1
|
Ewongwo A, Hui C, Moding EJ. Opportunity in Complexity: Harnessing Molecular Biomarkers and Liquid Biopsies for Personalized Sarcoma Care. Semin Radiat Oncol 2024; 34:195-206. [PMID: 38508784 DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Due to their rarity and complexity, sarcomas represent a substantial therapeutic challenge. However, the incredible diversity within and across sarcoma subtypes presents an opportunity for personalized care to maximize efficacy and limit toxicity. A deeper understanding of the molecular alterations that drive sarcoma development and treatment response has paved the way for molecular biomarkers to shape sarcoma treatment. Genetic, transcriptomic, and protein biomarkers have become critical tools for diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment selection in patients with sarcomas. In the future, emerging biomarkers like circulating tumor DNA analysis offer the potential to improve early detection, monitoring response to treatment, and identifying mechanisms of resistance to personalize sarcoma treatment. Here, we review the current state of molecular biomarkers for sarcomas and highlight opportunities and challenges for the implementation of new technologies in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Ewongwo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Caressa Hui
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Everett J Moding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA..
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martin-Giacalone BA, Li H, Scheurer ME, Casey DL, Dugan-Perez S, Marquez-Do DA, Muzny D, Gibbs RA, Barkauskas DA, Hall D, Stewart DR, Schiffman JD, McEvoy MT, Khan J, Malkin D, Linardic CM, Crompton BD, Shern JF, Skapek SX, Venkatramani R, Hawkins DS, Sabo A, Plon SE, Lupo PJ. Germline Genetic Testing and Survival Outcomes Among Children With Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e244170. [PMID: 38546643 PMCID: PMC10979319 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Determining the impact of germline cancer-predisposition variants (CPVs) on outcomes could inform novel approaches to testing and treating children with rhabdomyosarcoma. Objective To assess whether CPVs are associated with outcome among children with rhabdomyosarcoma. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cohort study, data were obtained for individuals, aged 0.01-23.23 years, newly diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma who were treated across 171 Children's Oncology Group sites from March 15, 1999, to December 8, 2017. Data analysis was performed from June 16, 2021, to May 15, 2023. Exposure The presence of a CPV in 24 rhabdomyosarcoma-associated cancer-predisposition genes (CPGs) or an expanded set of 63 autosomal-dominant CPGs. Main Outcomes and Measures Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were the main outcomes, using the Kaplan-Meier estimator to assess survival probabilities and the Cox proportional hazards regression model to adjust for clinical covariates. Analyses were stratified by tumor histology and the fusion status of PAX3 or PAX7 to the FOXO1 gene. Results In this study of 580 individuals with rhabdomyosarcoma, the median patient age was 5.9 years (range, 0.01-23.23 years), and the male-to-female ratio was 1.5 to 1 (351 [60.5%] male). For patients with CPVs in rhabdomyosarcoma-associated CPGs, EFS was 48.4% compared with 57.8% for patients without a CPV (P = .10), and OS was 53.7% compared with 65.3% for patients without a CPV (P = .06). After adjustment, patients with CPVs had significantly worse OS (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 2.49 [95% CI, 1.39-4.45]; P = .002), and the outcomes were not better among patients with embryonal histology (EFS: AHR, 2.25 [95% CI, 1.25-4.06]; P = .007]; OS: AHR, 2.83 [95% CI, 1.47-5.43]; P = .002]). These associations were not due to the development of a second malignant neoplasm, and importantly, patients with fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma who harbored a CPV had similarly inferior outcomes as patients with fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma without CPVs (EFS: AHR, 1.35 [95% CI, 0.71-2.59]; P = .37; OS: AHR, 1.71 [95% CI, 0.84-3.47]; P = .14). There were no significant differences in outcome by CPV status of the 63 CPG set. Conclusions and Relevance This cohort study identified a group of patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma who had a particularly poor outcome. Other important clinical findings included that individuals with TP53 had poor outcomes independent of second malignant neoplasms and that patients with fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma who harbored a CPV had outcomes comparable to patients with fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma. These findings suggest that germline CPV testing may aid in clinical prognosis and should be considered in prospective risk-based clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bailey A. Martin-Giacalone
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - He Li
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael E. Scheurer
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Dana L. Casey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill
| | | | - Deborah A. Marquez-Do
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Donna Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Richard A. Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Donald A. Barkauskas
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles
- QuadW Childhood Sarcoma Biostatistics and Annotation Office at the Children’s Oncology Group, Monrovia, California
| | - David Hall
- QuadW Childhood Sarcoma Biostatistics and Annotation Office at the Children’s Oncology Group, Monrovia, California
| | - Douglas R. Stewart
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Joshua D. Schiffman
- Department of Pediatrics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
| | - Matthew T. McEvoy
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Javed Khan
