1
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Tsuruoka M, Ninomiya M, Inoue J, Iwata T, Sano A, Sato K, Onuki M, Sawahashi S, Masamune A. Changes in Mutations of Cell-Free DNA and Liver Tumor Tissue in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma before and after Introduction of Lenvatinib. Oncology 2024:1-12. [PMID: 39047713 DOI: 10.1159/000540438] [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: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is expected to contribute to the decision for treatment and prediction of effects with minimally invasion. We investigated the correlation between gene mutations before and after lenvatinib (LEN) treatment and its effectiveness, in order to find advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who would benefit greatly from the therapy. METHODS We analyzed cfDNA before and 6-8 weeks after the start of treatment in 20 advanced HCC patients who started LEN. A next-generation sequencer was used for CTNNB1 and TP53. Concerning TERT promoter, -124C>T and -146C>T mutations are researched using digital PCR. In addition, we examined liver tumor biopsy tissues by the same method. Computerized tomography evaluation was performed at 6-8 weeks and 3-4 months to assess the efficacy. RESULTS Frequencies of TERT promoter, CTNNB1, and TP53 mutations in pretreatment cfDNA were 45%, 65%, and 65%, but 53%, 41%, and 47% in HCC tissues, respectively. There were no clear correlations between these gene mutations and the disease-suppressing effect or progression-free survival. Overall, there were many cases showing a decrease in mutations after LEN treatment. Integrating the reduction of CTNNB1 and TP53 genetic mutations increased the potential for disease suppression. CONCLUSION This study suggests that analysis of cfDNA in advanced HCC patients may be useful for identifying LEN responders and determining therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, it has potential for selecting responders for other molecular-targeted drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mio Tsuruoka
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan,
| | - Masashi Ninomiya
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Jun Inoue
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Iwata
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Akitoshi Sano
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kosuke Sato
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Masazumi Onuki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Satoko Sawahashi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Masamune
- Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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Iñiguez-Muñoz S, Llinàs-Arias P, Ensenyat-Mendez M, Bedoya-López AF, Orozco JIJ, Cortés J, Roy A, Forsberg-Nilsson K, DiNome ML, Marzese DM. Hidden secrets of the cancer genome: unlocking the impact of non-coding mutations in gene regulatory elements. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:274. [PMID: 38902506 PMCID: PMC11335195 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05314-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Discoveries in the field of genomics have revealed that non-coding genomic regions are not merely "junk DNA", but rather comprise critical elements involved in gene expression. These gene regulatory elements (GREs) include enhancers, insulators, silencers, and gene promoters. Notably, new evidence shows how mutations within these regions substantially influence gene expression programs, especially in the context of cancer. Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have accelerated the identification of somatic and germline single nucleotide mutations in non-coding genomic regions. This review provides an overview of somatic and germline non-coding single nucleotide alterations affecting transcription factor binding sites in GREs, specifically involved in cancer biology. It also summarizes the technologies available for exploring GREs and the challenges associated with studying and characterizing non-coding single nucleotide mutations. Understanding the role of GRE alterations in cancer is essential for improving diagnostic and prognostic capabilities in the precision medicine era, leading to enhanced patient-centered clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Iñiguez-Muñoz
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Pere Llinàs-Arias
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Andrés F Bedoya-López
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Javier I J Orozco
- Saint John's Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Javier Cortés
- International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Pangaea Oncology, Quiron Group, 08017, Barcelona, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research SL (MEDSIR), 08018, Barcelona, Spain
- Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ananya Roy
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Forsberg-Nilsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, Nottingham, UK
| | - Maggie L DiNome
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Diego M Marzese
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain.
