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Sánchez-Fdez A, Matilla-Almazán S, Del Carmen S, Abad M, Arconada-Luque E, Jiménez-Suárez J, Chinchilla-Tábora LM, Ruíz-Hidalgo MJ, Sánchez-Prieto R, Pandiella A, Esparís-Ogando A. Etiopathogenic role of ERK5 signaling in sarcoma: prognostic and therapeutic implications. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:1247-1257. [PMID: 37332046 PMCID: PMC10317974 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcomas constitute a heterogeneous group of rare and difficult-to-treat tumors that can affect people of all ages, representing one of the most common forms of cancer in childhood and adolescence. Little is known about the molecular entities involved in sarcomagenesis. Therefore, the identification of processes that lead to the development of the disease may uncover novel therapeutic opportunities. Here, we show that the MEK5/ERK5 signaling pathway plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of sarcomas. By developing a mouse model engineered to express a constitutively active form of MEK5, we demonstrate that the exclusive activation of the MEK5/ERK5 pathway can promote sarcomagenesis. Histopathological analyses identified these tumors as undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas. Bioinformatic studies revealed that sarcomas are the tumors in which ERK5 is most frequently amplified and overexpressed. Moreover, analysis of the impact of ERK5 protein expression on overall survival in patients diagnosed with different sarcoma types in our local hospital showed a 5-fold decrease in median survival in patients with elevated ERK5 expression compared with those with low expression. Pharmacological and genetic studies revealed that targeting the MEK5/ERK5 pathway drastically affects the proliferation of human sarcoma cells and tumor growth. Interestingly, sarcoma cells with knockout of ERK5 or MEK5 were unable to form tumors when engrafted into mice. Taken together, our results reveal a role of the MEK5/ERK5 pathway in sarcomagenesis and open a new scenario to be considered in the treatment of patients with sarcoma in which the ERK5 pathway is pathophysiologically involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Sánchez-Fdez
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC)-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sofía Matilla-Almazán
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC)-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sofía Del Carmen
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Departmento de Patología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mar Abad
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Departmento de Patología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Elena Arconada-Luque
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Laboratorio de Oncología Molecular, Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Unidad Asociada de Biomedicina UCLM, Unidad asociada al CSIC, Albacete, Spain
| | - Jaime Jiménez-Suárez
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Laboratorio de Oncología Molecular, Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Unidad Asociada de Biomedicina UCLM, Unidad asociada al CSIC, Albacete, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Chinchilla-Tábora
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Departmento de Patología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Mª José Ruíz-Hidalgo
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Laboratorio de Oncología Molecular, Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Unidad Asociada de Biomedicina UCLM, Unidad asociada al CSIC, Albacete, Spain
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Orgánica y Bioquímica, Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular. Facultad de Medicina, Albacete, Spain
| | - Ricardo Sánchez-Prieto
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Laboratorio de Oncología Molecular, Unidad de Medicina Molecular, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Unidad Asociada de Biomedicina UCLM, Unidad asociada al CSIC, Albacete, Spain
- Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Departamento de Ciencias Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Albacete, Spain
- Departamento de Biología del Cáncer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas 'Alberto Sols' (CSIC-UAM), Unidad Asociada de Biomedicina UCLM, Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas 'Alberto Sols', Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IIBM-CSIC)-Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Albacete, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC)-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Azucena Esparís-Ogando
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain.
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (IBMCC)-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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2
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Wang K, Yang T, Zhang Y, Gao X, Tao L. The opportunities and challenges for nutritional intervention in childhood cancers. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1091067. [PMID: 36925958 PMCID: PMC10012036 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1091067] [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: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Diet dictates nutrient availability in the tumor microenvironment, thus affecting tumor metabolic activity and growth. Intrinsically, tumors develop unique metabolic features and are sensitive to environmental nutrient concentrations. Tumor-driven nutrient dependencies provide opportunities to control tumor growth by nutritional restriction or supplementation. This review summarized the existing data on nutrition and pediatric cancers after systematically searching articles up to 2023 from four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid MEDLINE). Epidemiological studies linked malnutrition with advanced disease stages and poor clinical outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. Experimental studies identified several nutrient dependencies (i.e., amino acids, lipids, vitamins, etc.) in major pediatric cancer types. Dietary modifications such as calorie restriction, ketogenic diet, and nutrient restriction/supplementation supported pediatric cancer treatment, but studies remain limited. Future research should expand epidemiological studies through data sharing and multi-institutional collaborations and continue to discover critical and novel nutrient dependencies to find optimal nutritional approaches for pediatric cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyue Wang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyou Yang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yubin Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling Tao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Panagopoulos I, Gorunova L, Andersen K, Lund-Iversen M, Tafjord S, Micci F, Heim S. Fusion of the Paired Box 3 ( PAX3) and Myocardin ( MYOCD) Genes in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2021; 18:723-734. [PMID: 34697065 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20293] [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: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Fusions of the paired box 3 gene (PAX3 in 2q36) with different partners have been reported in rhabdomyosarcomas and biphenotypic sinonasal sarcomas. We herein report the myocardin (MYOCD on 17p12) gene as a novel PAX3-fusion partner in a pediatric tumor with adverse clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS A rhabdomyo-sarcoma found in a 10-year-old girl was studied using a range of genetic methodologies. RESULTS The karyotype of the tumor cells was 48,XX,add(2)(q11),+del(2)(q35),add(3)(q?25),-7, del(8)(p 21),-15, add(17)(p 11), + 20, +der(?) t(?; 15) (?;q15),+mar[8]/46,XX[2]. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected PAX3 rearrangement whereas array comparative genomic hybridization revealed genomic imbalances affecting hundreds of genes, including MYCN, MYC, FOXO3, and the tumor suppressor gene TP53. A PAX3-MYOCD fusion transcript was found by RNA sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. CONCLUSION The investigated rhabdomyosarcoma carried a novel PAX3-MYOCD fusion gene and extensive additional aberrations affecting the allelic balance of many genes, among them TP53 and members of MYC and FOXO families of transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Panagopoulos
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway;
| | - Ludmila Gorunova
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristin Andersen
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marius Lund-Iversen
- Department of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Svetlana Tafjord
- Department of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesca Micci
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sverre Heim
- Section for Cancer Cytogenetics, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Jahangiri L, Pucci P, Ishola T, Trigg RM, Williams JA, Pereira J, Cavanagh ML, Turner SD, Gkoutos GV, Tsaprouni L. The Contribution of Autophagy and LncRNAs to MYC-Driven Gene Regulatory Networks in Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168527. [PMID: 34445233 PMCID: PMC8395220 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MYC is a target of the Wnt signalling pathway and governs numerous cellular and developmental programmes hijacked in cancers. The amplification of MYC is a frequently occurring genetic alteration in cancer genomes, and this transcription factor is implicated in metabolic reprogramming, cell death, and angiogenesis in cancers. In this review, we analyse MYC gene networks in solid cancers. We investigate the interaction of MYC with long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Furthermore, we investigate the role of MYC regulatory networks in inducing changes to cellular processes, including autophagy and mitophagy. Finally, we review the interaction and mutual regulation between MYC and lncRNAs, and autophagic processes and analyse these networks as unexplored areas of targeting and manipulation for therapeutic gain in MYC-driven malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jahangiri
- Department of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK; (L.J.); (T.I.); (M.L.C.)
| | - Perla Pucci
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; (P.P.); (S.D.T.)
| | - Tala Ishola
- Department of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK; (L.J.); (T.I.); (M.L.C.)
| | - Ricky M. Trigg
- Department of Functional Genomics, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage SG1 2NY, UK;
| | - John A. Williams
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK; (J.A.W.); (G.V.G.)
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2SY, UK
| | - Joao Pereira
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA;
| | - Megan L. Cavanagh
- Department of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK; (L.J.); (T.I.); (M.L.C.)
| | - Suzanne D. Turner
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; (P.P.); (S.D.T.)
- CEITEC, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Georgios V. Gkoutos
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK; (J.A.W.); (G.V.G.)
