1
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Long D, Chan M, Han M, Kamdar Z, Ma RK, Tsai PY, Francisco AB, Barrow J, Shackelford DB, Yarchoan M, McBride MJ, Orre LM, Vacanti NM, Gujral TS, Sethupathy P. Proteo-metabolomics and patient tumor slice experiments point to amino acid centrality for rewired mitochondria in fibrolamellar carcinoma. Cell Rep Med 2024:101699. [PMID: 39208801 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare, lethal, early-onset liver cancer with a critical need for new therapeutics. The primary driver in FLC is the fusion oncoprotein, DNAJ-PKAc, which remains challenging to target therapeutically. It is critical, therefore, to expand understanding of the FLC molecular landscape to identify druggable pathways/targets. Here, we perform the most comprehensive integrative proteo-metabolomic analysis of FLC. We also conduct nutrient manipulation, respirometry analyses, as well as key loss-of-function assays in FLC tumor tissue slices from patients. We propose a model of cellular energetics in FLC pointing to proline anabolism being mediated by ornithine aminotransferase hyperactivity and ornithine transcarbamylase hypoactivity with serine and glutamine catabolism fueling the process. We highlight FLC's potential dependency on voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), a mitochondrial gatekeeper for anions including pyruvate. The metabolic rewiring in FLC that we propose in our model, with an emphasis on mitochondria, can be exploited for therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Long
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Marina Chan
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mingqi Han
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zeal Kamdar
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rosanna K Ma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Pei-Yin Tsai
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Adam B Francisco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joeva Barrow
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Mark Yarchoan
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew J McBride
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Lukas M Orre
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institute, SciLifeLab, Solna, Sweden
| | | | - Taranjit S Gujral
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Praveen Sethupathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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2
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Shirani M, Levin S, Shebl B, Requena D, Finkelstein TM, Johnson DS, Ng D, Lalazar G, Heissel S, Hojrup P, Molina H, de Jong YP, Rice CM, Singhi AD, Torbenson MS, Coffino P, Lyons B, Simon SM. Increased Protein Kinase A Activity Induces Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma Features Independent of DNAJB1. Cancer Res 2024; 84:2626-2644. [PMID: 38888469 PMCID: PMC11325150 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-4110] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that is driven by the fusion of DNAJB1 and PRKACA, the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA activity is controlled through regulatory proteins that both inhibit catalytic activity and control localization, and an excess of regulatory subunits ensures PRKACA activity is inhibited. Here, we found an increase in the ratio of catalytic to regulatory units in FLC patient tumors driven by DNAJB1::PRKACA using mass spectrometry, biochemistry, and immunofluorescence, with increased nuclear localization of the kinase. Overexpression of DNAJB1::PRKACA, ATP1B1::PRKACA, or PRKACA, but not catalytically inactive kinase, caused similar transcriptomic changes in primary human hepatocytes, recapitulating the changes observed in FLC. Consistently, tumors in patients missing a regulatory subunit or harboring an ATP1B1::PRKACA fusion were indistinguishable from FLC based on the histopathological, transcriptomic, and drug-response profiles. Together, these findings indicate that the DNAJB1 domain of DNAJB1::PRKACA is not required for FLC. Instead, changes in PKA activity and localization determine the FLC phenotype. Significance: Alterations leading to unconstrained protein kinase A signaling, regardless of the presence or absence of PRKACA fusions, drive the phenotypes of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, reshaping understanding of the pathogenesis of this rare liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Shirani
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Solomon Levin
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Bassem Shebl
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - David Requena
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Tova M. Finkelstein
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Daniel S. Johnson
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
| | - Denise Ng
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Gadi Lalazar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Søren Heissel
- Proteomics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Peter Hojrup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Henrik Molina
- Proteomics Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Ype P. de Jong
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
| | - Charles M. Rice
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Aatur D. Singhi
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | | | - Philip Coffino
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
| | - Barbara Lyons
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
| | - Sanford M. Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
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3
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Guan Y, Gan Y, An J. Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Early-Onset Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Population Data. Dig Dis Sci 2024:10.1007/s10620-024-08549-9. [PMID: 38965157 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-024-08549-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of young patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is projected to rise. This study aimed to investigate the distinctive characteristics of adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with HCC and identify the risk factors that impact their survival. METHODS This study included 1005 AYA patients and 55,435 older adult (OA) patients with HCC, using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for baseline differences in patient characteristics. The Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test are utilized to compare the overall survival between the two groups. