, Kolekar P, Smith JL, Ries RE, Huang BJ, Wang YC, Alonzo TA, Tian L, Mulder HL, Shaw TI, Ma J, Walsh MP, Song G, Westover T, Autry RJ, Gout AM, Wheeler DA, Wan S, Wu G, Yang JJ, Evans WE, Loh M, Easton J, Zhang J, Klco JM, Meshinchi S, Brown PA, Pruett-Miller SM, Ma X. Etiology of oncogenic fusions in 5,190 childhood cancers and its clinical and therapeutic implication. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1739. [PMID: 37019972 PMCID: PMC10076316 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37438-4] [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: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic fusions formed through chromosomal rearrangements are hallmarks of childhood cancer that define cancer subtype, predict outcome, persist through treatment, and can be ideal therapeutic targets. However, mechanistic understanding of the etiology of oncogenic fusions remains elusive. Here we report a comprehensive detection of 272 oncogenic fusion gene pairs by using tumor transcriptome sequencing data from 5190 childhood cancer patients. We identify diverse factors, including translation frame, protein domain, splicing, and gene length, that shape the formation of oncogenic fusions. Our mathematical modeling reveals a strong link between differential selection pressure and clinical outcome in CBFB-MYH11. We discover 4 oncogenic fusions, including RUNX1-RUNX1T1, TCF3-PBX1, CBFA2T3-GLIS2, and KMT2A-AFDN, with promoter-hijacking-like features that may offer alternative strategies for therapeutic targeting. We uncover extensive alternative splicing in oncogenic fusions including KMT2A-MLLT3, KMT2A-MLLT10, C11orf95-RELA, NUP98-NSD1, KMT2A-AFDN and ETV6-RUNX1. We discover neo splice sites in 18 oncogenic fusion gene pairs and demonstrate that such splice sites confer therapeutic vulnerability for etiology-based genome editing. Our study reveals general principles on the etiology of oncogenic fusions in childhood cancer and suggests profound clinical implications including etiology-based risk stratification and genome-editing-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Liu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jonathon Klein
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Center for Advanced Genome Editing, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Richa Bajpai
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Center for Advanced Genome Editing, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Li Dong
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Quang Tran
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Pandurang Kolekar
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jenny L Smith
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rhonda E Ries
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Huang
- Department of Pediatrics and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Todd A Alonzo
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Liqing Tian
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Heather L Mulder
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Timothy I Shaw
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Michael P Walsh
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Guangchun Song
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Tamara Westover
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Robert J Autry
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander M Gout
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - David A Wheeler
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shibiao Wan
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Gang Wu
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jun J Yang
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - William E Evans
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Mignon Loh
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jinghui Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jeffery M Klco
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Soheil Meshinchi
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Center for Advanced Genome Editing, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Xiaotu Ma
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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55
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Choi JH, Ro JY. The Recent Advances in Molecular Diagnosis of Soft Tissue Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065934. [PMID: 36983010 PMCID: PMC10051446 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue tumors are rare mesenchymal tumors with divergent differentiation. The diagnosis of soft tissue tumors is challenging for pathologists owing to the diversity of tumor types and histological overlap among the tumor entities. Present-day understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of soft tissue tumors has rapidly increased with the development of molecular genetic techniques (e.g., next-generation sequencing). Additionally, immunohistochemical markers that serve as surrogate markers for recurrent translocations in soft tissue tumors have been developed. This review aims to provide an update on recently described molecular findings and relevant novel immunohistochemical markers in selected soft tissue tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Hyuk Choi
- Department of Pathology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, 170 Hyeonchung-ro, Namgu, Daegu 42415, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Y Ro
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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56
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Kato S, Maeda Y, Sugiyama D, Watanabe K, Nishikawa H, Hinohara K. The cancer epigenome: Non-cell autonomous player in tumor immunity. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:730-740. [PMID: 36468774 PMCID: PMC9986067 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15681] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the tumor-intrinsic epigenetic circuit is a key driver event for the development of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that epigenetic and/or genetic drivers stimulate intrinsic oncogenic pathways as well as extrinsic factors that modulate the immune system. These modulations indeed shape the tumor microenvironment (TME), allowing pro-oncogenic factors to become oncogenic, thereby contributing to cancer development and progression. Here we review the epigenetic dysregulation arising in cancer cells that disseminates throughout the TME and beyond. Recent CRISPR screening has elucidated key epigenetic drivers that play important roles in the proliferation of cancer cells (intrinsic) and inhibition of antitumor immunity (extrinsic), which lead to the development and progression of cancer. These epigenetic players can serve as promising targets for cancer therapy as a dual (two-in-one)-targeted approach. Considering the interplay between cancer and the immune system as a key determinant of immunotherapy, we discuss a novel lineage-tracing technology that enables longitudinal monitoring of cancer and immune phenotypic heterogeneity and fate paths during cancer development, progression, and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Kato
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuka Maeda
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sugiyama
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Keisuke Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Study, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Hinohara
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Center for 5D Cell Dynamics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Study, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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57
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Chavan M, Dhakal S, Singh A, Rai V, Arora S, C Mallipeddi M, Das A. Ewing sarcoma genomics and recent therapeutic advancements. PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY ONCOLOGY JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phoj.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
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58
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Lu DY, Ellegast JM, Ross KN, Malone CF, Lin S, Mabe NW, Dharia NV, Meyer A, Conway A, Su AH, Selich-Anderson J, Taslim C, Byrum AK, Seong BKA, Adane B, Gray NS, Rivera MN, Lessnick SL, Stegmaier K. The ETS transcription factor ETV6 constrains the transcriptional activity of EWS-FLI to promote Ewing sarcoma. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:285-297. [PMID: 36658220 PMCID: PMC9928584 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01059-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are frequently mutated in cancer. Paediatric cancers exhibit few mutations genome-wide but frequently harbour sentinel mutations that affect TFs, which provides a context to precisely study the transcriptional circuits that support mutant TF-driven oncogenesis. A broadly relevant mechanism that has garnered intense focus involves the ability of mutant TFs to hijack wild-type lineage-specific TFs in self-reinforcing transcriptional circuits. However, it is not known whether this specific type of circuitry is equally crucial in all mutant TF-driven cancers. Here we describe an alternative yet central transcriptional mechanism that promotes Ewing sarcoma, wherein constraint, rather than reinforcement, of the activity of the fusion TF EWS-FLI supports cancer growth. We discover that ETV6 is a crucial TF dependency that is specific to this disease because it, counter-intuitively, represses the transcriptional output of EWS-FLI. This work discovers a previously undescribed transcriptional mechanism that promotes cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Y Lu
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jana M Ellegast
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth N Ross
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Clare F Malone
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shan Lin
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nathaniel W Mabe
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Neekesh V Dharia
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashleigh Meyer
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy Conway
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Angela H Su
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julia Selich-Anderson
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Cenny Taslim
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andrea K Byrum
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Bo Kyung A Seong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Biniam Adane
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miguel N Rivera
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and BMT, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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59
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Watson S, LaVigne CA, Xu L, Surdez D, Cyrta J, Calderon D, Cannon MV, Kent MR, Silvius KM, Kucinski JP, Harrison EN, Murchison W, Rakheja D, Tirode F, Delattre O, Amatruda JF, Kendall GC. VGLL2-NCOA2 leverages developmental programs for pediatric sarcomagenesis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112013. [PMID: 36656711 PMCID: PMC10054615 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical sequencing efforts are rapidly identifying sarcoma gene fusions that lack functional validation. An example is the fusion of transcriptional coactivators, VGLL2-NCOA2, found in infantile rhabdomyosarcoma. To delineate VGLL2-NCOA2 tumorigenic mechanisms and identify therapeutic vulnerabilities, we implement a cross-species comparative oncology approach with zebrafish, mouse allograft, and patient samples. We find that VGLL2-NCOA2 is sufficient to generate mesenchymal tumors that display features of immature skeletal muscle and recapitulate the human disease. A subset of VGLL2-NCOA2 zebrafish tumors transcriptionally cluster with embryonic somitogenesis and identify VGLL2-NCOA2 developmental programs, including a RAS family GTPase, ARF6. In VGLL2-NCOA2 zebrafish, mouse, and patient tumors, ARF6 is highly expressed. ARF6 knockout suppresses VGLL2-NCOA2 oncogenic activity in cell culture, and, more broadly, ARF6 is overexpressed in adult and pediatric sarcomas. Our data indicate that VGLL2-NCOA2 is an oncogene that leverages developmental programs for tumorigenesis and that reactivation or persistence of ARF6 could represent a therapeutic opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Watson
- Institut Curie Research Center, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, INSERM U830, 75005 Paris, France; Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Medical Oncology Department, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Collette A LaVigne
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Department of Population and Data Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Didier Surdez
- Institut Curie Research Center, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, INSERM U830, 75005 Paris, France; Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich (UZH), 8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Joanna Cyrta
- Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Department of Pathology, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Delia Calderon
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Ph.D. Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Matthew V Cannon
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Matthew R Kent
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Katherine M Silvius
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Jack P Kucinski
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Ph.D. Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Emma N Harrison
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Whitney Murchison
- Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Dinesh Rakheja
- Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Franck Tirode
- University Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre LéonBérard, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Olivier Delattre
- Institut Curie Research Center, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, INSERM U830, 75005 Paris, France; Institut Curie, SIREDO Pediatric Center, 75005 Paris, France; Institut Curie Hospital Group, Unité de Génétique Somatique, 75005 Paris, France
| | - James F Amatruda
- Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Genevieve C Kendall
- Center for Childhood Cancer, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
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60
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Eckardt JN, Stasik S, Röllig C, Sauer T, Scholl S, Hochhaus A, Crysandt M, Brümmendorf TH, Naumann R, Steffen B, Kunzmann V, Einsele H, Schaich M, Burchert A, Neubauer A, Schäfer-Eckart K, Schliemann C, Krause SW, Herbst R, Hänel M, Hanoun M, Kaiser U, Kaufmann M, Rácil Z, Mayer J, Cerqueira T, Kroschinsky F, Berdel WE, Serve H, Müller-Tidow C, Platzbecker U, Baldus CD, Schetelig J, Siepmann T, Bornhäuser M, Middeke JM, Thiede C. Alterations of cohesin complex genes in acute myeloid leukemia: differential co-mutations, clinical presentation and impact on outcome. Blood Cancer J 2023; 13:18. [PMID: 36693840 PMCID: PMC9873811 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-023-00790-1] [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: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional perturbations of the cohesin complex with subsequent changes in chromatin structure and replication are reported in a multitude of cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mutations of its STAG2 subunit may predict unfavorable risk as recognized by the 2022 European Leukemia Net recommendations, but the underlying evidence is limited by small sample sizes and conflicting observations regarding clinical outcomes, as well as scarce information on other cohesion complex subunits. We retrospectively analyzed data from a multi-center cohort of 1615 intensively treated AML patients and identified distinct co-mutational patters for mutations of STAG2, which were associated with normal karyotypes (NK) and concomitant mutations in IDH2, RUNX1, BCOR, ASXL1, and SRSF2. Mutated RAD21 was associated with NK, mutated EZH2, KRAS, CBL, and NPM1. Patients harboring mutated STAG2 were older and presented with decreased white blood cell, bone marrow and peripheral blood blast counts. Overall, neither mutated STAG2, RAD21, SMC1A nor SMC3 displayed any significant, independent effect on clinical outcomes defined as complete remission, event-free, relapse-free or overall survival. However, we found almost complete mutual exclusivity of genetic alterations of individual cohesin subunits. This mutual exclusivity may be the basis for therapeutic strategies via synthetic lethality in cohesin mutated AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Niklas Eckardt