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2SY, UK
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
- MRC Health Data Research, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- NIHR Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Loukia Tsaprouni
- Department of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK; (L.J.); (T.I.); (M.L.C.)
- Correspondence:
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5
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Liu R, Shi P, Wang Z, Yuan C, Cui H. Molecular Mechanisms of MYCN Dysregulation in Cancers. Front Oncol 2021; 10:625332. [PMID: 33614505 PMCID: PMC7886978 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.625332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
MYCN, a member of MYC proto-oncogene family, encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor N-MYC. Abnormal expression of N-MYC is correlated with high-risk cancers and poor prognosis. Initially identified as an amplified oncogene in neuroblastoma in 1983, the oncogenic effect of N-MYC is expanded to multiple neuronal and nonneuronal tumors. Direct targeting N-MYC remains challenge due to its "undruggable" features. Therefore, alternative therapeutic approaches for targeting MYCN-driven tumors have been focused on the disruption of transcription, translation, protein stability as well as synthetic lethality of MYCN. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of MYCN dysregulation in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruochen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health (Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute), Chongqing, China
| | - Pengfei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health (Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute), Chongqing, China
| | - Zhongze Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chaoyu Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health (Chongqing Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute), Chongqing, China
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6
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Chen Y, Xu L, Lin RYT, Müschen M, Koeffler HP. Core transcriptional regulatory circuitries in cancer. Oncogene 2020; 39:6633-6646. [PMID: 32943730 PMCID: PMC7581508 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01459-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) coordinate the on-and-off states of gene expression typically in a combinatorial fashion. Studies from embryonic stem cells and other cell types have revealed that a clique of self-regulated core TFs control cell identity and cell state. These core TFs form interconnected feed-forward transcriptional loops to establish and reinforce the cell-type-specific gene-expression program; the ensemble of core TFs and their regulatory loops constitutes core transcriptional regulatory circuitry (CRC). Here, we summarize recent progress in computational reconstitution and biologic exploration of CRCs across various human malignancies, and consolidate the strategy and methodology for CRC discovery. We also discuss the genetic basis and therapeutic vulnerability of CRC, and highlight new frontiers and future efforts for the study of CRC in cancer. Knowledge of CRC in cancer is fundamental to understanding cancer-specific transcriptional addiction, and should provide important insight to both pathobiology and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Chen
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
| | - Liang Xu
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA.
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Ruby Yu-Tong Lin
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Markus Müschen
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - H Phillip Koeffler
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
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7
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Concomitant targeting of Hedgehog signaling and MCL-1 synergistically induces cell death in Hedgehog-driven cancer cells. Cancer Lett 2019; 465:1-11. [PMID: 31465840 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we show that concomitant inhibition of Hedgehog (HH) signaling by the glioma-associated oncogene homolog1 (GLI1)-targeting agent GANT61 and the antiapoptotic BCL-2 protein family member MCL-1 by A-1210477 synergistically induces cell death in HH-driven cancers, i.e. rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and medulloblastoma (MB) cells. Combined genetic and pharmacological inhibition emphasized that co-treatment of GANT61 and A-1210477 indeed relies on inhibition of GLI1 (by GANT61) and MCL-1 (by A-1210477). Mechanistic studies revealed that A-1210477 triggers the release of BIM from MCL-1 and its shuttling to BCL-xL and BCL-2. Indeed, BIM proved to be required for GANT61/A-1210477-induced cell death, as genetic silencing of BIM using siRNA significantly rescues cell death upon GANT61/A-1210477 co-treatment. Similarly, genetic silencing of NOXA results in a significant reduction of GANT61/A-1210477-mediated cell death. Also, overexpression of MCL-1 or BCL-2 significantly protects RMS cells from GANT61/A-1210477-triggered cell death. Addition of the pan-caspase inhibitor zVAD.fmk significantly decreases GANT61/A-1210477-stimulated cell demise, indicating apoptotic cell death. In conclusion, GANT61 and A-1210477 synergize to engage mitochondrial apoptosis. These findings provide the rationale for further evaluation of dual inhibition of HH signaling and MCL-1 in HH-driven cancers.
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8
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Berger A, Brady NJ, Bareja R, Robinson B, Conteduca V, Augello MA, Puca L, Ahmed A, Dardenne E, Lu X, Hwang I, Bagadion AM, Sboner A, Elemento O, Paik J, Yu J, Barbieri CE, Dephoure N, Beltran H, Rickman DS. N-Myc-mediated epigenetic reprogramming drives lineage plasticity in advanced prostate cancer. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:3924-3940. [PMID: 31260412 DOI: 10.1172/jci127961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent therapeutic advances, prostate cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death. A subset of castration resistant prostate cancers become androgen receptor (AR) signaling-independent and develop neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) features through lineage plasticity. These NEPC tumors, associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis, are driven, in part, by aberrant expression of N-Myc, through mechanisms that remain unclear. Integrative analysis of the N-Myc transcriptome, cistrome and interactome using in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo models (including patient-derived organoids) identified a lineage switch towards a neural identity associated with epigenetic reprogramming. N-Myc and known AR-co-factors (e.g., FOXA1 and HOXB13) overlapped, independently of AR, at genomic loci implicated in neural lineage specification. Moreover, histone marks specifically associated with lineage-defining genes were reprogrammed by N-Myc. We also demonstrated that the N-Myc-induced molecular program accurately classifies our cohort of patients with advanced prostate cancer. Finally, we revealed the potential for EZH2 inhibition to reverse the N-Myc-induced suppression of epithelial lineage genes. Altogether, our data provide insights on how N-Myc regulates lineage plasticity and epigenetic reprogramming associated with lineage-specification. The N-Myc signature we defined could also help predict the evolution of prostate cancer and thus better guide the choice of future therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rohan Bareja
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
| | - Brian Robinson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
| | | | | | | | - Adnan Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Xiaodong Lu
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Inah Hwang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
| | | | - Andrea Sboner
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, and.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Olivier Elemento
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, and.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jihye Paik
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jindan Yu
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Christopher E Barbieri
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.,Department of Urology, and.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Noah Dephoure
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Himisha Beltran
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.,Department of Medicine.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David S Rickman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.,Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.,Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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9
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Rickman DS, Schulte JH, Eilers M. The Expanding World of N-MYC–Driven Tumors. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:150-163. [DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-0273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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The MYCN Protein in Health and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8040113. [PMID: 28358317 PMCID: PMC5406860 DOI: 10.3390/genes8040113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
MYCN is a member of the MYC family of proto-oncogenes. It encodes a transcription factor, MYCN, involved in the control of fundamental processes during embryonal development. The MYCN protein is situated downstream of several signaling pathways promoting cell growth, proliferation and metabolism of progenitor cells in different developing organs and tissues. Conversely, deregulated MYCN signaling supports the development of several different tumors, mainly with a childhood onset, including neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilms’ tumor, but it is also associated with some cancers occurring during adulthood such as prostate and lung cancer. In neuroblastoma, MYCN-amplification is the most consistent genetic aberration associated with poor prognosis and treatment failure. Targeting MYCN has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these tumors and great efforts have allowed the development of direct and indirect MYCN inhibitors with potential clinical use.
