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Attalla SS, Boucher J, Proud H, Taifour T, Zuo D, Sanguin-Gendreau V, Ling C, Johnson G, Li V, Luo RB, Kuasne H, Papavasiliou V, Walsh LA, Barok M, Joensuu H, Park M, Roux PP, Muller WJ. HER2Δ16 Engages ENPP1 to Promote an Immune-Cold Microenvironment in Breast Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1184-1202. [PMID: 37311021 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0140] [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: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) is a critical determinant of therapeutic response. However, the mechanisms regulating its modulation are not fully understood. HER2Δ16, an oncogenic splice variant of the HER2, has been implicated in breast cancer and other tumor types as a driver of tumorigenesis and metastasis. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of HER2Δ16-mediated oncogenicity remain poorly understood. Here, we show that HER2∆16 expression is not exclusive to the clinically HER2+ subtype and associates with a poor clinical outcome in breast cancer. To understand how HER2 variants modulated the tumor microenvironment, we generated transgenic mouse models expressing either proto-oncogenic HER2 or HER2Δ16 in the mammary epithelium. We found that HER2∆16 tumors were immune cold, characterized by low immune infiltrate and an altered cytokine profile. Using an epithelial cell surface proteomic approach, we identified ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) as a functional regulator of the immune cold microenvironment. We generated a knock-in model of HER2Δ16 under the endogenous promoter to understand the role of Enpp1 in aggressive HER2+ breast cancer. Knockdown of Enpp1 in HER2Δ16-derived tumor cells resulted in decreased tumor growth, which correlated with increased T-cell infiltration. These findings suggest that HER2Δ16-dependent Enpp1 activation associates with aggressive HER2+ breast cancer through its immune modulatory function. Our study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying HER2Δ16-mediated oncogenicity and highlights ENPP1 as a potential therapeutic target in aggressive HER2+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherif Samer Attalla
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jonathan Boucher
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Hailey Proud
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Tarek Taifour
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Dongmei Zuo
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Virginie Sanguin-Gendreau
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Chen Ling
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gabriella Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vincent Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Robin B Luo
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Hellen Kuasne
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vasilios Papavasiliou
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Logan A Walsh
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mark Barok
- Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Joensuu
- Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Morag Park
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Philippe P Roux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - William J Muller
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Goodman Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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2
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Castagnoli L, Corso S, Franceschini A, Raimondi A, Bellomo SE, Dugo M, Morano F, Prisciandaro M, Brich S, Belfiore A, Vingiani A, Di Bartolomeo M, Pruneri G, Tagliabue E, Giordano S, Pietrantonio F, Pupa SM. Fatty acid synthase as a new therapeutic target for HER2-positive gastric cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2023; 46:661-676. [PMID: 36753044 PMCID: PMC10205874 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00769-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Trastuzumab is an HER2-specific agent approved as the gold-standard therapy for advanced HER2-positive (HER2+) gastric cancer (GC), but the high rate and rapid appearance of resistance limit its clinical efficacy, resulting in the need to identify new vulnerabilities. Defining the drivers influencing HER2+ cancer stem cell (CSC) maintenance/survival could represent a clinically useful strategy to counteract tumor growth and therapy resistance. Accumulating evidence show that targeting crucial metabolic hubs, as the fatty acid synthase (FASN), may be clinically relevant. METHODS FASN protein and transcript expression were examined by WB and FACS and by qRT-PCR and GEP analyses, respectively, in trastuzumab-sensitive and trastuzumab-resistant HER2+ GC cell lines cultured in adherent (2D) or gastrosphere promoting (3D) conditions. Molecular data were analyzed in silico in public HER2+ GC datasets. The effectiveness of the FASN inhibitor TVB3166 to overcome anti-HER2 therapy resistance was tested in vitro in gastrospheres forming efficiency bioassays and in vivo in mice bearing trastuzumab-resistant GC cells. RESULTS We compared the transcriptome profiles of HER2+ GC cells cultured in 2D versus 3D conditions finding a significant enrichment of FASN in 3D cultures. FASN upregulation significantly correlated with high stemness score and poor prognosis in HER2+ GC cases. TVB3166 treatment significantly decreased GCSCs in all cell targets. HER2 and FASN cotargeting significantly decreased the capability to form gastrospheres versus monotherapy and reduced the in vivo growth of trastuzumab-resistant GC cells. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that cotargeting HER2 and FASN increase the benefit of anti-HER2 therapy representing a new opportunity for metabolically combating trastuzumab-resistant HER2+ GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Castagnoli
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Corso
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Alma Franceschini
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Raimondi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Erika Bellomo
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Dugo
