1
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Weiss A, D'Amata C, Pearson BJ, Hayes MN. A syngeneic spontaneous zebrafish model of tp53-deficient, EGFR vIII, and PI3KCA H1047R-driven glioblastoma reveals inhibitory roles for inflammation during tumor initiation and relapse in vivo. eLife 2024; 13:RP93077. [PMID: 39052000 PMCID: PMC11272161 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
High-throughput vertebrate animal model systems for the study of patient-specific biology and new therapeutic approaches for aggressive brain tumors are currently lacking, and new approaches are urgently needed. Therefore, to build a patient-relevant in vivo model of human glioblastoma, we expressed common oncogenic variants including activated human EGFRvIII and PI3KCAH1047R under the control of the radial glial-specific promoter her4.1 in syngeneic tp53 loss-of-function mutant zebrafish. Robust tumor formation was observed prior to 45 days of life, and tumors had a gene expression signature similar to human glioblastoma of the mesenchymal subtype, with a strong inflammatory component. Within early stage tumor lesions, and in an in vivo and endogenous tumor microenvironment, we visualized infiltration of phagocytic cells, as well as internalization of tumor cells by mpeg1.1:EGFP+ microglia/macrophages, suggesting negative regulatory pressure by pro-inflammatory cell types on tumor growth at early stages of glioblastoma initiation. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting of master inflammatory transcription factors irf7 or irf8 led to increased tumor formation in the primary context, while suppression of phagocyte activity led to enhanced tumor cell engraftment following transplantation into otherwise immune-competent zebrafish hosts. Altogether, we developed a genetically relevant model of aggressive human glioblastoma and harnessed the unique advantages of zebrafish including live imaging, high-throughput genetic and chemical manipulations to highlight important tumor-suppressive roles for the innate immune system on glioblastoma initiation, with important future opportunities for therapeutic discovery and optimizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Weiss
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
| | - Cassandra D'Amata
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
| | - Bret J Pearson
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Papé Research Institute, Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandUnited States
| | - Madeline N Hayes
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
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2
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Robertson R, Li S, Filippelli RL, Chang NC. Muscle stem cell dysfunction in rhabdomyosarcoma and muscular dystrophy. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 158:83-121. [PMID: 38670717 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.019] [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] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are crucial to the repair and homeostasis of mature skeletal muscle. MuSC dysfunction and dysregulation of the myogenic program can contribute to the development of pathology ranging from cancers like rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) or muscle degenerative diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Both diseases exhibit dysregulation at nearly all steps of myogenesis. For instance, MuSC self-renewal processes are altered. In RMS, this leads to the creation of tumor propagating cells. In DMD, impaired asymmetric stem cell division creates a bias towards producing self-renewing stem cells instead of committing to differentiation. Hyperproliferation of these cells contribute to tumorigenesis in RMS and symmetric expansion of the self-renewing MuSC population in DMD. Both diseases also exhibit a repression of factors involved in terminal differentiation, halting RMS cells in the proliferative stage and thus driving tumor growth. Conversely, the MuSCs in DMD exhibit impaired differentiation and fuse prematurely, affecting myonuclei maturation and the integrity of the dystrophic muscle fiber. Finally, both disease states cause alterations to the MuSC niche. Various elements of the niche such as inflammatory and migratory signaling that impact MuSC behavior are dysregulated. Here we show how these seemingly distantly related diseases indeed have similarities in MuSC dysfunction, underlying the importance of considering MuSCs when studying the pathophysiology of muscle diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Robertson
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Shulei Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Romina L Filippelli
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Natasha C Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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3
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Kent MR, Silvius K, Kucinski J, Calderon D, Kendall GC. Functional Genomics of Novel Rhabdomyosarcoma Fusion-Oncogenes Using Zebrafish. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2707:23-41. [PMID: 37668903 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3401-1_2] [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] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical sequencing efforts continue to identify novel putative oncogenes with limited strategies to perform functional validation in vivo and study their role in tumorigenesis. Here, we present a pipeline for fusion-driven rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in vivo modeling using transgenic zebrafish systems. This strategy originates with novel fusion-oncogenes identified from patient samples that require functional validation in vertebrate systems, integrating these genes into the zebrafish genome, and then characterizing that they indeed drive rhabdomyosarcoma tumor formation. In this scenario, the human form of the fusion-oncogene is inserted into the zebrafish genome to understand if it is an oncogene, and if so, the underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis. This approach has been successful in our models of infantile rhabdomyosarcoma and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, both driven by respective fusion-oncogenes, VGLL2-NCOA2 and PAX3-FOXO1. Our described zebrafish platform is a rapid method to understand the impact of fusion-oncogene activity, divergent and shared fusion-oncogene biology, and whether any analyzed pathways converge for potential clinically actionable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Kent
- Center for Childhood Cancer & Blood Diseases, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Katherine Silvius
- Center for Childhood Cancer & Blood Diseases, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jack Kucinski
- Center for Childhood Cancer & Blood Diseases, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Ph.D. Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Delia Calderon
- Center for Childhood Cancer & Blood Diseases, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Ph.D. Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Genevieve C Kendall
- Center for Childhood Cancer & Blood Diseases, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
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4
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Resseguier J, Nguyen-Chi M, Wohlmann J, Rigaudeau D, Salinas I, Oehlers SH, Wiegertjes GF, Johansen FE, Qiao SW, Koppang EO, Verrier B, Boudinot P, Griffiths G. Identification of a pharyngeal mucosal lymphoid organ in zebrafish and other teleosts: Tonsils in fish? SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj0101. [PMID: 37910624 PMCID: PMC10619939 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The constant exposure of the fish branchial cavity to aquatic pathogens causes local mucosal immune responses to be extremely important for their survival. Here, we used a marker for T lymphocytes/natural killer (NK) cells (ZAP70) and advanced imaging techniques to investigate the lymphoid architecture of the zebrafish branchial cavity. We identified a sub-pharyngeal lymphoid organ, which we tentatively named "Nemausean lymphoid organ" (NELO). NELO is enriched in T/NK cells, plasma/B cells, and antigen-presenting cells embedded in a network of reticulated epithelial cells. The presence of activated T cells and lymphocyte proliferation, but not V(D)J recombination or hematopoiesis, suggests that NELO is a secondary lymphoid organ. In response to infection, NELO displays structural changes including the formation of T/NK cell clusters. NELO and gill lymphoid tissues form a cohesive unit within a large mucosal lymphoid network. Collectively, we reveal an unreported mucosal lymphoid organ reminiscent of mammalian tonsils that evolved in multiple teleost fish families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Resseguier
- Section for Physiology and Cell Biology, Departments of Biosciences and Immunology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mai Nguyen-Chi
- LPHI, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jens Wohlmann
- Electron-Microscopy laboratory, Departments of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Irene Salinas
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology (CETI), Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Stefan H. Oehlers
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos #05-13, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Geert F. Wiegertjes
- Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Finn-Eirik Johansen
- Section for Physiology and Cell Biology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Shuo-Wang Qiao
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erling O. Koppang
- Unit of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Bernard Verrier
- Laboratory of Tissue Biology and Therapeutic Engineering, UMR 5305, IBCP, CNRS, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre Boudinot
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Gareth Griffiths
- Section for Physiology and Cell Biology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Chen J, Baxi K, Lipsitt AE, Hensch NR, Wang L, Sreenivas P, Modi P, Zhao XR, Baudin A, Robledo DG, Bandyopadhyay A, Sugalski A, Challa AK, Kurmashev D, Gilbert AR, Tomlinson GE, Houghton P, Chen Y, Hayes MN, Chen EY, Libich DS, Ignatius MS. Defining function of wild-type and three patient-specific TP53 mutations in a zebrafish model of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. eLife 2023; 12:e68221. [PMID: 37266578 PMCID: PMC10322150 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) and generally in sarcomas, the role of wild-type and loss- or gain-of-function TP53 mutations remains largely undefined. Eliminating mutant or restoring wild-type p53 is challenging; nevertheless, understanding p53 variant effects on tumorigenesis remains central to realizing better treatment outcomes. In ERMS, >70% of patients retain wild-type TP53, yet mutations when present are associated with worse prognosis. Employing a kRASG12D-driven ERMS tumor model and tp53 null (tp53-/-) zebrafish, we define wild-type and patient-specific TP53 mutant effects on tumorigenesis. We demonstrate that tp53 is a major suppressor of tumorigenesis, where tp53 loss expands tumor initiation from <35% to >97% of animals. Characterizing three patient-specific alleles reveals that TP53C176F partially retains wild-type p53 apoptotic activity that can be exploited, whereas TP53P153Δ and TP53Y220C encode two structurally related proteins with gain-of-function effects that predispose to head musculature ERMS. TP53P153Δ unexpectedly also predisposes to hedgehog-expressing medulloblastomas in the kRASG12D-driven ERMS-model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangfei Chen
- Institute of Environmental Safety and Human Health, Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Kunal Baxi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Amanda E Lipsitt
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Nicole Rae Hensch
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Long Wang
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Prethish Sreenivas
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Paulomi Modi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Xiang Ru Zhao
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Antoine Baudin
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Daniel G Robledo
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Abhik Bandyopadhyay
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Aaron Sugalski
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Anil K Challa
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamUnited States
| | - Dias Kurmashev
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Andrea R Gilbert
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Gail E Tomlinson
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology Oncology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Peter Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Yidong Chen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Madeline N Hayes
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoCanada
| | - Eleanor Y Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - David S Libich
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - Myron S Ignatius
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioUnited States
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6
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Patel P, Nandi A, Verma SK, Kaushik N, Suar M, Choi EH, Kaushik NK. Zebrafish-based platform for emerging bio-contaminants and virus inactivation research. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162197. [PMID: 36781138 PMCID: PMC9922160 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Emerging bio-contaminants such as viruses have affected health and environment settings of every country. Viruses are the minuscule entities resulting in severe contagious diseases like SARS, MERS, Ebola, and avian influenza. Recent epidemic like the SARS-CoV-2, the virus has undergone mutations strengthen them and allowing to escape from the remedies. Comprehensive knowledge of viruses is essential for the development of targeted therapeutic and vaccination treatments. Animal models mimicking human biology like non-human primates, rats, mice, and rabbits offer competitive advantage to assess risk of viral infections, chemical toxins, nanoparticles, and microbes. However, their economic maintenance has always been an issue. Furthermore, the redundancy of experimental results due to aforementioned aspects is also in examine. Hence, exploration for the alternative animal models is crucial for risk assessments. The current review examines zebrafish traits and explores the possibilities to monitor emerging bio-contaminants. Additionally, a comprehensive picture of the bio contaminant and virus particle invasion and abatement mechanisms in zebrafish and human cells is presented. Moreover, a zebrafish model to investigate the emerging viruses such as coronaviridae and poxviridae has been suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paritosh Patel
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, 01897 Seoul, South Korea
| | - Aditya Nandi
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Suresh K Verma
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India; Condensed Matter Theory Group, Materials Theory Division, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Neha Kaushik
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, The University of Suwon, 18323 Hwaseong, Republic of Korea
| | - Mrutyunjay Suar
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Eun Ha Choi
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, 01897 Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Nagendra Kumar Kaushik
- Plasma Bioscience Research Center, Department of Electrical and Biological Physics, Kwangwoon University, 01897 Seoul, South Korea.