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11
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Beckers A, Van Peer G, Carter DR, Mets E, Althoff K, Cheung BB, Schulte JH, Mestdagh P, Vandesompele J, Marshall GM, De Preter K, Speleman F. MYCN-targeting miRNAs are predominantly downregulated during MYCN‑driven neuroblastoma tumor formation. Oncotarget 2016; 6:5204-16. [PMID: 25294817 PMCID: PMC4467143 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
MYCN is a transcription factor that plays key roles in both normal development and cancer. In neuroblastoma, MYCN acts as a major oncogenic driver through pleiotropic effects regulated by multiple protein encoding genes as well as microRNAs (miRNAs). MYCN activity is tightly controlled at the level of transcription and protein stability through various mechanisms. Like most genes, MYCN is further controlled by miRNAs, but the full complement of all miRNAs implicated in this process has not been determined through an unbiased approach. To elucidate the role of miRNAs in regulation of MYCN, we thus explored the MYCN-miRNA interactome to establish miRNAs controlling MYCN expression levels. We combined results from an unbiased and genome-wide high-throughput miRNA target reporter screen with miRNA and mRNA expression data from patients and a murine neuroblastoma progression model. We identified 29 miRNAs targeting MYCN, of which 12 miRNAs are inversely correlated with MYCN expression or activity in neuroblastoma tumor tissue. The majority of MYCN-targeting miRNAs in neuroblastoma showed a decrease in expression during murine MYCN-driven neuroblastoma tumor development. Therefore, we provide evidence that MYCN-targeting miRNAs are preferentially downregulated in MYCN-driven neuroblastoma, suggesting that MYCN negatively controls the expression of these miRNAs, to safeguard its expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneleen Beckers
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Van Peer
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniel R Carter
- Children's Cancer Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Evelien Mets
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristina Althoff
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, University Children's Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Germany
| | - Belamy B Cheung
- Children's Cancer Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Johannes H Schulte
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, University Children's Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Translational Neuro-Oncology, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Pieter Mestdagh
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jo Vandesompele
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Glenn M Marshall
- Children's Cancer Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katleen De Preter
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Speleman
- Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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12
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Hackman S, Calvey L, Bernreuter K, Mark MW, Starnes S, Batanian JR. Cryptic insertion of 3'FOXO1 into inverted chromosome arm 2q in the presence of two normal chromosome 13s and 13 small interstitial duplications in a patient with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer Genet 2015; 208:428-33. [PMID: 26316324 DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergen.2015.05.028] [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: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is a pediatric soft tissue neoplasm with a characteristic translocation, t(2;13)(q35;q14), which is detected in 70-80% of cases. This well-described translocation produces the gene fusion product PAX3-FOXO1. Cryptic rearrangements of this fusion have never before been reported in ARMS. Here we describe a patient with ARMS that showed, by fluorescence in situ hybridization and G-banded chromosomes, a cryptic insertion of 3'FOXO1 into inverted chromosome 2q. The inversion breakpoints were depicted by array comparative genomic hybridization as two small interstitial duplications, one of which involved the PAX3 gene. In addition, the array comparative genomic hybridization results revealed 1q gain, 16q loss, and 11 more small duplications, with one of them involving the FOXO1 gene. Although the pathogenesis in classic ARMS cases is thought to be driven by the 5'PAX3-3'FOXO1 fusion on derivative chromosome 13, here we report a novel cryptic insertion of 3'FOXO1 resulting in a pathogenic fusion with 5'PAX3 on inverted chromosome 2q.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hackman
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Laura Calvey
- Molecular Cytogenetics Department, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kristen Bernreuter
- Molecular Cytogenetics Department, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Mengya Wang Mark
- Molecular Cytogenetics Department, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sarah Starnes
- Pathology and Pediatric Departments, Saint Louis University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jacqueline R Batanian
- Molecular Cytogenetics Department, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA; Pathology and Pediatric Departments, Saint Louis University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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13
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Beltran H. The N-myc Oncogene: Maximizing its Targets, Regulation, and Therapeutic Potential. Mol Cancer Res 2014; 12:815-22. [PMID: 24589438 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-13-0536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
N-myc (MYCN), a member of the Myc family of basic-helix-loop-helix-zipper (bHLHZ) transcription factors, is a central regulator of many vital cellular processes. As such, N-myc is well recognized for its classic oncogenic activity and association with human neuroblastoma. Amplification and overexpression of N-myc has been described in other tumor types, particularly those of neural origin and neuroendocrine tumors. This review outlines N-myc's contribution to normal development and oncogenic progression. In addition, it highlights relevant transcriptional targets and mechanisms of regulation. Finally, the clinical implications of N-Myc as a biomarker and potential as a target using novel therapeutic approaches are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himisha Beltran
- Author's Affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
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14
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Olanich ME, Barr FG. A call to ARMS: targeting the PAX3-FOXO1 gene in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2013; 17:607-23. [PMID: 23432728 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2013.772136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Expression of fusion oncoproteins generated by recurrent chromosomal translocations represents a major tumorigenic mechanism characteristic of multiple cancers, including one-third of all sarcomas. Oncogenic fusion genes provide novel targets for therapeutic intervention. The PAX3-FOXO1 oncoprotein in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is presented as a paradigm to examine therapeutic strategies for targeting sarcoma-associated fusion genes. AREAS COVERED This review discusses the role of PAX3-FOXO1 in ARMS tumors. Besides evaluating various approaches to molecularly target PAX3-FOXO1 itself, this review highlights therapeutically attractive downstream genes activated by PAX3-FOXO1. EXPERT OPINION Oncogenic fusion proteins represent desirable therapeutic targets because their expression is specific to tumor cells, but these fusions generally characterize rare malignancies. Full development and testing of potential drugs targeted to these fusions are complicated by the small numbers of patients in these disease categories. Although efforts to develop targeted therapies against fusion proteins should continue, molecular targets that are applicable to a broader tumor landscape should be pursued. A shift of the traditional paradigm to view therapeutic intervention as target-specific rather than tumor-specific will help to circumvent the challenges posed by rare tumors and maximize the possibility of developing successful new treatments for patients with these rare translocation-associated sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Olanich
- National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Laboratory of Pathology , Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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15
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Marshall AD, Grosveld GC. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma - The molecular drivers of PAX3/7-FOXO1-induced tumorigenesis. Skelet Muscle 2012. [PMID: 23206814 PMCID: PMC3564712 DOI: 10.1186/2044-5040-2-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma arising from cells of a mesenchymal or skeletal muscle lineage. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is more aggressive than the more common embryonal (ERMS) subtype. ARMS is more prone to metastasis and carries a poorer prognosis. In contrast to ERMS, the majority of ARMS tumors carry one of several characteristic chromosomal translocations, such as t(2;13)(q35;q14), which results in the expression of a PAX3-FOXO1 fusion transcription factor. In this review we discuss the genes that cooperate with PAX3-FOXO1, as well as the target genes of the fusion transcription factor that contribute to various aspects of ARMS tumorigenesis. The characterization of these pathways will lead to a better understanding of ARMS tumorigenesis and will allow the design of novel targeted therapies that will lead to better treatment for this aggressive pediatric tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy D Marshall
- Department of Genetics, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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16
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Zanola A, Rossi S, Faggi F, Monti E, Fanzani A. Rhabdomyosarcomas: an overview on the experimental animal models. J Cell Mol Med 2012; 16:1377-91. [PMID: 22225829 PMCID: PMC3823208 DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2011.01518.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are aggressive childhood soft-tissue malignancies deriving from mesenchymal progenitors that are committed to muscle-specific lineages. Despite the histopathological signatures associated with three main histological variants, termed embryonal, alveolar and pleomorphic, a plethora of genetic and molecular changes are recognized in RMS. Over the years, exposure to carcinogens or ionizing radiations and gene-targeting approaches in vivo have greatly contributed to disclose some of the mechanisms underlying RMS onset. In this review, we describe the principal distinct features associated with RMS variants and focus on the current available experimental animal models to point out the molecular determinants cooperating with RMS development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Zanola
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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17
