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Mendiratta G, Liarakos D, Tong M, Ito S, Ke E, Goshua G, Stites EC. Cancer research is not correlated with driver gene mutation burdens. MED 2024; 5:832-838.e4. [PMID: 38908369 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.05.013] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer research is pursued with the goal of positively impacting patients with cancer. Decisions regarding how to allocate research funds reflect a complex balancing of priorities and factors. Even though these are subjective decisions, they should be made with consideration of all available objective facts. An accurate estimate of the affected cancer patient population by mutation is one variable that has only recently become available to inform funding decisions. METHODS We compared the overall incident burden of mutations within each cancer-associated gene with two measures of cancer research efforts: research grant funding amounts and numbers of academic manuscripts. We ask to what degree the aggregate set of cancer research efforts reflects the relative burdens of the different cancer genetic drivers. We thoroughly investigate the design of our queries to ensure that the presented results are robust and conclusions are well justified. FINDINGS We find cancer research is generally not correlated with the relative burden of mutation within the different genetic drivers of cancer. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that cancer research would benefit from incorporating, among other factors, an epidemiologically informed mutation-estimate baseline into a larger framework for funding and research allocation decisions. FUNDING This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) P30CA014195 and NIH DP2AT011327.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Mendiratta
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - David Liarakos
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Melinda Tong
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Satoko Ito
- Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Eugene Ke
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - George Goshua
- Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Edward C Stites
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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Shree S, McLean MA, Stephen AG, Sligar SG. Revealing KRas4b topology on the membrane surface. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 678:122-127. [PMID: 37633182 PMCID: PMC10528110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.08.035] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
KRas4b is a membrane-bound regulatory protein belonging to the family of small GTPases that function as a molecular switch, facilitating signal transduction from activated membrane receptors to intracellular pathways controlling cell growth and proliferation. Oncogenic mutations locking KRas4b in the active GTP state are responsible for nearly 85% of all Ras-driven cancers. Understanding the membrane-bound state of KRas4b is crucial for designing new therapeutic approaches targeting oncogenic KRas-driven signaling pathways. Extensive research demonstrates the significant involvement of the membrane bilayer in Ras-effector interactions, with anionic lipids playing a critical role in determining protein conformations The preferred topology of KRas4b for interacting with signaling partners has been a long-time question. Computational studies suggest a membrane-proximal conformation, while other biophysical methods like neutron reflectivity propose a membrane-distal conformation. To address these gaps, we employed FRET measurements to investigate the conformation of KRas4b. Using fully post-translationally modified KRas4b, we designed a Nanodisc based FRET assay to study KRas4b-membrane interactions. We suggest an extended conformation of KRas4b relative to the membrane surface. Measurement of FRET donor - acceptor distances reveal that a negatively charged membrane surface weakly favors closer association with the membrane surface. Our findings provide insights into the role of anionic lipids in determining the dynamic conformations of KRas4b and shed light on the predominant conformation of its topology on lipid headgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Shree
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
| | - Mark A McLean
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States
| | - Andrew G Stephen
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD, 21701, United States
| | - Stephen G Sligar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, United States.
