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Ginzel JD, Chapman H, Sills JE, Allen EJ, Barak LS, Cardiff RD, Borowsky AD, Lyerly HK, Rogers BW, Snyder JC. Nonlinear progression across the occult transition establishes cancer lethality. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.23.590826. [PMID: 38712192 PMCID: PMC11071403 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.23.590826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Cancer screening is based upon a linear model of growth and invasion. Yet, early dissemination during the lengthy pre-diagnostic phase suggests that nonlinearity in growth can also occur. Therefore, we quantitatively traced the invisible and visible phases of tumorigenesis in the mammary gland for more than two-thousand tumors. Dynamic mathematical models of the invisible phase revealed an occult checkpoint resulting in nonlinear progression of transformed field cells. We found that expansile fields have increased dwell time at the occult checkpoint resulting in a large reservoir of image detectable precursors prior to invasion. In contrast, slowly proliferating lesions disseminate early and then transition rapidly through an occult checkpoint in a process we term nascent lethality. Our data illustrate how nonlinear growth across an occult checkpoint can account for a paradoxical increase in early-stage cancer detection without a dramatic reduction in metastatic burden. Highlights Growth during the invisible phase of tumorigenesis is a nonlinear processField size and field growth rate are uncoupled from metastatic potentialOccult transition rates vary by genotypeNascent lethal lesions are currently undetectable.
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Chatsirisupachai K, de Magalhães JP. Somatic mutations in human ageing: New insights from DNA sequencing and inherited mutations. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 96:102268. [PMID: 38490496 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of somatic mutations is a driver of cancer and has long been associated with ageing. Due to limitations in quantifying mutation burden with age in non-cancerous tissues, the impact of somatic mutations in other ageing phenotypes is unclear. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies have allowed the large-scale quantification of somatic mutations in ageing tissues. These studies have revealed a gradual accumulation of mutations in normal tissues with age as well as a substantial clonal expansion driven mostly by cancer-related mutations. Nevertheless, it is difficult to envision how the burden and stochastic nature of age-related somatic mutations identified so far can explain most ageing phenotypes that develop gradually. Studies across species have also found that longer-lived species have lower somatic mutation rates, though these could be due to selective pressures acting on other phenotypes such as perhaps cancer. Recent studies in patients with higher somatic mutation burden and no signs of accelerated ageing further question the role of somatic mutations in ageing. Overall, with a few exceptions like cancer, recent DNA sequencing studies and inherited mutations do not support the idea that somatic mutations accumulating with age drive ageing phenotypes, and the phenotypic role, if any, of somatic mutations in ageing remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasit Chatsirisupachai
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK; European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK; Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, UK.
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Mistry JJ, Young KA, Colom Díaz PA, Maestre IF, Levine RL, Trowbridge JJ. Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Senescence Induced by Dnmt3a -Mutant Hematopoietic Cells is a Targetable Mechanism Driving Clonal Hematopoiesis and Initiation of Hematologic Malignancy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.28.587254. [PMID: 38585779 PMCID: PMC10996614 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.28.587254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) can predispose to blood cancers due to enhanced fitness of mutant hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), but the mechanisms driving this progression are not understood. We hypothesized that malignant progression is related to microenvironment-remodelling properties of CH-mutant HSPCs. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of the bone marrow microenvironment in Dnmt3a R878H/+ mice revealed signatures of cellular senescence in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Dnmt3a R878H/+ HSPCs caused MSCs to upregulate the senescence markers SA-β-gal, BCL-2, BCL-xL, Cdkn1a (p21) and Cdkn2a (p16), ex vivo and in vivo . This effect was cell contact-independent and can be replicated by IL-6 or TNFα, which are produced by Dnmt3a R878H/+ HSPCs. Depletion of senescent MSCs in vivo reduced the fitness of Dnmt3a R878H/+ hematopoietic cells and the progression of CH to myeloid neoplasms using a sequentially inducible Dnmt3a ; Npm1 -mutant model. Thus, Dnmt3a -mutant HSPCs reprogram their microenvironment via senescence induction, creating a self-reinforcing niche favoring fitness and malignant progression. Statement of Significance Mesenchymal stromal cell senescence induced by Dnmt3a -mutant hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells drives clonal hematopoiesis and initiation of hematologic malignancy.
