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Long JE, Jankovic M, Maddalo D. Drug discovery oncology in a mouse: concepts, models and limitations. Future Sci OA 2021; 7:FSO737. [PMID: 34295539 PMCID: PMC8288236 DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2021-0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The utilization of suitable mouse models is a critical step in the drug discovery oncology workflow as their generation and use are important for target identification and validation as well as toxicity and efficacy assessments. Current murine models have been instrumental in furthering insights into the mode of action of drugs before transitioning into the clinic. Recent advancements in genome editing with the development of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and the possibility of applying such technology directly in vivo have expanded the toolkit of preclinical models available. In this review, a brief presentation of the current models used in drug discovery will be provided with a particular emphasis on the novel CRISPR/Cas9 models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason E Long
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Maja Jankovic
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montréal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Danilo Maddalo
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
- Pharmaceutical Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, 4070, Switzerland
- Author for correspondence:
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2
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Coussy F, El Botty R, Lavigne M, Gu C, Fuhrmann L, Briaux A, de Koning L, Dahmani A, Montaudon E, Morisset L, Huguet L, Sourd L, Painsec P, Chateau-Joubert S, Larcher T, Vacher S, Melaabi S, Salomon AV, Marangoni E, Bieche I. Combination of PI3K and MEK inhibitors yields durable remission in PDX models of PIK3CA-mutated metaplastic breast cancers. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:13. [PMID: 32087759 PMCID: PMC7036180 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-0846-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare form of breast cancer characterized by an aggressive clinical presentation, with a poor response to standard chemotherapy. MBCs are typically triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), frequently with alterations to genes of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK signaling pathways. The objective of this study was to determine the response to PI3K and MAPK pathway inhibitors in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of MBCs with targetable alterations. Methods We compared survival between triple-negative MBCs and other histological subtypes, in a clinical cohort of 323 TNBC patients. PDX models were established from primary breast tumors classified as MBC. PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK pathway alterations were detected by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and analyses of copy number alterations. Activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK signaling pathways was analyzed with reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA). PDXs carrying an activating mutation of PIK3CA and genomic changes to the RTK-MAPK signaling pathways were treated with a combination consisting of a PI3K inhibitor and a MEK inhibitor. Results In our clinical cohort, the patients with MBC had a worse prognosis than those with other histological subtypes. We established nine metaplastic TNBC PDXs. Three had a pathogenic mutation of PIK3CA and additional alterations to genes associated with RTK-MAPK signaling. The MBC PDXs expressed typical EMT and stem cell genes and were of the mesenchymal or mesenchymal stem-like TNBC subtypes. On histological analysis, MBC PDXs presented squamous or chondroid differentiation. RPPA analysis showed activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK signaling pathways. In vivo, the combination of PI3K and MAPK inhibitors displayed marked antitumor activity in PDXs carrying genomic alterations of PIK3CA, AKT1, BRAF, and FGFR4. Conclusion The treatment of metaplastic breast cancer PDXs by activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RTK-MAPK pathways at the genomic and protein levels with a combination of PI3K and MEK inhibitors resulted in tumor regression in mutated models and may therefore be of interest for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Coussy
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France. .,Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France. .,Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
| | - R El Botty
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - M Lavigne
- Department of Biopathology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - C Gu
- Department of Biopathology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - L Fuhrmann
- Department of Biopathology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - A Briaux
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - L de Koning
- Translational Research Department, RPPA Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - A Dahmani
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - E Montaudon
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - L Morisset
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - L Huguet
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - L Sourd