- Department of Medical Oncology-Breast Cancer Unit Clinical Translational and Immunotherapy Research, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Morano
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Prisciandaro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Brich
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonino Belfiore
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Vingiani
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Di Bartolomeo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Pruneri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Elda Tagliabue
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Giordano
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Filippo Pietrantonio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Serenella M Pupa
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
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Galogre M, Rodin D, Pyatnitskiy M, Mackelprang M, Koman I. "A Review of HER2 overexpression and somatic mutations in cancers". Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 186:103997. [PMID: 37062337 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.103997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (HER) proteins family, which includes HER2, are membrane-bound receptors that activate many intracellular pathways associated with growth and development. When there are mutations in HER2, or when it becomes overexpressed, it can cause oncogenesis and offer differential prognosis and treatment across almost all cancer types. Both mutations in HER2 and its overexpression have distinct mechanisms by which they can cause these effects in cancers. This review outlines how HER2's normal pathway is altered in both overexpression and mutation and compiles all the well-known mechanisms by which HER2 can cause oncogenesis. Finally, this review briefly outlines how HER2 mutants and HER2 overexpression is detected, and how their detection can lead to different prognosis and treatment in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dmitry Rodin
- Institute of Personalised and Translational Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel Kiryat Hamada
| | - Mikhail Pyatnitskiy
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry RAMS, Solianka st.,14, 109544, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Igor Koman
- SmartOmica, Tērbatas iela 36 - 4, Latvia Rīga, LV-1011; Institute of Personalised and Translational Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel Kiryat Hamada
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Shang Y, Mo J, Huo R, Li X, Fang G, Wei Z, Gu G, Zhu X, Zhang C, Liu C, Yan D. Investigation of the prevalence and clinical implications of ERBB2 exon 16 skipping mutations in Chinese pan-cancer patients. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1064598. [PMID: 36686783 PMCID: PMC9859631 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1064598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although rare, ERBB2 exon 16 skipping mutations (ERBB2ΔEx16) have been implicated in resistance to anti-HER2 and anti-EGFR targeted agents. Our study investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of ERBB2ΔEx16 in Chinese pan-cancer patients. Methods We retrospectively screened 40996 patients, spanning 19 cancer types, who had available genomic profiles acquired with DNA-based next-generation sequencing (NGS). We characterized the clinical and molecular features of the ERBB2ΔEx16-positive patients. Furthermore, we also analyzed a pan-cancer dataset from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; n=8705). Results A total of 22 patients were detected with ERBB2ΔEx16, resulting in an overall prevalence rate of 0.054% (22/40996). Of them, 16 patients had lung cancer (LC; 0.05%, 16/30890), five patients had gastric cancer (GC; 0.35%, 5/1448), and one patient had ovarian cancer (0.12%, 1/826). Among the 16 LC patients, ERBB2ΔEx16 was detected in four treatment-naïve EGFR/ALK-negative patients and 12 EGFR-positive patients after the onset of resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The treatment-naïve patients harbored no LC-associated oncogenic drivers except ERBB2 amplification, suggesting a potential oncogenic role for ERBB2ΔEx16. Consistently, ERBB2ΔEx16+ patients from TCGA data also carried no known drivers despite various concurrent alterations. In the 12 EGFR TKI-resistant LC patients, relative variant frequencies for ERBB2ΔEx16 were lower than in untreated patients, suggesting ERBB2ΔEx16 as secondary alterations following TKI treatment and thereby implicating ERBB2ΔEx16 in mediating therapeutic resistance. Conclusions Our study identified an overall ERBB2ΔEx16 prevalence rate of 0.054% and provided insights into the clinical implications of ERBB2ΔEx16 in Chinese pan-cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Shang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Cancer Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Baoding, China
| | - Jianming Mo
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ran Huo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Cancer Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaofang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Cancer Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Baoding, China
| | - Guotao Fang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Cancer Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, Baoding, China
| | - Zichun Wei
- Thoracic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guomin Gu
- Second Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiaodan Zhu
- Second Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Chan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunling Liu
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical, Urumqi, China,*Correspondence: Dong Yan, ; Chunling Liu,
| | - Dong Yan
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Dong Yan, ; Chunling Liu,
