1
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Ekstrom TL, Hussain S, Bedekovics T, Ali A, Paolini L, Mahmood H, Rosok RM, Koster J, Johnsen SA, Galardy PJ. USP44 Overexpression Drives a MYC-Like Gene Expression Program in Neuroblastoma through Epigenetic Reprogramming. Mol Cancer Res 2024; 22:812-825. [PMID: 38775808 PMCID: PMC11372370 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-23-0454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is an embryonic cancer that contributes disproportionately to death in young children. Sequencing data have uncovered few recurrently mutated genes in this cancer, although epigenetic pathways have been implicated in disease pathogenesis. We used an expression-based computational screen that examined the impact of deubiquitinating enzymes on patient survival to identify potential new targets. We identified the histone H2B deubiquitinating enzyme USP44 as the enzyme with the greatest impact on survival in patients with neuroblastoma. High levels of USP44 significantly correlate with metastatic disease, unfavorable histology, advanced patient age, and MYCN amplification. The subset of patients with tumors expressing high levels of USP44 had significantly worse survival, including those with tumors lacking MYCN amplification. We showed experimentally that USP44 regulates neuroblastoma cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and neuronal development. Depletion of the histone H2B ubiquitin ligase subunit RNF20 resulted in similar findings, strongly implicating this histone mark as the target of USP44 activity in this disease. Integration of transcriptome and epigenome in analyses demonstrates a distinct set of genes that are regulated by USP44, including those in Hallmark MYC target genes in both murine embryonic fibroblasts and the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line. We conclude that USP44 is a novel epigenetic regulator that promotes aggressive features and may be a novel target in neuroblastoma. Implications: This study identifies a new genetic marker of aggressive neuroblastoma and identifies the mechanisms by which its overactivity contributes to the pathophysiology of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Ekstrom
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota
- Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sajjad Hussain
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Tibor Bedekovics
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Asma Ali
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Lucia Paolini
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Hina Mahmood
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Raya M Rosok
- Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of CEMM, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Paul J Galardy
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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2
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Aljouda NA, Shrestha D, DeVaux C, Olsen RR, Alleboina S, Walker M, Cheng Y, Freeman KW. Transcription factor 4 is a key mediator of oncogenesis in neuroblastoma by promoting MYC activity. Mol Oncol 2024. [PMID: 39119816 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13714] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancer-associated transcription factor networks define cell identity in neuroblastoma (NB). Dysregulation of these transcription factors contributes to the initiation and maintenance of NB by enforcing early developmental identity states. We report that the class I basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor 4 (TCF4; also known as E2-2) is a critical NB dependency gene that significantly contributes to these identity states through heterodimerization with cell-identity-specific bHLH transcription factors. Knockdown of TCF4 significantly induces apoptosis in vitro and inhibits tumorigenicity in vivo. We used genome-wide expression profiling, TCF4 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and TCF4 immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry to determine the role of TCF4 in NB cells. Our results, along with recent findings in NB for the transcription factors T-box transcription factor TBX2, heart- and neural crest derivatives-expressed protein 2 (HAND2) and twist-related protein 1 (TWIST1), propose a role for TCF4 in regulating forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1)/transcription factor E2F-driven gene regulatory networks that control cell cycle progression in cooperation with N-myc proto-oncogene protein (MYCN), TBX2, and the TCF4 dimerization partners HAND2 and TWIST1. Collectively, we showed that TCF4 promotes cell proliferation through direct transcriptional regulation of the c-MYC/MYCN oncogenic program that drives high-risk NB. Mechanistically, our data suggest the novel finding that TCF4 acts to support MYC activity by recruiting multiple factors known to regulate MYC function to sites of colocalization between critical NB transcription factors, TCF4 and MYC oncoproteins. Many of the TCF4-recruited factors are druggable, giving insight into potential therapies for high-risk NB. This study identifies a new function for class I bHLH transcription factors (e.g., TCF3, TCF4, and TCF12) that are important in cancer and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour A Aljouda
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Dewan Shrestha
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Chelsea DeVaux
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Rachelle R Olsen
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Satyanarayana Alleboina
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Megan Walker
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yong Cheng
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kevin W Freeman
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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3