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for subgroup analysis to identify risk factors for overall survival in AYA patients. RESULTS AYA patients exhibited a higher proportion of advanced clinical stage (49.15% vs 37.57%, P < 0.001) and fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (14.13% vs 0.09%, P < 0.001), but a lower incidence of alpha-fetoprotein positivity (32.04% vs 45.32%, P < 0.001) and cirrhosis (8.86% vs 18.32%, P < 0.001). The subgroup analysis results indicated that AYA patients had a more favorable prognosis than OA patients in most subgroups. Undifferentiated carcinoma emerged as the predominant risk factor for AYA patients (Hazard Ratio [HR], 6.08 [2.53-14.62]), whereas partial hepatectomy was determined to be the most advantageous factor (HR, 0.29 [0.23-0.37]). CONCLUSIONS AYA patients with HCC exhibit more aggressive characteristics but demonstrate a better prognosis compared to the OA group, necessitating personalized surveillance and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Guan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle Xi Lu, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yu Gan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle Xi Lu, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jiaze An
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle Xi Lu, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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4
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Riehle KJ, Vasudevan SA, Bondoc A, Cuenca AG, Garnier H, Kastenberg Z, Roach J, Weldon CB, Karpelowsky J, Hishiki T, Tiao G. Surgical management of liver tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2024:e31155. [PMID: 38953150 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.31155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Two percent of pediatric malignancies arise primarily in the liver; roughly 60% of these cancers are hepatoblastoma (HB). Despite the rarity of these cases, international collaborative efforts have led to the consistent histological classification and staging systems, which facilitate ongoing clinical trials. Other primary liver malignancies seen in children include hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without underlying liver disease, fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL), and hepatocellular neoplasm not otherwise specified (HCN-NOS). This review describes principles of surgical management of malignant pediatric primary liver tumors, within the context of comprehensive multidisciplinary care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J Riehle
- Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Alexander Bondoc
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Alex G Cuenca
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Zachary Kastenberg
- Primary Children's Hospital, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Gregory Tiao
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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5
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Frenette C, Mendiratta-Lala M, Salgia R, Wong RJ, Sauer BG, Pillai A. ACG Clinical Guideline: Focal Liver Lesions. Am J Gastroenterol 2024; 119:1235-1271. [PMID: 38958301 DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Focal liver lesions (FLLs) have become an increasingly common finding on abdominal imaging, especially asymptomatic and incidental liver lesions. Gastroenterologists and hepatologists often see these patients in consultation and make recommendations for management of multiple types of liver lesions, including hepatocellular adenoma, focal nodular hyperplasia, hemangioma, and hepatic cystic lesions including polycystic liver disease. Malignancy is important to consider in the differential diagnosis of FLLs, and healthcare providers must be familiar with the diagnosis and management of FLLs. This American College of Gastroenterology practice guideline uses the best evidence available to make diagnosis and management recommendations for the most common FLLs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Reena Salgia
- Department of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert J Wong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Bryan G Sauer
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Anjana Pillai
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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6
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O'Neill AF, Church AJ, Feraco A, Spidle J, Wall CB, Kim HB, Elisofon S, Vakili K, Pimkin M, Dharia NV, Shelman NR, Perez-Atayde AR, Rodriguez-Galindo C. Clinical and immunophenotype correlating with response to immunotherapy in paediatric patients with primary liver carcinoma. A case series. EBioMedicine 2024; 104:105147. [PMID: 38749302 PMCID: PMC11108818 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Paediatric hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) traditionally arise in the context of a normal structural and functional liver and carry a dismal prognosis. While chemotherapy is the frontline standard, there is emerging interest in the study of immunotherapies for paediatric patients with relapsed/refractory disease. There is limited data to support whether immunotherapies will be of utility in this patient population. METHODS Six paediatric patients (median age:16 years, range: 12-17 at the time of treatment) with advanced hepatocellular neosplams, either conventional hepatocellular or fibrolamellar carcinoma, were treated with immunotherapy. Patients were consented to institutional genomic profiling and biobanking protocols. Baseline samples and serial tissue samples, when available, were evaluated for somatic mutation rate, actionable gene mutations, and pan-immune bulk RNA expression profiling. Results were correlated with clinical course. FINDINGS Three patients responded to checkpoint inhibition: one achieved a complete, durable response and the other two, prolonged stable disease. Three additional patients progressed. Diagnostic tissue from the complete responder demonstrated a higher relative mutational burden and robust immune infiltrate. Pre-treatment samples from the three responders demonstrated decreased expression of genes associated with T-cell dysfunction. INTERPRETATION A subset of patients with primary paediatric hepatocellular tumours will respond to immunotherapy. Immunotherapies are currently under prospective study for relapsed/refractory liver tumours in paediatric patients. Results from this report support the prospective collection of serial serum and tissue samples which may further identify genomic and immunophenotypic patterns predictive of response. FUNDING This work was supported by Philanthropic funds (Pan Mass Challenge, Team Angus and Team Perspective).
