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Ye BJ, Li DF, Li XY, Hao JL, Liu DJ, Yu H, Zhang CD. Methylation synthetic lethality: Exploiting selective drug targets for cancer therapy. Cancer Lett 2024; 597:217010. [PMID: 38849016 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
In cancer, synthetic lethality refers to the drug-induced inactivation of one gene and the inhibition of another in cancer cells by a drug, resulting in the death of only cancer cells; however, this effect is not present in normal cells, leading to targeted killing of cancer cells. Recent intensive epigenetic research has revealed that aberrant epigenetic changes are more frequently observed than gene mutations in certain cancers. Recently, numerous studies have reported various methylation synthetic lethal combinations involving DNA damage repair genes, metabolic pathway genes, and paralogs with significant results in cellular models, some of which have already entered clinical trials with promising results. This review systematically introduces the advantages of methylation synthetic lethality and describes the lethal mechanisms of methylation synthetic lethal combinations that have recently demonstrated success in cellular models. Furthermore, we discuss the future opportunities and challenges of methylation synthetic lethality in targeted anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Jie Ye
- Clinical Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Di-Fei Li
- Clinical Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Xin-Yun Li
- Clinical Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Jia-Lin Hao
- Central Laboratory, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Di-Jie Liu
- Central Laboratory, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Hang Yu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Chun-Dong Zhang
- Central Laboratory, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China; Department of Surgical Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China.
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2
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Scattolin D, Maso AD, Ferro A, Frega S, Bonanno L, Guarneri V, Pasello G. The emerging role of Schlafen-11 (SLFN11) in predicting response to anticancer treatments: Focus on small cell lung cancer. Cancer Treat Rev 2024; 128:102768. [PMID: 38797062 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2024.102768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a dismal prognosis. Many efforts have been made so far for identifying novel biomarkers for a personalized treatment for SCLC patients. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) is a protein differently expressed in many cancers and recently emerged as a new potential biomarker. Lower expression of SLFN11 correlates with a worse prognosis in SCLC and other tumors. SLFN11 has a role in tumorigenesis, inducing replication arrest in the presence of DNA damage through the block of the replication fork. SLFN11 interacts also with chromatin accessibility, proteotoxic stress and mammalian target of rapamycin signalling pathway. The expression of SLFN11 is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, including promoter methylation, histone deacetylation, and the histone methylation. The downregulation of SLFN11 correlates with a worse response to topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, alkylating agents, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors in different cancer types. Some studies exploring strategies for overcoming drug resistance in tumors with low levels of SLFN11 showed promising results. One of these strategies includes the interaction with the Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related pathway, constitutively activated and leading to cell survival and tumor growth in the presence of low levels of SLFN11. Furthermore, the expression of SLFN11 is dynamic through time and different anticancer therapy and liquid biopsy seems to be an attractive tool for catching SLFN11 different expressions. Despite this, further investigations exploring SLFN11 as a predictive biomarker, its longitudinal changes, and new strategies to overcome drug resistances are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Scattolin
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Ferro
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Frega
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Bonanno
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Guarneri
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Pasello
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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3
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Kwok M, Agathanggelou A, Stankovic T. DNA damage response defects in hematologic malignancies: mechanistic insights and therapeutic strategies. Blood 2024; 143:2123-2144. [PMID: 38457665 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023019963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The DNA damage response (DDR) encompasses the detection and repair of DNA lesions and is fundamental to the maintenance of genome integrity. Germ line DDR alterations underlie hereditary chromosome instability syndromes by promoting the acquisition of pathogenic structural variants in hematopoietic cells, resulting in increased predisposition to hematologic malignancies. Also frequent in hematologic malignancies are somatic mutations of DDR genes, typically arising from replication stress triggered by oncogene activation or deregulated tumor proliferation that provides a selective pressure for DDR loss. These defects impair homology-directed DNA repair or replication stress response, leading to an excessive reliance on error-prone DNA repair mechanisms that results in genomic instability and tumor progression. In hematologic malignancies, loss-of-function DDR alterations confer clonal growth advantage and adverse prognostic impact but may also provide therapeutic opportunities. Selective targeting of functional dependencies arising from these defects could achieve synthetic lethality, a therapeutic concept exemplified by inhibition of poly-(adenosine 5'-diphosphate ribose) polymerase or the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad 3 related-CHK1-WEE1 axis in malignancies harboring the BRCAness phenotype or genetic defects that increase replication stress. Furthermore, the role of DDR defects as a source of tumor immunogenicity, as well as their impact on the cross talk between DDR, inflammation, and tumor immunity are increasingly recognized, thus providing rationale for combining DDR modulation with immune modulation. The nature of the DDR-immune interface and the cellular vulnerabilities conferred by DDR defects may nonetheless be disease-specific and remain incompletely understood in many hematologic malignancies. Their comprehensive elucidation will be critical for optimizing therapeutic strategies to target DDR defects in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Kwok
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Haematology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Angelo Agathanggelou
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Tatjana Stankovic
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Wang HX, Zhao ZP, Du XY, Peng SL, Xu HY, Tang W, Yang L. SLFN11 promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Med Oncol 2024; 41:54. [PMID: 38206539 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02262-9] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
SLFN11 is abnormally expressed and associated with survival outcomes in various human cancers. However, the role of SLFN11 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical value and potential functions of SLFN11 in ccRCC. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses were performed using online databases. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and western blotting were used to validate the expression data. CCK8, flow cytometry analysis, and EdU staining were performed to determine the level of cell proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis was also used to detect cell apoptosis. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion capability, respectively. SLFN11 was overexpressed and was an independent prognostic factor in ccRCC. SLFN11 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses suggested that SLFN11 may have an impact on tumorigenesis in ccRCC through regulation of the inflammatory response, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and other effectors. Furthermore, SLFN11 knockdown inhibited the phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and could be activated by 740 Y-P. Finally, we demonstrated that miR-183 may specifically target SLFN11, and miR-183 expression was correlated with predicted survival. SLFN11 may play a critical role in ccRCC progression and may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- He-Xi Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Zhi-Peng Zhao
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Xiao-Yi Du
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Sen-Lin Peng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Hao-Yu Xu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
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Gutiérrez M, Zamora I, Freeman MR, Encío IJ, Rotinen M. Actionable Driver Events in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:105. [PMID: 38203275 PMCID: PMC10778712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010105] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) stands out as the most aggressive form of lung cancer, characterized by an extremely high proliferation rate and a very poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate that falls below 7%. Approximately two-thirds of patients receive their diagnosis when the disease has already reached a metastatic or extensive stage, leaving chemotherapy as the remaining first-line treatment option. Other than the recent advances in immunotherapy, which have shown moderate results, SCLC patients cannot yet benefit from any approved targeted therapy, meaning that this cancer remains treated as a uniform entity, disregarding intra- or inter-tumoral heterogeneity. Continuous efforts and technological improvements have enabled the identification of new potential targets that could be used to implement novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we provide an overview of the most recent approaches for SCLC treatment, providing an extensive compilation of the targeted therapies that are currently under clinical evaluation and inhibitor molecules with promising results in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirian Gutiérrez
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
| | - Irene Zamora
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
| | - Michael R. Freeman
- Departments of Urology and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
- Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ignacio J. Encío
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
- IdiSNA, Navarre Institute for Health Research, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mirja Rotinen
- Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.G.); (I.Z.)
- IdiSNA, Navarre Institute for Health Research, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
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Raynaud CM, Ahmed EI, Jabeen A, Sanchez A, Sherif S, Carneiro-Lobo TC, Awad A, Awartani D, Naik A, Thomas R, Decock J, Zoppoli G, Bedongnetti D, Hendrickx WRL. Modulation of SLFN11 induces changes in DNA Damage response in breast cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:291. [PMID: 38001424 PMCID: PMC10668346 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03144-w] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) expression has been recently identified as a dominant genomic determinant of response to DNA damaging agents in numerous cancer types. Thus, several strategies aimed at increasing SLFN11 are explored to restore chemosensitivity of refractory cancers. In this study, we examined various approaches to elevate SLFN11 expression in breast cancer cellular models and confirmed a corresponding increase in chemosensitivity with using the most successful efficient one. As oncogenic transcriptomic downregulation is often driven by methylation of the promotor region, we explore the demethylation effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine), on the SLFN11 gene. Since SLFN11 has been reported as an interferon inducible gene, and interferon is secreted during an active anti-tumor immune response, we investigated the in vitro effect of IFN-γ on SLFN11 expression in breast cancer cell lines. As a secondary approach to pick up cross talk between immune cells and SLFN11 expression we used indirect co-culture of breast cancer cells with activated PBMCs and evaluated if this can drive SLFN11 upregulation. Finally, as a definitive and specific way to modulate SLFN11 expression we implemented SLFN11 dCas9 (dead CRISPR associated protein 9) systems to specifically increase or decrease SLFN11 expression. RESULTS After confirming the previously reported correlation between methylation of SLFN11 promoter and its expression across multiple cell lines, we showed in-vitro that decitabine and IFN-γ could increase moderately the expression of SLFN11 in both BT-549 and T47D cell lines. The use of a CRISPR-dCas9 UNISAM and KRAB system could increase or decrease SLFN11 expression significantly (up to fivefold), stably and specifically in BT-549 and T47D cancer cell lines. We then used the modified cell lines to quantify the alteration in chemo sensitivity of those cells to treatment with DNA Damaging Agents (DDAs) such as Cisplatin and Epirubicin or DNA Damage Response (DDRs) drugs like Olaparib. RNAseq was used to elucidate the mechanisms of action affected by the alteration in SLFN11 expression. In cell lines with robust SLFN11 promoter methylation such as MDA-MB-231, no SLFN11 expression could be induced by any approach. CONCLUSION To our knowledge this is the first report of the stable non-lethal increase of SLFN11 expression in a cancer cell line. Our results show that induction of SLFN11 expression can enhance DDA and DDR sensitivity in breast cancer cells and dCas9 systems may represent a novel approach to increase SLFN11 and achieve higher sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents, improving outcome or decreasing required drug concentrations. SLFN11-targeting therapies might be explored pre-clinically to develop personalized approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eiman I Ahmed
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ayesha Jabeen
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Apryl Sanchez
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shimaa Sherif
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Amany Awad
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Dina Awartani
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Adviti Naik
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Remy Thomas
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Center, Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Center, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Gabriele Zoppoli
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), University of Genoa and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS per l'Oncologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Davide Bedongnetti
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Internal Medicine (DiMI), University of Genoa and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Oncology and Hematology, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Wouter R L Hendrickx
- Tumor Biology and Immunology Lab, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar.