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Kaufman ME, Vayani OR, Moore K, Chlenski A, Wu T, Lee SM, Desai AV, He C, Cohn SL, Applebaum MA. Characterizing Relationships between T-cell Inflammation and Outcomes in Patients with High-Risk Neuroblastoma According to Mesenchymal and Adrenergic Signatures. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:2255-2266. [PMID: 39099200 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-24-0214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Recent insights have identified adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES) cell lineages as distinct biologic cell types and T-cell inflammation as a prognostic marker in neuroblastoma. We hypothesized that elucidating unique and overlapping aspects of these biologic features could serve as novel biomarkers for informing ongoing efforts to improve therapeutic approaches for children with high-risk neuroblastoma. We identified lineage-specific, single-stranded super-enhancers to define ADRN and MES specific genes. Publicly available RNA-seq of diagnostic tumor biopsies was used in Discovery and Validation cohorts. Each tumor was assigned a relative MES score and T-cell inflammation (TCI) score. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were assessed by the log-rank test. Inflammation scores were correlated with MES scores and anticorrelated with MYCN-amplification in both cohorts. Among patients with high-risk, ADRN tumors, those with TCI tumors had superior overall survival to those with non-inflamed tumors. A similar, but nonsignificant, trend was observed in the Validation cohort. Conversely, there was no difference according to TCI status in the MES cohort in either the Discover or Validation cohorts. High-inflammation scores were correlated with improved survival in some patients with high-risk, ADRN but not MES neuroblastoma. Our findings bolster support for further developing T-cell-based and immunotherapy-based approaches for children with high-risk neuroblastoma of varying MES and ADRN expression. SIGNIFICANCE Adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES) lineages are distinct biologic cell types in neuroblastoma. We defined ADRN and MES specific genes and found that high-risk, ADRN tumors harboring elevated T-cell inflammation signatures had superior overall survival. Our findings bolster support for further developing immunotherapy-based approaches for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E Kaufman
- The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Omar R Vayani
- The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Kelley Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Alexandre Chlenski
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tong Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sang Mee Lee
- Biostatistics Laboratory and Research Computing Group, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ami V Desai
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase. Maryland
| | - Susan L Cohn
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mark A Applebaum
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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4
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Rozen EJ, Frantz W, Wigglesworth K, Vessella T, Zhou HS, Shohet JM. Blockade of Discoidin Domain Receptor Signaling with Sitravatinib Reveals DDR2 as a Mediator of Neuroblastoma Pathogenesis and Metastasis. Mol Cancer Ther 2024; 23:1124-1138. [PMID: 38670553 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Oncogene-driven expression and activation of receptor tyrosine kinases promotes tumorigenesis and contributes to drug resistance. Increased expression of the kinases discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2), RET Proto-Oncogene (RET), Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor Alpha (PDGFRA), KIT Proto-Oncogene (KIT), MET Proto-Oncogene (MET), and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) independently correlate with decreased overall survival and event free survival of pediatric neuroblastoma. The multikinase inhibitor sitravatinib targets DDR2, RET, PDGFRA, KIT, and MET with low nanomolar activity and we therefore tested its efficacy against orthotopic and syngeneic tumor models. Sitravatinib markedly reduced cell proliferation and migration in vitro independently of N-Myc proto-oncogene (MYCN), ALK, or c-Myc proto-oncogene status and inhibited proliferation and metastasis of human orthotopic xenografts. Oral administration of sitravatinib to homozygous Th-MYCN transgenic mice (Th-MYCN+/+) after tumor initiation completely arrested further tumor development with no mice dying of disease while maintained on sitravatinib treatment (control cohort 57 days median time to sacrifice). Among these top kinases, DDR2 expression has the strongest correlation with poor survival and high stage at diagnosis and the highest sensitivity to the drug. We confirmed on-target inhibition of collagen-mediated activation of DDR2. Genetic knockdown of DDR2 partially phenocopies sitravatinib treatment, limiting tumor development and metastasis across tumor models. Analysis of single-cell sequencing data demonstrated that DDR2 is restricted to mesenchymal-type tumor subpopulations and is enriched in Schwann cell precursor subpopulations found in high-risk disease. These data define an unsuspected role for sitravatinib as a therapeutic agent in neuroblastoma and reveal a novel function for DDR2 as a driver of tumor growth and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban J Rozen
- Crnic Institute Boulder Branch, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - William Frantz
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Kim Wigglesworth
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Theadora Vessella
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Hong S Zhou
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Jason M Shohet
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
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5