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison F O'Neill
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Alanna J Church
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angela Feraco
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Spidle
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine B Wall
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heung Bae Kim
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Surgery, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scott Elisofon
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Hepatology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Khashayar Vakili
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Surgery, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Max Pimkin
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Nathan R Shelman
- University of Kentucky, Department of Pathology, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Antonio R Perez-Atayde
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Departments of Global Pediatric Medicine and Oncology, Memphis, TN, USA
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7
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Apumayta ED, Kahlam A, Ruiz EF. Fibrolamellar Carcinoma: A Rare Liver Neoplasm. Cureus 2024; 16:e59006. [PMID: 38800256 PMCID: PMC11127726 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma is a rare liver tumor, with most cases arising in people younger than 40 years of age. We present a case series of five patients with histological confirmation of fibrolamellar carcinoma who had liver resection as the primary treatment. The median age of diagnosis was 24 years with nonspecific clinical manifestations in otherwise healthy patients. Alpha-fetoprotein levels were widely variable. Patients had classical imaging, macroscopic, and microscopic findings. Most of our patients underwent a hemihepatectomy and 60% recurred after the first year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elily D Apumayta
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, Lima, PER
| | - Aaron Kahlam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Eloy F Ruiz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
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8
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Hackenbruch C, Bauer J, Heitmann JS, Maringer Y, Nelde A, Denk M, Zieschang L, Kammer C, Federmann B, Jung S, Martus P, Malek NP, Nikolaou K, Salih HR, Bitzer M, Walz JS. FusionVAC22_01: a phase I clinical trial evaluating a DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion transcript-based peptide vaccine combined with immune checkpoint inhibition for fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma and other tumor entities carrying the oncogenic driver fusion. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1367450. [PMID: 38606105 PMCID: PMC11007196 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1367450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion transcript was identified as the oncogenic driver of tumor pathogenesis in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC), also known as fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), as well as in other tumor entities, thus representing a broad target for novel treatment in multiple cancer entities. FL-HCC is a rare primary liver tumor with a 5-year survival rate of only 45%, which typically affects young patients with no underlying primary liver disease. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment option if no metastases are present at diagnosis. There is no standard of care for systemic therapy. Peptide-based vaccines represent a low side-effect approach relying on specific immune recognition of tumor-associated human leucocyte antigen (HLA) presented peptides. The induction (priming) of tumor-specific T-cell responses against neoepitopes derived from gene fusion transcripts by peptide-vaccination combined with expansion of the immune response and optimization of immune function within the tumor microenvironment achieved by immune-checkpoint-inhibition (ICI) has the potential to improve response rates and durability of responses in malignant diseases. The phase I clinical trial FusionVAC22_01 will enroll patients with FL-HCC or other cancer entities carrying the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion transcript that are locally advanced or metastatic. Two doses of the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion-based neoepitope vaccine Fusion-VAC-XS15 will be applied subcutaneously (s.c.) with a 4-week interval in combination with the anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody atezolizumab starting at day 15 after the first vaccination. Anti-PD-L1 will be applied every 4 weeks until end of the 54-week treatment phase or until disease progression or other reason for study termination. Thereafter, patients will enter a 6 months follow-up period. The clinical trial reported here was approved by the Ethics Committee II of the University of Heidelberg (Medical faculty of Mannheim) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (P-00540). Clinical trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration numbers EU CT Number: 2022-502869-17-01 and ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05937295).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hackenbruch
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jens Bauer
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonas S. Heitmann
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yacine Maringer
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annika Nelde
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Monika Denk
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa Zieschang
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christine Kammer
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Federmann
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Jung
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Martus
- Institute for Medical Biometrics and Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nisar P. Malek
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Personalized Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- The M3 Research Institute, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Konstantin Nikolaou
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Helmut R. Salih
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Bitzer
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Personalized Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Juliane S. Walz
- Clinical Collaboration Unit Translational Immunology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Peptide-based Immunotherapy, Institute of Immunology, University and University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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9
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Daniel SK, Sullivan KM, Dickerson LK, van den Bijgaart RJE, Utria AF, Labadie KP, Kenerson HL, Jiang X, Smythe KS, Campbell JS, Pierce RH, Kim TS, Riehle KJ, Yeung RS, Carter JA, Barry KC, Pillarisetty VG. Reversing immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment of fibrolamellar carcinoma via PD-1 and IL-10 blockade. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5109. [PMID: 38429349 PMCID: PMC10907637 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55593-6] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver tumor driven by the DNAJ-PKAc fusion protein that affects healthy young patients. Little is known about the immune response to FLC, limiting rational design of immunotherapy. Multiplex immunohistochemistry and gene expression profiling were performed to characterize the FLC tumor immune microenvironment and adjacent non-tumor liver (NTL). Flow cytometry and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing were performed to determine the phenotype of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and the extent of T cell clonal expansion. Fresh human FLC tumor slice cultures (TSCs) were treated with antibodies blocking programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), with results measured by cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. Immune cells were concentrated in fibrous stromal bands, rather than in the carcinoma cell compartment. In FLC, T cells demonstrated decreased activation and regulatory T cells in FLC had more frequent expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 than in NTL. Furthermore, T cells had relatively low levels of clonal expansion despite high TCR conservation across individuals. Combination PD-1 and IL-10 blockade signficantly increased cell death in human FLC TSCs. Immunosuppresion in the FLC tumor microenvironment is characterized by T cell exclusion and exhaustion, which may be reversible with combination immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S K Daniel
