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Yaniv B, Tanenbaum B, Kazakova V, Patel SA. Translational insights into the genetics and immunobiology of relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. Leuk Res 2024; 142:107519. [PMID: 38761562 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2024.107519] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Although follicular lymphoma (FL) is traditionally classified as an indolent subtype of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, clinical trajectories are often diverse based on unique disease biology, and many patients will eventually experience relapse of their disease. Furthermore, progression of disease within 24 months is associated with increased mortality rates for FL. In the last five years, we have witnessed an upsurge in the commercial availability of targeted therapies for relapsed/refractory (R/R) FL, including chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) products, bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs), epigenetic modifier therapies, and next-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. Furthermore, clinical trial options have increased tremendously and now include combinatorial strategies that exert synergy against malignant germinal center B cells. Here, we provide a 2024 update of novel therapeutic agents whose development has been informed by recent advances in the genetics and immunobiology of R/R FL. Specifically, we emphasize high-value targeted therapeutics, including anti-CD3 x anti-CD20 BiTEs and adoptive T cell therapies. We discuss prospects on selection and sequencing of BiTEs and CAR-T therapies for patients with R/R FL. We underscore the principles of FL pathobiology that are paving way for future drug discovery and shed insight into therapeutic targeting within nodal basins based on our increasing understanding of the FL microenvironment. Finally, we summarize how a greater knowledge of FL immunobiology can inform risk stratification and therapy selection on a personalized basis for R/R FL in 2025.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Lymphoma, Follicular/therapy
- Lymphoma, Follicular/genetics
- Lymphoma, Follicular/immunology
- Lymphoma, Follicular/pathology
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/therapy
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/immunology
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Translational Research, Biomedical
- Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods
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Affiliation(s)
- Benyamin Yaniv
- Dept. of Medicine - Division of Hematology/Oncology, UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Benjamin Tanenbaum
- Dept. of Medicine - Division of Hematology/Oncology, UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Vera Kazakova
- Dept. of Medicine - Division of Hematology/Oncology, UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Shyam A Patel
- Dept. of Medicine - Division of Hematology/Oncology, UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; Center for Clinical & Translational Science, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; Cancer Biology Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
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2
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Kealy L, Runting J, Thiele D, Scheer S. An emerging maestro of immune regulation: how DOT1L orchestrates the harmonies of the immune system. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1385319. [PMID: 38962004 PMCID: PMC11219580 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune system comprises a complex yet tightly regulated network of cells and molecules that play a critical role in protecting the body from infection and disease. The activity and development of each immune cell is regulated in a myriad of ways including through the cytokine milieu, the availability of key receptors, via tailored intracellular signalling cascades, dedicated transcription factors and even by directly modulating gene accessibility and expression; the latter is more commonly known as epigenetic regulation. In recent years, epigenetic regulators have begun to emerge as key players involved in modulating the immune system. Among these, the lysine methyltransferase DOT1L has gained significant attention for its involvement in orchestrating immune cell formation and function. In this review we provide an overview of the role of DOT1L across the immune system and the implications of this role on health and disease. We begin by elucidating the general mechanisms of DOT1L-mediated histone methylation and its impact on gene expression within immune cells. Subsequently, we provide a detailed and comprehensive overview of recent studies that identify DOT1L as a crucial regulator of immune cell development, differentiation, and activation. Next, we discuss the potential mechanisms of DOT1L-mediated regulation of immune cell function and shed light on how DOT1L might be contributing to immune cell homeostasis and dysfunction. We then provide food for thought by highlighting some of the current obstacles and technical limitations precluding a more in-depth elucidation of DOT1L's role. Finally, we explore the potential therapeutic implications of targeting DOT1L in the context of immune-related diseases and discuss ongoing research efforts to this end. Overall, this review consolidates the current paradigm regarding DOT1L's role across the immune network and emphasises its critical role in governing the healthy immune system and its potential as a novel therapeutic target for immune-related diseases. A deeper understanding of DOT1L's immunomodulatory functions could pave the way for innovative therapeutic approaches which fine-tune the immune response to enhance or restore human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Kealy
- Immunity Program, The Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jessica Runting
- Immunity Program, The Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel Thiele
- Immunity Program, The Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Sebastian Scheer
- Immunity Program, The Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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3
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Zimmerman SM, Suh E, Smith SR, Souroullas GP. Stat3-mediated Atg7 expression enhances anti-tumor immunity in melanoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.10.598284. [PMID: 38915518 PMCID: PMC11195126 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.10.598284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications to DNA and chromatin control oncogenic and tumor suppressive mechanisms in melanoma. EZH2, the catalytic component of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which mediates methylation of lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me3), can regulate both melanoma initiation and progression. We previously found that mutant Ezh2 Y641F interacts with the immune regulator Stat3 and together they affect anti-tumor immunity. However, given the numerous downstream targets and pathways affected by EZH2, many mechanisms that determine its oncogenic activity remain largely unexplored. Using genetically engineered mouse models we further investigated the role of pathways downstream of EZH2 in melanoma carcinogenesis and identified significant enrichment in several autophagy signatures, along with increased expression of autophagy regulators, such as Atg7. In this study, we investigated the effect of Atg7 on melanoma growth and tumor immunity within the context of an Ezh2 Y641F epigenetic state. We found that expression of Atg7 is largely dependent on Stat3 expression and that deletion of Atg7 slows down melanoma cell growth in vivo, but not in vitro. Atg7 deletion also results in increased CD8+ T cells and reduced myelosuppressive cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, suggesting a strong immune system contribution in the role of Atg7 in melanoma progression. These findings highlight the complex interplay between genetic mutations, epigenetic regulators, and autophagy in shaping tumor immunity in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Zimmerman
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Division of Oncology, Molecular Oncology Section, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Erin Suh
- University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Sofia R. Smith
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Division of Oncology, Molecular Oncology Section, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - George P. Souroullas
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Division of Oncology, Molecular Oncology Section, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
- Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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4
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Britto LS, Balasubramani D, Desai S, Phillips P, Trehan N, Cesarman E, Koff JL, Singh A. T Cells Spatially Regulate B Cell Receptor Signaling in Lymphomas through H3K9me3 Modifications. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2401192. [PMID: 38837879 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202401192] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL) is a subtype associated with poor survival outcomes. Despite identifying therapeutic targets through molecular characterization, targeted therapies have limited success. New strategies using immune-competent tissue models are needed to understand how DLBCL cells evade treatment. Here, synthetic hydrogel-based lymphoma organoids are used to demonstrate how signals in the lymphoid tumor microenvironment (Ly-TME) can alter B cell receptor (BCR) signaling and specific histone modifications, tri-methylation of histone 3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me3), dampening the effects of BCR pathway inhibition. Using imaging modalities, T cells increase DNA methyltransferase 3A expression and cytoskeleton formation in proximal ABC-DLBCL cells, regulated by H3K9me3. Expansion microscopy on lymphoma organoids reveals T cells increase the size and quantity of segregated H3K9me3 clusters in ABC-DLBCL cells. Findings suggest the re-organization of higher-order chromatin structures that may contribute to evasion or resistance to therapy via the emergence of novel transcriptional states. Treating ABC-DLBCL cells with a G9α histone methyltransferase inhibitor reverses T cell-mediated modulation of H3K9me3 and overcomes T cell-mediated attenuation of treatment response to BCR pathway inhibition. This study emphasizes the Ly-TME's role in altering DLBCL fate and suggests targeting aberrant signaling and microenvironmental cross-talk that can benefit high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S Britto
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Deepali Balasubramani
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Sona Desai
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Phunterion Phillips
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Neev Trehan
- St Richards Hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6SE, UK
| | - Ethel Cesarman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jean L Koff
- Winship Cancer Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30307, USA
| | - Ankur Singh
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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5
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Chen Y, Zhu H, Luo Y, Tong S, Liu Y. EZH2: The roles in targeted therapy and mechanisms of resistance in breast cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 175:116624. [PMID: 38670045 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116624] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance presents a formidable challenge in the realm of breast cancer therapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), may serve as a key regulator in controlling drug resistance. EZH2 overexpression has been observed in breast cancer and many other malignancies, showing a strong correlation with poor outcomes. This review aims to summarize the mechanisms by which EZH2 regulates drug resistance, with a specific focus on breast cancer, in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular processes. Additionally, we will discuss the current strategies and outcomes of targeting EZH2 using both single agents and combination therapies, with the goal of offering improved guidance for the clinical treatment of breast cancer patients who have developed drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Hongyan Zhu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Yi Luo
- Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Biotheus Inc., Guangdong Province, Zhuhai 519080, PR China.
| | - Shuangmei Tong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Clinical Pharmacy Innovation Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
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6
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Park SJ, Nakai K. A computational approach for deciphering the interactions between proximal and distal gene regulators in GC B-cell response. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae050. [PMID: 38711859 PMCID: PMC11071120 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Delineating the intricate interplay between promoter-proximal and -distal regulators is crucial for understanding the function of transcriptional mediator complexes implicated in the regulation of gene expression. The present study aimed to develop a computational method for accurately modeling the spatial proximal and distal regulatory interactions. Our method combined regression-based models to identify key regulators through gene expression prediction and a graph-embedding approach to detect coregulated genes. This approach enabled a detailed investigation of the gene regulatory mechanisms for germinal center B cells, accompanied by dramatic rearrangements of the genome structure. We found that while the promoter-proximal regulatory elements were the principal regulators of gene expression, the distal regulators fine-tuned transcription. Moreover, our approach unveiled the presence of modular regulators, such as cofactors and proximal/distal transcription factors, which were co-expressed with their target genes. Some of these modules exhibited abnormal expression patterns in lymphoma. These findings suggest that the dysregulation of interactions between transcriptional and architectural factors is associated with chromatin reorganization failure, which may increase the risk of malignancy. Therefore, our computational approach helps decipher the transcriptional cis-regulatory code spatially interacting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Joon Park
- Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | - Kenta Nakai
- Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
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7
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Hellmuth JC, Koch R, Weigert O. [Targeted therapies in the management of malignant lymphoma - is the end of conventional chemotherapy near?]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2024; 149:621-629. [PMID: 38749438 DOI: 10.1055/a-2160-5353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Advances in the understanding of the biology of malignant lymphoma has facilitated the development of numerous molecularly targeted therapies. The incorporation of these precision therapeutics has produced more effective and often less-toxic treatment regimens leading to a significant improvement of treatment outcomes for individuals with lymphoid malignancies.In relapsed diseases, molecularly targeted therapeutic approaches have demonstrated superior outcomes compared to conventional chemotherapy, leading to a growing number of patients being treated entirely chemotherapy-free. This review outlines the current landscape of targeted therapies for both B-cell (B-NHL) and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (T-NHL) and provides an overview of targeted agents currently approved for the treatment of malignant lymphoma.