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7
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Solta A, Boettiger K, Kovács I, Lang C, Megyesfalvi Z, Ferk F, Mišík M, Hoetzenecker K, Aigner C, Kowol CR, Knasmueller S, Grusch M, Szeitz B, Rezeli M, Dome B, Schelch K. Entinostat Enhances the Efficacy of Chemotherapy in Small Cell Lung Cancer Through S-phase Arrest and Decreased Base Excision Repair. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:4644-4659. [PMID: 37725585 PMCID: PMC10644001 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-1795] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Acquired chemoresistance is a frequent event in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), one of the deadliest human malignancies. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) have been shown to synergize with different chemotherapeutic agents including cisplatin. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the dual targeting of HDAC inhibition and chemotherapy in SCLC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The efficacy of HDACi and chemotherapy in SCLC was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Synergistic drug interactions were calculated based on the HSA model (Combenefit software). Results from the proteomic analysis were confirmed via ICP-MS, cell-cycle analysis, and comet assays. RESULTS Single entinostat- or chemotherapy significantly reduced cell viability in human neuroendocrine SCLC cells. The combination of entinostat with either cisplatin, carboplatin, irinotecan, epirubicin, or etoposide led to strong synergy in a subset of resistant SCLC cells. Combination treatment with entinostat and cisplatin significantly decreased tumor growth in vivo. Proteomic analysis comparing the groups of SCLC cell lines with synergistic and additive response patterns indicated alterations in cell-cycle regulation and DNA damage repair. Cell-cycle analysis revealed that cells exhibiting synergistic drug responses displayed a shift from G1 to S-phase compared with cells showing additive features upon dual treatment. Comet assays demonstrated more DNA damage and decreased base excision repair in SCLC cells more responsive to combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we decipher the molecular processes behind synergistic interactions between chemotherapy and HDAC inhibition. Moreover, we report novel mechanisms to overcome drug resistance in SCLC, which may be relevant to increasing therapeutic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Solta
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristiina Boettiger
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ildikó Kovács
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Christian Lang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Zsolt Megyesfalvi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Franziska Ferk
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miroslav Mišík
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konrad Hoetzenecker
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Aigner
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian R. Kowol
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Michael Grusch
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Beáta Szeitz
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Melinda Rezeli
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Balazs Dome
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Schelch
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Schelch K, Emminger D, Zitta B, Johnson TG, Kopatz V, Eder S, Ries A, Stefanelli A, Heffeter P, Hoda MA, Hoetzenecker K, Dome B, Berger W, Reid G, Grusch M. Targeting YB-1 via entinostat enhances cisplatin sensitivity of pleural mesothelioma in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett 2023; 574:216395. [PMID: 37730104 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is characterized by poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1) was shown to drive growth and migration of PM cells. Here, we evaluated the effect of genetic and pharmacological targeting of YB-1 on PM growth and response to cisplatin and radiation treatment. YB-1 knockdown via siRNA resulted in reduced PM cell growth, which significantly correlated with wt BAP1 and mutant NF2 and P53 status. Entinostat inhibited YB-1 deacetylation and its efficacy correlated with YB-1 knockdown-induced growth inhibition in 20 PM cell lines. Tumor growth inhibition by siRNA as well as entinostat was confirmed in mouse xenotransplant models. Furthermore, both YBX1-targeting siRNA and entinostat enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin and radiation. In particular, entinostat showed strong synergistic interactions with cisplatin which was linked to significantly increased cellular platinum uptake in all investigated cell models. Importantly, in a mouse model, the combination of cisplatin and entinostat also resulted in stronger growth inhibition than each treatment alone. Our study highlights YB-1 as an attractive target in PM and demonstrates that targeting YB-1 via entinostat is a promising approach to enhance cisplatin and radiation sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Schelch
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute, Gate 3 Hospital Rd, Concord, 2139, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dominik Emminger
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Zitta
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas G Johnson
- Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute, Gate 3 Hospital Rd, Concord, 2139, Sydney, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Verena Kopatz
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Applied and Translational Radiobiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Eder
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Ries
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alessia Stefanelli
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Heffeter
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mir A Hoda
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Konrad Hoetzenecker
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Balazs Dome
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Korányi Frigyes u. 1, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Rath Gyorgy u. 7-9, 1122 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Walter Berger
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Glen Reid
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine and the Maurice Wilkins Centre, 56 Hanover Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Michael Grusch
- Center for Cancer Research and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Borschkegasse 8a, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Gong H, Xue B, Ru J, Pei G, Li Y. Targeted Therapy for EWS-FLI1 in Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4035. [PMID: 37627063 PMCID: PMC10452796 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164035] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a rare and predominantly pediatric malignancy of bone and soft tissue in children and adolescents. Although international collaborations have greatly improved the prognosis of most EwS, the occurrence of macrometastases or relapse remains challenging. The prototypic oncogene EWS-FLI1 acts as an aberrant transcription factor that drives the cellular transformation of EwS. In addition to its involvement in RNA splicing and the DNA damage response, this chimeric protein directly binds to GGAA repeats, thereby modifying the transcriptional profile of EwS. Direct pharmacological targeting of EWS-FLI1 is difficult because of its intrinsically disordered structure. However, targeting the EWS-FLI1 protein complex or downstream pathways provides additional therapeutic options. This review describes the EWS-FLI1 protein partners and downstream pathways, as well as the related target therapies for the treatment of EwS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helong Gong
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, China;
| | - Busheng Xue
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China;
| | - Jinlong Ru
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
| | - Guoqing Pei
- Department of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, China;
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Moliner L, Zhang B, Lamberti G, Ardizzoni A, Byers LA, Califano R. Novel therapeutic strategies for recurrent SCLC. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 186:104017. [PMID: 37150311 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic options for patients with relapsed SCLC are limited, and the prognosis in this setting remains poor. While clinical outcomes for frontline treatment have modestly improved with the introduction of immunotherapy, treatment in the second-line setting persists almost unchanged. In this review, current treatment options and recent advances in molecular biology are described. Emerging therapeutic options in this setting and potential strategies to improve clinical outcomes of these patients are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Moliner
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
| | - Bingnan Zhang
- Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Giuseppe Lamberti
- Department of Specialized, Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40138, Italy
| | - Andrea Ardizzoni
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, 40138, Italy
| | - Lauren A Byers
- Department of Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Raffaele Califano
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK; Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9NT, UK.
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11
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Nakata S, Murai J, Okada M, Takahashi H, Findlay TH, Malebranche K, Parthasarathy A, Miyashita S, Gabdulkhaev R, Benkimoun I, Druillennec S, Chabi S, Hawkins E, Miyahara H, Tateishi K, Yamashita S, Yamada S, Saito T, On J, Watanabe J, Tsukamoto Y, Yoshimura J, Oishi M, Nakano T, Imamura M, Imai C, Yamamoto T, Takeshima H, Sasaki AT, Rodriguez FJ, Nobusawa S, Varlet P, Pouponnot C, Osuka S, Pommier Y, Kakita A, Fujii Y, Raabe EH, Eberhart CG, Natsumeda M. Epigenetic upregulation of Schlafen11 renders
WNT- and SHH-activated medulloblastomas sensitive to cisplatin. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:899-912. [PMID: 36273330 PMCID: PMC10158119 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intensive chemotherapeutic regimens with craniospinal irradiation have greatly improved survival in medulloblastoma patients. However, survival markedly differs among molecular subgroups and their biomarkers are unknown. Through unbiased screening, we found Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11), which is known to improve response to DNA damaging agents in various cancers, to be one of the top prognostic markers in medulloblastomas. Hence, we explored the expression and functions of SLFN11 in medulloblastoma. METHODS SLFN11 expression for each subgroup was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 98 medulloblastoma patient samples and by analyzing transcriptomic databases. We genetically or epigenetically modulated SLFN11 expression in medulloblastoma cell lines and determined cytotoxic response to the DNA damaging agents cisplatin and topoisomerase I inhibitor SN-38 in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS High SLFN11 expressing cases exhibited significantly longer survival than low expressing cases. SLFN11 was highly expressed in the WNT-activated subgroup and in a proportion of the SHH-activated subgroup. While WNT activation was not a direct cause of the high expression of SLFN11, a specific hypomethylation locus on the SLFN11 promoter was significantly correlated with high SLFN11 expression. Overexpression or deletion of SLFN11 made medulloblastoma cells sensitive and resistant to cisplatin and SN-38, respectively. Pharmacological upregulation of SLFN11 by the brain-penetrant histone deacetylase-inhibitor RG2833 markedly increased sensitivity to cisplatin and SN-38 in SLFN11-negative medulloblastoma cells. Intracranial xenograft studies also showed marked sensitivity to cisplatin by SLFN11-overexpression in medulloblastoma cells. CONCLUSIONS High SLFN11 expression is one factor which renders favorable outcomes in WNT-activated and a subset of SHH-activated medulloblastoma possibly through enhancing response to cisplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Nakata
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
| | - Masayasu Okada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Takahashi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Tyler H Findlay
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristen Malebranche
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Akhila Parthasarathy
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Satoshi Miyashita
- Department of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ramil Gabdulkhaev
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ilan Benkimoun
- Department of Neuropathology, GHU Paris-Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Sabine Druillennec
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Sara Chabi
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Eleanor Hawkins
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Hiroaki Miyahara
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Kensuke Tateishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shinji Yamashita
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Shiori Yamada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Taiki Saito
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Jotaro On
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Jun Watanabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Tsukamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Junichi Yoshimura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Makoto Oishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Toshimichi Nakano
- Department of Radiology and Radiation Oncology Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Masaru Imamura
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Chihaya Imai
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Yamamoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hideo Takeshima
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Atsuo T Sasaki
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Fausto J Rodriguez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Center at UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Pascale Varlet
- Department of Neuropathology, GHU Paris-Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Celio Pouponnot
- Institut Curie, Centre de Recherche, F-91405, Orsay, France
- INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-91405, Orsay, France
| | - Satoru Osuka
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, USA
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yukihiko Fujii
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Eric H Raabe
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles G Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Manabu Natsumeda
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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12
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Pongor LS, Tlemsani C, Elloumi F, Arakawa Y, Jo U, Gross JM, Mosavarpour S, Varma S, Kollipara RK, Roper N, Teicher BA, Aladjem MI, Reinhold W, Thomas A, Minna JD, Johnson JE, Pommier Y. Integrative epigenomic analyses of small cell lung cancer cells demonstrates the clinical translational relevance of gene body methylation. iScience 2022; 25:105338. [DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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13