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K M Sullivan
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - L K Dickerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - R J E van den Bijgaart
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - A F Utria
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K P Labadie
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - H L Kenerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - X Jiang
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K S Smythe
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - J S Campbell
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - R H Pierce
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - T S Kim
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K J Riehle
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - R S Yeung
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - J A Carter
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - K C Barry
- Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - V G Pillarisetty
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356410, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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10
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Ma RK, Tsai PY, Farghli AR, Shumway A, Kanke M, Gordan JD, Gujral TS, Vakili K, Nukaya M, Noetzli L, Ronnekleiv-Kelly S, Broom W, Barrow J, Sethupathy P. DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion protein-regulated LINC00473 promotes tumor growth and alters mitochondrial fitness in fibrolamellar carcinoma. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011216. [PMID: 38512964 PMCID: PMC11020935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011216] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults. Currently, no standard of care is available and there remains a dire need for new therapeutics. Most patients harbor the fusion oncogene DNAJB1-PRKACA (DP fusion), but clinical inhibitors are not yet developed and it is critical to identify downstream mediators of FLC pathogenesis. Here, we identify long noncoding RNA LINC00473 among the most highly upregulated genes in FLC tumors and determine that it is strongly suppressed by RNAi-mediated inhibition of the DP fusion in FLC tumor epithelial cells. We show by loss- and gain-of-function studies that LINC00473 suppresses apoptosis, increases the expression of FLC marker genes, and promotes FLC growth in cell-based and in vivo disease models. Mechanistically, LINC00473 plays an important role in promoting glycolysis and altering mitochondrial activity. Specifically, LINC00473 knockdown leads to increased spare respiratory capacity, which indicates mitochondrial fitness. Overall, we propose that LINC00473 could be a viable target for this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna K. Ma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Pei-Yin Tsai
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Alaa R. Farghli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Alexandria Shumway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Matt Kanke
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - John D. Gordan
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Taranjit S. Gujral
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Khashayar Vakili
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Manabu Nukaya
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Leila Noetzli
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sean Ronnekleiv-Kelly
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Wendy Broom
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joeva Barrow
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Praveen Sethupathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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11
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Neumayer C, Ng D, Requena D, Jiang CS, Qureshi A, Vaughan R, Prakash TP, Revenko A, Simon SM. GalNAc-conjugated siRNA targeting the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion junction in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Ther 2024; 32:140-151. [PMID: 37980543 PMCID: PMC10787139 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.11.012] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer caused by a dominant recurrent fusion of the heat shock protein (DNAJB1) and the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PRKACA). Current therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation have limited efficacy, and new treatment options are needed urgently. We have previously shown that FLC tumors are dependent on the fusion kinase DNAJB1::PRKACA, making the oncokinase an ideal drug target. mRNA degrading modalities such as antisense oligonucleotides or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) provide an opportunity to specifically target the fusion junction. Here, we identify a potent and specific siRNA that inhibits DNAJB1::PRKACA expression. We found expression of the asialoglycoprotein receptor in FLC to be maintained at sufficient levels to effectively deliver siRNA conjugated to the GalNAc ligand. We observe productive uptake and siRNA activity in FLC patient-derived xenografts (PDX) models in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of DNAJB1::PRKACA results in durable growth inhibition of FLC PDX in vivo with no detectable toxicities. Our results suggest that this approach could be a treatment option for FLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Neumayer
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Denise Ng
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Requena
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caroline S Jiang
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam Qureshi
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roger Vaughan
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Sanford M Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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12
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O'Neill AF, Meyers RL, Katzenstein HM, Geller JI, Tiao GM, López-Terrada D, Malogolowkin M. Children's Oncology Group's 2023 blueprint for research: Liver tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70 Suppl 6:e30576. [PMID: 37495540 PMCID: PMC10529117 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Liver tumors account for approximately 1%-2% of all pediatric malignancies, with the two most common tumors being hepatoblastoma (HB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous Children's Oncology Group studies have meaningfully contributed to the current understanding of disease pathophysiology and treatment, laying groundwork for the ongoing prospective international study of both HB and HCC. Future work is focused on elucidating the biologic underpinnings of disease to support an evolution in risk categorization, advancements in the multidimensional care required to treat these patients, and the discovery of novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison F O'Neill
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecka L Meyers
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | - James I Geller
- Division of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Greg M Tiao
- Division of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Dolores López-Terrada
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Marcio Malogolowkin
- Pediatric Oncology, University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, California, USA
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13
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Carney BW, Larson MC, Corwin MT, Lamba R. Imaging of Hepatobiliary Cancer. Curr Probl Cancer 2023:100964. [PMID: 37321910 DOI: 10.1016/j.currproblcancer.2023.100964] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The liver and biliary tree are common sites of primary and secondary malignancies. MRI followed by CT is the mainstay for the imaging characterization of these malignancies with the dynamically acquired contrast enhanced phases being the most important for diagnosis. The liver imaging reporting and data system classification provides a useful framework for reporting lesions in patents with underlying cirrhosis or who are at high risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma. Detection of metastases is improved with the use of liver specific MRI contrast agents and diffusion weighted sequences. Aside from hepatocellular carcinoma, which is often diagnosed noninvasively, other primary hepatobiliary tumors may require biopsy for definite diagnosis, especially when presenting with nonclassic imaging findings. In this review, we examine the imaging findings of common and less common hepatobiliary tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin W Carney
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, California.