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Hansen AL, Xiang X, Yuan C, Bruschweiler-Li L, Brüschweiler R. Excited-state observation of active K-Ras reveals differential structural dynamics of wild-type versus oncogenic G12D and G12C mutants. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1446-1455. [PMID: 37640864 PMCID: PMC10584678 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01070-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Despite the prominent role of the K-Ras protein in many different types of human cancer, major gaps in atomic-level information severely limit our understanding of its functions in health and disease. Here, we report the quantitative backbone structural dynamics of K-Ras by solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the active state of wild-type K-Ras bound to guanosine triphosphate (GTP) nucleotide and two of its oncogenic P-loop mutants, G12D and G12C, using a new nanoparticle-assisted spin relaxation method, relaxation dispersion and chemical exchange saturation transfer experiments covering the entire range of timescales from picoseconds to milliseconds. Our combined experiments allow detection and analysis of the functionally critical Switch I and Switch II regions, which have previously remained largely unobservable by X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our data reveal cooperative transitions of K-Ras·GTP to a highly dynamic excited state that closely resembles the partially disordered K-Ras·GDP state. These results advance our understanding of differential GTPase activities and signaling properties of the wild type versus mutants and may thus guide new strategies for the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandar L Hansen
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xinyao Xiang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Chunhua Yuan
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lei Bruschweiler-Li
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Rafael Brüschweiler
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Lin B, Ziebro J, Smithberger E, Skinner KR, Zhao E, Cloughesy TF, Binder ZA, O’Rourke DM, Nathanson DA, Furnari FB, Miller CR. EGFR, the Lazarus target for precision oncology in glioblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2022; 24:2035-2062. [PMID: 36125064 PMCID: PMC9713527 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lazarus effect is a rare condition that happens when someone seemingly dead shows signs of life. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) represents a target in the fatal neoplasm glioblastoma (GBM) that through a series of negative clinical trials has prompted a vocal subset of the neuro-oncology community to declare this target dead. However, an argument can be made that the core tenets of precision oncology were overlooked in the initial clinical enthusiasm over EGFR as a therapeutic target in GBM. Namely, the wrong drugs were tested on the wrong patients at the wrong time. Furthermore, new insights into the biology of EGFR in GBM vis-à-vis other EGFR-driven neoplasms, such as non-small cell lung cancer, and development of novel GBM-specific EGFR therapeutics resurrects this target for future studies. Here, we will examine the distinct EGFR biology in GBM, how it exacerbates the challenge of treating a CNS neoplasm, how these unique challenges have influenced past and present EGFR-targeted therapeutic design and clinical trials, and what adjustments are needed to therapeutically exploit EGFR in this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lin
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Julia Ziebro
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Erin Smithberger
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Pathobiology and Translational Sciences Program, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kasey R Skinner
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Neurosciences Curriculum, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eva Zhao
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Timothy F Cloughesy
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zev A Binder
- Department of Neurosurgery and Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Donald M O’Rourke
- Department of Neurosurgery and Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David A Nathanson
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Frank B Furnari
- Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
- Ludwig Cancer Research, San Diego, California, USA
| | - C Ryan Miller
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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Predicting Deleterious Non-Synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of HRAS Gene and In Silico Evaluation of Their Structural and Functional Consequences towards Diagnosis and Prognosis of Cancer. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11111604. [DOI: 10.3390/biology11111604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The Harvey rat sarcoma (HRAS) proto-oncogene belongs to the RAS family and is one of the pathogenic genes that cause cancer. Deleterious nsSNPs might have adverse consequences at the protein level. This study aimed to investigate deleterious nsSNPs in the HRAS gene in predicting structural alterations associated with mutants that disrupt normal protein–protein interactions. Functional and structural analysis was employed in analyzing the HRAS nsSNPs. Putative post-translational modification sites and the changes in protein–protein interactions, which included a variety of signal cascades, were also investigated. Five different bioinformatics tools predicted 33 nsSNPs as “pathogenic” or “harmful”. Stability analysis predicted rs1554885139, rs770492627, rs1589792804, rs730880460, rs104894227, rs104894227, and rs121917759 as unstable. Protein–protein interaction analysis revealed that HRAS has a hub connecting three clusters consisting of 11 proteins, and changes in HRAS might cause signal cascades to dissociate. Furthermore, Kaplan–Meier bioinformatics analyses indicated that the HRAS gene deregulation affected the overall survival rate of patients with breast cancer, leading to prognostic significance. Thus, based on these analyses, our study suggests that the reported nsSNPs of HRAS may serve as potential targets for different proteomic studies, diagnoses, and therapeutic interventions focusing on cancer.
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