1
|
Machaca V, Goyzueta V, Cruz MG, Sejje E, Pilco LM, López J, Túpac Y. Transformers meets neoantigen detection: a systematic literature review. J Integr Bioinform 2024; 0:jib-2023-0043. [PMID: 38960869 DOI: 10.1515/jib-2023-0043] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunology offers a new alternative to traditional cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. One notable alternative is the development of personalized vaccines based on cancer neoantigens. Moreover, Transformers are considered a revolutionary development in artificial intelligence with a significant impact on natural language processing (NLP) tasks and have been utilized in proteomics studies in recent years. In this context, we conducted a systematic literature review to investigate how Transformers are applied in each stage of the neoantigen detection process. Additionally, we mapped current pipelines and examined the results of clinical trials involving cancer vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Erika Sejje
- Universidad Nacional de San Agustín, Arequipa, Perú
| | | | | | - Yván Túpac
- 187038 Universidad Católica San Pablo , Arequipa, Perú
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Schimmelpfennig C, Rade M, Füssel S, Löffler D, Blumert C, Bertram C, Borkowetz A, Otto DJ, Puppel SH, Hönscheid P, Sommer U, Baretton GB, Köhl U, Wirth M, Thomas C, Horn F, Kreuz M, Reiche K. Characterization and evaluation of gene fusions as a measure of genetic instability and disease prognosis in prostate cancer. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:575. [PMID: 37349736 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11019-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. The clinical manifestations and molecular characteristics of PCa are highly variable. Aggressive types require radical treatment, whereas indolent ones may be suitable for active surveillance or organ-preserving focal therapies. Patient stratification by clinical or pathological risk categories still lacks sufficient precision. Incorporating molecular biomarkers, such as transcriptome-wide expression signatures, improves patient stratification but so far excludes chromosomal rearrangements. In this study, we investigated gene fusions in PCa, characterized potential novel candidates, and explored their role as prognostic markers for PCa progression. METHODS We analyzed 630 patients in four cohorts with varying traits regarding sequencing protocols, sample conservation, and PCa risk group. The datasets included transcriptome-wide expression and matched clinical follow-up data to detect and characterize gene fusions in PCa. With the fusion calling software Arriba, we computationally predicted gene fusions. Following detection, we annotated the gene fusions using published databases for gene fusions in cancer. To relate the occurrence of gene fusions to Gleason Grading Groups and disease prognosis, we performed survival analyses using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and Cox regression. RESULTS Our analyses identified two potential novel gene fusions, MBTTPS2,L0XNC01::SMS and AMACR::AMACR. These fusions were detected in all four studied cohorts, providing compelling evidence for the validity of these fusions and their relevance in PCa. We also found that the number of gene fusions detected in a patient sample was significantly associated with the time to biochemical recurrence in two of the four cohorts (log-rank test, p-value < 0.05 for both cohorts). This was also confirmed after adjusting the prognostic model for Gleason Grading Groups (Cox regression, p-values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our gene fusion characterization workflow revealed two potential novel fusions specific for PCa. We found evidence that the number of gene fusions was associated with the prognosis of PCa. However, as the quantitative correlations were only moderately strong, further validation and assessment of clinical value is required before potential application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Schimmelpfennig
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Rade
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susanne Füssel
- Department of Urology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dennis Löffler
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Conny Blumert
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Catharina Bertram
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Angelika Borkowetz
- Department of Urology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dominik J Otto
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sven-Holger Puppel
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pia Hönscheid
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Sommer
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gustavo B Baretton
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrike Köhl
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manfred Wirth
- Department of Urology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Thomas
- Department of Urology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Friedemann Horn
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Kreuz
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kristin Reiche
- Department of Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Drazdauskienė U, Kapustina Ž, Medžiūnė J, Dubovskaja V, Sabaliauskaitė R, Jarmalaitė S, Lubys A. Fusion sequencing via terminator-assisted synthesis (FTAS-seq) identifies TMPRSS2 fusion partners in prostate cancer. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:993-1006. [PMID: 37300660 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13428] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic rearrangements that fuse an androgen-regulated promoter area with a protein-coding portion of an originally androgen-unaffected gene are frequent in prostate cancer, with the fusion between transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and ETS transcription factor ERG (ERG) (TMPRSS2-ERG fusion) being the most prevalent. Conventional hybridization- or amplification-based methods can test for the presence of expected gene fusions, but the exploratory analysis of currently unknown fusion partners is often cost-prohibitive. Here, we developed an innovative next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based approach for gene fusion analysis termed fusion sequencing via terminator-assisted synthesis (FTAS-seq). FTAS-seq can be used to enrich the gene of interest while simultaneously profiling the whole spectrum of its 3'-terminal fusion partners. Using this novel semi-targeted RNA-sequencing technique, we were able to identify 11 previously uncharacterized TMPRSS2 fusion partners and capture a range of TMPRSS2-ERG isoforms. We tested the performance of FTAS-seq with well-characterized prostate cancer cell lines and utilized the technique for the analysis of patient RNA samples. FTAS-seq chemistry combined with appropriate primer panels holds great potential as a tool for biomarker discovery that can support the development of personalized cancer therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sonata Jarmalaitė
- National Cancer Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | - Arvydas Lubys
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics, Vilnius, Lithuania