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - David Malkin
- Division of Haematology-Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Corinne M. Linardic
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Brian D. Crompton
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jack F. Shern
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Stephen X. Skapek
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Rajkumar Venkatramani
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Douglas S. Hawkins
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
| | - Aniko Sabo
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Sharon E. Plon
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Philip J. Lupo
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Horiuchi Y, Nakamura A, Imai T, Murakami T. Infection of tumor cells with Salmonella typhimurium mimics immunogenic cell death and elicits tumor-specific immune responses. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgad484. [PMID: 38213616 PMCID: PMC10783808 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Some properties of Salmonella-infected cells overlap with immunogenic cell death. In this study, we demonstrated that intracellular infection of melanoma with Salmonella typhimurium induced high immunogenicity in melanoma cells, leading to antitumor effects with melanoma-antigen-specific T-cell responses. Murine B16F10 melanoma cells were infected with tdTomato-expressing attenuated S. typhimurium (VNP20009; VNP-tdT), triggering massive cell vacuolization. VNP-tdT-infected B16F10 cells were phagocytosed efficiently, which induced the activation of antigen-presenting cells with CD86 expression in vitro. Subcutaneous coimplantation of uninfected and VNP-tdT-infected B16F10 cells into C57BL/6 mice significantly suppressed tumor growth compared with the implantation of uninfected B16F10 cells alone. Inoculation of mice with VNP-tdT-infected B16F10 cells elicited the proliferation of melanoma-antigen (gp100)-specific T cells, and it protected the mice from the second tumor challenge of uninfected B16F10 cells. These results suggest that Salmonella-infected tumor cells acquire effective adjuvanticity, leading to ideal antitumor immune responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Horiuchi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
| | - Akihiro Nakamura
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
| | - Takashi Imai
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
| | - Takashi Murakami
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Arechaga-Ocampo E. Epigenetics as a determinant of radiation response in cancer. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 383:145-190. [PMID: 38359968 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of modern cancer treatment. Treatment is based on depositing focal radiation to the tumor to inhibit cell growth, proliferation and metastasis, and to promote the death of cancer cells. In addition, radiation also affects non-tumor cells in the tumor microenvironmental (TME). Radiation resistance of the tumor cells is the most common cause of treatment failure, allowing survival of cancer cell and subsequent tumor growing. Molecular radioresistance comprises genetic and epigenetic characteristics inherent in cancer cells, or characteristics acquired after exposure to radiation. Furthermore, cancer stem cells (CSCs) and non-tumor cells into the TME as stromal and immune cells have a role in promoting and maintaining radioresistant tumor phenotypes. Different regulatory molecules and pathways distinctive of radiation resistance include DNA repair, survival signaling and cell death pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms are one of the most relevant events that occur after radiotherapy to regulate the expression and function of key genes and proteins in the differential radiation-response. This article reviews recent data on the main molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways related to the biological response to radiotherapy in cancer; highlighting the epigenetic control exerted by DNA methylation, histone marks, chromatin remodeling and m6A RNA methylation on gene expression and activation of signaling pathways related to radiation therapy response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Arechaga-Ocampo
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Unidad Cuajimalpa, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kim JA, Crawford KA, Spada PA, Martin LR, Zhang J, Wong R, Reid JM, Stewart CF, Frank TM, Liu Q, Michalek JE, Keller C. Non-chemotherapy adjuvant agents in TP53 mutant Ewing sarcoma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14360. [PMID: 37658148 PMCID: PMC10474113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40751-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: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a malignant tumor arising in bone or soft tissue that occurs in adolescent and young adult patients as well as adults later in life. Although non-metastatic EWS is typically responsive to treatment when newly diagnosed, relapsed cases have an unmet need for which no standard treatment approach exists. Recent phase III clinical trials for EWS comparing 7 vs 5 chemotherapy drugs have failed to improve survival. To extend the durability of remission for EWS, we investigated 3 non-chemotherapy adjuvant therapy drug candidates to be combined with chemotherapy. The efficacy of these adjuvant drugs was investigated via anchorage-dependent growth assays, anchorage-independent soft-agar colony formation assays and EWS xenograft mouse models. Enoxacin and entinostat were the most effective adjuvant drug in both long-term in vitro and in vivo adjuvant studies. In the context that enoxacin is an FDA-approved antibiotic, and that entinostat is an investigational agent not yet FDA-approved, we propose enoxacin as an adjuvant drug for further preclinical and clinical investigation in EWS patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ah Kim
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA.