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7
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Adhish M, Manjubala I. Effectiveness of zebrafish models in understanding human diseases-A review of models. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14557. [PMID: 36950605 PMCID: PMC10025926 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the detailed mechanism behind every human disease, disorder, defect, and deficiency is a daunting task concerning the clinical diagnostic tools for patients. Hence, a closely resembling living or simulated model is of paramount interest for the development and testing of a probable novel drug for rectifying the conditions pertaining to the various ailments. The animal model that can be easily genetically manipulated to suit the study of the therapeutic motive is an indispensable asset and within the last few decades, the zebrafish models have proven their effectiveness by becoming such potent human disease models with their use being extended to various avenues of research to understand the underlying mechanisms of the diseases. As zebrafish are explored as model animals in understanding the molecular basis and genetics of many diseases owing to the 70% genetic homology between the human and zebrafish genes; new and fascinating facts about the diseases are being surfaced, establishing it as a very powerful tool for upcoming research. These prospective research areas can be explored in the near future using zebrafish as a model. In this review, the effectiveness of the zebrafish as an animal model against several human diseases such as osteoporosis, atrial fibrillation, Noonan syndrome, leukemia, autism spectrum disorders, etc. has been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazumder Adhish
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632 014, India
| | - I. Manjubala
- School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632 014, India
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8
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Danielli SG, Porpiglia E, De Micheli AJ, Navarro N, Zellinger MJ, Bechtold I, Kisele S, Volken L, Marques JG, Kasper S, Bode PK, Henssen AG, Gürgen D, Delattre O, Surdez D, Roma J, Bühlmann P, Blau HM, Wachtel M, Schäfer BW. Single-cell profiling of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma reveals RAS pathway inhibitors as cell-fate hijackers with therapeutic relevance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade9238. [PMID: 36753540 PMCID: PMC9908029 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade9238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a group of pediatric cancers with features of developing skeletal muscle. The cellular hierarchy and mechanisms leading to developmental arrest remain elusive. Here, we combined single-cell RNA sequencing, mass cytometry, and high-content imaging to resolve intratumoral heterogeneity of patient-derived primary RMS cultures. We show that the aggressive alveolar RMS (aRMS) subtype contains plastic muscle stem-like cells and cycling progenitors that drive tumor growth, and a subpopulation of differentiated cells that lost its proliferative potential and correlates with better outcomes. While chemotherapy eliminates cycling progenitors, it enriches aRMS for muscle stem-like cells. We screened for drugs hijacking aRMS toward clinically favorable subpopulations and identified a combination of RAF and MEK inhibitors that potently induces myogenic differentiation and inhibits tumor growth. Overall, our work provides insights into the developmental states underlying aRMS aggressiveness, chemoresistance, and progression and identifies the RAS pathway as a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara G. Danielli
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Ermelinda Porpiglia
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
- Corresponding author. (B.W.S.); (M.W.); (E.P.)
| | - Andrea J. De Micheli
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Navarro
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | | | - Ingrid Bechtold
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Samanta Kisele
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Larissa Volken
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Joana G. Marques
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Kasper
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Peter K. Bode
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anton G. Henssen
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Dennis Gürgen
- EPO Experimental Pharmacology and Oncology Berlin-Buch GmbH Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris 75005, France
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Laboratory, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris 75005, France
- Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Josep Roma
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - Peter Bühlmann
- Seminar for Statistics, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Helen M. Blau
- Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (B.W.S.); (M.W.); (E.P.)
| | - Beat W. Schäfer
- Department of Oncology and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital of Zurich, Zürich 8032, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (B.W.S.); (M.W.); (E.P.)
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9
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Nohira N, Shinji S, Nakamura S, Nihashi Y, Shimosato T, Takaya T. Myogenetic Oligodeoxynucleotides as Anti-Nucleolin Aptamers Inhibit the Growth of Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2691. [PMID: 36359210 PMCID: PMC9687923 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is the muscle-derived tumor retaining myogenic ability. iSN04 and AS1411, which are myogenetic oligodeoxynucleotides (myoDNs) serving as anti-nucleolin aptamers, have been reported to inhibit the proliferation and induce the differentiation of myoblasts. The present study investigated the effects of iSN04 and AS1411 in vitro on the growth of multiple patient-derived ERMS cell lines, ERMS1, KYM1, and RD. RT-PCR and immunostaining revealed that nucleolin was abundantly expressed and localized in nucleoplasm and nucleoli in all ERMS cell lines, similar to myoblasts. Both iSN04 and AS1411 at final concentrations of 10-30 μM significantly decreased the number of all ERMS cells; however, their optimal conditions were different among the cell lines. In all ERMS cell lines, iSN04 at a final concentration of 10 μM markedly reduced the ratio of EdU+ cells, indicating the inhibition of cell proliferation. Quantitative RT-PCR or immunostaining of phosphorylated histone H3 and myosin heavy chain demonstrated that iSN04 suppressed the cell cycle and partially promoted myogenesis but did not induce apoptosis in ERMS cells. Finally, both iSN04 and AS1411 at final concentrations of 10-30 μM disrupted the formation and outgrowth of RD tumorspheres in three-dimensional culture mimicking in vivo tumorigenesis. In conclusion, ERMS cells expressed nucleolin, and their growth was inhibited by the anti-nucleolin aptamers, iSN04 and AS1411, which modulates several cell cycle-related and myogenic gene expression. The present study provides evidence that anti-nucleolin aptamers can be used as nucleic acid drugs for chemotherapy against ERMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Nohira
- Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
| | - Sayaka Shinji
- Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
| | - Shunichi Nakamura
- Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
| | - Yuma Nihashi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 5-41, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Takeshi Shimosato
- Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
- Department of Biomolecular Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
| | - Tomohide Takaya
- Department of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
- Department of Biomolecular Innovation, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University, 8304 Minami-minowa, Kami-ina, Nagano 399-4598, Japan
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10
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Kahsay A, Rodriguez-Marquez E, López-Pérez A, Hörnblad A, von Hofsten J. Pax3 loss of function delays tumour progression in kRAS-induced zebrafish rhabdomyosarcoma models. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17149. [PMID: 36229514 PMCID: PMC9561152 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21525-5] [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: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft tissue cancer that arises in skeletal muscle due to mutations in myogenic progenitors that lead to ineffective differentiation and malignant transformation. The transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7 and their downstream target genes are tightly linked with the fusion positive alveolar subtype, whereas the RAS pathway is usually involved in the embryonal, fusion negative variant. Here, we analyse the role of Pax3 in a fusion negative context, by linking alterations in gene expression in pax3a/pax3b double mutant zebrafish with tumour progression in kRAS-induced rhabdomyosarcoma tumours. Several genes in the RAS/MAPK signalling pathway were significantly down-regulated in pax3a/pax3b double mutant zebrafish. Progression of rhabdomyosarcoma tumours was also delayed in the pax3a/pax3b double mutant zebrafish indicating that Pax3 transcription factors have an unappreciated role in mediating malignancy in fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Kahsay
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Integrative Medical Biology (IMB), Umeå University, Johan Bures Väg 12, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - E. Rodriguez-Marquez
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Integrative Medical Biology (IMB), Umeå University, Johan Bures Väg 12, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - A. López-Pérez
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine (UCMM), Umeå University, Johan Bures Väg 12, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - A. Hörnblad
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Umeå Centre for Molecular Medicine (UCMM), Umeå University, Johan Bures Väg 12, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - J. von Hofsten
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Integrative Medical Biology (IMB), Umeå University, Johan Bures Väg 12, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
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11
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Wei Y, Qin Q, Yan C, Hayes MN, Garcia SP, Xi H, Do D, Jin AH, Eng TC, McCarthy KM, Adhikari A, Onozato ML, Spentzos D, Neilsen GP, Iafrate AJ, Wexler LH, Pyle AD, Suvà ML, Dela Cruz F, Pinello L, Langenau DM. Single-cell analysis and functional characterization uncover the stem cell hierarchies and developmental origins of rhabdomyosarcoma. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:961-975. [PMID: 35982179 PMCID: PMC10430812 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00414-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a common childhood cancer that shares features with developing skeletal muscle. Yet, the conservation of cellular hierarchy with human muscle development and the identification of molecularly defined tumor-propagating cells has not been reported. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, DNA-barcode cell fate mapping and functional stem cell assays, we uncovered shared tumor cell hierarchies in RMS and human muscle development. We also identified common developmental stages at which tumor cells become arrested. Fusion-negative RMS cells resemble early myogenic cells found in embryonic and fetal development, while fusion-positive RMS cells express a highly specific gene program found in muscle cells transiting from embryonic to fetal development at 7-7.75 weeks of age. Fusion-positive RMS cells also have neural pathway-enriched states, suggesting less-rigid adherence to muscle-lineage hierarchies. Finally, we identified a molecularly defined tumor-propagating subpopulation in fusion-negative RMS that shares remarkable similarity to bi-potent, muscle mesenchyme progenitors that can make both muscle and osteogenic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wei
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Qian Qin
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chuan Yan
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Madeline N Hayes
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sara P Garcia
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Haibin Xi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Do
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexander H Jin
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tiffany C Eng
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Karin M McCarthy
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Abhinav Adhikari
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maristela L Onozato
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Dimitrios Spentzos
- Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gunnlaugur P Neilsen
- Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A John Iafrate
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Leonard H Wexler
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - April D Pyle
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mario L Suvà
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Filemon Dela Cruz
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luca Pinello
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
| | - David M Langenau
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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12