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Ohno M, Takano N, Hidaka K, Sasaki F, Yamauchi K, Aoki Y, Nohmi T, Nakabeppu Y, Nakatsu Y, Tsuzuki T. Oxidative stress accelerates intestinal tumorigenesis by enhancing 8-oxoguanine-mediated mutagenesis in MUTYH-deficient mice. Genome Res 2024; 34:47-56. [PMID: 38290979 PMCID: PMC10904009 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278326.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and its repair systems are related to cancer etiology; however, the molecular basis triggering tumorigenesis is not well understood. Here, we aimed to explore the causal relationship between oxidative stress, somatic mutations in pre-tumor-initiated normal tissues, and tumor incidence in the small intestines of MUTYH-proficient and MUTYH-deficient mice. MUTYH is a base excision repair enzyme associated with human colorectal cancer. Mice were administered different concentrations of potassium bromate (KBrO3; an oxidizing agent)-containing water for 4 wk for mutagenesis studies or 16 wk for tumorigenesis studies. All Mutyh -/- mice treated with >0.1% KBrO3 developed multiple tumors, and the average tumor number increased dose dependently. Somatic mutation analysis of Mutyh -/-/rpsL transgenic mice revealed that G:C > T:A transversion was the only mutation type correlated positively with KBrO3 dose and tumor incidence. These mutations preferentially occurred at 5'G in GG and GAA sequences in rpsL This characteristic mutation pattern was also observed in the genomic region of Mutyh -/- tumors using whole-exome sequencing. It closely corresponded to signature 18 and SBS36, typically caused by 8-oxo-guanine (8-oxoG). 8-oxoG-induced mutations were sequence context dependent, yielding a biased amino acid change leading to missense and stop-gain mutations. These mutations frequently occurred in critical amino acid codons of known cancer drivers, Apc or Ctnnb1, known for activating Wnt signal pathway. Our results indicate that oxidative stress contributes to increased tumor incidence by elevating the likelihood of gaining driver mutations by increasing 8-oxoG-mediated mutagenesis, particularly under MUTYH-deficient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Ohno
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan;
| | - Noriko Takano
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kyoko Hidaka
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Center for Fundamental Education, The University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 802-8577, Japan
| | - Fumiko Sasaki
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kazumi Yamauchi
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Department of Radiobiology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Kamikita, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| | - Yasunobu Aoki
- Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Takehiko Nohmi
- Division of Genetics and Mutagenesis, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
| | - Yusaku Nakabeppu
- Division of Neurofunctional Genomics, Department of Immunobiology and Neuroscience, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, San Francisco Office, Berkeley, California 94704, USA
| | - Yoshimichi Nakatsu
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Teruhisa Tsuzuki
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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de Andrade KC, Strande NT, Kim J, Haley JS, Hatton JN, Frone MN, Khincha PP, Thone GM, Mirshahi UL, Schneider C, Desai H, Dove JT, Smelser DT, Levine AJ, Maxwell KN, Stewart DR, Carey DJ, Savage SA. Genome-first approach of the prevalence and cancer phenotypes of pathogenic or likely pathogenic germline TP53 variants. HGG ADVANCES 2024; 5:100242. [PMID: 37777824 PMCID: PMC10589747 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline TP53 variants are the primary cause of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a hereditary cancer predisposition disorder characterized by early-onset cancers. The population prevalence of P/LP germline TP53 variants is estimated to be approximately one in every 3,500 to 20,000 individuals. However, these estimates are likely impacted by ascertainment biases and lack of clinical and genetic data to account for potential confounding factors, such as clonal hematopoiesis. Genome-first approaches of cohorts linked to phenotype data can further refine these estimates by identifying individuals with variants of interest and then assessing their phenotypes. This study evaluated P/LP germline (variant allele fraction ≥30%) TP53 variants in three cohorts: UK Biobank (UKB, n = 200,590), Geisinger (n = 170,503), and Penn Medicine Biobank (PMBB, n = 43,731). A total of 109 individuals were identified with P/LP germline TP53 variants across the three databases. The TP53 p.R181H variant was the most frequently identified (9 of 109 individuals, 8%). A total of 110 cancers, including 47 hematologic cancers (47 of 110, 43%), were reported in 71 individuals. The prevalence of P/LP germline TP53 variants was conservatively estimated as 1:10,439 in UKB, 1:3,790 in Geisinger, and 1:2,983 in PMBB. These estimates were calculated after excluding related individuals and accounting for the potential impact of clonal hematopoiesis by excluding heterozygotes who ever developed a hematologic cancer. These varying estimates likely reflect intrinsic selection biases of each database, such as healthcare or population-based contexts. Prospective studies of diverse, young cohorts are required to better understand the population prevalence of germline TP53 variants and their associated cancer penetrance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin C de Andrade