| | - Kenneth A Crawford
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Piero A Spada
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Leah R Martin
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Rain Wong
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Joel M Reid
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Clinton F Stewart
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105-2794, USA
| | - Timothy M Frank
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Qianqian Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Joel E Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Charles Keller
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Locquet MA, Brahmi M, Blay JY, Dutour A. Radiotherapy in bone sarcoma: the quest for better treatment option. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:742. [PMID: 37563551 PMCID: PMC10416357 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11232-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone sarcomas are rare tumors representing 0.2% of all cancers. While osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma mainly affect children and young adults, chondrosarcoma and chordoma have a preferential incidence in people over the age of 40. Despite this range in populations affected, all bone sarcoma patients require complex transdisciplinary management and share some similarities. The cornerstone of all bone sarcoma treatment is monobloc resection of the tumor with adequate margins in healthy surrounding tissues. Adjuvant chemo- and/or radiotherapy are often included depending on the location of the tumor, quality of resection or presence of metastases. High dose radiotherapy is largely applied to allow better local control in case of incomplete primary tumor resection or for unresectable tumors. With the development of advanced techniques such as proton, carbon ion therapy, radiotherapy is gaining popularity for the treatment of bone sarcomas, enabling the delivery of higher doses of radiation, while sparing surrounding healthy tissues. Nevertheless, bone sarcomas are radioresistant tumors, and some mechanisms involved in this radioresistance have been reported. Hypoxia for instance, can potentially be targeted to improve tumor response to radiotherapy and decrease radiation-induced cellular toxicity. In this review, the benefits and drawbacks of radiotherapy in bone sarcoma will be addressed. Finally, new strategies combining a radiosensitizing agent and radiotherapy and their applicability in bone sarcoma will be presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Anaïs Locquet
- Cell Death and Pediatric Cancer Team, Cancer Initiation and Tumor Cell Identity Department, INSERM1052, CNRS5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, F-69008, Lyon, France
| | - Mehdi Brahmi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Leon Berard, Unicancer Lyon, 69008, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Yves Blay
- Cell Death and Pediatric Cancer Team, Cancer Initiation and Tumor Cell Identity Department, INSERM1052, CNRS5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, F-69008, Lyon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centre Leon Berard, Unicancer Lyon, 69008, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, Lyon, France
| | - Aurélie Dutour
- Cell Death and Pediatric Cancer Team, Cancer Initiation and Tumor Cell Identity Department, INSERM1052, CNRS5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, F-69008, Lyon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Earland N, Chen K, Semenkovich NP, Chauhan PS, Zevallos JP, Chaudhuri AA. Emerging Roles of Circulating Tumor DNA for Increased Precision and Personalization in Radiation Oncology. Semin Radiat Oncol 2023; 33:262-278. [PMID: 37331781 DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent breakthroughs in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) technologies present a compelling opportunity to combine this emerging liquid biopsy approach with the field of radiogenomics, the study of how tumor genomics correlate with radiotherapy response and radiotoxicity. Canonically, ctDNA levels reflect metastatic tumor burden, although newer ultrasensitive technologies can be used after curative-intent radiotherapy of localized disease to assess ctDNA for minimal residual disease (MRD) detection or for post-treatment surveillance. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated the potential utility of ctDNA analysis across various cancer types managed with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, including sarcoma and cancers of the head and neck, lung, colon, rectum, bladder, and prostate . Additionally, because peripheral blood mononuclear cells are routinely collected alongside ctDNA to filter out mutations associated with clonal hematopoiesis, these cells are also available for single nucleotide polymorphism analysis and could potentially be used to detect patients at high risk for radiotoxicity. Lastly, future ctDNA assays will be utilized to better assess locoregional MRD in order to more precisely guide adjuvant radiotherapy after surgery in cases of localized disease, and guide ablative radiotherapy in cases of oligometastatic disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah Earland
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Kevin Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Nicholas P Semenkovich
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipid Research, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Pradeep S Chauhan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jose P Zevallos
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Aadel A Chaudhuri
