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Stanton BZ, Pomella S. Epigenetic determinants of fusion-driven sarcomas: paradigms and challenges. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1416946. [PMID: 38946804 PMCID: PMC11211607 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1416946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
We describe exciting recent advances in fusion-driven sarcoma etiology, from an epigenetics perspective. By exploring the current state of the field, we identify and describe the central mechanisms that determine sarcomagenesis. Further, we discuss seminal studies in translational genomics, which enabled epigenetic characterization of fusion-driven sarcomas. Important context for epigenetic mechanisms include, but are not limited to, cell cycle and metabolism, core regulatory circuitry, 3-dimensional chromatin architectural dysregulation, integration with ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, and translational animal modeling. Paradoxically, while the genetic requirements for oncogenic transformation are highly specific for the fusion partners, the epigenetic mechanisms we as a community have uncovered are categorically very broad. This dichotomy prompts the question of whether the investigation of rare disease epigenomics should prioritize studying individual cell populations, thereby examining whether the mechanisms of chromatin dysregulation are specific to a particular tumor. We review recent advances focusing on rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, clear cell sarcoma, undifferentiated round cell sarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, myxoid/round liposarcoma, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and desmoplastic round cell tumor. The growing number of groundbreaking discoveries in the field, motivated us to anticipate further exciting advances in the area of mechanistic epigenomics and direct targeting of fusion transcription factors in the years ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Z. Stanton
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Silvia Pomella
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Khoury R, Assi T, Ibrahim R, Ibrahim T, Verret B, Henon C, Bahleda R, Le Cesne A. A Comprehensive Review on the Role of Lurbinectedin in Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2024; 25:176-190. [PMID: 38324075 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-024-01178-4] [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] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Soft tissue sarcoma (STS), a substantial group of aggressive and rare tumors with tissue heterogeneity, is infrequently represented in clinical trials with an urgent necessity for newer treatment options. Lurbinectedin, an analog of trabectedin, is currently approved, in various countries, as a single agent, for the treatment of patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, preclinical and phase I and phase II trials have demonstrated the efficacy of lurbinectedin in different tumor types, including STS. The better understanding of the pathophysiology and evolution of STS as well as the mechanism of action of lurbinectedin in addition to the available data regarding the activity of this drug in this subset of patients will pave the way to newer therapeutic options and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Khoury
- Division of International Patients Care, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
| | - Tarek Assi
- Division of International Patients Care, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France.
- Sarcoma Unit, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France.
| | - Rebecca Ibrahim
- Division of International Patients Care, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
| | - Tony Ibrahim
- Division of International Patients Care, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
| | - Benjamin Verret
- Sarcoma Unit, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
| | - Clemence Henon
- Sarcoma Unit, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
| | - Ratislav Bahleda
- Sarcoma Unit, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
| | - Axel Le Cesne
- Division of International Patients Care, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
- Sarcoma Unit, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 114, Rue Edouard Vaillant, Villejuif, France
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3
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Magrath JW, Flinchum DA, Hartono AB, Sampath SS, O'Grady TM, Baddoo M, Haoyang L, Xu X, Flemington EK, Lee SB. Transcriptomic analysis identifies B-lymphocyte kinase as a therapeutic target for desmoplastic small round cell tumor cancer stem cell-like cells. Oncogenesis 2024; 13:2. [PMID: 38177125 PMCID: PMC10767073 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-023-00504-z] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive pediatric cancer caused by the EWSR1-WT1 fusion oncoprotein. The tumor is refractory to treatment with a 5-year survival rate of only 15-25%, necessitating the development of novel therapeutics, especially those able to target chemoresistant subpopulations. Novel in vitro cancer stem cell-like (CSC-like) culture conditions increase the expression of stemness markers (SOX2, NANOG) and reduce DSRCT cell line susceptibility to chemotherapy while maintaining the ability of DSRCT cells to form xenografts. To gain insights into this chemoresistant model, RNA-seq was performed to elucidate transcriptional alterations between DSRCT cells grown in CSC-like spheres and normal 2-dimensional adherent state. Commonly upregulated and downregulated genes were identified and utilized in pathway analysis revealing upregulation of pathways related to chromatin assembly and disassembly and downregulation of pathways including cell