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Parl FF. Different Tumor Types Share a Common Nuclear Map of Chromosome Territories. Cancer Inform 2023; 22:11769351221148592. [PMID: 36762285 PMCID: PMC9903037 DOI: 10.1177/11769351221148592] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Different tumor types are characterized by unique histopathological patterns including distinctive nuclear architectures. I hypothesized that the difference in nuclear appearance is reflected in different nuclear maps of chromosome territories, the discrete regions occupied by individual chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. To test this hypothesis, I used interchromosomal translocations (ITLs) as an analytical tool to map chromosome territories in 11 different tumor types from the TCGA PanCancer database encompassing 6003 tumors with 5295 ITLs. For each chromosome I determined the number and percentage of all ITLs for any given tumor type. Chromosomes were ranked according to the frequency and percentage of ITLs per chromosome. The ranking showed similar patterns for all tumor types. Chromosomes 1, 8, 11, 17, and 19 were ranked in the top quarter, accounting for 35.2% of 5295 ITLs, whereas chromosomes 13, 15, 18, 21, and X were in the bottom quarter, accounting for only 10.5% ITLs. The correlation between the chromosome ranking in the total group of 6003 tumors and the ranking in individual tumor types was significant, ranging from P < .0001 to .0033. Thus, contrary to my hypothesis, different tumor types share a common nuclear map of chromosome territories. Based on the large number of ITLs in 11 different types of malignancy one can discern a shared pattern of chromosome territories in cancer and propose a probabilistic model of chromosomes 1, 8, 11, 17, 19 in the center of the nucleus and chromosomes 13, 15, 18, 21, X at the periphery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fritz F Parl
- Fritz F Parl, Departments of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, C-3322 MCN, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gong T, Jaratlerdsiri W, Jiang J, Willet C, Chew T, Patrick SM, Lyons RJ, Haynes AM, Pasqualim G, Brum IS, Stricker PD, Mutambirwa SBA, Sadsad R, Papenfuss AT, Bornman RMS, Chan EKF, Hayes VM. Genome-wide interrogation of structural variation reveals novel African-specific prostate cancer oncogenic drivers. Genome Med 2022; 14:100. [PMID: 36045381 PMCID: PMC9434886 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01096-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND African ancestry is a significant risk factor for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa are 2.5-fold greater than global averages. However, the region has largely been excluded from the benefits of whole genome interrogation studies. Additionally, while structural variation (SV) is highly prevalent, PCa genomic studies are still biased towards small variant interrogation. METHODS Using whole genome sequencing and best practice workflows, we performed a comprehensive analysis of SVs for 180 (predominantly Gleason score ≥ 8) prostate tumours derived from 115 African, 61 European and four ancestrally admixed patients. We investigated the landscape and relationship of somatic SVs in driving ethnic disparity (African versus European), with a focus on African men from southern Africa. RESULTS Duplication events showed the greatest ethnic disparity, with a 1.6- (relative frequency) to 2.5-fold (count) increase in African-derived tumours. Furthermore, we found duplication events to be associated with CDK12 inactivation and MYC copy number gain, and deletion events associated with SPOP mutation. Overall, African-derived tumours were 2-fold more likely to present with a hyper-SV subtype. In addition to hyper-duplication and deletion subtypes, we describe a new hyper-translocation subtype. While we confirm a lower TMPRSS2-ERG fusion-positive rate in tumours from African cases (10% versus 33%), novel African-specific PCa ETS family member and TMPRSS2 fusion partners were identified, including LINC01525, FBXO7, GTF3C2, NTNG1 and YPEL5. Notably, we found 74 somatic SV hotspots impacting 18 new candidate driver genes, with CADM2, LSAMP, PTPRD, PDE4D and PACRG having therapeutic implications for African patients. CONCLUSIONS In this first African-inclusive SV study for high-risk PCa, we demonstrate the power of SV interrogation for the identification of novel subtypes, oncogenic drivers and therapeutic targets. Identifying a novel spectrum of SVs in tumours derived from African patients provides a mechanism that may contribute, at least in part, to the observed ethnic disparity in advanced PCa presentation in men of African ancestry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Gong
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XAncestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW Australia ,grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weerachai Jaratlerdsiri
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XAncestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW Australia ,grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia
| | - Jue Jiang
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XAncestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW Australia ,grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia
| | - Cali Willet
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XSydney Informatics Hub, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Tracy Chew
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XSydney Informatics Hub, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Sean M. Patrick
- grid.49697.350000 0001 2107 2298School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ruth J. Lyons
- grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia
| | - Anne-Maree Haynes
- grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia
| | - Gabriela Pasqualim
- grid.8532.c0000 0001 2200 7498Endocrine and Tumor Molecular Biology Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil ,grid.411598.00000 0000 8540 6536Laboratory of Genetics, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Ilma Simoni Brum
- grid.8532.c0000 0001 2200 7498Endocrine and Tumor Molecular Biology Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Phillip D. Stricker
- grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia ,grid.437825.f0000 0000 9119 2677Department of Urology, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia
| | - Shingai B. A. Mutambirwa
- grid.461049.eDepartment of Urology, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Medunsa, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa
| | - Rosemarie Sadsad
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XSydney Informatics Hub, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | - Anthony T. Papenfuss
- grid.1042.70000 0004 0432 4889Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria Australia
| | - Riana M. S. Bornman
- grid.49697.350000 0001 2107 2298School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Eva K. F. Chan
- grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia ,grid.416088.30000 0001 0753 1056NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, Australia
| | - Vanessa M. Hayes
- grid.1013.30000 0004 1936 834XAncestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW Australia ,grid.415306.50000 0000 9983 6924Genomics and Epigenetics Theme, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW Australia ,grid.49697.350000 0001 2107 2298School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa ,grid.411732.20000 0001 2105 2799Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus, Mankweng, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|