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Neumeister VM, Juhl H. Tumor Pre-Analytics in Molecular Pathology: Impact on Protein Expression and Analysis. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2018; 6:265-274. [PMID: 30595971 PMCID: PMC6290693 DOI: 10.1007/s40139-018-0179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Precision medicine promises patient tailored, individualized diagnosis and treatment of diseases and relies on clinical specimen integrity and accuracy of companion diagnostic testing. Therefore, pre-analytics, which are defined as the collection, processing, and storage of clinical specimens, are critically important to enable optimal diagnostics, molecular profiling, and clinical decision-making around harvested specimens. This review article discusses the impact of tumor pre-analytics on molecular pathology focusing on biospecimen protein expression and analysis. Recent Findings Due to busy clinical schedules and workflows that have been established for many years and to lack of standardization and limited assessment tools to quantify variability in pre-analytical processing, the effects of pre-analytics on biospecimen integrity are often overlooked. Several studies have recently emphasized an emerging crisis in science and reproducibility of results. Summary Biomarker instability due to pre-analytical variables affects comprehensive analysis and molecular phenotyping of patients’ tissue. This problematic emphasizes the critical need for standardized protocols and technologies to be applied in the clinical and research setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hartmut Juhl
- Indivumed, GmbH, Falkenried 88, D-20251 Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Moran-Jones K. The Therapeutic Potential of Targeting the HGF/cMET Axis in Ovarian Cancer. Mol Diagn Ther 2017; 20:199-212. [PMID: 27139908 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-016-0201-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Survival rates for ovarian cancer have remained relatively stable for the past 2 decades despite advances in surgical techniques and cytotoxic chemotherapeutics, indicating a requirement for better therapies. One pathway currently proposed for targeting is the HGF/cMET pathway. Upregulated in a number of tumour types, cMET is a tyrosine kinase receptor expressed on epithelial cells. In ovarian cancer, it has been identified as highly expressed in the four major subtypes, with expression estimates ranging from 11 to 68 % of cases. HGF, the only known ligand for cMET, is found at high levels in both serum and ascites in women with ovarian cancer, and is proposed to induce both migration and metastasis. However, clinically validated biomarkers are not yet available for either HGF or cMET, preventing a clear understanding of the true rate of overexpression, or its correlation with prognosis. Despite this, a number of agents against HGF and cMET are currently being investigated in clinical trials for multiple tumour types, including ovarian. However, a lack of patient selection, biomarker usage, and post hoc analysis correlating response with expression has resulted in the majority of these trials showing little beneficial effect from these agents, indicating that additional research is required to determine their usefulness in patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Moran-Jones
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Switchback Rd, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. .,The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 370 Victoria St, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
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3
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Labots M, Gotink KJ, Dekker H, Azijli K, van der Mijn JC, Huijts CM, Piersma SR, Jiménez CR, Verheul HMW. Evaluation of a tyrosine kinase peptide microarray for tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy selection in cancer. Exp Mol Med 2016; 48:e279. [PMID: 27980342 PMCID: PMC5192072 DOI: 10.1038/emm.2016.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Personalized cancer medicine aims to accurately predict the response of individual patients to targeted therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Clinical implementation of this concept requires a robust selection tool. Here, using both cancer cell lines and tumor tissue from patients, we evaluated a high-throughput tyrosine kinase peptide substrate array to determine its readiness as a selection tool for TKI therapy. We found linearly increasing phosphorylation signal intensities of peptides representing kinase activity along the kinetic curve of the assay with 7.5–10 μg of lysate protein and up to 400 μM adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Basal kinase activity profiles were reproducible with intra- and inter-experiment coefficients of variation of <15% and <20%, respectively. Evaluation of 14 tumor cell lines and tissues showed similar consistently high phosphorylated peptides in their basal profiles. Incubation of four patient-derived tumor lysates with the TKIs dasatinib, sunitinib, sorafenib and erlotinib primarily caused inhibition of substrates that were highly phosphorylated in the basal profile analyses. Using recombinant Src and Axl kinase, relative substrate specificity was demonstrated for a subset of peptides, as their phosphorylation was reverted by co-incubation with a specific inhibitor. In conclusion, we demonstrated robust technical specifications of this high-throughput tyrosine kinase peptide microarray. These features required as little as 5–7 μg of protein per sample, facilitating clinical implementation as a TKI selection tool. However, currently available peptide substrates can benefit from an enhancement of the differential potential for complex samples such as tumor lysates. We propose that mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics may provide such an enhancement by identifying more discriminative peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariette Labots