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany. .,Division of Health Care Sciences, Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Stasik
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christoph Röllig
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tim Sauer
- grid.5253.10000 0001 0328 4908German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Medical Clinic V, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Scholl
- grid.275559.90000 0000 8517 6224Department of Internal Medicine II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Hochhaus
- grid.275559.90000 0000 8517 6224Department of Internal Medicine II, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Martina Crysandt
- grid.412301.50000 0000 8653 1507Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Cell Therapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tim H. Brümmendorf
- grid.412301.50000 0000 8653 1507Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Cell Therapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralph Naumann
- Medical Clinic III, St. Marien-Hospital Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Björn Steffen
- grid.411088.40000 0004 0578 8220Medical Clinic II, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Volker Kunzmann
- grid.411760.50000 0001 1378 7891Medical Clinic and Policlinic II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Einsele
- grid.411760.50000 0001 1378 7891Medical Clinic and Policlinic II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Schaich
- grid.459932.0Department of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Rems-Murr-Hospital Winnenden, Winnenden, Germany
| | - Andreas Burchert
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Philipps-University-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Neubauer
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Philipps-University-Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schäfer-Eckart
- grid.511981.5Department of Internal Medicine V, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität and University Hospital Nurnberg, Nurnberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schliemann
- grid.16149.3b0000 0004 0551 4246Department of Medicine A, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan W. Krause
- grid.411668.c0000 0000 9935 6525Medical Clinic V, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Regina Herbst
- grid.459629.50000 0004 0389 4214Medical Clinic III, Chemnitz Hospital AG, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Mathias Hänel
- grid.459629.50000 0004 0389 4214Medical Clinic III, Chemnitz Hospital AG, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Maher Hanoun
- grid.410718.b0000 0001 0262 7331Department of Hematology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Kaiser
- grid.460019.aMedical Clinic II, St. Bernward Hospital, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Martin Kaufmann
- grid.416008.b0000 0004 0603 4965Department of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Zdenek Rácil
- grid.412554.30000 0004 0609 2751Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Masaryk University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Mayer
- grid.412554.30000 0004 0609 2751Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Masaryk University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tiago Cerqueira
- grid.440925.e0000 0000 9874 1261Division of Health Care Sciences, Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany
| | - Frank Kroschinsky
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wolfgang E. Berdel
- grid.16149.3b0000 0004 0551 4246Department of Medicine A, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hubert Serve
- grid.411088.40000 0004 0578 8220Medical Clinic II, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Carsten Müller-Tidow
- grid.5253.10000 0001 0328 4908German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Medical Clinic V, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uwe Platzbecker
- grid.411339.d0000 0000 8517 9062Medical Clinic I Hematology and Celltherapy, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudia D. Baldus
- grid.412468.d0000 0004 0646 2097Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Johannes Schetelig
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany ,DKMS Clinical Trials Unit, Dresden, Germany
| | - Timo Siepmann
- grid.440925.e0000 0000 9874 1261Division of Health Care Sciences, Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany ,grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Bornhäuser
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research DKTK, Heidelberg, Germany ,National Center for Tumor Disease (NCT), Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Moritz Middeke
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Thiede
- grid.412282.f0000 0001 1091 2917Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
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Yu L, Davis IJ, Liu P. Regulation of EWSR1-FLI1 Function by Post-Transcriptional and Post-Translational Modifications. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:382. [PMID: 36672331 PMCID: PMC9857208 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is the second most common bone tumor in childhood and adolescence. Currently, first-line therapy includes multidrug chemotherapy with surgery and/or radiation. Although most patients initially respond to chemotherapy, recurrent tumors become treatment refractory. Pathologically, Ewing sarcoma consists of small round basophilic cells with prominent nuclei marked by expression of surface protein CD99. Genetically, Ewing sarcoma is driven by a fusion oncoprotein that results from one of a small number of chromosomal translocations composed of a FET gene and a gene encoding an ETS family transcription factor, with ~85% of tumors expressing the EWSR1::FLI1 fusion. EWSR1::FLI1 regulates transcription, splicing, genome instability and other cellular functions. Although a tumor-specific target, EWSR1::FLI1-targeted therapy has yet to be developed, largely due to insufficient understanding of EWSR1::FLI1 upstream and downstream signaling, and the challenges in targeting transcription factors with small molecules. In this review, we summarize the contemporary molecular understanding of Ewing sarcoma, and the post-transcriptional and post-translational regulatory mechanisms that control EWSR1::FLI1 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ian J. Davis
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Pengda Liu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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62
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Morfouace M, Horak P, Kreutzfeldt S, Stevovic A, de Rojas T, Denisova E, Hutter B, Bautista F, Oliveira J, Defachelles AS, White J, Kasper B, Preusser M, Golfinopoulos V, Pfister S, Van der Graaf W, Wardelmann E, Shenjere P, Fröhling S, McCabe MG. Comprehensive molecular profiling of sarcomas in adolescent and young adult patients: Results of the EORTC SPECTA-AYA international proof-of-concept study. Eur J Cancer 2023; 178:216-226. [PMID: 36470093 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer are poorly recruited to molecularly targeted trials and have not witnessed the advances in cancer treatment and survival seen in other age groups. We report here a pan-European proof-of-concept study to identify actionable alterations in some of the worst prognosis AYA cancers: bone and soft tissue sarcomas. DESIGN Patients aged 12-29 years with newly diagnosed or recurrent, intermediate or high-grade bone and soft tissue sarcomas were recruited from six European countries. Pathological diagnoses were centrally reviewed. Formalin-fixed tissues were analysed by whole exome sequencing, methylation profiling and RNA sequencing and were discussed in a multidisciplinary, international molecular tumour board. RESULTS Of 71 patients recruited, 48 (median 20 years, range 12-28) met eligibility criteria. Central pathological review confirmed, modified and re-classified the diagnosis in 41, 3, and 4 cases, respectively. Median turnaround time to discussion at molecular tumour board was 8.4 weeks. whole exome sequencing (n = 48), methylation profiling (n = 44, 85%) and RNA sequencing (n = 24, 50%) led to therapeutic recommendations for 81% patients, including 4 with germ line alterations. The most common were for agents targeted towards tyrosine kinases (n = 20 recommendations), DNA repair (n = 18) and the PI3K/mTOR/AKT pathway (n = 15). Recommendations were generally based on weak evidence such as activity in a different tumour type (n = 68, 61%), reflecting the dearth of relevant molecular clinical trial data in the same tumour type. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate here that comprehensive molecular profiling of AYA patients' samples is feasible and deliverable in a European programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Morfouace
- European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter Horak
- Division of Translational Medical Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Kreutzfeldt
- Division of Translational Medical Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Stevovic
- European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Teresa de Rojas
- European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Brussels, Belgium; Pediatric Oncogenomics Unit, University Children's Hospital Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
| | - Evgeniya Denisova
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Hutter
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Computational Oncology Group, Molecular Precision Oncology Program, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francisco Bautista
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands; Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Hospital Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
| | - Júlio Oliveira
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Português de Oncologia (IPO), Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Jeff White
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | - Bernd Kasper
- Sarcoma Unit, Mannheim University Medical Center, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vassilis Golfinopoulos
- European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stefan Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Winette Van der Graaf
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, Netherlands; Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Center Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eva Wardelmann
- Gerhard-Domagk Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Patrick Shenjere
- Department of Pathology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Stefan Fröhling
- Division of Translational Medical Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin G McCabe
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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Bertacca I, Pegoraro F, Tondo A, Favre C. Targeted treatment of solid tumors in pediatric precision oncology. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1176790. [PMID: 37213274 PMCID: PMC10196192 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1176790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of childhood solid cancer has markedly evolved in recent years following a refined molecular characterization and the introduction of novel targeted drugs. On one hand, larger sequencing studies have revealed a spectrum of mutations in pediatric tumors different from adults. On the other hand, specific mutations or immune dysregulated pathways have been targeted in preclinical and clinical studies, with heterogeneous results. Of note, the development of national platforms for tumor molecular profiling and, in less measure, for targeted treatment, has been essential in the process. However, many of the available molecules have been tested only in relapsed or refractory patients, and have proven poorly effective, at least in monotherapy. Our future approaches should certainly aim at improving the access to molecular characterization, to obtain a deeper picture of the distinctive phenotype of childhood cancer. In parallel, the implementation of access to novel drugs should not only be limited to basket or umbrella studies but also to larger, multi-drug international studies. In this paper we reviewed the molecular features and the main available therapeutic options in pediatric solid cancer, focusing on available targeted drugs and ongoing investigations, aiming at providing a useful tool to navigate the heterogeneity of this promising but complex field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bertacca
- Paediatric Hematology/Oncology Department, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Firenze, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences , University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Francesco Pegoraro
- Paediatric Hematology/Oncology Department, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Firenze, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences , University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tondo
- Paediatric Hematology/Oncology Department, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Firenze, Italy
| | - Claudio Favre
- Paediatric Hematology/Oncology Department, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Firenze, Italy
- *Correspondence: Claudio Favre,
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64
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Adverse prognostic impact of the loss of STAG2 protein expression in patients with newly diagnosed localised Ewing sarcoma: A report from the Children's Oncology Group. Br J Cancer 2022; 127:2220-2226. [PMID: 36221002 PMCID: PMC9726932 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-01977-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is an aggressive sarcoma with no validated molecular biomarkers. We aimed to determine the frequency of STAG2 protein loss by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and whether loss of expression is associated with outcome. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with EWS enrolled to Children's Oncology Group studies. We obtained unstained slides from 235 patients and DNA for sequencing from 75 patients. STAG2 expression was tested for association with clinical features and survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods with log-rank tests. RESULTS In total, 155 cases passed quality control for STAG2 IHC. STAG2 expression in 20/155 cases could not be categorised with the limited available tissue, leaving 135 patients with definitive STAG2 IHC. In localised and metastatic disease, STAG2 was lost in 29/108 and 6/27 cases, respectively. Among patients with IHC and sequencing, 0/17 STAG2 expressing cases had STAG2 mutations, and 2/7 cases with STAG2 loss had STAG2 mutations. Among patients with localised disease, 5-year event-free survival was 54% (95% CI 34-70%) and 75% (95% CI 63-84%) for patients with STAG2 loss vs. expression (P = 0.0034). CONCLUSION STAG2 loss of expression is identified in a population of patients without identifiable STAG2 mutations and carries a poor prognosis.