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Nguyen LD, Sengupta S, Cho K, Floru A, George RE, Krichevsky AM. Novel miRNA-inducing drugs enable differentiation of retinoic acid-resistant neuroblastoma cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.05.597584. [PMID: 38895399 PMCID: PMC11185630 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.05.597584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Tumor cell heterogeneity in neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer arising from neural crest-derived progenitor cells, poses a significant clinical challenge. In particular, unlike adrenergic (ADRN) neuroblastoma cells, mesenchymal (MES) cells are resistant to chemotherapy and retinoid therapy and thereby significantly contribute to relapses and treatment failures. Previous research suggested that overexpression or activation of miR-124, a neurogenic microRNA with tumor suppressor activity, can induce the differentiation of retinoic acid-resistant neuroblastoma cells. Leveraging our established screen for miRNA-modulatory small molecules, we validated PP121, a dual inhibitor of tyrosine and phosphoinositide kinases, as a robust inducer of miR-124. A combination of PP121 and BDNF-activating bufalin synergistically arrests proliferation, induces differentiation, and maintains the differentiated state of MES SK-N-AS cells for 8 weeks. RNA-seq and deconvolution analyses revealed a collapse of the ADRN core regulatory circuitry (CRC) and the emergence of novel CRCs associated with chromaffin cells and Schwann cell precursors. Using a similar protocol, we differentiated and maintained MES neuroblastoma GI-ME-N and SH-EP cell lines, as well as glioblastoma LN-229 and U-251 cell lines, for over 16 weeks. In conclusion, our novel protocol suggests a promising treatment for therapy-resistant cancers of the nervous system. Moreover, these long-lived, differentiated cells provide valuable models for studying mechanisms underlying differentiation, maturation, and senescence.
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6
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Sundaramoorthy S, Colombo DF, Sanalkumar R, Broye L, Balmas Bourloud K, Boulay G, Cironi L, Stamenkovic I, Renella R, Kuttler F, Turcatti G, Rivera MN, Mühlethaler-Mottet A, Bardet AF, Riggi N. Preclinical spheroid models identify BMX as a therapeutic target for metastatic MYCN nonamplified neuroblastoma. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e169647. [PMID: 39133652 PMCID: PMC11383371 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.169647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of targeted therapies offers new hope for patients affected by incurable cancer. However, multiple challenges persist, notably in controlling tumor cell plasticity in patients with refractory and metastatic illness. Neuroblastoma (NB) is an aggressive pediatric malignancy originating from defective differentiation of neural crest-derived progenitors with oncogenic activity due to genetic and epigenetic alterations and remains a clinical challenge for high-risk patients. To identify critical genes driving NB aggressiveness, we performed combined chromatin and transcriptome analyses on matched patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), spheroids, and differentiated adherent cultures derived from metastatic MYCN nonamplified tumors. Bone marrow kinase on chromosome X (BMX) was identified among the most differentially regulated genes in PDXs and spheroids versus adherent models. BMX expression correlated with high tumor stage and poor patient survival and was crucial to the maintenance of the self-renewal and tumorigenic potential of NB spheroids. Moreover, BMX expression positively correlated with the mesenchymal NB cell phenotype, previously associated with increased chemoresistance. Finally, BMX inhibitors readily reversed this cellular state, increased the sensitivity of NB spheroids toward chemotherapy, and partially reduced tumor growth in a preclinical NB model. Altogether, our study identifies BMX as a promising innovative therapeutic target for patients with high-risk MYCN nonamplified NB.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rajendran Sanalkumar
- Experimental Pathology Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Liliane Broye
- Experimental Pathology Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Katia Balmas Bourloud
- Department Woman-Mother-Child, Division of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gaylor Boulay
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
| | - Luisa Cironi
- Experimental Pathology Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ivan Stamenkovic
- Experimental Pathology Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raffaele Renella
- Department Woman-Mother-Child, Division of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabien Kuttler
- Biomolecular Screening Facility, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gerardo Turcatti
- Biomolecular Screening Facility, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Miguel N Rivera
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
| | - Annick Mühlethaler-Mottet
- Department Woman-Mother-Child, Division of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anaïs Flore Bardet
- Biotechnology and Cell Signaling (BSC), CNRS UMR7242, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC), CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, INSERM U1258, Illkirch, France
| | - Nicolò Riggi
- Experimental Pathology Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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7
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Fredlund E, Andersson S, Hilgert E, Monferrer E, Álvarez-Hernán G, Karakaya S, Loontiens S, Bek JW, Gregor T, Lecomte E, Magnusson E, Miltenyte E, Cabirol M, Kyknas M, Engström N, Henriksson MA, Hammarlund E, Rosenblum JS, Noguera R, Speleman F, van Nes J, Mohlin S. MOXD1 is a lineage-specific gene and a tumor suppressor in neuroblastoma. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado1583. [PMID: 38905335 PMCID: PMC11192077 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado1583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a childhood developmental cancer; however, its embryonic origins remain poorly understood. Moreover, in-depth studies of early tumor-driving events are limited because of the lack of appropriate models. Herein, we analyzed RNA sequencing data obtained from human neuroblastoma samples and found that loss of expression of trunk neural crest-enriched gene MOXD1 associates with advanced disease and worse outcome. Further, by using single-cell RNA sequencing data of human neuroblastoma cells and fetal adrenal glands and creating in vivo models of zebrafish, chick, and mouse, we show that MOXD1 is a determinate of tumor development. In addition, we found that MOXD1 expression is highly conserved and restricted to mesenchymal neuroblastoma cells and Schwann cell precursors during healthy development. Our findings identify MOXD1 as a lineage-restricted tumor-suppressor gene in neuroblastoma, potentiating further stratification of these tumors and development of novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Fredlund
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stina Andersson