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8
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Romero P, Richart L, Aflaki S, Petitalot A, Burton M, Michaud A, Masliah-Planchon J, Kuhnowski F, Le Cam S, Baliñas-Gavira C, Méaudre C, Luscan A, Hamza A, Legoix P, Vincent-Salomon A, Wassef M, Holoch D, Margueron R. EZH2 mutations in follicular lymphoma distort H3K27me3 profiles and alter transcriptional responses to PRC2 inhibition. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3452. [PMID: 38658543 PMCID: PMC11043461 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47701-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in chromatin regulators are widespread in cancer. Among them, the histone H3 lysine 27 methyltransferase Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) shows distinct alterations according to tumor type. This specificity is poorly understood. Here, we model several PRC2 alterations in one isogenic system to reveal their comparative effects. Focusing then on lymphoma-associated EZH2 mutations, we show that Ezh2Y641F induces aberrant H3K27 methylation patterns even without wild-type Ezh2, which are alleviated by partial PRC2 inhibition. Remarkably, Ezh2Y641F rewires the response to PRC2 inhibition, leading to induction of antigen presentation genes. Using a unique longitudinal follicular lymphoma cohort, we further link EZH2 status to abnormal H3K27 methylation. We also uncover unexpected variability in the mutational landscape of successive biopsies, pointing to frequent co-existence of different clones and cautioning against stratifying patients based on single sampling. Our results clarify how oncogenic PRC2 mutations disrupt chromatin and transcription, and the therapeutic vulnerabilities this creates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Romero
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
- Institut Curie, Department of Pathology, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Laia Richart
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Setareh Aflaki
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Ambre Petitalot
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Megan Burton
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Michaud
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Julien Masliah-Planchon
- Institut Curie, Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Genetics, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Kuhnowski
- Institut Curie, Department of Clinical Hematology, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Samuel Le Cam
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Carlos Baliñas-Gavira
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Céline Méaudre
- Institut Curie, Department of Pathology, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Armelle Luscan
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Abderaouf Hamza
- Institut Curie, Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Genetics, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Patricia Legoix
- Institut Curie, Genomics of Excellence (ICGex) Platform, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Anne Vincent-Salomon
- Institut Curie, Department of Pathology, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Michel Wassef
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Holoch
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.
| | - Raphaël Margueron
- Institut Curie, INSERM U934/CNRS UMR 3215, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.
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Peeters JGC, Silveria S, Ozdemir M, Ramachandran S, DuPage M. Increased EZH2 function in regulatory T cells promotes their capacity to suppress autoimmunity by driving effector differentiation prior to activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.588284. [PMID: 38645261 PMCID: PMC11030251 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The immunosuppressive function of regulatory T (Treg) cells is essential for maintaining immune homeostasis. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) methyltransferase, plays a key role in maintaining Treg cell function upon CD28 co-stimulation, and Ezh2 deletion in Treg cells causes autoimmunity. Here we assessed whether increased EZH2 activity in Treg cells would improve Treg cell function. Using an Ezh2 gain-of-function mutation, Ezh2 Y641F , we found that Treg cells expressing Ezh2 Y641F displayed an increased effector Treg phenotype and were poised for improved homing to organ tissues. Expression of Ezh2 Y641F in Treg cells led to more rapid remission from autoimmunity. H3K27me3 profiling and transcriptomic analysis revealed a redistribution of H3K27me3, which prompted a gene expression profile in naïve Ezh2 Y641F Treg cells that recapitulated aspects of CD28-activated Ezh2 WT Treg cells. Altogether, increased EZH2 activity promotes the differentiation of effector Treg cells that can better suppress autoimmunity. Highlights EZH2 function promotes effector differentiation of Treg cells.EZH2 function promotes Treg cell migration to organ tissues.EZH2 function in Treg cells improves remission from autoimmunity.EZH2 function poises naïve Treg cells to adopt a CD28-activated phenotype.
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Kaur P, Shankar E, Gupta S. EZH2-mediated development of therapeutic resistance in cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 586:216706. [PMID: 38331087 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216706] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) regulates gene expression and plays a definite role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and senescence. Overexpression of EZH2 has been found in various human malignancies, including prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers, and is associated with increased metastasis and poor prognosis. EZH2 catalyzes trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) as a canonical role in a PRC2-dependent manner. This mechanism silences various tumor suppressor genes through EZH2-mediated histone lysine methyltransferase activity. As a non-canonical role, EZH2 partners with other signaling molecules to undergo post-translational modification to orchestrate its function as a co-activator playing a critical role in cancer progression. Dysregulation of EZH2 has also been associated with therapeutic resistance in cancer cells. Given the role of EZH2 in promoting carcinogenesis and therapy resistance, both canonical and non-canonical EZH2 inhibitors have been used to combat multiple cancer types. Moreover, combining EZH2 inhibitors with other therapeutic modalities have shown to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and overcome potential resistance mechanisms in these cancerous cells. Therefore, targeting EZH2 through canonical and non-canonical modes appears to be a promising therapeutic strategy to enhance efficacy and overcome resistance in multiple cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parminder Kaur
- Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; The Urology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA.
| | - Eswar Shankar
- Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Sanjay Gupta
- Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; The Urology Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44016, USA; Division of General Medical Sciences, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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11
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Gao Y, Vakoc CR. Therapeutic index of targeting select chromatin complexes in human cancer patients. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2024; 85:102162. [PMID: 38401489 PMCID: PMC11072572 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2024.102162] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant chromatin regulation can promote the initiation and progression of human cancer. An improved understanding of such mechanisms has resulted in the identification of cancers with an enhanced dependency on specific chromatin regulatory proteins relative to nonmalignant cell types. Hence, targeting of such complexes with small molecules has significant therapeutic potential in oncology. In recent years, several drugs have been developed and evaluated in human cancer patients, which can influence tumor biology by reprogramming of chromatin structure. In this review, we summarize several of the known mechanisms that endow cancer cells with a powerful dependency on chromatin regulation that exceeds the requirements for normal tissue homeostasis. We also summarize the remarkable small-molecule inhibitors that exploit chromatin regulator dependencies with a clear therapeutic benefit in human cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA. https://twitter.com/@yuangao_yg
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12
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Longhurst AD, Wang K, Suresh HG, Ketavarapu M, Ward HN, Jones IR, Narayan V, Hundley FV, Hassan AZ, Boone C, Myers CL, Shen Y, Ramani V, Andrews BJ, Toczyski DP. The PRC2.1 Subcomplex Opposes G1 Progression through Regulation of CCND1 and CCND2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.18.585604. [PMID: 38562687 PMCID: PMC10983909 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.18.585604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle is the most highly regulated step in cellular division. We employed a chemogenomics approach to discover novel cellular networks that regulate cell cycle progression. This approach uncovered functional clusters of genes that altered sensitivity of cells to inhibitors of the G1/S transition. Mutation of components of the Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 rescued growth inhibition caused by the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib, but not to inhibitors of S phase or mitosis. In addition to its core catalytic subunits, mutation of the PRC2.1 accessory protein MTF2, but not the PRC2.2 protein JARID2, rendered cells resistant to palbociclib treatment. We found that PRC2.1 (MTF2), but not PRC2.2 (JARID2), was critical for promoting H3K27me3 deposition at CpG islands genome-wide and in promoters. This included the CpG islands in the promoter of the CDK4/6 cyclins CCND1 and CCND2, and loss of MTF2 lead to upregulation of both CCND1 and CCND2. Our results demonstrate a role for PRC2.1, but not PRC2.2, in promoting G1 progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Longhurst
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kyle Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Harsha Garadi Suresh
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Mythili Ketavarapu
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Henry N Ward
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USA
| | - Ian R Jones
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Graduate Program, University of California
| | - Vivek Narayan
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frances V Hundley
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Arshia Zernab Hassan
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USA
| | - Charles Boone
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chad L Myers
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate Program, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Blavatnik Institute of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yin Shen
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vijay Ramani
- Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brenda J Andrews
- The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David P Toczyski
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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13
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Liang Y, Wang H, Seija N, Lin YH, Tung LT, Di Noia JM, Langlais D, Nijnik A. B-cell intrinsic regulation of antibody mediated immunity by histone H2A deubiquitinase BAP1. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1353138. [PMID: 38529289 PMCID: PMC10961346 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1353138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction BAP1 is a deubiquitinase (DUB) of the Ubiquitin C-terminal Hydrolase (UCH) family that regulates gene expression and other cellular processes, through its direct catalytic activity on the repressive epigenetic mark histone H2AK119ub, as well as on several other substrates. BAP1 is also a highly important tumor suppressor, expressed and functional across many cell types and tissues. In recent work, we demonstrated a cell intrinsic role of BAP1 in the B cell lineage development in murine bone marrow, however the role of BAP1 in the regulation of B cell mediated humoral immune response has not been previously explored. Methods and results In the current study, we demonstrate that a B-cell intrinsic loss of BAP1 in activated B cells in the Bap1 fl/fl Cγ1-cre murine model results in a severe defect in antibody production, with altered dynamics of germinal centre B cell, memory B cell, and plasma cell numbers. At the cellular and molecular level, BAP1 was dispensable for B cell immunoglobulin class switching but resulted in an impaired proliferation of activated B cells, with genome-wide dysregulation in histone H2AK119ub levels and gene expression. Conclusion and discussion In summary, our study establishes the B-cell intrinsic role of BAP1 in antibody mediated immune response and indicates its central role in the regulation of the genome-wide landscapes of histone H2AK119ub and downstream transcriptional programs of B cell activation and humoral immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liang
