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Bapat N, Ferraro T, Esper L, Joshi AS, Haroun F, Baldwin CK. Treatment of Unresectable BRAF V600E, TERT-Mutated Differentiated Papillary Thyroid Cancer With Dabrafenib and Trametinib. JCEM CASE REPORTS 2024; 2:luae112. [PMID: 39081697 PMCID: PMC11288368 DOI: 10.1210/jcemcr/luae112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Complete surgical resection of differentiated papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is associated with an excellent prognosis. However, for locally invasive PTC, disease-specific morbidity and mortality increases when microscopic margin negative resection (R0) or complete macroscopic resection (R1) is not feasible. Neoadjuvant dabrafenib and trametinib (DT) used in BRAF V600E-positive, unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer has allowed for R0 or R1 resection and improved survival rates. We demonstrate feasibility of using neoadjuvant DT in a patient with BRAF V600E and TERT-mutated PTC for whom R0/R1 resection was initially aborted due to predicted unacceptable morbidity. The patient was treated with neoadjuvant DT for 5 months, at which time disease was undetectable on imaging with near resolution on final pathology; however, subsequent rapid recurrence after discontinuation of neoadjuvant DT occurred. Neoadjuvant DT offers promise in future cohorts of patients with locally invasive BRAF V600E and TERT-mutated PTC for whom neoadjuvant therapy can reduce surgical morbidity while still allowing for R0/R1 resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Bapat
- Department of Endocrinology, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Tatiana Ferraro
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Layal Esper
- Department of Endocrinology, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Arjun S Joshi
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Faysal Haroun
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Chelsey K Baldwin
- Department of Endocrinology, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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2
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Shen X, Tan J, Liu R, Zhu G, Rooper L, Xing M. The genetic duet of concurrent RASAL1 and PTEN alterations promotes cancer aggressiveness by cooperatively activating the PI3K-AKT pathway. Mol Oncol 2024. [PMID: 39032134 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13701] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The significance of the prominent tumor suppressor gene for RAS protein activator-like 1 (RASAL1) could be better understood by combined genetic, clinical, and functional studies. Here, we investigated the oncogenic and clinical impacts of genetic alterations of RASAL1, particularly when coexisting with genetic alterations of the gene for phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), in 9924 cancers of 33 types in the TCGA database. We found common concurrent genetic alterations of the two genes, which were cooperatively associated with activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathway, with cancer progression and mortality rates being 46.36% and 31.72% with concurrent gene alterations, versus 29.80% and 16.93% with neither gene alteration (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.46-1.84 and 1.77, 95% CI 1.53-2.05), respectively. This was enhanced by additional tumor protein p53 (TP53) gene alterations, with cancer progression and mortality rates being 47.65% and 34.46% with coexisting RASAL1, PTEN, and TP53 alterations versus 25.30% and 13.11% with no alteration (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.92-2.56 and 2.76, 95% CI 2.31-3.30), respectively. In the case of breast cancer, this genetic trio was associated with a triple-negative risk of 68.75% versus 3.83% with no genetic alteration (RR 17.94, 95% CI 9.60-33.51), consistent with the aggressive nature of triple-negative breast cancer. Mice with double knockouts of Rasal1 and Pten displayed robust Pi3k pathway activation, with the development of metastasizing malignancies, while single gene knockout resulted in only benign neoplasma. These results suggest that RASAL1, like PTEN, is a critical player in negatively regulating the PI3K-AKT pathway; defect in RASAL1 causes RAS activation, thus initiating the PI3K-AKT pathway signaling, which cannot terminate with concurrent PTEN defects. Thus, the unique concurrent RASAL1 and PTEN defects drive oncogenesis and cancer aggressiveness by cooperatively activating the PI3K-AKT pathway. This represents a robust genetic mechanism to promote human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopei Shen
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jie Tan
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rengyun Liu
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Guangwu Zhu
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lisa Rooper
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mingzhao Xing
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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3
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Chen Y, Sang Y, Li S, Xue J, Chen M, Hong S, Lv W, Sehgal K, Xiao H, Liu R. The ERK inhibitor GDC-0994 selectively inhibits growth of BRAF mutant cancer cells. Transl Oncol 2024; 45:101991. [PMID: 38728872 PMCID: PMC11107342 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101991] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BRAF or RAS mutation-induced aberrant activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is frequently observed in human cancers. As the key downstream node of MAPK pathway, ERK1/2 is as an important therapeutic target. GDC-0994 (ravoxertinib), an orally bioavailable, highly selective small-molecule inhibitor of ERK1/2, showed acceptable safety and pharmacodynamic profile in a recent phase I clinical trial. In this study, we investigated dependence of the anti-tumor effect of ERK inhibitor GDC-0994 on genetic alterations in the MAPK pathway. The results showed that GDC-0994 sharply inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation and induced remarkable G1 phase cell-cycle arrest in cancer cells harboring BRAF mutation but had little effect on cell behaviors in most RAS mutant or wild-type cell lines. The expression of a large number of genes, particularly the genes in the cell cycle pathway, were significantly changed after GDC-0994 treatment in BRAF mutant cells, while no remarkable expression change of such genes was observed in wild-type cells. Moreover, GDC-0994 selectively inhibited tumor growth in a BRAF mutant xenograft mice model. Our findings demonstrate a BRAF mutation-dependent anti-tumor effect of GDC-0994 and provide a rational strategy for patient selection for ERK1/2 inhibitor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulu Chen
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Ye Sang
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Shiyong Li
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Junyu Xue
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Mengke Chen
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Shubin Hong
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Weiming Lv
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kartik Sehgal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Haipeng Xiao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
| | - Rengyun Liu
- Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58, Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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Kobayashi H, Zhang L, Okajima K, Ishibashi Y, Hirai T, Tsuda Y, Ikegami M, Kage H, Shinozaki-Ushiku A, Oda K, Tanaka S. BRAF mutations and concurrent alterations in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2023; 62:648-654. [PMID: 37293958 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23182] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BRAF alterations, including V600E and non-V600E mutations and fusions, in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) have been identified in a limited case series. Here, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of BRAF mutations and concurrent alterations in STS to understand their therapeutic action. In this retrospective analysis, we included data from 1964 patients with advanced STS who underwent comprehensive genomic profiling tests at hospitals in Japan between June 2019 and March 2023. The prevalence of BRAF and recurrent concurrent gene alterations were also investigated. BRAF mutations were detected in 24 (1.2%) of 1964 STS patients, with a median age of 47 (range 1-69) years. BRAF V600E was detected in 11 (0.6%) of the 1964 patients with STS, BRAF non-V600E mutations in 9 (4.6%), and BRAF fusions were detected in 4 (0.2%). BRAF V600E was identified in 4 (0.2%) cases of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. The most common concurrent alteration was CDKN2A (11 cases, 45.8%), and the frequency was equivalent to that of the BRAF V600E (5/11 cases, 45.5%) and non-V600E (5/9 cases, 55.6%) groups. Recurrent concurrent alterations, such as TERT promoter mutations (7 cases, 29.2%), were detected at the same frequency in the V600E and non-V600E groups. In contrast, TP53 alterations (4/9 cases, 44.4%) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activating genes, including NF1, GNAQ, and GNA11 (3/9 cases, 33.3%), were identified as relatively higher in the non-V600E group than in the V600E group (each 1/11 case, 9.1%). We identified BRAF alterations at a rate of 1.2% in all patients with advanced STS. Among them, BRAF V600E and BRAF fusions account for 45.8% and 16.7%, respectively. Collectively, our findings support the clinical characteristics and therapeutic strategies for patients with BRAF-altered advanced STS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kobayashi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Liuzhe Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Okajima