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elien Hilgert
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ezequiel Monferrer
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA Biomedical Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
- Low Prevalence Tumors, Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guadalupe Álvarez-Hernán
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sinan Karakaya
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Siebe Loontiens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan Willem Bek
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tomas Gregor
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Estelle Lecomte
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emma Magnusson
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Enrika Miltenyte
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Cabirol
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michail Kyknas
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Niklas Engström
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Arsenian Henriksson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Biomedicum B7, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emma Hammarlund
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jared S. Rosenblum
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rosa Noguera
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Valencia-INCLIVA Biomedical Health Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
- Low Prevalence Tumors, Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Frank Speleman
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Johan van Nes
- Department of Oncogenomics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sofie Mohlin
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund University Cancer Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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8
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Pucci P, Lee LC, Han M, Matthews JD, Jahangiri L, Schlederer M, Manners E, Sorby-Adams A, Kaggie J, Trigg RM, Steel C, Hare L, James ER, Prokoph N, Ducray SP, Merkel O, Rifatbegovic F, Luo J, Taschner-Mandl S, Kenner L, Burke GAA, Turner SD. Targeting NRAS via miR-1304-5p or farnesyltransferase inhibition confers sensitivity to ALK inhibitors in ALK-mutant neuroblastoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3422. [PMID: 38653965 PMCID: PMC11039739 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47771-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeting Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a promising therapeutic strategy for aberrant ALK-expressing malignancies including neuroblastoma, but resistance to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK TKI) is a distinct possibility necessitating drug combination therapeutic approaches. Using high-throughput, genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens, we identify miR-1304-5p loss as a desensitizer to ALK TKIs in aberrant ALK-expressing neuroblastoma; inhibition of miR-1304-5p decreases, while mimics of this miRNA increase the sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to ALK TKIs. We show that miR-1304-5p targets NRAS, decreasing cell viability via induction of apoptosis. It follows that the farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) lonafarnib in addition to ALK TKIs act synergistically in neuroblastoma, inducing apoptosis in vitro. In particular, on combined treatment of neuroblastoma patient derived xenografts with an FTI and an ALK TKI complete regression of tumour growth is observed although tumours rapidly regrow on cessation of therapy. Overall, our data suggests that combined use of ALK TKIs and FTIs, constitutes a therapeutic approach to treat high risk neuroblastoma although prolonged therapy is likely required to prevent relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perla Pucci
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Liam C Lee
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
- Merck & Co, 2000 Galloping Hill Rd, Kenilworth, NJ, 07033, USA
| | - Miaojun Han
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
- OncoSec, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Jamie D Matthews
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Leila Jahangiri
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
- Nottingham Trent University, School of Science & Technology, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Michaela Schlederer
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleanor Manners
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, SW10 9NH, UK
| | - Annabel Sorby-Adams
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, The Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Joshua Kaggie
- Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Ricky M Trigg
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
- Functional Genomics, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Christopher Steel
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Lucy Hare
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
- Department of Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Emily R James
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Nina Prokoph
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Stephen P Ducray
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK
| | - Olaf Merkel
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
- European Research Initiative for ALK related malignancies (ERIA), Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Firkret Rifatbegovic
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, CCRI, Zimmermannplatz 10, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ji Luo
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Sabine Taschner-Mandl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, CCRI, Zimmermannplatz 10, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Kenner
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
- European Research Initiative for ALK related malignancies (ERIA), Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Applied Metabolomics (CDL-AM), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G A Amos Burke
- Department of Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Suzanne D Turner
- Department of Pathology, Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB20QQ, UK.