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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3
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Darmofal M, Suman S, Atwal G, Toomey M, Chen JF, Chang JC, Vakiani E, Varghese AM, Balakrishnan Rema A, Syed A, Schultz N, Berger MF, Morris Q. Deep-Learning Model for Tumor-Type Prediction Using Targeted Clinical Genomic Sequencing Data. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:1064-1081. [PMID: 38416134 PMCID: PMC11145170 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0996] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Tumor type guides clinical treatment decisions in cancer, but histology-based diagnosis remains challenging. Genomic alterations are highly diagnostic of tumor type, and tumor-type classifiers trained on genomic features have been explored, but the most accurate methods are not clinically feasible, relying on features derived from whole-genome sequencing (WGS), or predicting across limited cancer types. We use genomic features from a data set of 39,787 solid tumors sequenced using a clinically targeted cancer gene panel to develop Genome-Derived-Diagnosis Ensemble (GDD-ENS): a hyperparameter ensemble for classifying tumor type using deep neural networks. GDD-ENS achieves 93% accuracy for high-confidence predictions across 38 cancer types, rivaling the performance of WGS-based methods. GDD-ENS can also guide diagnoses of rare type and cancers of unknown primary and incorporate patient-specific clinical information for improved predictions. Overall, integrating GDD-ENS into prospective clinical sequencing workflows could provide clinically relevant tumor-type predictions to guide treatment decisions in real time. SIGNIFICANCE We describe a highly accurate tumor-type prediction model, designed specifically for clinical implementation. Our model relies only on widely used cancer gene panel sequencing data, predicts across 38 distinct cancer types, and supports integration of patient-specific nongenomic information for enhanced decision support in challenging diagnostic situations. See related commentary by Garg, p. 906. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 897.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Darmofal
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Shalabh Suman
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Gurnit Atwal
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Vector Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Toomey
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Jie-Fu Chen
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Jason C. Chang
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Efsevia Vakiani
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Anna M. Varghese
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Aijazuddin Syed
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Nikolaus Schultz
- Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Michael F. Berger
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Quaid Morris
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
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4
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Drobyshev A, Modestov A, Suntsova M, Poddubskaya E, Seryakov A, Moisseev A, Sorokin M, Tkachev V, Zakharova G, Simonov A, Zolotovskaia MA, Buzdin A. Pan-cancer experimental characteristic of human transcriptional patterns connected with telomerase reverse transcriptase ( TERT) gene expression status. Front Genet 2024; 15:1401100. [PMID: 38859942 PMCID: PMC11163056 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1401100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The TERT gene encodes the reverse transcriptase subunit of telomerase and is normally transcriptionally suppressed in differentiated human cells but reactivated in cancers where its expression is frequently associated with poor survival prognosis. Here we experimentally assessed the RNA sequencing expression patterns associated with TERT transcription in 1039 human cancer samples of 27 tumor types. We observed a bimodal distribution of TERT expression where ∼27% of cancer samples did not express TERT and the rest showed a bell-shaped distribution. Expression of TERT strongly correlated with 1443 human genes including 103 encoding transcriptional factor proteins. Comparison of TERT- positive and negative cancers showed the differential activation of 496 genes and 1975 molecular pathways. Therein, 32/38 (84%) of DNA repair pathways were hyperactivated in TERT+ cancers which was also connected with accelerated replication, transcription, translation, and cell cycle progression. In contrast, the level of 40 positive cell cycle regulator proteins and a set of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition pathways was specific for the TERT- group suggesting different proliferation strategies for both groups of cancer. Our pilot study showed that the TERT+ group had ∼13% of cancers with C228T or C250T mutated TERT promoter. However, the presence of promoter mutations was not associated with greater TERT expression compared with other TERT+ cancers, suggesting parallel mechanisms of its transcriptional activation in cancers. In addition, we detected a decreased expression of L1 retrotransposons in the TERT+ group, and further decreased L1 expression in promoter mutated TERT+ cancers. TERT expression was correlated with 17 genes encoding molecular targets of cancer therapeutics and may relate to differential survival patterns of TERT- positive and negative cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey Drobyshev
- Endocrinology Research Center, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Modestov
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria Suntsova
- Endocrinology Research Center, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Poddubskaya
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Clinical Center Vitamed, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Aleksey Moisseev
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maksim Sorokin
- Endocrinology Research Center, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Galina Zakharova
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aleksander Simonov
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marianna A. Zolotovskaia
- Endocrinology Research Center, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Center for Advanced Studies 20, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anton Buzdin
- Endocrinology Research Center, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Personalized Oncology, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Center for Advanced Studies 20, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
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5
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Deb S, Berei J, Miliavski E, Khan MJ, Broder TJ, Akurugo TA, Lund C, Fleming SE, Hillwig R, Ross J, Puri N. The Effects of Smoking on Telomere Length, Induction of Oncogenic Stress, and Chronic Inflammatory Responses Leading to Aging. Cells 2024; 13:884. [PMID: 38891017 PMCID: PMC11172003 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110884] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomeres, potential biomarkers of aging, are known to shorten with continued cigarette smoke exposure. In order to further investigate this process and its impact on cellular stress and inflammation, we used an in vitro model with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and observed the downregulation of telomere stabilizing TRF2 and POT1 genes after CSE treatment. hTERT is a subunit of telomerase and a well-known oncogenic marker, which is overexpressed in over 85% of cancers and may contribute to lung cancer development in smokers. We also observed an increase in hTERT and ISG15 expression levels after CSE treatment, as well as increased protein levels revealed by immunohistochemical staining in smokers' lung tissue samples compared to non-smokers. The effects of ISG15 overexpression were further studied by quantifying IFN-γ, an inflammatory protein induced by ISG15, which showed greater upregulation in smokers compared to non-smokers. Similar changes in gene expression patterns for TRF2, POT1, hTERT, and ISG15 were observed in blood and buccal swab samples from smokers compared to non-smokers. The results from this study provide insight into the mechanisms behind smoking causing telomere shortening and how this may contribute to the induction of inflammation and/or tumorigenesis, which may lead to comorbidities in smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Deb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Joseph Berei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Edward Miliavski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Muhammad J. Khan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Taylor J. Broder
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Thomas A. Akurugo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Cody Lund
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Sara E. Fleming
- Department of Pathology, UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital, Rockford, IL 61107, USA;
| | - Robert Hillwig
- Department of Health Sciences Education, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA;
| | - Joseph Ross
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA;
| | - Neelu Puri
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (S.D.); (J.B.); (E.M.); (M.J.K.); (T.J.B.); (T.A.A.); (C.L.)