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Russo I, Sartor E, Fagotto L, Colombo A, Tiso N, Alaibac M. The Zebrafish model in dermatology: an update for clinicians. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:48. [PMID: 35713744 PMCID: PMC9206045 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00511-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, the zebrafish has been established as one of the most important model organisms for medical research. Several studies have proved that there is a high level of similarity between human and zebrafish genomes, which encourages the use of zebrafish as a model for understanding human genetic disorders, including cancer. Interestingly, zebrafish skin shows several similarities to human skin, suggesting that this model organism is particularly suitable for the study of neoplastic and inflammatory skin disorders. This paper appraises the specific characteristics of zebrafish skin and describes the major applications of the zebrafish model in dermatological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Russo
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Emma Sartor
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Laura Fagotto
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Colombo
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Mauro Alaibac
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy.
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13
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Oliveira ML, Veloso A, Garcia EG, Iyer S, Pereira C, Barreto VM, Langenau DM, Barata JT. Mutant IL7R collaborates with MYC to induce T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 2022; 36:1533-1540. [PMID: 35581375 PMCID: PMC9162918 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01590-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive pediatric cancer. Amongst the wide array of driver mutations, 10% of T-ALL patients display gain-of-function mutations in the IL-7 receptor α chain (IL-7Rα, encoded by IL7R), which occur in different molecular subtypes of this disease. However, it is still unclear whether IL-7R mutational activation is sufficient to transform T-cell precursors. Also, which genes cooperate with IL7R to drive leukemogenesis remain poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that mutant IL7R alone is capable of inducing T-ALL with long-latency in stable transgenic zebrafish and transformation is associated with MYC transcriptional activation. Additionally, we find that mutant IL7R collaborates with Myc to induce early onset T-ALL in transgenic zebrafish, supporting a model where these pathways collaborate to drive leukemogenesis. T-ALLs co-expressing mutant IL7R and Myc activate STAT5 and AKT pathways, harbor reduced numbers of apoptotic cells and remake tumors in transplanted zebrafish faster than T-ALLs expressing Myc alone. Moreover, limiting-dilution cell transplantation experiments reveal that activated IL-7R signaling increases the overall frequency of leukemia propagating cells. Our work highlights a synergy between mutant IL7R and Myc in inducing T-ALL and demonstrates that mutant IL7R enriches for leukemia propagating potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana L Oliveira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Veloso
- Molecular Pathology Unit, MGH Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- MGH Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, MGH, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Elaine G Garcia
- Molecular Pathology Unit, MGH Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- MGH Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, MGH, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sowmya Iyer
- Molecular Pathology Unit, MGH Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- MGH Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, MGH, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Clara Pereira
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Vasco M Barreto
- DNA Breaks Laboratory, CEDOC - Chronic Diseases Research Center, NOVA Medical School - Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - David M Langenau
- Molecular Pathology Unit, MGH Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
- MGH Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, MGH, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - João T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
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14
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Precision Medicine in Head and Neck Cancers: Genomic and Preclinical Approaches. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12060854. [PMID: 35743639 PMCID: PMC9224778 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12060854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) represent the sixth most widespread malignancy worldwide. Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic drugs represent the main clinical approaches for HNC patients. Moreover, HNCs are characterised by an elevated mutational load; however, specific genetic mutations or biomarkers have not yet been found. In this scenario, personalised medicine is showing its efficacy. To study the reliability and the effects of personalised treatments, preclinical research can take advantage of next-generation sequencing and innovative technologies that have been developed to obtain genomic and multi-omic profiles to drive personalised treatments. The crosstalk between malignant and healthy components, as well as interactions with extracellular matrices, are important features which are responsible for treatment failure. Preclinical research has constantly implemented in vitro and in vivo models to mimic the natural tumour microenvironment. Among them, 3D systems have been developed to reproduce the tumour mass architecture, such as biomimetic scaffolds and organoids. In addition, in vivo models have been changed over the last decades to overcome problems such as animal management complexity and time-consuming experiments. In this review, we will explore the new approaches aimed to improve preclinical tools to study and apply precision medicine as a therapeutic option for patients affected by HNCs.
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15
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Patel AG, Chen X, Huang X, Clay MR, Komorova N, Krasin MJ, Pappo A, Tillman H, Orr BA, McEvoy J, Gordon B, Blankenship K, Reilly C, Zhou X, Norrie JL, Karlstrom A, Yu J, Wodarz D, Stewart E, Dyer MA. The myogenesis program drives clonal selection and drug resistance in rhabdomyosarcoma. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1226-1240.e8. [PMID: 35483358 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric cancer with features of skeletal muscle; patients with unresectable or metastatic RMS fare poorly due to high rates of disease recurrence. Here, we use single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to show that RMS tumors recapitulate the spectrum of embryonal myogenesis. Using matched patient samples from a clinical trial and orthotopic patient-derived xenografts (O-PDXs), we show that chemotherapy eliminates the most proliferative component with features of myoblasts within embryonal RMS; after treatment, the immature population with features of paraxial mesoderm expands to reconstitute the developmental hierarchy of the original tumor. We discovered that this paraxial mesoderm population is dependent on EGFR signaling and is sensitive to EGFR inhibitors. Taken together, these data serve as a proof of concept that targeting each developmental state in embryonal RMS is an effective strategy for improving outcomes by preventing disease recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand G Patel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Michael R Clay
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Natalia Komorova
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Matthew J Krasin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Alberto Pappo
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Heather Tillman
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brent A Orr
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Justina McEvoy
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brittney Gordon
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kaley Blankenship
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Colleen Reilly
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jackie L Norrie
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Asa Karlstrom
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dominik Wodarz
- Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Elizabeth Stewart
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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16
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Agaram NP, Huang SC, Tap WD, Wexler LH, Antonescu CR. Clinicopathologic and survival correlates of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma driven by RAS/RAF mutations. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2022; 61:131-137. [PMID: 34755412 PMCID: PMC8956004 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.23010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is the most common subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Among RMS subtypes, ERMS is associated with a favorable outcome with an overall survival of 70% at 5 years for localized disease. The molecular profile of ERMS is heterogeneous, including mostly point mutations in various genes. Therapeutic strategies have remained relatively consistent irrespective of the molecular abnormalities. In this study, we focus on a homogeneous RAS/RAF mutated ERMS subset and correlate with clinicopathologic findings. Twenty-six cases (16 males and 10 females) were identified from screening 98 ERMS, either by targeted DNA sequencing (MSK-IMPACT) or by Sanger sequencing. Fourteen (54%) cases had NRAS mutations, 6 (23%) had KRAS mutations, 5 (19%) had HRAS mutations, and 1 case (4%) had BRAF mutation. Median age at diagnosis was 8 years (range 1-70) with two-thirds occurring in the children. Tumor sites varied with H&N and GU sites accounting for 62% of cases. RAS isoform hot spot mutations predominated: NRAS p.Q61K (57%), KRAS p.G12D (67%), and HRAS (codons 12, 14, and 61). Additional genetic abnormalities were identified in 85% of the RAS-mutated cases. At last follow-up, 29% of patients died of disease and 23% were alive with disease. The 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 75% and 61% respectively. In conclusion, RAS mutations occur in 27% of ERMS, with NRAS mutations encompassing half of the cases. Overall RAS-mutant RMS does not correlate with age or site, but most tumors show an undifferentiated and spindle cell morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narasimhan P. Agaram
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY,Correspondence to: Narasimhan P. Agaram, MBBS, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065 () or Cristina R Antonescu, MD, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY 10065 ()
| | - Shih-Chiang Huang
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - William D. Tap
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Leonard H. Wexler
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Cristina R. Antonescu
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY,Correspondence to: Narasimhan P. Agaram, MBBS, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, 10065 () or Cristina R Antonescu, MD, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY 10065 ()
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17
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Hsu JY, Danis EP, Nance S, O'Brien JH, Gustafson AL, Wessells VM, Goodspeed AE, Talbot JC, Amacher SL, Jedlicka P, Black JC, Costello JC, Durbin AD, Artinger KB, Ford HL. SIX1 reprograms myogenic transcription factors to maintain the rhabdomyosarcoma undifferentiated state. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110323. [PMID: 35108532 PMCID: PMC8917510 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric muscle sarcoma characterized by expression of the myogenic lineage transcription factors (TFs) MYOD1 and MYOG. Despite high expression of these TFs, RMS cells fail to terminally differentiate, suggesting the presence of factors that alter their functions. Here, we demonstrate that the developmental TF SIX1 is highly expressed in RMS and critical for maintaining a muscle progenitor-like state. SIX1 loss induces differentiation of RMS cells into myotube-like cells and impedes tumor growth in vivo. We show that SIX1 maintains the RMS undifferentiated state by controlling enhancer activity and MYOD1 occupancy at loci more permissive to tumor growth over muscle differentiation. Finally, we demonstrate that a gene signature derived from SIX1 loss correlates with differentiation status and predicts RMS progression in human disease. Our findings demonstrate a master regulatory role of SIX1 in repression of RMS differentiation via genome-wide alterations in MYOD1 and MYOG-mediated transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Y Hsu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Etienne P Danis
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Stephanie Nance
- Division of Molecular Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jenean H O'Brien
- Department of Biology, College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN, USA
| | - Annika L Gustafson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; Molecular Biology Graduate Program, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Andrew E Goodspeed
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jared C Talbot
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Sharon L Amacher
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Joshua C Black
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - James C Costello
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kristin B Artinger
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Heide L Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (UC-AMC), Aurora, CO, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, UC-AMC, Aurora, CO, USA.