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chen J, Baxi K, Lipsitt AE, Hensch NR, Wang L, Sreenivas P, Modi P, Zhao XR, Baudin A, Robledo DG, Bandyopadhyay A, Sugalski A, Challa AK, Kurmashev D, Gilbert AR, Tomlinson GE, Houghton P, Chen Y, Hayes MN, Chen EY, Libich DS, Ignatius MS. Defining function of wild-type and three patient-specific TP53 mutations in a zebrafish model of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. eLife 2023; 12:e68221. [PMID: 37266578 PMCID: PMC10322150 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68221] [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: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and generally in sarcomas, the role of wild-type and loss- or gain-of-function TP53 mutations remains largely undefined. Eliminating mutant or restoring wild-type p53 is challenging; nevertheless, understanding p53 variant effects on tumorigenesis remains central to realizing better treatment outcomes. In ERMS, >70% of patients retain wild-type TP53, yet mutations when present are associated with worse prognosis. Employing a kRASG12D-driven ERMS tumor model and tp53 null (tp53-/-) zebrafish, we define wild-type and patient-specific TP53 mutant effects on tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that tp53 is a major suppressor of tumorigenesis, where tp53 loss expands tumor initiation from <35% to >97% of animals. Characterizing three patient-specific alleles reveals that TP53C176F partially retains wild-type p53 apoptotic activity that can be exploited, whereas TP53P153Δ and TP53Y220C encode two structurally related proteins with gain-of-function effects that predispose to head musculature ERMS. TP53P153Δ unexpectedly also predisposes to hedgehog-expressing medulloblastomas in the kRASG12D-driven ERMS-model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangfei Chen
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Kunal Baxi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Amanda E Lipsitt
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Nicole Rae Hensch
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Long Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Prethish Sreenivas
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Paulomi Modi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Xiang Ru Zhao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Antoine Baudin
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Daniel G Robledo
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Aaron Sugalski
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Anil K Challa
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUnited States
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Andrea R Gilbert
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Gail E Tomlinson
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Peter Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Yidong Chen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Madeline N Hayes
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
| | - Eleanor Y Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - David S Libich
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Myron S Ignatius
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang Y, Liu M, Liu X, Guo X. LINC00963-FOSB-mediated transcription activation of UBE3C enhances radioresistance of breast cancer cells by inducing ubiquitination-dependent protein degradation of TP73. J Transl Med 2023; 21:321. [PMID: 37173692 PMCID: PMC10182610 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04153-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ubiquitin protein ligase E3C (UBE3C) has been reported to play an oncogenic role in breast cancer (BRCA). This work further investigates the effect of UBE3C on the radioresistance of BRCA cells. METHODS Molecules linking to radioresistance in BRCA were identified by analyzing two GEO datasets, GSE31863 and GSE101920. UBE3C overexpression or knockdown was induced in parental or radioresistant BRCA cells, followed by irradiation treatment. The malignant properties of cells in vitro, and the growth and metastatic activity of cells in nude mice, were analyzed. Downstream target proteins, as well as upstream transcriptional regulators of UBE3C, were predicted by bioinformatics tools. Molecular interactions were confirmed by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays. Furthermore, artificial alterations of TP73 and FOSB were induced in the BRCA cells for functional rescue assays. RESULTS According to bioinformatics analyses, UBE3C expression was linked to radioresistance in BRCA. UBE3C knockdown in radioresistant BRCA cells reduced while its overexpression in parental BRCA cells increased the radioresistance of cells in vitro and in vivo. UBE3C, which induced ubiquitination-dependent protein degradation of TP73, was transcriptionally activated by FOSB. The radioresistance of cancer cells was blocked by TP73 overexpression or FOSB knockdown. Additionally, LINC00963 was found to be responsible for the recruitment of FOSB to the UBE3C promoter for transcription activation. CONCLUSION This work demonstrates that LINC00963 induces nuclear translocation of FOSB and the consequent transcription activation of UBE3C, which enhances radioresistance of BRCA cells by inducing ubiquitination-dependent protein degradation of TP73.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yansu Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Dermatology Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqian Liu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Xuzhou Municipal Hospital affiliated of Xuzhou Medical University, 269 Daxue Road, Tongshan District, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xianling Guo
- Department of Oncology, Dermatology Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China.