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6
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Liu M, Zhang Y, Jian Y, Gu L, Zhang D, Zhou H, Wang Y, Xu ZX. The regulations of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:90. [PMID: 38278800 PMCID: PMC10817947 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06454-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal activation of telomerase occurs in most cancer types, which facilitates escaping from cell senescence. As the key component of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is regulated by various regulation pathways. TERT gene changing in its promoter and phosphorylation respectively leads to TERT ectopic expression at the transcription and protein levels. The co-interacting factors play an important role in the regulation of TERT in different cancer types. In this review, we focus on the regulators of TERT and these downstream functions in cancer regulation. Determining the specific regulatory mechanism will help to facilitate the development of a cancer treatment strategy that targets telomerase and cancer cell senescence. As the most important catalytic subunit component of telomerase, TERT is rapidly regulated by transcriptional factors and PTM-related activation. These changes directly influence TERT-related telomere maintenance by regulating telomerase activity in telomerase-positive cancer cells, telomerase assembly with telomere-binding proteins, and recruiting telomerase to the telomere. Besides, there are also non-canonical functions that are influenced by TERT, including the basic biological functions of cancer cells, such as proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, initiating cell formation, EMT, and cell invasion. Other downstream effects are the results of the influence of transcriptional factors by TERT. Currently, some small molecular inhibitors of TERT and TERT vaccine are under research as a clinical therapeutic target. Purposeful work is in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingdi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Yuning Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Yongping Jian
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Liting Gu
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Honglan Zhou
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
| | - Yishu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
| | - Zhi-Xiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
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7
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Lu Y, Chen X, Zeng W, Hua P, Shen Y, Qiu Y, He X, Zhang H. COL1A1::PDGFB fusion uterine sarcoma with a TERT promoter mutation. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2024; 63:e23210. [PMID: 37870859 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
COL1A1::PDGFB fusion uterine sarcoma is a rare uterine mesenchymal tumor with some clinicopathological features that overlap with those of soft tissue dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. However, the varied clinicopathologic and genetic characteristics have not been fully revealed, which may be a potential pitfall for diagnosis. Here, we present a case of COL1A1::PDGFB fusion-positive uterine sarcoma in a 49-years-old female. Histologically, the tumor from the initial marginal excision predominantly exhibited high-grade fibrosarcomatous and myxofibrosarcoma-like appearances, while a low-grade focal area displaying storiform growth was identified in the residual tumor after subsequently extended resection. Immunohistochemically, the high-grade components mainly exhibited focal positivity for CD34 and mutated-type p53 immunoreactivity, whereas the low-grade component showed diffuse positivity for CD34 and wild-type p53 staining. The COL1A1::PDGFB fusion was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and next-generation sequencing. In addition, the TERT-124 C > T mutation was further identified in this lesion's fibrosarcomatous and classic storiform components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first described case of COL1A1::PDGFB fusion uterine sarcoma with a TERT promoter mutation, which might be a novel genetic finding associated with tumorigenesis of this rare tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Lu
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinyi Chen
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao Cancer Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenjing Zeng
- Department of Pathology, Longchang People's Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Ping Hua
- Department of Pathology, Chengdu Women's and Children's Center Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yangmei Shen
- Department of pathology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Qiu
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin He
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongying Zhang
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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8
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Koleilat A, Kumar V, Al Hmada Y, Milosevic D, Zheng G, Lopes MB, Ida CM. Concurrent TERT promoter C228T and C250T mutations in diffuse gliomas: Rare occurrence of intratumoral heterogeneity. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2023; 82:1044-1047. [PMID: 37812785 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlad081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alaa Koleilat
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Youssef Al Hmada
- Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Dragana Milosevic
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Gang Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Maria Beatriz Lopes
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia Health, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Cristiane M Ida
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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9
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Darmofal M, Suman S, Atwal G, Chen JF, Chang JC, Toomey M, Vakiani E, Varghese AM, Rema AB, Syed A, Schultz N, Berger M, Morris Q. Deep Learning Model for Tumor Type Prediction using Targeted Clinical Genomic Sequencing Data. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.09.08.23295131. [PMID: 37732244 PMCID: PMC10508812 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.08.23295131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Tumor type guides clinical treatment decisions in cancer, but histology-based diagnosis remains challenging. Genomic alterations are highly diagnostic of tumor type, and tumor type classifiers trained on genomic features have been explored, but the most accurate methods are not clinically feasible, relying on features derived from whole genome sequencing (WGS), or predicting across limited cancer types. We use genomic features from a dataset of 39,787 solid tumors sequenced using a clinical targeted cancer gene panel to develop Genome-Derived-Diagnosis Ensemble (GDD-ENS): a hyperparameter ensemble for classifying tumor type using deep neural networks. GDD-ENS achieves 93% accuracy for high-confidence predictions across 38 cancer types, rivalling performance of WGS-based methods. GDD-ENS can also guide diagnoses on rare type and cancers of unknown primary, and incorporate patient-specific clinical information for improved predictions. Overall, integrating GDD-ENS into prospective clinical sequencing workflows has enabled clinically-relevant tumor type predictions to guide treatment decisions in real time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Darmofal
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shalabh Suman
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Gurnit Atwal
