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Lee AV, Nestler KA, Chiappinelli KB. Therapeutic targeting of DNA methylation alterations in cancer. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 258:108640. [PMID: 38570075 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108640] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a critical component of gene regulation and plays an important role in the development of cancer. Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes and silencing of DNA repair pathways facilitate uncontrolled cell growth and synergize with oncogenic mutations to perpetuate cancer phenotypes. Additionally, aberrant DNA methylation hinders immune responses crucial for antitumor immunity. Thus, inhibiting dysregulated DNA methylation is a promising cancer therapy. Pharmacologic inhibition of DNA methylation reactivates silenced tumor suppressors and bolster immune responses through induction of viral mimicry. Now, with the advent of immunotherapies and discovery of the immune-modulatory effects of DNA methylation inhibitors, there is great interest in understanding how targeting DNA methylation in combination with other therapies can enhance antitumor immunity. Here, we describe the role of aberrant DNA methylation in cancer and mechanisms by which it promotes tumorigenesis and modulates immune responses. Finally, we review the initial discoveries and ongoing efforts to target DNA methylation as a cancer therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail V Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kevin A Nestler
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Katherine B Chiappinelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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2
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Araki T, Miwa N. Selective epigenetic alterations in RNF43 in pancreatic exocrine cells from high-fat-diet-induced obese mice; implications for pancreatic cancer. BMC Res Notes 2024; 17:106. [PMID: 38622664 PMCID: PMC11020883 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-024-06757-0] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pancreatic cancer (PC) originates and progresses with genetic mutations in various oncogenes and suppressor genes, notably KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53, and SMAD4, prevalent across diverse PC cells. In addition to genetic mutations/deletions, persistent exposure to high-risk factors, including obesity, induces whole-genome scale epigenetic alterations contributing to malignancy. However, the impact of obesity on DNA methylation in the presymptomatic stage, particularly in genes prone to PC mutation, remains uncharacterized. RESULTS We analyzed the methylation levels of 197 loci in six genes (KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53, SMAD4, GNAS and RNF43) using Illumina Mouse Methylation BeadChip array (280 K) data from pancreatic exocrine cells obtained from high-fat-diet (HFD) induced obese mice. Results revealed no significant differences in methylation levels in loci between HFD- and normal-fat-diet (NFD)-fed mice, except for RNF43, a negative regulator of Wnt signaling, which showed hypermethylation in three loci. These findings indicate that, in mouse pancreatic exocrine cells, high-fat dietary obesity induced aberrant DNA methylation in RNF43 but not in other frequently mutated PC-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyuki Araki
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Moro-hongo, Iruma-gun, 350-0495, Moroyama, Saitama, Japan.
| | - Naofumi Miwa
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Moro-hongo, Iruma-gun, 350-0495, Moroyama, Saitama, Japan.
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3
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Otálora-Otálora BA, López-Rivera JJ, Aristizábal-Guzmán C, Isaza-Ruget MA, Álvarez-Moreno CA. Host Transcriptional Regulatory Genes and Microbiome Networks Crosstalk through Immune Receptors Establishing Normal and Tumor Multiomics Metafirm of the Oral-Gut-Lung Axis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16638. [PMID: 38068961 PMCID: PMC10706695 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbiome has shown a correlation with the diet and lifestyle of each population in health and disease, the ability to communicate at the cellular level with the host through innate and adaptative immune receptors, and therefore an important role in modulating inflammatory process related to the establishment and progression of cancer. The oral cavity is one of the most important interaction windows between the human body and the environment, allowing the entry of an important number of microorganisms and their passage across the gastrointestinal tract and lungs. In this review, the contribution of the microbiome network to the establishment of systemic diseases like cancer is analyzed through their synergistic interactions and bidirectional crosstalk in the oral-gut-lung axis as well as its communication with the host cells. Moreover, the impact of the characteristic microbiota of each population in the formation of the multiomics molecular metafirm of the oral-gut-lung axis is also analyzed through state-of-the-art sequencing techniques, which allow a global study of the molecular processes involved of the flow of the microbiota environmental signals through cancer-related cells and its relationship with the establishment of the transcription factor network responsible for the control of regulatory processes involved with tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Javier López-Rivera
- Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Specialized Laboratory, Clinica Universitaria Colombia, Clínica Colsanitas S.A., Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
| | - Claudia Aristizábal-Guzmán
- Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Unidad de Investigación, Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, Bogotá 110131, Colombia;
| | - Mario Arturo Isaza-Ruget