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - P Painsec
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - S Chateau-Joubert
- BioPôle Alfort, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Maison Alfort, France
| | - T Larcher
- INRA, APEX-PAnTher, Oniris, Nantes, France
| | - S Vacher
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - S Melaabi
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - E Marangoni
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - I Bieche
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France.,Inserm U1016, University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
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Coussy F, Lavigne M, de Koning L, Botty RE, Nemati F, Naguez A, Bataillon G, Ouine B, Dahmani A, Montaudon E, Painsec P, Chateau-Joubert S, Laetitia F, Larcher T, Vacher S, Chemlali W, Briaux A, Melaabi S, Salomon AV, Guinebretiere JM, Bieche I, Marangoni E. Response to mTOR and PI3K inhibitors in enzalutamide-resistant luminal androgen receptor triple-negative breast cancer patient-derived xenografts. Theranostics 2020; 10:1531-1543. [PMID: 32042320 PMCID: PMC6993232 DOI: 10.7150/thno.36182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Luminal androgen receptor (LAR) breast cancer accounts for 10% of all triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). Anti-androgen therapy for this subtype is in development, but yields only partial clinical benefits. In this study, we aimed to characterize the genomic alterations of LAR TNBC, to analyze activation of the PI3K signaling pathway and to compare the response to PI3K pathway inhibitors with that to anti-androgen therapy in patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of LAR TNBC. Methods: Four LAR PDX models were identified, on the basis of their transcriptomic profiles, in a cohort of 57 PDX models of TNBC. The expression of AR-related genes, basal and luminal cytokeratins and EMT genes was analyzed by RT-PCR and IHC. AKT1 and PIK3CA mutations were identified by targeted NGS, and activation of the PI3K pathway was analyzed with a reverse-phase protein array. Three LAR PDXs with a PIK3CA or AKT1 mutation were treated with the AR inhibitor enzalutamide, a PI3K inhibitor, a dual PI3K-mTOR inhibitor and a mTORC1-mTORC2 inhibitor. Finally, we screened a clinical cohort of 329 TNBC for PIK3CA and AKT1 hotspot mutations. Results: LAR TNBC PDXs were significantly enriched in PIK3CA and AKT1 mutations, and had higher levels of luminal-androgen-like gene expression and a higher PI3K pathway protein activation score than other TNBC subtypes. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed strong expression of the luminal cytokeratin CK18 and AR in three LAR PDX models. We found that mTOR and PI3K inhibitors had marked antitumor activity in vivo in PDX harboring genomic alterations of PIK3CA and AKT1 genes that did not respond to the AR antagonist enzalutamide. PIK3CA mutations were detected in more than one third of AR+ TNBC from patients (38%), and only 10% of AR-negative TNBC. Conclusion: Our results for PDX models of LAR TNBC resistant to enzalutamide indicate that PIK3CA and AKT1 are potential therapeutic targets.
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Coussy F, de Koning L, Lavigne M, Bernard V, Ouine B, Boulai A, El Botty R, Dahmani A, Montaudon E, Assayag F, Morisset L, Huguet L, Sourd L, Painsec P, Callens C, Chateau-Joubert S, Servely JL, Larcher T, Reyes C, Girard E, Pierron G, Laurent C, Vacher S, Baulande S, Melaabi S, Vincent-Salomon A, Gentien D, Dieras V, Bieche I, Marangoni E. A large collection of integrated genomically characterized patient-derived xenografts highlighting the heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancer. Int J Cancer 2019; 145:1902-1912. [PMID: 30859564 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents 10% of all breast cancers and is a very heterogeneous disease. Globally, women with TNBC have a poor prognosis, and the development of effective targeted therapies remains a real challenge. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are clinically relevant models that have emerged as important tools for the analysis of drug activity and predictive biomarker discovery. The purpose of this work was to analyze the molecular heterogeneity of a large panel of TNBC PDX (n = 61) in order to test targeted therapies and identify biomarkers of response. At the gene expression level, TNBC PDX represent all of the various TNBC subtypes identified by the Lehmann classification except for immunomodulatory subtype, which is underrepresented in PDX. NGS and copy number data showed a similar diversity of significantly mutated gene and somatic copy number alteration in PDX and the Cancer Genome Atlas TNBC patients. The genes most commonly altered were TP53 and oncogenes and tumor suppressors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways. PDX showed similar morphology and immunohistochemistry markers to those of the original tumors. Efficacy experiments with PI3K and MAPK inhibitor monotherapy or combination therapy showed an antitumor activity in PDX carrying genomic mutations of PIK3CA and NRAS genes. TNBC PDX reproduce the molecular heterogeneity of TNBC patients. This large collection of PDX is a clinically relevant platform for drug testing, biomarker discovery and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Coussy