- European Research Initiative for ALK related malignancies (ERIA), Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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9
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Lee HM, Wright WC, Pan M, Low J, Currier D, Fang J, Singh S, Nance S, Delahunty I, Kim Y, Chapple RH, Zhang Y, Liu X, Steele JA, Qi J, Pruett-Miller SM, Easton J, Chen T, Yang J, Durbin AD, Geeleher P. A CRISPR-drug perturbational map for identifying compounds to combine with commonly used chemotherapeutics. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7332. [PMID: 37957169 PMCID: PMC10643606 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43134-0] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Combination chemotherapy is crucial for successfully treating cancer. However, the enormous number of possible drug combinations means discovering safe and effective combinations remains a significant challenge. To improve this process, we conduct large-scale targeted CRISPR knockout screens in drug-treated cells, creating a genetic map of druggable genes that sensitize cells to commonly used chemotherapeutics. We prioritize neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial pediatric solid tumor, where ~50% of high-risk patients do not survive. Our screen examines all druggable gene knockouts in 18 cell lines (10 neuroblastoma, 8 others) treated with 8 widely used drugs, resulting in 94,320 unique combination-cell line perturbations, which is comparable to the largest existing drug combination screens. Using dense drug-drug rescreening, we find that the top CRISPR-nominated drug combinations are more synergistic than standard-of-care combinations, suggesting existing combinations could be improved. As proof of principle, we discover that inhibition of PRKDC, a component of the non-homologous end-joining pathway, sensitizes high-risk neuroblastoma cells to the standard-of-care drug doxorubicin in vitro and in vivo using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Our findings provide a valuable resource and demonstrate the feasibility of using targeted CRISPR knockout to discover combinations with common chemotherapeutics, a methodology with application across all cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeong-Min Lee
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - William C Wright
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Min Pan
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jonathan Low
- Department of Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Duane Currier
- Department of Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jie Fang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Shivendra Singh
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Stephanie Nance
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Ian Delahunty
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Yuna Kim
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Richard H Chapple
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Yinwen Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Xueying Liu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jacob A Steele
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
| | - Paul Geeleher
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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10
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D’Amico S, Tempora P, Gragera P, Król K, Melaiu O, De Ioris MA, Locatelli F, Fruci D. Two bullets in the gun: combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy to defeat neuroblastoma by targeting adrenergic-mesenchymal plasticity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1268645. [PMID: 37849756 PMCID: PMC10577183 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a childhood tumor that originates in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and is responsible for 15% of cancer-related deaths in the pediatric population. Despite intensive multimodal treatment, many patients with high-risk NB relapse and develop a therapy-resistant tumor. One of the phenomena related to therapeutic resistance is intratumor heterogeneity resulting from the adaptation of tumor cells in response to different selective environmental pressures. The transcriptional and epigenetic profiling of NB tissue has recently revealed the existence of two distinct cellular identities in the NB, termed adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES), which can spontaneously interconvert through epigenetic regulation. This phenomenon, known as tumor plasticity, has a major impact on cancer pathogenesis. The aim of this review is to describe the peculiarities of these two cell states, and how their plasticity affects the response to current therapeutic treatments, with special focus on the immunogenic potential of MES cells. Furthermore, we will discuss the opportunity to combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy to counteract NB phenotypic interconversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia D’Amico
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Tempora
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Paula Gragera
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Kamila Król
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Ombretta Melaiu
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta De Ioris
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Doriana Fruci
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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11