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Wang S, Zhao Y, Song Y, Qiao G, Di Y, Zhao J, Sun P, Zheng H, Huang H, Huang H. ERBB2D16 Expression in HER2 Positive Gastric Cancer Is Associated With Resistance to Trastuzumab. Front Oncol 2022; 12:855308. [PMID: 35463314 PMCID: PMC9021701 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.855308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (ERBB2; formerly HER2)isoform ERBB2ΔEx16 (ERBB2d16) was oncogenic by mediating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune evasion, and resistance cell death to the anti-HER2 (trastuzumab) therapy. However, its physiological implications in gastric cancer were unclear. In this study, we examined a total of 110 patients with either locally advanced or metastatic HER2+ gastric cancer for the expression of ERBB2d16 and EMT markers, and the infiltration of CD3+ T cells in tumor tissues, and evaluated their relevance with the responses to the standard chemotherapy plus trastuzumab according to the RECIST criteria. We found that the ERBB2d16 isoform was present at a relatively high level in about half of the tumor samples examined (53/110) and an elevated ERBB2d16/ERBB2 ratio was positively associated with the expression of high E-cadherin and low vimentin indicating EMT, and with poor CD3+ T cell infiltration and strong intratumoral expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) as well as reduced diversity of T cell receptor clones. Moreover, the progression-free survival and overall survival of patients treated with trastuzumab were substantially shorter in those with a high ERBB2d16/ERBB2 ratio. In agreement, analysis by Cox proportional hazards models confirmed that high ERBB2d16 expression was a risk factor associated with an adverse prognosis. Thus, our data fit well with an oncogenic role of ERBB2d16 in gastric cancer by promoting EMT and immunosuppression. We also found that ERBB2d16 expression resists gastric cell death in patients treated with trustuzumab, and the ERBB2d16/ERBB2 ratio may serve as a novel prognostic maker for patients with gastric cancer that receive trastuzumab therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuze Zhao
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuguang Song
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoliang Qiao
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Yan Di
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Pingping Sun
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huixia Zheng
- Department of Pathology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of General Surgery, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Hongyan Huang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Veiga DFT, Nesta A, Zhao Y, Mays AD, Huynh R, Rossi R, Wu TC, Palucka K, Anczukow O, Beck CR, Banchereau J. A comprehensive long-read isoform analysis platform and sequencing resource for breast cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabg6711. [PMID: 35044822 PMCID: PMC8769553 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Tumors display widespread transcriptome alterations, but the full repertoire of isoform-level alternative splicing in cancer is unknown. We developed a long-read (LR) RNA sequencing and analytical platform that identifies and annotates full-length isoforms and infers tumor-specific splicing events. Application of this platform to breast cancer samples identifies thousands of previously unannotated isoforms; ~30% affect protein coding exons and are predicted to alter protein localization and function. We performed extensive cross-validation with -omics datasets to support transcription and translation of novel isoforms. We identified 3059 breast tumor–specific splicing events, including 35 that are significantly associated with patient survival. Of these, 21 are absent from GENCODE and 10 are enriched in specific breast cancer subtypes. Together, our results demonstrate the complexity, cancer subtype specificity, and clinical relevance of previously unidentified isoforms and splicing events in breast cancer that are only annotatable by LR-seq and provide a rich resource of immuno-oncology therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo F. T. Veiga
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
| | - Alex Nesta
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Yuqi Zhao
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
| | | | - Richie Huynh
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
| | - Robert Rossi
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
| | - Te-Chia Wu
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
| | - Karolina Palucka
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
| | - Olga Anczukow
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Corresponding author. (O.A.); (C.R.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Christine R. Beck
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Corresponding author. (O.A.); (C.R.B.); (J.B.)
| | - Jacques Banchereau
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032 USA
- Corresponding author. (O.A.); (C.R.B.); (J.B.)
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Díaz-Rodríguez E, Gandullo-Sánchez L, Ocaña A, Pandiella A. Novel ADCs and Strategies to Overcome Resistance to Anti-HER2 ADCs. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:154. [PMID: 35008318 PMCID: PMC8750930 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During recent years, a number of new compounds against HER2 have reached clinics, improving the prognosis and quality of life of HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Nonetheless, resistance to standard-of-care drugs has motivated the development of novel agents, such as new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The latter are a group of drugs that benefit from the potency of cytotoxic agents whose action is specifically guided to the tumor by the target-specific antibody. Two anti-HER2 ADCs have reached the clinic: trastuzumab-emtansine and, more recently, trastuzumab-deruxtecan. In addition, several other HER2-targeted ADCs are in preclinical or clinical development, some of them with promising signs of activity. In the present review, the structure, mechanism of action, and potential resistance to all these ADCs will be described. Specific attention will be given to discussing novel strategies to circumvent resistance to ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Díaz-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-IBSAL and CIBERONC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (E.D.-R.); (L.G.-S.)