| | - Michael C Larson
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, California
| | - Michael T Corwin
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, California
| | - Ramit Lamba
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, California
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14
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Rüland L, Andreatta F, Massalini S, Chuva de Sousa Lopes S, Clevers H, Hendriks D, Artegiani B. Organoid models of fibrolamellar carcinoma mutations reveal hepatocyte transdifferentiation through cooperative BAP1 and PRKAR2A loss. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2377. [PMID: 37137901 PMCID: PMC10156813 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37951-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a lethal primary liver cancer, affecting young patients in absence of chronic liver disease. Molecular understanding of FLC tumorigenesis is limited, partly due to the scarcity of experimental models. Here, we CRISPR-engineer human hepatocyte organoids to recreate different FLC backgrounds, including the predominant genetic alteration, the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion, as well as a recently reported background of FLC-like tumors, encompassing inactivating mutations of BAP1 and PRKAR2A. Phenotypic characterizations and comparisons with primary FLC tumor samples revealed mutant organoid-tumor similarities. All FLC mutations caused hepatocyte dedifferentiation, yet only combined loss of BAP1 and PRKAR2A resulted in hepatocyte transdifferentiation into liver ductal/progenitor-like cells that could exclusively grow in a ductal cell environment. BAP1-mutant hepatocytes represent primed cells attempting to proliferate in this cAMP-stimulating environment, but require concomitant PRKAR2A loss to overcome cell cycle arrest. In all analyses, DNAJB1-PRKACAfus organoids presented with milder phenotypes, suggesting differences between FLC genetic backgrounds, or for example the need for additional mutations, interactions with niche cells, or a different cell-of-origin. These engineered human organoid models facilitate the study of FLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rüland
- The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Simone Massalini
- The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hans Clevers
- The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Pharma, Research and Early Development (pRED) of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Delilah Hendriks
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Benedetta Artegiani
- The Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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15
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Simon SM. Fighting rare cancers: lessons from fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:335-346. [PMID: 36932129 PMCID: PMC10022574 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00554-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The fight against rare cancers faces myriad challenges, including missed or wrong diagnoses, lack of information and diagnostic tools, too few samples and too little funding. Yet many advances in cancer biology, such as the realization that there are tumour suppressor genes, have come from studying well-defined, albeit rare, cancers. Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC), a typically lethal liver cancer, mainly affects adolescents and young adults. FLC is both rare, 1 in 5 million, and problematic to diagnose. From the paucity of data, it was not known whether FLC was one cancer or a collection with similar phenotypes, or whether it was genetically inherited or the result of a somatic mutation. A personal journey through a decade of work reveals answers to these questions and a road map of steps and missteps in our fight against a rare cancer.
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16
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Zack T, Losert KP, Maisel SM, Wild J, Yaqubie A, Herman M, Knox JJ, Mayer RJ, Venook AP, Butte A, O'Neill AF, Abou-Alfa GK, Gordan JD. Defining incidence and complications of fibrolamellar liver cancer through tiered computational analysis of clinical data. NPJ Precis Oncol 2023; 7:29. [PMID: 36959495 PMCID: PMC10034241 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00371-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence and biochemical consequences of rare tumor subtypes are often hard to study. Fibrolamellar liver cancer (FLC) is a rare malignancy affecting adolescents and young adults. To better characterize the incidence and biochemical consequences of this disease, we combined a comprehensive analysis of the electronic medical record and national payer data and found that FLC incidence is likely five to eight times higher than previous estimates. By employing unsupervised learning on clinical laboratory data from patients with hyperammonemia, we find that FLC-associated hyperammonemia mirrors metabolic dysregulation in urea cycle disorders. Our findings demonstrate that advanced computational analysis of rich clinical datasets can provide key clinical and biochemical insights into rare cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Zack
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Jennifer Wild
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amin Yaqubie
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Herman
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer J Knox
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert J Mayer
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan P Venook
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Atul Butte
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Allison F O'Neill
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ghassan K Abou-Alfa
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Weill Medical College at Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - John D Gordan
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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17
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Glavas D, Bao QR, Scarpa M, Ruffolo C, Brown ZJ, Pawlik TM, Spolverato G. Treatment and Prognosis of Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Systematic Review of the Recent Literature and Meta-analysis. J Gastrointest Surg 2023; 27:705-715. [PMID: 36797535 PMCID: PMC10073062 DOI: 10.1007/s11605-023-05621-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC) is a rare disease and current efforts are focused on the prognosis and on the development of efficient and specific treatments. This study aimed to review the latest evidence regarding FL-HCC treatment and prognosis. METHODS A systematic review of the literature over the past 10 years regarding FL-HCC, and meta-analysis of 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) comparing FL-HCC and conventional HCC were performed. RESULTS Overall, 1567 articles were screened, of them 21 were selected for the systematic review, and 6 for meta-analysis. Twenty-one studies included a total of 2168 patients with FL-HCC, with a median age ranging from 11 to 56 years. The majority of patients underwent surgical resection or liver transplantation. After a median follow-up ranging from 24 to 58 months, 1-year OS was 67-100% and 5-year OS was 28-65%. A total of 743 patients with FL-HCC and 163,472 with conventional HCC were included in the meta-analysis. There was a significantly improved 1-, 3-, and 5-years OS in the FL-HCC group compared to the conventional HCC group, although high heterogeneity was found. When excluding population-based studies, and including 96 FL-HCC and 221 conventional HCC patients, the heterogeneity was low, and the meta-analysis showed a significantly longer 1-year OS in patients with FL-HCC than conventional HCC; however, there were no differences at 3- and 5-years OS. CONCLUSIONS Surgical resection for FL-HCC is currently the only curative treatment available. FL-HCC is plagued by high-recurrence rates and poor long-term outcomes which may be related to the absence of specific treatment for advanced and recurrent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajana Glavas