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto; Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Vector Institute; Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Jie-Fu Chen
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jason C. Chang
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Michael Toomey
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional Training Program in Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Efsevia Vakiani
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna M Varghese
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Aijazuddin Syed
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nikolaus Schultz
- Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Michael Berger
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
- Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Quaid Morris
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; New York, NY 10065, USA
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10
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Ida CM, Jenkins RB. SMARCAL1: Expanding the spectrum of genes associated with alternative lengthening of telomeres. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:1576-1577. [PMID: 37163741 PMCID: PMC10479906 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane M Ida
- Division of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Robert B Jenkins
- Division of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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11
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MacKenzie TMG, Cisneros R, Maynard RD, Snyder MP. Reverse-ChIP Techniques for Identifying Locus-Specific Proteomes: A Key Tool in Unlocking the Cancer Regulome. Cells 2023; 12:1860. [PMID: 37508524 PMCID: PMC10377898 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141860] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A phenotypic hallmark of cancer is aberrant transcriptional regulation. Transcriptional regulation is controlled by a complicated array of molecular factors, including the presence of transcription factors, the deposition of histone post-translational modifications, and long-range DNA interactions. Determining the molecular identity and function of these various factors is necessary to understand specific aspects of cancer biology and reveal potential therapeutic targets. Regulation of the genome by specific factors is typically studied using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq) that identifies genome-wide binding interactions through the use of factor-specific antibodies. A long-standing goal in many laboratories has been the development of a 'reverse-ChIP' approach to identify unknown binding partners at loci of interest. A variety of strategies have been employed to enable the selective biochemical purification of sequence-defined chromatin regions, including single-copy loci, and the subsequent analytical detection of associated proteins. This review covers mass spectrometry techniques that enable quantitative proteomics before providing a survey of approaches toward the development of strategies for the purification of sequence-specific chromatin as a 'reverse-ChIP' technique. A fully realized reverse-ChIP technique holds great potential for identifying cancer-specific targets and the development of personalized therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rocío Cisneros
- Sarafan ChEM-H/IMA Postbaccalaureate Fellow in Target Discovery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Rajan D Maynard
- Genetics Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael P Snyder
- Genetics Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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12
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Piñeiro-Hermida S, Bosso G, Sánchez-Vázquez R, Martínez P, Blasco MA. Telomerase deficiency and dysfunctional telomeres in the lung tumor microenvironment impair tumor progression in NSCLC mouse models and patient-derived xenografts. Cell Death Differ 2023:10.1038/s41418-023-01149-6. [PMID: 37085672 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01149-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death. Tumor progression depends on interactions of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment. Here, we find increased copy number and mRNA expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, TERT, in tumors from NSCLC patients, contributing to a lower survival. Moreover, TERT expression in NSCLC patients from the TCGA cohort is mainly associated to the reduced infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes, as well as to increased infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We also show that TERT deficiency and dysfunctional telomeres induced by 6-thio-dG treatment in mice reduced lung tumor implantation and vascularization, increased DNA damage response, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as well as reduced proliferation, inflammation, lung tumor immunosupression and invasion upon induction of a Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC). Furthermore, 6-thio-dG-treated human NSCLC xenografts exhibited increased telomere damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as well as reduced proliferation, resulting in a reduced tumor growth. Our results show that targeting telomeres might be an effective therapeutic strategy in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Piñeiro-Hermida
- Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid, E-28029, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Bosso
- Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid, E-28029, Spain
| | - Raúl Sánchez-Vázquez
- Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid, E-28029, Spain
| | - Paula Martínez
- Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid, E-28029, Spain
| | - Maria A Blasco
- Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid, E-28029, Spain.
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13
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Cheng L, Zhang S, Wang M, Lopez-Beltran A. Biological and clinical perspectives of TERT promoter mutation detection on bladder cancer diagnosis and management. Hum Pathol 2023; 133:56-75. [PMID: 35700749 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are associated with increased TERT mRNA and TERT protein levels, telomerase activity, and shorter but stable telomere length. TERT promoter mutation is the most common mutation that occurs in approximately 60-80% of patients with bladder cancer. The TERT promoter mutations occur in a wide spectrum of urothelial lesions, including benign urothelial proliferation and tumor-like conditions, benign urothelial tumors, premalignant and putative precursor lesions, urothelial carcinoma and its variants, and nonurothelial malignancies. The prevalence and incidence of TERT promoter mutations in a total of 7259 cases from the urinary tract were systematically reviewed. Different platforms of TERT promoter mutation detection were presented. In this review, we also discussed the significance and clinical implications of TERT promoter mutation detection in urothelial tumorigenesis, surveillance and early detection, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, prognosis, prediction of treatment responses, and clinical outcome. Identification of TERT promoter mutations from urine or plasma cell-free DNA (liquid biopsy) will facilitate bladder cancer screening program and optimal clinical management. A better understanding of TERT promoter mutation and its pathway would open new therapeutic avenues for patients with bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Cheng
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Lifespan Academic Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.