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Lucía Gandullo-Sánchez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-IBSAL and CIBERONC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (E.D.-R.); (L.G.-S.)
| | - Alberto Ocaña
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Oncología (CIBERONC), 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-IBSAL and CIBERONC, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (E.D.-R.); (L.G.-S.)
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Gao Z, Xu J, Wang Y, Wu J, Sun T. Case Report: Effective Treatment With Pyrotinib and Capecitabine in a Heavily Pretreated Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Harboring Both HER2 Overexpression and Mutant. Front Oncol 2021; 11:715554. [PMID: 34722261 PMCID: PMC8553255 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.715554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognosis for female patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) has improved with the emergence of novel drugs, especially for those who have HER2 overexpression or ERBB-2 amplification. Trastuzumab-based regimen has been the paradigm in guidelines as first-line therapy, whereas many patients got progressive disease after several cycles of treatment or rapidly progress because of primary resistance. Point mutations of ERBB2 gene occur in both HER2-amplication and non-amplification patients, with a 2% ratio in HER2 non-amplification cohort and 1.48% in HER2 amplication population. The acquired mutation ratio of ERBB2 substantially raised to 16.7%–17.7% in patients prior to trastuzumab treatment. ERBB2 mutation may be a critical reason of resistance and disease progression among the patients treated with anti-HER2 monoclonal trastuzumab or dual anti-HER2 antibodies with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, or tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. ERBB-2 mutation with L755S and V842I indicates resistance to trastuzumab, while that with L755S and K753I indicates resistance to lapatinib; these mutations maybe sensitive to pan-HER tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. A 48-year woman diagnosed with HER2-positive LABC developed trastuzumab resistance after three lines of trastuzumab cross-line treatment with partial response (PR) as the best response. The tissue was performed by next-generation sequencing (NGS), and the results discovered L755S in ERBB2 gene. Then, she received effective treatment with pyrotinib plus capecitabine and underwent mastectomy after six cycles of combined treatment with PR. Subsequently, breast mastectomy was performed, and she took pyrotinib plus capecitabine for 1 year and pyrotinib monotherapy for another 1 year as adjuvant therapy and achieved a long-term clinical benefit. In conclusion, pyrotinib is a potential neoadjuvant agent for patients who are heavily pretreated and harbor both ERBB2 amplification and ERBB2 mutant in locally advanced breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Gao
- Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Junnan Xu
- Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, China.,Department of Breast Medicine, Key Laboratory of Liaoning Breast Cancer Research, Shenyang, China
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9
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Ebrahimie E, Rahimirad S, Tahsili M, Mohammadi-Dehcheshmeh M. Alternative RNA splicing in stem cells and cancer stem cells: Importance of transcript-based expression analysis. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:1394-1416. [PMID: 34786151 PMCID: PMC8567453 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i10.1394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative ribonucleic acid (RNA) splicing can lead to the assembly of different protein isoforms with distinctive functions. The outcome of alternative splicing (AS) can result in a complete loss of function or the acquisition of new functions. There is a gap in knowledge of abnormal RNA splice variants promoting cancer stem cells (CSCs), and their prospective contribution in cancer progression. AS directly regulates the self-renewal features of stem cells (SCs) and stem-like cancer cells. Notably, octamer-binding transcription factor 4A spliced variant of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 contributes to maintaining stemness properties in both SCs and CSCs. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition pathway regulates the AS events in CSCs to maintain stemness. The alternative spliced variants of CSCs markers, including cluster of differentiation 44, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and doublecortin-like kinase, α6β1 integrin, have pivotal roles in increasing self-renewal properties and maintaining the pluripotency of CSCs. Various splicing analysis tools are considered in this study. LeafCutter software can be considered as the best tool for differential splicing analysis and identification of the type of splicing events. Additionally, LeafCutter can be used for efficient mapping splicing quantitative trait loci. Altogether, the accumulating evidence re-enforces the fact that gene and protein expression need to be investigated in parallel with alternative splice variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmaeil Ebrahimie
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, South Australia, Australia
- La Trobe Genomics Research Platform, School of Life Sciences, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia,
| | - Samira Rahimirad
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 1497716316, Iran
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal H4A 3J1, Quebec, Canada
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10