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Natasha T Strande
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Jung Kim
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeremy S Haley
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Jessica N Hatton
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Megan N Frone
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Payal P Khincha
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gretchen M Thone
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Uyenlinh L Mirshahi
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Cynthia Schneider
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heena Desai
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James T Dove
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Diane T Smelser
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Arnold J Levine
- Simons Center for Systems Biology, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Kara N Maxwell
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Douglas R Stewart
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David J Carey
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger Clinic, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Sharon A Savage
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Grody EI, Abraham A, Shukla V, Goyal Y. Toward a systems-level probing of tumor clonality. iScience 2023; 26:106574. [PMID: 37192968 PMCID: PMC10182304 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer has been described as a genetic disease that clonally evolves in the face of selective pressures imposed by cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Although classical models based on genetic data predominantly propose Darwinian mechanisms of cancer evolution, recent single-cell profiling of cancers has described unprecedented heterogeneity in tumors providing support for alternative models of branched and neutral evolution through both genetic and non-genetic mechanisms. Emerging evidence points to a complex interplay between genetic, non-genetic, and extrinsic environmental factors in shaping the evolution of tumors. In this perspective, we briefly discuss the role of cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors that shape clonal behaviors during tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. Taking examples of pre-malignant states associated with hematological malignancies and esophageal cancer, we discuss recent paradigms of tumor evolution and prospective approaches to further enhance our understanding of this spatiotemporally regulated process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuelle I. Grody
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ajay Abraham
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Vipul Shukla
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Corresponding author
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7
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Weeden CE, Hill W, Lim EL, Grönroos E, Swanton C. Impact of risk factors on early cancer evolution. Cell 2023; 186:1541-1563. [PMID: 37059064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent identification of oncogenic cells within healthy tissues and the prevalence of indolent cancers found incidentally at autopsies reveal a greater complexity in tumor initiation than previously appreciated. The human body contains roughly 40 trillion cells of 200 different types that are organized within a complex three-dimensional matrix, necessitating exquisite mechanisms to restrain aberrant outgrowth of malignant cells that have the capacity to kill the host. Understanding how this defense is overcome to trigger tumorigenesis and why cancer is so extraordinarily rare at the cellular level is vital to future prevention therapies. In this review, we discuss how early initiated cells are protected from further tumorigenesis and the non-mutagenic pathways by which cancer risk factors promote tumor growth. By nature, the absence of permanent genomic alterations potentially renders these tumor-promoting mechanisms clinically targetable. Finally, we consider existing strategies for early cancer interception with perspectives on the next steps for molecular cancer prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare E Weeden
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - William Hill
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Emilia L Lim
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Center of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Eva Grönroos
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Center of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
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8