junction assembly and extracellular matrix organization. Alterations in chromatin assembly suggest a role for epigenetics in the DSRCT CSC-like state, which was further investigated with ATAC-seq, identifying over 10,000 differentially accessible peaks, including 4444 sphere accessible peaks and 6,120 adherent accessible peaks. Accessible regions were associated with higher gene expression, including increased accessibility of the CSC marker SOX2 in CSC-like culture conditions. These analyses were further utilized to identify potential CSC therapeutic targets, leading to the identification of B-lymphocyte kinase (BLK) as a CSC-enriched, EWSR1-WT1-regulated, druggable target. BLK inhibition and knockdown reduced CSC-like properties, including abrogation of tumorsphere formation and stemness marker expression. Importantly, BLK knockdown reduced DSRCT CSC-like cell chemoresistance, making its inhibition a promising target for future combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W Magrath
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Dane A Flinchum
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alifiani B Hartono
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, 630 Charles E Young Dr. S., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Shruthi Sanjitha Sampath
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tina M O'Grady
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Melody Baddoo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Liang Haoyang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Xiaojiang Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erik K Flemington
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sean B Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Povo-Retana A, Fariñas M, Landauro-Vera R, Mojena M, Alvarez-Lucena C, Fernández-Moreno MA, Castrillo A, de la Rosa Medina JV, Sánchez-García S, Foguet C, Mas F, Marin S, Cascante M, Boscá L. Immunometabolic actions of trabectedin and lurbinectedin on human macrophages: relevance for their anti-tumor activity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1211068. [PMID: 37675104 PMCID: PMC10479946 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1211068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the central role of cell bioenergetics in regulating immune cell function and fate has been recognized, giving rise to the interest in immunometabolism, an area of research focused on the interaction between metabolic regulation and immune function. Thus, early metabolic changes associated with the polarization of macrophages into pro-inflammatory or pro-resolving cells under different stimuli have been characterized. Tumor-associated macrophages are among the most abundant cells in the tumor microenvironment; however, it exists an unmet need to study the effect of chemotherapeutics on macrophage immunometabolism. Here, we use a systems biology approach that integrates transcriptomics and metabolomics to unveil the immunometabolic effects of trabectedin (TRB) and lurbinectedin (LUR), two DNA-binding agents with proven antitumor activity. Our results show that TRB and LUR activate human macrophages toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype by inducing a specific metabolic rewiring program that includes ROS production, changes in the mitochondrial inner membrane potential, increased pentose phosphate pathway, lactate release, tricarboxylic acids (TCA) cycle, serine and methylglyoxal pathways in human macrophages. Glutamine, aspartate, histidine, and proline intracellular levels are also decreased, whereas oxygen consumption is reduced. The observed immunometabolic changes explain additional antitumor activities of these compounds and open new avenues to design therapeutic interventions that specifically target the immunometabolic landscape in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Povo-Retana
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marco Fariñas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine-Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marina Mojena
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Miguel A. Fernández-Moreno
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Castrillo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Biomedicina (Unidad Asociada al CSIC) de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | - Juan Vladimir de la Rosa Medina
- Unidad de Biomedicina (Unidad Asociada al CSIC) de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
- Unidad Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias (IUIBS) de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
| | | | - Carles Foguet
- British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Francesc Mas
- Department of Material Science and Physical Chemistry & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Marin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine-Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Cascante
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine-Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lisardo Boscá
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Biomedicina (Unidad Asociada al CSIC) de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Av. Monforte de Lemos, Madrid, Spain