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kristy J Gotink
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk Dekker
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kaamar Azijli
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Charlotte M Huijts
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sander R Piersma
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Connie R Jiménez
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk M W Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Adachi M, Hoshino Y, Izumi Y, Takagi S. Immunohistochemical detection of a potential molecular therapeutic target for canine hemangiosarcoma. J Vet Med Sci 2015; 78:649-56. [PMID: 26685984 PMCID: PMC4873857 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.15-0625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a progressive malignant neoplasm of dogs for which there is currently no effective treatment. A recent study suggested that receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), the PI3K/Akt/m-TOR and MAPK pathways are all activated in canine and human HSA. The aim of the present study was to investigate the overexpression of these proteins by immunohistochemistry in canine splenic HSA to identify potential molecular therapeutic targets. A total of 10 splenic HSAs and two normal splenic samples surgically resected from dogs were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological diagnosis or analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The expression of RTKs, c-kit, VEGFR-2 and PDGFR-2, as well as PI3K/Akt/m-TOR and MEK was higher in canine splenic HSAs compared to normal spleens. These proteins may therefore be potential therapeutic targets in canine splenic HSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mami Adachi
- Laboratory of Advanced Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
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5
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Heat fixation inactivates viral and bacterial pathogens and is compatible with downstream MALDI mass spectrometry tissue imaging. BMC Microbiol 2015; 15:101. [PMID: 25966989 PMCID: PMC4429342 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-015-0431-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tissue samples should be fixed and permanently stabilized as soon as possible ex-vivo to avoid variations in proteomic content. Tissues collected from studies involving infectious microorganisms, must face the additional challenge of pathogen inactivation before downstream proteomic analysis can be safely performed. Heat fixation using the Denator Stabilizor System (Gothenburg, Sweden) utilizes conductive heating, under a mild vacuum, to rapidly eliminate enzymatic degradation in tissue samples. Although many studies have reported on the ability of this method to stop proteolytic degradation and other sample changes immediately and permanently, pathogen inactivation has not been studied. RESULTS We examined the ability of the heat fixation workflow to inactivate bacterial and viral pathogens and the suitability of this tissue for Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI). Mice were infected with viral or bacterial pathogens representing two strains of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus (VEEV) and two strains of Burkholderia. Additionally, a tissue mimetic model was employed using Escherichia, Klebsiella and Acinetobacter isolates. Infected tissue samples harvested from each animal or mimetic model were sectioned in half. One half was heat fixed and the other remained untreated. Lysates from each sample were checked for organism viability by performing plaque (infectivity) assays or plating on nutrient agar for colony forming unit (CFU) calculation. Untreated infected control tissue demonstrated the presence of each viable pathogen by positive plaque or colony formation, whereas heat fixation resulted in complete inactivation of both the viral and bacterial pathogens. MALDI-MSI images produced from heat fixed tissue were reflective of molecular distributions within brain, spleen and lung tissue structures. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that heat fixation inactivates viral and bacterial pathogens and is compatible with proteomic analysis by MALDI-MSI. This treatment will enable the use of infected tissue from studies performed in bio-safety level 3 laboratories with VEEV and Burkholderia to be safely used for proteomic, small molecule drug detection, and imaging mass spectrometry analysis.