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - HanChen Wang
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Noé Seija
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Molecular Biology Programs, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yun Hsiao Lin
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lin Tze Tung
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Javier M. Di Noia
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Molecular Biology Programs, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David Langlais
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anastasia Nijnik
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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14
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Goleij P, Sanaye PM, Babamohamadi M, Tabari MAK, Amirian R, Rezaee A, Mirzaei H, Kumar AP, Sethi G, Sadreddini S, Jeandet P, Khan H. Phytostilbenes in lymphoma: Focuses on the mechanistic and clinical prospects of resveratrol, pterostilbene, piceatannol, and pinosylvin. Leuk Res 2024; 138:107464. [PMID: 38422882 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2024.107464] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Lymphoma is a cancer affecting the lymphatic system that fights infections and diseases. In addition to surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, novel approaches have recently been investigated, such as phytostilbenes in treating lymphoma. Phytostilbenes are natural compounds present in various plants and have been shown to have different therapeutic effects, including anticancer properties. Resveratrol is a main phytostilbene with various derivates followed by pterostilbene and piceatannol. Studies have revealed that phytostilbenes can suppress the growth and proliferation of lymphoma cells by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting specific enzyme activity in cancer cell survival. The compounds also have antiinflammatory effects contributing to reducing lymphoma-associated inflammation. Additionally, phytostilbenes have been shown to increase the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells by activating immune cells (T-cells and natural killer cells). This review investigates the potential therapeutic effects of phytostilbenes, including resveratrol, pterostilbene, piceatannol, and pinosylvin, against lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouya Goleij
- Department of Genetics, Sana Institute of Higher Education, Sari, Iran; PhytoPharmacology Interest Group (PPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Pantea Majma Sanaye
- PhytoPharmacology Interest Group (PPIG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran; USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mehregan Babamohamadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Khazeei Tabari
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; USERN Office, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Roshanak Amirian
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Aryan Rezaee
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Alan Prem Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sarvin Sadreddini
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Philippe Jeandet
- University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Research Unit "Induced Resistance and Plant Bioprotection", RIBP-USC INRA 1488, Reims 51100, France
| | - Haroon Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
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15
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Liu J, Xing L, Li J, Wen K, Liu N, Liu Y, Wu G, Wang S, Ogiya D, Song TY, Kurata K, Penailillo J, Morelli E, Wang T, Hong X, Gulla A, Tai YT, Munshi N, Richardson P, Carrasco R, Hideshima T, Anderson KC. Epigenetic regulation of CD38/CD48 by KDM6A mediates NK cell response in multiple myeloma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1367. [PMID: 38355622 PMCID: PMC10866908 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45561-z] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies like Daratumumab (Dara) are effective in multiple myeloma (MM); however, drug resistance ultimately occurs and the mechanisms behind this are poorly understood. Here, we identify, via two in vitro genome-wide CRISPR screens probing Daratumumab resistance, KDM6A as an important regulator of sensitivity to Daratumumab-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Loss of KDM6A leads to increased levels of H3K27me3 on the promoter of CD38, resulting in a marked downregulation in CD38 expression, which may cause resistance to Daratumumab-mediated ADCC. Re-introducing CD38 does not reverse Daratumumab-mediated ADCC fully, which suggests that additional KDM6A targets, including CD48 which is also downregulated upon KDM6A loss, contribute to Daratumumab-mediated ADCC. Inhibition of H3K27me3 with an EZH2 inhibitor resulted in CD38 and CD48 upregulation and restored sensitivity to Daratumumab. These findings suggest KDM6A loss as a mechanism of Daratumumab resistance and lay down the proof of principle for the therapeutic application of EZH2 inhibitors, one of which is already FDA-approved, in improving MM responsiveness to Daratumumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiye Liu
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Lijie Xing
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China
| | - Jiang Li
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Kenneth Wen
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ning Liu
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Marine Bio-Pharmacology, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Yuntong Liu
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Gongwei Wu
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Su Wang
- Vertex pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA, 02210, USA
| | - Daisuke Ogiya
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Isehara, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Tian-Yu Song
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Keiji Kurata
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Johany Penailillo
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Eugenio Morelli
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Tingjian Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Xiaoning Hong
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Annamaria Gulla
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo (TO), 10060, Italy
| | - Yu-Tzu Tai
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nikhil Munshi
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Paul Richardson
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ruben Carrasco
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Teru Hideshima
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Kenneth C Anderson
- Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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16
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Guo P, Lim RC, Rajawasam K, Trinh T, Sun H, Zhang H. A methylation-phosphorylation switch controls EZH2 stability and hematopoiesis. eLife 2024; 13:e86168. [PMID: 38346162 PMCID: PMC10901513 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) methylates H3K27 to regulate development and cell fate by transcriptional silencing. Alteration of PRC2 is associated with various cancers. Here, we show that mouse Kdm1a deletion causes a dramatic reduction of PRC2 proteins, whereas mouse null mutation of L3mbtl3 or Dcaf5 results in PRC2 accumulation and increased H3K27 trimethylation. The catalytic subunit of PRC2, EZH2, is methylated at lysine 20 (K20), promoting EZH2 proteolysis by L3MBTL3 and the CLR4DCAF5 ubiquitin ligase. KDM1A (LSD1) demethylates the methylated K20 to stabilize EZH2. K20 methylation is inhibited by AKT-mediated phosphorylation of serine 21 in EZH2. Mouse Ezh2K20R/K20R mutants develop hepatosplenomegaly associated with high GFI1B expression, and Ezh2K20R/K20R mutant bone marrows expand hematopoietic stem cells and downstream hematopoietic populations. Our studies reveal that EZH2 is regulated by methylation-dependent proteolysis, which is negatively controlled by AKT-mediated S21 phosphorylation to establish a methylation-phosphorylation switch to regulate the PRC2 activity and hematopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Guo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Rebecca C Lim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Keshari Rajawasam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Tiffany Trinh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Hong Sun
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, United States
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17
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Almasmoum HA. Molecular complexity of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a molecular perspective and therapeutic implications. J Appl Genet 2024; 65:57-72. [PMID: 38001281 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-023-00804-5] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) stands as a formidable challenge in the landscape of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. This review illuminates the remarkable strides made in comprehending DLBCL's molecular intricacies and devising targeted treatments. DLBCL, the most prevalent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, has seen transformative progress in its characterization. Genetic investigations, led by high-throughput sequencing, have unveiled recurrent mutations in genes such as MYC, BCL2, and BCL6, casting light on the underlying genetic chaos propelling DLBCL's aggressiveness. A pivotal facet of this understanding centers on cell signaling pathways. Dysregulation of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT, Wnt/β-Catenin, and Toll-like receptor pathways plays a critical role in DLBCL pathogenesis, offering potential therapeutic targets. DLBCL's complex tumor microenvironment (TME) cannot be overlooked. The dynamic interplay among tumor cells, immune cells, stromal components, and the extracellular matrix profoundly influences DLBCL's course and response to therapies. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone changes, add another layer of intricacy. Aberrant epigenetic regulation plays a significant role in lymphomagenesis, offering prospects for epigenetic-based therapies. Promisingly, these molecular insights have spurred the development of personalized treatments. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies, guided by genomic profiling and molecular classification, are emerging as game-changers in DLBCL management. In conclusion, this review underscores the remarkable strides in understanding DLBCL's molecular underpinnings, spanning genetics, cell signaling, the tumor microenvironment, and epigenetics. These advances pave the way for more effective, personalized treatments, renewing hope for DLBCL patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hibah Ali Almasmoum
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
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18
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Song C, Kim MY, Cho JY. The Role of Protein Methyltransferases in Immunity. Molecules 2024; 29:360. [PMID: 38257273 PMCID: PMC10819338 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29020360] [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: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune system protects our body from bacteria, viruses, and toxins and removes malignant cells. Activation of immune cells requires the onset of a network of important signaling proteins. Methylation of these proteins affects their structure and biological function. Under stimulation, T cells, B cells, and other immune cells undergo activation, development, proliferation, differentiation, and manufacture of cytokines and antibodies. Methyltransferases alter the above processes and lead to diverse outcomes depending on the degree and type of methylation. In the previous two decades, methyltransferases have been reported to mediate a great variety of immune stages. Elucidating the roles of methylation in immunity not only contributes to understanding the immune mechanism but is helpful in the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies. Hence, we review herein the studies on methylation in immunity, aiming to provide ideas for new approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoran Song
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
| | - Mi-Yeon Kim
- School of Systems Biomedical Science, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Youl Cho
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea;
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19
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Bradley T, Davis M, Martin J, Woodward S. Safety in Subsequent Lines of Therapy in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma. J Adv Pract Oncol 2024; 15:33-48. [PMID: 39055366 PMCID: PMC11173662 DOI: 10.6004/jadpro.2024.15.1.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a disease often characterized by chronic and successive relapses after first-line chemoimmunotherapy. Although chemoimmunotherapy and combination therapy, such as lenalidomide with rituximab, are well established in the treatment sequence of FL, there is a need to streamline treatment options and determine placement of novel agents, such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, an enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibitor, or a phosphoinositide 3 kinase inhibitor, into the treatment landscape. As such, the purpose of this review is to compare the safety profiles of approved agents in subsequent lines of therapy for relapsed or refractory FL and to assess how the management of adverse events may impact treatment choice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julie Martin