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France.,Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France.,Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Leanne de Koning
- Translational Research Department, RPPA Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Marion Lavigne
- Department of Biopathology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Virginie Bernard
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Berengere Ouine
- Translational Research Department, RPPA Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Anais Boulai
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Rania El Botty
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Ahmed Dahmani
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Montaudon
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Franck Assayag
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Ludivine Morisset
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Lea Huguet
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Laura Sourd
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Painsec
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Celine Callens
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - Jean-Luc Servely
- BioPôle Alfort, National Veterinary School of Alfort, Maison Alfort, France
| | | | - Cecile Reyes
- Translational Research Department, Genomics Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | | | - Gaelle Pierron
- Unit of Somatic Genomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - Sophie Vacher
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Baulande
- Genomics of Excellence (ICGex) Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - Samia Melaabi
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - David Gentien
- Translational Research Department, Genomics Platform, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | | | - Ivan Bieche
- Unit of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Genetics, Institut Curie, Paris, France.,Inserm U1016, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Elisabetta Marangoni
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
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Yadav BD, Samuels AL, Wells JE, Sutton R, Venn NC, Bendak K, Anderson D, Marshall GM, Cole CH, Beesley AH, Kees UR, Lock RB. Heterogeneity in mechanisms of emergent resistance in pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Oncotarget 2018; 7:58728-42. [PMID: 27623214 PMCID: PMC5312271 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Relapse in pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) remains a significant clinical problem and is thought to be associated with clonal selection during treatment. In this study we used an established pre-clinical model of induction therapy to increase our understanding of the effect of engraftment and chemotherapy on clonal selection and acquisition of drug resistance in vivo. Immune-deficient mice were engrafted with patient diagnostic specimens and exposed to a repeated combination therapy consisting of vincristine, dexamethasone, L-asparaginase and daunorubicin. Any re-emergence of disease following therapy was shown to be associated with resistance to dexamethasone, no resistance was observed to the other three drugs. Immunoglobulin/T-cell receptor gene rearrangements closely matched those in respective diagnosis and relapse patient specimens, highlighting that these clonal markers do not fully reflect the biological changes associated with drug resistance. Gene expression profiling revealed the significant underlying heterogeneity of dexamethasone-resistant xenografts. Alterations were observed in a large number of biological pathways, yet no dominant signature was common to all lines. These findings indicate that the biological changes associated with T-ALL relapse and resistance are stochastic and highly individual, and underline the importance of using sophisticated molecular techniques or single cell analyses in developing personalized approaches to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babasaheb D Yadav
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amy L Samuels
- Division of Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Julia E Wells
- Division of Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rosemary Sutton
- Molecular Diagnostics, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicola C Venn
- Molecular Diagnostics, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katerina Bendak
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Denise Anderson
- Division of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Glenn M Marshall
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catherine H Cole
- School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Alex H Beesley
- Division of Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ursula R Kees
- Division of Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Richard B Lock