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65
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Orth MF, Surdez D, Faehling T, Ehlers AC, Marchetto A, Grossetête S, Volckmann R, Zwijnenburg DA, Gerke JS, Zaidi S, Alonso J, Sastre A, Baulande S, Sill M, Cidre-Aranaz F, Ohmura S, Kirchner T, Hauck SM, Reischl E, Gymrek M, Pfister SM, Strauch K, Koster J, Delattre O, Grünewald TGP. Systematic multi-omics cell line profiling uncovers principles of Ewing sarcoma fusion oncogene-mediated gene regulation. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111761. [PMID: 36476851 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is characterized by EWSR1-ETS fusion transcription factors converting polymorphic GGAA microsatellites (mSats) into potent neo-enhancers. Although the paucity of additional mutations makes EwS a genuine model to study principles of cooperation between dominant fusion oncogenes and neo-enhancers, this is impeded by the limited number of well-characterized models. Here we present the Ewing Sarcoma Cell Line Atlas (ESCLA), comprising whole-genome, DNA methylation, transcriptome, proteome, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data of 18 cell lines with inducible EWSR1-ETS knockdown. The ESCLA shows hundreds of EWSR1-ETS-targets, the nature of EWSR1-ETS-preferred GGAA mSats, and putative indirect modes of EWSR1-ETS-mediated gene regulation, converging in the duality of a specific but plastic EwS signature. We identify heterogeneously regulated EWSR1-ETS-targets as potential prognostic EwS biomarkers. Our freely available ESCLA (http://r2platform.com/escla/) is a rich resource for EwS research and highlights the power of comprehensive datasets to unravel principles of heterogeneous gene regulation by chimeric transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Orth
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France; Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Faehling
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna C Ehlers
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aruna Marchetto
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Sandrine Grossetête
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Richard Volckmann
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Danny A Zwijnenburg
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julia S Gerke
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Sakina Zaidi
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Javier Alonso
- Unidad de Tumores Sólidos Infantiles, Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CB06/07/1009, CIBERER-ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Sastre
- Unidad Hemato-oncología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario La Paz, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sylvain Baulande
- Institut Curie Genomics of Excellence (ICGex) Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Martin Sill
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florencia Cidre-Aranaz
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shunya Ohmura
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie M Hauck
- Research Unit Protein Science and Metabolomics and Proteomics Core, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eva Reischl
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Melissa Gymrek
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stefan M Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Konstantin Strauch
- Institute of Medical Biometry, Epidemiology, and Informatics (IMBEI), University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), 1105 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM Unit 830 "Genetics and Biology of Cancers," Institut Curie Research Center, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Max-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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66
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Prexler C, Knape MS, Erlewein-Schweizer J, Roll W, Specht K, Woertler K, Weichert W, von Luettichau I, Rossig C, Hauer J, Richter GHS, Weber W, Burdach S. Correlation of Transcriptomics and FDG-PET SUVmax Indicates Reciprocal Expression of Stemness-Related Transcription Factor and Neuropeptide Signaling Pathways in Glucose Metabolism of Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235999. [PMID: 36497479 PMCID: PMC9735504 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235999] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Ewing sarcoma (EwS), long-term treatment effects and poor survival rates for relapsed or metastatic cases require individualization of therapy and the discovery of new treatment methods. Tumor glucose metabolic activity varies significantly between patients, and FDG-PET signals have been proposed as prognostic factors. However, the biological basis for the generally elevated but variable glucose metabolism in EwS is not well understood. METHODS We retrospectively included 19 EwS samples (17 patients). Affymetrix gene expression was correlated with maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) using machine learning, linear regression modelling, and gene set enrichment analyses for functional annotation. RESULTS Expression of five genes correlated (MYBL2, ELOVL2, NETO2) or anticorrelated (FAXDC2, PLSCR4) significantly with SUVmax (adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05). Additionally, we identified 23 genes with large SUVmax effect size, which were significantly enriched for "neuropeptide Y receptor activity (GO:0004983)" (adjusted p-value = 0.0007). The expression of the members of this signaling pathway (NPY, NPY1R, NPY5R) anticorrelated with SUVmax. In contrast, three transcription factors associated with maintaining stemness displayed enrichment of their target genes with higher SUVmax: RNF2, E2F family, and TCF3. CONCLUSION Our large-scale analysis examined comprehensively the correlations between transcriptomics and tumor glucose utilization. Based on our findings, we hypothesize that stemness may be associated with increased glucose uptake, whereas neuroectodermal differentiation may anticorrelate with glucose uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Prexler
- Department of Pediatrics and Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Fakultät für Medizin, Technische Universität München, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Marie Sophie Knape
- Department of Pediatrics and Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Fakultät für Medizin, Technische Universität München, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Roll
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1 A1, 48149 Munster, Germany
| | - Katja Specht
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Klaus Woertler
- Musculoskeletal Radiology Section, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Wilko Weichert
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Irene von Luettichau
- Department of Pediatrics and Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Fakultät für Medizin, Technische Universität München, 80804 Munich, Germany
- ERN PaedCan, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Rossig
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany
- Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence (EXC 1003-CiM), University of Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Julia Hauer
- Department of Pediatrics and Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Fakultät für Medizin, Technische Universität München, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Guenther H. S. Richter
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Oncology and Hematology, Charite–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weber
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Burdach
- Department of Pediatrics and Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Fakultät für Medizin, Technische Universität München, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Academy of Translational Medicine and Department of Molecular Oncology–British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Correspondence:
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67
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Ewing Sarcoma as Secondary Malignant Neoplasm-Epidemiological and Clinical Analysis of an International Trial Registry. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235935. [PMID: 36497417 PMCID: PMC9735743 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235935] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is the second most common bone and soft tissue tumor, affecting primarily adolescents and young adults. Patients with secondary EwS are excluded from risk stratification in several studies and therefore do not benefit from new therapies. More knowledge about patients with EwS as secondary malignant neoplasms (SMN) is needed to identify at-risk patients and adapt follow-up strategies. Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and survival analyses of EwS as SMN were analyzed in 3844 patients treated in the last three consecutive international EwS trials, EICESS 92, Euro-E.W.I.N.G. 99, and EWING 2008. Forty-two cases of EwS as SMN (approximately 1.1% of all patients) were reported, preceded by a heterogeneous group of malignancies, mainly acute lymphoblastic leukemias (n = 7) and lymphomas (n = 7). Three cases of EwS as SMN occurred in the presumed radiation field of the primary tumor. The median age at diagnosis of EwS as SMN was 19.4 years (range, 5.9-72) compared with 10.8 years (range, 0.9-51.2) for primary EwS. The median interval between first malignancy and EwS diagnosis was 7.4 years. The 3-year overall survival (OS)/event-free survival (EFS) was 0.69 (SE = 0.09)/0.53 (SE = 0.10) for localized patients and 0.36 (SE = 0.13)/0.29 (SE = 0.12) for metastatic patients (OS: p = 0.02; EFS: p = 0.03). Survival in patients with EwS as SMN did not differ between hematologic or solid primary malignancies. EwS as SMN is rare; however, survival is similar to that of primary EwS, and its risk-adjusted treatment should be curative, especially in localized patients.
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68
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Apfelbaum AA, Wrenn ED, Lawlor ER. The importance of fusion protein activity in Ewing sarcoma and the cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate it: A review. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1044707. [PMID: 36505823 PMCID: PMC9727305 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1044707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows that despite clonal origins tumors eventually become complex communities comprised of phenotypically distinct cell subpopulations. This heterogeneity arises from both tumor cell intrinsic programs and signals from spatially and temporally dynamic microenvironments. While pediatric cancers usually lack the mutational burden of adult cancers, they still exhibit high levels of cellular heterogeneity that are largely mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Ewing sarcomas are aggressive bone and soft tissue malignancies with peak incidence in adolescence and the prognosis for patients with relapsed and metastatic disease is dismal. Ewing sarcomas are driven by a single pathognomonic fusion between a FET protein and an ETS family transcription factor, the most common of which is EWS::FLI1. Despite sharing a single driver mutation, Ewing sarcoma cells demonstrate a high degree of transcriptional heterogeneity both between and within tumors. Recent studies have identified differential fusion protein activity as a key source of this heterogeneity which leads to profoundly different cellular phenotypes. Paradoxically, increased invasive and metastatic potential is associated with lower EWS::FLI1 activity. Here, we review what is currently understood about EWS::FLI1 activity, the cell autonomous and tumor microenvironmental factors that regulate it, and the downstream consequences of these activity states on tumor progression. We specifically highlight how transcription factor regulation, signaling pathway modulation, and the extracellular matrix intersect to create a complex network of tumor cell phenotypes. We propose that elucidation of the mechanisms by which these essential elements interact will enable the development of novel therapeutic approaches that are designed to target this complexity and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth R. Lawlor
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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69
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Daley JD, Olson AC, Bailey KM. Harnessing immunomodulation during DNA damage in Ewing sarcoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1048705. [PMID: 36483025 PMCID: PMC9722957 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1048705] [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: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a fusion-oncoprotein-driven primary bone tumor most commonly diagnosed in adolescents. Given the continued poor outcomes for patients with metastatic and relapsed Ewing sarcoma, testing innovative therapeutic approaches is essential. Ewing sarcoma has been categorized as a 'BRCAness' tumor with emerging data characterizing a spectrum of DNA damage repair defects within individual Ewing tumors, including the presence of EWSR1::FLI1 itself, recurrent somatic mutations, and rare germline-based defects. It is critical to understand the cumulative impact of various DNA damage repair defects on an individual Ewing tumor's response to therapy. Further, in addition to DNA-damage-directed therapies, subsets of Ewing tumors may be more susceptible to DNA-damage/immunotherapy combinations given the significant cross-talk between DNA damage and inflammatory pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Here we review potential approaches utilizing DNA-damaging agents as modulators of the Ewing tumor immune microenvironment, with a focus on radiation and opportunities during disease metastasis and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D. Daley
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Adam C. Olson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Kelly M. Bailey
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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70
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Hassa E, Aliç T. Ewing sarcoma: what trends in recent works? A holistic analysis with global productivity: A cross-sectional study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e31406. [PMID: 36401481 PMCID: PMC9678599 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000031406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in the biology of Ewing sarcoma, which continues to be an important cause of mortality, have caused an increase in information in the literature related to the underlying molecular base of the disease and discussions of new treatment approaches. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively analyze the published scientific articles on Ewing sarcoma. The Web of Science database was used to obtain and statistically analysis articles on Ewing sarcoma that were published between 1980 and 2021. Maps of network visualization were used to reveal trending topics, global collaborations, and the most effective studies. Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. A total of 3236 articles were analyzed. The first 3 countries that contributed the most to the literature and cooperated most intensively were USA (1194, 36.8%), Germany (293, 9%), Italy (254, 7.8%). Pediatric Blood & Cancer (n = 122), Cancer (87), Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology (71) were among the top 3 journals with the most articles. The most active author was Piero Picci (n = 94). High-income countries have a great effect on the literature on this subject. The most studied trend topics in recent years were pediatric oncology, EWS RNA Binding Protein 1 (EWSR1), EWSR1-FL1, epigenetics, bioinformatics, microRNA, gene expression, metastasis, migration, biomarker, immunotherapy, survival, outcomes, surveillance epidemiology and end results (SEER), nomogram, temozolomide, irinotecan, and drug resistance. Genetic studies, metastasis, immunotherapy, life analyses/nomogram based on new data obtained from SEER, and chemotherapy with irinotecan and temozolomide combination, were seen to be the topics researched in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ercan Hassa
- Memorial Ankara Hospital, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Taner Aliç
- Hitit University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Çorum, Turkey
- *Correspondence: Taner Aliç, Hitit University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Çorum, 19000, Turkey (e-mail: )
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71