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Kaufman ME, Vayani OR, Moore K, Chlenski A, Wu T, Chavez G, Lee SM, Desai AV, He C, Cohn SL, Applebaum MA. T-cell inflammation is prognostic of survival in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma enriched for an adrenergic signature. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.26.546541. [PMID: 37425883 PMCID: PMC10326980 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.26.546541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose T-cell inflammation (TCI) has been shown to be a prognostic marker in neuroblastoma, a tumor comprised of cells that can exist in two epigenetic states, adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES). We hypothesized that elucidating unique and overlapping aspects of these biologic features could serve as novel biomarkers. Patients and Methods We detected lineage-specific, single-stranded super-enhancers defining ADRN and MES specific genes. Publicly available neuroblastoma RNA-seq data from GSE49711 (Cohort 1) and TARGET (Cohort 2) were assigned MES, ADRN, and TCI scores. Tumors were characterized as MES (top 33%) or ADRN (bottom 33%), and TCI (top 67% TCI score) or non-inflamed (bottom 33% TCI score). Overall survival (OS) was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were assessed by the log-rank test. Results We identified 159 MES genes and 373 ADRN genes. TCI scores were correlated with MES scores (R=0.56, p<0.001 and R=0.38, p<0.001) and anticorrelated with MYCN -amplification (R=-0.29, p<0.001 and -0.18, p=0.03) in both cohorts. Among Cohort 1 patients with high-risk, ADRN tumors (n=59), those with TCI tumors (n=22) had superior OS to those with non-inflammed tumors (n=37) (p=0.01), though this comparison did not reach significance in Cohort 2. TCI status was not associated with survival in patients with high-risk MES tumors in either cohort. Conclusions High inflammation scores were correlated with improved survival in some high-risk patients with, ADRN but not MES neuroblastoma. These findings have implications for approaches to treating high-risk neuroblastoma.
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12
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Koeniger A, Polo P, Brichkina A, Finkernagel F, Visekruna A, Nist A, Stiewe T, Daude M, Diederich W, Gress T, Adhikary T, Lauth M. Tumor-suppressive disruption of cancer subtype-associated super enhancer circuits by small molecule treatment. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad007. [PMID: 36755960 PMCID: PMC9900422 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional cancer subtypes which correlate with traits such as tumor growth, drug sensitivity or the chances of relapse and metastasis, have been described for several malignancies. The core regulatory circuits (CRCs) defining these subtypes are established by chromatin super enhancers (SEs) driving key transcription factors (TFs) specific for the particular cell state. In neuroblastoma (NB), one of the most frequent solid pediatric cancer entities, two major SE-directed molecular subtypes have been described: A more lineage-committed adrenergic (ADRN) and a mesenchymal (MES) subtype. Here, we found that a small isoxazole molecule (ISX), a frequently used pro-neural drug, reprogrammed SE activity and switched NB cells from an ADRN subtype towards a growth-retarded MES-like state. The MES-like state shared strong transcriptional overlap with ganglioneuroma (GN), a benign and highly differentiated tumor of the neural crest. Mechanistically, ISX suppressed chromatin binding of N-MYC, a CRC-amplifying transcription factor, resulting in loss of key ADRN subtype-enriched components such as N-MYC itself, PHOX2B and ALK, while concomitently, MES subtype markers were induced. Globally, ISX treatment installed a chromatin accessibility landscape typically associated with low risk NB. In summary, we provide evidence that CRCs and cancer subtype reprogramming might be amenable to future therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Koeniger
- Philipps University Marburg, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Pierfrancesco Polo
- Philipps University Marburg, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Anna Brichkina
- Philipps University Marburg, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Finkernagel
- Philipps University Marburg, Bioinformatics Core Facility, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Visekruna
- Philipps University Marburg, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Nist
- Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, Genomics Core Facility, Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stiewe
- Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, Genomics Core Facility, Institute of Molecular Oncology, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Michael Daude
- Philipps University Marburg, Core Facility Medical Chemistry, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Wibke E Diederich
- Philipps University Marburg, Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry and Core Facility Medical Chemistry, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas M Gress
- Philipps University Marburg, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Till Adhikary
- Philipps University Marburg, Institute for Medical Bioinformatics and Biostatistics and Institute for Molecular Biology and Tumor Research, Marburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Lauth
- Philipps University Marburg, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Tumor- and Immune Biology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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13
