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Aschero R, Castillo-Ecija H, Baulenas-Farres M, Resa-Pares C, Jimenez-Cabaco A, Rodriguez E, Monterrubio C, Perez-Jaume S, Suñol M, Chantada GL, Lavarino C, Mora J, Carcaboso AM. Prognostic value of xenograft engraftment in patients with metastatic high-risk neuroblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70:e30318. [PMID: 36973999 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Successful engraftment of human cancer biopsies in immunodeficient mice correlates with the poor prognosis of patients. This was reported 30 years ago for children with neuroblastoma, but the standard of care treatment evolved significantly during the last 15 years, leading to improved survival of these patients. Here, we evaluated the association of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) engraftment and prognosis in patients receiving up-to-date treatments for cancers classified as metastatic (stage M) high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) by the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Staging System (INRGSS). METHODS We obtained biopsies from patients with stage M HR-NB. We inoculated biopsy fragments subcutaneously in mice. We studied the association of PDX engraftment with event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients. RESULTS Since 2009, we established 17 PDX from 97 samples of 66 patients with stage M HR-NB, with a follow-up of at least two years. Factors associated with higher probability of engraftment were the death as outcome (p = .0006) and the amplification of the gene MYCN in tumors (p = .0271). Patients whose biopsies established a PDX had significantly shorter EFS and OS (p = .0039 and .0002, respectively) than patients whose samples did not engraft. The association of PDX engraftment and OS was significant in patients without MYCN amplification (p = .0041), but not in patients with MYCN amplification (p = .2707). CONCLUSION Positive PDX engraftment is a factor related to poor prognosis and fatal outcome in patients with stage M HR-NB treated with up-to-date therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Aschero
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Helena Castillo-Ecija
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Merce Baulenas-Farres
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claudia Resa-Pares
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Jimenez-Cabaco
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Rodriguez
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Monterrubio
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Perez-Jaume
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mariona Suñol
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillermo L Chantada
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cinzia Lavarino
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angel M Carcaboso
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
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SPARC-mediated long-term retention of nab-paclitaxel in pediatric sarcomas. J Control Release 2021; 342:81-92. [PMID: 34974029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular glycoprotein overexpressed by several cancers. Because SPARC shows high binding affinity to albumin, we reasoned that pediatric sarcoma xenografts expressing SPARC would show enhanced uptake and accumulation of nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel, a potent anticancer drug formulation. We first evaluated the expression of SPARC in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and osteosarcoma, finding variable SPARC gene expression that correlated well with SPARC protein measured by immunoblotting. We revealed that the activity of the fusion gene chimera EWSR1-FLI1, the genetic driver of Ewing sarcoma, leads to lower expression of the gene SPARC in these tumors, likely due to enriched acetylation marks of the histone H3 lysine 27 at regions including the SPARC promoter and potential enhancers. Then, we used SPARC-edited Ewing sarcoma cells (A673 line) to demonstrate that SPARC knocked down (KD) cells accumulated significantly less amount of nab-paclitaxel in vitro than SPARC wild type (WT) cells. In vivo, SPARC KD and SPARC WT subcutaneous xenografts in mice achieved similar maximum intratumoral concentrations of nab-paclitaxel, though drug clearance from SPARC WT tumors was significantly slower. We confirmed such SPARC-mediated long-term intratumoral accumulation of nab-paclitaxel in Ewing sarcoma PDX with high expression of SPARC, which accumulated significantly more nab-paclitaxel than SPARC-low PDX. SPARC-high PDX responded better to nab-paclitaxel than SPARC-low tumors, although these results should be taken cautiously, given that the PDXs were established from different patients that could have specific determinants predisposing response to paclitaxel. In addition, SPARC KD Ewing sarcoma xenografts responded better to soluble docetaxel and paclitaxel than to nab-paclitaxel, while SPARC WT ones showed similar response to soluble and albumin-carried drugs. Overall, our results show that pediatric sarcomas expressing SPARC accumulate nab-paclitaxel for longer periods of time, which could have clinical implications for chemotherapy efficacy.