- Prisma Health–Upstate Cancer Institute, Greenville, South Carolina
| | - Susan Woodward
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
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20
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Shyu JY, Schlag PA, Karwowska SM, Manohar CF, Truong HM, Longshore JW, Zhang G. Performance of the cobas EZH2 mutation test on clinical samples from non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292251. [PMID: 38096164 PMCID: PMC10721068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To present the technical verification and clinical validation of the companion diagnostic assay, cobas® EZH2 Mutation Test (cobas EZH2 Test), targeting gain-of-function EZH2 mutations in follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The focus is on patient clinical samples proving that the test met the performance criteria required for FDA approval of a companion diagnostic test. DESIGN Epizyme, Inc., Eisai Co., Ltd., and Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., collaborated to develop the cobas EZH2 Test on an RT-PCR platform. The assay design needed to detect the gain-of-function EZH2 mutations found in FL and DLBCL indications. Thus, the test was optimized for investigational purposes in a clinical trial setting. Part of its technical verification included testing of patient tumor samples with a documented diagnosis of FL and DLBCL procured from commercial vendors, and the clinical validation used patient samples from the Epizyme clinical study. Both the technical performance verification method correlation study (104 clinical commercially acquired samples) and the clinical validation accuracy study (341 patient samples from the therapeutic study) used next-generation sequencing as a reference method to establish true vs. false results by cobas EZH2 Test. The reproducibility study used a 15-member panel of DNA samples with varying EZH2 mutation status from procured clinical FL and DLBCL patient samples under multiple variables. RESULTS Single and rare, infrequent double EZH2 mutations were detected in FL and DLBCL samples. Agreements between results from cobas EZH2 and sequencing were >98% from commercial clinical samples and from the therapeutic study clinical samples. The reproducibility study obtained 178 to 180 valid results for each panel member, with an overall invalid rate of 0.37%. The agreement for each per panel member was 100%. CONCLUSION cobas EZH2 Test data demonstrated that the test is reliable and will perform well in a commercial customer environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny Y. Shyu
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, California, United States of America
| | - Peter A. Schlag
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, California, United States of America
| | - Sylwia M. Karwowska
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, California, United States of America
| | - Chitra F. Manohar
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, California, United States of America
| | - Huan M. Truong
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, California, United States of America
| | - John W. Longshore
- Carolinas Pathology Group and Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Guili Zhang
- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, California, United States of America
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21
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Bsteh D, Moussa HF, Michlits G, Yelagandula R, Wang J, Elling U, Bell O. Loss of cohesin regulator PDS5A reveals repressive role of Polycomb loops. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8160. [PMID: 38071364 PMCID: PMC10710464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43869-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Polycomb Repressive Complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1, PRC2) are conserved epigenetic regulators that promote transcriptional gene silencing. PRC1 and PRC2 converge on shared targets, catalyzing repressive histone modifications. Additionally, a subset of PRC1/PRC2 targets engage in long-range interactions whose functions in gene silencing are poorly understood. Using a CRISPR screen in mouse embryonic stem cells, we found that the cohesin regulator PDS5A links transcriptional silencing by Polycomb and 3D genome organization. PDS5A deletion impairs cohesin unloading and results in derepression of a subset of endogenous PRC1/PRC2 target genes. Importantly, derepression is not linked to loss of Polycomb chromatin domains. Instead, PDS5A removal causes aberrant cohesin activity leading to ectopic insulation sites, which disrupt the formation of ultra-long Polycomb loops. We show that these loops are important for robust silencing at a subset of PRC1/PRC2 target genes and that maintenance of cohesin-dependent genome architecture is critical for Polycomb regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bsteh
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hagar F Moussa
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Georg Michlits
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- JLP Health GmbH, Himmelhofgasse 62, 1130, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ramesh Yelagandula
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Cell Fate & Disease, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Uppal, Hyderabad, 500039, India
| | - Jingkui Wang
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Elling
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Bell
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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22
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Trouth A, Ravichandran K, Gafken PR, Martire S, Namciu SJ, Banaszynski LA, Sarthy JF, Ramachandran I. G1 length dictates heterochromatin landscape. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570186. [PMID: 38106207 PMCID: PMC10723301 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Stem cells have lower facultative heterochromatin as defined by trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) compared to differentiated cells, however, the underlying mechanism for this observation has been unknown. Because H3K27me3 levels are diluted two-fold in every round of replication and then restored through the rest of the cycle, we reasoned that the cell cycle length could determine the time available for setting total H3K27me3 levels. Here, we demonstrate that a fast cell cycle sets low levels of H3K27me3 in serum-grown murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Extending the G1 phase leads to an increase in global H3K27me3 in mESCs due to the formation of de novo Polycomb domains, and the length of the G1/S block correlates with the extent of gain in H3K27me3, arguing that levels of the modification depend on the time available between successive rounds of replication. Similarly, accelerating the cell cycle in HEK293 cells decreases H3K27me3 levels. Finally, we applied this principle in tumor cells that, due to the dominant negative effect of the sub-stoichiometric H3K27M mutant, have reduced H3K27me3. Here, extending G1 using Palbociclib increased H3K27me3 levels, pointing to an unexpected means to rescue the effect of oncohistones. Our results suggest cell cycle length as a universal mechanism to modulate heterochromatin formation and, thus, cellular identity.
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23
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Tabatabai A, Arora A, Höfmann S, Jauch M, von Tresckow B, Hansen J, Flümann R, Jachimowicz RD, Klein S, Reinhardt HC, Knittel G. Mouse models of diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1313371. [PMID: 38124747 PMCID: PMC10731046 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1313371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genetically highly heterogeneous disease. Yet, to date, the vast majority of patients receive standardized frontline chemo-immune-therapy consisting of an anthracycline backbone. Using these regimens, approximately 65% of patients can be cured, whereas the remaining 35% of patients will face relapsed or refractory disease, which, even in the era of CAR-T cells, is difficult to treat. To systematically tackle this high medical need, it is important to design, generate and deploy suitable in vivo model systems that capture disease biology, heterogeneity and drug response. Recently published, large comprehensive genomic characterization studies, which defined molecular sub-groups of DLBCL, provide an ideal framework for the generation of autochthonous mouse models, as well as an ideal benchmark for cell line-derived or patient-derived mouse models of DLBCL. Here we discuss the current state of the art in the field of mouse modelling of human DLBCL, with a particular focus on disease biology and genetically defined molecular vulnerabilities, as well as potential targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areya Tabatabai
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Aastha Arora
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Svenja Höfmann
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Maximilian Jauch
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bastian von Tresckow
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Julia Hansen
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Mildred Scheel School of Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (MSSO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ruth Flümann
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Mildred Scheel School of Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (MSSO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ron D. Jachimowicz
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Response in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Mildred Scheel School of Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (MSSO ABCD), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sebastian Klein
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Hans Christian Reinhardt
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Gero Knittel
- Department of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University Hospital Essen, West German Cancer Center, German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Essen, Center for Molecular Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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24
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Aziz N, Hong YH, Kim HG, Kim JH, Cho JY. Tumor-suppressive functions of protein lysine methyltransferases. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:2475-2497. [PMID: 38036730 PMCID: PMC10766653 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01117-7] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein lysine methyltransferases (PKMTs) play crucial roles in histone and nonhistone modifications, and their dysregulation has been linked to the development and progression of cancer. While the majority of studies have focused on the oncogenic functions of PKMTs, extensive evidence has indicated that these enzymes also play roles in tumor suppression by regulating the stability of p53 and β-catenin, promoting α-tubulin-mediated genomic stability, and regulating the transcription of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Despite their contradictory roles in tumorigenesis, many PKMTs have been identified as potential therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. However, PKMT inhibitors may have unintended negative effects depending on the specific cancer type and target enzyme. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively summarize the tumor-suppressive effects of PKMTs and to provide new insights into the development of anticancer drugs targeting PKMTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Aziz
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Yo Han Hong
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Gyung Kim
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ji Hye Kim
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae Youl Cho
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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25
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Huang Y, Durall RT, Luong NM, Hertzler HJ, Huang J, Gokhale PC, Leeper BA, Persky NS, Root DE, Anekal PV, Montero Llopis PD, David CN, Kutok JL, Raimondi A, Saluja K, Luo J, Zahnow CA, Adane B, Stegmaier K, Hawkins CE, Ponne C, Le Q, Shapiro GI, Lemieux ME, Eagen KP, French CA. EZH2 Cooperates with BRD4-NUT to Drive NUT Carcinoma Growth by Silencing Key Tumor Suppressor Genes. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3956-3973. [PMID: 37747726 PMCID: PMC10843040 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1475] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