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Ishibashi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshihide Hirai
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Tsuda
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masachika Ikegami
- Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital, Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidenori Kage
- Next-Generation Precision Medicine Development Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aya Shinozaki-Ushiku
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Integrative Genomics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Oda
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Gynecology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sakae Tanaka
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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5
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Castellani G, Buccarelli M, Arasi MB, Rossi S, Pisanu ME, Bellenghi M, Lintas C, Tabolacci C. BRAF Mutations in Melanoma: Biological Aspects, Therapeutic Implications, and Circulating Biomarkers. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4026. [PMID: 37627054 PMCID: PMC10452867 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer resulting from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. Recent therapeutic approaches, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have improved the prognosis and outcome of melanoma patients. BRAF is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes recognised in melanoma. The most frequent oncogenic BRAF mutations consist of a single point mutation at codon 600 (mostly V600E) that leads to constitutive activation of the BRAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) signalling pathway. Therefore, mutated BRAF has become a useful target for molecular therapy and the use of BRAF kinase inhibitors has shown promising results. However, several resistance mechanisms invariably develop leading to therapeutic failure. The aim of this manuscript is to review the role of BRAF mutational status in the pathogenesis of melanoma and its impact on differentiation and inflammation. Moreover, this review focuses on the mechanisms responsible for resistance to targeted therapies in BRAF-mutated melanoma and provides an overview of circulating biomarkers including circulating tumour cells, circulating tumour DNA, and non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Castellani
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Mariachiara Buccarelli
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Maria Beatrice Arasi
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Stefania Rossi
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
| | - Maria Elena Pisanu
- High Resolution NMR Unit, Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maria Bellenghi
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Carla Lintas
- Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy;
- Operative Research Unit of Medical Genetics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tabolacci
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (M.B.); (M.B.A.); (S.R.)
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6
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Blanco-García L, Ruano Y, Blanco Martínez-Illescas R, Cubo R, Jiménez Sánchez P, Sánchez-Arévalo Lobo VJ, Riveiro Falkenbach E, Ortiz Romero P, Garrido MC, Rodríguez Peralto JL. pTERT C250T mutation: A potential biomarker of poor prognosis in metastatic melanoma. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18953. [PMID: 37609429 PMCID: PMC10440525 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and the leading cause of death from cutaneous tumors. Several studies have associated alterations in the TERT promoter region (pTERT) with gene overexpression, aggressiveness and poor prognosis of the disease. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of pTERT molecular status in paired samples of primary melanoma and metastasis using tissue and plasma to establish a correlation with disease progression and survival. A total of 88 FFPE tissue samples from 53 patients with advanced melanoma were analyzed. Of these, 35 had paired samples. We also examined cfDNA samples from plasma of 25 patients. We detected a good correlation between primary tumors and metastases in pTERT mutation and methylation status. We were also able to identify pTERT mutations in plasma samples that correlated with mutational status in tissue samples. Interestingly, the C250T mutation was associated with worse survival and higher TERT mRNA expression, compared to the other most common mutation: C228T. In addition, hyper-methylation of the promoter region seems to be related to the progression of pTERT wild type (WT) patients. These results suggest that TERT gene alterations plays an important role during tumor progression, with the detection of the C250T mutation in tissue and plasma as a potential biomarker of poor prognosis in patients with advanced melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yolanda Ruano
- Research Institute 12 de Octubre Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Blanco Martínez-Illescas
- Research Institute 12 de Octubre Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Biosanitary Research Institute, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Francisco de Vitoria University, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Cubo
- Research Institute 12 de Octubre Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Jiménez Sánchez
- Research Institute 12 de Octubre Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Biosanitary Research Institute, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Francisco de Vitoria University, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor J. Sánchez-Arévalo Lobo
- Research Institute 12 de Octubre Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Biosanitary Research Institute, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Francisco de Vitoria University, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pablo Ortiz Romero
- Department of Dermatology, 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - María C. Garrido
- Department of Pathology, 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid, Spain
| | - José L. Rodríguez Peralto
- Department of Pathology, 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid, Spain
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Zhao X, Luo D, Liu T, Zhang H, Xie Y, Kong W. BIBR1532 Affects Endometrial Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Endometriosis via Telomerase Inhibition and MAPK Signaling. Gynecol Obstet Invest 2023; 88:226-239. [PMID: 37429261 DOI: 10.1159/000530460] [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: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The effect of telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 on endometriotic cells was investigated to explore the inhibitory effect of targeting telomerase on endometriosis. DESIGN In vitro primary cell culture study. Participants/Materials: Primary endometrial cells derived from eutopic and ectopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis. SETTING The study was conducted in the university hospital. METHODS Paired eutopic and ectopic endometrial cells were collected from 6 patients from January 2018 to July 2021. A TRAP assay was performed to detect the telomerase activity of the cells. MTT, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion assays were performed to study the inhibitory effect of BIBR1532. Enrichment analysis was performed to identify the key pathways involved in endometriosis progression and telomerase action. Then, Western blotting was used to investigate the expression of related proteins. RESULTS BIBR1532 treatment significantly inhibited the growth of eutopic and ectopic endometrial cells, with apoptosis and cell cycle signaling involved. Migration and invasion, important characteristics for the establishment of ectopic lesions, were also inhibited by BIBR1532. The MAPK signaling cascade, related to telomerase and endometriosis, was decreased in eutopic and ectopic endometrial stromal cells with the treatment of BIBR1532. LIMITATIONS The severe side effects of telomerase inhibitors might be the main obstacle to clinical application, so it is necessary to find better drug delivery methods in vivo. CONCLUSIONS The telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 affects endometrial cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Zhao
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - He Zhang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yunkai Xie
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weimin Kong