| | - Shaobo Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Mingsheng Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Antonio Lopez-Beltran
- Department of Morphological Sciences, University of Cordoba Medical School, Cordoba, E-14004, Spain
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14
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Yasir S, Thompson S, Chen ZE, Knudson R, Knutson D, Kloft-Nelson S, Graham RP, Jain D, Simon SM, Wu TT, Torbenson M. Alternative lengthening of telomeres in primary hepatic neoplasms. Hum Pathol 2023; 131:79-86. [PMID: 36370823 PMCID: PMC10756352 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2022.11.003] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) phenotype is characterized by ultra-bright telomeres on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and is a marker of a unique mechanism of telomere maintenance in tumors. ALT does not occur in normal tissues. ALT has been described in hepatocellular carcinoma (5-10%) and in primary hepatic angiosarcomas (75%). To study the frequency of ALT in other primary hepatic tumors, a wide range of primary hepatic neoplasms were retrieved. The tumors included the following: intrahepatic and hilar cholangiocarcinomas (N = 110), hepatic adenomas (N = 35), hepatocellular carcinomas (N = 30), fibrolamellar carcinomas (n = 11), combined cholangiocarcinoma-hepatocellular carcinomas (N = 8), carcinosarcoma (N = 10), hepatoblastomas (N = 5), hemangiomas (N = 4), angiosarcomas (N = 8), epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas (N = 10), calcified nested stromal epithelial tumor (N = 2), embryonal sarcoma (N = 2), rhabdoid tumor (N = 1), bile duct adenoma (N = 1), and angiomyolipoma (N = 1). For epithelial tumors, ALT-FISH was positive in one carcinosarcoma (10% of cases), one cholangiocarcinoma (1% of cases), and one combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (13% of cases). In the hepatocellular carcinoma component of both the carcinosarcoma and the combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma, the tumor cells showed patchy marked nuclear pleomorphism akin to that described previously for chromophobe hepatocellular carcinoma, which are typically ALT FISH positive. The ALT-positive cholangiocarcinoma also showed patchy, striking nuclear pleomorphism. For soft tissue tumors, ALT was positive in two angiosarcomas (N = 2; 25% of cases). In summary, this study shows that ALT-FISH is positive in rare carcinosarcomas, cholangiocarcinomas, and combined cholangiocarcinoma-hepatocellular carcinoma. ALT is not a significant mechanism of telomere maintenance in hepatocellular adenomas or fibrolamellar carcinomas and was negative in all other tested primary hepatic neoplasms. ALT-FISH is also positive in a subset of primary hepatic angiosarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Yasir
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Scott Thompson
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Zongming Eric Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Ryan Knudson
- Medical Genome Facility, Cytogenetics Core Laboratory, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Darlene Knutson
- Medical Genome Facility, Cytogenetics Core Laboratory, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Sara Kloft-Nelson
- Medical Genome Facility, Cytogenetics Core Laboratory, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Rondell P Graham
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | | | - Sanford M Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, NY, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Tsung-Teh Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Michael Torbenson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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15
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Dermawan JK, Vanoli F, Herviou L, Sung YS, Zhang L, Singer S, Tap WD, Benayed R, Bale TA, Benhamida JK, Dickson BC, Antonescu CR. Comprehensive genomic profiling of EWSR1/FUS::CREB translocation-associated tumors uncovers prognostically significant recurrent genetic alterations and methylation-transcriptional correlates. Mod Pathol 2022; 35:1055-1065. [PMID: 35347249 PMCID: PMC9329182 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-022-01023-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the divergent clinicopathologic spectrum of EWSR1/FUS::CREB translocation-associated tumors, we performed a comprehensive genomic analysis of fusion transcript variants, recurrent genetic alterations (mutations, copy number alterations), gene expression, and methylation profiles across a large cohort of tumor types. The distribution of the EWSR1/FUS fusion partners-ATF1, CREB1, and CREM-and exon involvement was significantly different across different tumor types. Our targeted sequencing showed that secondary genetic events are associated with tumor type rather than fusion type. Of the 39 cases that underwent targeted NGS testing, 18 (46%) had secondary OncoKB mutations or copy number alterations (29 secondary genetic events in total), of which 15 (52%) were recurrent. Secondary recurrent, but mutually exclusive, TERT promoter and CDKN2A mutations were identified only in clear cell sarcoma (CCS) and associated with worse overall survival. CDKN2A/B homozygous deletions were recurrent in angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) and restricted to metastatic cases. mRNA upregulation of MITF, CDH19, PARVB, and PFKP was found in CCS, compared to AFH, and correlated with a hypomethylated profile. In contrast, S100A4 and XAF1 were differentially upregulated and hypomethylated in AFH but not CCS. Unsupervised clustering of methylation profiles revealed that CREB family translocation-associated tumors form neighboring but tight, distinct clusters. A sarcoma methylation classifier was able to accurately match 100% of CCS cases to the correct methylation class; however, it was suboptimal when applied to other histologies. In conclusion, our comprehensive genomic profiling of EWSR1/FUS::CREB translocation-associated tumors uncovered mostly histotype, rather than fusion-type associated correlations in transcript variants, prognostically significant secondary genetic alterations, and gene expression and methylation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabio Vanoli
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laurie Herviou
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yun-Shao Sung
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel Singer
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - William D. Tap