NUT carcinoma is an aggressive carcinoma driven by the BRD4-NUT fusion oncoprotein, which activates chromatin to promote expression of progrowth genes. BET bromodomain inhibitors (BETi) are a promising treatment for NUT carcinoma that can impede BRD4-NUT's ability to activate genes, but the efficacy of BETi as monotherapy is limited. Here, we demonstrated that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), which silences genes through establishment of repressive chromatin, is a dependency in NUT carcinoma. Inhibition of EZH2 with the clinical compound tazemetostat potently blocked growth of NUT carcinoma cells. Epigenetic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that tazemetostat reversed the EZH2-specific H3K27me3 silencing mark and restored expression of multiple tumor suppressor genes while having no effect on key oncogenic BRD4-NUT-regulated genes. Indeed, H3K27me3 and H3K27ac domains were found to be mutually exclusive in NUT carcinoma cells. CDKN2A was identified as the only gene among all tazemetostat-derepressed genes to confer resistance to tazemetostat in a CRISPR-Cas9 screen. Combined inhibition of EZH2 and BET synergized to downregulate cell proliferation genes, resulting in more pronounced growth arrest and differentiation than either inhibitor alone. In preclinical models, combined tazemetostat and BETi synergistically blocked tumor growth and prolonged survival of NUT carcinoma-xenografted mice, with complete remission without relapse in one cohort. Identification of EZH2 as a dependency in NUT carcinoma substantiates the reliance of NUT carcinoma tumor cells on epigenetic dysregulation of functionally opposite, yet highly complementary, chromatin regulatory pathways to maintain NUT carcinoma growth. SIGNIFICANCE Repression of tumor suppressor genes, including CDKN2A, by EZH2 provides a mechanistic rationale for combining EZH2 and BET inhibitors for the clinical treatment of NUT carcinoma. See related commentary by Kazansky and Kentsis, p. 3827.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeying Huang
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R. Taylor Durall
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nhi M. Luong
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hans J. Hertzler
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julianna Huang
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prafulla C. Gokhale
- Experimental Therapeutics Core and Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brittaney A. Leeper
- Experimental Therapeutics Core and Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - David E. Root
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Praju V. Anekal
- MicRoN, Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Karan Saluja
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jia Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cynthia A. Zahnow
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Biniam Adane
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine E. Hawkins
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher Ponne
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Quan Le
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Geoffrey I. Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Kyle P. Eagen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher A. French
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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Lu S, Zeng L, Mo G, Lei D, Li Y, Ou G, Wu H, Sun J, Rong C, He S, Zhong D, Ke Q, Zhang Q, Tan X, Cen H, Xie X, Liao C. Long non-coding RNA SNHG17 may function as a competitive endogenous RNA in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma progression by sponging miR-34a-5p. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294729. [PMID: 37988356 PMCID: PMC10662735 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294729] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the functional mechanism of long non-coding small nucleolar host gene 17 (SNHG17) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). lncRNAs related to the prognosis of patients with DLBCL were screened to analyze long non-coding small nucleolar host gene 17 (SNHG17) expression in DLBCL and normal tissues, and a nomogram established for predicting DLBCL prognosis. SNHG17 expression in B-cell lymphoma cells was detected using qPCR. The effects of SNHG17 with/without doxorubicin on the proliferation and apoptosis of DoHH2 and Daudi were detected. The effects of combined SNHG17 and doxorubicin were analyzed. The regulatory function of SNHG17 in DLBCL was investigated using a mouse tumor xenotransplantation model. RNA sequencing was used to analyze the signaling pathways involved in SNHG17 knockdown in B-cell lymphoma cell lines. The target relationships among SNHG17, microRNA, and downstream mRNA biomolecules were detected. A higher SNHG17 level predicted a lower survival rate. SNHG17 was highly expressed in DLBCL patient tissues and cell lines. We established a prognostic model containing SNHG17 expression, which could effectively predict the overall survival rate of DLBCL patients. SNHG17 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of B-cell lymphoma cells, and the combination of SNHG17 and doxorubicin had a synergistic effect. SNHG17, miR-34a-5p, and ZESTE gene enhancer homolog 2 (EZH2) had common hypothetical binding sites, and the luciferase reporter assay verified that miR-34a-5p was the direct target of SNHG17, and EZH2 was the direct target of miR-34a-5p. The carcinogenic function of SNHG17 in the proliferation and apoptosis of DLBCL cells was partially reversed by a miR-34a-5p inhibitor. SNHG17 increases EZH2 levels by inhibiting miR-34a-5p. Our findings indicate SNHG17 as critical for promoting DLBCL progression by regulating the EZH2 signaling pathway and sponging miR-34a-5p. These findings provide a new prognostic marker and therapeutic target for the prognosis and treatment of DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjuan Lu
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Lin Zeng
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Guojun Mo
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Danqing Lei
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yuanhong Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Guodi Ou
- Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Hailian Wu
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Chao Rong
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Sha He
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Dani Zhong
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Qing Ke
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Qingmei Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Pre-clinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment of Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaohong Tan
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Hong Cen
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaoxun Xie
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Pre-clinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment of Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, China
| | - Chengcheng Liao
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China
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27
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Brauge B, Dessauge E, Creusat F, Tarte K. Modeling the crosstalk between malignant B cells and their microenvironment in B-cell lymphomas: challenges and opportunities. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1288110. [PMID: 38022603 PMCID: PMC10652758 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1288110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
B-cell lymphomas are a group of heterogeneous neoplasms resulting from the clonal expansion of mature B cells arrested at various stages of differentiation. Specifically, two lymphoma subtypes arise from germinal centers (GCs), namely follicular lymphoma (FL) and GC B-cell diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GCB-DLBCL). In addition to recent advances in describing the genetic landscape of FL and GCB-DLBCL, tumor microenvironment (TME) has progressively emerged as a central determinant of early lymphomagenesis, subclonal evolution, and late progression/transformation. The lymphoma-supportive niche integrates a dynamic and coordinated network of immune and stromal cells defining microarchitecture and mechanical constraints and regulating tumor cell migration, survival, proliferation, and immune escape. Several questions are still unsolved regarding the interplay between lymphoma B cells and their TME, including the mechanisms supporting these bidirectional interactions, the impact of the kinetic and spatial heterogeneity of the tumor niche on B-cell heterogeneity, and how individual genetic alterations can trigger both B-cell intrinsic and B-cell extrinsic signals driving the reprogramming of non-malignant cells. Finally, it is not clear whether these interactions might promote resistance to treatment or, conversely, offer valuable therapeutic opportunities. A major challenge in addressing these questions is the lack of relevant models integrating tumor cells with specific genetic hits, non-malignant cells with adequate functional properties and organization, extracellular matrix, and biomechanical forces. We propose here an overview of the 3D in vitro models, xenograft approaches, and genetically-engineered mouse models recently developed to study GC B-cell lymphomas with a specific focus on the pros and cons of each strategy in understanding B-cell lymphomagenesis and evaluating new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Brauge
- UMR 1236, Univ Rennes, INSERM, Etablissement Français du Sang Bretagne, Equipe Labellisée Ligue, Rennes, France
| | - Elise Dessauge
- UMR 1236, Univ Rennes, INSERM, Etablissement Français du Sang Bretagne, Equipe Labellisée Ligue, Rennes, France
| | - Florent Creusat
- UMR 1236, Univ Rennes, INSERM, Etablissement Français du Sang Bretagne, Equipe Labellisée Ligue, Rennes, France
| | - Karin Tarte
- UMR 1236, Univ Rennes, INSERM, Etablissement Français du Sang Bretagne, Equipe Labellisée Ligue, Rennes, France
- SITI Laboratory, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Rennes, Etablissement Français du sang, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
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28
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Hilton LK, Scott DW, Morin RD. Biological heterogeneity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Semin Hematol 2023; 60:267-276. [PMID: 38151380 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminhematol.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is heterogeneous both in clinical outcomes and the underlying disease biology. Over the last 2 decades, several different approaches for dissecting biological heterogeneity have emerged. Gene expression profiling (GEP) stratifies DLBCL into 3 broad groups (ABC, GCB, and DZsig/MHG), each with parallels to different normal mature B cell developmental states and prognostic implications. More recently, several different genomic approaches have been developed to categorize DLBCL based on the co-occurrence of tumor somatic mutations, identifying more granular biologically unified subgroups that complement GEP-based approaches. We review the molecular approaches and clinical evidence supporting the stratification of DLBCL patients based on tumor biology. By offering a platform for subtype-guided therapy, these divisions remain a promising avenue for improving patient outcomes, especially in subgroups with inferior outcomes with current standard-of-care therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K Hilton
- BC Cancer Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
| | - David W Scott
- BC Cancer Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.; Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ryan D Morin
- BC Cancer Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada; Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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29
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Briest F, Noerenberg D, Hennch C, Yoshida K, Hablesreiter R, Nimo J, Sasca D, Kirchner M, Mansouri L, Inoue Y, Wiegand L, Staiger AM, Casadei B, Korkolopoulou P, Weiner J, Lopez-Guillermo A, Warth A, Schneider T, Nagy Á, Klapper W, Hummel M, Kanellis G, Anagnostopoulos I, Mertins P, Bullinger L, Rosenquist R, Vassilakopoulos TP, Ott G, Ogawa S, Damm F. Frequent ZNF217 mutations lead to transcriptional deregulation of interferon signal transduction via altered chromatin accessibility in B cell lymphoma. Leukemia 2023; 37:2237-2249. [PMID: 37648814 PMCID: PMC10624633 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-02013-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent exome-wide studies discovered frequent somatic mutations in the epigenetic modifier ZNF217 in primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBCL) and related disorders. As functional consequences of ZNF217 alterations remain unknown, we comprehensively evaluated their impact in PMBCL. Targeted sequencing identified genetic lesions affecting ZNF217 in 33% of 157 PMBCL patients. Subsequent gene expression profiling (n = 120) revealed changes in cytokine and interferon signal transduction in ZNF217-aberrant PMBCL cases. In vitro, knockout of ZNF217 led to changes in chromatin accessibility interfering with binding motifs for crucial lymphoma-associated transcription factors. This led to disturbed expression of interferon-responsive and inflammation-associated genes, altered cell behavior, and aberrant differentiation. Mass spectrometry demonstrates that ZNF217 acts within a histone modifier complex containing LSD1, CoREST and HDAC and interferes with H3K4 methylation and H3K27 acetylation. Concluding, our data suggest non-catalytic activity of ZNF217, which directs histone modifier complex function and controls B cell differentiation-associated patterns of chromatin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Briest
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Noerenberg