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, China
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Su YJ, Cheng SH, Qian J, Zhang M, Liu W, Zhan XX, Wang ZQ, Liu HD, Zhong XW, Cheng RC. Neoadjuvant therapy with anlotinib in a locally advanced and pulmonary metastasis PTC patient harboring TERT promoter and BRAF V600E mutations: a case report. ARCHIVES OF ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM 2023; 67:e000659. [PMID: 37364156 PMCID: PMC10660997 DOI: 10.20945/2359-3997000000659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
A 71-year-old woman with recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was referred to our hospital. A computed tomography scan revealed extensive recurrence in the neck, invading sternocleidomastoid muscle, internal jugular vein, sternal end of the clavicle, strap muscle and skin; and lateral compartment and subclavian lymph nodes were also involved. Multiple pulmonary micrometastases also noticed. The tumor was considered unresectable; however, the patient was unwilling to accept highly invasive surgery. Therefore, we initiated neoadjuvant therapy with anlotinib, 12mg p.o. daily with a 2-week on/1-week off regimen. The tumor shrunk to resectable state after 4 cycles of treatment, and after 3 weeks of withdrawal, successful surgical resection without gross tumor residual was performed. Pathology confirmed as classic PTC harboring coexistent TERT promoter and BRAFV600E mutations by NGS. After anlotinib therapy, apoptosis induction was observed, and proliferation increased, which was due to three weeks of anlotinib withdraw. Structual recurrence was recorded at 6 months after operation due to no further treatment was taken. Our finding suggests that anlotinib could represent as a good treatment option for patients with locally advanced (with or without distant metastasis) PTC; Anlotinib treatment resulted in sufficient reduction of the tumor mass to enable total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine treatment, providing long-term control of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jun Su
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Shao-Hao Cheng
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Jun Qian
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Wen Liu
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Xiang-Xiang Zhan
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Zhu-Quan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Honghe State, Mengzi, PR. China
| | - Hai-Dan Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Honghe State, Mengzi, PR. China
| | - Xing-Wei Zhong
- Department of General Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Honghe State, Mengzi, PR. China,
| | - Ruo-Chuan Cheng
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China,
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9
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Delyon J, Vallet A, Bernard-Cacciarella M, Kuzniak I, Reger de Moura C, Louveau B, Jouenne F, Mourah S, Lebbé C, Dumaz N. TERT Expression Induces Resistance to BRAF and MEK Inhibitors in BRAF-Mutated Melanoma In Vitro. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112888. [PMID: 37296851 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112888] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Because BRAF-mutated melanomas are addicted to the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway they show a high response rate to BRAF and MEK inhibitors. However, the clinical responses to these inhibitors are often short-lived with the rapid onset of resistance to treatment. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms driving resistance has been the subject of intense research. Recent in vitro and clinical data have suggested a link between expression of telomerase and resistance to targeted therapy in melanoma. TERT promoter mutations are the main mechanism for the continuous upregulation of telomerase in melanoma and co-occur frequently with BRAF alterations. To understand how TERT promoter mutations could be associated with resistance to targeted therapy in melanoma, we conducted translational and in vitro studies. In a cohort of V600E-BRAF-mutated melanoma patients, we showed that the TERT promoter mutation status and TERT expression tended to be associated with response to BRAF and MEK inhibitors. We demonstrated that TERT overexpression in BRAF-mutated melanoma cells reduced sensitivity to BRAF and MEK independently of TERT's telomer maintenance activity. Interestingly, inhibition of TERT reduced growth of BRAF-mutated melanoma including resistant cells. TERT expression in melanoma can therefore be a new biomarker for resistance to MAPK inhibitors as well as a novel therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Delyon
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Dermatologie, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Anaïs Vallet
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Mélanie Bernard-Cacciarella
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Dermatologie, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Kuzniak
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Coralie Reger de Moura
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Pharmacogénomique, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Baptiste Louveau
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Pharmacogénomique, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Fanélie Jouenne
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Pharmacogénomique, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Samia Mourah
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Pharmacogénomique, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Céleste Lebbé
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
- Département de Dermatologie, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Dumaz
- INSERM, U976, Team 1, Human Immunology Pathophysiology & Immunotherapy (HIPI), F-75010 Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis (IRSL), F-75010 Paris, France
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da Silva TN, Rodrigues R, Saramago A, Pires C, Rito M, Horta M, Martins C, Leite V, Cavaco BM. Target therapy for BRAF mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer: a clinical and molecular study. Eur J Endocrinol 2023; 188:6979712. [PMID: 36651156 DOI: 10.1093/ejendo/lvac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) has a poor survival. The combination of Dabrafenib plus Trametinib (DT) had a significant impact in survival of BRAF p.V600E patients. However, durable responses may be compromised by resistance. We aim to present our experience with DT in BRAF positive ATC patients and compare the outcomes with usual therapy, and to study tumor molecular alterations in the DT group. METHODS Patients treated between May 2018 and April 2022 in a tertiary referral center, assessed for BRAF status were included. Patients were divided in three groups: BRAF p.V600E treated with DT, BRAF wild type (WT) under multimodal therapy (MT), and BRAF WT under compassionate care (CC). Response was assessed monthly in the first 6 months and every 3 months afterwards, by RECIST 1.1. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. RESULTS Twenty-seven ATC patients were included (DT = 9, MT = 8, and CC = 10). Median OS was 475 days for DT, 156 days for MT, and 39 days for CC (P < .001). At 12 months, only patients in the DT group were alive (71%). Median PFS was 270 days, in the DT group, compared with less than 32 days in BRAF WT (P < .001). No severe adverse events were reported. Molecular profiling showed that in one of the four clinical progressions, a pathogenic NRAS mutation was found. CONCLUSIONS Our results show a significant real-world efficacy of Dabrafenib plus Trametinib in both survival and recurrence compared with standard treatment, with a good safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Nunes da Silva
- Serviço de Endocrinologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Rodrigues
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
| | - Ana Saramago
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
| | - Carolina Pires
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
| | - Miguel Rito
- Serviço de Anatomia Patológica, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana Horta
- Serviço de Radiologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carmo Martins
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
| | - Valeriano Leite
- Serviço de Endocrinologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
- NOVA Medical School-Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Branca M Cavaco
- Unidade de Investigação em Patobiologia Molecular (UIPM), Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Rua Professor Lima Basto, Lisboa 1099-023, Portugal
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11