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Islam SA, Díaz-Gay M, Wu Y, Barnes M, Vangara R, Bergstrom EN, He Y, Vella M, Wang J, Teague JW, Clapham P, Moody S, Senkin S, Li YR, Riva L, Zhang T, Gruber AJ, Steele CD, Otlu B, Khandekar A, Abbasi A, Humphreys L, Syulyukina N, Brady SW, Alexandrov BS, Pillay N, Zhang J, Adams DJ, Martincorena I, Wedge DC, Landi MT, Brennan P, Stratton MR, Rozen SG, Alexandrov LB. Uncovering novel mutational signatures by de novo extraction with SigProfilerExtractor. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 2:None. [PMID: 36388765 PMCID: PMC9646490 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Mutational signature analysis is commonly performed in cancer genomic studies. Here, we present SigProfilerExtractor, an automated tool for de novo extraction of mutational signatures, and benchmark it against another 13 bioinformatics tools by using 34 scenarios encompassing 2,500 simulated signatures found in 60,000 synthetic genomes and 20,000 synthetic exomes. For simulations with 5% noise, reflecting high-quality datasets, SigProfilerExtractor outperforms other approaches by elucidating between 20% and 50% more true-positive signatures while yielding 5-fold less false-positive signatures. Applying SigProfilerExtractor to 4,643 whole-genome- and 19,184 whole-exome-sequenced cancers reveals four novel signatures. Two of the signatures are confirmed in independent cohorts, and one of these signatures is associated with tobacco smoking. In summary, this report provides a reference tool for analysis of mutational signatures, a comprehensive benchmarking of bioinformatics tools for extracting signatures, and several novel mutational signatures, including one putatively attributed to direct tobacco smoking mutagenesis in bladder tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.M. Ashiqul Islam
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Marcos Díaz-Gay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yang Wu
- Centre for Computational Biology and Programme in Cancer & Stem Cell Biology, Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Mark Barnes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Raviteja Vangara
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Erik N. Bergstrom
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yudou He
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mike Vella
- NVIDIA Corporation, 2788 San Tomas Expressway, Santa Clara, CA 95051, USA
| | - Jingwei Wang
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Jon W. Teague
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Peter Clapham
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Sarah Moody
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Sergey Senkin
- Genetic Epidemiology Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Cedex 08, 69372 Lyon, France
| | - Yun Rose Li
- Departments of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Genetics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Laura Riva
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Tongwu Zhang
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andreas J. Gruber
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
- Manchester Cancer Research Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4GJ, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christopher D. Steele
- Research Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Burçak Otlu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Azhar Khandekar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ammal Abbasi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Laura Humphreys
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | | | - Samuel W. Brady
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Boian S. Alexandrov
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Nischalan Pillay
- Research Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4LP, UK
| | - Jinghui Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - David J. Adams
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Iñigo Martincorena
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - David C. Wedge
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
- Manchester Cancer Research Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Maria Teresa Landi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Paul Brennan
- Genetic Epidemiology Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Cedex 08, 69372 Lyon, France
| | - Michael R. Stratton
- Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Steven G. Rozen
- Centre for Computational Biology and Programme in Cancer & Stem Cell Biology, Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Ludmil B. Alexandrov
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Martinelli M, Mancarella C, Scapoli L, Palmieri A, De Sanctis P, Ferrari C, Pasello M, Zucchini C, Scotlandi K. Polymorphic variants of IGF2BP3 and SENCR have an impact on predisposition and/or progression of Ewing sarcoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:968884. [PMID: 36338681 PMCID: PMC9634078 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.968884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EWS), the second most common malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, occurs abruptly without clear evidence of tumor history or progression. Previous association studies have identified some inherited variants associated with the risk of developing EWS but a common picture of the germline susceptibility to this tumor remains largely unclear. Here, we examine the association between thirty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IGF2BP3, a gene that codes for an oncofetal RNA-binding protein demonstrated to be important for EWS patient’s risk stratification, and five SNPs of SENCR, a long non-coding RNA shown to regulate IGF2BP3. An association between polymorphisms and EWS susceptibility was observed for three IGF2BP3 SNPs - rs112316332, rs13242065, rs12700421 - and for four SENCR SNPs - rs10893909, rs11221437, rs12420823, rs4526784 -. In addition, IGF2BP3 rs34033684 and SENCR rs10893909 variants increased the risk for female respect to male subgroup when carried together, while IGF2BP3 rs13242065 or rs76983703 variants reduced the probability of a disease later onset (> 14 years). Moreover, the absence of IGF2BP3 rs10488282 variant and the presence of rs199653 or rs35875486 variant were significantly associated with a worse survival in EWS patients with localized disease at diagnosis. Overall, our data provide the first evidence linking genetic variants of IGF2BP3 and its modulator SENCR to the risk of EWS development and to disease progression, thus supporting the concept that heritable factors can influence susceptibility to EWS and may help to predict patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Martinelli
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Marcella Martinelli, ; Katia Scotlandi,
| | - Caterina Mancarella
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Scapoli
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annalisa Palmieri
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola De Sanctis
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristina Ferrari
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michela Pasello
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cinzia Zucchini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Katia Scotlandi
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Marcella Martinelli, ; Katia Scotlandi,
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73
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Apfelbaum AA, Wu F, Hawkins AG, Magnuson B, Jiménez JA, Taylor SD, Wrenn ED, Waltner O, Pfaltzgraff ER, Song JY, Hall C, Wellik DM, Ljungman M, Furlan SN, Ryan RJ, Sarthy JF, Lawlor ER. EWS::FLI1 and HOXD13 Control Tumor Cell Plasticity in Ewing Sarcoma. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:4466-4478. [PMID: 35653119 PMCID: PMC9588607 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Propagation of Ewing sarcoma requires precise regulation of EWS::FLI1 transcriptional activity. Determining the mechanisms of fusion regulation will advance our understanding of tumor progression. Here we investigated whether HOXD13, a developmental transcription factor that promotes Ewing sarcoma metastatic phenotypes, influences EWS::FLI1 transcriptional activity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Existing tumor and cell line datasets were used to define EWS::FLI1 binding sites and transcriptional targets. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and CRISPR interference were employed to identify enhancers. CUT&RUN and RNA sequencing defined binding sites and transcriptional targets of HOXD13. Transcriptional states were investigated using bulk and single-cell transcriptomic data from cell lines, patient-derived xenografts, and patient tumors. Mesenchymal phenotypes were assessed by gene set enrichment, flow cytometry, and migration assays. RESULTS We found that EWS::FLI1 creates a de novo GGAA microsatellite enhancer in a developmentally conserved regulatory region of the HOXD locus. Knockdown of HOXD13 led to widespread changes in expression of developmental gene programs and EWS::FLI1 targets. HOXD13 binding was enriched at established EWS::FLI1 binding sites where it influenced expression of EWS::FLI1-activated genes. More strikingly, HOXD13 bound and activated EWS::FLI1-repressed genes, leading to adoption of mesenchymal and migratory cell states that are normally suppressed by the fusion. Single-cell analysis confirmed that direct transcriptional antagonism between HOXD13-mediated gene activation and EWS::FLI1-dependent gene repression defines the state of Ewing sarcoma cells along a mesenchymal axis. CONCLUSIONS Ewing sarcoma tumors are comprised of tumor cells that exist along a mesenchymal transcriptional continuum. The identity of cells along this continuum is, in large part, determined by the competing activities of EWS::FLI1 and HOXD13. See related commentary by Weiss and Bailey, p. 4360.
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Affiliation(s)
- April A. Apfelbaum
- Cancer Biology PhD Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Feinan Wu
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Allegra G. Hawkins
- Childhood Cancer Data Lab Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Magnuson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Jiménez
- Cancer Biology PhD Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sean D. Taylor
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Emma D. Wrenn
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Olivia Waltner
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | | | - Jane Y. Song
- Immunology Discovery, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Cody Hall
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Deneen M. Wellik
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53705
| | - Mats Ljungman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Scott N. Furlan
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Russell J.H. Ryan
- Immunology Discovery, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jay F. Sarthy
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Lawlor
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
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74
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Jiménez JA, Lawlor ER, Lyssiotis CA. Amino acid metabolism in primary bone sarcomas. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1001318. [PMID: 36276057 PMCID: PMC9581121 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1001318] [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: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary bone sarcomas, including osteosarcoma (OS) and Ewing sarcoma (ES), are aggressive tumors with peak incidence in childhood and adolescence. The intense standard treatment for these patients consists of combined surgery and/or radiation and maximal doses of chemotherapy; a regimen that has not seen improvement in decades. Like other tumor types, ES and OS are characterized by dysregulated cellular metabolism and a rewiring of metabolic pathways to support the biosynthetic demands of malignant growth. Not only are cancer cells characterized by Warburg metabolism, or aerobic glycolysis, but emerging work has revealed a dependence on amino acid metabolism. Aside from incorporation into proteins, amino acids serve critical functions in redox balance, energy homeostasis, and epigenetic maintenance. In this review, we summarize current studies describing the amino acid metabolic requirements of primary bone sarcomas, focusing on OS and ES, and compare these dependencies in the normal bone and malignant tumor contexts. We also examine insights that can be gleaned from other cancers to better understand differential metabolic susceptibilities between primary and metastatic tumor microenvironments. Lastly, we discuss potential metabolic vulnerabilities that may be exploited therapeutically and provide better-targeted treatments to improve the current standard of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Jiménez
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Elizabeth R. Lawlor
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Elizabeth R. Lawlor, ; Costas A. Lyssiotis,
| | - Costas A. Lyssiotis
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,*Correspondence: Elizabeth R. Lawlor, ; Costas A. Lyssiotis,
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75
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Shulman DS, Whittle SB, Surdez D, Bailey KM, de Álava E, Yustein JT, Shlien A, Hayashi M, Bishop AJR, Crompton BD, DuBois SG, Shukla N, Leavey PJ, Lessnick SL, Kovar H, Delattre O, Grünewald TGP, Antonescu CR, Roberts RD, Toretsky JA, Tirode F, Gorlick R, Janeway KA, Reed D, Lawlor ER, Grohar PJ. An international working group consensus report for the prioritization of molecular biomarkers for Ewing sarcoma. NPJ Precis Oncol 2022; 6:65. [PMID: 36115869 PMCID: PMC9482616 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-022-00307-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of dose intensified interval compressed therapy has improved event-free survival for patients with localized Ewing sarcoma (EwS) to 78% at 5 years. However, nearly a quarter of patients with localized tumors and 60-80% of patients with metastatic tumors suffer relapse and die of disease. In addition, those who survive are often left with debilitating late effects. Clinical features aside from stage have proven inadequate to meaningfully classify patients for risk-stratified therapy. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop approaches to risk stratify patients with EwS based on molecular features. Over the past decade, new technology has enabled the study of multiple molecular biomarkers in EwS. Preliminary evidence requiring validation supports copy number changes, and loss of function mutations in tumor suppressor genes as biomarkers of outcome in EwS. Initial studies of circulating tumor DNA demonstrated that diagnostic ctDNA burden and ctDNA clearance during induction are also associated with outcome. In addition, fusion partner should be a pre-requisite for enrollment on EwS clinical trials, and the fusion type and structure require further study to determine prognostic impact. These emerging biomarkers represent a new horizon in our understanding of disease risk and will enable future efforts to develop risk-adapted treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Shulman
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah B Whittle
- Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Didier Surdez
- Bone Sarcoma Research Laboratory, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kelly M Bailey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Enrique de Álava
- Institute of Biomedicine of Sevilla (IBiS), Virgen del Rocio University Hospital/CSIC/University of Sevilla/CIBERONC/Department of Normal and Pathological Cytology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Jason T Yustein
- Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center and The Faris D. Virani Ewing Sarcoma Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adam Shlien
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology/Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine/Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Masanori Hayashi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Alexander J R Bishop
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute and Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Brian D Crompton
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven G DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Neerav Shukla
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick J Leavey
- Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and the Division of Pediatric Heme/Onc/BMT, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children´s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI) and Department Pediatrics Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Thomas G P Grünewald