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O'Hurley G, Sjöstedt E, Rahman A, Li B, Kampf C, Pontén F, Gallagher WM, Lindskog C. Garbage in, garbage out: a critical evaluation of strategies used for validation of immunohistochemical biomarkers. Mol Oncol 2014; 8:783-98. [PMID: 24725481 PMCID: PMC5528533 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in clinical cohorts is of paramount importance in determining the utility of a biomarker in clinical practice. A major bottleneck in translating a biomarker from bench-to-bedside is the lack of well characterized, specific antibodies suitable for IHC. Despite the widespread use of IHC as a biomarker validation tool, no universally accepted standardization guidelines have been developed to determine the applicability of particular antibodies for IHC prior to its use. In this review, we discuss the technical challenges faced by the use of immunohistochemical biomarkers and rigorously explore classical and emerging antibody validation technologies. Based on our review of these technologies, we provide strict criteria for the pragmatic validation of antibodies for use in immunohistochemical assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian O'Hurley
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Belfield Innovation Park, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Evelina Sjöstedt
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Arman Rahman
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Belfield Innovation Park, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Bo Li
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Caroline Kampf
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Pontén
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - William M Gallagher
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Belfield Innovation Park, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Cecilia Lindskog
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
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Gündisch S, Grundner-Culemann K, Wolff C, Schott C, Reischauer B, Machatti M, Groelz D, Schaab C, Tebbe A, Becker KF. Delayed times to tissue fixation result in unpredictable global phosphoproteome changes. J Proteome Res 2013; 12:4424-34. [PMID: 23984901 DOI: 10.1021/pr400451z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation controls the activity of signal transduction pathways regulated by kinases and phosphatases. Little is known, however, about the impact of preanalytical factors, for example, delayed times to tissue fixation, on global phosphoprotein levels in tissues. The aim of this study was to characterize the potential effects of delayed tissue preservation (cold ischemia) on the levels of phosphoproteins using targeted and nontargeted proteomic approaches. Rat and murine liver samples were exposed to different cold ischemic conditions ranging from 10 to 360 min prior to cryopreservation. The phosphoproteome was analyzed using reverse phase protein array (RPPA) technology and phosphoprotein-enriched quantitative tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RPPA analysis of rat liver tissues with long (up to 360 min) cold ischemia times did not reveal statistically significant alterations of specific phosphoproteins even though nonphosphorylated cytokeratin 18 (CK18) showed increased levels after 360 min of delay to freezing. Keeping the samples on ice prior to cryopreservation prevented this effect. LC-MS/MS-based quantification of 1684 phosphorylation sites in rat liver tissues showed broadening of their distribution compared to time point zero, but without reaching statistical significance for individual phosphosites. Similarly, RPPA analysis of mouse liver tissues with short (<60 min) cold ischemia times did not reveal directed or predictable changes of protein and phosphoprotein levels. Using LC-MS/MS and quantification of 791 phosphorylation sites, we found that the distribution of ratios compared to time point zero broadens with prolonged ischemia times, but these were rather undirected and diffuse changes, as we could not detect significant alterations of individual phosphosites. On the basis of our results from RPPA and LC-MS/MS analysis of rat and mouse liver tissues, we conclude that prolonged cold ischemia results in unspecific phosphoproteome changes that can be neither predicted nor assigned to individual proteins. On the other hand, we identified a number of phosphosites which were extraordinarily stable even after 360 min of cold ischemia and, therefore, may be used as general reference markers for future companion diagnostics for kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sibylle Gündisch
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München , Trogerstrasse 18, 81675 Munich, Germany
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8
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Unhale SA, Skubitz AP, Solomon R, Hubel A. Stabilization of Tissue Specimens for Pathological Examination and Biomedical Research. Biopreserv Biobank 2012; 10:493-500. [DOI: 10.1089/bio.2012.0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sanket A. Unhale
- Biopreservation Core Resource, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Amy P.N. Skubitz
- Biopreservation Core Resource, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Robin Solomon
- Department of Pathology, Veterans Administration Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Allison Hubel