- General Surgery 3, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences (DiSCOG), University of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani, 2, PD, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Quoc Riccardo Bao
- General Surgery 3, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences (DiSCOG), University of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani, 2, PD, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Scarpa
- General Surgery 3, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences (DiSCOG), University of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani, 2, PD, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Cesare Ruffolo
- General Surgery 3, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences (DiSCOG), University of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani, 2, PD, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Zachary J Brown
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gaya Spolverato
- General Surgery 3, Department of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences (DiSCOG), University of Padova, Via Nicolò Giustiniani, 2, PD, 35128, Padova, Italy.
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18
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Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Comprehensive Review of Diagnosis, Imaging, and Management. J Am Coll Surg 2023; 236:399-410. [PMID: 36648268 DOI: 10.1097/xcs.0000000000000476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare malignancy that primarily affects patients in late adolescence and young adulthood. FLC tumors are characterized by their unique histologic features and a recently discovered genomic alteration, a chimeric fusion protein found in nearly all tumors. This review article provides the latest advancements in diagnosing, imaging, and managing FLC. STUDY DESIGN A comprehensive systematic review was performed using MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science databases, with the end of search date being July 1, 2022, regarding FLC diagnosis, imaging, and management. RESULTS Surgical resection remains the mainstay of therapy offering a chance for cure; however, given the incidence of metastatic disease at diagnosis and high rates of distant relapse, systemic therapies remain a crucial component of disease control. Unfortunately, few systemic therapies have demonstrated proven benefits. Consequently, recent efforts have galvanized around single-institute or small consortia-based studies specifically focused on enrolling patients with FLC or using agents with a biologic rationale. CONCLUSIONS FLC has unique demographic, radiologic, and pathologic features. The rarity of these tumors, coupled with the only recent acknowledgment of the genomic abnormality, has likely led to disease underrecognition and deprioritization of collaborative efforts to establish an evidence-based standard of care. Despite R0 resection, most patients experience recurrence. However, surgical resection is feasible for many recurrences and is associated with good survival. The role of chemotherapy is evolving, and further research is required to define its role in managing this disease.
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19
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Neumayer C, Ng D, Jiang CS, Qureshi A, Lalazar G, Vaughan R, Simon SM. Oncogenic Addiction of Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma to the Fusion Kinase DNAJB1-PRKACA. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:271-278. [PMID: 36302174 PMCID: PMC9811160 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Gene fusions are drivers of many pediatric tumors. In fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC), a fusion of DNAJB1 and PRKACA is the dominant recurrent mutation. Expression of the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion gene in mice results in a tumor that recapitulates FLC. However, it is not known whether transient expression of DNAJB1-PRKACA is sufficient only to trigger tumor formation or whether ongoing expression is necessary for maintenance and progression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We screened short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) tiled over the fusion junction and identified several potent and specific candidates in vitro and two independent FLC patient-derived xenografts (PDX). RESULTS We show that continued DNAJB1-PRKACA expression is not only required for continued tumor growth, but additionally its inhibition results in cell death. Inhibition of DNAJB1-PRKACA by an inducible shRNA in cells of PDX of FLC resulted in cell death in vitro. Induction of the shRNA inhibits FLC tumors growing in mice with no effect on xenografts from a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line engineered to express DNAJB1-PRKACA. CONCLUSIONS Our results validate DNAJB1-PRKACA as the oncogene in FLC and demonstrate both a continued requirement for the oncogene for tumor growth as well as an oncogenic addiction that can be exploited for targeted therapies. We anticipate our approach will be useful for investigations of other fusion genes in pediatric cancers and spur development of precision therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Neumayer
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Denise Ng
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | | | - Adam Qureshi
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University; New York, NY
| | - Gadi Lalazar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY,Current address: Digestive Disease Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center; Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Roger Vaughan
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University; New York, NY
| | - Sanford M. Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY,Corresponding Author: Sanford M. Simon; The Rockefeller University; 1230 York Avenue; New York, NY 10065; Phone: 212-327-8130;
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20