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O'Brien D, Jacob AG, Qualman SJ, Chandler DS. Advances in pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma characterization and disease model development. Histol Histopathol 2012; 27:13-22. [PMID: 22127592 DOI: 10.14670/hh-27.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a form of soft tissue sarcoma, is one of the most common pediatric malignancies. A complex disease with at least three different subtypes, it is characterized by perturbations in a number of signaling pathways and genetic abnormalities. Extensive clinical studies have helped classify these tumors into high and low risk groups to facilitate different treatment regimens. Research into the etiology of the disease has helped uncover numerous potential therapeutic intervention points which can be tested on various animal models of RMS; both genetically modified models and tumor xenograft models. Taken together, there has been a marked increase in the survival rate of RMS patients but the highly invasive, metastatic forms of the disease continue to baffle researchers. This review aims to highlight and summarize some of the most important developments in characterization and in vivo model generation for RMS research, in the last few decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- D O'Brien
- The Center for Childhood Cancer, Columbus Children's Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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18
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Abstract
Caveolins are scaffolding proteins that play a pivotal role in numerous processes, including caveolae biogenesis, vesicular transport, cholesterol homeostasis and regulation of signal transduction. There are three different isoforms (Cav-1, -2 and -3) that form homo- and hetero-aggregates at the plasma membrane and modulate the activity of a number of intracellular binding proteins. Cav-1 and Cav-3, in particular, are respectively expressed in the reserve elements (e.g. satellite cells) and in mature myofibres of skeletal muscle and their expression interplay characterizes the switch from muscle precursors to differentiated elements. Recent findings have shown that caveolins are also expressed in rhabdomyosarcoma, a group of heterogeneous childhood soft-tissue sarcomas in which the cancer cells seem to derive from progenitors that resemble myogenic cells. In this review, we will focus on the role of caveolins in rhabdomyosarcomas and on their potential use as markers of the degree of differentiation in these paediatric tumours. Given that the function of Cav-1 as tumour conditional gene in cancer has been well-established, we will also discuss the relationship between Cav-1 and the progression of rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Rossi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy Department of Pathology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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19
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Sultan I, Ferrari A. Selecting multimodal therapy for rhabdomyosarcoma. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2011; 10:1285-301. [PMID: 20735314 DOI: 10.1586/era.10.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a typical tumor of childhood, characterized by a high grade of malignancy, local invasiveness and a marked propensity to metastasize, but also a generally good response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Multimodal therapy is essential to cure rhabdomyosarcoma patients, but different uses of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and their intensity, need to be selected and modulated to different patient risk groups. This article attempts to give an account of the current treatment options, the open and debated issues and the potential novel strategies for the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iyad Sultan
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, King Hussein Cancer Center, Irbid, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
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20
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Martins AS, Olmos D, Missiaglia E, Shipley J. Targeting the insulin-like growth factor pathway in rhabdomyosarcomas: rationale and future perspectives. Sarcoma 2011; 2011:209736. [PMID: 21437217 PMCID: PMC3061277 DOI: 10.1155/2011/209736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are a heterogeneous group of tumors that share features of skeletal myogenesis and represent the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. Even though significant advances have been achieved in RMS treatment, prognosis remains very poor for many patients. Several elements of the Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) pathway are involved in sarcomas, including RMS. The IGF2 ligand is highly expressed in most, if not all, RMS, and frequent overexpression of the receptor IGF1R is also found. This is confirmed here through mining expression profiling data of a large series of RMS samples. IGF signaling is implicated in the genesis, growth, proliferation, and metastasis of RMS. Blockade of this pathway is therefore a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of RMS. In this paper we examine the biological rationale for targeting the IGF pathway in RMS as well as the current associated preclinical and clinical experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Martins
- Molecular Cytogenetics, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road Sutton, Surrey SM2 5NG, UK
| | - David Olmos
- Molecular Cytogenetics, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road Sutton, Surrey SM2 5NG, UK
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Edoardo Missiaglia
- Molecular Cytogenetics, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road Sutton, Surrey SM2 5NG, UK
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Laussane, Switzerland
| | - Janet Shipley
- Molecular Cytogenetics, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road Sutton, Surrey SM2 5NG, UK
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21
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Saab R, Spunt SL, Skapek SX. Myogenesis and rhabdomyosarcoma the Jekyll and Hyde of skeletal muscle. Curr Top Dev Biol 2011; 94:197-234. [PMID: 21295688 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-380916-2.00007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma, a neoplasm composed of skeletal myoblast-like cells, represents the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. The application of intensive chemotherapeutics and refined surgical and radiation therapy approaches have improved survival for children with localized disease over the past 3 decades; however, these approaches have not improved the dismal outcome for children with metastatic and recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma. Elegant studies have defined the molecular mechanisms driving skeletal muscle lineage commitment and differentiation, and the machinery that couples differentiation with irreversible cell proliferation arrest. Further, detailed molecular analyses indicate that rhabdomyosarcoma cells have lost the capacity to fully differentiate when challenged to do so in experimental models. We review the intersection of normal skeletal muscle developmental biology and the molecular genetic defects in rhabdomyosarcoma with the underlying premise that understanding how the differentiation process has gone awry will lead to new treatment strategies aimed at promoting myogenic differentiation and concomitant cell cycle arrest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raya Saab
- Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon, Department of Pediatrics, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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22
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Abstract
Soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare mesenchymal tumors that arise from muscle, fat and connective tissue. Currently, over 75 subtypes of STS are recognized. The rarity and heterogeneity of patient samples complicate clinical investigations into sarcoma biology. Model organisms might provide traction to our understanding and treatment of the disease. Over the past 10 years, many successful animal models of STS have been developed, primarily genetically engineered mice and zebrafish. These models are useful for studying the relevant oncogenes, signaling pathways and other cell changes involved in generating STSs. Recently, these model systems have become preclinical platforms in which to evaluate new drugs and treatment regimens. Thus, animal models are useful surrogates for understanding STS disease susceptibility and pathogenesis as well as for testing potential therapeutic strategies.
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23
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Boman F, Brel D, Antunes L, Alhamany Z, Floquet J, Boccon-Gibod L. Gene Alterations and Apoptosis in Rhabdomyosarcoma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/15513819709168568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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24
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Charytonowicz E, Cordon-Cardo C, Matushansky I, Ziman M. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma: Is the cell of origin a mesenchymal stem cell? Cancer Lett 2009; 279:126-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2008] [Revised: 09/26/2008] [Accepted: 09/30/2008] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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25
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Jacobs JFM, Coulie PG, Figdor CG, Adema GJ, de Vries IJM, Hoogerbrugge PM. Targets for active immunotherapy against pediatric solid tumors. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2009; 58:831-41. [PMID: 19009292 PMCID: PMC11030767 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-008-0619-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2008] [Accepted: 10/22/2008] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The potential role of antibodies and T lymphocytes in the eradication of cancer has been demonstrated in numerous animal models and clinical trials. In the last decennia new strategies have been developed for the use of tumor-specific T cells and antibodies in cancer therapy. Effective anti-tumor immunotherapy requires the identification of suitable target antigens. The expression of tumor-specific antigens has been extensively studied for most types of adult tumors. Pediatric patients should be excellent candidates for immunotherapy since their immune system is more potent and flexible as compared to that of adults. So far, these patients do not benefit enough from the progresses in cancer immunotherapy, and one of the reasons is the paucity of tumor-specific antigens identified on pediatric tumors. In this review we discuss the current status of cancer immunotherapy in children, focusing on the identification of tumor-specific antigens on pediatric solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F M Jacobs
- Department of Pediatric Hemato-oncology, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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26