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18
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Kouprianov VA, Selmek AA, Ferguson JL, Mo X, Shive HR. brca2-mutant zebrafish exhibit context- and tissue-dependent alterations in cell phenotypes and response to injury. Sci Rep 2022; 12:883. [PMID: 35042909 PMCID: PMC8766490 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04878-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells frequently co-opt molecular programs that are normally activated in specific contexts, such as embryonic development and the response to injury. Determining the impact of cancer-associated mutations on cellular phenotypes within these discrete contexts can provide new insight into how such mutations lead to dysregulated cell behaviors and subsequent cancer onset. Here we assess the impact of heritable BRCA2 mutation on embryonic development and the injury response using a zebrafish model (Danio rerio). Unlike most mouse models for BRCA2 mutation, brca2-mutant zebrafish are fully viable and thus provide a unique tool for assessing both embryonic and adult phenotypes. We find that maternally provided brca2 is critical for normal oocyte development and embryonic survival in zebrafish, suggesting that embryonic lethality associated with BRCA2 mutation is likely to reflect defects in both meiotic and embryonic developmental programs. On the other hand, we find that adult brca2-mutant zebrafish exhibit aberrant proliferation of several cell types under basal conditions and in response to injury in tissues at high risk for cancer development. These divergent effects exemplify the often-paradoxical outcomes that occur in embryos (embryonic lethality) versus adult animals (cancer predisposition) with mutations in cancer susceptibility genes such as BRCA2. The altered cell behaviors identified in brca2-mutant embryonic and adult tissues, particularly in adult tissues at high risk for cancer, indicate that the effects of BRCA2 mutation on cellular phenotypes are both context- and tissue-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aubrie A Selmek
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jordan L Ferguson
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Xiaokui Mo
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Heather R Shive
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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19
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Gora RJ, de Jong B, van Hage P, Rhiemus MA, van Steenis F, van Noort J, Schmidt T, Schaaf MJM. Analysis of the H-Ras mobility pattern in vivo shows cellular heterogeneity inside epidermal tissue. Dis Model Mech 2021; 15:274496. [PMID: 34927194 PMCID: PMC8891639 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Developments in single-molecule microscopy (SMM) have enabled imaging individual proteins in biological systems, focusing on the analysis of protein mobility patterns inside cultured cells. In the present study, SMM was applied in vivo, using the zebrafish embryo model. We studied dynamics of the membrane protein H-Ras, its membrane-anchoring domain, C10H-Ras, and mutants, using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Our results consistently confirm the presence of fast- and slow-diffusing subpopulations of molecules, which confine to microdomains within the plasma membrane. The active mutant H-RasV12 exhibits higher diffusion rates and is confined to larger domains than the wild-type H-Ras and its inactive mutant H-RasN17. Subsequently, we demonstrate that the structure and composition of the plasma membrane have an imperative role in modulating H-Ras mobility patterns. Ultimately, we establish that differences between cells within the same embryo largely contribute to the overall data variability. Our findings agree with a model in which the cell architecture and the protein activation state determine protein mobility, underlining the importance of SMM imaging for studying factors influencing protein dynamics in an intact living organism. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Single-molecule microscopy analysis of factors altering the in vivo dynamics of H-Ras proteins in epidermal cells in living zebrafish embryos revealed that cell architecture and protein activation state determine protein mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radoslaw J Gora
- Animal Sciences and Health Cluster, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Babette de Jong
- Biological, Soft and Complex Systems, Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick van Hage
- Animal Sciences and Health Cluster, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Mary Ann Rhiemus
- Animal Sciences and Health Cluster, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Fjodor van Steenis
- Animal Sciences and Health Cluster, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - John van Noort
- Biological, Soft and Complex Systems, Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Biological, Soft and Complex Systems, Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel J M Schaaf
- Animal Sciences and Health Cluster, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands
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20
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Chen J, Li G, Lian J, Ma N, Huang Z, Li J, Wen Z, Zhang W, Zhang Y. Slc20a1b is essential for hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell expansion in zebrafish. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 64:2186-2201. [PMID: 33751369 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1878-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are able to self-renew and can give rise to all blood lineages throughout their lifetime, yet the mechanisms regulating HSPC development have yet to be discovered. In this study, we characterized a hematopoiesis defective zebrafish mutant line named smu07, which was obtained from our previous forward genetic screening, and found the HSPC expansion deficiency in the mutant. Positional cloning identified that slc20a1b, which encodes a sodium phosphate cotransporter, contributed to the smu07 blood phenotype. Further analysis demonstrated that mutation of slc20a1b affects HSPC expansion through cell cycle arrest at G2/M phases in a cell-autonomous manner. Our study shows that slc20a1b is a vital regulator for HSPC proliferation in zebrafish early hematopoiesis and provides valuable insights into HSPC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiakui Chen
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Gaofei Li
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Junwei Lian
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ning Ma
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Zhibin Huang
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jianchao Li
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Zilong Wen
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Yiyue Zhang
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
- Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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21
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Dalum AS, Kraus A, Khan S, Davydova E, Rigaudeau D, Bjørgen H, López-Porras A, Griffiths G, Wiegertjes GF, Koppang EO, Salinas I, Boudinot P, Rességuier J. High-Resolution, 3D Imaging of the Zebrafish Gill-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GIALT) Reveals a Novel Lymphoid Structure, the Amphibranchial Lymphoid Tissue. Front Immunol 2021; 12:769901. [PMID: 34880866 PMCID: PMC8647647 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.769901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is extensively used as an animal model for human and fish diseases. However, our understanding of the structural organization of its immune system remains incomplete, especially the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALTs). Teleost MALTs are commonly perceived as diffuse and scattered populations of immune cells throughout the mucosa. Yet, structured MALTs have been recently discovered in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), including the interbranchial lymphoid tissue (ILT) in the gills. The existence of the ILT was only recently identified in zebrafish and other fish species, highlighting the need for in-depth characterizations of the gill-associated lymphoid tissue (GIALT) in teleosts. Here, using 3-D high-resolution microscopy, we analyze the GIALT of adult zebrafish with an immuno-histology approach that reveals the organization of lymphoid tissues via the labeling of T/NK cells with an antibody directed to a highly conserved epitope on the kinase ZAP70. We show that the GIALT in zebrafish is distributed over at least five distinct sub-regions, an organization found in all pairs of gill arches. The GIALT is diffuse in the pharyngeal part of the gill arch, the interbranchial septum and the filaments/lamellae, and structured in two sub-regions: the ILT, and a newly discovered lymphoid structure located along each side of the gill arch, which we named the Amphibranchial Lymphoid Tissue (ALT). Based on RAG2 expression, neither the ILT nor the ALT constitute additional thymi. The ALT shares several features with the ILT such as presence of abundant lymphoid cells and myeloid cells embedded in a network of reticulated epithelial cells. Further, the ILT and the ALT are also a site for T/NK cell proliferation. Both ILT and ALT show structural changes after infection with Spring Viraemia of Carp Virus (SVCV). Together, these data suggest that ALT and ILT play an active role in immune responses. Comparative studies show that whereas the ILT seems absent in most neoteleosts ("Percomorphs"), the ALT is widely present in cyprinids, salmonids and neoteleosts, suggesting that it constitutes a conserved tissue involved in the protection of teleosts via the gills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alf S. Dalum
- Nofima, Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Aurora Kraus
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology (CETI), Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Shanawaz Khan
- Department of Biosciences, FYSCELL, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erna Davydova
- Department of Biosciences, BMB, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Håvard Bjørgen
- Section of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | | | - Gareth Griffiths
- Department of Biosciences, FYSCELL, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Geert F. Wiegertjes
- Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Erling O. Koppang
- Section of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Irene Salinas
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology (CETI), Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Pierre Boudinot
- INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Julien Rességuier
- Department of Biosciences, FYSCELL, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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22