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Zhang X, Huo X, Guo H, Xue L. Combined inhibition of PARP and EZH2 for cancer treatment: Current status, opportunities, and challenges. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:965244. [PMID: 36263120 PMCID: PMC9574044 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.965244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors with BRCA1/2 mutations or homologous recombination repair defects are sensitive to PARP inhibitors through the mechanism of synthetic lethality. Several PARP inhibitors are currently approved for ovarian, breast and pancreatic cancer in clinical practice. However, more than 40% of patients with BRCA1/2 mutations are insensitive to PARP inhibitors, which has aroused attention to the mechanism of PARP resistance and sensitization schemes. PARP inhibitor resistance is related to homologous recombination repair, stability of DNA replication forks, PARylation and epigenetic modification. Studies on epigenetics have become the hotspots of research on PARP inhibitor resistance. As an important epigenetic regulator of transcription mediated by histone methylation, EZH2 interacts with PARP through DNA homologous recombination, DNA replication, posttranslational modification, tumor immunity and other aspects. EZH2 inhibitors have been just shifting from the bench to the bedside, but the combination scheme in cancer therapy has not been fully explored yet. Recently, a revolutionary drug design combining PARP inhibitors and EZH2 inhibitors based on PROTAC techniques has shed light on the resolution of PARP inhibitor resistance. This review summarizes the interactions between EZH2 and PARP, suggests the potential PARP inhibitor sensitization effect of EZH2 inhibitors, and further discusses the potential populations that benefit from the combination of EZH2 inhibitors and PARP inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian, China
| | - Xiao Huo
- Center of Basic Medical Research, Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian, China
- Biobank, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian, China
- *Correspondence: Lixiang Xue, ; Hongyan Guo,
| | - Lixiang Xue
- Center of Basic Medical Research, Institute of Medical Innovation and Research, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian, China
- Biobank, Peking University Third Hospital, Haidian, China
- *Correspondence: Lixiang Xue, ; Hongyan Guo,
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14
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Fischietti M, Eckerdt F, Perez RE, Guillen Magaña JN, Mazewski C, Ho S, Gonzalez C, Streich LD, Beauchamp EM, Heimberger AB, Baran AH, Yue F, James CD, Platanias LC. SLFN11 Negatively Regulates Noncanonical NFκB Signaling to Promote Glioblastoma Progression. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:966-978. [PMID: 36382088 PMCID: PMC9648417 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and incurable brain tumor in nearly all instances, whose disease progression is driven in part by the glioma stem cell (GSC) subpopulation. Here, we explored the effects of Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) in the molecular, cellular, and tumor biology of GBM. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of SLFN11 inhibited GBM cell proliferation and neurosphere growth and was associated with reduced expression of progenitor/stem cell marker genes, such as NES, SOX2, and CD44. Loss of SLFN11 stimulated expression of NFκB target genes, consistent with a negative regulatory role for SLFN11 on the NFκB pathway. Furthermore, our studies identify p21 as a direct transcriptional target of NFκB2 in GBM whose expression was stimulated by loss of SLFN11. Genetic disruption of SLFN11 blocked GBM growth and significantly extended survival in an orthotopic patient-derived xenograft model. Together, our results identify SLFN11 as a novel component of signaling pathways that contribute to GBM and GSC with implications for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Significance:
We identify a negative regulatory role for SLFN11 in noncanonical NFκB signaling that results in suppression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p21. We provide evidence that SLFN11 contributes to regulation of stem cell markers in GBM, promoting the malignant phenotype. In addition, SLFN11 targeting triggers p21 expression and antitumor responses. Our studies define a highly novel function for SLFN11 and identify it as a potential therapeutic target for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariafausta Fischietti
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Frank Eckerdt
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 3Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ricardo E. Perez
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Candice Mazewski
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sang Ho
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Christopher Gonzalez
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lukas D. Streich
- 4Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Elspeth M. Beauchamp
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 5Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Amy B. Heimberger
- 3Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Aneta H. Baran
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 5Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Feng Yue
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 6Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - C. David James
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 3Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Leonidas C. Platanias
- 1Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 2Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- 5Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
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15
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Xiong J, Barayan R, Louie AV, Lok BH. Novel therapeutic combinations with PARP inhibitors for small cell lung cancer: A bench-to-bedside review. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:521-542. [PMID: 35917883 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.07.008] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is treated as a monolithic disease despite the evident intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity. Non-specific DNA-damaging agents have remained the first-line treatment for decades. Recently, emerging transcriptomic and genomic profiling of SCLC tumors identified distinct SCLC subtypes and vulnerabilities towards targeted therapeutics, including inhibitors of the nuclear enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARPi). SCLC cell lines and tumors exhibited an elevated level of PARP1 protein and mRNA compared to healthy lung tissues and other subtypes of lung tumors. Notable responses to PARPi were also observed in preclinical SCLC models. Clinically, PARPi monotherapy exerted variable benefits for SCLC patients. To date, research is being vigorously conducted to examine predictive biomarkers of PARPi response and various PARPi combination strategies to maximize the clinical utility of PARPi. This narrative review summarizes existing preclinical evidence supporting PARPi monotherapy, combination therapy, and respective translation to the clinic. Specifically, we covered the combination of PARPi with DNA-damaging chemotherapy (cisplatin, etoposide, temozolomide), thoracic radiotherapy, immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitors), and many other novel therapeutic agents that target DNA damage response, tumor microenvironment, epigenetic modulation, angiogenesis, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, or autophagy. Putative biomarkers, such as SLFN11 expression, MGMT methylation, E2F1 expression, and platinum sensitivity, which may be predictive of response to distinct therapeutic combinations, were also discussed. The future of SCLC treatment is undergoing rapid change with a focus on tailored and personalized treatment strategies. Further development of cancer therapy with PARPi will immensely benefit at least a subset of biomarker-defined SCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Xiong
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ranya Barayan
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexander V Louie
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Odette Cancer Centre - Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Benjamin H Lok
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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16
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Structural, molecular, and functional insights into Schlafen proteins. EXPERIMENTAL & MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2022; 54:730-738. [PMID: 35768579 PMCID: PMC9256597 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00794-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Schlafen (SLFN) genes belong to a vertebrate gene family encoding proteins with high sequence homology. However, each SLFN is functionally divergent and differentially expressed in various tissues and species, showing a wide range of expression in cancer and normal cells. SLFNs are involved in various cellular and tissue-specific processes, including DNA replication, proliferation, immune and interferon responses, viral infections, and sensitivity to DNA-targeted anticancer agents. The fundamental molecular characteristics of SLFNs and their structures are beginning to be elucidated. Here, we review recent structural insights into the N-terminal, middle and C-terminal domains (N-, M-, and C-domains, respectively) of human SLFNs and discuss the current understanding of their biological roles. We review the distinct molecular activities of SLFN11, SLFN5, and SLFN12 and the relevance of SLFN11 as a predictive biomarker in oncology. The diverse roles that Schlafen family proteins play in cell proliferation, immune modulation, and other biological processes make them promising targets for treating and tracking diseases, especially cancer. Ukhyun Jo and Yves Pommier from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, USA, review the molecular characteristics and structural features of Schlafen proteins. These proteins take their name from the German word for “sleep”, as the first described Schlafen proteins caused cells to stop dividing, although later reports found that related members of the same protein family serve myriad cellular functions, including in the regulation of DNA replication. A better understanding of Schlafen proteins could open up new avenues in cancer management, for instance, diagnostics that monitor activity levels of one such protein, SLFN11, could help oncologists predict how well patients might respond to anti-cancer therapies.
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17
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Abbotts R, Dellomo AJ, Rassool FV. Pharmacologic Induction of BRCAness in BRCA-Proficient Cancers: Expanding PARP Inhibitor Use. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2640. [PMID: 35681619 PMCID: PMC9179544 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family of proteins has been implicated in numerous cellular processes, including DNA repair, translation, transcription, telomere maintenance, and chromatin remodeling. Best characterized is PARP1, which plays a central role in the repair of single strand DNA damage, thus prompting the development of small molecule PARP inhibitors (PARPi) with the intent of potentiating the genotoxic effects of DNA damaging agents such as chemo- and radiotherapy. However, preclinical studies rapidly uncovered tumor-specific cytotoxicity of PARPi in a subset of cancers carrying mutations in the BReast CAncer 1 and 2 genes (BRCA1/2), which are defective in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway, and several PARPi are now FDA-approved for single agent treatment in BRCA-mutated tumors. This phenomenon, termed synthetic lethality, has now been demonstrated in tumors harboring a number of repair gene mutations that produce a BRCA-like impairment of HR (also known as a 'BRCAness' phenotype). However, BRCA mutations or BRCAness is present in only a small subset of cancers, limiting PARPi therapeutic utility. Fortunately, it is now increasingly recognized that many small molecule agents, targeting a variety of molecular pathways, can induce therapeutic BRCAness as a downstream effect of activity. This review will discuss the potential for targeting a broad range of molecular pathways to therapeutically induce BRCAness and PARPi synthetic lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Abbotts
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (A.J.D.); (F.V.R.)
- University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Anna J. Dellomo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (A.J.D.); (F.V.R.)
- University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Feyruz V. Rassool
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (A.J.D.); (F.V.R.)
- University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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18
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Can Schlafen 11 Help to Stratify Ovarian Cancer Patients Treated with DNA-Damaging Agents? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14102353. [PMID: 35625957 PMCID: PMC9139752 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102353] [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: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Platinum-based chemotherapy has been the cornerstone of systemic treatment in ovarian cancer. Since no validated molecular predictive markers have been identified yet, the response to platinum-based chemotherapy has been evaluated clinically, based on platinum-free interval. The new promising marker Schlafen 11 seems to correlate with sensitivity or resistance to DNA-damaging agents, including platinum compounds or PARP inhibitors in various types of cancer. We provide background information about the function of Schlafen 11, its evaluation in tumor tissue, and its prevalence in ovarian cancer. We discuss the current evidence of the correlation of Schlafen 11 expression in ovarian cancer with treatment outcomes and the potential use of Schlafen 11 as the key predictive and prognostic marker that could help to better stratify ovarian cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy or PARP inhibitors. We also provide perspectives on future directions in the research on this promising marker.
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19
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Ma C, Ma RJ, Hu K, Zheng QM, Wang YP, Zhang N, Sun ZG. The molecular mechanism of METTL3 promoting the malignant progression of lung cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:133. [PMID: 35331234 PMCID: PMC8944087 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02539-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer remains one of the major causes of cancer-related death globally. Recent studies have shown that aberrant m6A levels caused by METTL3 are involved in the malignant progression of various tumors, including lung cancer. The m6A modification, the most abundant RNA chemical modification, regulates RNA stabilization, splicing, translation, decay, and nuclear export. The methyltransferase complex plays a key role in the occurrence and development of many tumors by installing m6A modification. In this complex, METTL3 is the first identified methyltransferase, which is also the major catalytic enzyme. Recent findings have revealed that METTL3 is remarkably associated with different aspects of lung cancer progression, influencing the prognosis of patients. In this review, we will focus on the underlying mechanism of METT3 in lung cancer and predict the future work and potential clinical application of targeting METTL3 for lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ma
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 105 Jiefang Road, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shangdong, China
| | - Rui-Jie Ma
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, Shangdong, China
| | - Kang Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 105 Jiefang Road, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shangdong, China
| | - Qi-Ming Zheng
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, Shangdong, China
| | - Ye-Peng Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 105 Jiefang Road, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Breast Center, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 105 Jiefang Road, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China.
| | - Zhi-Gang Sun
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 105 Jiefang Road, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China.