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Missiaglia E, Selfe J, Hamdi M, Williamson D, Schaaf G, Fang C, Koster J, Summersgill B, Messahel B, Versteeg R, Pritchard-Jones K, Kool M, Shipley J. Genomic imbalances in rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines affect expression of genes frequently altered in primary tumors: an approach to identify candidate genes involved in tumor development. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2009; 48:455-67. [PMID: 19235922 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.20655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcomas. They resemble developing skeletal muscle and are histologically divided into two main subtypes; alveolar and embryonal RMS. Characteristic genomic aberrations, including the PAX3- and PAX7-FOXO1 fusion genes in alveolar cases, have led to increased understanding of their molecular biology. Here, we determined the effect of genomic copy number on gene expression levels through array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis of 13 RMS cell lines, confirmed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification copy number analyses, combined with their corresponding expression profiles. Genes altered at the transcriptional level by genomic imbalances were identified and the effect on expression was proportional to the level of genomic imbalance. Extrapolating to a public expression profiling dataset for 132 primary RMS identified features common to the cell lines and primary samples and associations with subtypes and fusion gene status. Genes identified such as CDK4 and MYCN are known to be amplified, overexpressed, and involved in RMS tumorigenesis. Of the many genes identified, those with likely functional relevance included CENPF, DTL, MYC, EYA2, and FGFR1. Copy number and expression of FGFR1 was validated in additional primary material and found amplified in 6 out of 196 cases and overexpressed relative to skeletal muscle and myoblasts, with significantly higher expression levels in the embryonal compared with alveolar subtypes. This illustrates the ability to identify genes of potential significance in tumor development through combining genomic and transcriptomic profiles from representative cell lines with publicly available expression profiling data from primary tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Missiaglia
- Molecular Cytogenetics Team, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5NG, UK
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27
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Neale G, Su X, Morton CL, Phelps D, Gorlick R, Lock RB, Reynolds CP, Maris JM, Friedman HS, Dome J, Khoury J, Triche TJ, Seeger RC, Gilbertson R, Khan J, Smith MA, Houghton PJ. Molecular characterization of the pediatric preclinical testing panel. Clin Cancer Res 2008; 14:4572-83. [PMID: 18628472 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-07-5090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Identifying novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of childhood cancers requires preclinical models that recapitulate the molecular characteristics of their respective clinical histotypes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESULTS Here, we have applied Affymetrix HG-U133Plus2 profiling to an expanded panel of models in the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program. Profiling led to exclusion of two tumor lines that were of mouse origin and five osteosarcoma lines that did not cluster with human or xenograft osteosarcoma samples. We compared expression profiles of the remaining 87 models with profiles from 112 clinical samples representing the same histologies and show that model tumors cluster with the appropriate clinical histotype, once "immunosurveillance" genes (contributed by infiltrating immune cells in clinical samples) are eliminated from the analysis. Analysis of copy number alterations using the Affymetrix 100K single nucleotide polymorphism GeneChip showed that the models have similar copy number alterations to their clinical counterparts. Several consistent copy number changes not reported previously were found (e.g., gain at 22q11.21 that was observed in 5 of 7 glioblastoma samples, loss at 16q22.3 that was observed in 5 of 9 Ewing's sarcoma and 4 of 12 rhabdomyosarcoma models, and amplification of 21q22.3 that was observed in 5 of 7 osteosarcoma models). We then asked whether changes in copy number were reflected by coordinate changes in gene expression. We identified 493 copy number-altered genes that are nonrandom and appear to identify histotype-specific programs of genetic alterations. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that the preclinical models accurately recapitulate expression profiles and genetic alterations common to childhood cancer, supporting their value in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Neale
- Hartwell Center of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA
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28
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Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is one of the most common extracranial solid tumours in children. Embryonal and alveolar subtypes of RMS present completely different genetic abnormalities. Embryonal RMS (eRMS) is characterised by loss of heterozygosity on the short arm of chromosome 11 (11p15.5), suggesting inactivation of a tumour-suppressor gene. In contrast, the majority (80-85%) of the alveolar RMS (aRMS) have the reciprocal chromosomal translocations 't(2;13)(q35;q14) or t(1;13)(p36;q14). t(2;13) appears in approximately 70% of patients with the alveolar subtype. The molecular counterpart of this translocation consists of the generation of a chimeric fusion gene involving the /PAX3/ gene located in chromosome 2 and a member of the fork-head family, /FOXO1/ (formerly /FKHR/), located in chromosome 13. A less frequent variant translocation t(1;13) involves another PAX family gene, /PAX7/, located in chromosome 1 and /FOXO1/ and is present in 10-15% of cases of the alveolar subtype in RMS. Recently, many studies focused on cancer have demonstrated the great potential of the genomic approach based on tumour expression profiles. These technologies permit the identification of new regulatory pathways. Molecular detection of minimal disease by a sensitive method could contribute to better treatment stratification in these patients. In RMS, the advances in the knowledge of the biological characteristics of the tumour are slowly translated into the clinical management of children with this tumour.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gallego Melcón
- Servicio de Oncología y Hematología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
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29
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Somers GR, Zielenska M, Abdullah S, Sherman C, Chan S, Thorner PS. Expression of MYCN in pediatric synovial sarcoma. Mod Pathol 2007; 20:734-41. [PMID: 17464317 DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.3800792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Synovial sarcoma accounts for between 6 and 10% of childhood sarcomas and histological diagnosis can be challenging, even for experienced pathologists. Several other tumors enter the differential diagnosis, including malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor and undifferentiated sarcoma. Several recent reports utilizing expression array techniques have documented expression of the MYCN oncogene in synovial sarcoma. In order to more fully investigate this finding, a series of 12 synovial sarcomas and 29 other sarcomas (four malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, 15 Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors, 10 undifferentiated sarcomas) were examined for MYCN expression and gene amplification. By RT-PCR, nine of 12 synovial sarcomas (75%) expressed MYCN. Five synovial sarcomas (42%) expressed MYCN at high levels. Of the other sarcomas, one malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (25%) and five Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (33%) expressed MYCN at low levels, and all other cases were negative for MYCN. None of the synovial sarcomas had genomic amplification, suggesting that high MYCN expression levels resulted from epigenetic phenomena. Examination of selected downstream targets of MYCN in synovial sarcoma revealed expression of MCM7 (minichromosome maintenance protein 7) in all synovial sarcomas, and expression of nestin (n=10; 83%), ID2 (inhibitor of DNA binding protein 2) (n=6; 50%) and MRP1 (multidrug resistance protein 1) (n=1; 8%) in a subset of synovial sarcomas. Expression of downstream targets did not correlate with expression of MYCN. Neither MYCN nor expression of downstream targets significantly correlated with metastases at presentation, progression-free survival or overall survival in this small series. In summary, high levels of MYCN expression was useful for distinguishing synovial sarcoma from other childhood-spindled cell sarcomas with specificity and sensitivity of 100 and 42%, respectively, in this series. The clinical and biological significance of this finding deserves further study.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism
- Child
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, X/genetics
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Female
- Gene Amplification
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- In Situ Hybridization/methods
- Infant
- Inhibitor of Differentiation Protein 2/metabolism
- Male
- Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 7
- Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins/genetics
- N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein
- Nuclear Proteins/genetics
- Nuclear Proteins/metabolism
- Oncogene Proteins/genetics
- Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics
- Prognosis
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sarcoma, Synovial/genetics
- Sarcoma, Synovial/metabolism
- Sarcoma, Synovial/pathology
- Translocation, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Gino R Somers
- Division of Pathology, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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30
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Abstract
The application of cytogenetic and molecular genetic analyses to paediatric sarcomas has identified a number of characteristic changes associated with types and subtypes of sarcomas. This has led to increased understanding of the underlying molecular biology of some sarcomas and provided an important adjunct to standard morphological and immunohistochemical diagnoses. Characteristic genetic abnormalities, particularly specific chromosome translocations and associated fusion genes, have diagnostic and in some cases prognostic value. There is also the potential to detect micrometastastic disease. Fusion genes are most readily detected by fluorescence in situ hybridisation and reverse transcription-PCR technologies. The expression profiles of tumours with specific fusion genes are characteristically similar and the molecular signatures of sarcomas are also proving to be of diagnostic and prognostic value. Furthermore, fusion genes and other emerging molecular events associated with sarcomas represent potential targets for novel therapeutic approaches which are desperately required to improve the outcome of children with certain categories of sarcoma, including rhabdomyosarcomas and the Ewing's family of tumours. Increased understanding of the molecular biology of sarcomas is leading towards more effective treatments which may complement or be less toxic than conventional radiotherapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Here we review paediatric sarcomas that have associated molecular genetic changes which can increase diagnostic and prognostic accuracy and impact on clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Slater
- Paediatric Oncology, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, UK
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31