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sturm MJ, Henao-Restrepo JA, Becker S, Proquitté H, Beck JF, Sonnemann J. Synergistic anticancer activity of combined ATR and ribonucleotide reductase inhibition in Ewing's sarcoma cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023:10.1007/s00432-023-04804-0. [PMID: 37097390 PMCID: PMC10374484 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04804-0] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ewing's sarcoma is a highly malignant childhood tumour whose outcome has hardly changed over the past two decades despite numerous attempts at chemotherapy intensification. It is therefore essential to identify new treatment options. The present study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of combined inhibition of two promising targets, ATR and ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), in Ewing's sarcoma cells. METHODS Effects of the ATR inhibitor VE821 in combination with the RNR inhibitors triapine and didox were assessed in three Ewing's sarcoma cell lines with different TP53 status (WE-68, SK-ES-1, A673) by flow cytometric analysis of cell death, mitochondrial depolarisation and cell cycle distribution as well as by caspase 3/7 activity determination, by immunoblotting and by real-time RT-PCR. Interactions between inhibitors were evaluated by combination index analysis. RESULTS Single ATR or RNR inhibitor treatment produced small to moderate effects, while their combined treatment produced strong synergistic ones. ATR and RNR inhibitors elicited synergistic cell death and cooperated in inducing mitochondrial depolarisation, caspase 3/7 activity and DNA fragmentation, evidencing an apoptotic form of cell death. All effects were independent of functional p53. In addition, VE821 in combination with triapine increased p53 level and induced p53 target gene expression (CDKN1A, BBC3) in p53 wild-type Ewing's sarcoma cells. CONCLUSION Our study reveals that combined targeting of ATR and RNR was effective against Ewing's sarcoma in vitro and thus rationalises an in vivo exploration into the potential of combining ATR and RNR inhibitors as a new strategy for the treatment of this challenging disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max-Johann Sturm
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
- Research Centre Lobeda, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Julián Andrés Henao-Restrepo
- Placenta Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Sabine Becker
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
- Research Centre Lobeda, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans Proquitté
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - James F Beck
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Sonnemann
- Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
- Research Centre Lobeda, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Han G, Liu T, Kang P. Bibliometric analysis of Ewing sarcoma from 1993 to 2022. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:272. [PMID: 36964542 PMCID: PMC10037840 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10723-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ewing sarcoma has attracted more attention in recent years but has yet to be bibliometrically analyzed. Hence, this study investigated the trend of Ewing sarcoma over the past 30 years with bibliometric analysis. METHODS Original publications related to Ewing sarcoma were obtained from the Science Citation Index Extension (SCI-E), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), and Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) between 1993 and 2022. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to extract the countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords involved in this topic to identify and analyze the research hotspots and trends in this field. RESULTS Over the past 30 years (especially in the past five years), the number of articles published on Ewing sarcoma continued to increase, and the most published country was the United States of America (USA). High-frequency keywords included "Ewing sarcoma", "tumor", "family", "bone", "chemotherapy", "expression", "primitive neuroectodermal tumor", "prognostic factors", "children", and "survival rate". According to the analysis of keyword saliency of Ewing sarcoma, we found that "chromosome translocation", "intergroup", "sarcoma", "genomic landscape", and "children oncology group" were emerging research hotspots. The timeline of the cluster map of co-cited literature indicated that the treatment of Ewing sarcoma emerged as a research hotspot. CONCLUSION Researchers' understanding of Ewing sarcoma has improved dramatically over the past 30 years. At present, the research hotspots of Ewing sarcoma mainly focus on the aspects of "chromosome translocation", "intergroup", and "sarcoma". In addition, the timeline of the cluster map of co-cited literature indicated the emergence of the treatment of Ewing sarcoma as a research hotspot.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guangtao Han
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Pengde Kang
- Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Predicting tumour radiosensitivity to deliver precision radiotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:83-98. [PMID: 36477705 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-022-00709-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Owing to advances in radiotherapy, the physical properties of radiation can be optimized to enable individualized treatment; however, optimization is rarely based on biological properties and, therefore, treatments are generally planned with the assumption that all tumours respond similarly to radiation. Radiation affects multiple cellular pathways, including DNA damage, hypoxia, proliferation, stem cell phenotype and immune response. In this Review, we summarize the effect of these pathways on tumour responses to radiotherapy and the current state of research on genomic classifiers designed to exploit these variations to inform treatment decisions. We also discuss whether advances in genomics have generated evidence that could be practice changing and whether advances in genomics are now ready to be used to guide the delivery of radiotherapy alone or in combination.