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Castillo‐Ecija H, Pascual‐Pasto G, Perez‐Jaume S, Resa‐Pares C, Vila‐Ubach M, Monterrubio C, Jimenez‐Cabaco A, Baulenas‐Farres M, Muñoz‐Aznar O, Salvador N, Cuadrado‐Vilanova M, Olaciregui NG, Balaguer‐Lluna L, Burgueño V, Vicario FJ, Manzanares A, Castañeda A, Santa‐Maria V, Cruz O, Celis V, Morales La Madrid A, Garraus M, Gorostegui M, Vancells M, Carrasco R, Krauel L, Torner F, Suñol M, Lavarino C, Mora J, Carcaboso AM. Prognostic value of patient-derived xenograft engraftment in pediatric sarcomas. J Pathol Clin Res 2021; 7:338-349. [PMID: 33837665 PMCID: PMC8185364 DOI: 10.1002/cjp2.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The goals of this work were to identify factors favoring patient-derived xenograft (PDX) engraftment and study the association between PDX engraftment and prognosis in pediatric patients with Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. We used immunodeficient mice to establish 30 subcutaneous PDX from patient tumor biopsies, with a successful engraftment rate of 44%. Age greater than 12 years and relapsed disease were patient factors associated with higher engraftment rate. Tumor type and biopsy location did not associate with engraftment. PDX models retained histology markers and most chromosomal aberrations of patient samples during successive passages in mice. Model treatment with irinotecan resulted in significant activity in 20 of the PDXs and replicated the response of rhabdomyosarcoma patients. Successive generations of PDXs responded similarly to irinotecan, demonstrating functional stability of these models. Importantly, out of 68 tumor samples from 51 patients with a median follow-up of 21.2 months, PDX engraftment from newly diagnosed patients was a prognostic factor significantly associated with poor outcome (p = 0.040). This association was not significant for relapsed patients. In the subgroup of patients with newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma classified as standard risk, we found higher risk of relapse or refractory disease associated with those samples that produced stable PDX models (p = 0.0357). Overall, our study shows that PDX engraftment predicts worse outcome in newly diagnosed pediatric sarcoma patients.
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Domenici G, Eduardo R, Castillo-Ecija H, Orive G, Montero Carcaboso Á, Brito C. PDX-Derived Ewing's Sarcoma Cells Retain High Viability and Disease Phenotype in Alginate Encapsulated Spheroid Cultures. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040879. [PMID: 33669730 PMCID: PMC7922076 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Ewing’s Sarcoma (ES) is the second most frequent bone tumour in children and young adults, with very aggressive behaviour and significant disease recurrence. To better study the disease and find new therapies, experimental models are needed. Recently, patient-derived xenografts (PDX), obtained by implanting patient tumour samples in immunodeficient mice, have been developed. However, when ES cells are extracted from the patient’s tumour or from PDX and placed on plasticware surfaces, they lose their original 3D configuration, cell identity and function. To overcome these issues, we implemented cultures of PDX-derived ES cells, by making them aggregate to form ES cell spheroids and then encapsulating these 3D spheroids into a hydrogel, alginate, to stabilize the culture. We show that this methodology maintained ES cell viability and intrinsic characteristics of the original ES tumour cells for at least one month and that it is suitable for study the effect of anticancer drugs. Abstract Ewing’s Sarcoma (ES) is the second most frequent malignant bone tumour in children and young adults and currently only untargeted chemotherapeutic approaches and surgery are available as treatment, although clinical trials are on-going for recently developed ES-targeted therapies. To study ES pathobiology and develop novel drugs, established cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are the most employed experimental models. Nevertheless, the establishment of ES cell lines is difficult and the extensive use of PDX raises economic/ethical concerns. There is a growing consensus regarding the use of 3D cell culture to recapitulate physiological and pathophysiological features of human tissues, including drug sensitivity. Herein, we implemented a 3D cell culture methodology based on encapsulation of PDX-derived ES cell spheroids in alginate and maintenance in agitation-based culture systems. Under these conditions, ES cells displayed high proliferative and metabolic activity, while retaining the typical EWSR1-FLI1 chromosomal translocation. Importantly, 3D cultures presented reduced mouse PDX cell contamination compared to 2D cultures. Finally, we show that these 3D cultures can be employed in drug sensitivity assays, with results similar to those reported for the PDX of origin. In conclusion, this novel 3D cell culture method involving ES-PDX-derived cells is a suitable model to study ES pathobiology and can assist in the development of novel drugs against this disease, complementing PDX studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Domenici
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (G.D.); (R.E.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Eduardo
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (G.D.); (R.E.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Helena Castillo-Ecija
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Passeig Sant Joan de Déu 2, 08950 Barcelona, Spain; (H.C.-E.); (Á.M.C.)
| | - Gorka Orive
- NanoBioCel Group, Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain;
- Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Ángel Montero Carcaboso
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Passeig Sant Joan de Déu 2, 08950 Barcelona, Spain; (H.C.-E.); (Á.M.C.)
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (G.D.); (R.E.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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