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Chen D, Su X, Zhu L, Jia H, Han B, Chen H, Liang Q, Hu C, Yang H, Liu L, Li P, Wei W, Zhao Y. Papillary thyroid cancer organoids harboring BRAF V600E mutation reveal potentially beneficial effects of BRAF inhibitor-based combination therapies. J Transl Med 2023; 21:9. [PMID: 36624452 PMCID: PMC9827684 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03848-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which is often driven by acquired somatic mutations in BRAF genes, is the most common pathologic type of thyroid cancer. PTC has an excellent prognosis after treatment with conventional therapies such as surgical resection, thyroid hormone therapy and adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy. Unfortunately, about 20% of patients develop regional recurrence or distant metastasis, making targeted therapeutics an important treatment option. Current in vitro PTC models are limited in representing the cellular and mutational characteristics of parental tumors. A clinically relevant tool that predicts the efficacy of therapy for individuals is urgently needed. METHODS Surgically removed PTC tissue samples were dissociated, plated into Matrigel, and cultured to generate organoids. PTC organoids were subsequently subjected to histological analysis, DNA sequencing, and drug sensitivity assays, respectively. RESULTS We established 9 patient-derived PTC organoid models, 5 of which harbor BRAFV600E mutation. These organoids have been cultured stably for more than 3 months and closely recapitulated the histological architectures as well as mutational landscapes of the respective primary tumors. Drug sensitivity assays of PTC organoid cultures demonstrated the intra- and inter-patient specific drug responses. BRAFV600E inhibitors, vemurafenib and dabrafenib monotherapy was mildly effective in treating BRAFV600E-mutant PTC organoids. Nevertheless, BRAF inhibitors in combination with MEK inhibitors, RTK inhibitors, or chemotherapeutic agents demonstrated improved efficacy compared to BRAF inhibition alone. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that patient-derived PTC organoids may be a powerful research tool to investigate tumor biology and drug responsiveness, thus being useful to validate or discover targeted drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Chen
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Xi Su
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Lizhang Zhu
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Hao Jia
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Bin Han
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Haibo Chen
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Qingzhuang Liang
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Chenchen Hu
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Hao Yang
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Lisa Liu
- grid.264727.20000 0001 2248 3398Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Peng Li
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Wei Wei
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
| | - Yongsheng Zhao
- grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China ,grid.440601.70000 0004 1798 0578Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036 China
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12
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Tornesello ML, Tornesello AL, Starita N, Cerasuolo A, Izzo F, Buonaguro L, Buonaguro FM. Telomerase: a good target in hepatocellular carcinoma? An overview of relevant preclinical data. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2022; 26:767-780. [PMID: 36369706 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2022.2147062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Noemy Starita
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Cerasuolo
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Izzo
- Hepatobiliary Surgical Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale-IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Franco Maria Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
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13
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Danaeifar M. Recent advances in gene therapy: genetic bullets to the root of the problem. Clin Exp Med 2022:10.1007/s10238-022-00925-x. [PMID: 36284069 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00925-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Genetics and molecular genetic techniques have changed many perspectives and paradigms in medicine. Using genetic methods, many diseases have been cured or alleviated. Gene therapy, in its simplest definition, is application of genetic materials and related techniques to treat various human diseases. Evaluation of the trends in the field of medicine and therapeutics clarifies that gene therapy has attracted a lot of attention due to its powerful potential to treat a number of diseases. There are various genetic materials that can be used in gene therapy such as DNA, single- and double-stranded RNA, siRNA and shRNA. The main gene editing techniques used for in vitro and in vivo gene modification are ZNF, TALEN and CRISPR-Cas9. The latter has increased hopes for more precise and efficient gene targeting as it requires two separate recognition sites which makes it more specific and can also cause rapid and sufficient cleavage within the target sequence. There must be carriers for delivering genes to the target tissue. The most commonly used carriers for this purpose are viral vectors such as adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses and lentiviruses. Non-viral vectors consist of bacterial vectors, liposomes, dendrimers and nanoparticles.
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14
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Wolfe Z, Friedland JC, Ginn S, Blackham A, Demberger L, Horton M, McIntosh A, Sheikh H, Box J, Knoerzer D, Federowicz B, Stuhlmiller TJ, Shapiro M, Nair S. Case report: response to the ERK1/2 inhibitor ulixertinib in BRAF D594G cutaneous melanoma. Melanoma Res 2022; 32:295-298. [PMID: 35551160 PMCID: PMC9245552 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma is characterized by oncogenic mutations in pathways regulating cell growth, proliferation, and metabolism. Greater than 80% of primary melanoma cases harbor aberrant activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathway, with oncogenic mutations in BRAF, most notably BRAF V600E, being the most common. Significant progress has been made in BRAF-mutant melanoma using BRAF and MEK inhibitors; however, non-V600 BRAF mutations remain a challenge with limited treatment options. We report the case of an individual diagnosed with stage III BRAF D594G-mutant melanoma who experienced an extraordinary response to the ERK1/2 inhibitor ulixertinib as fourth-line therapy. Ulixertinib was obtained via an intermediate expanded access protocol with unique flexibility to permit both single-agent and combination treatments, dose adjustments, breaks in treatment to undergo surgery, and long-term preventive treatment following surgical resection offering this patient the potential for curative treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Wolfe
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Allentown, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Sarah Ginn
- xCures, Inc., Oakland, California, Departments of
| | | | - Lauren Demberger
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Allentown, Pennsylvania
| | - Morgan Horton
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Allentown, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Hina Sheikh
- Pathology, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Allentown, Pennsylvania
| | - Jessica Box
- BioMed Valley Discoveries, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | | | | | | | - Mark Shapiro
- xCures, Inc., Oakland, California, Departments of
| | - Suresh Nair
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Allentown, Pennsylvania
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15
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Zhang Y, Xing Z, Liu T, Tang M, Mi L, Zhu J, Wu W, Wei T. Targeted therapy and drug resistance in thyroid cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 238:114500. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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16
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TERT Promoter Mutations and Telomerase in Melanoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:6300329. [PMID: 35903534 PMCID: PMC9325578 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6300329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is an extremely malignant tumor with a high mortality rate and an increasing incidence with a high mutation load. The frequency of mutations in the TERT promoter exceeds the frequency of any known noncoding mutations in melanoma. A growing number of recent studies suggest that the most common mutations in the TERT promoter (ATG start site −124C>T and −146C>T) are associated with increased TERT mRNA expression, telomerase activity, telomere length, and poor prognosis. Recently, it has been shown that TERT promoter mutations are more correlated with the occurrence, development, invasion, and metastasis of melanoma, as well as emerging approaches such as the therapeutic potential of chemical inhibition of TERT promoter mutations, direct telomerase inhibitors, combined targeted therapy, and immunotherapies. In this review, we describe the latest advances in the role of TERT promoter mutations and telomerase in promoting the occurrence, development, and poor prognosis of melanoma and discuss the clinical significance of the TERT promoter and telomerase in the treatment of melanoma.