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Abubakar SD, Takaki M, Haeno H. Computational modeling of locoregional recurrence with spatial structure identifies tissue-specific carcinogenic profiles. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1116210. [PMID: 37091178 PMCID: PMC10117647 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1116210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionLocal and regional recurrence after surgical intervention is a significant problem in cancer management. The multistage theory of carcinogenesis precisely places the presence of histologically normal but mutated premalignant lesions surrounding the tumor - field cancerization, as a significant cause of cancer recurrence. The relationship between tissue dynamics, cancer initiation and cancer recurrence in multistage carcinogenesis is not well known.MethodsThis study constructs a computational model for cancer initiation and recurrence by combining the Moran and branching processes in which cells requires 3 or more mutations to become malignant. In addition, a spatial structure-setting is included in the model to account for positional relativity in cell turnover towards malignant transformation. The model consists of a population of normal cells with no mutation; several populations of premalignant cells with varying number of mutations and a population of malignant cells. The model computes a stage of cancer detection and surgery to eliminate malignant cells but spares premalignant cells and then estimates the time for malignant cells to re-emerge.ResultsWe report the cellular conditions that give rise to different patterns of cancer initiation and the conditions favoring a shorter cancer recurrence by analyzing premalignant cell types at the time of surgery. In addition, the model is fitted to disease-free clinical data of 8,957 patients in 27 different cancer types; From this fitting, we estimate the turnover rate per month, relative fitness of premalignant cells, growth rate and death rate of cancer cells in each cancer type.DiscussionOur study provides insights into how to identify patients who are likely to have a shorter recurrence and where to target the therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mitsuaki Takaki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Haeno
- Research Institute for Biomedical Science, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
- *Correspondence: Hiroshi Haeno,
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Xu Y, Cai J, Zhong K, Wen Y, Cai L, He G, Liao H, Zhang C, Fu S, Chen T, Cai J, Zhong X, Chen C, Huang M, Cheng Y, Pan M. Plasma-only circulating tumor DNA analysis detects minimal residual disease and predicts early relapse in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing curative resection. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1119744. [PMID: 36959801 PMCID: PMC10028131 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1119744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Minimal residual disease (MRD) is considered an essential factor leading to relapse within 2 years (early relapse) after radical surgery, which is challenging to be detected by conventional imaging. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) provides a novel approach for detecting MRD and predicting clinical outcomes. Here, we tried to construct a fixed panel for plasma-only ctDNA NGS to enable tumor-uninformed MRD detection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Here, we performed the followings: (i) profiling genomic alteration spectrum of ctDNA from the Chinese HCC cohort consisting of 493 individuals by NGS; (ii) screening of MRD monitoring genes; and (iii) performance evaluation of MRD monitoring genes in predicting early relapse in the ZJZS2020 cohort comprising 20 HCC patients who underwent curative resection. Results A total of 493 plasma samples from the Chinese HCC cohort were detected using a 381/733-gene NGS panel to characterize the mutational spectrum of ctDNA. Most patients (94.1%, 464/493) had at least one mutation in ctDNA. The variants fell most frequently in TP53 (45.1%), LRP1B (20.2%), TERT (20.2%), FAT1 (16.2%), and CTNNB1 (13.4%). By customized filtering strategy, 13 MRD monitoring genes were identified, and any plasma sample with one or more MRD monitoring gene mutations was considered MRD-positive. In the ZJZS2020 cohort, MRD positivity presented a sensitivity of 75% (6/8) and a specificity of 100% (6/6) in identifying early postoperative relapse. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly short relapse-free survival (RFS; median RFS, 4.2 months vs. NR, P=0.002) in the MRD-positive patients versus those with MRD negativity. Cox regression analyses revealed MRD positivity as an independent predictor of poor RFS (HR 13.00, 95% CI 2.60-69.00, P=0.002). Conclusions We successfully developed a 13-gene panel for plasma-only MRD detection, which was effective and convenient for predicting the risk of early postoperative relapse in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyan Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianpeng Cai
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaihang Zhong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaohong Wen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Cai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guolin He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hangyu Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunjun Fu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Chen
- Medical Affairs, 3D Medicines, Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Jinping Cai
- Medical Affairs, 3D Medicines, Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Xuefeng Zhong
- Medical Affairs, 3D Medicines, Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Chunzhu Chen
- Medical Affairs, 3D Medicines, Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Mengli Huang
- Medical Affairs, 3D Medicines, Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Cheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Mingxin Pan, ; Yuan Cheng,
| | - Mingxin Pan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, General Surgery Center, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Mingxin Pan, ; Yuan Cheng,
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10