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cornelius Hennch
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kenichi Yoshida
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Cancer Genome Project Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Raphael Hablesreiter
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jose Nimo
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Sasca
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marieluise Kirchner
- Core Unit Proteomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Larry Mansouri
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yoshikage Inoue
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Laura Wiegand
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette M Staiger
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany
- Dr Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology Stuttgart, and University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Beatrice Casadei
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Penelope Korkolopoulou
- First Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - January Weiner
- Core Unit Bioinformatics Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Arne Warth
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Ákos Nagy
- HCEMM-SE Molecular Oncohematology Research Group, Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Wolfram Klapper
- Department of Pathology, Hematopathology Section and Lymph Node Registry, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Hummel
- Department of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - George Kanellis
- Department of Hematopathology, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Anagnostopoulos
- Department of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University of Würzburg and Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) Mainfranken, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Mertins
- Core Unit Proteomics, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Bullinger
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Richard Rosenquist
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Theodoros P Vassilakopoulos
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - German Ott
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Seishi Ogawa
- Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Medicine, Centre for Haematology and Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frederik Damm
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Virchow, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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30
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Polmear J, Hailes L, Olshansky M, Rischmueller M, L'Estrange‐Stranieri E, Fletcher AL, Hibbs ML, Bryant VL, Good‐Jacobson KL. Targeting BMI-1 to deplete antibody-secreting cells in autoimmunity. Clin Transl Immunology 2023; 12:e1470. [PMID: 37799772 PMCID: PMC10550498 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives B cells drive the production of autoreactive antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) in autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome, causing long-term organ damage. Current treatments for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases target B cells or broadly suppress the immune system. However, pre-existing long-lived ASCs are often refractory to treatment, leaving a reservoir of autoreactive cells that continue to produce antibodies. Therefore, the development of novel treatment methods targeting ASCs is vital to improve patient outcomes. Our objective was to test whether targeting the epigenetic regulator BMI-1 could deplete ASCs in autoimmune conditions in vivo and in vitro. Methods Use of a BMI-1 inhibitor in both mouse and human autoimmune settings was investigated. Lyn -/- mice, a model of SLE, were treated with the BMI-1 small molecule inhibitor PTC-028, before assessment of ASCs, serum antibody and immune complexes. To examine human ASC survival, a novel human fibroblast-based assay was established, and the impact of PTC-028 on ASCs derived from Sjögren's syndrome patients was evaluated. Results BMI-1 inhibition significantly decreased splenic and bone marrow ASCs in Lyn -/- mice. The decline in ASCs was linked to aberrant cell cycle gene expression and led to a significant decrease in serum IgG3, immune complexes and anti-DNA IgG. PTC-028 was also efficacious in reducing ex vivo plasma cell survival from both Sjögren's syndrome patients and age-matched healthy donors. Conclusion These data provide evidence that inhibiting BMI-1 can deplete ASC in a variety of contexts and thus BMI-1 is a viable therapeutic target for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Polmear
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
| | - Lauren Hailes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
| | - Moshe Olshansky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
| | - Maureen Rischmueller
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Basil Hetzel InstituteWoodville SouthSAAustralia
- Adelaide Medical SchoolUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSAAustralia
| | | | - Anne L Fletcher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
| | - Margaret L Hibbs
- Department of Immunology, Alfred Research AllianceMonash UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Vanessa L Bryant
- Immunology DivisionWalter & Eliza Hall InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
- Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
- Department of Clinical Immunology & AllergyThe Royal Melbourne HospitalParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Kim L Good‐Jacobson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
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31
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Xu Y, He Z, Du J, Chen Z, Creemers JWM, Wang B, Li F, Wang Y. Epigenetic modulations of immune cells: from normal development to tumor progression. Int J Biol Sci 2023; 19:5120-5144. [PMID: 37928272 PMCID: PMC10620821 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.88327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The dysfunction of immune cell development often impairs immunological homeostasis, thus causing various human diseases. Accumulating evidence shows that the development of different immune cells from hematopoietic stem cells are highly fine-tuned by different epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling and RNA-related regulations. Understanding how epigenetic regulators modulate normal development of immune cells contributes to the identification of new strategies for various diseases. Here, we review recent advances suggesting that epigenetic modulations can orchestrate immune cell development and functions through their impact on critical gene expression. We also discuss the aberrations of epigenetic modulations in immune cells that influence tumor progression, and the fact that underlying mechanisms affect how epigenetic drugs interfere with tumor progression in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanchun Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of nursing, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zongsheng He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Du
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Bin Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fan Li
- Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yaling Wang
- Department of nursing, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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32
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He C, Zhou W, Jin X, Zhou H. Derepressing of STAT3 and USP7 contributes to resistance of DLBCL to EZH2 inhibition. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20650. [PMID: 37829803 PMCID: PMC10565777 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common subtype of lymphoma, representing ∼25 % of non-Hodgkin lymphoid malignancies. EZH2 is highly expressed in Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and ∼22 % of patients contain EZH2 mutations. EZH2 have been studied as a potential therapeutic target for a decade, but efficient inhibition of EZH2 did not robustly kill lymphoma cells. Here, we found that EZH2 mediates repression of oncogenic genes STAT3 and USP7 in Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells. Inhibition of EZH2 leads to upregulation of STAT3 and USP7 at both RNA and protein levels. Along with USP7 upregulation, MDM2 is upregulated and its ubiquitylation substrate, Tumor suppressor P53, is downregulated. Upregulation of STAT3 and downregulation of p53 can strength cell proliferation and prevent cells from apoptosis, which suggests resistance mechanisms by which cells survive EZH2 inhibition-induced cell death. Short-course co-inhibition of USP7 and EZH2 showed increased apoptosis and cell proliferation prevention with the concentration as low as 0.08 μM. In STAT3 and USP7 depleted cells, EZH2 inhibition shows superior efficacy of apoptosis, and in EZH2 depleted cells, USP7 inhibition also shows superior efficacy of apoptosis. Thus, our findings suggest a new precision therapy by combinational inhibition of EZH2 with STAT3 or USP7 for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyun He
- Affililated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenbin Zhou
- East Hospital of Shaoyang Central Hospital Medical Group, Shaoyang, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoxia Jin
- Affililated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haining Zhou
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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33
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Matarasso S, Assouline S. Mosunetuzumab and the emerging role of T-cell-engaging therapy in follicular lymphoma. Future Oncol 2023; 19:2083-2101. [PMID: 37882361 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2023-0274] [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] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent lymphoma. Since the advent of rituximab, FL has seen a progressive improvement in patient prognosis. While chemotherapy combined with an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody remains standard first-line therapy, most patients will relapse and require subsequent therapy. T-cell-redirecting therapies can be very potent and are transforming the therapeutic landscape in the relapsed and refractory (R/R) setting. T-cell-dependent bispecific antibodies, of which mosunetuzumab is the first to be approved for R/R FL, are proving to be a highly effective, 'off-the-shelf' option with manageable toxicities. This review covers approved treatments for R/R FL and focuses on preclinical and clinical data available for mosunetuzumab (Lunsumio™), with the goal of determining its role in the treatment of R/R FL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Matarasso
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Cote Ste Catherine, E725, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Sarit Assouline
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, 3755 Cote Ste Catherine, E725, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2, Canada
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34
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Fernández S, Díaz E, Rita CG, Estévez M, Montalbán C, García JF. BET inhibitors induce NF-κB and E2F downregulation in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells. Exp Cell Res 2023; 430:113718. [PMID: 37468057 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113718] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The prognosis of patients with relapsed and/or refractory classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) continues to be poor. Therefore, there is a continuing need to develop novel therapies and to rationalize the use of target combinations. In recent years there has been growing interest in epigenetic targets for hematological malignancies under the rationale of the presence of common alterations in epigenetic transcriptional regulation. Since Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells have frequent inactivating mutations of the CREBBP and EP300 acetyltransferases, bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors can be a rational therapy for cHL. Here we aimed to confirm the efficacy of BET inhibitors (iBETs) using representative cell models and functional experiments, and to further explore biological mechanisms under iBET treatment using whole-transcriptome analyses. Our results reveal cytostatic rather than cytotoxic activity through the induction of G1/S and G2/M cell-cycle arrest, in addition to variable MYC downregulation. Additionally, massive changes in the transcriptome induced by the treatment include downregulation of relevant pathways in cHL disease: NF-kB and E2F, among others. Our findings support the therapeutic use of iBETs in selected cHL patients and reveal previously unknown biological mechanisms and consequences of pan-BET inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fernández
- Translational Research Laboratory, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Díaz
- Translational Research Laboratory, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia G Rita
- Flow Cytometry Unit, Eurofins-Megalab, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Estévez
- Department of Hematology, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Montalbán
- Department of Hematology, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan F García
- Translational Research Laboratory, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Spain.