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17
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Soe MH, Chiang JM, Flavell RR, Khanafshar E, Mendoza L, Kang H, Liu C. Non-Iodine-Avid Disease Is Highly Prevalent in Distant Metastatic Differentiated Thyroid Cancer With Papillary Histology. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:e3206-e3216. [PMID: 35556126 PMCID: PMC9282362 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Patients with radioactive iodine (RAI) refractory metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have poor prognosis. Early identification of RAI refractoriness may improve care. OBJECTIVE This work aimed to characterize DTC patients with distant metastases (DM) at diagnosis who presented with non-iodine-avid disease. METHODS Retrospective analyses of DTC patients with DM at diagnosis who presented between 2012 and 2020 were performed. Iodine uptake in DM was correlated with tumor histology and mutational profile. The difference in uptake between BRAFV600E-like (BVL) and RAS-like (RL) cancers based on insights from The Cancer Genome Atlas was evaluated. RESULTS Among 78 patients, 48.7% had negative uptake in DM on the first posttherapy scan. Negative scans were highly prevalent in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with papillary architecture, PTC with BRAFV600E mutation, and PTC with both BRAFV600E and TERT promoter mutations (71.1%, 80.9%, and 100%, respectively). BVL and RL tumors exhibited distinct uptake patterns with negative scan prevalence of 76.9% and 14.3% (P = .005). Multivariate logistical regression confirmed high odds of negative uptake in BVL tumors with either BVL mutations or papillary architecture, 19.8 (95% CI, 2.72-144), and low odds of negative uptake in RL tumors with either RL mutations or follicular architecture, 0.048 (95% CI, 0.006-0.344), after adjusting for age, sex, race, RAI preparation method, bone metastases, and RAI dose. Patients with negative scans were significantly older (62.4 vs 47.0 years, P = .03). CONCLUSION Among DTC patients with DM at diagnosis, non-iodine-avid disease is highly prevalent in patients with BVL cancers, particularly with BRAFV600E and TERT promoter mutations, and is associated with an older age. Better strategies are needed to improve RAI treatment response for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert R Flavell
- Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics Clinical Section, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Elham Khanafshar
- Division of Cytopathology, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Laura Mendoza
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University, Henderson, Nevada 89014, USA
| | - Hyunseok Kang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Chienying Liu
- Correspondence: Chienying Liu, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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18
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Xing M. Response to Letter to the Editor From Boucai et al: "BRAF V600E Status Sharply Differentiates Lymph Node Metastasis-associated Mortality Risk in Papillary Thyroid Cancer". J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:e3103-e3104. [PMID: 35262688 PMCID: PMC9202685 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhao Xing
- Correspondence: Mingzhao Xing, MD, PhD, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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Mu Y, Song F, Yuan K, Zhang Z, Lu Y, Fu R, Zhou D. A Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Stratification Model of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Based on the Autophagy-Related LncRNAs. Front Oncol 2022; 11:771556. [PMID: 35284335 PMCID: PMC8908373 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.771556] [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: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the most common malignant carcinomas in the endocrine system, and it has a growing incidence worldwide. Despite the development of diagnosis and treatment modalities for thyroid carcinoma, the outcome remains uncertain. Autophagy participates in the process of cancer invasion, malignancy, metastasis, and drug resistance. Emerging research has shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the process of different types of cancers. However, the interaction between the process of autophagy and lncRNA and the value of autophagy-related lncRNA for risk assessment, prediction of drug sensitivity, and prognosis prediction in PTC patients remains unknown. Materials and Methods We screened 1,283 autophagy-related lncRNAs and identified 144 lncRNAs with prognostic value in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohorts. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to establish the prognosis-related autophagy-related lncRNA risk classification consisting of 10 lncRNAs to indicate the level of risk, according to which the patients were grouped into high-risk group and low risk-group. Results The high-risk group had dramatically worse overall survival compared with the low-risk group. Cox regression analysis was performed to confirm the independent prognostic value of the autophagy-related lncRNA risk stratification, and the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves of the risk stratification were 0.981 (1 year), 0.906 (3 years), and 0.963 (5 years). LncRNA CRNDE (LINC00180) is overexpressed in the tumor, and its high expression matched with poorer survival state. So, we chose it for further experiment. Finally, knockdown of the CRNDE in PTC increased the sensitivity to sorafenib. Conclusion Collectively, we successfully established a novel risk stratification for PTC based on the expression profiles of autophagy-related lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrun Mu
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery Department, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Fuling Song
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Kai Yuan
- Department of Thyroid Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Zili Zhang
- The Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Department of Thyroid Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China.,Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Rongzhan Fu
- Department of Thyroid Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Dongsheng Zhou
- Department of Thyroid Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
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20
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Thielmann CM, Matull J, Zaremba A, Murali R, Chorti E, Lodde G, Jansen P, Herbst R, Terheyden P, Utikal J, Pföhler C, Ulrich J, Kreuter A, Mohr P, Gutzmer R, Meier F, Dippel E, Weichenthal M, Kretz J, Möller I, Sucker A, Paschen A, Livingstone E, Zimmer L, Hadaschik E, Ugurel S, Schadendorf D, Griewank KG. TERT promoter mutations are associated with longer progression-free and overall survival in patients with BRAF-mutant melanoma receiving BRAF and MEK inhibitor therapy. Eur J Cancer 2022; 161:99-107. [PMID: 34936949 PMCID: PMC9431961 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Around 50% of cutaneous melanomas harbour therapeutically targetable BRAF V600 mutations. Reliable clinical biomarkers predicting duration of response to BRAF-targeted therapies are still lacking. Recent in vitro studies demonstrated that BRAF-MEK inhibitor therapy response is associated with tumour TERT promoter mutation status. We assessed this potential association in a clinical setting. METHODS The study cohort comprised 232 patients with metastatic or unresectable BRAF V600-mutated melanoma receiving combined BRAF/MEK inhibitor treatment, including a single-centre retrospective discovery cohort (N = 120) and a prospectively collected multicenter validation cohort (N = 112). Patients were excluded if they received BRAF or MEK inhibitors in an adjuvant setting, as monotherapy, or in combination with immunotherapy. Kaplan-Meier and univariate/multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed as appropriate. RESULTS median age at first diagnosis was 54 years (range 16-84 years). The majority of patients were men 147/232 (63.4%). Most tumours harboured TERT promoter mutations (72%, N = 167). A survival advantage was observed in both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with TERT promoter-mutant versus wild-type tumours in both the discovery cohort (mPFS of 9.6 months [N = 87] vs 5.0 months [N = 33]; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.56 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.33-0.96] and mOS of 33.6 months vs 15.0 months; HR = 0.47 [95%CI 0.32-0.70]) as well as the validation cohort (mPFS of 7.3 months [N = 80] vs 5.8 months [N = 32]; HR = 0.67 [95%CI 0.41-1.10] and mOS of 51.1 months vs 15.0 months; HR = 0.33 [95%CI 0.18-0.63]). In the pooled cohort of TERT promoter-mutant (N = 167) versus wild-type (N = 65) tumours, respectively, PFS was 8.9 versus 5.5 months, (HR = 0.62; 95%CI 0.45-0.87; P = 0.004), and OS was 33.6 versus 17.0 months, (HR = 0.51; 95%CI 0.35-0.75, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS In patients with melanoma receiving BRAF/MEK-targeted therapies, TERT promoter mutations are associated with longer survival. If validated in larger studies, TERT promoter mutation status should be included as a predictive biomarker in treatment algorithms for advanced melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl M. Thielmann