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Berger R, Dinstag G, Tirosh O, Schiff E, Kleiner D, Aldape KD, Ruppin E, Beker T, Kurzrock R. Fibrolamellar carcinoma transcriptomic-based treatment prediction: complete response after nivolumab and ipilimumab. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005620. [PMID: 36600603 PMCID: PMC9743402 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare cancer of the liver that most commonly affects children and young adults. There is no clear standard of care for the disease, whose response to treatment seems to be very different from that of hepatocellular carcinoma. We present a case of FLC in a patient in her mid 30s that recurred and persisted despite resection and multiple lines of treatment. Following transcriptomic analysis, a combination of ipilimumab (anti-CTLA4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) led to complete remission, although common biomarkers for immune checkpoint blockade were all negative in this case. The patient is still in remission. Here, combined checkpoint blockade guided by novel transcriptomic analysis led to complete remission after failure of several lines of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raanan Berger
- Oncology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | | | | | | | - David Kleiner
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kenneth D Aldape
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Lab, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Razelle Kurzrock
- Clinical Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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21
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Chen KY, Popovic A, Hsiehchen D, Baretti M, Griffith P, Bista R, Baghdadi A, Kamel IR, Simon SM, Migler RD, Yarchoan M. Clinical Outcomes in Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5347. [PMID: 36358766 PMCID: PMC9655068 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare form of liver cancer primarily affecting children and young adults. Although considered a subset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), FLC has unique molecular and pathologic characteristics, suggesting that it may require different treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used in the treatment of HCC, but efficacy and safety in FLC has not been characterized. METHODS We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis of patients with FLC to determine responses to ICI therapy. Response rates were assessed based on RECIST 1.1 criteria, and Kaplan-Meier statistics were used for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS FLC tumors were characterized by low tumor mutational burden (TMB) and absent PD-L1 expression. We identified 19 patients who received ICIs, including 15 who received ICI therapy alone [programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, +/- cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) inhibitor]. Objective tumor responses were observed in 3/19 patients (15.8%), including 2/15 patients (13.3%) who received ICIs alone, all partial responses. Median PFS and OS were 5.5 and 26.0 months, respectively. Grade 3-4 immune related adverse events were observed in 4/19 (21.1%) patients. CONCLUSIONS ICI therapy has modest clinical activity in FLC, and novel therapeutic combinations are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista Y. Chen
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Aleksandra Popovic
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - David Hsiehchen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Marina Baretti
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Paige Griffith
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Ranjan Bista
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX 79410, USA
| | - Azarakhsh Baghdadi
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ihab R. Kamel
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | | | - Mark Yarchoan
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
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22
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Polychronidis G, Murtha-Lemekhova A, Fuchs J, Karathanasi E, Hoffmann K. A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Fibrolamellar Carcinoma: Current Perspectives and Future Prospects. Onco Targets Ther 2022; 15:1095-1103. [PMID: 36212724 PMCID: PMC9541294 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s296127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare primary liver tumor affecting predominantly younger and otherwise healthy patients. Typically, FLC presents with advanced disease due to the paucity of typical symptoms and no history of underlying liver disease. Depending on tumor characteristics and the patient's general condition, surgical treatment is the most promising treatment modality. Aggressive resection and liver transplantation have been utilized and are presently indispensable curative treatment options. Under certain circumstances surgical resection is also possible for metachronous metastases or local recurrence. Recent tumor biology discoveries have contributed to improved diagnostic specificity and systemic treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Polychronidis
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Anastasia Murtha-Lemekhova
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Juri Fuchs
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Evdokia Karathanasi
- Post-Graduate Program “Human Genetics- Genetic Counseling”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larisa, Greece
| | - Katrin Hoffmann
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany,Correspondence: Katrin Hoffmann, Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 420, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany, Email
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23
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Shebl B, Ng D, Lalazar G, Rosemore C, Finkelstein TM, Migler RD, Zheng G, Zhang P, Jiang CS, Qureshi A, Vaughan R, Yarchoan M, de Jong YP, Rice CM, Coffino P, Ortiz MV, Zhou D, Simon SM. Targeting BCL-XL in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e161820. [PMID: 36073545 PMCID: PMC9536265 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.161820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare and often lethal liver cancer with no proven effective systemic therapy. Inhibition of the antiapoptotic protein BCL-XL was found to synergize with a variety of systemic therapies in vitro using cells dissociated from patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of FLC or cells dissociated directly from surgical patient resections. As BCL-XL is physiologically expressed in platelets, prior efforts to leverage this vulnerability in other cancers have been hampered by severe thrombocytopenia. To overcome this toxicity, we treated FLC models with DT2216, a proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) that directs BCL-XL for degradation via the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) E3 ligase, which is minimally expressed in platelets. The combination of irinotecan and DT2216 in vitro on cells directly acquired from patients or in vivo using several xenografts derived from patients with FLC demonstrated remarkable synergy and at clinically achievable doses not associated with significant thrombocytopenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bassem Shebl
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Denise Ng
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gadi Lalazar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Carly Rosemore
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tova M. Finkelstein
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Guangrong Zheng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Peiyi Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Caroline S. Jiang