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Pupa SM, Ligorio F, Cancila V, Franceschini A, Tripodo C, Vernieri C, Castagnoli L. HER2 Signaling and Breast Cancer Stem Cells: The Bridge behind HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Aggressiveness and Therapy Refractoriness. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194778. [PMID: 34638263 PMCID: PMC8507865 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer (BC) is not a single disease, but a group of different tumors, and altered HER2 expression defines a particularly aggressive subtype. Although HER2 pharmacological inhibition has dramatically improved the prognosis of HER2-positive BC patients, there is still an urgent need for improved knowledge of HER2 biology and mechanisms underlying HER2-driven aggressiveness and drug susceptibility. Emerging data suggest that the clinical efficacy of molecularly targeted therapies is related to their ability to target breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), a population that is not only self-sustaining and able to differentiate into distinct lineages, but also contributes to tumor growth, aggressiveness, metastasis and treatment resistance. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of how the full-length HER2 receptor, the d16HER2 splice variant and the truncated p95HER2 variants are involved in the regulation and maintenance of BCSCs. Abstract HER2 overexpression/amplification occurs in 15–20% of breast cancers (BCs) and identifies a highly aggressive BC subtype. Recent clinical progress has increased the cure rates of limited-stage HER2-positive BC and significantly prolonged overall survival in patients with advanced disease; however, drug resistance and tumor recurrence remain major concerns. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase knowledge regarding HER2 biology and implement available treatments. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subset of malignant cells capable of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation and are mainly considered to contribute to tumor onset, aggressiveness, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Seminal studies have highlighted the key role of altered HER2 signaling in the maintenance/enrichment of breast CSCs (BCSCs) and elucidated its bidirectional communication with stemness-related pathways, such as the Notch and Wingless/β-catenin cascades. d16HER2, a splice variant of full-length HER2 mRNA, has been identified as one of the most oncogenic HER2 isoform significantly implicated in tumorigenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)/stemness and the response to targeted therapy. In addition, expression of a heterogeneous collection of HER2 truncated carboxy-terminal fragments (CTFs), collectively known as p95HER2, identifies a peculiar subgroup of HER2-positive BC with poor prognosis, with the p95HER2 variants being able to regulate CSC features. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current evidence regarding HER2-/d16HER2-/p95HER2-positive BCSCs in the context of the signaling pathways governing their properties and describes the future prospects for targeting these components to achieve long-lasting tumor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serenella M. Pupa
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, AmadeoLab, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (L.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-022-390-2573; Fax: +39-022-390-2692
| | - Francesca Ligorio
- Medical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.L.); or (C.V.)
| | - Valeria Cancila
- Tumor Immunology Unit, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (C.T.)
| | - Alma Franceschini
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, AmadeoLab, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (L.C.)
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134 Palermo, Italy; (V.C.); (C.T.)
| | - Claudio Vernieri
- Medical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.L.); or (C.V.)
- IFOM the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Castagnoli
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, AmadeoLab, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (L.C.)
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11
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Mehterov N, Kazakova M, Sbirkov Y, Vladimirov B, Belev N, Yaneva G, Todorova K, Hayrabedyan S, Sarafian V. Alternative RNA Splicing-The Trojan Horse of Cancer Cells in Chemotherapy. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12071085. [PMID: 34356101 PMCID: PMC8306420 DOI: 10.3390/genes12071085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all transcribed human genes undergo alternative RNA splicing, which increases the diversity of the coding and non-coding cellular landscape. The resultant gene products might have distinctly different and, in some cases, even opposite functions. Therefore, the abnormal regulation of alternative splicing plays a crucial role in malignant transformation, development, and progression, a fact supported by the distinct splicing profiles identified in both healthy and tumor cells. Drug resistance, resulting in treatment failure, still remains a major challenge for current cancer therapy. Furthermore, tumor cells often take advantage of aberrant RNA splicing to overcome the toxicity of the administered chemotherapeutic agents. Thus, deciphering the alternative RNA splicing variants in tumor cells would provide opportunities for designing novel therapeutics combating cancer more efficiently. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive outline of the recent findings in alternative splicing in the most common neoplasms, including lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, glioma, colon, and blood malignancies. Molecular mechanisms developed by cancer cells to promote oncogenesis as well as to evade anticancer drug treatment and the subsequent chemotherapy failure are also discussed. Taken together, these findings offer novel opportunities for future studies and the development of targeted therapy for cancer-specific splicing variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Mehterov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Maria Kazakova
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Yordan Sbirkov
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Boyan Vladimirov
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Nikolay Belev
- Medical Simulation and Training Center, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Galina Yaneva
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Varna, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria;
| | - Krassimira Todorova
- Laboratory of Reproductive OMICs Technologies, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.T.); (S.H.)
| | - Soren Hayrabedyan
- Laboratory of Reproductive OMICs Technologies, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.T.); (S.H.)
| | - Victoria Sarafian
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (N.M.); (M.K.); (Y.S.)