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Johanna Matull
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Anne Zaremba
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Rajmohan Murali
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - Eleftheria Chorti
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Georg Lodde
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Philipp Jansen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Rudolf Herbst
- Skin Cancer Unit, Helios Klinikum Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Utikal
- Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg and Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Pföhler
- Department of Dermatology, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Jens Ulrich
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Harzklinikum Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Kreuter
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, HELIOS St. Elisabeth Klinik Oberhausen, University Witten/Herdecke, Oberhausen, Germany
| | - Peter Mohr
- Dermatological Center Buxtehude, Elbe Kliniken Buxtehude, Buxtehude, Germany
| | - Ralf Gutzmer
- Skin Cancer Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany and Department of Dermatology, Mühlenkreiskliniken Minden, Minden, Germany
| | - Friedegund Meier
- Department of Dermatology, Dermatooncology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden Germany
| | - Edgar Dippel
- Department of Dermatology Ludwigshafen, Klinikum der Stadt Ludwigshafen am Rhein gGmbH, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Michael Weichenthal
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Julia Kretz
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Inga Möller
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Antje Sucker
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Livingstone
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Lisa Zimmer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Eva Hadaschik
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Selma Ugurel
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Dirk Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
| | - Klaus G. Griewank
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany & German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, Germany
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21
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Ganini C, Amelio I, Bertolo R, Bove P, Buonomo OC, Candi E, Cipriani C, Di Daniele N, Juhl H, Mauriello A, Marani C, Marshall J, Melino S, Marchetti P, Montanaro M, Natale ME, Novelli F, Palmieri G, Piacentini M, Rendina EA, Roselli M, Sica G, Tesauro M, Rovella V, Tisone G, Shi Y, Wang Y, Melino G. Global mapping of cancers: The Cancer Genome Atlas and beyond. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:2823-2840. [PMID: 34245122 PMCID: PMC8564642 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer genomes have been explored from the early 2000s through massive exome sequencing efforts, leading to the publication of The Cancer Genome Atlas in 2013. Sequencing techniques have been developed alongside this project and have allowed scientists to bypass the limitation of costs for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of single specimens by developing more accurate and extensive cancer sequencing projects, such as deep sequencing of whole genomes and transcriptomic analysis. The Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes recently published WGS data from more than 2600 human cancers together with almost 1200 related transcriptomes. The application of WGS on a large database allowed, for the first time in history, a global analysis of features such as molecular signatures, large structural variations and noncoding regions of the genome, as well as the evaluation of RNA alterations in the absence of underlying DNA mutations. The vast amount of data generated still needs to be thoroughly deciphered, and the advent of machine-learning approaches will be the next step towards the generation of personalized approaches for cancer medicine. The present manuscript wants to give a broad perspective on some of the biological evidence derived from the largest sequencing attempts on human cancers so far, discussing advantages and limitations of this approach and its power in the era of machine learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Ganini
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- IDI‐IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Ivano Amelio
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Riccardo Bertolo
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- San Carlo di Nancy HospitalRomeItaly
| | - Pierluigi Bove
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- San Carlo di Nancy HospitalRomeItaly
| | - Oreste Claudio Buonomo
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Eleonora Candi
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- IDI‐IRCCSRomeItaly
| | - Chiara Cipriani
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- San Carlo di Nancy HospitalRomeItaly
| | - Nicola Di Daniele
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | | | - Alessandro Mauriello
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Carla Marani
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- San Carlo di Nancy HospitalRomeItaly
| | - John Marshall
- Medstar Georgetown University HospitalGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Sonia Melino
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | | | - Manuela Montanaro
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Maria Emanuela Natale
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- San Carlo di Nancy HospitalRomeItaly
| | - Flavia Novelli
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Giampiero Palmieri
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Mauro Piacentini
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | | | - Mario Roselli
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Giuseppe Sica
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Manfredi Tesauro
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Valentina Rovella
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Giuseppe Tisone
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
| | - Yufang Shi
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and TumorShanghai Institute of Nutrition and HealthShanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and ProtectionInstitutes for Translational MedicineSoochow UniversityChina
| | - Ying Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and TumorShanghai Institute of Nutrition and HealthShanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Gerry Melino
- Department of Experimental MedicineTorvergata Oncoscience Research Centre of Excellence, TORUniversity of Rome Tor VergataItaly
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22
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Ratajczak M, Gaweł D, Godlewska M. Novel Inhibitor-Based Therapies for Thyroid Cancer-An Update. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11829. [PMID: 34769260 PMCID: PMC8584403 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancers (TCs) are the most common tumors of the endocrine system and a constant rise in the number of TC cases has been observed for the past few decades. TCs are one of the most frequent tumors in younger adults, especially in women, therefore early diagnosis and effective therapy are especially important. Ultrasonography examination followed by fine needle biopsy have become the gold standard for diagnosis of TCs, as these strategies allow for early-stage detection and aid accurate qualification for further procedures, including surgical treatment. Despite all the advancements in detection and treatment of TCs, constant mortality levels are still observed. Therefore, a novel generation line of targeted treatment strategies is being developed, including personalized therapies with kinase inhibitors. Recent molecular studies on TCs demonstrate that kinase inhibitor-based therapies might be considered as the most promising. In the past decade, new kinase inhibitors with different mechanisms of action have been reported and approved for clinical trials. This review presents an up-to-date picture of new approaches and challenges of inhibitor-based therapies in treatment of TCs, focusing on the latest findings reported over the past two years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Ratajczak
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Endocrinology, Marymoncka 99/103, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Damian Gaweł
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Immunohematology, Marymoncka 99/103, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Marymoncka 99/103, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marlena Godlewska
- Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Marymoncka 99/103, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland
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23