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Marongiu F, DeGregori J. The sculpting of somatic mutational landscapes by evolutionary forces and their impacts on aging-related disease. Mol Oncol 2022; 16:3238-3258. [PMID: 35726685 PMCID: PMC9490148 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging represents the major risk factor for the development of cancer and many other diseases. Recent findings show that normal tissues become riddled with expanded clones that are frequently driven by cancer‐associated mutations in an aging‐dependent fashion. Additional studies show how aged tissue microenvironments promote the initiation and progression of malignancies, while young healthy tissues actively suppress the outgrowth of malignant clones. Here, we discuss conserved mechanisms that eliminate poorly functioning or potentially malignant cells from our tissues to maintain organismal health and fitness. Natural selection acts to preserve tissue function and prevent disease to maximize reproductive success but these mechanisms wane as reproduction becomes less likely. The ensuing age‐dependent tissue decline can impact the shape and direction of clonal somatic evolution, with lifestyle and exposures influencing its pace and intensity. We also consider how aging‐ and exposure‐dependent clonal expansions of “oncogenic” mutations might both increase cancer risk late in life and contribute to tissue decline and non‐malignant disease. Still, we can marvel at the ability of our bodies to avoid cancers and other diseases despite the accumulation of billions of cells with cancer‐associated mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Marongiu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pathology, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.,University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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11
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Braithwaite D, Anton S, Mohile S, DeGregori J, Gillis N, Zhou D, Bloodworth S, Pahor M, Licht J. Cancer and aging: A call to action. AGING AND CANCER 2022; 3:87-94. [PMID: 36188489 PMCID: PMC9521708 DOI: 10.1002/aac2.12055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Background The intersection of cancer and aging is an emerging public health challenge in developed countries because of the aging and expansion of the population. Aims We convened a panel of experts to share their insights on this topic at the inaugural University of Florida Health Cancer Center's (UFHCC's) Cancer and Aging Symposium, which was held virtually in February 2022. Methods We featured presentations from four leading scientists, whose research spans multiple disciplines including basic science, translational research, geriatric oncology, and population science. Results Each speaker offered their unique perspective and insight on the intersection between cancer and aging and discussed their current and ongoing research in this field. In addition to this panel of experts, scientists from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as a UFHCC-affiliated citizen scientist, shared their perspectives on strategies to move the field forward. Some of the key open questions and opportunities for future research offered by these presenters in aging and cancer include but are not limited to infusing health disparities research into the field of cancer and aging, assessing the value of geriatric assessment in identifying early vulnerabilities that may affect response to emerging cancer therapies in older patients, and assessing biological age and other biomarkers (e.g., clonal hematopoiesis) in relation to clinical endpoints and the development of primary, secondary, and tertiary cancer prevention interventions. Conclusion Research is needed to accelerate knowledge regarding the dynamic interplay of cancer and aging and optimize care in diverse older adults to achieve equity in cancer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dejana Braithwaite
- Departments of Surgery and Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Stephen Anton
- University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Supriya Mohile
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Nancy Gillis
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Daohong Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Shirley Bloodworth
- University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Marco Pahor
- Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jonathan Licht
- University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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12
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Fowler JC, Jones PH. Somatic mutation: What shapes the mutational landscape of normal epithelia? Cancer Discov 2022; 12:1642-1655. [PMID: 35397477 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial stem cells accumulate mutations throughout life. Some of these mutants increase competitive fitness and may form clones that colonize the stem cell niche and persist to acquire further genome alterations. After a transient expansion, mutant stem cells must revert to homeostatic behavior so normal tissue architecture is maintained. Some positively selected mutants may promote cancer development while others inhibit carcinogenesis. Factors that shape the mutational landscape include wild type and mutant stem cell dynamics, competition for the niche, and environmental exposures. Understanding these processes may give new insight into the basis of cancer risk and opportunities for cancer prevention.