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Garcia N, Del Pozo V, Yohe ME, Goodwin CM, Shackleford TJ, Wang L, Baxi K, Chen Y, Rogojina AT, Zimmerman SM, Peer CJ, Figg WD, Ignatius MS, Wood KC, Houghton PJ, Vaseva AV. Vertical Inhibition of the RAF-MEK-ERK Cascade Induces Myogenic Differentiation, Apoptosis and Tumor Regression in H/NRAS Q61X-mutant Rhabdomyosarcoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 21:170-183. [PMID: 34737198 PMCID: PMC8742779 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic RAS signaling is an attractive target for fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (FN-RMS). Our study validates the role of the ERK MAPK effector pathway in mediating RAS dependency in a panel of H/NRASQ61X-mutant RMS cells and correlates in vivo efficacy of the MEK inhibitor trametinib with pharmacodynamics of ERK activity. A screen is used to identify trametinib-sensitizing targets and combinations are evaluated in cells and tumor xenografts. We find that the ERK MAPK pathway is central to H/NRASQ61X-dependency in RMS cells, however there is poor in vivo response to clinically relevant exposures with trametinib, which correlates with inefficient suppression of ERK activity. CRISPR screening points to vertical inhibition of the RAF-MEK-ERK cascade by co-suppression of MEK and either CRAF or ERK. CRAF is central to rebound pathway activation following MEK or ERK inhibition. Concurrent CRAF suppression and MEK or ERK inhibition, or concurrent pan-RAF and MEK/ERK inhibition (pan-RAFi + MEKi/ERKi), or concurrent MEK and ERK inhibition (MEKi + ERKi) all synergistically block ERK activity and induce myogenic differentiation and apoptosis. In vivo assessment of pan-RAFi + ERKi or MEKi + ERKi potently suppress growth of H/NRASQ61X RMS tumor xenografts, with pan-RAFi + ERKi being more effective and better tolerated. We conclude that CRAF reactivation limits the activity of single agent MEK/ERK inhibitors in FN-RMS. Vertical targeting of the RAF-MEK-ERK cascade, and particularly co-targeting of CRAF and MEK or ERK, or the combination of pan-RAF inhibitors with MEK or ERK inhibitors, have synergistic activity and potently suppress H/NRASQ61X-mutant RMS tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Craig M Goodwin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Long Wang
- Cancer Therapy & Research Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center
| | - Kunal Baxi
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, UTHSCSA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
| | | | | | - Cody J Peer
- Clinical Pharmacology Program, National Cancer Institute
| | - William D Figg
- Clinical Pharmacology Program and Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute
| | | | - Kris C Wood
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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23
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Han H, Jiang G, Kumari R, Silic MR, Owens JL, Hu C, Mittal SK, Zhang G. Loss of smarcad1a accelerates tumorigenesis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in zebrafish. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2021; 60:743-761. [PMID: 34296799 PMCID: PMC9585957 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.22983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are a type of sarcoma that generally originates from Schwann cells. The prognosis for this type of malignancy is relatively poor due to complicated genetic alterations and the lack of specific targeted therapy. Chromosome fragment 4q22-23 is frequently deleted in MPNSTs and other human tumors, suggesting tumor suppressor genes may reside in this region. Here, we provide evidence that SMARCAD1, a known chromatin remodeler, is a novel tumor suppressor gene located in 4q22-23. We identified two human homologous smarcad1 genes (smarcad1a and smarcad1b) in zebrafish, and both genes share overlapping expression patterns during embryonic development. We demonstrated that two smarcad1a loss-of-function mutants, sa1299 and p403, can accelerate MPNST tumorigenesis in the tp53 mutant background, suggesting smarcad1a is a bona fide tumor suppressor gene for MPNSTs. Moreover, we found that DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair might be compromised in both mutants compared to wildtype zebrafish, as indicated by pH2AX, a DNA DSB marker. In addition, both SMARCAD1 gene knockdown and overexpression in human cells were able to inhibit tumor growth and displayed similar DSB repair responses, suggesting proper SMARCAD1 gene expression level or gene dosage is critical for cell growth. Given that mutations of SMARCAD1 sensitize cells to poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors in yeast and the human U2OS osteosarcoma cell line, the identification of SMARCAD1 as a novel tumor suppressor gene might contribute to the development of new cancer therapies for MPNSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Han
- Department of Comparative PathobiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Guangzhen Jiang
- Department of Comparative PathobiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Present address:
College of Animal Science and TechnologyNanjing Agricultural UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Rashmi Kumari
- Department of Comparative PathobiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Martin R. Silic
- Department of Comparative PathobiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Jake L. Owens
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular PharmacologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Chang‐Deng Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular PharmacologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue University Center for Cancer ResearchPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Suresh K. Mittal
- Department of Comparative PathobiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue University Center for Cancer ResearchPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D)Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - GuangJun Zhang
- Department of Comparative PathobiologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue University Center for Cancer ResearchPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D)Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience (PIIN)Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
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24
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Kim J, Jeon YJ, Lim SC, Ryu J, Lee JH, Chang IY, You HJ. Akt-mediated Ephexin1-Ras interaction promotes oncogenic Ras signaling and colorectal and lung cancer cell proliferation. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:1013. [PMID: 34711817 PMCID: PMC8553951 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04332-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRCT Ephexin1 was reported to be highly upregulated by oncogenic Ras, but the functional consequences of this remain poorly understood. Here, we show that Ephexin1 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and lung cancer (LC) patient tissues. Knockdown of Ephexin1 markedly inhibited the cell growth of CRC and LC cells with oncogenic Ras mutations. Ephexin1 contributes to the positive regulation of Ras-mediated downstream target genes and promotes Ras-induced skin tumorigenesis. Mechanically, Akt phosphorylates Ephexin1 at Ser16 and Ser18 (pSer16/18) and pSer16/18 Ephexin1 then interacts with oncogenic K-Ras to promote downstream MAPK signaling, facilitating tumorigenesis. Furthermore, pSer16/18 Ephexin1 is associated with both an increased tumor grade and metastatic cases of CRC and LC, and those that highly express pSer16/18 exhibit poor overall survival rates. These data indicate that Ephexin1 plays a critical role in the Ras-mediated CRC and LC and pSer16/18 Ephexin1 might be an effective therapeutic target for CRC and LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeeho Kim
- Laboratory of Genomic Instability and Cancer therapeutics, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea
- Department of Pharmacology, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea
| | - Young Jin Jeon
- Department of Pharmacology, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea
| | - Sung-Chul Lim
- Department of Pathology, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea
| | - Joohyun Ryu
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN, 55912, USA
| | - Jung-Hee Lee
- Laboratory of Genomic Instability and Cancer therapeutics, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea
| | - In-Youb Chang
- Department of Anatomy, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea.
| | - Ho Jin You
- Laboratory of Genomic Instability and Cancer therapeutics, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea.
- Department of Pharmacology, Chosun University School of medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju, 501-759, South Korea.
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25
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Akt-mediated Ephexin1-Ras interaction promotes oncogenic Ras signaling and colorectal and lung cancer cell proliferation. Cell Death Dis 2021. [PMID: 34711817 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04332-0.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRCT Ephexin1 was reported to be highly upregulated by oncogenic Ras, but the functional consequences of this remain poorly understood. Here, we show that Ephexin1 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and lung cancer (LC) patient tissues. Knockdown of Ephexin1 markedly inhibited the cell growth of CRC and LC cells with oncogenic Ras mutations. Ephexin1 contributes to the positive regulation of Ras-mediated downstream target genes and promotes Ras-induced skin tumorigenesis. Mechanically, Akt phosphorylates Ephexin1 at Ser16 and Ser18 (pSer16/18) and pSer16/18 Ephexin1 then interacts with oncogenic K-Ras to promote downstream MAPK signaling, facilitating tumorigenesis. Furthermore, pSer16/18 Ephexin1 is associated with both an increased tumor grade and metastatic cases of CRC and LC, and those that highly express pSer16/18 exhibit poor overall survival rates. These data indicate that Ephexin1 plays a critical role in the Ras-mediated CRC and LC and pSer16/18 Ephexin1 might be an effective therapeutic target for CRC and LC.
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26
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Genetic Characterization, Current Model Systems and Prognostic Stratification in PAX Fusion-Negative vs. PAX Fusion-Positive Rhabdomyosarcoma. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101500. [PMID: 34680895 PMCID: PMC8535289 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents and accounts for approximately 2% of soft tissue sarcomas in adults. It is subcategorized into distinct subtypes based on histological features and fusion status (PAX-FOXO1/VGLL2/NCOA2). Despite advances in our understanding of the pathobiological and molecular landscape of RMS, the prognosis of these tumors has not significantly improved in recent years. Developing a better understanding of genetic abnormalities and risk stratification beyond the fusion status are crucial to developing better therapeutic strategies. Herein, we aim to highlight the genetic pathways/abnormalities involved, specifically in fusion-negative RMS, assess the currently available model systems to study RMS pathogenesis, and discuss available prognostic factors as well as their importance for risk stratification to achieve optimal therapeutic management.