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Advances in tumor genetics have increasingly linked pediatric neoplasms with disordered mechanisms of normal development, supporting the model of embryonal tumorigenesis. We provide a detailed discussion of two pediatric neural tumors, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma, addressing tumorigenic causality and similarities within a pharmacological context. RECENT FINDINGS Expression profiling, elegant murine models, and chemical blockades of oncogenic signaling pathways have encouraged a new generation of therapeutic approaches for tumor treatment. Recent data have further clarified regulation of neural developmental and factors triggering malignancy. SUMMARY Medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma exemplify the current embryonal tumor model. Sonic hedgehog signaling is required for cerebellar development and its dysregulation is implicated in formation of medulloblastoma. The transcription factor Mycn orchestrates proliferation and differentiation of the developing peripheral neural crest. Amplification of the MYCN gene is the predominant marker for aggressive neuroblastoma, and correlates with poor prognosis. Current evidence suggests that Mycn is also the primary executor of Sonic hedgehog signaling in the cerebellum and that the Sonic hedgehog pathway regulates levels of both MYCN mRNA and Mycn protein product independently. Destabilization of Myc through inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling exhibits promise not only in medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma, but in a wide range of Myc-driven tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Grimmer
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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32
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Taylor AC, Schuster K, McKenzie PP, Harris LC. Differential cooperation of oncogenes with p53 and Bax to induce apoptosis in rhabdomyosarcoma. Mol Cancer 2006; 5:53. [PMID: 17081294 PMCID: PMC1635425 DOI: 10.1186/1476-4598-5-53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2006] [Accepted: 11/02/2006] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Deregulated expression of oncogenes such as MYC and PAX3-FKHR often occurs in rhabdomyosarcomas. MYC can enhance cell proliferation and apoptosis under specific conditions, whereas PAX3-FKHR has only been described as anti-apoptotic. Results In order to evaluate how MYC and PAX3-FKHR oncogenes influenced p53-mediated apoptosis, rhabdomyosarcoma cells were developed to independently express MYC and PAX3-FKHR cDNAs. Exogenous wild-type p53 expression in MYC transfected cells resulted in apoptosis, whereas there was only a slight effect in those transfected with PAX3-FKHR. Both oncoproteins induced BAX, but BAX induction alone without expression of wild-type p53 was insufficient to induce apoptosis. Data generated from genetically modified MEFs suggested that expression of all three proteins; MYC, BAX and p53, was required for maximal cell death to occur. Conclusion We conclude that cooperation between p53 and oncoproteins to induce apoptosis is dependent upon the specific oncoprotein expressed and that oncogene-mediated induction of BAX is necessary but insufficient to enhance p53-mediated apoptosis. These data demonstrate a novel relationship between MYC and p53-dependent apoptosis, independent of the ability of MYC to induce p53 that may be important in transformed cells other than rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan C Taylor
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Mail Stop 230, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis TN 38105, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis MO, USA
| | - Katja Schuster
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Mail Stop 230, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis TN 38105, USA
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT South Western Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA
| | - Pamela P McKenzie
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Mail Stop 230, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis TN 38105, USA
| | - Linda C Harris
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Mail Stop 230, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis TN 38105, USA
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Goldstein M, Meller I, Issakov J, Orr-Urtreger A. Novel genes implicated in embryonal, alveolar, and pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma: a cytogenetic and molecular analysis of primary tumors. Neoplasia 2006; 8:332-43. [PMID: 16790082 PMCID: PMC1592451 DOI: 10.1593/neo.05829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma, likely results from deregulation of the skeletal myogenesis program. Although associations between PAX3, PAX7, FOXO1A, and RMS tumorigenesis are well recognized, the entire spectrum of genetic factors underlying RMS development and progression is unclear. Using a combined approach of spectral karyotyping, array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and expression analysis, we examined 10 primary RMS tumors, including embryonal, alveolar, and the rare adult pleomorphic variant, to explore the involvement of different genes and genetic pathways in RMS tumorigenesis. A complete karyotype established for each tumor revealed a high aneuploidy level, mostly tetraploidy, with double minutes and additional structural aberrations. Quantitative expression analysis detected the overexpression of the AURKA gene in all tumors tested, suggesting a role for this mitotic regulator in the aneuploidy and chromosomal instability observed in RMS. Array-based CGH analysis in primary RMS tumors detected copy number changes of genes involved in multiple genetic pathways, including transcription factors such as MYC-related gene from lung cancer and the cytoskeleton and cell adhesion-encoding genes laminin gamma-2 and p21-activated kinase-1. Our data suggest the involvement of genes encoding cell adhesion, cytoskeletal signaling, and transcriptional and cell cycle components in RMS tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Goldstein
- Genetic Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Isaac Meller
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- The National Unit of Orthopedic Oncology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Josephine Issakov
- Pathology Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Avi Orr-Urtreger
- Genetic Institute, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Abstract
Myc expression is deregulated in a wide range of human cancers and is often associated with aggressive, poorly differentiated tumors. The Myc protein is a transcription factor that regulates a variety of cellular processes including cell growth and proliferation, cell-cycle progression, transcription, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell motility. Potential strategies that either inhibit the growth promoting effect of Myc and/or activate its pro-apoptotic function are presently being explored. In this review, we give an overview of Myc activation in human tumors and discuss current strategies aimed at targeting Myc for cancer treatment. Such therapies could have potential in combination with mechanistically different cytotoxic drugs to combat and eradicate tumors cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Vita
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Thorner PS, Ho M, Chilton-MacNeill S, Zielenska M. Use of Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization to Identify MYCN Gene Copy Number in Neuroblastoma Using Routine Tissue Sections. Am J Surg Pathol 2006; 30:635-42. [PMID: 16699319 DOI: 10.1097/01.pas.0000202163.82525.5c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Amplification of MYCN in neuroblastoma is associated with a poor prognosis. However, methods for estimating the number of MYCN genes based on pooled cells do not address copy number heterogeneity at the cell level and can underestimate or even miss amplification. MYCN copy number can be directly assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, but evaluation of tissue histology is next to impossible. We have used a chromogenic method for in situ hybridization (CISH) that enables determination of MYCN copy number using routine light microscopy on routinely processed paraffin sections. Of 41 cases studied, CISH identified 100% of the 18 cases that were determined to be amplified by other techniques and was more sensitive than Southern blotting or quantitative DNA polymerase chain reaction. Because the technique evaluates individual tumor cells, heterogeneity of MYCN copy number was apparent from cell to cell. When defined as 50% or greater variation in copy number between cells in amplified tumors, almost 30% of cases were scored as heterogeneous. Heterogeneity reflects different tumor clones and its role has likely been under-recognized and underestimated in neuroblastoma biology. CISH will provide a valuable tool to assess this phenomenon in conjunction with other morphologic parameters in neuroblastoma specimens, to further our understanding of the biology of this childhood tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Thorner
- Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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36
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Blandford MC, Barr FG, Lynch JC, Randall RL, Qualman SJ, Keller C. Rhabdomyosarcomas utilize developmental, myogenic growth factors for disease advantage: a report from the Children's Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006; 46:329-38. [PMID: 16261596 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.20466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unresectable or metastatic disease represents the greatest obstacle to cure for children with rhabdomyosarcoma. In this study we sought to identify gene expression signatures of advanced stage and progressive disease. PROCEDURE Using oligonucleotide gene expression analysis for a focused set of 60 genes, we analyzed the myogenic expression profiles of 89 rhabdomyosarcomas from the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study-IV. RESULTS While the expression profile of rhabdomyosarcomas closely paralleled gene expression profiles of normal embryonic myogenic progenitors, growth factors were most closely associated with disease progression. Specifically, we identified platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors and insulin-like growth factor as strongly correlated with decreased failure-free survival. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of an independent data set suggested that autocrine growth signaling, if present, is not regulated in a simple manner at the transcriptional level. CONCLUSIONS Increased transcriptional levels of PDGF receptors and insulin-like growth factor are associated with decreased survival in rhabdomyosarcomas. Dual blockade of these growth-factor-signaling pathways may be a valuable strategy in preclinical therapeutic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Blandford
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
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37
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Morgenstern DA, Anderson J. MYCN deregulation as a potential target for novel therapies in rhabdomyosarcoma. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2006; 6:217-24. [PMID: 16445374 DOI: 10.1586/14737140.6.2.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma of childhood. Treatment requires a multimodality approach combining chemotherapy with surgery and radiotherapy. Although overall outcomes have improved considerably, the outlook for patients with high-risk disease, particularly the alveolar subtype, remains bleak and there is a clear need for new chemotherapeutic strategies. This review focuses on the possibilities for interventions targeting myc myelocytomatosis viral related oncogene, neuroblastoma derived (MYCN). The importance of aberrant expression of this oncogene is well established in neuroblastoma and recent data indicate that MYCN deregulation also occurs in up to a quarter of alveolar subtype cases. A range of possible approaches to target MYCN is discussed, including nucleic acid-based and immunotherapy strategies.