- Leukaemia Biology Program, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Wong NC, Bhadri VA, Maksimovic J, Parkinson-Bates M, Ng J, Craig JM, Saffery R, Lock RB. Stability of gene expression and epigenetic profiles highlights the utility of patient-derived paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia xenografts for investigating molecular mechanisms of drug resistance. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:416. [PMID: 24885906 PMCID: PMC4057609 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-derived tumour xenografts are an attractive model for preclinical testing of anti-cancer drugs. Insights into tumour biology and biomarkers predictive of responses to chemotherapeutic drugs can also be gained from investigating xenograft models. As a first step towards examining the equivalence of epigenetic profiles between xenografts and primary tumours in paediatric leukaemia, we performed genome-scale DNA methylation and gene expression profiling on a panel of 10 paediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL) tumours that were stratified by prednisolone response. RESULTS We found high correlations in DNA methylation and gene expression profiles between matching primary and xenograft tumour samples with Pearson's correlation coefficients ranging between 0.85 and 0.98. In order to demonstrate the potential utility of epigenetic analyses in BCP-ALL xenografts, we identified DNA methylation biomarkers that correlated with prednisolone responsiveness of the original tumour samples. Differential methylation of CAPS2, ARHGAP21, ARX and HOXB6 were confirmed by locus specific analysis. We identified 20 genes showing an inverse relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression in association with prednisolone response. Pathway analysis of these genes implicated apoptosis, cell signalling and cell structure networks in prednisolone responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study confirm the stability of epigenetic and gene expression profiles of paediatric BCP-ALL propagated in mouse xenograft models. Further, our preliminary investigation of prednisolone sensitivity highlights the utility of mouse xenograft models for preclinical development of novel drug regimens with parallel investigation of underlying gene expression and epigenetic responses associated with novel drug responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Richard B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, PO Box 81, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Martinez-Garcia R, Juan D, Rausell A, Muñoz M, Baños N, Menéndez C, Lopez-Casas PP, Rico D, Valencia A, Hidalgo M. Transcriptional dissection of pancreatic tumors engrafted in mice. Genome Med 2014; 6:27. [PMID: 24739241 PMCID: PMC4062047 DOI: 10.1186/gm544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Engraftment of primary pancreas ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) in mice to generate patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models is a promising platform for biological and therapeutic studies in this disease. However, these models are still incompletely characterized. Here, we measured the impact of the murine tumor environment on the gene expression of the engrafted human tumoral cells. Methods We have analyzed gene expression profiles from 35 new PDX models and compared them with previously published microarray data of 18 PDX models, 53 primary tumors and 41 cell lines from PDAC. The results obtained in the PDAC system were further compared with public available microarray data from 42 PDX models, 108 primary tumors and 32 cell lines from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We developed a robust analysis protocol to explore the gene expression space. In addition, we completed the analysis with a functional characterization of PDX models, including if changes were caused by murine environment or by serial passing. Results Our results showed that PDX models derived from PDAC, or HCC, were clearly different to the cell lines derived from the same cancer tissues. Indeed, PDAC- and HCC-derived cell lines are indistinguishable from each other based on their gene expression profiles. In contrast, the transcriptomes of PDAC and HCC PDX models can be separated into two different groups that share some partial similarity with their corresponding original primary tumors. Our results point to the lack of human stromal involvement in PDXs as a major factor contributing to their differences from the original primary tumors. The main functional differences between pancreatic PDX models and human PDAC are the lower expression of genes involved in pathways related to extracellular matrix and hemostasis and the up- regulation of cell cycle genes. Importantly, most of these differences are detected in the first passages after the tumor engraftment. Conclusions Our results suggest that PDX models of PDAC and HCC retain, to some extent, a gene expression memory of the original primary tumors, while this pattern is not detected in conventional cancer cell lines. Expression changes in PDXs are mainly related to pathways reflecting the lack of human infiltrating cells and the adaptation to a new environment. We also provide evidence of the stability of gene expression patterns over subsequent passages, indicating early phases of the adaptation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Martinez-Garcia
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Clinical Research Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Juan
- Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Rausell
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Vital-IT Group, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland ; Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Muñoz
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Clinical Research Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Baños