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27
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TERAMOTO N, IKEDA M, SUGIHARA H, SHIGA T, MATSUWAKI T, NISHIHARA M, UCHIDA K, YAMANOUCHI K. Loss of p16/Ink4a drives high frequency of rhabdomyosarcoma in a rat model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Vet Med Sci 2021; 83:1416-1424. [PMID: 34334511 PMCID: PMC8498826 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive type of soft tissue sarcoma, and pleomorphic RMS is a rare subtype of RMS found in adult. p16 is a tumor suppressor which inhibits cell cycle. In human RMS, p16 gene is frequently deleted, but p16-null mice do not develop RMS. We reported that genetic ablation of p16 by the crossbreeding of p16 knock-out rats (p16-KO rats) improved the dystrophic phenotype of a rat model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Dmd-KO rats). However, p16/Dmd double knock-out rats (dKO rats) unexpectedly developed sarcoma. In the present study, we raised p16-KO, Dmd-KO, and dKO rats until 11 months of age. Twelve out of 22 dKO rats developed pleomorphic RMS after 9 months of age, while none of p16-KO rats and Dmd-KO rats developed tumor. The neoplasms were connected to skeletal muscle tissue with indistinct borders and characterized by diffuse proliferation of pleomorphic cells which had eosinophilic cytoplasm and atypical nuclei with anisokaryosis. For almost all cases, the tumor cells immunohistochemically expressed myogenic markers including desmin, MyoD, and myogenin. The single cell cloning from tumor primary cells gained 20 individual Pax7-negative MyoD-positive RMS cell clones. Our results demonstrated that double knock-out of p16 and dystrophin in rats leads to the development of pleomorphic RMS, providing an animal model that may be useful to study the developmental mechanism of pleomorphic RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi TERAMOTO
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Masanari IKEDA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi SUGIHARA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takanori SHIGA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takashi MATSUWAKI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Masugi NISHIHARA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki UCHIDA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Keitaro YAMANOUCHI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
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28
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Mao Y, Zong Z, Dang Y, Yu L, Liu C, Wang J. Promotion effect of microcystin-LR on liver tumor progression in kras V12 transgenic zebrafish following acute or subacute exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 224:112673. [PMID: 34438271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is widely distributed in the natural environment and causes hepatotoxicity. However, whether MC-LR promotes liver tumor progression remains controversial. krasV12 transgenic zebrafish were used as an inducible liver tumor model to evaluate the potential tumor-promoting effect of MC-LR. First, krasV12 transgenic larvae were exposed to 0, 0.1 and 1 mg/L MC-LR with 20 mg/L doxycycline (Dox) for 4 d. The gray values and histopathological examinations of the liver demonstrated that MC-LR aggravated liver tumor progression, which could be inhibited by the Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (Prmt5) inhibitor compound 5 (CMP5). Second, 1-month-old juvenile transgenic zebrafish were exposed to 0, 20 mg/L Dox, 1 μg/L MC-LR, and 20 mg/L Dox with 0.1 or 1 μg/L MC-LR for 15 d to determine whether the exposure to environmental concentrations of MC-LR promoted hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. We found that environmental concentrations of MC-LR increased the hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gray value (intensity/area) and promoted HCC progression. The results indicate that environmental concentrations of MC-LR have the potential to promote liver tumor progression. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that MC-LR can promote tumor in krasV12 transgenic zebrafish and that the upregulation of prmt5 expression might contribute to MC-LR-mediated promotion of liver tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchao Mao
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zijing Zong
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yao Dang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Liqin Yu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jianghua Wang
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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29
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Patton EE, Zon LI, Langenau DM. Zebrafish disease models in drug discovery: from preclinical modelling to clinical trials. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:611-628. [PMID: 34117457 PMCID: PMC9210578 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00210-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Numerous drug treatments that have recently entered the clinic or clinical trials have their genesis in zebrafish. Zebrafish are well established for their contribution to developmental biology and have now emerged as a powerful preclinical model for human disease, as their disease characteristics, aetiology and progression, and molecular mechanisms are clinically relevant and highly conserved. Zebrafish respond to small molecules and drug treatments at physiologically relevant dose ranges and, when combined with cell-specific or tissue-specific reporters and gene editing technologies, drug activity can be studied at single-cell resolution within the complexity of a whole animal, across tissues and over an extended timescale. These features enable high-throughput and high-content phenotypic drug screening, repurposing of available drugs for personalized and compassionate use, and even the development of new drug classes. Often, drugs and drug leads explored in zebrafish have an inter-organ mechanism of action and would otherwise not be identified through targeted screening approaches. Here, we discuss how zebrafish is an important model for drug discovery, the process of how these discoveries emerge and future opportunities for maximizing zebrafish potential in medical discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Elizabeth Patton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, Western General Hospital Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David M Langenau
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center of Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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30
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Barbet V, Broutier L. Future Match Making: When Pediatric Oncology Meets Organoid Technology. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:674219. [PMID: 34327198 PMCID: PMC8315550 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.674219] [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: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike adult cancers that frequently result from the accumulation in time of mutational “hits” often linked to lifestyle, childhood cancers are emerging as diseases of dysregulated development through massive epigenetic alterations. The ability to reconstruct these differences in cancer models is therefore crucial for better understanding the uniqueness of pediatric cancer biology. Cancer organoids (i.e., tumoroids) represent a promising approach for creating patient-derived in vitro cancer models that closely recapitulate the overall pathophysiological features of natural tumorigenesis, including intra-tumoral heterogeneity and plasticity. Though largely applied to adult cancers, this technology is scarcely used for childhood cancers, with a notable delay in technological transfer. However, tumoroids could provide an unprecedented tool to unravel the biology of pediatric cancers and improve their therapeutic management. We herein present the current state-of-the-art of a long awaited and much needed matchmaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Barbet
- Childhood Cancer & Cell Death (C3), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
| | - Laura Broutier
- Childhood Cancer & Cell Death (C3), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France
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31
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Context-dependent modulation of aggressiveness of pediatric tumors by individual oncogenic RAS isoforms. Oncogene 2021; 40:4955-4966. [PMID: 34172934 PMCID: PMC8342309 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01904-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A prototypic pediatric cancer that frequently shows activation of RAS signaling is embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). ERMS also show aberrant Hedgehog (HH)/GLI signaling activity and can be driven by germline mutations in this pathway. We show, that in ERMS cell lines derived from sporadic tumors i.e. from tumors not caused by an inherited genetic variant, HH/GLI signaling plays a subordinate role, because oncogenic mutations in HRAS, KRAS, or NRAS (collectively named oncRAS) inhibit the main HH target GLI1 via the MEK/ERK-axis, but simultaneously increase proliferation and tumorigenicity. oncRAS also modulate expression of stem cell markers in an isoform- and context-dependent manner. In Hh-driven murine ERMS that are caused by a Patched mutation, oncHRAS and mainly oncKRAS accelerate tumor development, whereas oncNRAS induces a more differentiated phenotype. These features occur when the oncRAS mutations are induced at the ERMS precursor stage, but not when induced in already established tumors. Moreover, in contrast to what is seen in human cell lines, oncRAS mutations do not alter Hh signaling activity and marginally affect expression of stem cell markers. Together, all three oncRAS mutations seem to be advantageous for ERMS cell lines despite inhibition of HH signaling and isoform-specific modulation of stem cell markers. In contrast, oncRAS mutations do not inhibit Hh-signaling in Hh-driven ERMS. In this model, oncRAS mutations seem to be advantageous for specific ERMS populations that occur within a specific time window during ERMS development. In addition, this window may be different for individual oncRAS isoforms, at least in the mouse.
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32
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Miao KZ, Kim GY, Meara GK, Qin X, Feng H. Tipping the Scales With Zebrafish to Understand Adaptive Tumor Immunity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:660969. [PMID: 34095125 PMCID: PMC8173129 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.660969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The future of improved immunotherapy against cancer depends on an in-depth understanding of the dynamic interactions between the immune system and tumors. Over the past two decades, the zebrafish has served as a valuable model system to provide fresh insights into both the development of the immune system and the etiologies of many different cancers. This well-established foundation of knowledge combined with the imaging and genetic capacities of the zebrafish provides a new frontier in cancer immunology research. In this review, we provide an overview of the development of the zebrafish immune system along with a side-by-side comparison of its human counterpart. We then introduce components of the adaptive immune system with a focus on their roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of teleosts. In addition, we summarize zebrafish models developed for the study of cancer and adaptive immunity along with other available tools and technology afforded by this experimental system. Finally, we discuss some recent research conducted using the zebrafish to investigate adaptive immune cell-tumor interactions. Without a doubt, the zebrafish will arise as one of the driving forces to help expand the knowledge of tumor immunity and facilitate the development of improved anti-cancer immunotherapy in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Z Miao
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Grace Y Kim
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Grace K Meara
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xiaodan Qin
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hui Feng
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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33
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Martin-Giacalone BA, Weinstein PA, Plon SE, Lupo PJ. Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma: Epidemiology and Genetic Susceptibility. J Clin Med 2021; 10:2028. [PMID: 34065162 PMCID: PMC8125975 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10092028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children, yet little is known about its etiology. Studies that examine either environmental exposures or germline genetic predisposition in RMS have begun to identify factors that contribute to this malignancy. Here, we summarize epidemiological reports of RMS incidence in terms of several factors, including age at diagnosis, biological sex, and geographic location. We then describe findings from association studies, which explore the role of parental exposures, birth and perinatal characteristics, and childhood exposures in RMS. Further, we discuss RMS predisposition syndromes and large-scale sequencing studies that have further identified RMS-associated genes. Finally, we propose future directions of study, which aim to advance our understanding of the origin of RMS and can provide knowledge for novel RMS therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey A. Martin-Giacalone
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (B.A.M.-G.); (P.A.W.); (S.E.P.)
- Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - P. Adam Weinstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (B.A.M.-G.); (P.A.W.); (S.E.P.)
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sharon E. Plon
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (B.A.M.-G.); (P.A.W.); (S.E.P.)
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Philip J. Lupo
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (B.A.M.-G.); (P.A.W.); (S.E.P.)
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34
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Preclinical In Vivo Modeling of Pediatric Sarcoma-Promises and Limitations. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10081578. [PMID: 33918045 PMCID: PMC8069549 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric sarcomas are an extremely heterogeneous group of genetically distinct diseases. Despite the increasing knowledge on their molecular makeup in recent years, true therapeutic advancements are largely lacking and prognosis often remains dim, particularly for relapsed and metastasized patients. Since this is largely due to the lack of suitable model systems as a prerequisite to develop and assess novel therapeutics, we here review the available approaches to model sarcoma in vivo. We focused on genetically engineered and patient-derived mouse models, compared strengths and weaknesses, and finally explored possibilities and limitations to utilize these models to advance both biological understanding as well as clinical diagnosis and therapy.
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35
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Prioritization of Novel Agents for Patients with Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group (COG) New Agents for Rhabdomyosarcoma Task Force. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10071416. [PMID: 33915882 PMCID: PMC8037615 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10071416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma diagnosed in children and adolescents. Patients that are diagnosed with advanced or relapsed disease have exceptionally poor outcomes. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) convened a rhabdomyosarcoma new agent task force in 2020 to systematically evaluate novel agents for inclusion in phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trials for patients diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, following a similar effort for Ewing sarcoma. The task force was comprised of clinicians and basic scientists who collectively identified new agents for evaluation and prioritization in clinical trial testing. Here, we report the work of the task force including the framework upon which the decisions were rendered and review the top classes of agents that were discussed. Representative agents include poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in combination with cytotoxic agents, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitors in combination with type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR1) inhibitors, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, and novel cytotoxic agents.
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36
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Kannan S, Lock I, Ozenberger BB, Jones KB. Genetic drivers and cells of origin in sarcomagenesis. J Pathol 2021; 254:474-493. [DOI: 10.1002/path.5617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarmishta Kannan
- Departments of Orthopaedics and Oncological Sciences Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Ian Lock
- Departments of Orthopaedics and Oncological Sciences Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Benjamin B Ozenberger
- Departments of Orthopaedics and Oncological Sciences Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT USA
| | - Kevin B Jones
- Departments of Orthopaedics and Oncological Sciences Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine Salt Lake City UT USA
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37
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Abstract
Zebrafish are rapidly becoming a leading model organism for cancer research. The genetic pathways driving cancer are highly conserved between zebrafish and humans, and the ability to easily manipulate the zebrafish genome to rapidly generate transgenic animals makes zebrafish an excellent model organism. Transgenic zebrafish containing complex, patient-relevant genotypes have been used to model many cancer types. Here we present a comprehensive review of transgenic zebrafish cancer models as a resource to the field and highlight important areas of cancer biology that have yet to be studied in the fish. The ability to image cancer cells and niche biology in an endogenous tumor makes zebrafish an indispensable model organism in which we can further understand the mechanisms that drive tumorigenesis and screen for potential new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia M. McConnell
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Haley R. Noonan
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Leonard I. Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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38
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Luo J, Liu P, Lu C, Bian W, Su D, Zhu C, Xie S, Pan Y, Li N, Cui W, Pei DS, Yang X. Stepwise crosstalk between aberrant Nf1, Tp53 and Rb signalling pathways induces gliomagenesis in zebrafish. Brain 2021; 144:615-635. [PMID: 33279959 PMCID: PMC7940501 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular pathogenesis of glioblastoma indicates that RTK/Ras/PI3K, RB and TP53 pathways are critical for human gliomagenesis. Here, several transgenic zebrafish lines with single or multiple deletions of nf1, tp53 and rb1 in astrocytes, were established to genetically induce gliomagenesis in zebrafish. In the mutant with a single deletion, we found only the nf1 mutation low-efficiently induced tumour incidence, suggesting that the Nf1 pathway is critical for the initiation of gliomagenesis in zebrafish. Combination of mutations, nf1;tp53 and rb1;tp53 combined knockout fish, showed much higher tumour incidences, high-grade histology, increased invasiveness, and shortened survival time. Further bioinformatics analyses demonstrated the alterations in RTK/Ras/PI3K, cell cycle, and focal adhesion pathways, induced by abrogated nf1, tp53, or rb1, were probably the critical stepwise biological events for the initiation and development of gliomagenesis in zebrafish. Gene expression profiling and histological analyses showed the tumours derived from zebrafish have significant similarities to the subgroups of human gliomas. Furthermore, temozolomide treatment effectively suppressed gliomagenesis in these glioma zebrafish models, and the histological responses in temozolomide-treated zebrafish were similar to those observed in clinically treated glioma patients. Thus, our findings will offer a potential tool for genetically investigating gliomagenesis and screening potential targeted anti-tumour compounds for glioma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Luo
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Pei Liu
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Chunjiao Lu
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Wanping Bian
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Dongsheng Su
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Chenchen Zhu
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Shaolin Xie
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Yihang Pan
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Ningning Li
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Wei Cui
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Life Science and Biopharmaceutical of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - De-Sheng Pei
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: De-Sheng Pei, PhD Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Chongqing 400714, China E-mail:
| | - Xiaojun Yang
- Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Correspondence to: Xiaojun Yang, PhD Neuroscience Center, Shantou University Medical College Shantou 515041, China E-mail:
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39
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Chen X, Li Y, Yao T, Jia R. Benefits of Zebrafish Xenograft Models in Cancer Research. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:616551. [PMID: 33644052 PMCID: PMC7905065 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.616551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a promising in vivo tool for cancer research, zebrafish have been widely applied in various tumor studies. The zebrafish xenograft model is a low-cost, high-throughput tool for cancer research that can be established quickly and requires only a small sample size, which makes it favorite among researchers. Zebrafish patient-derived xenograft (zPDX) models provide promising evidence for short-term clinical treatment. In this review, we discuss the characteristics and advantages of zebrafish, such as their transparent and translucent features, the use of vascular fluorescence imaging, the establishment of metastatic and intracranial orthotopic models, individual pharmacokinetics measurements, and tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we introduce how these characteristics and advantages are applied other in tumor studies. Finally, we discuss the future direction of the use of zebrafish in tumor studies and provide new ideas for the application of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongyun Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Tengteng Yao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Renbing Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
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40
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Studying the Tumor Microenvironment in Zebrafish. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1329:69-92. [PMID: 34664234 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-73119-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment significantly contributes to tumor initiation, progression, neo-angiogenesis, and metastasis, and a better understanding of the role of the different cellular players would facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Towards this goal, intravital imaging is a powerful method to unravel interaction partners of tumor cells. Among vertebrate model organisms, zebrafish is uniquely suited for in vivo imaging studies. In recent years zebrafish has also become a valuable model in cancer research. In this chapter, we will summarize, how zebrafish has been used to characterize cells of the tumor microenvironment. We will cover both genetically engineered cancer models and xenograft models in zebrafish. The majority of work has been done on the role of innate immune cells and their role during tumor initiation and metastasis, but we will also cover studies focusing on adipocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. Taken together, we will highlight the versatile use of the zebrafish model for in vivo tumor microenvironment studies.
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41
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Ney GM, McKay L, Koschmann C, Mody R, Li Q. The Emerging Role of Ras Pathway Signaling in Pediatric Cancer. Cancer Res 2020; 80:5155-5163. [PMID: 32907837 PMCID: PMC10081825 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-0916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As genomic sequencing has become more widely available, the high prevalence of Ras pathway mutations in pediatric diseases has begun to emerge. Germline Ras-activating mutations have been known to contribute to cancer predisposition in a group of disorders known as the RASopathies, and now large pediatric sequencing studies have identified frequent somatic Ras pathway alterations across a diverse group of pediatric malignancies. These include glial brain tumors, relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, acute myeloid leukemia, and relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and their prognostic impact is becoming increasingly better understood. Clinically, there has been success in targeting the Ras pathway in pediatric diseases, including the use of MEK inhibitors in plexiform neurofibromas associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 and the use of Ras pathway inhibitors in low-grade gliomas. Given the importance of this pathway in pediatric cancer, it is imperative that future studies strive to better understand the functional significance of these mutations, including their role in tumor growth and treatment resistance and how they can be better targeted to improve outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M Ney
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
| | - Laura McKay
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Carl Koschmann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Rajen Mody
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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42
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HDAC6 promotes growth, migration/invasion, and self-renewal of rhabdomyosarcoma. Oncogene 2020; 40:578-591. [PMID: 33199827 PMCID: PMC7855743 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01550-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a devastating pediatric sarcoma. The survival outcomes remain poor for patients with relapsed or metastatic disease. Effective targeted therapy is lacking due to our limited knowledge of the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to disease progression. In this study, we used functional assays in vitro and in vivo (zebrafish and xenograft mouse models) to demonstrate the crucial role of HDAC6, a cytoplasmic histone deacetylase, in driving RMS tumor growth, self-renewal, and migration/invasion. Treatment with HDAC6-selective inhibitors recapitulates the HDAC6 loss-of-function phenotypes. HDAC6 regulates cytoskeletal dynamics to promote tumor cell migration and invasion. RAC1, a Rho family GTPase, is an essential mediator of HDAC6 function, and is necessary and sufficient for RMS cell migration and invasion. High expression of RAC1 correlates with poor clinical prognosis in RMS patients. Targeting the HDAC6-RAC1 axis represents a promising therapeutic option for improving survival outcomes of RMS patients.