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38
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Williamson D, Lu YJ, Gordon T, Sciot R, Kelsey A, Fisher C, Poremba C, Anderson J, Pritchard-Jones K, Shipley J. Relationship between MYCN copy number and expression in rhabdomyosarcomas and correlation with adverse prognosis in the alveolar subtype. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23:880-8. [PMID: 15681534 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2005.11.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Amplification of the transcription factor MYCN is an important molecular diagnostic tool in stratifying treatment for neuroblastoma. Increased copy number and overexpression of MYCN in the pediatric cancer rhabdomyosarcoma has been described in a number of small studies with conflicting conclusions about its association with clinicopathologic characteristics. We aimed to study the phenomenon in the largest series to date. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we measured MYCN copy number and expression levels in rhabdomyosarcoma samples from 113 and 92 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, respectively. RESULTS Increased copy number of MYCN was found to be a feature of both the embryonal and alveolar subtypes. The copy number and expression levels were significantly greater in the alveolar subtype, although the range of expression in both subtypes spanned several orders of magnitude. MYCN copy number showed a significant correlation with expression in the alveolar subtype; this relationship between copy number and expression could be modeled as a logarithmic function. It is notable that relatively high expression frequently occurred in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma without high copy number and that low expression was found in some cases with high copy number. In patients with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, overexpression (greater than median) or gain of genomic copies of MYCN were significantly associated with adverse outcome. CONCLUSION MYCN deregulation is a feature of rhabdomyosarcoma tumorigenesis, defines groups of patients with a poor prognosis, and is a potential target for novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Williamson
- Molecular Cytogenetics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
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39
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Abstract
The transcription factor and proto-oncogene MYCN is reviewed as a potential specific target for cancer therapy. Amplification of MYCN is frequently found in a number of advanced-stage tumours, including neuroblastoma (25%), small cell lung cancers (7%), alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and retinoblastoma. It is associated with rapid tumour progression and poor outcome in human neuroblastoma. MYCN is a member of the myc family of proto-oncogenes which encode nuclear proteins that form heterodimers with MAX protein through their conserved HLHZip domains. The MYC/MAX complexes transactivate a number of MYC-target genes in a sequence-specific manner. MYC-MAX interaction is essential for MYC-induced cell cycle progression, cellular transformation, and transcriptional activation. A causal link between the transformed phenotype and MYCN has been established by a range of in vitro and in vivo studies, including a transgenic model of neuroblastoma in which MYCN overexpression is targeted to neuronal tissue by the use of a tyrosine hydroxylase promoter. Downregulation of MYCN expression either by antisense treatment targeted against MYCN mRNA or by retinoids has been shown to decrease proliferation and/or induce neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. Inhibition of MYC-MAX dimerisation by small-molecule antagonists has recently been shown to interfere with MYC-induced transformation of chick embryo fibroblasts, indicating that functional inhibitors of the MYC family of oncoproteins have potential as therapeutic agents. Finally, we describe the development and validation of a functional MYCN reporter gene assay using neuroblastoma cells (NGP) which have been stably transfected with a luciferase gene construct under control of the ornithine decarboxylase gene promoter. This assay has been used for a pilot screen of 2800 compounds from the Cancer Research-UK collection, identifying five compounds showing a consistent significant reduction of MYCN-dependent luciferase activity (>50%) in repeated screens. This cell-based, MYCN reporter gene assay will be scaled up for high throughput screens of compound libraries and will aid in the future development of specific therapeutic strategies in neuroblastoma and other tumours in which MYCN amplification has been implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohong Lu
- Cancer Research Unit, Northern Institute for Cancer Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Framlington Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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40
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Hong B, Chen Z, Coffin CM, Lemons R, Issa B, Brothman A, Zhou H. Molecular cytogenetic analysis of a pleuropulmonary blastoma. CANCER GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS 2003; 142:65-9. [PMID: 12660036 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(02)00731-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
We report a case of pleuropulmonary blastoma with complex cytogenetic abnormalities, including trisomy 2, trisomy 8, dup(7), der(10) t(8; 10)(q13; q22), add(17), and double minutes (dmin). Fluorescence in situ hybridization FISH analysis demonstrated TP53 deletion and amplification of MYCN; the latter has not been reported in PPB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hong
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, University of Utah School of Medicine, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
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41
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Moritake H, Kamimura S, Akiyoshi K, Nagatoshi Y, Chuman H, Okamura J. Prognostic significance of elevated lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. MEDICAL AND PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY 2003; 40:187-8. [PMID: 12518348 DOI: 10.1002/mpo.10115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Moritake
- Section of Pediatrics, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan
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42
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Moretti A, Borriello A, Monno F, Criscuolo M, Rosolen A, Esposito G, Dello Iacovo R, Della Ragione F, Iolascon A. Cell division cycle control in embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas. Eur J Cancer 2002; 38:2290-9. [PMID: 12441266 DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(02)00454-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the mRNA level of several genes involved in cell cycle regulation in alveolar (ARMS) and embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas (ERMS). p21(Cip1), Cyclin D1, Cyclin D2, Cyclin D3, CDK2, and CDK4 were evaluated by RT-PCR. All (13 out of 13) ERMS expressed the p21(Cip1) gene compared with only 40% (4 out of 10) of the ARMS. Moreover, the amount of p21(Cip1) mRNA was noticeably higher in the ERMS samples than in the positive ARMS specimens. p27(Kip1) protein were analysed by immunohistochemical and immunoblotting. A noticeable difference was observed, in that ERMS had higher amounts of the cell cycle inhibitor compared with the ARMS. Finally, treatment of two rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines, RH-30 and RD, with butyrate, resulted in complete growth inhibition and in the upregulation of the p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1) levels. Our results demonstrate that ERMS have a much higher level of p27(Kip1) and p21(Cip1) than the alveolar types, explaining, at least in part, the distinct features and outcomes (i.e. a poor prognosis of the alveolar type) of the two forms of this childhood solid cancer. Moreover, the data on butyrate-treated cell lines suggest that the two genes are potential novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of rhabdomyosarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Moretti
- Department of Evolutive Age, University of Bari, Italy
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43
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Toffolatti L, Frascella E, Ninfo V, Gambini C, Forni M, Carli M, Rosolen A. MYCN expression in human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines and tumour samples. J Pathol 2002; 196:450-8. [PMID: 11920742 DOI: 10.1002/path.1068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The MYCN oncogene encodes a phosphoprotein that acts as a transcription factor and is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in normal as well as in cancer cells.MYCN amplification and expression have been reported in various tumours, including neuroblastoma and lung cancer, but little is known about its expression in human rhabdomyosarcoma. MYCN expression and amplification were studied in five alveolar and five embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines and in 19 tumour biopsies. All the cell lines studied expressed MYCN RNA, as demonstrated by northern blot analysis and RT-PCR, but the oncogene was amplified in only one. Similarly, MYCN protein was detected in all cell lines by western blot analysis, with higher levels of expression in alveolar than in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cells. RT-PCR analysis of tumour samples demonstrated 18/19 cases positive for MYCN RNA. Although MYCN expression was higher in alveolar than in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines, no clear relationship between histology and level of MYCN expression could be established in this tumour series. These data suggest that MYCN expression is a common feature of rhabdomyosarcoma, independent of gene amplification and without a clear relationship with specific histological and clinical features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Toffolatti
- Clinica di Oncoematologia Pediatrica, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
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Helou K, Walentinsson A, Hedrich HJ, Szpirer C, Levan G. Amplification of Mycn, Ddx1, Rrm2, and Odc1 in rat uterine endometrial carcinomas. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2001; 31:345-56. [PMID: 11433525 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The BDII rat is genetically predisposed to estrogen-dependent endometrial adenocarcinoma and represents a valuable model for this type of tumor. Tumors arising in strain crosses involving the BDII rats had previously been screened for DNA copy number changes using comparative genome hybridization (CGH). It was found that extra copies of the proximal region of rat chromosome (RNO) 6 commonly could be detected in these tumors. Based on RH-mapping data and comparative mapping with mouse and human, seven cancer-related genes were predicted to be situated in RNO6q14-q16. Rat PACs were isolated for the N-myc proto-oncogene (Mycn), apolipoprotein B (Apob), the DEAD box gene 1 (Ddx1), ornithine decarboxylase 1 (Odc1), proopiomelanocortin (Pomc1), ribonucleotide reductase, M2 polypeptide (Rrm2), and syndecan 1 (Sdc1). The localization of the genes to the region was verified by FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) mapping, and the detailed order among them was determined by dual-color FISH. By Southern blot analysis, it was found that the Mycn locus was highly amplified in two out of 10 cell cultures derived from the tumors. In one of them (designated RUT30), the amplification level of Mycn was estimated at 140x. Two other genes were coamplified (Ddx1 and Rrm2) at much lower levels. Similarly, in another culture (designated RUT2), Mycn was amplified more than 40x, whereas three of the other genes (Ddx1, Rrm2, and Odc1) were coamplified at lower levels. Using FISH on metaphase chromosomes from the cell cultures analyzed, the amplified sequences were shown to be located in typical HSRs. With competitive RT-PCR, distinct overexpression of Mycn and Ddx1 could be demonstrated in both RUT2 and RUT30. In addition, Mycn was overexpressed in two other tumors not exhibiting Mycn amplification. Taken together, our results suggest that overexpression of Mycn plays an important role in the development of endometrial cancer in the BDII rat. In humans, Mycn amplification has been reported mainly from tumors of neuronal origin. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Mycn amplification and overexpression in hormone-dependent tumors.