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Clinical Research Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Camino Menéndez
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Clinical Research Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro P Lopez-Casas
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Clinical Research Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Rico
- Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Valencia
- Structural Biology and Biocomputing Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Hidalgo
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Clinical Research Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Guihard S, Peyrouze P, Cheok MH. Pharmacogenomic considerations of xenograft mouse models of acute leukemia. Pharmacogenomics 2013; 13:1759-72. [PMID: 23171339 DOI: 10.2217/pgs.12.158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of combination chemotherapy to cure acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and acute myeloid leukemia in adults emerged for acute myeloid leukemia in the 1960s and for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the 1980s as a paradigm for curing any disseminated cancer. This article summarizes recent developments and considerations in the use of acute leukemia xenografts established in immunodeficient mice to elucidate the genetic and genomic basis of acute leukemia pathogenesis and treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soizic Guihard
- Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center, INSERM U837, Institute for Cancer Research, 1 Place de Verdun, F-59045 Lille Cedex, France
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9
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Woiterski J, Ebinger M, Witte KE, Goecke B, Heininger V, Philippek M, Bonin M, Schrauder A, Röttgers S, Herr W, Lang P, Handgretinger R, Hartwig UF, André MC. Engraftment of low numbers of pediatric acute lymphoid and myeloid leukemias into NOD/SCID/IL2Rcγnull mice reflects individual leukemogenecity and highly correlates with clinical outcome. Int J Cancer 2013; 133:1547-56. [PMID: 23526331 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although immortalized cell lines have been extensively used to optimize treatment strategies in cancer, the usefulness of such in vitro systems to recapitulate primary disease is limited. Therefore, the design of in vivo models ideally utilizing patient-derived material is of critical importance. In this regard, NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid) IL2rg(tmWjl) /Sz (NSG) mice have been reported to provide superior engraftment rates. However, limited data exist on the validity of such a model to constitute a surrogate marker for clinical parameters. We studied primary and serial engraftment on more than 200 NSG mice with 54 primary pediatric B cell precursor acute lymphatic leukemia (B-ALL), myeloid leukemia (AML) and T cell leukemia (T-ALL) samples, characterized the leukemogenic profile and correlated engraftment kinetics with clinical outcome. Median time to engraftment was 7-10 weeks and 90% of the mice engrafted. Male recipients conferred significantly higher engraftment levels than female recipients (p ≤ 0.004). PCR-based minimal residual disease marker expression and fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of patient-specific genetic aberrations in mice. Transcriptome cluster analysis of genes known to be important in the leukemogenesis of all three diseases revealed that well-known tumor-regulating genes were expressed to a comparable extent in mice and men. The extent of engraftment and overall survival of NSG mice highly correlated with the individual prognosis of B-ALL, AML and T-ALL patients. Thus, we propose an in vivo model that provides a valuable preclinical tool to explore the heterogeneity of leukemic disease and exploit patient-tailored leukemia-targeting strategies within multivariate analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette Woiterski
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University Children's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany
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10
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Determining epithelial contribution to in vivo mesenchymal tumour expression signature using species-specific microarray profiling analysis of xenografts. Genet Res (Camb) 2013; 95:14-29. [PMID: 23497823 DOI: 10.1017/s0016672313000013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression profiling using microarrays and xenograft transplants of human cancer cell lines are both popular tools to investigate human cancer. However, the undefined degree of cross hybridization between the mouse and human genomes hinders the use of microarrays to characterize gene expression of both the host and the cancer cell within the xenograft. Since an increasingly recognized aspect of cancer is the host response (or cancer-stroma interaction), we describe here a bioinformatic manipulation of the Affymetrix profiling that allows interrogation of the gene expression of both the mouse host and the human tumour. Evidence of microenvironmental regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition of the tumour component in vivo is resolved against a background of mesenchymal gene expression. This tool could allow deeper insight to the mechanism of action of anti-cancer drugs, as typically novel drug efficacy is being tested in xenograft systems.