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35
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Zhu K, Xia Y, Tian X, He Y, Zhou J, Han R, Guo H, Song T, Chen L, Tian X. Characterization and therapeutic perspectives of differentiation-inducing therapy in malignant tumors. Front Genet 2023; 14:1271381. [PMID: 37745860 PMCID: PMC10514561 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1271381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major public health issue globally and is one of the leading causes of death. Although available treatments improve the survival rate of some cases, many advanced tumors are insensitive to these treatments. Cancer cell differentiation reverts the malignant phenotype to its original state and may even induce differentiation into cell types found in other tissues. Leveraging differentiation-inducing therapy in high-grade tumor masses offers a less aggressive strategy to curb tumor progression and heightens chemotherapy sensitivity. Differentiation-inducing therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in a variety of tumor cells. For example, differentiation therapy has become the first choice for acute promyelocytic leukemia, with the cure rate of more than 90%. Although an appealing concept, the mechanism and clinical drugs used in differentiation therapy are still in their nascent stage, warranting further investigation. In this review, we examine the current differentiation-inducing therapeutic approach and discuss the clinical applications as well as the underlying biological basis of differentiation-inducing agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangwei Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuren Xia
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xindi Tian
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuchao He
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Department of Biofunction Research, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Chiyoda, Japan
| | - Ruyu Han
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianqiang Song
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiangdong Tian
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
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36
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Barka A, Kohli RM, Shi J. CRISPR tiling screen reveals cancer epigenetic 'Goldilocks' state. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:555-557. [PMID: 37328396 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.05.007] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR tiling screens offer an efficient way to identify gain-of-function mutations in targets of cancer therapy. Recently, by utilizing these screens, Kwok et al. unexpectedly discovered mutations conferring drug addiction in lymphoma, revealing a requirement for a 'just right' window of histone methylation crucial for cancer survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksia Barka
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rahul M Kohli
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Junwei Shi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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37
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Kwok HS, Freedy AM, Siegenfeld AP, Morriss JW, Waterbury AL, Kissler SM, Liau BB. Drug addiction unveils a repressive methylation ceiling in EZH2-mutant lymphoma. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1105-1115. [PMID: 36973442 PMCID: PMC10522050 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01299-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction, a phenomenon where cancer cells paradoxically depend on continuous drug treatment for survival, has uncovered cell signaling mechanisms and cancer codependencies. Here we discover mutations that confer drug addiction to inhibitors of the transcriptional repressor polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Drug addiction is mediated by hypermorphic mutations in the CXC domain of the catalytic subunit EZH2, which maintain H3K27me3 levels even in the presence of PRC2 inhibitors. Discontinuation of inhibitor treatment leads to overspreading of H3K27me3, surpassing a repressive methylation ceiling compatible with lymphoma cell survival. Exploiting this vulnerability, we show that inhibition of SETD2 similarly induces the spread of H3K27me3 and blocks lymphoma growth. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that constraints on chromatin landscapes can yield biphasic dependencies in epigenetic signaling in cancer cells. More broadly, we highlight how approaches to identify drug addiction mutations can be leveraged to discover cancer vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Si Kwok
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Allyson M Freedy
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Allison P Siegenfeld
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julia W Morriss
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amanda L Waterbury
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stephen M Kissler
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian B Liau
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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38
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Ding T, Zhang J, Xu H, Zhang X, Yang F, Shi Y, Bai Y, Yang J, Chen C, Zhang H. In-depth understanding of higher-order genome architecture in orphan cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188948. [PMID: 37394019 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188948] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The human genome is intertwined, folded, condensed, and gradually constitutes the 3D architecture, thereby affecting transcription and widely involving in tumorigenesis. Incidence and mortality rates for orphan cancers increase due to poor early diagnosis and lack of effective medical treatments, which are now getting attention. In-depth understanding in tumorigenesis has fast-tracked over the last decade, however, the further role and mechanism of 3D genome organization in variant orphan tumorigenesis remains to be fully understood. We summarize for the first time that higher-order genome organization can provide novel insights into the occurrence mechanisms of orphan cancers, and discuss probable future research directions for drug development and anti-tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Ding
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Jixing Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Haowen Xu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Fan Yang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Yibing Shi
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Yiran Bai
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Jiaqi Yang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - Chaoqun Chen
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China
| | - He Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Research Center for Stem Cells, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China; Clinical Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jinggangshan University, Medical Department of Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China; School of Life Science, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an, Jiangxi province, PR China.
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Wright NE, Mandal M, Clark MR. Molecular mechanisms insulating proliferation from genotoxic stress in B lymphocytes. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:668-677. [PMID: 37573227 PMCID: PMC10530527 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.06.010] [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: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, B cells strictly segregate proliferation from somatic mutation as they develop within the bone marrow and then mature through germinal centers (GCs) in the periphery. Failure to do so risks autoimmunity and neoplastic transformation. Recent work has described how B cell progenitors transition between proliferation and mutation via cytokine signaling pathways, epigenetic chromatin regulation, and remodeling of 3D chromatin conformation. We propose a three-zone model of the GC that describes how proliferation and mutation are regulated. Using this model, we consider how recent mechanistic discoveries in B cell progenitors inform models of GC B cell function and reveal fundamental mechanisms underpinning humoral immunity, autoimmunity, and lymphomagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel E Wright
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, and Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Malay Mandal
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, and Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marcus R Clark
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, and Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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40
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Zimmerman SM, Lin PN, Souroullas GP. Non-canonical functions of EZH2 in cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1233953. [PMID: 37664059 PMCID: PMC10473085 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1233953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in chromatin modifying genes frequently occur in many kinds of cancer. Most mechanistic studies focus on their canonical functions, while therapeutic approaches target their enzymatic activity. Recent studies, however, demonstrate that non-canonical functions of chromatin modifiers may be equally important and therapeutically actionable in different types of cancer. One epigenetic regulator that demonstrates such a dual role in cancer is the histone methyltransferase EZH2. EZH2 is a core component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which plays a crucial role in cell identity, differentiation, proliferation, stemness and plasticity. While much of the regulatory functions and oncogenic activity of EZH2 have been attributed to its canonical, enzymatic activity of methylating lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me3), a repressive chromatin mark, recent studies suggest that non-canonical functions that are independent of H3K27me3 also contribute towards the oncogenic activity of EZH2. Contrary to PRC2's canonical repressive activity, mediated by H3K27me3, outside of the complex EZH2 can directly interact with transcription factors and oncogenes to activate gene expression. A more focused investigation into these non-canonical interactions of EZH2 and other epigenetic/chromatin regulators may uncover new and more effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we summarize major findings on the non-canonical functions of EZH2 and how they are related to different aspects of carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Zimmerman
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Oncology, Molecular Oncology Section, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Phyo Nay Lin
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Oncology, Molecular Oncology Section, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - George P. Souroullas
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Oncology, Molecular Oncology Section, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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41
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Lu T, Zhang J, Xu-Monette ZY, Young KH. The progress of novel strategies on immune-based therapy in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:72. [PMID: 37580826 PMCID: PMC10424456 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00432-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be cured with standard front-line immunochemotherapy, whereas nearly 30-40% of patients experience refractory or relapse. For several decades, the standard treatment strategy for fit relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL patients has been high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (auto-SCT). However, the patients who failed in salvage treatment or those ineligible for subsequent auto-SCT have dismal outcomes. Several immune-based therapies have been developed, including monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific T-cell engaging antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and novel small molecules. Meanwhile, allogeneic SCT and radiotherapy are still necessary for disease control for fit patients with certain conditions. In this review, to expand clinical treatment options, we summarize the recent progress of immune-related therapies and prospect the future indirections in patients with R/R DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingxun Lu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, China
- Division of Hematopathology, Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, 214122, China
| | - Zijun Y Xu-Monette
- Division of Hematopathology, Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Ken H Young
- Division of Hematopathology, Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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42
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Jangam SV, Briere LC, Jay KL, Andrews JC, Walker MA, Rodan LH, High FA, Yamamoto S, Sweetser DA, Wangler MF. A de novo missense variant in EZH1 associated with developmental delay exhibits functional deficits in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2023; 224:iyad110. [PMID: 37314226 PMCID: PMC10411565 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
EZH1, a polycomb repressive complex-2 component, is involved in a myriad of cellular processes. EZH1 represses transcription of downstream target genes through histone 3 lysine27 (H3K27) trimethylation (H3K27me3). Genetic variants in histone modifiers have been associated with developmental disorders, while EZH1 has not yet been linked to any human disease. However, the paralog EZH2 is associated with Weaver syndrome. Here we report a previously undiagnosed individual with a novel neurodevelopmental phenotype identified to have a de novo missense variant in EZH1 through exome sequencing. The individual presented in infancy with neurodevelopmental delay and hypotonia and was later noted to have proximal muscle weakness. The variant, p.A678G, is in the SET domain, known for its methyltransferase activity, and an analogous somatic or germline mutation in EZH2 has been reported in patients with B-cell lymphoma or Weaver syndrome, respectively. Human EZH1/2 are homologous to fly Enhancer of zeste (E(z)), an essential gene in Drosophila, and the affected residue (p.A678 in humans, p.A691 in flies) is conserved. To further study this variant, we obtained null alleles and generated transgenic flies expressing wildtype [E(z)WT] and the variant [E(z)A691G]. When expressed ubiquitously the variant rescues null-lethality similar to the wildtype. Overexpression of E(z)WT induces homeotic patterning defects but notably the E(z)A691G variant leads to dramatically stronger morphological phenotypes. We also note a dramatic loss of H3K27me2 and a corresponding increase in H3K27me3 in flies expressing E(z)A691G, suggesting this acts as a gain-of-function allele. In conclusion, here we present a novel EZH1 de novo variant associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Furthermore, we found that this variant has a functional impact in Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharayu V Jangam
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lauren C Briere
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kristy L Jay
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan C Andrews
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Melissa A Walker
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neurogenetics, Child Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lance H Rodan
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Frances A High
- Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David A Sweetser
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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43