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Mañas A, Aaltonen K, Andersson N, Hansson K, Adamska A, Seger A, Yasui H, van den Bos H, Radke K, Esfandyari J, Bhave MS, Karlsson J, Spierings D, Foijer F, Gisselsson D, Bexell D. Clinically relevant treatment of PDX models reveals patterns of neuroblastoma chemoresistance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq4617. [PMID: 36306349 PMCID: PMC9616506 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq4617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance and relapses are common in high-risk neuroblastoma (NB). Here, we developed a clinically relevant in vivo treatment protocol mimicking the first-line five-chemotherapy treatment regimen of high-risk NB and applied this protocol to mice with MYCN-amplified NB patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Genomic and transcriptomic analyses were used to reveal NB chemoresistance mechanisms. Intrinsic resistance was associated with high genetic diversity and an embryonic phenotype. Relapsed NB with acquired resistance showed a decreased adrenergic phenotype and an enhanced immature mesenchymal-like phenotype, resembling multipotent Schwann cell precursors. NBs with a favorable treatment response presented a lineage-committed adrenergic phenotype similar to normal neuroblasts. Novel integrated phenotypic gene signatures reflected treatment response and patient prognosis. NB organoids established from relapsed PDX tumors retained drug resistance, tumorigenicity, and transcriptional cell states. This work sheds light on the mechanisms of NB chemotherapy response and emphasizes the importance of transcriptional cell states in chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Mañas
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Kristina Aaltonen
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Natalie Andersson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22185, Sweden
| | - Karin Hansson
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
- Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Aleksandra Adamska
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Seger
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Hiroaki Yasui
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22185, Sweden
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hilda van den Bos
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, AV, Groningen 9713, Netherlands
| | - Katarzyna Radke
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Javanshir Esfandyari
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Madhura Satish Bhave
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
| | - Jenny Karlsson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22185, Sweden
| | - Diana Spierings
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, AV, Groningen 9713, Netherlands
| | - Floris Foijer
- European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, AV, Groningen 9713, Netherlands
| | - David Gisselsson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22185, Sweden
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Skane University Hospital, Lund 22184, Sweden
| | - Daniel Bexell
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund 22381, Sweden
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14
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Single-cell profiling of peripheral neuroblastic tumors identifies an aggressive transitional state that bridges an adrenergic-mesenchymal trajectory. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111455. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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15
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Zeineldin M, Patel AG, Dyer MA. Neuroblastoma: When differentiation goes awry. Neuron 2022; 110:2916-2928. [PMID: 35985323 PMCID: PMC9509448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a leading cause of cancer-related death in children. Accumulated data suggest that differentiation arrest of the neural-crest-derived sympathoadrenal lineage contributes to neuroblastoma formation. The developmental arrest of these cell types explains many biological features of the disease, including its cellular heterogeneity, mutational spectrum, spontaneous regression, and response to drugs that induce tumor cell differentiation. In this review, we provide evidence that supports the notion that arrested neural-crest-derived progenitor cells give rise to neuroblastoma and discuss how this concept could be exploited for clinical management of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maged Zeineldin
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anand G Patel
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, MS-323, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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16
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Gomez RL, Woods LM, Ramachandran R, Abou Tayoun AN, Philpott A, Ali FR. Super-enhancer associated core regulatory circuits mediate susceptibility to retinoic acid in neuroblastoma cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:943924. [PMID: 36147741 PMCID: PMC9485839 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.943924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumour that accounts for more than 15% of cancer-related deaths in children. High-risk tumours are often difficult to treat, and patients' survival chances are less than 50%. Retinoic acid treatment is part of the maintenance therapy given to neuroblastoma patients; however, not all tumours differentiate in response to retinoic acid. Within neuroblastoma tumors, two phenotypically distinct cell types have been identified based on their super-enhancer landscape and transcriptional core regulatory circuitries: adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES). We hypothesized that the distinct super-enhancers in these different tumour cells mediate differential response to retinoic acid. To this end, three different neuroblastoma cell lines, ADRN (MYCN amplified and non-amplified) and MES cells, were treated with retinoic acid, and changes in the super-enhancer landscape upon treatment and after subsequent removal of retinoic acid was studied. Using ChIP-seq for the active histone mark H3K27ac, paired with RNA-seq, we compared the super-enhancer landscape in cells that undergo neuronal differentiation in response to retinoic acid versus those that fail to differentiate and identified unique super-enhancers associated with neuronal differentiation. Among the ADRN cells that respond to treatment, MYCN-amplified cells remain differentiated upon removal of retinoic acid, whereas MYCN non-amplified cells revert to an undifferentiated state, allowing for the identification of super-enhancers responsible for maintaining differentiation. This study identifies key super-enhancers that are crucial for retinoic acid-mediated differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshna Lawrence Gomez