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Conway T, Wazny J, Bromage A, Tymms M, Sooraj D, Williams ED, Beresford-Smith B. Xenome--a tool for classifying reads from xenograft samples. Bioinformatics 2013; 28:i172-8. [PMID: 22689758 PMCID: PMC3371868 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bts236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation: Shotgun sequence read data derived from xenograft material contains a mixture of reads arising from the host and reads arising from the graft. Classifying the read mixture to separate the two allows for more precise analysis to be performed. Results: We present a technique, with an associated tool Xenome, which performs fast, accurate and specific classification of xenograft-derived sequence read data. We have evaluated it on RNA-Seq data from human, mouse and human-in-mouse xenograft datasets. Availability:Xenome is available for non-commercial use from http://www.nicta.com.au/bioinformatics Contact:tom.conway@nicta.com.au
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Conway
- NICTA Victoria Research Laboratory, Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville and Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
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LEE MYOUNGWOO, KIM HYEJIN, YOO KEONHEE, KIM DAESEONG, YANG JINMO, KIM HYERYUNG, NOH YOOHUN, BAEK HYUNJUNG, KWON HEECHUNG, SON MEONGHI, LEE SOOHYUN, CHEUH HEEWON, JUNG HYELIM, SUNG KIWOONG, KOO HONGHOE. Establishment of a bioluminescent imaging-based in vivo leukemia model by intra-bone marrow injection. Int J Oncol 2012; 41:2047-56. [DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2012.1634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Anastassiou D, Rumjantseva V, Cheng W, Huang J, Canoll PD, Yamashiro DJ, Kandel JJ. Human cancer cells express Slug-based epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene expression signature obtained in vivo. BMC Cancer 2011; 11:529. [PMID: 22208948 PMCID: PMC3268117 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-11-529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The biological mechanisms underlying cancer cell motility and invasiveness remain unclear, although it has been hypothesized that they involve some type of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods We used xenograft models of human cancer cells in immunocompromised mice, profiling the harvested tumors separately with species-specific probes and computationally analyzing the results. Results Here we show that human cancer cells express in vivo a precise multi-cancer invasion-associated gene expression signature that prominently includes many EMT markers, among them the transcription factor Slug, fibronectin, and α-SMA. We found that human, but not mouse, cells express the signature and Slug is the only upregulated EMT-inducing transcription factor. The signature is also present in samples from many publicly available cancer gene expression datasets, suggesting that it is produced by the cancer cells themselves in multiple cancer types, including nonepithelial cancers such as neuroblastoma. Furthermore, we found that the presence of the signature in human xenografted cells was associated with a downregulation of adipocyte markers in the mouse tissue adjacent to the invasive tumor, suggesting that the signature is triggered by contextual microenvironmental interactions when the cancer cells encounter adipocytes, as previously reported. Conclusions The known, precise and consistent gene composition of this cancer mesenchymal transition signature, particularly when combined with simultaneous analysis of the adjacent microenvironment, provides unique opportunities for shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of cancer invasiveness as well as identifying potential diagnostic markers and targets for metastasis-inhibiting therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Anastassiou
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Noninvasive bioluminescent imaging of primary patient acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a strategy for preclinical modeling. Blood 2011; 118:e112-7. [PMID: 21856863 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-04-346528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficient engraftment in immune-deficient mice achieved with both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines and primary samples has facilitated identification of the antileukemia activity of a wide variety of agents. Despite widespread usage, however, little is known about the early ALL localization and engraftment kinetics in this model, limiting experimental read-outs primarily to survival and endpoint analysis at high disease burden. In this study, we report that bioluminescent imaging can be reproducibly achieved with primary human ALL samples. This approach provides a noninvasive, longitudinal measure of leukemia burden and localization that enhances the sensitivity of treatment response detection and provides greater insight into the mechanism of action of antileukemia agents. In addition, this study reveals significant cell line- and species-related differences in leukemia migration, especially early in expansion, which may confound observations between various leukemia models. Overall, this study demonstrates that the use of bioluminescent primary ALL allows the detection and quantitation of treatment effects at earlier, previously unquantifiable disease burdens and thus provides the means to standardize and expedite the evaluation of anti-ALL activity in preclinical xenograft studies.
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