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Zheng X, Dozmorov MG, Strohlein CE, Bastacky S, Sawalha AH. Ezh2 Knockout in B Cells Impairs Plasmablast Differentiation and Ameliorates Lupus-like Disease in MRL/lpr Mice. Arthritis Rheumatol 2023; 75:1395-1406. [PMID: 36897808 PMCID: PMC10492897 DOI: 10.1002/art.42492] [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: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES EZH2 regulates B cell development and differentiation. We previously demonstrated increased EZH2 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from lupus patients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of EZH2 expression in B cells in the pathogenesis of lupus. METHODS We generated an MRL/lpr mouse with floxed Ezh2, which was crossed with CD19-Cre mice to examine the effect of B cell EZH2 deficiency in MRL/lpr lupus-prone mice. Differentiation of B cells was assessed using flow cytometry. Single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell B cell receptor sequencing were performed. In vitro B cell culture with an X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) inhibitor was performed. EZH2 and XBP1 messenger RNA levels in CD19+ B cells isolated from lupus patients and healthy controls were analyzed. RESULTS We show that Ezh2 deletion in B cells significantly decreased autoantibody production and improved glomerulonephritis. B cell development was altered in the bone marrow and spleen of EZH2-deficient mice. Differentiation of germinal center B cells and plasmablasts was impaired. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed that XBP1, a key transcription factor in B cell development, is down-regulated in the absence of EZH2. Inhibiting XBP1 in vitro impairs plasmablast development similar to EZH2 deficiency in mice. Single-cell B cell receptor RNA sequencing revealed defective immunoglobulin class-switch recombination in EZH2-deficient mice. In human lupus B cells, we observed a strong correlation between EZH2 and XBP1 messenger RNA expression levels. CONCLUSION EZH2 overexpression in B cells contributes to disease pathogenesis in lupus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Zheng
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mikhail G Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Colleen E Strohlein
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sheldon Bastacky
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Amr H Sawalha
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Lupus Center of Excellence, and Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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44
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Chen X, Li Y, Zhu F, Xu X, Estrella B, Pazos MA, McGuire JT, Karagiannis D, Sahu V, Mustafokulov M, Scuoppo C, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Soto-Feliciano YM, Pasqualucci L, Ciccia A, Amengual JE, Lu C. Context-defined cancer co-dependency mapping identifies a functional interplay between PRC2 and MLL-MEN1 complex in lymphoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4259. [PMID: 37460547 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39990-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Interplay between chromatin-associated complexes and modifications critically contribute to the partitioning of epigenome into stable and functionally distinct domains. Yet there is a lack of systematic identification of chromatin crosstalk mechanisms, limiting our understanding of the dynamic transition between chromatin states during development and disease. Here we perform co-dependency mapping of genes using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated fitness screens in pan-cancer cell lines to quantify gene-gene functional relationships. We identify 145 co-dependency modules and further define the molecular context underlying the essentiality of these modules by incorporating mutational, epigenome, gene expression and drug sensitivity profiles of cell lines. These analyses assign new protein complex composition and function, and predict new functional interactions, including an unexpected co-dependency between two transcriptionally counteracting chromatin complexes - polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and MLL-MEN1 complex. We show that PRC2-mediated H3K27 tri-methylation regulates the genome-wide distribution of MLL1 and MEN1. In lymphoma cells with EZH2 gain-of-function mutations, the re-localization of MLL-MEN1 complex drives oncogenic gene expression and results in a hypersensitivity to pharmacologic inhibition of MEN1. Together, our findings provide a resource for discovery of trans-regulatory interactions as mechanisms of chromatin regulation and potential targets of synthetic lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Chen
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Marine College, Shandong University, 264209, Weihai, China
| | - Yinglu Li
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Fang Zhu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Union Hospital Cancer Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430022, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinjing Xu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Brian Estrella
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Manuel A Pazos
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - John T McGuire
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Dimitris Karagiannis
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Varun Sahu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Mustafo Mustafokulov
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Claudio Scuoppo
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Francisco J Sánchez-Rivera
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Yadira M Soto-Feliciano
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Laura Pasqualucci
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jennifer E Amengual
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Aldana J, Gardner ML, Freitas MA. Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis of Oncogenic EZH2 Mutants: From Epigenetic Reprogramming to Molecular Signatures. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11378. [PMID: 37511137 PMCID: PMC10380343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic heterozygous mutations in the active site of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) are prevalent in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The methyltransferase activity of EZH2 towards lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27) and non-histone proteins is dysregulated by the presence of gain-of-function (GOF) and loss-of-function (LOF) mutations altering chromatin compaction, protein complex recruitment, and transcriptional regulation. In this study, a comprehensive multi-omics approach was carried out to characterize the effects of differential H3K27me3 deposition driven by EZH2 mutations. Three stable isogenic mutants (EZH2Y641F, EZH2A677G, and EZH2H689A/F667I) were examined using EpiProfile, H3K27me3 CUT&Tag, ATAC-Seq, transcriptomics, label-free proteomics, and untargeted metabolomics. A discrete set of genes and downstream targets were identified for the EZH2 GOF and LOF mutants that impacted pathways involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Disruption of protein networks and metabolic signatures able to sustain aberrant cell behavior was observed in response to EZH2 mutations. This systems biology-based analysis sheds light on EZH2-mediated cell transformative processes, from the epigenetic to the phenotypic level. These studies provide novel insights into aberrant EZH2 function along with targets that can be explored for improved diagnostics/treatment in hematologic malignancies with mutated EZH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Aldana
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (J.A.); (M.L.G.)
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Miranda L. Gardner
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (J.A.); (M.L.G.)
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Michael A. Freitas
- Ohio State Biochemistry Program, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; (J.A.); (M.L.G.)
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Tian C, Zhou J, Li X, Gao Y, Wen Q, Kang X, Wang N, Yao Y, Jiang J, Song G, Zhang T, Hu S, Liao J, Yu C, Wang Z, Liu X, Pei X, Chan K, Liu Z, Gan H. Impaired histone inheritance promotes tumor progression. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3429. [PMID: 37301892 PMCID: PMC10257670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39185-y] [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: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Faithful inheritance of parental histones is essential to maintain epigenetic information and cellular identity during cell division. Parental histones are evenly deposited onto the replicating DNA of sister chromatids in a process dependent on the MCM2 subunit of DNA helicase. However, the impact of aberrant parental histone partition on human disease such as cancer is largely unknown. In this study, we construct a model of impaired histone inheritance by introducing MCM2-2A mutation (defective in parental histone binding) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The resulting impaired histone inheritance reprograms the histone modification landscapes of progeny cells, especially the repressive histone mark H3K27me3. Lower H3K27me3 levels derepress the expression of genes associated with development, cell proliferation, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition. These epigenetic changes confer fitness advantages to some newly emerged subclones and consequently promote tumor growth and metastasis after orthotopic implantation. In summary, our results indicate that impaired inheritance of parental histones can drive tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinran Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Qing Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xing Kang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuan Yao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiuhang Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guibing Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Shaanxi, Angling, China
| | - Tianjun Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Suili Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - JingYi Liao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chuanhe Yu
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, 55912, USA
| | - Zhiquan Wang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Xiangyu Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, International Cancer Center, Marshall Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinhai Pei
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518060, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kuiming Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zichuan Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University and Health-Biotech United Group Joint Laboratory of Innovative Drug Development and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Haiyun Gan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
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47
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Ben-Chetrit N, Niu X, Swett AD, Sotelo J, Jiao MS, Stewart CM, Potenski C, Mielinis P, Roelli P, Stoeckius M, Landau DA. Integration of whole transcriptome spatial profiling with protein markers. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:788-793. [PMID: 36593397 PMCID: PMC10272089 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01536-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics and proteomics provide complementary information that independently transformed our understanding of complex biological processes. However, experimental integration of these modalities is limited. To overcome this, we developed Spatial PrOtein and Transcriptome Sequencing (SPOTS) for high-throughput simultaneous spatial transcriptomics and protein profiling. Compared with unimodal measurements, SPOTS substantially improves signal resolution and cell clustering and enhances the discovery power in differential gene expression analysis across tissue regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Ben-Chetrit
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiang Niu
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ariel D Swett
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jesus Sotelo
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria S Jiao
- Center of Comparative Medicine and Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caitlin M Stewart
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine Potenski
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Dan A Landau
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA.
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48
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Pasqualucci L. The germinal center in the pathogenesis of B cell lymphomas. Hematol Oncol 2023; 41 Suppl 1:62-69. [PMID: 37294970 DOI: 10.1002/hon.3141] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The adaptive immune system has evolved to allow effective responses against a virtually unlimited number of invading pathogens. This process requires the transient formation of germinal centers (GC), a dynamic environment that ensures the generation and selection of B cells capable to produce antibodies with high antigen affinity, or to maintain the memory of that antigen for life. However, this comes at a cost, as the unique events accompanying the GC reaction pose a significant risk to the genome of B cells, which must endure elevated levels of replication stress, while proliferating at high rates and undergoing DNA breaks introduced by somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination. Indeed, the genetic/epigenetic disruption of programs implicated in normal GC biology has emerged as a hallmark of most B cell lymphomas. This improved understanding provides a conceptual framework for the identification of cellular pathways that could be exploited for precision medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pasqualucci
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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49
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Liu Z, Jia Y, Yang C, Liu H, Shen H, Wang H, Fu R. Study on the Effect of EZH2 Inhibitor Combined with TIGIT Monoclonal Antibody against Multiple Myeloma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108603. [PMID: 37239949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108603] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
EZH2, a member of the polycomb repressive complex 2, induces trimethylation of the downstream gene at the histone three lysine 27 (H3K27me3) position to inhibit tumor cell proliferation. Here, we showed that the apoptosis rate and apoptotic protein expression increased after EZH2 inhibition, whereas key molecules of the NF-κB signaling pathway and the downstream target genes were inhibited. Additionally, the expression of CD155, a TIGIT high-affinity ligand in multiple myeloma (MM) cells, was decreased by the mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, the combination of EZH2 inhibitor and TIGIT monoclonal antibody blockade enhanced the anti-tumor effect of natural killer cells. In summary, the EZH2 inhibitor not only plays an anti-tumor role as an epigenetic drug, but also enhances the anti-tumor effect of the TIGIT monoclonal antibody by affecting the TIGIT-CD155 axis between NK cells and MM cells, thus providing new ideas and theoretical basis for the treatment of MM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyun Liu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yue Jia
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chun Yang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Hongli Shen
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Rong Fu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Street, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
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50
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Liu Y, Yang Q. The roles of EZH2 in cancer and its inhibitors. Med Oncol 2023; 40:167. [PMID: 37148376 PMCID: PMC10162908 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02025-6] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is encoded by the Enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit gene. EZH2 is involved in the cell cycle, DNA damage repair, cell differentiation, autophagy, apoptosis, and immunological modulation. The main function of EZH2 is to catalyze the methylation of H3 histone of H3K27Me3, which inhibits the transcription of target genes, such as tumor suppressor genes. EZH2 also forms complexes with transcriptions factors or directly binds to the promoters of target genes, leading to regulate gene transcriptions. EZH2 has been as a prominent target for cancer therapy and a growing number of potential targeting medicines have been developed. This review summarized the mechanisms that EZH2 regulates gene transcription and the interactions between EZH2 and important intracellular signaling molecules (Wnt, Notch, MEK, Akt) and as well the clinical applications of EZH2-targeted drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuankai Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiong Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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