1
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Pedace L, Pizzi S, Abballe L, Vinci M, Antonacci C, Patrizi S, Nardini C, Del Bufalo F, Rossi S, Pericoli G, Gianno F, Besharat ZM, Tiberi L, Mastronuzzi A, Ferretti E, Tartaglia M, Locatelli F, Ciolfi A, Miele E. Evaluating cell culture reliability in pediatric brain tumor primary cells through DNA methylation profiling. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:92. [PMID: 38637626 PMCID: PMC11026496 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00578-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In vitro models of pediatric brain tumors (pBT) are instrumental for better understanding the mechanisms contributing to oncogenesis and testing new therapies; thus, ideally, they should recapitulate the original tumor. We applied DNA methylation (DNAm) and copy number variation (CNV) profiling to characterize 241 pBT samples, including 155 tumors and 86 pBT-derived cell cultures, considering serum vs serum-free conditions, late vs early passages, and dimensionality (2D vs 3D cultures). We performed a t-SNE classification and identified differentially methylated regions in tumors compared to cell models. Early cell cultures recapitulate the original tumor, but serum media and 2D culturing were demonstrated to significantly contribute to the divergence of DNAm profiles from the parental ones. All divergent cells clustered together acquiring a common deregulated epigenetic signature suggesting a shared selective pressure. We identified a set of hypomethylated genes shared among unfaithful cells converging on response to growth factors and migration pathways, such as signaling cascade activation, tissue organization, and cellular migration. In conclusion, DNAm and CNV are informative tools that should be used to assess the recapitulation of pBT-cells from parental tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Pedace
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Pizzi
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Luana Abballe
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Vinci
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Celeste Antonacci
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Patrizi
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Nardini
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Del Bufalo
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Rossi
- Pathology Unit, Department of Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Pericoli
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gianno
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomic Pathology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luca Tiberi
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Ferretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "Sapienza" University, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciolfi
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy.
| | - Evelina Miele
- Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
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2
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Sokolov D, Sharda N, Banerjee A, Denisenko K, Basalious EB, Shukla H, Waddell J, Hamdy NM, Banerjee A. Differential Signaling Pathways in Medulloblastoma: Nano-biomedicine Targeting Non-coding Epigenetics to Improve Current and Future Therapeutics. Curr Pharm Des 2024; 30:31-47. [PMID: 38151840 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128277350231219062154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medulloblastomas (MDB) are malignant, aggressive brain tumors that primarily affect children. The survival rate for children under 14 is approximately 72%, while for ages 15 to 39, it is around 78%. A growing body of evidence suggests that dysregulation of signaling mechanisms and noncoding RNA epigenetics play a pivotal role in this disease. METHODOLOGY This study conducted an electronic search of articles on websites like PubMed and Google. The current review also used an in silico databases search and bioinformatics analysis and an extensive comprehensive literature search for original research articles and review articles as well as retrieval of current and future medications in clinical trials. RESULTS This study indicates that several signaling pathways, such as sonic hedgehog, WNT/β-catenin, unfolded protein response mediated ER stress, notch, neurotrophins and TGF-β and ERK, MAPK, and ERK play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of MDB. Gene and ncRNA/protein are also involved as an axis long ncRNA to sponge micro-RNAs that affect downstream signal proteins expression and translation affection disease pathophysiology, prognosis and present potential target hit for drug repurposing. Current treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; unfortunately, the disease often relapses, and the survival rate is less than 5%. Therefore, there is a need to develop more effective treatments to combat recurrence and improve survival rates. CONCLUSION This review describes various MDB disease hallmarks, including the signaling mechanisms involved in pathophysiology, related-causal genes, epigenetics, downstream genes/epigenes, and possibly the causal disease genes/non-protein coding (nc)RNA/protein axis. Additionally, the challenges associated with MDB treatment are discussed, along with how they are being addressed using nano-technology and nano-biomedicine, with a listing of possible treatment options and future potential treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniil Sokolov
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21201, USA
| | - Neha Sharda
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21201, USA
| | - Aindrila Banerjee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kseniia Denisenko
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21201, USA
| | - Emad B Basalious
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Al Kasr Al Aini 11562, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hem Shukla
- Division of Translational Radiation Sciences, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jaylyn Waddell
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nadia M Hamdy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abassia 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Aditi Banerjee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, MD 21201, USA
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3
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Li Y, Zeng PM, Wu J, Luo ZG. Advances and Applications of Brain Organoids. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1703-1716. [PMID: 37222855 PMCID: PMC10603019 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01065-2] [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] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the fundamental processes of human brain development and diseases is of great importance for our health. However, existing research models such as non-human primate and mouse models remain limited due to their developmental discrepancies compared with humans. Over the past years, an emerging model, the "brain organoid" integrated from human pluripotent stem cells, has been developed to mimic developmental processes of the human brain and disease-associated phenotypes to some extent, making it possible to better understand the complex structures and functions of the human brain. In this review, we summarize recent advances in brain organoid technologies and their applications in brain development and diseases, including neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, psychiatric diseases, and brain tumors. Finally, we also discuss current limitations and the potential of brain organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Peng-Ming Zeng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jian Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zhen-Ge Luo