- Hopp-Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg/Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)/Institut of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cristina R Antonescu
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ryan D Roberts
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disease, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Toretsky
- Departments of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Franck Tirode
- Univ Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Centre Leon Berard, F-69008, Lyon, France
| | - Richard Gorlick
- Division of Pediatrics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katherine A Janeway
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Damon Reed
- Department of Individualized Cancer Management, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Lawlor
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patrick J Grohar
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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76
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Gedminas JM, Laetsch TW. Targeting the DNA damage response in pediatric malignancies. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2022; 22:1099-1113. [PMID: 36099180 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2022.2124970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION High levels of DNA damage and mutations in DNA damage response genes creates a high reliance on DNA damage repair in various tumors. This creates a vulnerability for new cancer therapies. Although there is extensive data for the use of these agents in adult tumors, the evaluation of these compounds in the pediatric population remains in the early stages. AREAS COVERED In this review, we discuss the role of the DNA damage response as a therapeutic vulnerability in pediatric malignancies, provide a summary of clinical data for the use of DNA damage response inhibitors in cancer, and review how these compounds can be extended to the pediatric population. EXPERT OPINION A number of pediatric cancers rely on robust DNA damage repair to maintain cell viability. This provides a therapeutic vulnerability in cancer cells resistant to other traditional therapies. Unfortunately, although clinical evaluation of inhibitors of various components of the DNA damage response has been done in adults, pediatric data remains limited. Further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of these compounds in the pediatric population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Gedminas
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Division of Oncology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Theodore W Laetsch
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Division of Oncology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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77
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Ogura K, Elkrief A, Bowman AS, Koche RP, de Stanchina E, Benayed R, Mauguen A, Mattar MS, Khodos I, Meyers PA, Healey JH, Tap WD, Hameed M, Zehir A, Shukla N, Sawyers C, Bose R, Slotkin E, Ladanyi M. Prospective Clinical Genomic Profiling of Ewing Sarcoma: ERF and FGFR1 Mutations as Recurrent Secondary Alterations of Potential Biologic and Therapeutic Relevance. JCO Precis Oncol 2022; 6:e2200048. [PMID: 35952322 PMCID: PMC9384944 DOI: 10.1200/po.22.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a primitive sarcoma defined by EWSR1-ETS fusions as the primary driver alteration. To better define the landscape of cooperating secondary genetic alterations in ES, we analyzed clinical genomic profiling data of 113 patients with ES, a cohort including more adult patients (> 18 years) and more patients with advanced stage at presentation than previous genomic cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Ogura
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Arielle Elkrief
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Anita S Bowman
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Richard P Koche
- Center for Epigenetics Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Anti-tumor Assessment Core Facility, Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Ryma Benayed
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE
| | - Audrey Mauguen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Marissa S Mattar
- Anti-tumor Assessment Core Facility, Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Inna Khodos
- Anti-tumor Assessment Core Facility, Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Paul A Meyers
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - John H Healey
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Department of Surgery, Orthopaedic Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - William D Tap
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Meera Hameed
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Ahmet Zehir
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE
| | - Neerav Shukla
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Charles Sawyers
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,HHMI, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Rohit Bose
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.,Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.,Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.,Benioff Initiative for Prostate Cancer Research, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Emily Slotkin
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Marc Ladanyi
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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78
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Vo T, Brownmiller T, Hall K, Jones TL, Choudhari S, Grammatikakis I, Ludwig K, Caplen N. HNRNPH1 destabilizes the G-quadruplex structures formed by G-rich RNA sequences that regulate the alternative splicing of an oncogenic fusion transcript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6474-6496. [PMID: 35639772 PMCID: PMC9226515 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the presence of physiological monovalent cations, thousands of RNA G-rich sequences can form parallel G-quadruplexes (G4s) unless RNA-binding proteins inhibit, destabilize, or resolve the formation of such secondary RNA structures. Here, we have used a disease-relevant model system to investigate the biophysical properties of the RNA-binding protein HNRNPH1's interaction with G-rich sequences. We demonstrate the importance of two EWSR1-exon 8 G-rich regions in mediating the exclusion of this exon from the oncogenic EWS-FLI1 transcripts expressed in a subset of Ewing sarcomas, using complementary analysis of tumor data, long-read sequencing, and minigene studies. We determined that HNRNPH1 binds the EWSR1-exon 8 G-rich sequences with low nM affinities irrespective of whether in a non-G4 or G4 state but exhibits different kinetics depending on RNA structure. Specifically, HNRNPH1 associates and dissociates from G4-folded RNA faster than the identical sequences in a non-G4 state. Importantly, we demonstrate using gel shift and spectroscopic assays that HNRNPH1, particularly the qRRM1-qRRM2 domains, destabilizes the G4s formed by the EWSR1-exon 8 G-rich sequences in a non-catalytic fashion. Our results indicate that HNRNPH1's binding of G-rich sequences favors the accumulation of RNA in a non-G4 state and that this contributes to its regulation of RNA processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam Vo
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tayvia Brownmiller
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Katherine Hall
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tamara L Jones
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sulbha Choudhari
- CCR-SF Bioinformatics Group, Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Ioannis Grammatikakis
- Regulatory RNAs and Cancer Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Katelyn R Ludwig
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Natasha J Caplen
- Functional Genetics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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79
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Cai D, Ma X, Guo H, Zhang H, Bian A, Yu H, Cheng W. Prognostic value of p16, p53, and pcna in sarcoma and an evaluation of immune infiltration. J Orthop Surg Res 2022; 17:305. [PMID: 35689249 PMCID: PMC9185979 DOI: 10.1186/s13018-022-03193-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background p16, p53, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) genes play significant roles in many chromatin modifications and have been found to be highly expressed in a variety of tumor tissues. Therefore, they have been used as target genes for some tumor therapies. However, the differential expressions of the p16, p53, and pcna genes in human sarcomas and their effects on prognosis have not been widely reported. Methods The Oncomine dataset was used to analyze the transcription levels of p16, p53, and pcna genes, and the gene expression profile interactive analysis (GEPIA) dataset was used to analyze the differential expressions of p16, p53, and pcna. The expression levels of p16, p53, and pcna were further analyzed by Western Blotting. GEPIA and Kaplan–Meier analyses were used to analyze the prognostic value of p16, p53, and pcna. Furthermore, p16, p53, and pcna gene mutations and their association with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using cBioPortal datasets. In addition, genes co-expressed with p16, p53, and pcna were analyzed using Oncomine. The DAVID dataset was used to analyze the functional enrichment of p16, p53, pcna, and their co-expressed genes by Gene Ontology (GO) and Metascape were used to construct a network map. Finally, the immune cell infiltration of p16, p53, and pcna in patients with sarcoma was reported by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). Results p16, p53, and pcna were up-regulated in human sarcoma tissues and almost all sarcoma cell lines. Western Blotting showed that the expression of p16, p53, and pcna was elevated in osteosarcoma cell lines. The expression of pcna was correlated with OS, the expression of p16, p53, and pcna was correlated with relapse-free survival, and the genetic mutation of p16 was negatively correlated with OS and DFS. We also found that p16, p53, and pcna genes were positively/negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration in sarcoma. Conclusions The results of this study showed that p16, p53, and pcna can significantly affect the survival and immune status of sarcoma patients. Therefore, p16, p53, and pcna could be used as potential biomarkers of prognosis and immune infiltration in human sarcoma and provide a possible therapeutic target for sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dechao Cai
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Huihui Guo
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Haotian Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Ashuai Bian
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Haoran Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Wendan Cheng
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, China.
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80
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Hamilton G. Comparative characteristics of small cell lung cancer and Ewing's sarcoma: a narrative review. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2022; 11:1185-1198. [PMID: 35832443 PMCID: PMC9271444 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-22-58] [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: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objective Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and Ewing's sarcoma (ES) at the disseminated stage are not amenable to therapy and have a dismal prognosis with low survival rates. Despite representing different tumor entities, treatment for both malignancies relies on cytotoxic chemotherapy that has not considerably changed for the past decades. The genomic background has been extensively studied and found to comprise inactivation of p53 and RB1 in case of SCLC and EWSR1/FLI1 rearrangement in case of ES resulting in aggressive tumors in adults with heavy tobacco consumption and as bone tumor in juveniles, respectively. New therapeutic modalities are urgently needed to improve the outcomes of both tumor entities, especially in patients with metastatic disease or recurrences. This review summarizes the common cell biologic and clinical characteristics of difficult-to-treat SCLC and ES and discusses their refractoriness and options to improve the therapeutic efficacy. Methods PubMed and Euro PMC were searched from January 1st, 2012 to January 16th, 2022 using the following key words: "SCLC", "Ewing´s sarcoma", "Genomics" and "Chemoresistance" as well as own work. Key Content and Findings Therapy of SCLC and ES involves the use of undirected cytotoxic drugs in multimodal chemotherapy and administration of topotecan for 2nd line SCLC regimens. Despite highly aggressive chemotherapies, outcomes are dismal for patients with disseminated tumors. A host of unrelated drugs and targeted therapeutics have failed to result in progress for the patients and the underlying mechanisms of chemoresistance are still not clear. Identification of chemoresistance-reversing modulators in vitro and patient-derived xenografts of SCLC and ES has not translated into new therapies. Conclusions The global chemoresistance of SCLC and ES may be explained by physiological resistance at the tumor level and formation of larger spheroids that contain quiescent and hypoxic tumor cells in regions that occlude therapeutics. This type of chemoresistance is difficult to overcome and prevent the accumulation of effective drug concentration at the tumor cell level to a significant degree leaving therapeutic interventions of any kind ineffective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Hamilton
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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81
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Buchou C, Laud-Duval K, van der Ent W, Grossetête S, Zaidi S, Gentric G, Corbé M, Müller K, Del Nery E, Surdez D, Delattre O. Upregulation of the Mevalonate Pathway through EWSR1-FLI1/EGR2 Regulatory Axis Confers Ewing Cells Exquisite Sensitivity to Statins. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2327. [PMID: 35565457 PMCID: PMC9100622 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive primary bone cancer in children and young adults characterized by oncogenic fusions between genes encoding FET-RNA-binding proteins and ETS transcription factors, the most frequent fusion being EWSR1-FLI1. We show that EGR2, an Ewing-susceptibility gene and an essential direct target of EWSR1-FLI1, directly regulates the transcription of genes encoding key enzymes of the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. Consequently, Ewing sarcoma is one of the tumors that expresses the highest levels of mevalonate pathway genes. Moreover, genome-wide screens indicate that MVA pathway genes constitute major dependencies of Ewing cells. Accordingly, the statin inhibitors of HMG-CoA-reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme of the MVA pathway, demonstrate cytotoxicity in EwS. Statins induce increased ROS and lipid peroxidation levels, as well as decreased membrane localization of prenylated proteins, such as small GTP proteins. These metabolic effects lead to an alteration in the dynamics of S-phase progression and to apoptosis. Statin-induced effects can be rescued by downstream products of the MVA pathway. Finally, we further show that statins impair tumor growth in different Ewing PDX models. Altogether, the data show that statins, which are off-patent, well-tolerated, and inexpensive compounds, should be strongly considered in the therapeutic arsenal against this deadly childhood disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Buchou
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Karine Laud-Duval
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Wietske van der Ent
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Sandrine Grossetête
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Sakina Zaidi
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Géraldine Gentric
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Stress and Cancer Laboratory, PSL Research University, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Maxime Corbé
- Department of Translational Research, The Biophenics High-Content Screening Laboratory, PSL Research University, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (M.C.); (K.M.); (E.D.N.)
| | - Kévin Müller
- Department of Translational Research, The Biophenics High-Content Screening Laboratory, PSL Research University, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (M.C.); (K.M.); (E.D.N.)
| | - Elaine Del Nery
- Department of Translational Research, The Biophenics High-Content Screening Laboratory, PSL Research University, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (M.C.); (K.M.); (E.D.N.)