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Clinical Significance of Telomerase Reverse-Transcriptase Promoter Mutations in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13153771. [PMID: 34359670 PMCID: PMC8345216 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Activating mutations in the promoter region of TERT (TERTp) gene are frequently observed in low- and high-grade dysplastic nodules and defined as early events in hepatocellular carcinoma development. This study shows that the nucleotide change G>A at position −124 in the TERTp region is very common in hepatocellular carcinoma. The concordance rate between droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) (63.6%) and Sanger sequencing (52.1%) detection methods is good (83.5%). HCC patients carrying the TERTp mutation had lower levels of the tumour biomarker Ca19-9 but showed reduced survival. The presence of TERTp mutations may represent a prognostic signature in liver cancer. Abstract Telomerase reactivation during hepatocarcinogenesis is recurrently caused by two point mutations occurring most frequently at the nucleotide −124 (95%) and occasionally at the nucleotide −146 (<5%) upstream of the TERT translational start site in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we designed a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay to detect TERT promoter (TERTp) nucleotide change G>A at position −124 and to quantify the mutant allele frequency (MAF) in 121 primary liver cancers, including 114 HCC along with 23 autologous cirrhotic tissues, five cholangiocarcinoma (CC), and two hepato-cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC). All cases were evaluated for tumour markers such as α-fetoprotein (AFP), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). We compared the sensitivity of ddPCR and Sanger sequencing and investigated the prognostic relevance of TERTp mutations. The TERTp G>A transition was identified in 63.6% and 52.1% of HCC samples by ddPCR and Sanger sequencing, respectively. One out of 23 (4.3%) peri-tumour tissues tested positive only by ddPCR. One out of five CC (20%) and none of the HCC-CC were found concordantly mutated by the two methods. The TERTp MAF ranged from 2% to 66%, and the large majority (85.5%) of mutated samples showed a value above 20%. A statistically significant correlation was found between TERTp mutation and tumour size (p = 0.048), while an inverse correlation was observed with CA19-9 levels (p = 0.0105). Moreover, HCC patients with TERTp −124A had reduced survival. In conclusion, the single nucleotide variation G>A at position −124 in TERTp, detected either by ddPCR or by Sanger sequencing, showed a remarkable high frequency in HCC. Such mutation is associated with lower levels of CA19-9 and reduced survival in HCC patients suggesting that the TERTp status may represent a distinct signature of liver cancer subgroups.
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24
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Rachakonda S, Hoheisel JD, Kumar R. Occurrence, functionality and abundance of the TERT promoter mutations. Int J Cancer 2021; 149:1852-1862. [PMID: 34313327 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Telomere shortening at chromosomal ends due to the constraints of the DNA replication process acts as a tumor suppressor by restricting the replicative potential in primary cells. Cancers evade that limitation primarily through the reactivation of telomerase via different mechanisms. Mutations within the promoter of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene represent a definite mechanism for the ribonucleic enzyme regeneration predominantly in cancers that arise from tissues with low rates of self-renewal. The promoter mutations cause a moderate increase in TERT transcription and consequent telomerase upregulation to the levels sufficient to delay replicative senescence but not prevent bulk telomere shortening and genomic instability. Since the discovery, a staggering number of studies have resolved the discrete aspects, effects and clinical relevance of the TERT promoter mutations. The promoter mutations link transcription of TERT with oncogenic pathways, associate with markers of poor outcome and define patients with reduced survivals in several cancers. In this review, we discuss the occurrence and impact of the promoter mutations and highlight the mechanism of TERT activation. We further deliberate on the foundational question of the abundance of the TERT promoter mutations and a general dearth of functional mutations within noncoding sequences, as evident from pan-cancer analysis of the whole-genomes. We posit that the favorable genomic constellation within the TERT promoter may be less than a common occurrence in other noncoding functional elements. Besides, the evolutionary constraints limit the functional fraction within the human genome, hence the lack of abundant mutations outside the coding sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jörg D Hoheisel
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rajiv Kumar
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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25
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Lin YS, Zhang X, Wang C, Liu YQ, Guan WM, Liang J. Long-Term Results of a Phase II Trial of Apatinib for Progressive Radioiodine Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021; 106:e3027-e3036. [PMID: 33769497 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC) has been a global challenge due to its poor prognosis and limited treatment options. OBJECTIVE We report here the long-term results of the phase II clinical trial of apatinib, an anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for RAIR-DTC. METHODS This was an open-label, exploratory phase II clinical trial among progressive RAIR-DTC patients. Apatinib treatment was given once daily until disease progression, unmanageable toxicity, withdrawal, or death. The primary end points were objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), duration of response, long-term safety, and the association between patients with different tumor genotype (BRAFV600E and TERT promotor mutation) and their PFS rates were also assessed. RESULTS The ORR was 80%, and the DCR was 95%. The overall median PFS was 18.4 months (95% CI, 9.2-36.8 months) and the median OS was 51.6 months (95% CI, 29.2-not reached [NR]). Patients with BRAFV600E mutation (10 of 18 evaluated) had a longer median PFS compared with patients with BRAF wild-type (NR vs 9.2 months; P = 0.002). The most common adverse events included palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (19/20), proteinuria (18/20), and hypertension (16/20). CONCLUSION In this long-term evaluation, apatinib displayed sustainable efficacy and tolerable safety profile, warranting it as a promising treatment option for progressive RAIR-DTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Song Lin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & PUMC, 100730, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy in Nuclear Medicine, 100730, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & PUMC, 100730, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy in Nuclear Medicine, 100730, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & PUMC, 100730, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy in Nuclear Medicine, 100730, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Qing Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & PUMC, 100730, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy in Nuclear Medicine, 100730, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Min Guan
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) Hospital, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & PUMC, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Jun Liang
- Department of Oncology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, 102206, China
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26
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Poorly Differentiated and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: Insights into Genomics, Microenvironment and New Drugs. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133200. [PMID: 34206867 PMCID: PMC8267688 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In the last decades, many researchers produced promising data concerning genetics and tumor microenvironment of poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). They are trying to tear the veil covering these orphan cancers, suggesting new therapeutic weapons as single or combined therapies. Abstract PDTC and ATC present median overall survival of 6 years and 6 months, respectively. In spite of their rarity, patients with PDTC and ATC represent a significant clinical problem, because of their poor survival and the substantial inefficacy of classical therapies. We reviewed the newest findings about genetic features of PDTC and ATC, from mutations occurring in DNA to alterations in RNA. Therefore, we describe their tumor microenvironments (both immune and not-immune) and the interactions between tumor and neighboring cells. Finally, we recapitulate how this upcoming evidence are changing the treatment of PDTC and ATC.