Collapse
|
13
|
Mireștean CC, Iancu RI, Iancu DPT. p53 Modulates Radiosensitivity in Head and Neck Cancers-From Classic to Future Horizons. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12123052. [PMID: 36553058 PMCID: PMC9777383 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12123052] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
p53, initially considered a tumor suppressor, has been the subject of research related to cancer treatment resistance in the last 30 years. The unfavorable response to multimodal therapy and the higher recurrence rate, despite an aggressive approach, make HNSCC a research topic of interest for improving therapeutic outcomes, even if it is only the sixth most common malignancy worldwide. New advances in molecular biology and genetics include the involvement of miRNA in the control of the p53 pathway, the understanding of mechanisms such as gain/loss of function, and the development of different methods to restore p53 function, especially for HPV-negative cases. The different ratio between mutant p53 status in the primary tumor and distant metastasis originating HNSCC may serve to select the best therapeutic target for activating an abscopal effect by radiotherapy as a "booster" of the immune system. P53 may also be a key player in choosing radiotherapy fractionation regimens. Targeting any pathway involving p53, including tumor metabolism, in particular the Warburg effect, could modulate the radiosensitivity and chemo-sensitivity of head and neck cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camil Ciprian Mireștean
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
- Department of Surgery, Railways Clinical Hospital Iasi, 700506 Iași, Romania
| | - Roxana Irina Iancu
- Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, “St. Spiridon” Emergency Universitary Hospital, 700111 Iași, Romania
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-232-301-603
| | - Dragoș Petru Teodor Iancu
- Oncology and Radiotherapy Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Regional Institute of Oncology, 700483 Iași, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nishimura R, Yoshida T, Torasawa M, Kashihara T, Ohe Y. Co-occurring KEAP1 and TP53 mutations in lung squamous cell carcinoma induced primary resistance to thoracic radiotherapy: A case report. Thorac Cancer 2022; 14:206-209. [PMID: 36453575 PMCID: PMC9834690 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14751] [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: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In lung squamous cell carcinoma, KEAP1 mutations frequently coexist with TP53 mutations. A preclinical model showed that mutations leading to the activation of the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway contribute to clinical radioresistance. However, there have been few clinical reports on the association between the presence of KEAP1 and TP53 mutations in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Here, we report the case of a 62-year-old patient with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma with KEAP1 and TP53 mutations who experienced primary resistance to thoracic radiotherapy. She was administered pembrolizumab in combination with cytotoxic agents as the first-line treatment and the best response was a partial response. However, the mediastinal lymph node metastases regrew 11 months after the chemotherapy. Thus, she received thoracic radiation therapy for localized lesions. However, the lesions within the radiation field had apparently progressed. Although she received subsequent chemotherapy, the lesion rapidly progressed. Treatment strategies including radiotherapy based on genetic stratification, such as KEAP1 and TP53 mutation status, should be implemented for lung squamous cell carcinoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rumi Nishimura
- Department of Thoracic OncologyNational Cancer Center HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Tatsuya Yoshida
- Department of Thoracic OncologyNational Cancer Center HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Masahiro Torasawa
- Department of Thoracic OncologyNational Cancer Center HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Tairo Kashihara
- Department of Radiation OncologyNational Cancer Center HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Yuichiro Ohe
- Department of Thoracic OncologyNational Cancer Center HospitalTokyoJapan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Vaccaro S, Rossetti A, Porrazzo A, Camero S, Cassandri M, Pomella S, Tomaciello M, Macioce G, Pedini F, Barillari G, Marchese C, Rota R, Cenci G, Tombolini M, Newman RA, Yang P, Codenotti S, Fanzani A, Megiorni F, Festuccia C, Minniti G, Gravina GL, Vulcano F, Milazzo L, Marampon F. The botanical drug PBI-05204, a supercritical CO2 extract of Nerium oleander, sensitizes alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma to radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1071176. [DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1071176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common a soft tissue sarcoma in childhood, provides intensive multimodal therapy, with radiotherapy (RT) playing a critical role for local tumor control. However, since RMS efficiently activates mechanisms of resistance to therapies, despite improvements, the prognosis remains still largely unsatisfactory, mainly in RMS expressing chimeric oncoproteins PAX3/PAX7-FOXO1, and fusion-positive (FP)-RMS. Cardiac glycosides (CGs), plant-derived steroid-like compounds with a selective inhibitory activity of the Na+/K+-ATPase pump (NKA), have shown antitumor and radio-sensitizing properties. Herein, the therapeutic properties of PBI-05204, an extract from Nerium oleander containing the CG oleandrin already studied in phase I and II clinical trials for cancer patients, were investigated, in vitro and in vivo, against FN- and FP-RMS cancer models. PBI-05204 induced growth arrest in a concentration dependent manner, with FP-RMS being more sensitive than FN-RMS, by differently regulating cell cycle regulators and commonly upregulating cell cycle inhibitors p21Waf1/Cip1 and p27Cip1/Kip1. Furthermore, PBI-05204 concomitantly induced cell death on both RMS types and senescence in FN-RMS. Notably, PBI-05204 counteracted in vitro migration and invasion abilities and suppressed the formation of spheroids enriched in CD133+ cancer stem cells (CSCs). PBI-05204 sensitized both cell types to RT by improving the ability of RT to induce G2 growth arrest and counteracting the RT-induced activation of both Non‐Homologous End‐Joining and homologous recombination DSBs repair pathways. Finally, the antitumor and radio-sensitizing proprieties of PBI-05204 were confirmed in vivo. Notably, both in vitro and in vivo evidence confirmed the higher sensitivity to PBI-05204 of FP-RMS. Thus, PBI-05204 represents a valid radio-sensitizing agent for the treatment of RMS, including the intrinsically radio-resistant FP-RMS.