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Laura M. Woods
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Center, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Revathy Ramachandran
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmad N. Abou Tayoun
- Center for Genomic Discovery, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Al Jalila Genomics Center, Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anna Philpott
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Center, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fahad R. Ali
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Genomic Discovery, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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17
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Westerhout EM, Hamdi M, Stroeken P, Nowakowska NE, Lakeman A, van Arkel J, Hasselt NE, Blejlevens B, Akogul N, Haneveld F, Chan A, van Sluis P, Zwijnenburg D, Volckmann R, van Noesel CJ, Adameyko I, van Gronigen T, Koster J, Valentijn LJ, van Nes J, Versteeg R. Correction: Mesenchymal-Type Neuroblastoma Cells Escape ALK Inhibitors. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2657. [PMID: 35844173 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-1915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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Ponzoni M, Bachetti T, Corrias MV, Brignole C, Pastorino F, Calarco E, Bensa V, Giusto E, Ceccherini I, Perri P. Recent advances in the developmental origin of neuroblastoma: an overview. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:92. [PMID: 35277192 PMCID: PMC8915499 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02281-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is a pediatric tumor that originates from neural crest-derived cells undergoing a defective differentiation due to genomic and epigenetic impairments. Therefore, NB may arise at any final site reached by migrating neural crest cells (NCCs) and their progeny, preferentially in the adrenal medulla or in the para-spinal ganglia. NB shows a remarkable genetic heterogeneity including several chromosome/gene alterations and deregulated expression of key oncogenes that drive tumor initiation and promote disease progression. NB substantially contributes to childhood cancer mortality, with a survival rate of only 40% for high-risk patients suffering chemo-resistant relapse. Hence, NB remains a challenge in pediatric oncology and the need of designing new therapies targeted to specific genetic/epigenetic alterations become imperative to improve the outcome of high-risk NB patients with refractory disease or chemo-resistant relapse. In this review, we give a broad overview of the latest advances that have unraveled the developmental origin of NB and its complex epigenetic landscape. Single-cell RNA sequencing with spatial transcriptomics and lineage tracing have identified the NCC progeny involved in normal development and in NB oncogenesis, revealing that adrenal NB cells transcriptionally resemble immature neuroblasts or their closest progenitors. The comparison of adrenal NB cells from patients classified into risk subgroups with normal sympatho-adrenal cells has highlighted that tumor phenotype severity correlates with neuroblast differentiation grade. Transcriptional profiling of NB tumors has identified two cell identities that represent divergent differentiation states, i.e. undifferentiated mesenchymal (MES) and committed adrenergic (ADRN), able to interconvert by epigenetic reprogramming and to confer intra-tumoral heterogeneity and high plasticity to NB. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing has disclosed the existence of two super-enhancers and their associated transcription factor networks underlying MES and ADRN identities and controlling NB gene expression programs. The discovery of NB-specific regulatory circuitries driving oncogenic transformation and maintaining the malignant state opens new perspectives on the design of innovative therapies targeted to the genetic and epigenetic determinants of NB. Remodeling the disrupted regulatory networks from a dysregulated expression, which blocks differentiation and enhances proliferation, toward a controlled expression that prompts the most differentiated state may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Ponzoni
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bachetti
- U.O. Proteomica e Spettrometria di Massa, IRCSS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Corrias
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Brignole
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fabio Pastorino
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Enzo Calarco
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Veronica Bensa
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Elena Giusto
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Isabella Ceccherini
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics of Rare Diseases, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Patrizia Perri
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Via G. Gaslini 5, 16147, Genoa, Italy.
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