- Research Institute, Medical University-Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +359-882-512-952
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12
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Chen B, Xu X, Lin DD, Chen X, Xu YT, Liu X, Dong WG. KRT18 Modulates Alternative Splicing of Genes Involved in Proliferation and Apoptosis Processes in Both Gastric Cancer Cells and Clinical Samples. Front Genet 2021; 12:635429. [PMID: 34290732 PMCID: PMC8287183 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.635429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Keratin 18 (KRT18), one of the most abundant keratins in epithelial and endothelial cells, has been reported to be aberrantly expressed in many malignancies and extensively regarded as a biomarker and important regulator in multiple cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). But the molecular regulatory mechanisms of KRT18 in GC patients and cells are largely unknown. In the present study, we analyzed the expression level of KRT18 in 450 stomach adenocarcinoma tissue samples from TCGA database and found a significantly higher expression level in tumor tissues. We then explored the potential functions of KRT18 in AGS cells (human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line) by KRT18 knockdown using siRNA and whole transcriptome RNA-seq analysis. Notably, KRT18 selectively regulates expression of cell proliferation and apoptotic genes. Beyond this, KRT18 affects the alternative splicing of genes enriched in apoptosis, cell cycle, and other cancer-related pathways, which were then validated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction approach. We validated KRT18-KD promoted apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in AGS cells. We then used RNA-seq data of GC samples to further demonstrate the modulation of KRT18 on alternative splicing regulation. These results together support the conclusion that KRT18 extensively modulates diverse alternative splicing events of genes enriched in proliferation and apoptosis processes. And the dysregulated splicing factors at transcriptional or posttranscriptional level by KRT18 may contribute to the alternative splicing change of many genes, which expands the functional importance of keratins in apoptotic and cell cycle pathways at the posttranscriptional level in GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Chen
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ximing Xu
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dan-dan Lin
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang-tao Xu
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei-guo Dong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Jiao XD, Liu K, Wu Y, Zhou XC, Qin BD, Ling Y, Liu J, He X, Du H, Xiang J, Zang YS. HER2 Splice Site Mutation c.1899-1G>A as the Potential Acquired Resistance to Trastuzumab in a Patient with HER2-Positive Gastric Adenocarcinoma. Oncologist 2021; 26:717-721. [PMID: 33896090 DOI: 10.1002/onco.13799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy regimen is the standard of care for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer; however, most patients eventually acquire trastuzumab resistance. Although some resistance mechanisms to trastuzumab-based regimens have been proposed, further understanding is required for developing therapeutic strategies to overcome the resistance. In the present work, we attempted to determine the possible resistance mechanism to trastuzumab in a patient with HER2-positive stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma. In this study, we first report the nucleotide change c.1899-1G>A at the intron 15 acceptor splice site promoting exon 16 deletion of HER2 as the potential mechanism of trastuzumab resistance in HER2-positive gastric adenocarcinoma. KEY POINTS: The combination of trastuzumab with chemotherapy is considered to be the standard therapy for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (GC), but most of the patients eventually acquire trastuzumab resistance. The mechanisms of resistance to trastuzumab in GC are poorly characterized. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to implicate HER2 c.1899-1G>A, which results in exon 16 skpping, as the acquired resistance mechanism to trastuzumab in HER2-positive gastric adenocarcinoma. This work provides insights into the potential molecular mechanism of trastuzumab resistance, which is crucial in developing effective therapeutic strategies for HER2-positive GC patients refractory to trastuzumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dong Jiao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Cheng Zhou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Qingyang People Hospital, Qingyang, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Bao-Dong Qin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Ling
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi He
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiwei Du
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxing Xiang
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Sheng Zang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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14
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Hart V, Gautrey H, Kirby J, Tyson-Capper A. HER2 splice variants in breast cancer: investigating their impact on diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Oncotarget 2020; 11:4338-4357. [PMID: 33245725 PMCID: PMC7679030 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of the HER2 receptor occurs in approximately 20% of breast cancer patients. HER2 positivity is associated with poor prognosis and aggressive tumour phenotypes, which led to rapid progress in HER2 targeted therapeutics and diagnostic testing. Whilst these advances have greatly increased patients' chances of survival, resistance to HER2 targeted therapies, be that intrinsic or acquired, remains a problem. Different forms of the HER2 protein exist within tumours in tandem and can display altered biological activities. Interest in HER2 variants in breast cancer increased when links between resistance to anti-HER2 therapies and a particular variant, Δ16-HER2, were identified. Moreover, the P100 variant potentially reduces the efficacy of the anti-HER2 therapy trastuzumab. Another variant, Herstatin, exhibits 'auto-inhibitory' behaviour. More recently, new HER2 variants have been identified and are currently being assessed for their pro- and anti-cancer properties. It is important when directing the care of patients to consider HER2 variants collectively. This review considers HER2 variants in the context of the tumour environment where multiple variants are co-expressed at altered ratios. This study also provides an up to date account of the landscape of HER2 variants and links this to patterns of resistance against HER2 therapies and treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vic Hart