Collapse
|
16
|
Sagkrioti E, Biz GM, Takan I, Asfa S, Nikitaki Z, Zanni V, Kars RH, Hellweg CE, Azzam EI, Logotheti S, Pavlopoulou A, Georgakilas AG. Radiation Type- and Dose-Specific Transcriptional Responses across Healthy and Diseased Mammalian Tissues. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:2286. [PMID: 36421472 PMCID: PMC9687520 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11112286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) is a genuine genotoxic agent and a major modality in cancer treatment. IR disrupts DNA sequences and exerts mutagenic and/or cytotoxic properties that not only alter critical cellular functions but also impact tissues proximal and distal to the irradiated site. Unveiling the molecular events governing the diverse effects of IR at the cellular and organismal levels is relevant for both radiotherapy and radiation protection. Herein, we address changes in the expression of mammalian genes induced after the exposure of a wide range of tissues to various radiation types with distinct biophysical characteristics. First, we constructed a publicly available database, termed RadBioBase, which will be updated at regular intervals. RadBioBase includes comprehensive transcriptomes of mammalian cells across healthy and diseased tissues that respond to a range of radiation types and doses. Pertinent information was derived from a hybrid analysis based on stringent literature mining and transcriptomic studies. An integrative bioinformatics methodology, including functional enrichment analysis and machine learning techniques, was employed to unveil the characteristic biological pathways related to specific radiation types and their association with various diseases. We found that the effects of high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation on cell transcriptomes significantly differ from those caused by low LET and are consistent with immunomodulation, inflammation, oxidative stress responses and cell death. The transcriptome changes also depend on the dose since low doses up to 0.5 Gy are related with cytokine cascades, while higher doses with ROS metabolism. We additionally identified distinct gene signatures for different types of radiation. Overall, our data suggest that different radiation types and doses can trigger distinct trajectories of cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic pathways that hold promise to be manipulated toward improving radiotherapy efficiency and reducing systemic radiotoxicities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eftychia Sagkrioti
- DNA Damage Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
- Biology Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Gökay Mehmet Biz
- Department of Technical Programs, Izmir Vocational School, Dokuz Eylül University, Buca, Izmir 35380, Turkey
| | - Işıl Takan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey
| | - Seyedehsadaf Asfa
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey
| | - Zacharenia Nikitaki
- DNA Damage Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassiliki Zanni
- DNA Damage Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Rumeysa Hanife Kars
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul 34810, Turkey
| | - Christine E. Hellweg
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Linder Höhe, D-51147 Köln, Germany
| | | | - Stella Logotheti
- DNA Damage Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasia Pavlopoulou
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey
- Izmir International Biomedicine and Genome Institute, Dokuz Eylül University, Balcova, Izmir 35340, Turkey
| | - Alexandros G. Georgakilas
- DNA Damage Laboratory, Physics Department, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Camero S, Cassandri M, Pomella S, Milazzo L, Vulcano F, Porrazzo A, Barillari G, Marchese C, Codenotti S, Tomaciello M, Rota R, Fanzani A, Megiorni F, Marampon F. Radioresistance in rhabdomyosarcomas: Much more than a question of dose. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1016894. [PMID: 36248991 PMCID: PMC9559533 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1016894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Management of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, frequently accounting the genitourinary tract is complex and requires a multimodal therapy. In particular, as a consequence of the advancement in dose conformity technology, radiation therapy (RT) has now become the standard therapeutic option for patients with RMS. In the clinical practice, dose and timing of RT are adjusted on the basis of patients' risk stratification to reduce late toxicity and side effects on normal tissues. However, despite the substantial improvement in cure rates, local failure and recurrence frequently occur. In this review, we summarize the general principles of the treatment of RMS, focusing on RT, and the main molecular pathways and specific proteins involved into radioresistance in RMS tumors. Specifically, we focused on DNA damage/repair, reactive oxygen species, cancer stem cells, and epigenetic modifications that have been reported in the context of RMS neoplasia in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The precise elucidation of the radioresistance-related molecular mechanisms is of pivotal importance to set up new more effective and tolerable combined therapeutic approaches that can radiosensitize cancer cells to finally ameliorate the overall survival of patients with RMS, especially for the most aggressive subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal, Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Cassandri
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Pomella
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Milazzo
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Vulcano
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Porrazzo
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Units of Molecular Genetics of Complex Phenotypes, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS), Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Barillari
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Codenotti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Miriam Tomaciello
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Oncohematology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Fanzani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Biological Mechanisms to Reduce Radioresistance and Increase the Efficacy of Radiotherapy: State of the Art. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810211. [PMID: 36142122 PMCID: PMC9499172 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer treatment with ionizing radiation (IR) is a well-established and effective clinical method to fight different types of tumors and is a palliative treatment to cure metastatic stages. Approximately half of all cancer patients undergo radiotherapy (RT) according to clinical protocols that employ two types of ionizing radiation: sparsely IR (i.e., X-rays) and densely IR (i.e., protons). Most cancer cells irradiated with therapeutic doses exhibit radio-induced cytotoxicity in terms of cell proliferation arrest and cell death by apoptosis. Nevertheless, despite the more tailored advances in RT protocols in the last few years, several tumors show a relatively high percentage of RT failure and tumor relapse due to their radioresistance. To counteract this extremely complex phenomenon and improve clinical protocols, several factors associated with radioresistance, of both a molecular and cellular nature, must be considered. Tumor genetics/epigenetics, tumor microenvironment, tumor metabolism, and the presence of non-malignant cells (i.e., fibroblast-associated cancer cells, macrophage-associated cancer cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, endothelial cells, cancer stem cells) are the main factors important in determining the tumor response to IR. Here, we attempt to provide an overview of how such factors can be taken advantage of in clinical strategies targeting radioresistant tumors.