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
- Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Forchstrasse 340, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity & Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, 26 rue d’ULM, 75005 Paris, France; (C.B.); (K.L.-D.); (W.v.d.E.); (S.G.); (S.Z.); (D.S.)
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82
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Pedot G, Marques JG, Ambühl PP, Wachtel M, Kasper S, Ngo QA, Niggli FK, Schäfer BW. Inhibition of HDACs reduces Ewing sarcoma tumor growth through EWS-FLI1 protein destabilization. Neoplasia 2022; 27:100784. [PMID: 35366465 PMCID: PMC8971315 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2022.100784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic transcription factors lacking enzymatic activity or targetable binding pockets are typically considered "undruggable". An example is provided by the EWS-FLI1 oncoprotein, whose continuous expression and activity as transcription factor are critically required for Ewing sarcoma tumor formation, maintenance, and proliferation. Because neither upstream nor downstream targets have so far disabled its oncogenic potential, we performed a high-throughput drug screen (HTS), enriched for FDA-approved drugs, coupled to a Global Protein Stability (GPS) approach to identify novel compounds capable to destabilize EWS-FLI1 protein by enhancing its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The protein stability screen revealed the dual histone deacetylase (HDAC) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor called fimepinostat (CUDC-907) as top candidate to modulate EWS-FLI1 stability. Fimepinostat strongly reduced EWS-FLI1 protein abundance, reduced viability of several Ewing sarcoma cell lines and PDX-derived primary cells and delayed tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model, whereas it did not significantly affect healthy cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that EWS-FLI1 protein levels were mainly regulated by fimepinostat's HDAC activity. Our study demonstrates that HTS combined to GPS is a reliable approach to identify drug candidates able to modulate stability of EWS-FLI1 and lays new ground for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed to reduce Ewing sarcoma tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Pedot
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joana Graça Marques
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philip P Ambühl
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Kasper
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Quy A Ngo
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix K Niggli
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat W Schäfer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
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83
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Hypoxia-activated neuropeptide Y/Y5 receptor/RhoA pathway triggers chromosomal instability and bone metastasis in Ewing sarcoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2323. [PMID: 35484119 PMCID: PMC9051212 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29898-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse prognosis in Ewing sarcoma (ES) is associated with the presence of metastases, particularly in bone, tumor hypoxia and chromosomal instability (CIN). Yet, a mechanistic link between these factors remains unknown. We demonstrate that in ES, tumor hypoxia selectively exacerbates bone metastasis. This process is triggered by hypoxia-induced stimulation of the neuropeptide Y (NPY)/Y5 receptor (Y5R) pathway, which leads to RhoA over-activation and cytokinesis failure. These mitotic defects result in the formation of polyploid ES cells, the progeny of which exhibit high CIN, an ability to invade and colonize bone, and a resistance to chemotherapy. Blocking Y5R in hypoxic ES tumors prevents polyploidization and bone metastasis. Our findings provide evidence for the role of the hypoxia-inducible NPY/Y5R/RhoA axis in promoting genomic changes and subsequent osseous dissemination in ES, and suggest that targeting this pathway may prevent CIN and disease progression in ES and other cancers rich in NPY and Y5R. Ewing sarcoma tumour cells frequently metastasize to the bone but the molecular mechanisms governing this process are not well understood. Here, the authors show that neuropeptide Y/Y5 receptor pathway is activated in the hypoxic tumour microenvironment, which results in cytokinesis defects and chromosomal instability, leading to bone invasion.
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84
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De Feo A, Pazzaglia L, Ciuffarin L, Mangiagli F, Pasello M, Simonetti E, Pellegrini E, Ferrari C, Bianchi G, Spazzoli B, Scotlandi K. miR-214-3p Is Commonly Downregulated by EWS-FLI1 and by CD99 and Its Restoration Limits Ewing Sarcoma Aggressiveness. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071762. [PMID: 35406534 PMCID: PMC8997046 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071762] [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: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Ewing’s sarcoma (EWS), the second most frequent primary tumor of bone in the pediatric population, is a very aggressive, undifferentiated mesenchymal malignancy with a high tendency to develop lung and/or bone metastasis. The prognosis of patients with metastasis remains dismal, and new strategies are needed to control the dissemination of EWS cells. EWS is driven by alterations induced by the EWS-FLI1 chimera which acts as an aberrant transcriptional factor that induces the complete reprograming of the gene expression. EWS cells are also characterized by high expression of CD99, a cell surface molecule that interacts with EWS-FLI1 to sustain EWS malignancy. This study shows that miR-214-3p is a common mediator of EWS-FLI1 and CD99, and we report that miR-214-3p acts as on oncosuppressor in EWS. MiR-214-3p is constitutively repressed in cell lines and clinical samples but is re-expressed after the silencing of EWS-FLI1 and/or CD99. The restoration of miR-214-3p limits EWS cell growth and migration and represses the expression of its target HMGA1, supporting the potential role of this miRNA as a marker of tumor aggressiveness. Abstract Ewing’s sarcoma (EWS), an aggressive pediatric bone and soft-tissue sarcoma, has a very stable genome with very few genetic alterations. Unlike in most cancers, the progression of EWS appears to depend on epigenetic alterations. EWS–FLI1 and CD99, the two hallmarks of EWS, are reported to severely impact the malignancy of EWS cells, at least partly by regulating the expression of several types of non-coding RNAs. Here, we identify miR-214-3p as a common mediator of either EWS-FLI1 or CD99 by in silico analysis. MiR-214-3p expression was lower in EWS cells and in clinical samples than in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and this miRNA was barely expressed in metastatic lesions. Silencing of EWS-FLI1 or CD99 restored the expression of miR-214-3p, leading to a reduced cell growth and migration. Mechanistically, miR-214-3p restoration inhibits the expression of the high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) protein, a validated target of miR-214-3p and a major regulator of the transcriptional machinery. The decrease in HMGA1 expression reduced the growth and the migration of EWS cells. Taken together, our results support that the miR-214-3p is constitutively repressed by both EWS-FLI1 and CD99 because it acts as an oncosuppressor limiting the dissemination of EWS cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra De Feo
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
- Correspondence: (A.D.F.); (K.S.); Tel.: +39-051-6366760 (K.S.); +39-051-6366937 (A.D.F.); Fax: +39-051-6366763 (A.D.F. & K.S.)
| | - Laura Pazzaglia
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Lisa Ciuffarin
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Fabio Mangiagli
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Michela Pasello
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Elisa Simonetti
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Evelin Pellegrini
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Cristina Ferrari
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Giuseppe Bianchi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Third Orthopaedic Clinic and Traumatology, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (G.B.); (B.S.)
| | - Benedetta Spazzoli
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Third Orthopaedic Clinic and Traumatology, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (G.B.); (B.S.)
| | - Katia Scotlandi
- SSD Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (L.P.); (L.C.); (F.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.); (E.P.); (C.F.)
- Correspondence: (A.D.F.); (K.S.); Tel.: +39-051-6366760 (K.S.); +39-051-6366937 (A.D.F.); Fax: +39-051-6366763 (A.D.F. & K.S.)