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hannah Gautrey
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John Kirby
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Alison Tyson-Capper
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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15
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Pellarin I, Belletti B, Baldassarre G. RNA splicing alteration in the response to platinum chemotherapy in ovarian cancer: A possible biomarker and therapeutic target. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:586-615. [PMID: 33058230 DOI: 10.1002/med.21741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery, alternative splicing has been recognized as a powerful way for a cell to amplify the genetic information and for a living organism to adapt, evolve, and survive. We now know that a very high number of genes are regulated by alternative splicing and that alterations of splicing have been observed in different types of human diseases, including cancer. Here, we review the accumulating knowledge that links the regulation of alternative splicing to the response to chemotherapy, focusing our attention on ovarian cancer and platinum-based treatments. Moreover, we discuss how expanding information could be exploited to identify new possible biomarkers of platinum response, to better select patients, and/or to design new therapies able to overcome platinum resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Pellarin
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Molecular Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
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16
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Abstract
Treatment with the immunoconjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan leads to unprecedented improvements in response and overall survival in patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic gastroesophageal carcinoma (GEA), according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Until now, no HER2-targeted drugs other than trastuzumab have shown significant benefit in patients with HER2+ GEA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Siena
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy; Dipartimento di Oncologia ed Emato-Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Milano (La Statale), Milano, Italy.
| | - Silvia Marsoni
- Precision Oncology, IFOM-FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Sartore-Bianchi
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy; Dipartimento di Oncologia ed Emato-Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Milano (La Statale), Milano, Italy
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17
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Nielsen BS, Møller T, Kjems J. Automated One-Double-Z Pair BaseScope™ for CircRNA In Situ Hybridization. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2148:379-388. [PMID: 32394395 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0623-0_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded RNA, typically exons, connected head to tail by back-splicing. The functions of circRNAs include binding of microRNA, regulation of transcription, regulation of alternative splicing, and modulation of immune response. As for other RNA transcripts their levels vary during development and may also become deregulated during disease progression. Different from linear RNAs, the circRNAs are not susceptible to traditional exonuclease activity and therefore more stable in tissues and blood. This makes the circRNAs an attractive new group of potential biomarkers. Specific detection of circRNAs in situ is challenged by the need to discriminate bona fide circRNAs from the linear precursor forms and splice variants that contain largely overlapping sequences. Knowing the sequence around the splice junction site makes the branched DNA probe technology, BaseScope, suitable for selective detection of unique circRNAs. Here, we present the automated application of BaseScope with a one-double-Z pair probe set designed for the junction of circHIPK3.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trine Møller
- Molecular Histology, Bioneer A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Kjems
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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18
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Volpari T, De Santis F, Bracken AP, Pupa SM, Buschbeck M, Wegner A, Di Cosimo S, Lisanti MP, Dotti G, Massaia M, Pruneri G, Anichini A, Fortunato O, De Braud F, Del Vecchio M, Di Nicola M. Anticancer innovative therapy: Highlights from the ninth annual meeting. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2019; 51:1-9. [PMID: 31862236 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2019.12.002] [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: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The Ninth Annual Conference of "Anticancer Innovative Therapy", organized by Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano (Fondazione IRCCS INT) and hosted by Hotel Michelangelo, was held in Milan on 25 January 2019. Cutting-edge science was presented in two main scientific sessions: i) pre-clinical evidences and new targets, and ii) clinical translation. The Keynote lecture entitled "Cancer stem cells (CSCs): metabolic strategies for their identification and eradication" presented by M. Lisanti, was one of the highlights of the conference. One key concept of the meeting was how the continuous advances in our knowledge about molecular mechanisms in various fields of research (cancer metabolism reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, transformation/invasiveness, and immunology, among others) are driving cancer research towards more effective personalized antineoplastic strategies. Specifically, recent preclinical data on the following topics were discussed: 1. Polycomb group proteins in cancer; 2. A d16HER2 splice variant is a flag of HER2 addiction across HER2-positive cancers; 3. Studying chromatin as a nexus between translational and basic research; 4. Metabolomic analysis in cancer patients; 5. CDK4-6 cyclin inhibitors: clinical activity and future perspectives as immunotherapy adjuvant; and 6. Cancer stem cells (CSCs): metabolic strategies for their identification and eradication. In terms of clinical translation, several novel approaches were presented: 1. Developing CAR-T cell therapies: an update of preclinical and clinical development at University of North Carolina; 2. Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell activation and immune suppression in multiple myeloma; 3. Predictive biomarkers for real-world immunotherapy: the cancer immunogram model in the clinical arena; and 4. Mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade in solid tumors. Overall, the pre-clinical and clinical findings presented could pave the way to identify novel actionable therapeutic targets to significantly enhance the care of persons with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Volpari
- Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapeutics Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - F De Santis
- Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapeutics Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - A P Bracken
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - S M Pupa
- Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - M Buschbeck
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), Campus ICO-Germans Trias I Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - A Wegner
- Technische Universiät Braunschweig, Department of Bioinfomatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Center of Systems Biology (BRICS), Rebenring 56, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S Di Cosimo
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - M P Lisanti
- Translational Medicine, Biomedical Research Centre, School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - G Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - M Massaia
- Laboratorio di Immunologia dei Tumori del Sangue, Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Biologia Molecolare, Università degli Studi di Torino, Turin, Italy; SC Ematologia, AO S. Croce e Carle, Cuneo, Italy
| | - G Pruneri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS - Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - A Anichini
- Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - O Fortunato
- Tumor Genomics Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - F De Braud
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - M Del Vecchio
- Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapeutics Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Unit of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - M Di Nicola
- Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapeutics Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
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19
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Phenethyl isothiocyanate hampers growth and progression of HER2-positive breast and ovarian carcinoma by targeting their stem cell compartment. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2019; 42:815-828. [DOI: 10.1007/s13402-019-00464-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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20
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The d16HER2 Splice Variant: A Friend or Foe of HER2-Positive Cancers? Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11070902. [PMID: 31261614 PMCID: PMC6678616 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11070902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2 or HER2) amplification/overexpression is associated with a particularly aggressive molecular subtype of breast cancer (BC), characterized by a poor prognosis, increased metastatic potential, and disease recurrence. As only approximately 50% of HER2-positive patients respond to HER2-targeted therapies, greater knowledge of the biology of HER2 and the mechanisms that underlie drug susceptibility is needed to improve cure rates. Evidence suggests that the coexistence of full-length, wild-type HER2 (wtHER2) and altered forms of HER2—such as carboxy-terminus-truncated fragments, activating mutations, and splice variants—significantly increases the heterogeneity of HER2-positive disease, affecting its biology, clinical course, and treatment response. In particular, expression of the d16HER2 splice variant in human HER2-positive BC has a crucial pathobiological function, wherein the absence of sixteen amino acids from the extracellular domain induces the formation of stable and constitutively active HER2 homodimers on the tumor cell surface. Notably, the d16HER2 variant significantly influences the initiation and aggressiveness of tumors, cancer stem cell properties, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the susceptibility of HER2-positive BC cells to trastuzumab compared with its wtHER2 counterpart, thus constituting a novel and potentially clinically useful biomarker. The aims of this review are to summarize the existing evidence regarding the pathobiological functions of the d16HER2 variant and discuss its current and future value with regard to risk assessment and treatment choices in HER2-positive disease.
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Preclinical Characteristics of the Irreversible Pan-HER Kinase Inhibitor Neratinib Compared with Lapatinib: Implications for the Treatment of HER2-Positive and HER2-Mutated Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11060737. [PMID: 31141894 PMCID: PMC6628314 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An estimated 15–20% of breast cancers overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/ERBB2/neu). Two small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), lapatinib and neratinib, have been approved for the treatment of HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer. Lapatinib, a reversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ERBB1/HER1) and HER2 TKI, is used for the treatment of advanced HER2+ breast cancer in combination with capecitabine, in combination with trastuzumab in patients with hormone receptor-negative metastatic breast cancer, and in combination with an aromatase inhibitor for the first-line treatment of HER2+ breast cancer. Neratinib, a next-generation, irreversible pan-HER TKI, is used in the US for extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early-stage HER2+ breast cancer following 1 year of trastuzumab. In Europe, neratinib is used in the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early-stage hormone receptor-positive HER2+ breast cancer who are less than 1 year from the completion of prior adjuvant trastuzumab-based therapy. Preclinical studies have shown that these agents have distinct properties that may impact their clinical activity. This review describes the preclinical characterization of lapatinib and neratinib, with a focus on the differences between these two agents that may have implications for patient management.
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