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Magrath JW, Flinchum DA, Hartono AB, Goldberg IN, Espinosa-Cotton M, Moroz K, Cheung NKV, Lee SB. Genomic Breakpoint Characterization and Transcriptome Analysis of Metastatic, Recurrent Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor. Sarcoma 2023; 2023:6686702. [PMID: 37457440 PMCID: PMC10344636 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6686702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare pediatric cancer caused by the EWSR1-WT1 fusion oncogene. Despite initial response to chemotherapy, DSRCT has a recurrence rate of over 80% leading to poor patient prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of only 15-25%. Owing to the rarity of DSRCT, sample scarcity is a barrier in understanding DSRCT biology and developing effective therapies. Utilizing a novel pair of primary and recurrent DSRCTs, we present the first map of DSRCT genomic breakpoints and the first comparison of gene expression alterations between primary and recurrent DSRCT. Our genomic breakpoint map includes the lone previously published DSRCT genomic breakpoint, the breakpoint from our novel primary/recurrent DSRCT pair, as well as the breakpoints of five available DSRCT cell lines and five additional DSRCTs. All mapped breakpoints were unique and most breakpoints included a 1-3 base pair microhomology suggesting microhomology-mediated end-joining as the mechanism of translocation fusion and providing novel insights into the etiology of DSRCT. Through RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified altered genes and pathways between primary and recurrent DSRCTs. Upregulated pathways in the recurrent tumor included several DNA repair and mRNA splicing-related pathways, while downregulated pathways included immune system function and focal adhesion. We further found higher expression of the EWSR1-WT1 upregulated gene set in the recurrent tumor as compared to the primary tumor and lower expression of the EWSR1-WT1 downregulated gene set, suggesting the EWSR1-WT1 fusion continues to play a prominent role in recurrent tumors. The identified pathways including upregulation of DNA repair and downregulation of immune system function may help explain DSRCT's high rate of recurrence and can be utilized to improve the understanding of DSRCT biology and identify novel therapies to both help prevent recurrence and treat recurrent tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W. Magrath
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Dane A. Flinchum
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alifiani B. Hartono
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Ilon N. Goldberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - Krzysztof Moroz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Nai-Kong V. Cheung
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sean B. Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave. New Orleans, LA, USA
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Hovsepyan S, Giani C, Pasquali S, Di Giannatale A, Chiaravalli S, Colombo C, Orbach D, Bergamaschi L, Vennarini S, Gatz SA, Gasparini P, Berlanga P, Casanova M, Ferrari A. Desmoplastic small round cell tumor: from state of the art to future clinical prospects. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2023; 23:471-484. [PMID: 37017324 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2023.2200171] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an extremely rare and highly aggressive soft tissue sarcoma, presenting mainly in male adolescents and young adults with multiple nodules disseminated within the abdominopelvic cavity. Despite a multimodal approach including aggressive cytoreductive surgery, intensive multi-agent chemotherapy, and postoperative whole abdominopelvic radiotherapy, the prognosis for DSRCT remains dismal. Median progression-free survival ranges between 4 and 21 months, and overall survival between 17 and 60 months, with the 5-year overall survival rate in the range of 10-20%. AREA COVERED This review discusses the treatment strategies used for DSRCT over the years, the state of the art of current treatments, and future clinical prospects. EXPERT OPINION The unsatisfactory outcomes for patients with DSRCT warrant investigations into innovative treatment combinations. An international multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder collaboration, involving both pediatric and adult sarcoma communities, is needed to propel preclinical model generation and drug development, and innovative clinical trial designs to enable the timely testing of treatments involving novel agents guided by biology to boost the chances of survival for patients with this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushan Hovsepyan
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Claudia Giani
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Sandro Pasquali
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
- Sarcoma Service, Department of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Di Giannatale
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Hematology/Oncology, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Chiaravalli
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Colombo
- Sarcoma Service, Department of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Orbach
- SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Luca Bergamaschi
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabina Vennarini
- Pediatric Radiotherapy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Susanne Andrea Gatz
- Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Patrizia Gasparini
- Tumor Genomics Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Pablo Berlanga
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Michela Casanova
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Ferrari