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Striefler JK, Schmiester M, Brandes F, Dörr A, Pahl S, Kaul D, Rau D, Dobrindt EM, Koulaxouzidis G, Bullinger L, Märdian S, Flörcken A. Comorbidities rather than older age define outcome in adult patients with tumors of the Ewing sarcoma family. Cancer Med 2022; 11:3213-3225. [PMID: 35297222 PMCID: PMC9468425 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4688] [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: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ewing family of tumors (EFT) is rarely diagnosed in patients (pts) over the age of 18 years (years), and data on the clinical course and the outcome of adult EFT pts is sparse. Methods In this retrospective analysis, we summarize our experience with adult EFT pts. From 2002 to 2020, we identified 71 pts of whom 58 were evaluable for the final analysis. Results Median age was 31 years (18–90 years). Pts presented with skeletal (n = 26), and extra‐skeletal primary disease (n =32). Tumor size was ≥8 cm in 20 pts and 19 pts were metastasized at first diagnosis. Between the age groups (≤25 vs. 26–40 vs. ≥41 years) we observed differences of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), tumor origin, as well as type and number of therapy cycles. Overall, median overall survival (OS) was 79 months (95% confidence interval, CI; 28.5–131.4 months), and median progression‐free survival (PFS) 34 months (95% CI; 21.4–45.8 months). We observed a poorer outcome (OS, PFS) in older pts. This could be in part due to differences in treatment intensity and the CCI (<3 vs. ≥3; hazard ratio, HR 0.334, 95% CI 0.15–0.72, p = 0.006). In addition, tumor stage had a significant impact on PFS (localized vs. metastasized stage: HR 0.403, 95% CI 0.18–0.87, p = 0.021). Conclusions Our data confirms the feasibility of intensive treatment regimens in adult EFT pts. While in our cohort outcome was influenced by age, due to differences in treatment intensity, CCI, and tumor stage, larger studies are warranted to further explore optimized treatment protocols in adult EFT pts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Käthe Striefler
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maren Schmiester
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Brandes
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Dörr
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Pahl
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Campus Mitte, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Kaul
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Rau
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Centre for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Dobrindt
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Surgery, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georgios Koulaxouzidis
- Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Congregational Hospital Linz, Sisters of Mercy, Linz, Austria
| | - Lars Bullinger
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sven Märdian
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Centre for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Flörcken
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumor Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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86
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Di Nardo M, Pallotta MM, Musio A. The multifaceted roles of cohesin in cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:96. [PMID: 35287703 PMCID: PMC8919599 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02321-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cohesin complex controls faithful chromosome segregation by pairing sister chromatids after DNA replication until mitosis. In addition, it is crucial for hierarchal three-dimensional organization of the genome, transcription regulation and maintaining DNA integrity. The core complex subunits SMC1A, SMC3, STAG1/2, and RAD21 as well as its modulators, have been found to be recurrently mutated in human cancers. The mechanisms by which cohesin mutations trigger cancer development and disease progression are still poorly understood. Since cohesin is involved in a range of chromosome-related processes, the outcome of cohesin mutations in cancer is complex. Herein, we discuss recent discoveries regarding cohesin that provide new insight into its role in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Di Nardo
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies (ITB), National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi, 1 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria M. Pallotta
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies (ITB), National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi, 1 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonio Musio
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies (ITB), National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi, 1 56124, Pisa, Italy
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87
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Lee D, Apelt K, Lee SO, Chan HR, Luijsterburg MS, Leung JWC, Miller K. ZMYM2 restricts 53BP1 at DNA double-strand breaks to favor BRCA1 loading and homologous recombination. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3922-3943. [PMID: 35253893 PMCID: PMC9023290 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An inability to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) threatens genome integrity and can contribute to human diseases, including cancer. Mammalian cells repair DSBs mainly through homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ). The choice between these pathways is regulated by the interplay between 53BP1 and BRCA1, whereby BRCA1 excludes 53BP1 to promote HR and 53BP1 limits BRCA1 to facilitate NHEJ. Here, we identify the zinc-finger proteins (ZnF), ZMYM2 and ZMYM3, as antagonizers of 53BP1 recruitment that facilitate HR protein recruitment and function at DNA breaks. Mechanistically, we show that ZMYM2 recruitment to DSBs and suppression of break-associated 53BP1 requires the SUMO E3 ligase PIAS4, as well as SUMO binding by ZMYM2. Cells deficient for ZMYM2/3 display genome instability, PARP inhibitor and ionizing radiation sensitivity and reduced HR repair. Importantly, depletion of 53BP1 in ZMYM2/3-deficient cells rescues BRCA1 recruitment to and HR repair of DSBs, suggesting that ZMYM2 and ZMYM3 primarily function to restrict 53BP1 engagement at breaks to favor BRCA1 loading that functions to channel breaks to HR repair. Identification of DNA repair functions for these poorly characterized ZnF proteins may shed light on their unknown contributions to human diseases, where they have been reported to be highly dysregulated, including in several cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doohyung Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Katja Apelt
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Seong-Ok Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Hsin-Ru Chan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Martijn S Luijsterburg
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Justin W C Leung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Kyle M Miller
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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88
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Zhong D, Chen D, Zhang G, Lin S, Mei R, Yu X. Screening of Potential Key Biomarkers for Ewing Sarcoma: Evidence from Gene Array Analysis. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:2575-2588. [PMID: 35342299 PMCID: PMC8943648 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s346251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) is a common bone cancer in children and adolescents. There are ethnic differences in the incidence and treatment effects. People have made great efforts to clarify the cause; however, the molecular mechanism of ES is still poorly understood. Methods We download the microarray datasets GSE68776, GSE45544 and GSE17674 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the three datasets were screened and enrichment analysis was performed. STRING and Cytoscape were used to carry out module analysis, building a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Finally, a series of analyses such as survival analysis and immune infiltration analysis were performed on the selected genes. Results A total of 629 differentially expressed genes were screened, including 206 up-regulated genes and 423 down-regulated genes. The pathways and rich-functions of DEGs include protein activation cascade, carbohydrate binding, cell-cell adhesion junctions, mitotic cell cycle, p53 pathway, and cancer pathways. Then, a total of 10 hub genes were screened out. Biological process analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in mitotic nuclear division, protein kinase activity, cell division, cell cycle, and protein phosphorylation. Conclusion Survival analysis and multiple gene comparison analysis showed that CDCA8, MAD2L1 and FANCI may be involved in the occurrence and prognosis of ES. The purpose of our study is to clarify the DEG and key genes, which will help us know more about the molecular mechanisms of ES, provide potential pathway or targets for the diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duming Zhong
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangquan Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shaobai Lin
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Runhong Mei
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Xuefeng Yu; Runhong Mei, Email ;
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89
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Systemic Treatment of Ewing Sarcoma: Current Options and Future Perspectives. FORUM OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/fco-2021-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an uncommon malignant neoplasm, mostly affecting young adults and adolescents. Surgical excision, irradiation, and combinations of multiple chemotherapeutic agents are currently used as a multimodal strategy for the treatment of local and oligometastatic disease. Although ES usually responds to the primary treatment, relapsed and primarily refractory disease remains a difficult therapeutic challenge. The growing understanding of cancer biology and the subsequent development of new therapeutic strategies have been put at the service of research in recurrent and refractory ES, generating a great number of ongoing studies with compounds that could find superior clinical outcomes in the years to come. This review gathers the current available information on the treatment and clinical investigation of ES and aims to be a point of support for future research.
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90
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Ingley KM, Maleddu A, Grange FL, Gerrand C, Bleyer A, Yasmin E, Whelan J, Strauss SJ. Current approaches to management of bone sarcoma in adolescent and young adult patients. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29442. [PMID: 34767314 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Bone tumors are a group of histologically diverse diseases that occur across all ages. Two of the commonest, osteosarcoma (OS) and Ewing sarcoma (ES), are regarded as characteristic adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers with an incidence peak in AYAs. They are curable for some but associated with unacceptably high rates of treatment failure and morbidity. The introduction of effective new therapeutics for bone sarcomas is slow, and to date, complex biology has been insufficiently characterized to allow more rapid therapeutic exploitation. This review focuses on current standards of care, recent advances that have or may soon change that standard of care and challenges to the expert clinical research community that we suggest must be met.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M Ingley
- London Sarcoma Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Alessandra Maleddu
- London Sarcoma Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Franel Le Grange
- London Sarcoma Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Craig Gerrand
- London Sarcoma Service, Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, Stanmore, UK
| | - Archie Bleyer
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Ephia Yasmin
- Reproductive Medicine Unit, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Jeremy Whelan
- London Sarcoma Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Sandra J Strauss
- London Sarcoma Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK.,UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK
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91
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Liquid biopsies have emerged as a noninvasive alternative to tissue biopsy with potential applications during all stages of pediatric oncology care. The purpose of this review is to provide a survey of pediatric cell-free DNA (cfDNA) studies, illustrate their potential applications in pediatric oncology, and to discuss technological challenges and approaches to overcome these hurdles. RECENT FINDINGS Recent literature has demonstrated liquid biopsies' ability to inform treatment selection at diagnosis, monitor clonal evolution during treatment, sensitively detect minimum residual disease following local control, and provide sensitive posttherapy surveillance. Advantages include reduced procedural anesthesia, molecular profiling unbiased by tissue heterogeneity, and ability to track clonal evolution. Challenges to wider implementation in pediatric oncology, however, include blood volume restrictions and relatively low mutational burden in childhood cancers. Multiomic approaches address challenges presented by low-mutational burden, and novel bioinformatic analyses allow a single assay to yield increasing amounts of information, reducing blood volume requirements. SUMMARY Liquid biopsies hold tremendous promise in pediatric oncology, enabling noninvasive serial surveillance with adaptive care. Already integrated into adult care, recent advances in technologies and bioinformatics have improved applicability to the pediatric cancer landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Taylor Sundby
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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92
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Noncanonical roles of p53 in cancer stemness and their implications in sarcomas. Cancer Lett 2022; 525:131-145. [PMID: 34742870 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Impairment of the prominent tumor suppressor p53, well known for its canonical role as the "guardian of the genome", is found in almost half of human cancers. More recently, p53 has been suggested to be a crucial regulator of stemness, orchestrating the differentiation of embryonal and adult stem cells, suppressing reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells, or inhibiting cancer stemness (i.e., cancer stem cells, CSCs), which underlies the development of therapy-resistant tumors. This review addresses these noncanonical roles of p53 and their implications in sarcoma initiation and progression. Indeed, dysregulation of p53 family proteins is a common event in sarcomas and is associated with poor survival. Additionally, emerging studies have demonstrated that loss of wild-type p53 activity hinders the terminal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and leads to the development of aggressive sarcomas. This review summarizes recent findings on the roles of aberrant p53 in sarcoma development and stemness and further describes therapeutic approaches to restore normal p53 activity as a promising anti-CSC strategy to treat refractory sarcomas.
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93
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Construction of a Prognosis-Related Gene Signature by Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis in Ewing Sarcoma. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:8798624. [PMID: 35126643 PMCID: PMC8814720 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8798624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common pediatric bone tumor with a high rate of metastasis, high recurrence, and low survival rate. Therefore, the identification of new biomarkers which can improve the prognosis of ES patients is urgently needed. Methods Here, GSE17679 dataset was downloaded from GEO databases. WGCNA method was used to identify one module associating with OVS (overall vital survival) and event. cytoHubba was used to screen out 50 hub genes from the module genes. Then, GSE17679 dataset was randomly divided into train cohort and test cohort. Next, univariate Cox analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and multivariate Cox analysis were conducted on 50 hub genes combined with train cohort data to select pivotal genes. Finally, an optimal 7-gene-based risk assessment model was established, which was verified by test cohort, entire GSE17679, and two independent datasets (GSE63157 and TCGA-SARC). Results The results of the functional enrichment analysis revealed that the OVS and event-associated module were mainly enriched in the protein transcription, cell proliferation, and cell-cycle control. And the train cohort was divided into high-risk and low-risk subgroups based on the median risk score; the results showed that the survival of the low-risk subgroup was significantly longer than high-risk. ROC analysis revealed that AUC values of 1, 3, and 5-year survival were 0.85, 0.94, and 0.88, and Kaplan-Meier analysis also revealed that P value < 0.0001, indicating that this model was accurate, which was also verified in the test, entire cohort, and two independent datasets (GSE63157 and TCGA-SARC). Then, we performed a comprehensive analysis (differential expression analysis, correlation analysis and survival analysis) of seven pivotal genes, and found that four genes (NCAPG, KIF4A, NUF2 and CDC20) plays a more crucial role in the prognosis of ES. Conclusion Taken together, this study established an optimal 7-gene-based risk assessment model and identified 4 potential therapeutic targets, to improve the prognosis of ES patients.