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20
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Yin YP, Ma LY, Cao GZ, Hua JH, Lv XT, Lin WC. FK228 potentiates topotecan activity against small cell lung cancer cells via induction of SLFN11. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021; 43:2119-2127. [PMID: 34893686 PMCID: PMC9343610 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00817-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The response rate of topotecan, as a second-line chemotherapeutic drug for small cell lung cancer, is ~20%. DNA/RNA helicase SLFN11 (schlafen family member 11), a member of the Schlafen (SLFN) family, is a crucial determinant of response to many DNA damaging agents, expression of SLFN11 tends to augment the antitumor effects of the commonly used DNA-targeting agents. In the present study we investigated how SLFN11 expression regulated the sensitivity of small cell lung cancer to topotecan. We showed that SLFN11 expression levels were positively associated with the sensitivity to topotecan in a panel of seven SCLC cell lines. Topotecan treatment induced different patterns of the DNA response network in SCLC cells: DNA damage response (DDR) was more prominently activated in SLFN11-deficient SCLC cell line H82 than in SLFN11-plentiful SCLC cell line DMS273, whereas topotecan induced significant accumulation of p-Chk1, p-RPA2 and Rad51 in H82 cells, but not in DMS273 cells. We unraveled that SLFN11 expression was highly negatively correlated to the methylation of the SLFN11 promoter. HDAC inhibitors FK228 and SAHA dose-dependently increased SLFN11 expression through suppressing DNA methylation at the SLFN11 promoter, thereby sensitizing SCLC cells to topotecan. Finally, we assessed the methylation status of the SLFN11 promoter in 27 SCLC clinical specimens, and found that most of the clinical samples (24/27) showed DNA methylation at the SLFN11 promoter. In conclusion, it is feasible to combine topotecan with FK228 to improve the response rate of topotecan in SCLC patients.
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21
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Ntzifa A, Londra D, Rampias T, Kotsakis A, Georgoulias V, Lianidou E. DNA Methylation Analysis in Plasma Cell-Free DNA and Paired CTCs of NSCLC Patients before and after Osimertinib Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13235974. [PMID: 34885084 PMCID: PMC8656722 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13235974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Osimertinib has been an effective second-line treatment in EGFR mutant NSCLC patients; however, resistance inevitably occurs. DNA methylation has been previously implicated in NSCLC progression and often in therapy resistance, however its distinct role in osimertinib resistance is not elucidated as yet. In the present study, we directly compared DNA methylation of nine selected genes (RASSF1A, RASSF10, APC, WIF-1, BRMS1, SLFN11, RARβ, SHISA3, and FOXA1) in plasma-cfDNA and paired CTCs of NSCLC patients who were longitudinally monitored during osimertinib treatment. Peripheral blood (PB) from 42 NSCLC patients was obtained at two time points: (a) baseline: before treatment with osimertinib and (b) at progression of disease (PD). DNA methylation of the selected genes was detected in plasma-cfDNA (n = 80) and in paired CTCs (n = 74). Direct comparison of DNA methylation of six genes between plasma-cfDNA and paired CTC samples (n = 70) revealed a low concordance, indicating that CTCs and cfDNA give complementary information. DNA methylation analysis of plasma-cfDNA and CTCs indicated that when at least one of these genes was methylated there was a statistically significant increase at PD compared to baseline (p = 0.031). For the first time, DNA methylation analysis in plasma-cfDNA and paired CTCs of NSCLC patients during osimertinib therapy indicated that DNA methylation of these genes could be a possible resistance mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliki Ntzifa
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Lab, Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece; (A.N.); (D.L.)
| | - Dora Londra
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Lab, Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece; (A.N.); (D.L.)
| | - Theodoros Rampias
- Basic Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Athanasios Kotsakis
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Vassilis Georgoulias
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hellenic Oncology Research Group (HORG), 11471 Athens, Greece;
| | - Evi Lianidou
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells Lab, Lab of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece; (A.N.); (D.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-210-727-4311
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22
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Taniyama D, Sakamoto N, Takashima T, Takeda M, Pham QT, Ukai S, Maruyama R, Harada K, Babasaki T, Sekino Y, Hayashi T, Sentani K, Pommier Y, Murai J, Yasui W. Prognostic impact of Schlafen 11 in bladder cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Cancer Sci 2021; 113:784-795. [PMID: 34808009 PMCID: PMC8819307 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The utility of Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) expression as a predictive biomarker for platinum‐based chemotherapy has been established for cancers from different histologies. However, the therapeutic relevance of SLFN11 in bladder cancer (BC) is unknown. Here, we examined the clinicopathologic significance of SLFN11 expression across 120 BC cases by immunohistochemistry. We divided the cases into two cohorts, one including 50 patients who received adjuvant or neoadjuvant platinum‐based chemotherapy, and the other including 70 BC patients treated by surgical resection without chemotherapy. In the cohort of 50 BC cases treated with platinum‐based chemotherapy, the SLFN11‐positive group (n = 25) showed significantly better overall survival than the SLFN11‐negative group (n = 25, P = .012). Schlafen 11 expression correlated significantly with the expression of luminal subtype marker GATA3. Multivariate analyses identified SLFN11 expression as an independent prognostic predictor (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.11‐0.91; P = .033). Conversely, in the cohort of 70 BC cases not receiving platinum‐based chemotherapy, the SLFN11‐positive group (n = 29) showed significantly worse overall survival than the SLFN11‐negative group (n = 41, P = .034). In vitro analyses using multiple BC cell lines confirmed that SLFN11 KO rendered cells resistant to cisplatin. The epigenetic modifying drugs 5‐azacytidine and entinostat restored SLFN11 expression and resensitized cells to cisplatin and carboplatin in SLFN11‐negative BC cell lines. We conclude that SLFN11 is a predictive biomarker for BC patients who undergo platinum‐based chemotherapy and that the combination of epigenetic modifiers could rescue refractory BC patients to platinum derivatives by reactivating SLFN11 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Taniyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Takashima
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Masahiko Takeda
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Quoc Thang Pham
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shoichi Ukai
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryota Maruyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Harada
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takashi Babasaki
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.,Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yohei Sekino
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tetsutaro Hayashi
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Sentani
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
| | - Wataru Yasui
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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23
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A wake-up call for cancer DNA damage: the role of Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) across multiple cancers. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:1333-1340. [PMID: 34294893 PMCID: PMC8576031 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01476-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA-damaging agents exploit increased genomic instability, a hallmark of cancer. Recently, inhibitors targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) pathways, such as PARP inhibitors, have also shown promising therapeutic potential. However, not all tumors respond well to these treatments, suggesting additional determinants of response are required. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11), a putative DNA/RNA helicase that induces irreversible replication block, is emerging as an important regulator of cellular response to DNA damage. Preclinical and emerging clinical trial data suggest that SLFN11 is a predictive biomarker of response to a wide range of therapeutics that cause DNA damage including platinum salts and topoisomerase I/II inhibitors, as well as PARP inhibitors, which has raised exciting possibilities for its clinical application. In this article, we review the function, prevalence, and clinical testing of SLFN11 in tumor biopsy samples and circulating tumor cells. We discuss mounting evidence of SLFN11 as a key predictive biomarker for a wide range of cancer therapeutics and as a prognostic marker across several cancer types. Furthermore, we discuss emerging areas of investigation such as epigenetic reactivation of SLFN11 and its role in activating immune response. We then provide perspectives on open questions and future directions in studying this important biomarker.
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24
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Murai Y, Jo U, Murai J, Fukuda S, Takebe N, Pommier Y. Schlafen 11 expression in human acute leukemia cells with gain-of-function mutations in the interferon-JAK signaling pathway. iScience 2021; 24:103173. [PMID: 34693224 PMCID: PMC8517841 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Schlafen11 (SLFN11) is referred to as interferon (IFN)-inducible. Based on cancer genomic databases, we identified human acute myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemia cells with gain-of-function mutations in the Janus kinase (JAK) family as exhibiting high SLFN11 expression. In these cells, the clinical JAK inhibitors cerdulatinib, ruxolitinib, and tofacitinib reduced SLFN11 expression, but IFN did not further induce SLFN11 despite phosphorylated STAT1. We provide evidence that suppression of SLFN11 by JAK inhibitors is caused by inactivation of the non-canonical IFN pathway controlled by AKT and ERK. Accordingly, the AKT and ERK inhibitors MK-2206 and SCH77284 suppressed SLFN11 expression. Both also suppressed the E26 transformation-specific (ETS)-family genes ETS-1 and FLI-1 that act as transcription factors for SLFN11. Moreover, SLFN11 expression was inhibited by the ETS inhibitor TK216. Our study reveals that SLFN11 expression is regulated via the JAK, AKT and ERK, and ETS axis. Pharmacological suppression of SLFN11 warrants future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhisa Murai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Ukhyun Jo
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Shinsaku Fukuda
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Naoko Takebe
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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25
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Nguyen A, Dzulko M, Murr J, Yen Y, Schneider G, Krämer OH. Class 1 Histone Deacetylases and Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated Kinase Control the Survival of Murine Pancreatic Cancer Cells upon dNTP Depletion. Cells 2021; 10:2520. [PMID: 34685500 PMCID: PMC8534202 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive disease with a dismal prognosis. Here, we show how an inhibition of de novo dNTP synthesis by the ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitor hydroxyurea and an inhibition of epigenetic modifiers of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) family affect short-term cultured primary murine PDAC cells. We used clinically relevant doses of hydroxyurea and the class 1 HDAC inhibitor entinostat. We analyzed the cells by flow cytometry and immunoblot. Regarding the induction of apoptosis and DNA replication stress, hydroxyurea and the novel RNR inhibitor COH29 are superior to the topoisomerase-1 inhibitor irinotecan which is used to treat PDAC. Entinostat promotes the induction of DNA replication stress by hydroxyurea. This is associated with an increase in the PP2A subunit PR130/PPP2R3A and a reduction of the ribonucleotide reductase subunit RRM2 and the DNA repair protein RAD51. We further show that class 1 HDAC activity promotes the hydroxyurea-induced activation of the checkpoint kinase ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM). Unlike in other cell systems, ATM is pro-apoptotic in hydroxyurea-treated murine PDAC cells. These data reveal novel insights into a cytotoxic, ATM-regulated, and HDAC-dependent replication stress program in PDAC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Nguyen
- Department of Toxicology, University Medical Center, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.N.); (M.D.)
| | - Melanie Dzulko
- Department of Toxicology, University Medical Center, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.N.); (M.D.)
| | - Janine Murr
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, 81675 München, Germany; (J.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Yun Yen
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
| | - Günter Schneider
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, 81675 München, Germany; (J.M.); (G.S.)
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver H. Krämer
- Department of Toxicology, University Medical Center, Obere Zahlbacher Str. 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.N.); (M.D.)
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26
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Jo U, Murai Y, Takebe N, Thomas A, Pommier Y. Precision Oncology with Drugs Targeting the Replication Stress, ATR, and Schlafen 11. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4601. [PMID: 34572827 PMCID: PMC8465591 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine aims to implement strategies based on the molecular features of tumors and optimized drug delivery to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment. DNA replication is a logical approach because it can be targeted by a broad range of anticancer drugs that are both clinically approved and in development. These drugs increase deleterious replication stress (RepStress); however, how to selectively target and identify the tumors with specific molecular characteristics are unmet clinical needs. Here, we provide background information on the molecular processes of DNA replication and its checkpoints, and discuss how to target replication, checkpoint, and repair pathways with ATR inhibitors and exploit Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) as a predictive biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ukhyun Jo
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-4264, USA; (Y.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Yasuhisa Murai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-4264, USA; (Y.M.); (A.T.)