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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Lauricella E, Manicone A, Cavallo F, Dagrada GP, Centonze G, Bertulli R, Quattrone P, Porta C, Cives M. Adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma of the salivary glands: a case report and systematic literature review. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2023; 15:17588359231165979. [PMID: 37113735 PMCID: PMC10126605 DOI: 10.1177/17588359231165979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma (ALES) of the salivary glands is an exceedingly rare malignancy defined by the t(11,22) EWSR1::FLI1 fusion, with complex epithelial differentiation. To identify features that can allow for better recognition of this disease entity, we reviewed all published reports of molecularly confirmed ALES of the salivary glands and explored epidemiological, clinical, radiological, pathological, and therapeutic characteristics of a population of 21 patients including a single newly reported patient from our group. We searched the English-language literature indexed in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science using the keyword 'Adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma' published up to June 2022. The median age at diagnosis was 46 years, and a slight female sex predilection was observed. Most tumors originated in the parotid gland (86%) and presented as a painless palpable mass with a median diameter of 3.6 cm. Metastatic dissemination was reported only in one patient (5%), and after a median follow-up of 13 months the 1-year overall survival rate was 92%. Salivary gland ALES were frequently misdiagnosed at presentation (62% of cases) and were pathologically characterized by the presence of highly monomorphic small round blue cells with infiltrative pattern and positive immunostaining for CD99 and high- and low-molecular weight cytokeratins. Epidemiological and clinical features of salivary gland ALES raise questions on the incorporation of this malignancy in the Ewing sarcoma family tumor group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Lauricella
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro,” Bari, Italy
| | - Anna Manicone
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro,” Bari, Italy
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro,” Bari, Italy
| | - Gian Paolo Dagrada
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Centonze
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Rossella Bertulli
- Medical Oncology Unit 2, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Quattrone
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
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Magrath JW, Kang HJ, Hartono A, Espinosa-Cotton M, Somwar R, Ladanyi M, Cheung NKV, Lee SB. Desmoplastic small round cell tumor cancer stem cell-like cells resist chemotherapy but remain dependent on the EWSR1-WT1 oncoprotein. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1048709. [PMID: 36506091 PMCID: PMC9732033 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1048709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT) is a rare and aggressive pediatric cancer driven by the EWSR1-WT1 fusion oncogene. Combinations of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are not curative, and the 5-years survival rate is less than 25%. One potential explanation for refractoriness is the existence of a cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulation able escape current treatment modalities. However, no study to-date has examined the role of CSCs in DSRCT or established in vitro culture conditions to model this subpopulation. In this study, we investigated the role of stemness markers in DSRCT survival and metastasis, finding that elevated levels of SOX2 and NANOG are associated with worse survival in sarcoma patients and are elevated in metastatic DSRCT tumors. We further develop the first in vitro DSRCT CSC model which forms tumorspheres, expresses increased levels of stemness markers (SOX2, NANOG, KLF4, and OCT4), and resists doxorubicin chemotherapy treatment. This model is an important addition to the DSRCT tool kit and will enable investigation of this critical DSRCT subpopulation. Despite lower sensitivity to chemotherapy, the DSRCT CSC model remained sensitive to knockdown of the EWSR1-WT1 fusion protein, suggesting that future therapies directed against this oncogenic driver have the potential to treat both DSRCT bulk tumor and CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W. Magrath
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Hong-Jun Kang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Alifiani Hartono
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Madelyn Espinosa-Cotton
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Romel Somwar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Marc Ladanyi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nai-Kong V. Cheung
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sean B. Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
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Patel A, Mitrea D, Namasivayam V, Murcko MA, Wagner M, Klein IA. Principles and functions of condensate modifying drugs. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1007744. [PMID: 36483537 PMCID: PMC9725174 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1007744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are compartmentalized communities of biomolecules, which unlike traditional organelles, are not enclosed by membranes. Condensates play roles in diverse cellular processes, are dysfunctional in many disease states, and are often enriched in classically "undruggable" targets. In this review, we provide an overview for how drugs can modulate condensate structure and function by phenotypically classifying them as dissolvers (dissolve condensates), inducers (induce condensates), localizers (alter localization of the specific condensate community members) or morphers (alter the physiochemical properties). We discuss the growing list of bioactive molecules that function as condensate modifiers (c-mods), including small molecules, oligonucleotides, and peptides. We propose that understanding mechanisms of condensate perturbation of known c-mods will accelerate the discovery of a new class of therapies for difficult-to-treat diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Mitrea
- Dewpoint Therapeutics, Boston, MA, United States
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