- Department of Medicine, Sarcoma Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ryma Benayed
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tejus A. Bale
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jamal K. Benhamida
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brendan C. Dickson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Zaremba A, Meier F, Schlein C, Jansen P, Lodde G, Song M, Kretz J, Möller I, Stadtler N, Livingstone E, Zimmer L, Hadaschik E, Sucker A, Schadendorf D, Griewank K. Clinical and pathological characteristics of familial melanoma with germline TERT promoter variants. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2022; 35:573-586. [PMID: 35912549 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Around 10% of melanoma occur in patients with a suspected familial predisposition. TERT promoter mutations are the most common somatic hotspot mutations in human cancers. However, only two families with germline mutations have been identified to date. We present detailed histological, clinical and molecular pathologic analyses of affected patients and details of newly identified individuals in one of these previously reported families. TERT (NM_198253.3) Chr.5:1,295,161T>C (c.-57 T>C) promoter variants were detected in all melanoma-affected (n=18) and one non-diseased family member. Median age at diagnosis was 30 years (n=18, range 16-46 years, 2 unknown). While most primary melanoma arose on the upper extremities (n=7, 21%) and were superficial spreading melanoma (SSM, n=8, 24%), many primary melanoma also originated from non UV-exposed mucosal (n=2, 6%) and acral (n=4, 12%) locations. One SSM sample harboured a Chr.5:1,295,228C>T TERT promoter region in addition to the germline Chr.5:1,295,161T>C variant, arguing additional pathway activation can support tumor pathogenesis. Patients treated with BRAF inhibitor and/or immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) showed responses, although of limited duration. One mucosal melanoma harboured both a KIT copy number gain and an activating c.1727 p.Leu576Pro mutation. Following modest response to ICI, subsequent KIT inhibitor (imatinib) therapy demonstrated an ongoing complete pathological response (currently 7 months).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Zaremba
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedegund Meier
- Skin Cancer Center at the University Cancer Centre and National Center for Tumor Diseases, Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Schlein
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Jansen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Georg Lodde
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mingxia Song
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Kretz
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Inga Möller
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nadine Stadtler
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Livingstone
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lisa Zimmer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Hadaschik
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antje Sucker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Klaus Griewank
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Gupta S, Won H, Chadalavada K, Nanjangud GJ, Chen YB, Al-Ahmadie HA, Fine SW, Sirintrapun SJ, Strong VE, Raj N, Lagunes DR, Vanderbilt CM, Berger MF, Ladanyi M, Dogan S, Tickoo SK, Reuter VE, Gopalan A. TERT Copy Number Alterations, Promoter Mutations and Rearrangements in Adrenocortical Carcinomas. Endocr Pathol 2022; 33:304-314. [PMID: 34549366 PMCID: PMC9135779 DOI: 10.1007/s12022-021-09691-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Molecular characterization of adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) has highlighted a high prevalence of TERT alterations, which are associated with disease progression. Herein, 78 ACC were profiled using a combination of next generation sequencing (n = 76) and FISH (n = 9) to assess for TERT alterations. This data was combined with TCGA dataset (n = 91). A subset of borderline adrenocortical tumors (n = 5) and adrenocortical adenomas (n = 7) were also evaluated. The most common alteration involving the TERT gene involved gains/amplifications, seen in 22.2% (37/167) of cases. In contrast, "hotspot" promoter mutations (C > T promoter mutation at position -124, 7/167 cases, 4.2%) and promoter rearrangements (2/165, 1.2%) were rare. Recurrent co-alterations included 22q copy number losses seen in 24% (9/38) of cases. Although no significant differences were identified in cases with and without TERT alterations pertaining to age at presentation, tumor size, weight, laterality, mitotic index and Ki67 labeling, cases with TERT alterations showed worse outcomes. Metastatic behavior was seen in 70% (28/40) of cases with TERT alterations compared to 51.2% (65/127, p = 0.04) of cases that lacked these alterations. Two (of 5) borderline tumors showed amplifications and no TERT alterations were identified in 7 adenomas. In the borderline group, 0 (of 4) patients with available follow up had adverse outcomes. We found that TERT alterations in ACC predominantly involve gene amplifications, with a smaller subset harboring "hotspot" promoter mutations and rearrangements, and 70% of TERT-altered tumors are associated with metastases. Prospective studies are needed to validate the prognostic impact of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sounak Gupta
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Helen Won
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Kalyani Chadalavada
- Molecular Cytogenetics Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gouri J Nanjangud
- Molecular Cytogenetics Core Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ying-Bei Chen
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Hikmat A Al-Ahmadie
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Samson W Fine
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Sahussapont J Sirintrapun
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Vivian E Strong
- Department of Surgery, Gastric and Mixed Tumor Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nitya Raj
- Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diane Reidy Lagunes
- Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chad M Vanderbilt
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Michael F Berger
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Marc Ladanyi
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Snjezana Dogan
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Satish K Tickoo