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
| | - Naoko Takebe
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-4264, USA;
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-4264, USA; (Y.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892-4264, USA; (Y.M.); (A.T.)
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27
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Schlafens: Emerging Proteins in Cancer Cell Biology. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092238. [PMID: 34571887 PMCID: PMC8465726 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Schlafens (SLFN) are a family of genes widely expressed in mammals, including humans and rodents. These intriguing proteins play different roles in regulating cell proliferation, cell differentiation, immune cell growth and maturation, and inhibiting viral replication. The emerging evidence is implicating Schlafens in cancer biology and chemosensitivity. Although Schlafens share common domains and a high degree of homology, different Schlafens act differently. In particular, they show specific and occasionally opposing effects in some cancer types. This review will briefly summarize the history, structure, and non-malignant biological functions of Schlafens. The roles of human and mouse Schlafens in different cancer types will then be outlined. Finally, we will discuss the implication of Schlafens in the anti-tumor effect of interferons and the use of Schlafens as predictors of chemosensitivity.
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28
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Takashima T, Taniyama D, Sakamoto N, Yasumoto M, Asai R, Hattori T, Honma R, Thang PQ, Ukai S, Maruyama R, Harada K, Kuraoka K, Tanabe K, Sasaki AT, Ohdan H, Morii E, Murai J, Yasui W. Schlafen 11 predicts response to platinum-based chemotherapy in gastric cancers. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:65-77. [PMID: 33785877 PMCID: PMC8257722 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01364-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although unresectable or recurrent gastric cancers (GC) are frequently treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, response to treatment remains unpredictable. Because Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) is recently identified as a critical determinant of platinum sensitivity, we investigated the potential clinical utility of SLFN11 in the treatment of GC. METHODS We analysed the correlation between SLFN11 expression and overall survival in 169 GC patients by our established immunohistochemical approach. The impact of SLFN11 expression on the response to platinum and transition of SLFN11 expression upon long-term treatment with platinum were examined using GC cell lines and organoids. RESULTS GC patients with high-SLFN11 expression exhibited significantly better survival than those with low-SLFN11 expression, and the significance increased when we selected patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Knockout of SLFN11 and reactivation of SLFN11 in GC cells conferred resistance and sensitivity to platinum, respectively. In GC cells and organoids, long-term treatment with oxaliplatin suppressed SLFN11 expression while imparting drug resistance. The acquired resistance to oxaliplatin was reversed by reactivation of SLFN11 with epigenetic modifying drugs. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report revealing definitive clinical implications of SLFN11 in the treatment of GC patients and providing novel strategies for the drug selection based on SLFN11 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Takashima
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Daiki Taniyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Maika Yasumoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Asai
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takuya Hattori
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ririno Honma
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Pham Quoc Thang
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shoichi Ukai
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryota Maruyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenji Harada
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kuraoka
- Institute for Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Hospital Organization, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Tanabe
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Atsuo T Sasaki
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Hideki Ohdan
- Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Eiichi Morii
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan.
| | - Wataru Yasui
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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29
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Coussy F, El-Botty R, Château-Joubert S, Dahmani A, Montaudon E, Leboucher S, Morisset L, Painsec P, Sourd L, Huguet L, Nemati F, Servely JL, Larcher T, Vacher S, Briaux A, Reyes C, La Rosa P, Lucotte G, Popova T, Foidart P, Sounni NE, Noel A, Decaudin D, Fuhrmann L, Salomon A, Reyal F, Mueller C, Ter Brugge P, Jonkers J, Poupon MF, Stern MH, Bièche I, Pommier Y, Marangoni E. BRCAness, SLFN11, and RB1 loss predict response to topoisomerase I inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancers. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/531/eaax2625. [PMID: 32075943 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aax2625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitors trap TOP1 cleavage complexes resulting in DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) during replication, which are repaired by homologous recombination (HR). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) could be eligible for TOP1 inhibitors given the considerable proportion of tumors with a defect in HR-mediated repair (BRCAness). The TOP1 inhibitor irinotecan was tested in 40 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of TNBC. BRCAness was determined with a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay, and expression of Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) and retinoblastoma transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1) was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry analyses. In addition, the combination of irinotecan and the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor VE-822 was tested in SLFN11-negative PDXs, and two clinical non-camptothecin TOP1 inhibitors (LMP400 and LMP776) were tested. Thirty-eight percent of the TNBC models responded to irinotecan. BRCAness combined with high SLFN11 expression and RB1 loss identified highly sensitive tumors, consistent with the notion that deficiencies in cell cycle checkpoints and DNA repair result in high sensitivity to TOP1 inhibitors. Treatment by the ATR inhibitor VE-822 increased sensitivity to irinotecan in SLFN11-negative PDXs and abolished irinotecan-induced phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1). LMP400 (indotecan) and LMP776 (indimitecan) showed high antitumor activity in BRCA1-mutated or BRCAness-positive PDXs. Last, low SLFN11 expression was associated with poor survival in 250 patients with TNBC treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy. In conclusion, a substantial proportion of TNBC respond to irinotecan. BRCAness, high SLFN11 expression, and RB1 loss are highly predictive of response to irinotecan and the clinical indenoisoquinoline TOP1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Coussy
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.,Medical Oncology Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.,Genetics Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Rania El-Botty
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Ahmed Dahmani
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Elodie Montaudon
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sophie Leboucher
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, UMR3306, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Ludivine Morisset
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Painsec
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laura Sourd
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Léa Huguet
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fariba Nemati
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Servely
- BioPôle Alfort, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94704 Maisons Alfort, France.,INRA, PHASE Department, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Sophie Vacher
- Genetics Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Adrien Briaux
- Genetics Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Cécile Reyes
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Philippe La Rosa
- INSERM, U900, 75005 Paris, France.,Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Georges Lucotte
- INSERM, U900, 75005 Paris, France.,Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Tatiana Popova
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.,INSERM U830, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Foidart
- Laboratory of Tumor and Developmental Biology, Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Génoprotéomique Appliqué-Cancer (GIGA-Cancer), University of Liège, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Nor Eddine Sounni
- Laboratory of Tumor and Developmental Biology, Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Génoprotéomique Appliqué-Cancer (GIGA-Cancer), University of Liège, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Agnès Noel
- Laboratory of Tumor and Developmental Biology, Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Génoprotéomique Appliqué-Cancer (GIGA-Cancer), University of Liège, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Didier Decaudin
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.,Medical Oncology Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laetitia Fuhrmann
- Department of Pathology, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Anne Salomon
- Department of Pathology, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fabien Reyal
- Surgery Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.,U932, Immunity and Cancer, INSERM, Institut Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Christopher Mueller
- Queen's Cancer Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Petra Ter Brugge
- Division of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics Centre Netherlands, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, 1066 CX, Netherlands
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Division of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genomics Centre Netherlands, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, 1066 CX, Netherlands
| | - Marie-France Poupon
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marc-Henri Stern
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.,INSERM U830, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ivan Bièche
- Genetics Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Elisabetta Marangoni
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, 75005 Paris, France.
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Kaur S, Bronson SM, Pal-Nath D, Miller TW, Soto-Pantoja DR, Roberts DD. Functions of Thrombospondin-1 in the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4570. [PMID: 33925464 PMCID: PMC8123789 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of thrombospondin-1 as an angiogenesis inhibitor in 1990 prompted interest in its role in cancer biology and potential as a therapeutic target. Decreased thrombospondin-1 mRNA and protein expression are associated with progression in several cancers, while expression by nonmalignant cells in the tumor microenvironment and circulating levels in cancer patients can be elevated. THBS1 is not a tumor suppressor gene, but the regulation of its expression in malignant cells by oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes mediates some of their effects on carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis. In addition to regulating angiogenesis and perfusion of the tumor vasculature, thrombospondin-1 limits antitumor immunity by CD47-dependent regulation of innate and adaptive immune cells. Conversely, thrombospondin-1 is a component of particles released by immune cells that mediate tumor cell killing. Thrombospondin-1 differentially regulates the sensitivity of malignant and nonmalignant cells to genotoxic stress caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The diverse activities of thrombospondin-1 to regulate autophagy, senescence, stem cell maintenance, extracellular vesicle function, and metabolic responses to ischemic and genotoxic stress are mediated by several cell surface receptors and by regulating the functions of several secreted proteins. This review highlights progress in understanding thrombospondin-1 functions in cancer and the challenges that remain in harnessing its therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukhbir Kaur
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (S.K.); (D.P.-N.)
| | - Steven M. Bronson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA;
| | - Dipasmita Pal-Nath
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (S.K.); (D.P.-N.)
| | - Thomas W. Miller
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, 13273 Marseille, France
| | - David R. Soto-Pantoja
- Department of Surgery and Department of Cancer Biology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - David D. Roberts
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (S.K.); (D.P.-N.)
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Chromatin Remodeling and Immediate Early Gene Activation by SLFN11 in Response to Replication Stress. Cell Rep 2021; 30:4137-4151.e6. [PMID: 32209474 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) was recently discovered as a cellular restriction factor against replication stress. Here, we show that SLFN11 increases chromatin accessibility genome wide, prominently at active promoters in response to replication stress induced by the checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitor prexasertib or the topoisomerase I (TOP1) inhibitor camptothecin. Concomitantly, SLFN11 selectively activates cellular stress response pathways by inducing the transcription of the immediate early genes (IEGs), including JUN, FOS, EGR1, NFKB2, and ATF3, together with the cell cycle arrest genes CDKN1A (p21WAF1) and GADD45. Both chromatin remodeling and IEG activation require the putative ATPase and helicase activity of SLFN11, whereas canonical extrinsic IEG activation is SLFN11 independent. SLFN11-dependent IEG activation by camptothecin is also observed across 55 non-isogenic NCI-60 cell lines. We conclude that SLFN11 acts as a global regulator of chromatin structure and an intrinsic IEG activator with the potential to engage the innate immune activation in response to replicative stress.