- Biopreservation Core Resource, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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9
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10
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Murai A, Abou Asa S, Kodama A, Sakai H, Hirata A, Yanai T. Immunohistochemical analysis of the Akt/mTOR/4E-BP1 signalling pathway in canine haemangiomas and haemangiosarcomas. J Comp Pathol 2012; 147:430-40. [PMID: 22789858 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The specific signalling pathways that are deregulated in canine endothelial tumours have not yet fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine activation of the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) signalling pathway in spontaneously arising canine haemangiomas (HAs) and haemangiosarcomas (HSAs) in order to identify novel molecular targets for treatment. Surgically-resected samples of HA (n = 27), HSA (n = 37), granulation tissue (n = 4) and normal skin (n = 4) were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Approximately 80% of the HSA samples had moderate to intense expression of phosphorylated Akt at Ser473 (p-Akt Ser473), p-Akt Thr308, p-4E-BP1 Thr37/46 and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E, which was significantly higher than in the HAs and was similar to the expression in activated endothelial cells (ECs). Although p-mTOR complex1 (p-mTORC1) Ser2448 was expressed by most of the activated ECs, only 35% of the HSA samples had weak to moderate expression. Because mTORC2 and phosphorylates Akt Ser473 was activated in HSA samples, the present findings suggest that the mTORC2/Akt/4E-BP1 pathway, regulated independently of mTORC1, may be important for targeting therapy in canine HSAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Murai
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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11
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Detection of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) ligand-c-MET receptor activation in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded specimens by a novel proximity assay. PLoS One 2011; 6:e15932. [PMID: 21283737 PMCID: PMC3024969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of membrane receptors frequently occurs in human carcinomas. Detection of phosphorylated receptors is commonly used as an indicator of receptor activation in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor specimens. FFPE is a standard method of specimen preparation used in the histological analysis of solid tumors. Due to variability in FFPE preparations and the labile nature of protein phosphorylation, measurements of phospho-proteins are unreliable and create ambiguities in clinical interpretation. Here, we describe an alternative, novel approach to measure receptor activation by detecting and quantifying ligand-receptor complexes in FFPE specimens. We used hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-c-MET as our model ligand-receptor system. HGF is the only known ligand of the c-MET tyrosine kinase receptor and HGF binding triggers c-MET phosphorylation. Novel antibody proximity-based assays were developed and used to detect and quantify total c-MET, total HGF, and HGF-c-MET ligand-receptor interactions in FFPE cell line and tumor tissue. In glioma cells, autocrine activation of c-MET by HGF-c-MET increased basal levels of c-MET phosphorylation at tyrosine (Tyr) 1003. Furthermore, HGF-c-MET activation in glioma cell lines was verified by Surface Protein-Protein Interaction by Crosslinking ELISA (SPPICE) assay in corresponding soluble cell lysates. Finally, we profiled levels ofc-MET, HGF, and HGF-c-MET complexes in FFPE specimens of human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Gastric Cancer, Head and Neck Squamous Cell, and Head and Neck Non-Squamous Cell carcinomas. This report describes a novel approach for the detection and quantification of ligand-receptor interactions that can be widely applied to measure receptor activation in FFPE preclinical models and archived FFPE human tissue specimens.
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12
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Siddiqui S, Rimm DL. Pre-analytic variables and phospho-specific antibodies: the Achilles heel of immunohistochemistry. Breast Cancer Res 2010; 12:113. [PMID: 21176180 PMCID: PMC3046444 DOI: 10.1186/bcr2782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunohistochemistry is the most common method for companion diagnostic testing in breast cancer. The readings for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and Her2 directly affect prescription of critical therapies. However, immunohistochemistry is highly sensitive to innumerable pre-analytic variables that result in loss of signal in these assays. Perhaps the most significant pre-analytic variable is cold ischemic time. The work of Pinhel and colleagues in the previous issue of Breast Cancer Research examines the effects of cold ischemic time and finds a chilling result. The authors show that while the classic markers may be only mildly affected, phospho-specific markers are highly sensitive to this artifact. As a result, it is likely that future companion diagnostic tests that include phospho-specific epitopes will be reliably done only in core needle biopsies that minimize ischemic time.