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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4
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Schloo C, Kutscher LM. Modeling brain and neural crest neoplasms with human pluripotent stem cells. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:1225-1235. [PMID: 36757217 PMCID: PMC10326493 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells offer unique avenues to study human-specific aspects of disease and are a highly versatile tool in cancer research. Oncogenic processes and developmental programs often share overlapping transcriptomic and epigenetic signatures, which can be reactivated in induced pluripotent stem cells. With the emergence of brain organoids, the ability to recapitulate brain development and structure has vastly improved, making in vitro models more realistic and hence more suitable for biomedical modeling. This review highlights recent research and current challenges in human pluripotent stem cell modeling of brain and neural crest neoplasms, and concludes with a call for more rigorous quality control and for the development of models for rare tumor subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedar Schloo
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Neuroblastoma Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena M Kutscher
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Developmental Origins of Pediatric Cancer Junior Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Lago C, Gianesello M, Santomaso L, Leva G, Ballabio C, Anderle M, Antonica F, Tiberi L. Medulloblastoma and high-grade glioma organoids for drug screening, lineage tracing, co-culture and in vivo assay. Nat Protoc 2023:10.1038/s41596-023-00839-2. [PMID: 37248391 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00839-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma and high-grade glioma represent the most aggressive and frequent lethal solid tumors affecting individuals during pediatric age. During the past years, several models have been established for studying these types of cancers. Human organoids have recently been shown to be a valid alternative model to study several aspects of brain cancer biology, genetics and test therapies. Notably, brain cancer organoids can be generated using genetically modified cerebral organoids differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). However, the protocols to generate them and their downstream applications are very rare. Here, we describe the protocols to generate cerebellum and forebrain organoids from hiPSCs, and the workflow to genetically modify them by overexpressing genes found altered in patients to finally produce cancer organoids. We also show detailed protocols to use medulloblastoma and high-grade glioma organoids for orthotopic transplantation and co-culture experiments aimed to study cell biology in vivo and in vitro, for lineage tracing to investigate the cell of origin and for drug screening. The protocol takes 60-65 d for cancer organoids generation and from 1-4 weeks for downstream applications. The protocol requires at least 3-6 months to become proficient in culturing hiPSCs, generating organoids and performing procedures on immunodeficient mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lago
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Matteo Gianesello
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Lucia Santomaso
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Gloria Leva
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Claudio Ballabio
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Marica Anderle
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Antonica
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| | - Luca Tiberi
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department CIBIO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
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Marabitti V, Giansanti M, De Mitri F, Gatto F, Mastronuzzi A, Nazio F. Pathological implications of metabolic reprogramming and its therapeutic potential in medulloblastoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1007641. [PMID: 36340043 PMCID: PMC9627342 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1007641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-specific alterations in metabolism have been recognized to sustain the production of ATP and macromolecules needed for cell growth, division and survival in many cancer types. However, metabolic heterogeneity poses a challenge for the establishment of effective anticancer therapies that exploit metabolic vulnerabilities. Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most heterogeneous malignant pediatric brain tumors, divided into four molecular subgroups (Wingless, Sonic Hedgehog, Group 3 and Group 4). Recent progresses in genomics, single-cell sequencing, and novel tumor models have updated the classification and stratification of MB, highlighting the complex intratumoral cellular diversity of this cancer. In this review, we emphasize the mechanisms through which MB cells rewire their metabolism and energy production networks to support and empower rapid growth, survival under stressful conditions, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Additionally, we discuss the potential clinical benefits of currently available drugs that could target energy metabolism to suppress MB progression and increase the efficacy of the current MB therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Marabitti
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Giansanti
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Mitri
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gatto
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Nazio
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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7
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Antonica F, Aiello G, Soldano A, Abballe L, Miele E, Tiberi L. Modeling Brain Tumors: A Perspective Overview of in vivo and Organoid Models. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:818696. [PMID: 35706426 PMCID: PMC9190727 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.818696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain tumors are a large and heterogeneous group of neoplasms that affect the central nervous system and include some of the deadliest cancers. Almost all the conventional and new treatments fail to hinder tumoral growth of the most malignant brain tumors. This is due to multiple factors, such as intra-tumor heterogeneity, the microenvironmental properties of the human brain, and the lack of reliable models to test new therapies. Therefore, creating faithful models for each tumor and discovering tailored treatments pose great challenges in the fight against brain cancer. Over the years, different types of models have been generated, and, in this review, we investigated the advantages and disadvantages of the models currently used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Antonica
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Aiello
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessia Soldano
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Luana Abballe
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Cellular and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Miele
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Cellular and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Tiberi
- Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Disorders and Cancer, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- *Correspondence: Luca Tiberi,
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