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Raby L, Völkel P, Le Bourhis X, Angrand PO. Genetic Engineering of Zebrafish in Cancer Research. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2168. [PMID: 32759814 PMCID: PMC7464884 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent model to study a wide diversity of human cancers. In this review, we provide an overview of the genetic and reverse genetic toolbox allowing the generation of zebrafish lines that develop tumors. The large spectrum of genetic tools enables the engineering of zebrafish lines harboring precise genetic alterations found in human patients, the generation of zebrafish carrying somatic or germline inheritable mutations or zebrafish showing conditional expression of the oncogenic mutations. Comparative transcriptomics demonstrate that many of the zebrafish tumors share molecular signatures similar to those found in human cancers. Thus, zebrafish cancer models provide a unique in vivo platform to investigate cancer initiation and progression at the molecular and cellular levels, to identify novel genes involved in tumorigenesis as well as to contemplate new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pierre-Olivier Angrand
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277–CANTHER–Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France; (L.R.); (P.V.); (X.L.B.)
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Abstract
Metastasis, the dispersal of cancer cells from a primary tumor to secondary sites within the body, is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Animal models have been an indispensable tool to investigate the complex interactions between the cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment during the metastatic cascade. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a powerful vertebrate model for studying metastatic events in vivo. The zebrafish has many attributes including ex-utero development, which facilitates embryonic manipulation, as well as optically transparent tissues, which enables in vivo imaging of fluorescently labeled cells in real time. Here, we summarize the techniques which have been used to study cancer biology and metastasis in the zebrafish model organism, including genetic manipulation and transgenesis, cell transplantation, live imaging, and high-throughput compound screening. Finally, we discuss studies using the zebrafish, which have complemented and benefited metastasis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy R Astell
- The Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Sieger
- The Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, United Kingdom
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Rubbini D, Cornet C, Terriente J, Di Donato V. CRISPR Meets Zebrafish: Accelerating the Discovery of New Therapeutic Targets. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 25:552-567. [PMID: 32462967 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220926920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Bringing a new drug to the market costs an average of US$2.6 billion and takes more than 10 years from discovery to regulatory approval. Despite the need to reduce cost and time to increase productivity, pharma companies tend to crowd their efforts in the same indications and drug targets. This results in the commercialization of drugs that share the same mechanism of action (MoA) and, in many cases, equivalent efficacies among them-an outcome that helps neither patients nor the balance sheet of the companies trying to bring therapeutics to the same patient population. Indeed, the discovery of new therapeutic targets, based on a deeper understanding of the disease biology, would likely provide more innovative MoAs and potentially greater drug efficacies. It would also bring better chances for identifying appropriate treatments according to the patient's genetic stratification. Nowadays, we count with an enormous amount of unprocessed information on potential disease targets that could be extracted from omics data obtained from patient samples. In addition, hundreds of pharmacological and genetic screenings have been performed to identify innovative drug targets. Traditionally, rodents have been the animal models of choice to perform functional genomic studies. The high experimental cost, combined with the low throughput provided by those models, however, is a bottleneck for discovering and validating novel genetic disease associations. To overcome these limitations, we propose that zebrafish, in conjunction with the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing tools, could streamline functional genomic processes to bring biologically relevant knowledge on innovative disease targets in a shorter time frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Rubbini
- ZeClinics SL, IGTP (Germans Trias I Pujol Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Cornet
- ZeClinics SL, IGTP (Germans Trias I Pujol Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Terriente
- ZeClinics SL, IGTP (Germans Trias I Pujol Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Di Donato
- ZeClinics SL, IGTP (Germans Trias I Pujol Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
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Fazio M, Ablain J, Chuan Y, Langenau DM, Zon LI. Zebrafish patient avatars in cancer biology and precision cancer therapy. Nat Rev Cancer 2020; 20:263-273. [PMID: 32251397 PMCID: PMC8011456 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-020-0252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In precision oncology, two major strategies are being pursued for predicting clinically relevant tumour behaviours, such as treatment response and emergence of drug resistance: inference based on genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic and/or proteomic analysis of patient samples, and phenotypic assays in personalized cancer avatars. The latter approach has historically relied on in vivo mouse xenografts and in vitro organoids or 2D cell cultures. Recent progress in rapid combinatorial genetic modelling, the development of a genetically immunocompromised strain for xenotransplantation of human patient samples in adult zebrafish and the first clinical trial using xenotransplantation in zebrafish larvae for phenotypic testing of drug response bring this tiny vertebrate to the forefront of the precision medicine arena. In this Review, we discuss advances in transgenic and transplantation-based zebrafish cancer avatars, and how these models compare with and complement mouse xenografts and human organoids. We also outline the unique opportunities that these different models present for prediction studies and current challenges they face for future clinical deployment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Fazio
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julien Ablain
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yan Chuan
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - David M Langenau
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Casey MJ, Stewart RA. Pediatric Cancer Models in Zebrafish. Trends Cancer 2020; 6:407-418. [PMID: 32348736 PMCID: PMC7194396 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric cancer is a leading cause of death in children and adolescents. Improvements in pediatric cancer treatment that include the alleviation of long-term adverse effects require a deeper understanding of the genetic, epigenetic, and developmental factors driving these cancers. Here, we review how the unique attributes of the zebrafish model system in embryology, imaging, and scalability have been used to identify new mechanisms of tumor initiation, progression, and relapse and for drug discovery. We focus on zebrafish models of leukemias, neural tumors and sarcomas - the most common and difficult childhood cancers to treat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattie J Casey
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Rodney A Stewart
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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Elliot A, Myllymäki H, Feng Y. Inflammatory Responses during Tumour Initiation: From Zebrafish Transgenic Models of Cancer to Evidence from Mouse and Man. Cells 2020; 9:cells9041018. [PMID: 32325966 PMCID: PMC7226149 DOI: 10.3390/cells9041018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is now an important model organism for cancer biology studies and provides unique and complementary opportunities in comparison to the mammalian equivalent. The translucency of zebrafish has allowed in vivo live imaging studies of tumour initiation and progression at the cellular level, providing novel insights into our understanding of cancer. Here we summarise the available transgenic zebrafish tumour models and discuss what we have gleaned from them with respect to cancer inflammation. In particular, we focus on the host inflammatory response towards transformed cells during the pre-neoplastic stage of tumour development. We discuss features of tumour-associated macrophages and neutrophils in mammalian models and present evidence that supports the idea that these inflammatory cells promote early stage tumour development and progression. Direct live imaging of tumour initiation in zebrafish models has shown that the intrinsic inflammation induced by pre-neoplastic cells is tumour promoting. Signals mediating leukocyte recruitment to pre-neoplastic cells in zebrafish correspond to the signals that mediate leukocyte recruitment in mammalian tumours. The activation state of macrophages and neutrophils recruited to pre-neoplastic cells in zebrafish appears to be heterogenous, as seen in mammalian models, which provides an opportunity to study the plasticity of innate immune cells during tumour initiation. Although several potential mechanisms are described that might mediate the trophic function of innate immune cells during tumour initiation in zebrafish, there are several unknowns that are yet to be resolved. Rapid advancement of genetic tools and imaging technologies for zebrafish will facilitate research into the mechanisms that modulate leukocyte function during tumour initiation and identify targets for cancer prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yi Feng
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-(0)131-242-6685
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current review aims to highlight the frequency of RAS mutations in pediatric leukemias and solid tumors and to propose strategies for targeting oncogenic RAS in pediatric cancers. RECENT FINDINGS The three RAS genes (HRAS, NRAS, and KRAS) comprise the most frequently mutated oncogene family in human cancer. RAS mutations are commonly observed in three of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States, namely lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. The association of RAS mutations with these aggressive malignancies inspired the creation of the National Cancer Institute RAS initiative and spurred intense efforts to develop strategies to inhibit oncogenic RAS, with much recent success. RAS mutations are frequently observed in pediatric cancers; however, recent advances in anti-RAS drug development have yet to translate into pediatric clinical trials. SUMMARY We find that RAS is mutated in common and rare pediatric malignancies and that oncogenic RAS confers a functional dependency in these cancers. Many strategies for targeting RAS are being pursued for malignancies that primarily affect adults and there is a clear need for inclusion of pediatric patients in clinical trials of these agents.
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La transplantation de cellules tumorales chez le poisson zèbre : de la recherche translationnelle à la médecine personnalisée. Bull Cancer 2020; 107:30-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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