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Drapkin BJ, Rudin CM. Advances in Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Translational Research. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a038240. [PMID: 32513672 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a038240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the past several years, we have witnessed a resurgence of interest in the biology and therapeutic vulnerabilities of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). This has been driven in part through the development of a more extensive array of representative models of disease, including a diverse variety of genetically engineered mouse models and human tumor xenografts. Herein, we review recent progress in SCLC model development, and consider some of the particularly active avenues of translational research in SCLC, including interrogation of intratumoral heterogeneity, insights into the cell of origin and oncogenic drivers, mechanisms of chemoresistance, and new therapeutic opportunities including biomarker-directed targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Whereas SCLC remains a highly lethal disease, these new avenues of translational research, bringing together mechanism-based preclinical and clinical research, offer new hope for patients with SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Drapkin
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
| | - Charles M Rudin
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA
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33
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Mao S, Chaerkady R, Yu W, D'Angelo G, Garcia A, Chen H, Barrett AM, Phipps S, Fleming R, Hess S, Koopmann JO, Dimasi N, Wilson S, Pugh K, Cook K, Masterson LA, Gao C, Wu H, Herbst R, Howard PW, Tice DA, Cobbold M, Harper J. Resistance to Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Dimers Is Associated with SLFN11 Downregulation and Can Be Reversed through Inhibition of ATR. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:541-552. [PMID: 33653945 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) has been observed in both preclinical models and clinical studies. However, mechanisms of resistance to pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD)-conjugated ADCs have not been well characterized and thus, this study was designed to investigate development of resistance to PBD dimer warheads and PBD-conjugated ADCs. We established a PBD-resistant cell line, 361-PBDr, by treating human breast cancer MDA-MB-361 cells with gradually increasing concentrations of SG3199, the PBD dimer released from the PBD drug-linker tesirine. 361-PBDr cells were over 20-fold less sensitive to SG3199 compared with parental cells and were cross-resistant to other PBD warhead and ADCs conjugated with PBDs. Proteomic profiling revealed that downregulation of Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11), a putative DNA/RNA helicase, sensitizing cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents, was associated with PBD resistance. Confirmatory studies demonstrated that siRNA knockdown of SLFN11 in multiple tumor cell lines conferred reduced sensitivity to SG3199 and PBD-conjugated ADCs. Treatment with EPZ011989, an EZH2 inhibitor, derepressed SLFN11 expression in 361-PBDr and other SLFN11-deficient tumor cells, and increased sensitivity to PBD and PBD-conjugated ADCs, indicating that the suppression of SLFN11 expression is associated with histone methylation as reported. Moreover, we demonstrated that combining an ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) inhibitor, AZD6738, with SG3199 or PBD-based ADCs led to synergistic cytotoxicity in either resistant 361-PBDr cells or cells that SLFN11 was knocked down via siRNA. Collectively, these data provide insights into potential development of resistance to PBDs and PBD-conjugated ADCs, and more importantly, inform strategy development to overcome such resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenlan Mao
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
| | | | - Wen Yu
- Bioinformatics, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | | | - Andrew Garcia
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Hong Chen
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | | | - Sandrina Phipps
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Ryan Fleming
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Sonja Hess
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | | | - Nazzareno Dimasi
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Susan Wilson
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | | | - Kimberly Cook
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | | | - Changshou Gao
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Herren Wu
- Antibody Discovery & Protein Engineering, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Ronald Herbst
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | | | - David A Tice
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Mark Cobbold
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Jay Harper
- Early Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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Winkler C, Armenia J, Jones GN, Tobalina L, Sale MJ, Petreus T, Baird T, Serra V, Wang AT, Lau A, Garnett MJ, Jaaks P, Coker EA, Pierce AJ, O'Connor MJ, Leo E. SLFN11 informs on standard of care and novel treatments in a wide range of cancer models. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:951-962. [PMID: 33339894 PMCID: PMC7921667 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01199-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) has been linked with response to DNA-damaging agents (DDA) and PARP inhibitors. An in-depth understanding of several aspects of its role as a biomarker in cancer is missing, as is a comprehensive analysis of the clinical significance of SLFN11 as a predictive biomarker to DDA and/or DNA damage-response inhibitor (DDRi) therapies. METHODS We used a multidisciplinary effort combining specific immunohistochemistry, pharmacology tests, anticancer combination therapies and mechanistic studies to assess SLFN11 as a potential biomarker for stratification of patients treated with several DDA and/or DDRi in the preclinical and clinical setting. RESULTS SLFN11 protein associated with both preclinical and patient treatment response to DDA, but not to non-DDA or DDRi therapies, such as WEE1 inhibitor or olaparib in breast cancer. SLFN11-low/absent cancers were identified across different tumour types tested. Combinations of DDA with DDRi targeting the replication-stress response (ATR, CHK1 and WEE1) could re-sensitise SLFN11-absent/low cancer models to the DDA treatment and were effective in upper gastrointestinal and genitourinary malignancies. CONCLUSION SLFN11 informs on the standard of care chemotherapy based on DDA and the effect of selected combinations with ATR, WEE1 or CHK1 inhibitor in a wide range of cancer types and models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua Armenia
- Bioinformatics and Data Science, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gemma N Jones
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luis Tobalina
- Bioinformatics and Data Science, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew J Sale
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tudor Petreus
- Bioscience, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tarrion Baird
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Violeta Serra
- Experimental Therapeutics Group, Vall d' Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alan Lau
- Bioscience, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Andrew J Pierce
- Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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Knelson EH, Patel SA, Sands JM. PARP Inhibitors in Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Rational Combinations to Improve Responses. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:727. [PMID: 33578789 PMCID: PMC7916546 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in first-line treatment for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), durable responses remain rare. The DNA repair enzyme poly-(ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) was identified as a therapeutic target in SCLC using unbiased preclinical screens and confirmed in human and mouse models. Early trials of PARP inhibitors, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, showed promising but limited responses, suggesting that selecting patient subsets and treatment combinations will prove critical to further clinical development. Expression of SLFN11 and other components of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway appears to select for improved responses. Combining PARP inhibitors with agents that damage DNA and inhibit DDR appears particularly effective in preclinical and early trial data, as well as strategies that enhance antitumor immunity downstream of DNA damage. A robust understanding of the mechanisms of DDR in SCLC, which exhibits intrinsic replication stress, will improve selection of agents and predictive biomarkers. The most effective combinations will target multiple nodes in the DNA damage/DDR/immune activation cascade to minimize toxicity from synthetic lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shetal A. Patel
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
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SLFN11 promotes CDT1 degradation by CUL4 in response to replicative DNA damage, while its absence leads to synthetic lethality with ATR/CHK1 inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2015654118. [PMID: 33536335 PMCID: PMC8017720 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015654118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schlafen-11 (SLFN11) inactivation in ∼50% of cancer cells confers broad chemoresistance. To identify therapeutic targets and underlying molecular mechanisms for overcoming chemoresistance, we performed an unbiased genome-wide RNAi screen in SLFN11-WT and -knockout (KO) cells. We found that inactivation of Ataxia Telangiectasia- and Rad3-related (ATR), CHK1, BRCA2, and RPA1 overcome chemoresistance to camptothecin (CPT) in SLFN11-KO cells. Accordingly, we validate that clinical inhibitors of ATR (M4344 and M6620) and CHK1 (SRA737) resensitize SLFN11-KO cells to topotecan, indotecan, etoposide, cisplatin, and talazoparib. We uncover that ATR inhibition significantly increases mitotic defects along with increased CDT1 phosphorylation, which destabilizes kinetochore-microtubule attachments in SLFN11-KO cells. We also reveal a chemoresistance mechanism by which CDT1 degradation is retarded, eventually inducing replication reactivation under DNA damage in SLFN11-KO cells. In contrast, in SLFN11-expressing cells, SLFN11 promotes the degradation of CDT1 in response to CPT by binding to DDB1 of CUL4CDT2 E3 ubiquitin ligase associated with replication forks. We show that the C terminus and ATPase domain of SLFN11 are required for DDB1 binding and CDT1 degradation. Furthermore, we identify a therapy-relevant ATPase mutant (E669K) of the SLFN11 gene in human TCGA and show that the mutant contributes to chemoresistance and retarded CDT1 degradation. Taken together, our study reveals new chemotherapeutic insights on how targeting the ATR pathway overcomes chemoresistance of SLFN11-deficient cancers. It also demonstrates that SLFN11 irreversibly arrests replication by degrading CDT1 through the DDB1-CUL4CDT2 ubiquitin ligase.
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Epigenetic suppression of SLFN11 in germinal center B-cells during B-cell development. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0237554. [PMID: 33513156 PMCID: PMC7846023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background SLFN11 has recently been reported to execute cancer cells harboring replicative stress induced by DNA damaging agents. However, the roles of SLFN11 under physiological conditions remain poorly understood. Germinal center B-cells (GCBs) undergo somatic hypermutations and class-switch recombination, which can cause physiological genotoxic stress. Hence, we tested whether SLFN11 expression needs to be suppressed in GCBs during B-cell development. Objective To clarify the expression profile of SLFN11 in different developmental stages of B-cells and B-cell-derived cancers. Methods We analyzed the expression of SLFN11 by mining cell line databases for different stages of normal B-cells and various types of B-cell-derived cancer cell lines. We performed dual immunohistochemical staining for SLFN11 and B-cell specific markers in normal human lymphatic tissues. We tested the effects of two epigenetic modifiers, an EZH2 inhibitor, tazemetostat (EPZ6438) and a histone deacetylase inhibitor, panobinostat (LBH589) on SLFN11 expression in GCB-derived lymphoma cell lines. We also examined the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs in combination with cytosine arabinoside and the effects of SLFN11 on the efficacy of cytosine arabinoside in SLFN11-overexpressing cells. Results SLFN11 mRNA level was found low in both normal GCBs and GCB-DLBCL (GCB like-diffuse large B-cell lymphoma). Immunohistochemical staining showed low SLFN11 expression in GCBs and high SLFN11 expression in plasmablasts and plasmacytes. The EZH2 and HDAC epigenetic modifiers upregulated SLFN11 expression in GCB-derived lymphoma cells and made them more susceptible to cytosine arabinoside. SLFN11 overexpression further sensitized GCB-derived lymphoma cells to cytosine arabinoside. Conclusions The expression of SLFN11 is epigenetically suppressed in normal GCBs and GCB-derived lymphomas. GCB-derived lymphomas with low SLFN11 expression can be treated by the combination of epigenetic modifiers and cytosine arabinoside.