Collapse
|
19
|
Qi L, Xu R, Ren X, Zhang W, Yang Z, Tu C, Li Z. Comprehensive Profiling Reveals Prognostic and Immunogenic Characteristics of Necroptosis in Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Front Immunol 2022; 13:877815. [PMID: 35663937 PMCID: PMC9159500 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.877815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are heterogeneous malignancies derived from mesenchymal cells. Due to its rarity, heterogeneity, and limited overall response to chemotherapy, STSs represent a therapeutic challenge. Necroptosis is a novel therapeutic strategy for enhancing immunotherapy of cancer. Nevertheless, no research has explored the relationship between necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) and STSs. In this study, differentially expressed NRGs were identified using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The Cancer Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. The expression levels of 34 NRGs were significantly different. Several key NRGs were validated using RT-qPCR and our own sequencing data. Patients with STSs were divided into two clusters using consensus cluster analysis, and significant differences were observed in their survival (p=0.002). We found the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two clusters and carried out subsequent analysis. The necroptosis-related gene signatures with 10 key DEGs were identified with a risk score constructed. The prognosis of TCGA-SARC cohort with low necroptosis-related risk score was better (p<0.001). Meanwhile, the low-risk group had a significantly increased immune infiltration. Using the data of GSE17118 and another immunotherapy cohort as external validations, we observed significant survival differences between the two risk groups (p=0.019). The necroptosis-related risk score proved to be an independent prognostic factor, and a nomogram was further established and integrated with other clinical features. Notably, the necroptosis-related gene signature could also act as the prognostic indicator in other malignancies based on pan-cancer analysis. In summary, the study outlines NRGs in STSs and their potential role in prognosis and will be one of the important directions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Qi
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Ruiling Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaolei Ren
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Wenchao Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Zhimin Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, UT Health Science Center, University of Texas Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Chao Tu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Zhihong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Blomain ES, Moding EJ. Liquid Biopsies for Molecular Biology-Based Radiotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11267. [PMID: 34681925 PMCID: PMC8538046 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular alterations drive cancer initiation and evolution during development and in response to therapy. Radiotherapy is one of the most commonly employed cancer treatment modalities, but radiobiologic approaches for personalizing therapy based on tumor biology and individual risks remain to be defined. In recent years, analysis of circulating nucleic acids has emerged as a non-invasive approach to leverage tumor molecular abnormalities as biomarkers of prognosis and treatment response. Here, we evaluate the roles of circulating tumor DNA and related analyses as powerful tools for precision radiotherapy. We highlight emerging work advancing liquid biopsies beyond biomarker studies into translational research investigating tumor clonal evolution and acquired resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik S. Blomain
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
| | - Everett J. Moding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lu J, Chen L. Molecular Profile of a Pituitary Rhabdomyosarcoma Arising From a Pituitary Macroadenoma: A Case Report. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:752361. [PMID: 34659131 PMCID: PMC8513866 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.752361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pituitary sarcoma arising in association with pituitary adenoma is an uncommon finding. Most cases of secondary sarcoma have been noted to arise with a median interval of 10.5 years post radiation. In this case report, we describe a 77-year-old man with an incidental discovery of a pituitary macroadenoma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and underwent radiotherapy. Three years after radiation treatment, there was an acute change in clinical symptoms and increase in tumor size and mass effect on the optic chiasm which prompted surgical resection. A pituitary adenoma along with a separate spindle-cell sarcomatous component was identified in histology. Immunohistochemical stain for muscle markers confirmed a development of pituitary rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Molecular profiling of the tumor identified mutations in TP53, ATRX, LZTR1, and NF1. Despite its rarity, characterization of pituitary RMS with immunohistochemistry and molecular studies may provide an insight to its pathophysiological relationship with pituitary adenoma.
Collapse
|