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Villanueva J, Vultur A, Lee JT, Somasundaram R, Fukunaga-Kalabis M, Cipolla AK, Wubbenhorst B, Xu X, Gimotty PA, Kee D, Santiago-Walker AE, Letrero R, D’Andrea K, Pushparajan A, Hayden JE, Brown KD, Laquerre S, McArthur GA, Sosman JA, Nathanson KL, Herlyn M. Acquired resistance to BRAF inhibitors mediated by a RAF kinase switch in melanoma can be overcome by cotargeting MEK and IGF-1R/PI3K. Cancer Cell 2010; 18:683-95. [PMID: 21156289 PMCID: PMC3026446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2010.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 998] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2010] [Revised: 08/02/2010] [Accepted: 11/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BRAF is an attractive target for melanoma drug development. However, resistance to BRAF inhibitors is a significant clinical challenge. We describe a model of resistance to BRAF inhibitors developed by chronic treatment of BRAF(V)⁶⁰⁰(E) melanoma cells with the BRAF inhibitor SB-590885; these cells are cross-resistant to other BRAF-selective inhibitors. Resistance involves flexible switching among the three RAF isoforms, underscoring the ability of melanoma cells to adapt to pharmacological challenges. IGF-1R/PI3K signaling was enhanced in resistant melanomas, and combined treatment with IGF-1R/PI3K and MEK inhibitors induced death of BRAF inhibitor-resistant cells. Increased IGF-1R and pAKT levels in a post-relapse human tumor sample are consistent with a role for IGF-1R/PI3K-dependent survival in the development of resistance to BRAF inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Villanueva
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Adina Vultur
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - John T. Lee
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | | | | | - Angela K. Cipolla
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Bradley Wubbenhorst
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Phyllis A. Gimotty
- Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Damien Kee
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Victoria 8006, Australia
| | | | - Richard Letrero
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kurt D’Andrea
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Anitha Pushparajan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - James E. Hayden
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | | | | | | | | | - Katherine L. Nathanson
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Meenhard Herlyn
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Correspondence: Tel: +1-215-898-3950. Fax: +1-215-898-0890
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14
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Tickoo SK, Milowsky MI, Dhar N, Dudas ME, Gallagher DJ, Al-Ahmadie H, Gopalan A, Fine SW, Ishill N, Bajorin DF, Reuter VE. Hypoxia-inducible factor and mammalian target of rapamycin pathway markers in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: possible therapeutic implications. BJU Int 2010; 107:844-849. [PMID: 20707797 DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2010.09517.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the rationale for using targeted therapies against hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, by studying the immunohistochemical expression of molecules of these pathways in urothelial carcinoma, as recent pre-clinical studies and clinical trials have shown the potential utility of such targeted therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS Immunohistochemical stains were performed on a tissue microarray prepared from 92 cases of ≥ pT2 urothelial (transitional cell) carcinoma of bladder, using antibodies against HIF-1α and VEGF-R2, and phospho-S6 and phospho-4E BP1, molecules of HIF and activated mTOR pathways, respectively. Immunoreactivity was graded from 0 to 3+ (0, 0-5%; 1+, 6-25%; 2+, 26-50%; 3+, > 50% tumour cells positive). RESULTS In all, 58, 34, 35 and 17% of the tumours showed grade 2-3+ expression of phospho-4E BP1, phospho-S6, HIF-1α and VEGF-R2, respectively. Moderate correlation for immunoreactivity was observed between molecules within the same pathway [(phospho-4E BP1 with phospho-S6 (rho = 0.411), and HIF-1α with VEGF-R2 (rho = 0.265)], but not between molecules across pathways. CONCLUSIONS Urothelial carcinomas of the bladder express molecules of the HIF and mTOR pathways, providing a rationale for clinical trials evaluating agents targeting these pathways. Correlation between molecules within the same pathway, and not across pathways, suggests that investigating the usefulness of a specific targeted agent might benefit from pre-treatment evaluation of pathway marker expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish K Tickoo
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew I Milowsky
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nitin Dhar
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria E Dudas