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13
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Sarver AL, Makielski KM, DePauw TA, Schulte AJ, Modiano JF. Increased risk of cancer in dogs and humans: a consequence of recent extension of lifespan beyond evolutionarily-determined limitations? AGING AND CANCER 2022; 3:3-19. [PMID: 35993010 PMCID: PMC9387675 DOI: 10.1002/aac2.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is among the most common causes of death for dogs (and cats) and humans in the developed world, even though it is uncommon in wildlife and other domestic animals. We provide a rationale for this observation based on recent advances in our understanding of the evolutionary basis of cancer. Over the course of evolutionary time, species have acquired and fine-tuned adaptive cancer protective mechanisms that are intrinsically related to their energy demands, reproductive strategies, and expected lifespan. These cancer protective mechanisms are general across species and/or specific to each species and their niche, and they do not seem to be limited in diversity. The evolutionarily acquired cancer-free longevity that defines a species' life history can explain why the relative cancer risk, rate, and incidence are largely similar across most species in the animal kingdom despite differences in body size and life expectancy. The molecular, cellular, and metabolic events that promote malignant transformation and cancerous growth can overcome these adaptive, species-specific protective mechanisms in a small proportion of individuals, while independently, some individuals in the population might achieve exceptional longevity. In dogs and humans, recent dramatic alterations in healthcare and social structures have allowed increasing numbers of individuals in both species to far exceed their species-adapted longevities (by 2-4 times) without allowing the time necessary for compensatory natural selection. In other words, the cancer protective mechanisms that restrain risk at comparable levels to other species for their adapted lifespan are incapable of providing cancer protection over this recent, drastic and widespread increase in longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron L. Sarver
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Institute for Health Informatics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Animal Cancer Care and Research Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Kelly M. Makielski
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Animal Cancer Care and Research Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN,Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Taylor A DePauw
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Animal Cancer Care and Research Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN,Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Ashley J. Schulte
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Animal Cancer Care and Research Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN,Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
| | - Jaime F. Modiano
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Animal Cancer Care and Research Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN,Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN,Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
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14
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Ramadan R, van Driel MS, Vermeulen L, van Neerven SM. Intestinal stem cell dynamics in homeostasis and cancer. Trends Cancer 2022; 8:416-425. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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15
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Ruiz E, Kandil E, Alhassan S, Toraih E, Errami Y, Elmageed ZYA, Zerfaoui M. An Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis of The Molecular Links between Aging and Aggressiveness in Thyroid Cancers. Aging Dis 2022; 14:992-1012. [PMID: 37191407 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2022.1021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging modifies risk in all cancers, but age is used as a clinical staging criterion uniquely in thyroid cancer (TC). The molecular drivers of age-dependent TC onset and aggressiveness remain poorly understood. We applied an integrative, multi-omics data analysis approach to characterize these signatures. Our analysis reveals that aging, independent of BRAFV600E mutational status, drives a significant accumulation of aggressiveness-related markers and poorer survival outcomes, most noticeably at age 55 and over. We identified that chromosomal alterations in loci 1p/1q as aging-associated drivers of aggressiveness, and that depleted infiltration with tumor surveillant CD8+T and follicular helper T cells, dysregulation of proteostasis- and senescence-related processes, and ERK1/2 signaling cascade are key features of the aging thyroid and TC onset/progression and aggressiveness in aging patients but not in young individuals. A panel of 23 genes, including those related to cell division such as CENPF, ERCC6L, and the kinases MELK and NEK2, were identified and rigorously characterized as aging-dependent and aggressiveness-specific markers. These genes effectively stratified patients into aggressive clusters with distinct phenotypic enrichment and genomic/transcriptomic profiles. This panel also showed excellent performance in predicting metastasis stage, BRAFV600E, TERT promoter mutation, and survival outcomes and was superior to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) methodology in predicting aggressiveness risk. Our analysis established clinically relevant biomarkers for TC aggressiveness factoring in aging as an important component.
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