- Keralty, Sanitas International Organization, Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, Bogotá 110131, Colombia;
| | - Carlos Arturo Álvarez-Moreno
- Infectious Diseases Department, Clinica Universitaria Colombia, Clínica Colsanitas S.A., Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
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Kostyrko K, Román M, Lee AG, Simpson DR, Dinh PT, Leung SG, Marini KD, Kelly MR, Broyde J, Califano A, Jackson PK, Sweet-Cordero EA. UHRF1 is a mediator of KRAS driven oncogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3966. [PMID: 37407562 PMCID: PMC10322837 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39591-2] [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: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS is a frequent driver in lung cancer. To identify KRAS-specific vulnerabilities in lung cancer, we performed RNAi screens in primary spheroids derived from a Kras mutant mouse lung cancer model and discovered an epigenetic regulator Ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domains 1 (UHRF1). In human lung cancer models UHRF1 knock-out selectively impaired growth and induced apoptosis only in KRAS mutant cells. Genome-wide methylation and gene expression analysis of UHRF1-depleted KRAS mutant cells revealed global DNA hypomethylation leading to upregulation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). A focused CRISPR/Cas9 screen validated several of these TSGs as mediators of UHRF1-driven tumorigenesis. In vivo, UHRF1 knock-out inhibited tumor growth of KRAS-driven mouse lung cancer models. Finally, in lung cancer patients high UHRF1 expression is anti-correlated with TSG expression and predicts worse outcomes for patients with KRAS mutant tumors. These results nominate UHRF1 as a KRAS-specific vulnerability and potential target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Kostyrko
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Marta Román
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex G Lee
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David R Simpson
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Phuong T Dinh
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stanley G Leung
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kieren D Marini
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marcus R Kelly
- Baxter Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Broyde
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter K Jackson
- Baxter Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - E Alejandro Sweet-Cordero
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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5
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Perurena N, Lock R, Davis RA, Raghavan S, Pilla NF, Ng R, Loi P, Guild CJ, Miller AL, Sicinska E, Cleary JM, Rubinson DA, Wolpin BM, Gray NS, Santagata S, Hahn WC, Morton JP, Sansom OJ, Aguirre AJ, Cichowski K. USP9X mediates an acute adaptive response to MAPK suppression in pancreatic cancer but creates multiple actionable therapeutic vulnerabilities. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101007. [PMID: 37030295 PMCID: PMC10140597 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101007] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) frequently harbor KRAS mutations. Although MEK inhibitors represent a plausible therapeutic option, most PDACs are innately resistant to these agents. Here, we identify a critical adaptive response that mediates resistance. Specifically, we show that MEK inhibitors upregulate the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 by triggering an association with its deubiquitinase, USP9X, resulting in acute Mcl-1 stabilization and protection from apoptosis. Notably, these findings contrast the canonical positive regulation of Mcl-1 by RAS/ERK. We further show that Mcl-1 inhibitors and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, which suppress Mcl-1 transcription, prevent this protective response and induce tumor regression when combined with MEK inhibitors. Finally, we identify USP9X as an additional potential therapeutic target. Together, these studies (1) demonstrate that USP9X regulates a critical mechanism of resistance in PDAC, (2) reveal an unexpected mechanism of Mcl-1 regulation in response to RAS pathway suppression, and (3) provide multiple distinct promising therapeutic strategies for this deadly malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiara Perurena
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rebecca Lock
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel A Davis
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Srivatsan Raghavan
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Natalie F Pilla
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Raymond Ng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Patrick Loi
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caroline J Guild
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Abigail L Miller
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ewa Sicinska
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James M Cleary
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Douglas A Rubinson
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Brian M Wolpin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sandro Santagata
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - William C Hahn
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Glasgow G11 1QH, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Glasgow G11 1QH, UK
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Karen Cichowski
- Genetics Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ludwig Center at Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Ducos B, Bensimon D, Scerbo P. Vertebrate Cell Differentiation, Evolution, and Diseases: The Vertebrate-Specific Developmental Potential Guardians VENTX/ NANOG and POU5/ OCT4 Enter the Stage. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152299. [PMID: 35892595 PMCID: PMC9331430 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