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Amengual JE. Can we use epigenetics to prime chemoresistant lymphomas? HEMATOLOGY. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY. EDUCATION PROGRAM 2020; 2020:85-94. [PMID: 33275728 PMCID: PMC7727522 DOI: 10.1182/hematology.2020000092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Chemoresistance remains a challenging clinical problem in the treatment of many lymphoma patients. Epigenetic derangements have been implicated in both intrinsic and acquired chemoresistance. Mutations in epigenetic processes shift entire networks of signaling pathways. They influence tumor suppressors, the DNA-damage response, cell-cycle regulators, and apoptosis. Epigenetic alterations have also been implicated in contributing to immune evasion. Although increased DNA methylation at CpG sites is the most widely studied alteration, increased histone methylation and decreased histone acetylation have also been implicated in stem-like characteristics and highly aggressive disease states as demonstrated in both preclinical models of lymphoma and patient studies. These changes are nonrandom, occur in clusters, and are observed across many lymphoma subtypes. Although caution must be taken when combining epigenetic therapies with other antineoplastic agents, epigenetic therapies have rarely induced clinical meaningful responses as single agents. Epigenetic priming of chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies in lymphoma patients may create opportunities to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Amengual
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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Waters T, Goss KL, Koppenhafer SL, Terry WW, Gordon DJ. Eltrombopag inhibits the proliferation of Ewing sarcoma cells via iron chelation and impaired DNA replication. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:1171. [PMID: 33256675 PMCID: PMC7706234 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07668-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The treatment of Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive bone and soft tissue sarcoma, is associated with suboptimal outcomes and significant side-effects. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapies that will improve outcomes for children and adults with Ewing sarcoma tumors while also decreasing treatment-related toxicities. Methods We analyzed data from the PRISM drug repurposing screen, which tested the activity of 4518 drugs across 578 cancer cell lines, to identify drugs that selectively inhibit the growth of Ewing sarcoma cell lines. We then tested the effects of a top hit from the screen on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and activation of the DNA damage pathway using Ewing sarcoma cell lines. We also used a CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout approach to investigate the role of Schlafen 11 (SLFN11), a restriction factor for DNA replication stress that is overexpressed in Ewing sarcoma tumors, in mediating the sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to the drug. Results We found that eltrombopag, an FDA-approved thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (TPO-RA) that is currently being evaluated as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, inhibits the growth of Ewing sarcoma cell lines in vitro in proliferation and colony formation assays. However, from a mechanistic standpoint, the thrombopoietin receptor is not expressed in Ewing sarcoma cells and we show that eltrombopag impairs DNA replication and causes DNA damage in Ewing sarcoma cells by chelating iron, a known “off-target” effect of the drug. We also found that the sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cells to eltrombopag is mediated, in part, by SLFN11, which regulates the cellular response to DNA replication stress. Conclusions Ewing sarcoma cell lines are sensitive to eltrombopag and this drug could improve outcomes for patients with Ewing sarcoma tumors by both targeting the tumor, via chelation of iron and inhibition of DNA replication, and reducing chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, via stimulation of the thrombopoietin receptor. Supplementary Information Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12885-020-07668-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torin Waters
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Kelli L Goss
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Stacia L Koppenhafer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - William W Terry
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - David J Gordon
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA.
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Kagami T, Yamade M, Suzuki T, Uotani T, Tani S, Hamaya Y, Iwaizumi M, Osawa S, Sugimoto K, Miyajima H, Baba S, Sugimura H, Murai J, Pommier Y, Furuta T. The first evidence for SLFN11 expression as an independent prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer after chemoradiotherapy. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:1123. [PMID: 33218331 PMCID: PMC7678160 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07574-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schlafen 11 (SLFN11) was recently identified as a dominant determinant of sensitivity to DNA-targeting agents including platinum-based drugs. SLFN11 also reportedly enhances cellular radiosensitivity. In this study, we examined the prognostic value of SLFN11 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT), including the platinum derivative nedaplatin. Methods Seventy-three patients with ESCC who received dCRT were examined. SLFN11 expression was analyzed in pre-dCRT biopsies using immunohistochemistry and evaluated using a histo-score (H-score). Correlation between the H-score and overall survival was analyzed. An H-score ≥ 51 was provisionally defined as indicating high SLFN11 expression. Viability assays were performed using previously established isogenic human cell lines differentially expressing SLFN11 to test the usefulness of SLFN11 as marker of response to the dCRT regimen. Results High SLFN11 expression was independently associated with better prognosis in ESCC patients (hazard ratio = 0.295, 95% CI = 0.143–0.605, p = 0.001 for multivariate analysis). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the prognostic value of high SLFN11 expression was most evident in patients at clinical stages II and III (p = 0.004). In in vitro study, SLFN11-proficient cells were highly sensitive to platinum derivatives compared to SLFN11-deficient cells. Conclusion SLFN11 expression is an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients treated with dCRT and a potential biomarker for treatment selection of ESCC. Examination of SLFN11 may be particularly useful for clinical Stage II–III patients who wish to choose dCRT (instead of surgery) to preserve esophageal function. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-020-07574-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Kagami
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan.
| | - Mihoko Yamade
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Takahiro Suzuki
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Takahiro Uotani
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Shinya Tani
- Department of Endoscopic and Photodynamic Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hamaya
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Moriya Iwaizumi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Satoshi Osawa
- Department of Endoscopic and Photodynamic Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Ken Sugimoto
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Miyajima
- First Department of Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Baba
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Sugimura
- Department of Tumor Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute of Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Turuoka, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Takahisa Furuta
- Center for Clinical Research, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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Ding N, You A, Tian W, Gu L, Deng D. Chidamide increases the sensitivity of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer to Crizotinib by decreasing c- MET mRNA methylation. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:2595-2611. [PMID: 32792859 PMCID: PMC7415423 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.45886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Crizotinib is a kinase inhibitor targeting c-MET/ALK/ROS1 used as the first-line chemical for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with ALK mutations. Although c-MET is frequently overexpressed in 35-72% of NSCLC, most NSCLCs are primarily resistant to crizotinib treatment. Method: A set of NSCLC cell lines were used to test the effect of chidamide on the primary crizotinib resistance in vitro and in vivo. Relationships between the synergistic effect of chidamide and c-MET expression and RNA methylation were systemically studied with a battery of molecular biological assays. Results: We found for the first time that chidamide could sensitize the effect of crizotinib in a set of ALK mutation-free NSCLC cell lines, especially those with high levels of c-MET expression. Notably, chidamide could not increase the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to crizotinib cultured in serum-free medium without hepatocyte growth factor (HGF; a c-MET ligand). In contrast, the addition of HGF into the serum-/HGF-free medium could restore the synergistic effect of chidamide. Moreover, the synergistic effect of chidamide could also be abolished either by treatment with c-MET antibody or siRNA-knockdown of c-MET expression. While cells with low or no c-MET expression were primarily resistant to chidamide-crizotinib cotreatment, enforced c-MET overexpression could increase the sensitivity of these cells to chidamide-crizotinib cotreatment. Furthermore, chidamide could decrease c-MET expression by inhibiting mRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification through the downregulation of METTL3 and WTAP expression. Chidamide-crizotinib cotreatment significantly suppressed the activity of c-MET downstream molecules. Conclusion: Chidamide downregulated c-MET expression by decreasing its mRNA m6A methylation, subsequently increasing the crizotinib sensitivity of NSCLC cells in a c-MET-/HGF-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Ding
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Division of Etiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Fu-Cheng-Lu #52, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Abin You
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Division of Etiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Fu-Cheng-Lu #52, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Wei Tian
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Division of Etiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Fu-Cheng-Lu #52, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Liankun Gu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Division of Etiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Fu-Cheng-Lu #52, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Dajun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Division of Etiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Fu-Cheng-Lu #52, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
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Krushkal J, Silvers T, Reinhold WC, Sonkin D, Vural S, Connelly J, Varma S, Meltzer PS, Kunkel M, Rapisarda A, Evans D, Pommier Y, Teicher BA. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation analysis of small cell lung cancer cell lines suggests potential chemotherapy targets. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:93. [PMID: 32586373 PMCID: PMC7318526 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00876-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine lung cancer. SCLC progression and treatment resistance involve epigenetic processes. However, links between SCLC DNA methylation and drug response remain unclear. We performed an epigenome-wide study of 66 human SCLC cell lines using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array. Correlations of SCLC DNA methylation and gene expression with in vitro response to 526 antitumor agents were examined. RESULTS We found multiple significant correlations between DNA methylation and chemosensitivity. A potentially important association was observed for TREX1, which encodes the 3' exonuclease I that serves as a STING antagonist in the regulation of a cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway. Increased methylation and low expression of TREX1 were associated with the sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibitors AZD-1152, SCH-1473759, SNS-314, and TAK-901; the CDK inhibitor R-547; the Vertex ATR inhibitor Cpd 45; and the mitotic spindle disruptor vinorelbine. Compared with cell lines of other cancer types, TREX1 had low mRNA expression and increased upstream region methylation in SCLC, suggesting a possible relationship with SCLC sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibitors. We also identified multiple additional correlations indicative of potential mechanisms of chemosensitivity. Methylation of the 3'UTR of CEP350 and MLPH, involved in centrosome machinery and microtubule tracking, respectively, was associated with response to Aurora kinase inhibitors and other agents. EPAS1 methylation was associated with response to Aurora kinase inhibitors, a PLK-1 inhibitor and a Bcl-2 inhibitor. KDM1A methylation was associated with PLK-1 inhibitors and a KSP inhibitor. Increased promoter methylation of SLFN11 was correlated with resistance to DNA damaging agents, as a result of low or no SLFN11 expression. The 5' UTR of the epigenetic modifier EZH2 was associated with response to Aurora kinase inhibitors and a FGFR inhibitor. Methylation and expression of YAP1 were correlated with response to an mTOR inhibitor. Among non-neuroendocrine markers, EPHA2 was associated with response to Aurora kinase inhibitors and a PLK-1 inhibitor and CD151 with Bcl-2 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS Multiple associations indicate potential epigenetic mechanisms affecting SCLC response to chemotherapy and suggest targets for combination therapies. While many correlations were not specific to SCLC lineages, several lineage markers were associated with specific agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Krushkal
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 9609 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD, 20850, USA.