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adam Qureshi
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Roger Vaughan
- Hospital Biostatistics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ype P. de Jong
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Charles M. Rice
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Philip Coffino
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael V. Ortiz
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daohong Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology and Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Sanford M. Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
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24
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Dinh TA, Utria AF, Barry KC, Ma R, Abou-Alfa GK, Gordan JD, Jaffee EM, Scott JD, Zucman-Rossi J, O’Neill AF, Furth ME, Sethupathy P. A framework for fibrolamellar carcinoma research and clinical trials. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:328-342. [PMID: 35190728 PMCID: PMC9516439 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-022-00580-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare, lethal hepatic cancer, occurs primarily in adolescents and young adults. Unlike hepatocellular carcinoma, FLC has no known association with viral, metabolic or chemical agents that cause cirrhosis. Currently, surgical resection is the only treatment demonstrated to achieve cure, and no standard of care exists for systemic therapy. Progress in FLC research illuminates a transition from an obscure cancer to one for which an interactive community seems poised to uncover fundamental mechanisms and initiate translation towards novel therapies. In this Roadmap, we review advances since the seminal discovery in 2014 that nearly all FLC tumours express a signature oncogene (DNAJB1-PRKACA) encoding a fusion protein (DNAJ-PKAc) in which the J-domain of a heat shock protein 40 (HSP40) co-chaperone replaces an amino-terminal segment of the catalytic subunit of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Important gains include increased understanding of oncogenic pathways driven by DNAJ-PKAc; identification of potential therapeutic targets; development of research models; elucidation of immune mechanisms with potential for the development of immunotherapies; and completion of the first multicentre clinical trials of targeted therapy for FLC. In each of these key areas we propose a Roadmap for future progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Dinh
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,These authors contributed equally: Timothy A. Dinh, Alan F. Utria, Kevin C. Barry
| | - Alan F. Utria
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,These authors contributed equally: Timothy A. Dinh, Alan F. Utria, Kevin C. Barry
| | - Kevin C. Barry
- Translational Research Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,These authors contributed equally: Timothy A. Dinh, Alan F. Utria, Kevin C. Barry
| | - Rosanna Ma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College at Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - John D. Gordan
- Gastrointestinal oncology, University of California at San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Jaffee
- Department of oncology, Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John D. Scott
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne université, Inserm, Université de Paris, Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors, Paris, France
| | - Allison F. O’Neill
- Department of Paediatric Hematology/oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark E. Furth
- Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation, Greenwich, CT, USA.,;
| | - Praveen Sethupathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,;
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25
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Chen X, Lu Y, Shi X, Han G, Zhang L, Ni C, Zhao J, Gao Y, Wang X. Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Five Rare Pathological Subtypes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:864106. [PMID: 35463333 PMCID: PMC9026181 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.864106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous tumor with several rare pathological subtypes and which is still poorly understood. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical spectrum of five rare HCC subtypes and develop a competing risk nomogram for cancer-specific survival prediction.MethodsThe study cohort was recruited from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The clinicopathological data of 50,218 patients histologically diagnosed with classic HCC and five rare subtypes (ICD-O-3 Histology Code = 8170/3-8175/3) between 2004 and 2018 were reviewed. The annual percent change (APC) was calculated utilizing Joinpoint regression. The nomogram was developed based on multivariable competing risk survival analyses. Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, C-index, calibration curve, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were obtained to evaluate the prognostic performance. A decision curve analysis was introduced to examine the clinical value of the models.ResultsDespite scirrhous carcinoma, which showed a decreasing trend (APC = -6.8%, P = 0.025), the morbidity of other rare subtypes remained stable from 2004 to 2018. The incidence-based mortality was plateau in all subtypes during the period. Clear cell carcinoma is the most common subtype (n = 551, 1.1%), followed by subtypes of fibrolamellar (n = 241, 0.5%), scirrhous (n = 82, 0.2%), spindle cell (n = 61, 0.1%), and pleomorphic (n = 17, ~0%). The patients with fibrolamellar carcinoma were younger and more likely to have a non-cirrhotic liver and better prognoses. Scirrhous carcinoma shared almost the same macro-clinical characteristics and outcomes as the classic HCC. Clear cell carcinoma tended to occur in the Asia-Pacific elderly male population, and more than half of them were large HCC (Size>5cm). Sarcomatoid (including spindle cell and pleomorphic) carcinoma was associated with a larger tumor size, poorer differentiation, and more dismal prognoses. The pathological subtype, T stage, M stage, surgery, alpha-fetoprotein, and cancer history were confirmed as the independent predictors in patients with rare subtypes. The nomogram showed good calibration, discrimination, and net benefits in clinical practice.ConclusionThe rare subtypes had unique clinicopathological features and biological behaviors compared with the classic HCC. Our findings could provide a valuable reference for clinicians. The constructed nomogram could predict the prognoses with good performance, which is meaningful to individualized management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyuan Chen
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiwei Lu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoli Shi
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guoyong Han
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuangye Ni
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Gao
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Xuehao Wang, ; Yun Gao,
| | - Xuehao Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Xuehao Wang, ; Yun Gao,
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