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Victor E Reuter
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Anuradha Gopalan
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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18
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Targeted Therapy for Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Genomic-Based Search for Available and Emerging Options. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112721. [PMID: 35681700 PMCID: PMC9179357 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In rare diseases such as adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), in silico analysis can help select promising therapy options. We screened all drugs approved by the FDA and those in current clinical studies to identify drugs that target genomic alterations, also known to be present in patients with ACC. We identified FDA-approved drugs in the My Cancer Genome and National Cancer Institute databases and identified genetic alterations that could predict drug response. In total, 155 FDA-approved drugs and 905 drugs in clinical trials were identified and linked to 375 genes of 89 TCGA patients. The most frequent potentially targetable genetic alterations included TP53 (20%), BRD9 (13%), TERT (13%), CTNNB1 (13%), CDK4 (7%), FLT4 (7%), and MDM2 (7%). We identified TP53-modulating drugs to be possibly effective in 20-26% of patients, followed by the Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors (15%), Telomelysin and INO5401 (13%), FHD-609 (13%), etc. According to our data, 67% of ACC patients exhibited genomic alterations that might be targeted by FDA-approved drugs or drugs being tested in current clinical trials. Although there are not many current therapy options directly targeting reported ACC alterations, this study identifies emerging options that could be tested in clinical trials.
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19
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Starita N, Pezzuto F, Sarno S, Losito NS, Perdonà S, Buonaguro L, Buonaguro FM, Tornesello ML. Mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter and
PIK3CA
gene are common events in penile squamous cell carcinoma of Italian and Ugandan patients. Int J Cancer 2022; 150:1879-1888. [PMID: 35253909 PMCID: PMC9310576 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Penile carcinoma develops either through human papillomavirus (HPV) related or unrelated carcinogenic pathways. Genetic alterations and nucleotide changes in coding regions (ie, TP53, CDKN2A, PIK3CA and NOTCH1) are main cancer driver events either in HPV positive or in HPV negative tumours. We investigated the presence of hotspot nucleotide mutations in TERT promoter (TERTp) and PIK3CA exon 9 and their relationship with HPV status in 69 penile cancer cases from Italian and Ugandan patients. Genetic variations and viral sequences have been characterised by end‐point polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing. The mutant allele frequencies (MAFs) of TERTp −124A/−146A and PIK3CA E545K have been determined by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays. The results showed that TERTp mutations are highly prevalent in penile carcinoma (53.6%) and significantly more frequent in HPV negative (67.6%) than HPV positive (32.4%) cases (P = .0482). PIK3CA mutations were similarly distributed in virus‐related and unrelated cases (25.9% and 26.7%, respectively) and coexisted with TERTp changes in 15.8% of penile carcinoma samples. Notably, MAFs of co‐occurring mutations were frequently discordant indicating that PIK3CA E545K nucleotide changes are subsequent genetic events occurring in subclones of TERTp mutated cells. The frequencies of TERTp and PIK3CA mutations were higher among Italian compared to Ugandan cases and inversely correlated with the HPV status. In conclusion, TERTp mutations are very common in penile carcinoma and their coexistence with PIK3CA in a substantial number of cases may represent a novel oncogenic synergy relevant for patient stratification and use of therapeutic strategies against new actionable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemy Starita
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology UnitIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Francesca Pezzuto
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology UnitIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Sabrina Sarno
- Department of PathologyIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Nunzia Simona Losito
- Department of PathologyIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Sisto Perdonà
- Urology UnitIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Innovative Immunological ModelsIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Franco M. Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology UnitIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology UnitIstituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. PascaleNaplesItaly
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20
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Boyraz B, Hung YP. Spindle Cell Tumors of the Pleura and the Peritoneum: Pathologic Diagnosis and Updates. APMIS 2021; 130:140-154. [PMID: 34942046 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A diverse group of both benign and malignant spindle cell tumors can involve the pleura or the peritoneum. Due to their rarity and overlapping morphologic features, these tumors can pose considerable diagnostic difficulty in surgical pathology. As these tumors differ in their prognosis and clinical management, their correct pathologic diagnosis is critical. In addition to histologic assessment, select immunohistochemical and molecular tools can aid the distinction among these tumors. In this review, we consider some of the major histologic differential diagnosis of spindle cell tumors involving these serosal membranes. This list of tumors includes: solitary fibrous tumor, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, desmoid fibromatosis, synovial sarcoma, sarcomatoid carcinoma, spindle cell melanoma, dedifferentiated liposarcoma, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, and sarcomatoid mesothelioma. We describe their salient clinicopathologic and genetic findings, with a review on some of the recent discoveries on their molecular pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baris Boyraz
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yin P Hung
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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21