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27
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Therapeutic targeting of FOS in mutant TERT cancers through removing TERT suppression of apoptosis via regulating survivin and TRAIL-R2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022779118. [PMID: 33836600 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022779118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) has long been pursued as a direct therapeutic target in human cancer, which is currently hindered by the lack of effective specific inhibitors of TERT. The FOS/GABPB/(mutant) TERT cascade plays a critical role in the regulation of mutant TERT, in which FOS acts as a transcriptional factor for GABPB to up-regulate the expression of GABPB, which in turn activates mutant but not wild-type TERT promoter, driving TERT-promoted oncogenesis. In the present study, we demonstrated that inhibiting this cascade by targeting FOS using FOS inhibitor T-5224 suppressed mutant TERT cancer cells and tumors by inducing robust cell apoptosis; these did not occur in wild-type TERT cells and tumors. Mechanistically, among 35 apoptotic cascade-related proteins tested, the apoptosis induced in this process specifically involved the transcriptional activation of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2) and inactivation of survivin, two key players in the apoptotic cascade, which normally initiate and suppress the apoptotic cascade, respectively. These findings with suppression of FOS were reproduced by direct knockdown of TERT and prevented by prior knockdown of TRAIL-R2. Further experiments demonstrated that TERT acted as a direct transcriptional factor of survivin, up-regulating its expression. Thus, this study identifies a therapeutic strategy for TERT promoter mutation-driven cancers by targeting FOS in the FOS/GABPB/(mutant) TERT cascade, circumventing the current challenge in pharmacologically directly targeting TERT itself. This study also uncovers a mechanism through which TERT controls cell apoptosis by transcriptionally regulating two key players in the apoptotic cascade.
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28
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Sheen YS, Chu CY. Co-occurrence of TERT promotor mutations with BRAF or NRAS alterations correlates with worse prognosis in melanoma. Br J Dermatol 2021; 184:390-391. [PMID: 33448329 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.19416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y-S Sheen
- Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - C-Y Chu
- Department of Dermatology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
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29
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Yuan X, Liu T, Xu D. Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations in thyroid carcinomas: implications in precision oncology-a narrative review. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1244. [PMID: 33178776 PMCID: PMC7607115 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-5024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) as a catalytic component. In normal human follicular thyroid cells or thyrocytes, telomerase is silent due to the TERT gene being tightly repressed. However, during the formation of thyroid carcinoma (TC), telomerase becomes activated via TERT induction. The TERT promoter’s gain-of-function mutation has recently been identified in TCs and many other malignancies. The mutation creates a de novo ETS-binding motif through which TERT transcription is de-repressed and telomerase is activated; through this, the mutant TERT promoter promotes the development of TC, contributes to disease aggressiveness and treatment resistance, and thereby leads to poor patient outcomes. From a clinical point of view, the strong association between the TERT promoter mutation and disease malignancy and aggressiveness holds great promise for its value in TC diagnostics, risk stratification, prognostication, treatment decision, and follow-up design. In the present review article, we summarize the recent findings of studies of TERT promoter mutations in TC and underscore the implications of TERT hyperactivity driven by genetic events in the pathogenesis and management of TC. Finally, the targeting of TERT promoter mutations and the disruption of telomere maintenance are considered as potential therapeutic strategies against TC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Yuan
- School of Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Solna, Sweden
| | - Tiantian Liu
- School of Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Bioclinicum and Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM), Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Solna, Sweden.,Karolinska Institute-Shandong University Collaborative Laboratory for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Jinan, China
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30
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Reverse transcriptase inhibition potentiates target therapy in BRAF-mutant melanomas: effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, DNA-damage, ROS induction and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Cell Commun Signal 2020; 18:150. [PMID: 32933538 PMCID: PMC7493390 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-020-00633-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Target therapies based on BRAF and MEK inhibitors (MAPKi) have changed the therapeutic landscape for metastatic melanoma patients bearing mutations in the BRAF kinase. However, the emergence of drug resistance imposes the necessity to conceive novel therapeutic strategies capable to achieve a more durable disease control. In the last years, retrotransposons laying in human genome have been shown to undergo activation during tumorigenesis, where they contribute to genomic instability. Their activation can be efficiently controlled with reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) frequently used in the treatment of AIDS. These drugs have demonstrated anti-proliferative effects in several cancer models, including also metastatic melanoma. However, to our knowledge no previous study investigated the capability of RTIs to mitigate drug resistance to target therapy in BRAF-mutant melanomas. In this short report we show that the non-nucleoside RTI, SPV122 in combination with MAPKi strongly inhibits BRAF-mutant melanoma cell growth, induces apoptosis, and delays the emergence of resistance to target therapy in vitro. Mechanistically, this combination strongly induces DNA double-strand breaks, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and increased ROS levels. Our results shed further light on the molecular activity of RTI in melanoma and pave the way to their use as a novel therapeutic option to improve the efficacy of target therapy. Video Abstract
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