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - David J Gallagher
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hikmat Al-Ahmadie
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anuradha Gopalan
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samson W Fine
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicole Ishill
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dean F Bajorin
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victor E Reuter
- Department of PathologyGenitourinary Oncology Service, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterWeill Cornell Medical College of Cornell UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer, Center, New York, NY, USA
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15
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Burns JA, Li Y, Cheney CA, Ou Y, Franlin-Pfeifer LL, Kuklin N, Zhang ZQ. Choice of fixative is crucial to successful immunohistochemical detection of phosphoproteins in paraffin-embedded tumor tissues. J Histochem Cytochem 2008; 57:257-64. [PMID: 19001637 DOI: 10.1369/jhc.2008.952911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is frequently used as an indicator of cellular signaling activity. Elevated phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase receptors plays an important role in cancer pathogenesis. However, phosphoproteins are usually poorly preserved in clinical tissue samples that are routinely fixed in 10% formalin. Nonetheless, in oncology clinical trials, use of phosphoproteins as biomarkers has been considered to be of great value in evaluating the effectiveness of a given drug candidate. Therefore, it is worthy of investigating whether alternative fixatives would improve the preservation of phosphoproteins in tissue. We compared the IHC staining of a number of phosphoproteins in xenograft and human surgical tumor tissues fixed in three different fixatives: 10% formalin, 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA), and Streck's tissue fixative (STF). We found that STF significantly enhanced the staining intensity of phosphoproteins compared with 10% formalin or 4% PFA. STF fixative also showed superiority of preservation of phosphoproteins in human surgical samples. Our results indicate that the choice of fixative could significantly affect the usability of clinical tissue samples for evaluating phosphoprotein by IHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine A Burns
- Department of Biologics Research, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA 19486, USA
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16
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Jones RJ, Young O, Renshaw L, Jacobs V, Fennell M, Marshall A, Green TP, Elvin P, Womack C, Clack G, Dixon JM. Src inhibitors in early breast cancer: a methodology, feasibility and variability study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2008; 114:211-21. [PMID: 18409068 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-008-9997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2007] [Accepted: 03/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Early clinical trials of anticancer agents may be enriched by robust biomarkers of activity. Surrogate measures used in trials of cytotoxic agents, such as tumor size regression, may not be informative when investigating targeted agents that act principally to inhibit invasion or proliferation. This study aimed to determine the validity of invasion-related biomarkers of activity for AZD0530, a potent Src inhibitor currently in clinical development. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin are downstream phosphorylation substrates of Src and mediate tumor cell adhesion and invasiveness. These were therefore selected as biologically relevant markers of Src inhibition. Early breast cancer was chosen as a model as multiple samples can be collected during standard treatment and there is an intervening period in which experimental intervention can be applied. Tumor tissue was collected from diagnostic core biopsies and subsequent surgical tumor excision samples in 29 women with early breast cancer attending a single center. Protein levels were assessed quantitatively by Luminex and qualitatively by immunohistochemistry. AZD0530 inhibited tumor growth in a manner independent of dose and inhibited phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin in a dose-dependent manner in a Calu-6 xenograft model. In the clinical study, agreement of within-visit and also of between-visit measurements was high and the estimated number of patients required to detect a drug effect would be low enough to allow use of these markers as endpoints in future dose selection studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Jones
- Centre for Oncology and Applied Pharmacology, CRUK Beatson Laboratories, Garscube Estate, Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
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