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Analysis of Telomere Maintenance Related Genes Reveals NOP10 as a New Metastatic-Risk Marker in Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194758. [PMID: 34638246 PMCID: PMC8507560 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Telomere maintenance involving TERT and ATRX genes has been recently described in metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, reinforcing the importance of immortalization mechanisms in the progression of these tumors. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze additional telomere-related genes to uncover potential new markers capable of identifying metastatic-risk patients more accurately. After analyzing 29 telomere-related genes, we were able to validate the predictive value of TERT and ATRX in mPPGL progression. In addition, we were able to identify NOP10 as a novel prognostic risk marker of mPPGLs, which also facilitates telomerase-dependent telomere length maintenance in these tumors. Interestingly, NOP10 overexpression assessment by IHC could be easily included within the current battery of markers for stratifying PPGL patients to fine-tune their clinical diagnoses. Abstract One of the main problems we face with PPGL is the lack of molecular markers capable of predicting the development of metastases in patients. Telomere-related genes, such as TERT and ATRX, have been recently described in PPGL, supporting the association between the activation of immortalization mechanisms and disease progression. However, the contribution of other genes involving telomere preservation machinery has not been previously investigated. In this work, we aimed to analyze the prognostic value of a comprehensive set of genes involved in telomere maintenance. For this study, we collected 165 PPGL samples (97 non-metastatic/63 metastatic), genetically characterized, in which the expression of 29 genes of interest was studied by NGS. Three of the 29 genes studied, TERT, ATRX and NOP10, showed differential expression between metastatic and non-metastatic cases, and alterations in these genes were associated with a shorter time to progression, independent of SDHB-status. We studied telomere length by Q-FISH in patient samples and in an in vitro model. NOP10 overexpressing tumors displayed an intermediate-length telomere phenotype without ALT, and in vitro results suggest that NOP10 has a role in telomerase-dependent telomere maintenance. We also propose the implementation of NOP10 IHC to better stratify PPGL patients.
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22
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Ortiz-Brüchle N, Wucherpfennig S, Rose M, Garczyk S, Bertz S, Hartmann A, Reis H, Szarvas T, Kiss A, Bremmer F, Golz R, Knüchel R, Gaisa NT. Molecular Characterization of Muellerian Tumors of the Urinary Tract. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12060880. [PMID: 34200508 PMCID: PMC8228991 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 2016 WHO classification of genitourinary tumors Muellerian tumors of the urinary tract (MTUT) comprise clear cell adenocarcinomas and endometrioid carcinomas. Since these rare tumors remained understudied, we aimed to characterize their molecular background by performing DNA- and RNA-based targeted panel sequencing. All tumors (n = 11) presented single nucleotide alterations (SNVs), with ARID1A mutations being the most prevalent (5/11, 45%). Besides frequent ARID1A mutations, loss of ARID1A protein is not a suitable marker since protein expression is (partly) preserved also in mutated cases. Copy number alterations (CNVs) were found in 64% of cases (7/11), exclusively gene amplifications. Interestingly, a functionally relevant RSPO2 gene fusion/microdeletion was discovered in the endometrioid adenocarcinoma case. Comparing our findings with mutational profiles of other tumor entities, absence of TERT promoter mutations argues for a non-urothelial origin. No similarities were also found between MTUT and kidney cancers while parallels were observed for specific SNVs with endometrial carcinomas. In conclusion, immunohistochemical PAX8-positivity and lack of TERT promoter mutations could serve as key diagnostic features in difficult cases. Thus, understanding the molecular background of these tumors helps to refine treatment options and offers the possibility of targeted therapies in cases where needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadina Ortiz-Brüchle
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.O.-B.); (S.W.); (M.R.); (S.G.); (R.K.)
- Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD), 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Sophie Wucherpfennig
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.O.-B.); (S.W.); (M.R.); (S.G.); (R.K.)
- Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD), 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael Rose
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.O.-B.); (S.W.); (M.R.); (S.G.); (R.K.)
- Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD), 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Garczyk
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.O.-B.); (S.W.); (M.R.); (S.G.); (R.K.)
- Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD), 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Simone Bertz
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (S.B.); (A.H.)
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (S.B.); (A.H.)
| | - Henning Reis
- Institute of Pathology, West German Cancer Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
| | - Tibor Szarvas
- West German Cancer Center, Department of Urology, University of Duisburg-Essen, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- Department of Urology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Kiss
- 2nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Felix Bremmer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Reinhard Golz
- Institute of Pathology, HELIOS Clinic Wuppertal, 37075 Wuppertal, Germany;
| | - Ruth Knüchel
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.O.-B.); (S.W.); (M.R.); (S.G.); (R.K.)
- Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD), 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Nadine T. Gaisa
- Institute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.O.-B.); (S.W.); (M.R.); (S.G.); (R.K.)
- Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf (CIO ABCD), 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-241-8089288; Fax: +49-241-8082439
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