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45
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Gordon T, McManus A, Anderson J, Min T, Swansbury J, Pritchard-Jones K, Shipley J. Cytogenetic abnormalities in 42 rhabdomyosarcoma: a United Kingdom Cancer Cytogenetics Group Study. MEDICAL AND PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY 2001; 36:259-67. [PMID: 11452933 DOI: 10.1002/1096-911x(20010201)36:2<259::aid-mpo1063>3.0.co;2-k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhabdomyosarcomas are the most common type of pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. The cytogenetic literature on RMS is biased towards the less common alveolar subtype (ARMS), which is frequently associated with specific translocations and the PAX3/7-FKHR fusion genes. Relatively few karyotypes are reported for the embryonal subtype (ERMS). The aim of this study was to further cytogenetic knowledge of RMS subtypes. PROCEDURE Representative examples of all karyotypes from UKCCG; member laboratories were reexamined and their histopathologies reviewed through the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study (Group) (UKCCSG). Molecular evidence for the PAX3/7-FKHR fusion genes was available for five ERMS and seven ARMS cases and compiled with the karyotypes. RESULTS Clonal chro mosome aberrations were characterized for 25 ERMS and 17 ARMS cases. Thirty-six percent of the ERMS cases involved translocation breakpoints in the 1p11-q11 region. Ten of the seventeen cases of ARMS showed cytogenetic evidence for the t(2;13)(q35;q14), consistent with molecular data available from four of these. Two further ARMS cases revealed a PAX3-FKHR and a variant PAX7-FKHR fusion gene product that were not detected cytogenetically. CONCLUSIONS Many of the karyotypes from both subtypes were complex. The frequent involvement of the 1p11-1q11 region and gain of chromosomes 2, 8, 12, and 13 in ERMS may be functionally significant. There was no evidence for involvement of the PAX3/7-FKHR genes in ERMS, and cryptic involvement was found in some ARMS. There were no consistent chromosomal rearrangements associated with apparently translocation negative ARMS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Gordon
- Section of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
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Smith A, Sharma P, Tomlinson J, Robson L, Goldrick A. Solid variant of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma with unbalanced t(2;13) and hypotetraploidy, without MYCN amplification. Pathology 2001. [DOI: 10.1080/00313020123030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Frascella E, Lenzini E, Schafer BW, Brecevic L, Dorigo E, Toffolatti L, Nanni P, De Giovanni C, Rosolen A. Concomitant amplification and expression of PAX7-FKHR and MYCN in a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line carrying a cryptic t(1;13)(p36;q14). CANCER GENETICS AND CYTOGENETICS 2000; 121:139-45. [PMID: 11063797 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-4608(00)00258-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is associated with the specific chromosomal translocation (2;13)(q35;q14) or its rarer variant t(1;13)(p36;q14), which produces the fusion gene PAX7-FKHR. Here we describe the human cell line RC2, derived from an ARMS, which harbors a cryptic t(1;13)(p36;q14) and concomitantly shows amplification of the PAX7-FKHR fusion gene and of the MYCN oncogene. The t(1;13) and MYCN oncogene were studied by standard cytogenetic analysis and molecular techniques. The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrated the expression of PAX7-FKHR mRNA in RC2 cells, although karyotype analysis failed to demonstrate a t(1;13)(p36;q14) chromosomal translocation or a derivative 13 chromosome. Double minute chromosomes were detected in all the metaphases studied. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed multiple copies of the PAX7-FKHR fusion gene localized exclusively on a subset of double minutes, whereas multiple copies of MYCN were identified on other double minute chromosomes. Southern-blot analysis demonstrated that RC2 cells contain approximately 20 copies of the MYCN oncogene. So far no continuous RMS cell line carrying the t(1;13)(p36;q14) has been described, and PAX7-FKHR and MYCN amplifications have always been reported to occur separately in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The availability of an ARMS cell line that harbors the t(1;13)(p36;q14) constitutes a useful tool for further understanding the role of the PAX7-FKHR fusion gene in RMS oncogenesis and may improve knowledge of the possible relation between PAX7-FKHR and MYCN amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Frascella
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Abstract
Dramatic improvements have occurred in the treatment and prognosis of the child with rhabdomyosarcoma over the past 2 decades. Increased understanding of tumor behavior has improved survival and focused attention on important quality of life issues. Future therapeutic advances will depend largely on an improved molecular understanding of altered cell behavior and the continued efforts of multi-institutional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kaefer
- Department of Pediatric Urology, James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, USA
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Gordon AT, Brinkschmidt C, Anderson J, Coleman N, Dockhorn-Dworniczak B, Pritchard-Jones K, Shipley J. A novel and consistent amplicon at 13q31 associated with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2000. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(200006)28:2<220::aid-gcc11>3.0.co;2-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Steenman M, Westerveld A, Mannens M. Genetics of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome-associated tumors: common genetic pathways. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2000; 28:1-13. [PMID: 10738297 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2264(200005)28:1<1::aid-gcc1>3.0.co;2-#] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
A specific subset of solid childhood tumors-Wilms' tumor, adrenocortical carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and hepatoblastoma-is characterized by its association with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Genetic abnormalities found in these tumors affect the same chromosome region (11p15), which has been implicated in the etiology of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. This suggests that the development of these tumors occurs along a common genetic pathway involving chromosome 11. To search for additional common genetic pathways, this article reviews the genetic data published for these tumors. It was found that, up until now, the only genetic abnormalities detected in all four tumors affect chromosome band 11p15 and the TP53 gene. In addition, there are several aberrations that occur in two or three of the neoplasms. It is concluded that, of the four tumors, the genetic relationship is most evident between Wilms' tumor and rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Steenman
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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