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94
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Gilbertson SR, Zhang N, Lin KF, Yang C, Peruski S, Pati D, Gilbertson SR. Synthesis and Evaluation of a Class of Compounds Inhibiting the Growth of Stromal Antigen 2 (STAG2)-Mutant Ewing Sarcoma Cells. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202100653. [PMID: 35018729 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100653] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
STAG2 (SA2) is a critical component of the cohesin complex that regulates gene expression and the separation of sister chromatids in cells. Mutations in STAG2 have been identified in over thirty different types of cancers including non-small cell lung, bladder and Ewing sarcoma. Selectively inhibiting cancer cells lacking of STAG2 is an attractive approach for the cancer therapy. Here we report that a small molecule, StagX1, identified through a high-throughput screening, inhibits the growth of Ewing sarcoma cells possessing mutant STAG2 . A new synthetic route to the StagX1 scaffold and new versions of the molecule along with their activity in a cell viability assay are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Richard Gilbertson
- University of Houston, Department of Chemistry, 136 Fleming Building, 77204-5003, Houston, UNITED STATES
| | - Nenggang Zhang
- Baylor College of Medicine, Pediatrics, 77030, Houston, UNITED STATES
| | - Keng-Fu Lin
- University of Houston, Chemistry, UNITED STATES
| | | | | | | | - Scott R Gilbertson
- University of Houston, Chemistry, 112 Fleming Building, Houston, 77204, Houston, UNITED STATES
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95
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Cristalli C, Manara MC, Valente S, Pellegrini E, Bavelloni A, De Feo A, Blalock W, Di Bello E, Piñeyro D, Merkel A, Esteller M, Tirado OM, Mai A, Scotlandi K. Novel Targeting of DNA Methyltransferase Activity Inhibits Ewing Sarcoma Cell Proliferation and Enhances Tumor Cell Sensitivity to DNA Damaging Drugs by Activating the DNA Damage Response. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:876602. [PMID: 35712255 PMCID: PMC9197596 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.876602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important component of the epigenetic machinery that regulates the malignancy of Ewing sarcoma (EWS), the second most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents. Coordination of DNA methylation and DNA replication is critical for maintaining epigenetic programming and the DNMT1 enzyme has been demonstrated to have an important role in both maintaining the epigenome and controlling cell cycle. Here, we showed that the novel nonnucleoside DNMT inhibitor (DNMTi) MC3343 induces a specific depletion of DNMT1 and affects EWS tumor proliferation through a mechanism that is independent on DNA methylation. Depletion of DNMT1 causes perturbation of the cell cycle, with an accumulation of cells in the G1 phase, and DNA damage, as revealed by the induction of γH2AX foci. These effects elicited activation of p53-dependent signaling and apoptosis in p53wt cells, while in p53 mutated cells, persistent micronuclei and increased DNA instability was observed. Treatment with MC3343 potentiates the efficacy of DNA damaging agents such as doxorubicin and PARP-inhibitors (PARPi). This effect correlates with increased DNA damage and synergistic tumor cytotoxicity, supporting the use of the DNMTi MC3343 as an adjuvant agent in treating EWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Cristalli
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Camilla Cristalli, ; Katia Scotlandi,
| | - Maria Cristina Manara
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sergio Valente
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Evelin Pellegrini
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto Bavelloni
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra De Feo
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - William Blalock
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare-Luigi Luca Cavalli Sforza, UOS Bologna, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IGM-CNR), Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Di Bello
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - David Piñeyro
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angelika Merkel
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oscar M. Tirado
- Sarcoma Research Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Katia Scotlandi
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Camilla Cristalli, ; Katia Scotlandi,
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96
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Le Loarer F, Baud J, Azmani R, Michot A, Karanian M, Pissaloux D. Advances in the classification of round cell sarcomas. Histopathology 2021; 80:33-53. [PMID: 34958508 DOI: 10.1111/his.14547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Round cell sarcomas represent a diagnostic challenge for pathologists, owing to the poorly differentiated features of these high-grade tumours. The diagnosis of round cell sarcoma requires large immunohistochemical panels and molecular testing in many cases. This spectrum of malignancies is largely dominated by Ewing sarcomas (ESs), which represent the most common family of these tumours. Nonetheless, new families have been delineated in the past few years, with the addition of two additional families in the 2020 World Health Organization classification of bone and soft tissue tumours, namely sarcomas with CIC rearrangements and sarcomas with BCOR alterations. EWSR1, one of the genes involved in the driver fusion of ESs, is also implicated in the translocation of many other tumours with heterogeneous lineages and variable levels of aggressiveness. Round cell sarcomas associated with fusions inwhichEWSR1is partnered with genes encoding transcription factors distinct from those of the 'Ewing family' represent a heterogeneous group of rare tumours that require further study to determine whether their fusions may or not define a specific subgroup. They include mainly sarcomas with NFATc2 rearrangements and sarcomas with PATZ1 rearrangements. At this point, PATZ1 fusions seem to be associated with tumours of high clinical and morphological heterogeneity. Molecular studies have also helped in the identification of more consistent biomarkers that give tremendous help to pathologists in triaging, if not diagnosing, these tumours in practice. This review compiles the latest accumulated evidence regarding round cell sarcomas, and discusses the areas that are still under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Le Loarer
- Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,Département de Biopathologie, Bordeaux, France.,INSERM U1218, ACTION, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jessica Baud
- Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,INSERM U1218, ACTION, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Audrey Michot
- Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.,INSERM U1218, ACTION, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Surgery, Institut Bergonie, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marie Karanian
- Département de Biopathologie, Centre Leon Berard, Lyon, France.,INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Daniel Pissaloux
- Département de Biopathologie, Centre Leon Berard, Lyon, France.,INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Lyon, France
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97
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Azizoglu M, Demirsoy U, Kulac I, Aktas S, Çorapcioglu F. EWSR1(22q12) Translocation Positive Pediatric Adrenal Tumor with Loss of 1p, 11q, and Unbalanced Gain of 17q: Neuroblastoma or Ewing Sarcoma? Fetal Pediatr Pathol 2021; 40:717-722. [PMID: 32242756 DOI: 10.1080/15513815.2020.1745971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Although neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma/Primitive neuroectodermal tumor are different clinical entities, they are both a member of small round blue cell tumors and can mimic each other's behavior in clinical and molecular aspects. Case report: A 3 year-old girl with an abdominal mass was found to have a small round blue cell tumor originating from the right adrenal gland. High level of neuron specific enolase, initial genetic test results (N-Myc amplification: negative, loss of 1p, 11q, and unbalanced gain of 17q) and characteristic radiological appearance of the tumor suggested a preliminary diagnosis of neuroblastoma but further analysis showed CD99 expression and presence of EWSR1 rearrangement, which are mostly observed in Ewing sarcoma. Conclusion: Adrenal gland tumors of childhood with complex immunophenotypic features requires distinguishing two discrete tumors in the small round blue cell tumor group, neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma. Although no exact diagnosis of the tumor was made, we reached a good response with neuroblastoma treatment protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Azizoglu
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, School of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Ugur Demirsoy
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, School of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Ibrahim Kulac
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Safiye Aktas
- Department of Basic Oncology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Funda Çorapcioglu
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, School of Medicine, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
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98
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Flores G, Grohar PJ. One oncogene, several vulnerabilities: EWS/FLI targeted therapies for Ewing sarcoma. J Bone Oncol 2021; 31:100404. [PMID: 34976713 PMCID: PMC8686064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbo.2021.100404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
EWS/FLI is the defining mutation of Ewing sarcoma. This oncogene drives malignant transformation and progression and occurs in a genetic background characterized by few other recurrent cooperating mutations. In addition, the tumor is absolutely dependent on the continued expression of EWS/FLI to maintain the malignant phenotype. However, EWS/FLI is a transcription factor and therefore a challenging drug target. The difficulty of directly targeting EWS/FLI stems from unique features of this fusion protein as well as the network of interacting proteins required to execute the transcriptional program. This network includes interacting proteins as well as upstream and downstream effectors that together reprogram the epigenome and transcriptome. While the vast number of proteins involved in this process challenge the development of a highly specific inhibitors, they also yield numerous therapeutic opportunities. In this report, we will review how this vast EWS-FLI transcriptional network has been exploited over the last two decades to identify compounds that directly target EWS/FLI and/or associated vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Flores
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, USA
| | - Patrick J Grohar
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, 3501 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, USA
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99
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Smith RS, Odintsov I, Liu Z, Lui AJW, Hayashi T, Vojnic M, Suehara Y, Delasos L, Mattar MS, Hmeljak J, Ramirez HA, Shaw M, Bui G, Hartono AB, Gladstone E, Kunte S, Magnan H, Khodos I, De Stanchina E, La Quaglia MP, Yao J, Laé M, Lee SB, Spraggon L, Pratilas CA, Ladanyi M, Somwar R. Novel patient-derived models of DSRCT enable validation of ERBB signaling as a potential therapeutic vulnerability. Dis Model Mech 2021; 15:273569. [PMID: 34841430 PMCID: PMC8807576 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.047621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is characterized by the t(11;22)(p13;q12) translocation, which fuses the transcriptional regulatory domain of EWSR1 with the DNA-binding domain of WT1, resulting in the oncogenic EWSR1-WT1 fusion protein. The paucity of DSRCT disease models has hampered preclinical therapeutic studies on this aggressive cancer. Here, we developed preclinical disease models and mined DSRCT expression profiles to identify genetic vulnerabilities that could be leveraged for new therapies. We describe four DSRCT cell lines and one patient-derived xenograft model. Transcriptomic, proteomic and biochemical profiling showed evidence of activation of the ERBB pathway. Ectopic expression of EWSR1-WT1 resulted in upregulation of ERRB family ligands. Treatment of DSRCT cell lines with ERBB ligands resulted in activation of EGFR, ERBB2, ERK1/2 and AKT, and stimulation of cell growth. Antagonizing EGFR function with shRNAs, small-molecule inhibitors (afatinib, neratinib) or an anti-EGFR antibody (cetuximab) inhibited proliferation of DSRCT cells. Finally, treatment of mice bearing DSRCT xenografts with a combination of cetuximab and afatinib significantly reduced tumor growth. These data provide a rationale for evaluating EGFR antagonists in patients with DSRCT. This article has an associated First Person interview with the joint first authors of the paper. Summary: Novel models of desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) reveal a role for the ERBB pathway in regulating growth of this sarcoma and provide a rationale for evaluating EGFR antagonists in patients with DSRCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger S Smith
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Igor Odintsov
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zebing Liu
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Allan Jo-Weng Lui
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Takuo Hayashi
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Morana Vojnic
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yoshiyuki Suehara
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lukas Delasos
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marissa S Mattar
- Anti-tumor Assessment Core Facility, Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julija Hmeljak
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hillary A Ramirez
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melissa Shaw
- Gerstner School of Graduate Studies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabrielle Bui
- Gerstner School of Graduate Studies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Eric Gladstone
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Siddharth Kunte
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heather Magnan
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Inna Khodos
- Anti-tumor Assessment Core Facility, Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa De Stanchina
- Anti-tumor Assessment Core Facility, Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael P La Quaglia
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jinjuan Yao
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marick Laé
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean B Lee
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Lee Spraggon
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christine A Pratilas
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marc Ladanyi
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Romel Somwar
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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100
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Wu SC, Münger K. Role and Clinical Utility of Cancer/Testis Antigens in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225690. [PMID: 34830845 PMCID: PMC8616139 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer/testis (CT) antigens exhibit selective expression predominantly in immunoprivileged tissues in non-pathological contexts but are aberrantly expressed in diverse cancers. Due to their expression pattern, they have historically been attractive targets for immunotherapies. A growing number of studies implicate CT antigens in almost all hallmarks of cancer, suggesting that they may act as cancer drivers. CT antigens are expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. However, their role in the pathogenesis of these cancers remains poorly studied. Given that CT antigens hold intriguing potential as therapeutic targets and as biomarkers for prognosis and that they can provide novel insights into oncogenic mechanisms, their further study in the context of head and squamous cell carcinoma is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Changshan Wu
- Molecular Microbiology Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA;
| | - Karl Münger
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
- Correspondence:
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