During vertebrate development, embryonic cells pass through a continuum of transitory pluripotent states that precede multi-lineage commitment and morphogenesis. Such states are referred to as “refractory/naïve” and “competent/formative” pluripotency. The molecular mechanisms maintaining refractory pluripotency or driving the transition to competent pluripotency, as well as the cues regulating multi-lineage commitment, are evolutionarily conserved. Vertebrate-specific “Developmental Potential Guardians” (vsDPGs; i.e., VENTX/NANOG, POU5/OCT4), together with MEK1 (MAP2K1), coordinate the pluripotency continuum, competence for multi-lineage commitment and morphogenesis in vivo. During neurulation, vsDPGs empower ectodermal cells of the neuro-epithelial border (NEB) with multipotency and ectomesenchyme potential through an “endogenous reprogramming” process, giving rise to the neural crest cells (NCCs). Furthermore, vsDPGs are expressed in undifferentiated-bipotent neuro-mesodermal progenitor cells (NMPs), which participate in posterior axis elongation and growth. Finally, vsDPGs are involved in carcinogenesis, whereby they confer selective advantage to cancer stem cells (CSCs) and therapeutic resistance. Intriguingly, the heterogenous distribution of vsDPGs in these cell types impact on cellular potential and features. Here, we summarize the findings about the role of vsDPGs during vertebrate development and their selective advantage in evolution. Our aim to present a holistic view regarding vsDPGs as facilitators of both cell plasticity/adaptability and morphological innovation/variation. Moreover, vsDPGs may also be at the heart of carcinogenesis by allowing malignant cells to escape from physiological constraints and surveillance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Ducos
- LPENS, PSL, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France
- IBENS, PSL, CNRS, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
- High Throughput qPCR Core Facility, ENS, PSL, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (B.D.); (D.B.); (P.S.)
| | - David Bensimon
- LPENS, PSL, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France
- IBENS, PSL, CNRS, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90094, USA
- Correspondence: (B.D.); (D.B.); (P.S.)
| | - Pierluigi Scerbo
- LPENS, PSL, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France
- IBENS, PSL, CNRS, 46 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (B.D.); (D.B.); (P.S.)
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Hoang PH, Landi MT. DNA Methylation in Lung Cancer: Mechanisms and Associations with Histological Subtypes, Molecular Alterations, and Major Epidemiological Factors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040961. [PMID: 35205708 PMCID: PMC8870477 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the major leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Multiple epigenetic factors-in particular, DNA methylation-have been associated with the development of lung cancer. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on DNA methylation alterations in lung tumorigenesis, as well as their associations with different histological subtypes, common cancer driver gene mutations (e.g., KRAS, EGFR, and TP53), and major epidemiological risk factors (e.g., sex, smoking status, race/ethnicity). Understanding the mechanisms of DNA methylation regulation and their associations with various risk factors can provide further insights into carcinogenesis, and create future avenues for prevention and personalized treatments. In addition, we also highlight outstanding questions regarding DNA methylation in lung cancer to be elucidated in future studies.
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Sankarasubramanian S, Pfohl U, Regenbrecht CRA, Reinhard C, Wedeken L. Context Matters-Why We Need to Change From a One Size Fits all Approach to Made-to-Measure Therapies for Individual Patients With Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:760705. [PMID: 34805167 PMCID: PMC8599957 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.760705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and remains a major unsolved health problem. While pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with driver mutations in only four major genes (KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, and CDKN2A), every tumor differs in its molecular landscape, histology, and prognosis. It is crucial to understand and consider these differences to be able to tailor treatment regimens specific to the vulnerabilities of the individual tumor to enhance patient outcome. This review focuses on the heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor cells and how in addition to genetic alterations, the subsequent dysregulation of multiple signaling cascades at various levels, epigenetic and metabolic factors contribute to the oncogenesis of PDAC and compensate for each other in driving cancer progression if one is tackled by a therapeutic approach. This implicates that besides the need for new combinatorial therapies for PDAC, a personalized approach for treating this highly complex cancer is required. A strategy that combines both a target-based and phenotypic approach to identify an effective treatment, like Reverse Clinical Engineering® using patient-derived organoids, is discussed as a promising way forward in the field of personalized medicine to tackle this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulrike Pfohl
- CELLphenomics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- ASC Oncology GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Bio Science, Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christian R. A. Regenbrecht
- CELLphenomics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- ASC Oncology GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Lena Wedeken
- CELLphenomics GmbH, Berlin, Germany
- ASC Oncology GmbH, Berlin, Germany
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