| | - Thomas Silvers
- Molecular Pharmacology Group, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - William C Reinhold
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Dmitriy Sonkin
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 9609 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Suleyman Vural
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 9609 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - John Connelly
- Molecular Pharmacology Group, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Sudhir Varma
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul S Meltzer
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Mark Kunkel
- Drug Synthesis and Chemistry Branch, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Annamaria Rapisarda
- Molecular Pharmacology Group, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - David Evans
- Molecular Pharmacology Group, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Beverly A Teicher
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Quagliano A, Gopalakrishnapillai A, Barwe SP. Understanding the Mechanisms by Which Epigenetic Modifiers Avert Therapy Resistance in Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:992. [PMID: 32670880 PMCID: PMC7326773 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of resistance to anti-cancer therapeutics remains one of the core issues preventing the improvement of survival rates in cancer. Therapy resistance can arise in a multitude of ways, including the accumulation of epigenetic alterations in cancer cells. By remodeling DNA methylation patterns or modifying histone proteins during oncogenesis, cancer cells reorient their epigenomic landscapes in order to aggressively resist anti-cancer therapy. To combat these chemoresistant effects, epigenetic modifiers such as DNA hypomethylating agents, histone deacetylase inhibitors, histone demethylase inhibitors, along with others have been used. While these modifiers have achieved moderate success when used either alone or in combination with one another, the most positive outcomes were achieved when they were used in conjunction with conventional anti-cancer therapies. Epigenome modifying drugs have succeeded in sensitizing cancer cells to anti-cancer therapy via a variety of mechanisms: disrupting pro-survival/anti-apoptotic signaling, restoring cell cycle control and preventing DNA damage repair, suppressing immune system evasion, regulating altered metabolism, disengaging pro-survival microenvironmental interactions and increasing protein expression for targeted therapies. In this review, we explore different mechanisms by which epigenetic modifiers induce sensitivity to anti-cancer therapies and encourage the further identification of the specific genes involved with sensitization to facilitate development of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Quagliano
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Anilkumar Gopalakrishnapillai
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Sonali P. Barwe
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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44
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Takashima T, Sakamoto N, Murai J, Taniyama D, Honma R, Ukai S, Maruyama R, Kuraoka K, Rajapakse VN, Pommier Y, Yasui W. Immunohistochemical analysis of SLFN11 expression uncovers potential non-responders to DNA-damaging agents overlooked by tissue RNA-seq. Virchows Arch 2020; 478:569-579. [PMID: 32474729 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-020-02840-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
DNA-damaging agents include first-line drugs such as platinum (cisplatin, carboplatin), topoisomerase inhibitors (etoposide, doxorubicin), and replication inhibitors (cytarabine, gemcitabine). Despite their wide and long usage, there is no clinically available biomarker to predict responses to these drugs. Schlafen 11 (SLFN11), a putative DNA/RNA helicase, recently emerged as a dominant determinant of sensitivity to these drugs by enforcing the replication block in response to DNA damage. Since the clinical importance of SLFN11 is implicated, a comprehensive analysis of SLFN11 expression across human organs will provide a practical resource to develop the utility of SLFN11 in the clinic. In this study, we established a scoring system of SLFN11 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and assessed SLFN11 expression in ~ 700 malignant as well as the adjacent non-tumor tissues across 16 major human adult organs. We found that the SLFN11 expression is tissue specific and varies during tumorigenesis. Although The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is a prevailing tool to assess gene expression in various malignant and normal tissues, our IHC data exhibited obvious discrepancy from the TCGA data in several organs. Importantly, SLFN11-negative tumors, potentially non-responders to DNA-damaging agents, were largely overrated in TCGA because TCGA samples are a mixture of infiltrating immune cells, including T cells, B cells, and macrophages, which have strong SLFN11 expression. Thus, our study reveals the significance of immunohistochemical procedures for evaluating expression of SLFN11 in patient samples and provides a robust resource of SLFN11 expression across adult human organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Takashima
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
| | - Junko Murai
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0052, Japan
| | - Daiki Taniyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
| | - Ririno Honma
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
| | - Shoichi Ukai
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
| | - Ryota Maruyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kuraoka
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Hospital Organization, Kure Medical Center and Chugoku Cancer Center, Kure city, Hiroshima, 737-0023, Japan
| | - Vinodh N Rajapakse
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wataru Yasui
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
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Saleiro D, Platanias LC. Interferon signaling in cancer. Non-canonical pathways and control of intracellular immune checkpoints. Semin Immunol 2020; 43:101299. [PMID: 31771762 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2019.101299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The interferons (IFNs) are cytokines with important antineoplastic and immune modulatory effects. These cytokines have been conserved through evolution as important elements of the immune surveillance against cancer. Despite this, defining their precise and specific roles in the generation of antitumor responses remains challenging. Emerging evidence suggests the existence of previously unknown roles for IFNs in the control of the immune response against cancer that may redefine our understanding on how these cytokines function. Beyond the engagement of classical JAK-STAT signaling pathways that promote transcription and expression of gene products, the IFNs engage multiple other signaling cascades to generate products that mediate biological responses and outcomes. There is recent emerging evidence indicating that IFNs control the expression of both traditional immune checkpoints like the PD-L1/PD1 axis, but also less well understood "intracellular" immune checkpoints whose targeting may define new approaches for the treatment of malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Saleiro
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Division of Hematology-Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Leonidas C Platanias
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Division of Hematology-Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Medicine, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 820 S. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Abstract
In this review, Slade provides an overview of the molecular mechanisms and cellular consequences of PARP and PARG inhibition. The author also highlights the clinical performance of four PARP inhibitors used in cancer therapy (olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, and talazoparib) and discusses the predictive biomarkers of inhibitor sensitivity and mechanisms of resistance as well as the means of overcoming them through combination therapy. Oxidative and replication stress underlie genomic instability of cancer cells. Amplifying genomic instability through radiotherapy and chemotherapy has been a powerful but nonselective means of killing cancer cells. Precision medicine has revolutionized cancer therapy by putting forth the concept of selective targeting of cancer cells. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors represent a successful example of precision medicine as the first drugs targeting DNA damage response to have entered the clinic. PARP inhibitors act through synthetic lethality with mutations in DNA repair genes and were approved for the treatment of BRCA mutated ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors destabilize replication forks through PARP DNA entrapment and induce cell death through replication stress-induced mitotic catastrophe. Inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) exploit and exacerbate replication deficiencies of cancer cells and may complement PARP inhibitors in targeting a broad range of cancer types with different sources of genomic instability. Here I provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms and cellular consequences of PARP and PARG inhibition. I highlight clinical performance of four PARP inhibitors used in cancer therapy (olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, and talazoparib) and discuss the predictive biomarkers of inhibitor sensitivity, mechanisms of resistance as well as the means of overcoming them through combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dea Slade
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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Integrated pan-cancer gene expression and drug sensitivity analysis reveals SLFN11 mRNA as a solid tumor biomarker predictive of sensitivity to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224267. [PMID: 31682620 PMCID: PMC6827986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Precision oncology seeks to integrate multiple layers of data from a patient’s cancer to effectively tailor therapy. Conventional chemotherapies are sometimes effective but accompanied by adverse events, warranting the identification of a biomarker of chemosensitivity. Objective Identify an mRNA biomarker that predicts chemosensitivity across solid tumor subtypes. Methods We performed a pan-solid tumor analysis integrating gene expression and drug sensitivity profiles from 3 cancer cell line datasets to identify transcripts correlated with sensitivity to a panel of chemotherapeutics. We then tested the ability of an mRNA biomarker to predictive clinical outcomes in cohorts of patients with breast, lung, or ovarian cancer. Results Expression levels of several mRNA transcripts were significantly correlated with sensitivity or resistance chemotherapeutics in cancer cell line datasets. The only mRNA transcript significantly correlated with sensitization to multiple classes of DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics in all 3 cell line datasets was encoded by Schlafen Family Member 11 (SLFN11). Analyses of multiple breast, lung, and ovarian cancer patient cohorts treated with chemotherapy confirmed SLFN11 mRNA expression as a predictive biomarker of longer overall survival and improved tumor response. Conclusions Tumor SLFN11 mRNA expression is a biomarker of sensitivity to an array of DNA-damaging chemotherapeutics across solid tumor subtypes.
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Marzi L, Szabova L, Gordon M, Weaver Ohler Z, Sharan SK, Beshiri ML, Etemadi M, Murai J, Kelly K, Pommier Y. The Indenoisoquinoline TOP1 Inhibitors Selectively Target Homologous Recombination-Deficient and Schlafen 11-Positive Cancer Cells and Synergize with Olaparib. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:6206-6216. [PMID: 31409613 PMCID: PMC6801079 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-0419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Irinotecan and topotecan are used to treat a variety of different cancers. However, they have limitations, including chemical instability and severe side effects. To overcome these limitations, we developed the clinical indenoisoquinolines: LMP400 (indotecan), LMP776 (indimitecan), and LMP744. The purpose of the study is to build the molecular rationale for phase II clinical trials. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN CellMinerCDB (http://discover.nci.nih.gov/cellminercdb) was used to mine the cancer cell lines genomic databases. The causality of Schlafen11 (SLFN11) was validated in isogenic cell lines. Because topoisomerase I (TOP1)-mediated replication DNA damage is repaired by homologous recombination (HR), we tested the "synthetic lethality" of HR-deficient (HRD) cells. Survival and cell-cycle alterations were performed after drug treatments in isogenic DT40, DLD1, and OVCAR cell lines with BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 deficiencies and in organoids cultured from prostate cancer patient-derived xenografts with BRCA2 loss. We also used an ovarian orthotopic allograft model with BRCA1 loss to validate the efficacy of LMP400 and olaparib combination. RESULTS CellMinerCDB reveals that SLFN11, which kills cells undergoing replicative stress, is a dominant drug determinant to the clinical indenoisoquinolines. In addition, BRCA1-, BRCA2-, and PALB2-deficient cells were hypersensitive to the indenoisoquinolines. All 3 clinical indenoisoquinolines were also synergistic with olaparib, especially in the HRD cells. The synergy between LMP400 and olaparib was confirmed in the orthotopic allograft model harboring BRCA1 loss. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide a rationale for molecularly designed clinical trials with the indenoisoquinolines as single agents and in combination with PARP inhibitors in HRD cancers expressing SLFN11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Marzi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ludmila Szabova
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Melanie Gordon
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Zoe Weaver Ohler
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Shyam K Sharan
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Michael L Beshiri
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Moudjib Etemadi
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Junko Murai
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kathleen Kelly
- Laboratory of Genitourinary Cancer Pathogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch & Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Kaur S, Schwartz AL, Jordan DG, Soto-Pantoja DR, Kuo B, Elkahloun AG, Mathews Griner L, Thomas CJ, Ferrer M, Thomas A, Tang SW, Rajapakse VN, Pommier Y, Roberts DD. Identification of Schlafen-11 as a Target of CD47 Signaling That Regulates Sensitivity to Ionizing Radiation and Topoisomerase Inhibitors. Front Oncol 2019; 9:994. [PMID: 31632920 PMCID: PMC6781860 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Knockdown or gene disruption of the ubiquitously expressed cell surface receptor CD47 protects non-malignant cells from genotoxic stress caused by ionizing radiation or cytotoxic chemotherapy but sensitizes tumors in an immune competent host to genotoxic stress. The selective radioprotection of non-malignant cells is mediated in part by enhanced autophagy and protection of anabolic metabolism pathways, but differential H2AX activation kinetics suggested that the DNA damage response is also CD47-dependent. A high throughput screen of drug sensitivities indicated that CD47 expression selectively sensitizes Jurkat T cells to inhibitors of topoisomerases, which are known targets of Schlafen-11 (SLFN11). CD47 mRNA expression positively correlated with schlafen-11 mRNA expression in a subset of human cancers but not the corresponding non-malignant tissues. CD47 mRNA expression was also negatively correlated with SLFN11 promoter methylation in some cancers. CD47 knockdown, gene disruption, or treatment with a CD47 function-blocking antibody decreased SLFN11 expression in Jurkat cells. The CD47 signaling ligand thrombospondin-1 also suppressed schlafen-11 expression in wild type but not CD47-deficient T cells. Re-expressing SLFN11 restored radiosensitivity to a CD47-deficient Jurkat cells. Disruption of CD47 in PC3 prostate cancer cells similarly decreased schlafen-11 expression and was associated with a CD47-dependent decrease in acetylation and increased methylation of histone H3 in the SLFN11 promoter region. The ability of histone deacetylase or topoisomerase inhibitors to induce SLFN11 expression in PC3 cells was lost when CD47 was targeted in these cells. Disrupting CD47 in PC3 cells increased resistance to etoposide but, in contrast to Jurkat cells, not to ionizing radiation. These data identify CD47 as a context-dependent regulator of SLFN11 expression and suggest an approach to improve radiotherapy and chemotherapy responses by combining with CD47-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukhbir Kaur
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anthony L. Schwartz
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David G. Jordan
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David R. Soto-Pantoja
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Bethany Kuo
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Abdel G. Elkahloun
- Cancer Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lesley Mathews Griner
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Craig J. Thomas
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Marc Ferrer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anish Thomas
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sai-Wen Tang
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vinodh N. Rajapakse
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch and Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David D. Roberts
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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