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Lin Z, Yang L. Identification of a CpG-based signature coupled with gene expression as prognostic indicators for melanoma: a preliminary study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5302. [PMID: 38438381 PMCID: PMC10912562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50614-2] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important part of the genomic biology, which recently allowed the identification of key biomarkers for a variety of cancers, including cutaneous melanoma. Despite the current knowledge in cutaneous melanoma, there is a clear need for new efficient biomarkers in clinical application of detection. We use The Cancer Genome Atlas data as a training set and a multi-stage screening strategy to identify prognostic characteristics of melanoma based on DNA methylation. Three DNA methylation CpG sites were identified to be related to the overall survival in the skin cutaneous melanoma cohort. This signature was validated in two independent datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus. The stratified analysis by clinical stage, age, gender, and grade retained the statistical significance. The methylation signature was significantly correlated with immune cells and anti-tumor immune response. Moreover, gene expression corresponding to the candidate CpG locus was also significantly correlated with the survival rate of the patient. About 49% of the prognostic effects of methylation are mediated by affecting the expression of the corresponding genes. The prognostic characteristics of DNA methylation combined with clinical information provide a better prediction value tool for melanoma patients than the clinical information alone. However, more experiments are required to validate these findings. Overall, this signature presents a prospect of novel and wide-ranging applications for appropriate clinical adjuvant trails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Lin
- Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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2
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Hu X, Hu Z, Zhang H, Zhang N, Feng H, Jia X, Zhang C, Cheng Q. Deciphering the tumor-suppressive role of PSMB9 in melanoma through multi-omics and single-cell transcriptome analyses. Cancer Lett 2024; 581:216466. [PMID: 37944578 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216466] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) poses a significant challenge in skin cancers. Recent immunotherapy breakthroughs have revolutionized melanoma treamtment, yet tumor heterogeneity persists as an obstacle. Epigenetic modifications orchestrated by DNA methylation contributed to tumorigenesis, thus potentially unveiling melanoma prognosis. Here, we identified an interferon-gamma (IFN-g) sensitive subtype, which possesses favorable outcomes, robust infiltration CD8+T cells, and IFN-g score in bulk RNA-seq profile. Subsequently, we established an IFN-g sensitivity signature based on machine learning. We validated that PSMB9 is strongly correlated with immunotherapy response in both methylation and expression cohorts in this 10-probe signature. We assumed that PSMB9 acts as a putative melanoma suppressor, for its activation of CD8+T cell; capacity to modulate IFN-γ secretion; and dynamics altering IFN-g receptors in bulk tissue. We performed single-cell RNA-seq on immunotherapy patients' tissue to uncover the nuanced role of PSMB9 in activating CD8T + cells, enhancing IFN-g, and influencing malignant cells receptors and transcriptional factors. Overexpress PSMB9 in two SKCM cell lines to mimic the hypomethylated state to approve our conjecture. Strong cell proliferation and migration inhibition were detected on both cells, indicating that PSMB9 is present in tumor cells and that high expression is detrimental to tumor growth and migration. Overall, comprehensive integrated analysis shows that PSMB9 emerges as a vital prognostic marker, acting predictive potential regarding immunotherapy in melanoma. This evidence not only reveals the multifaceted impact of PSMB9 on both malignant and immune cells but also serves as a prospective target for undergoing immunotherapeutic strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Hu
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, Hunan, 410000, China
| | - Zhengang Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China; Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, Chongqing, 400016, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Hao Feng
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha, Hunan, 410000, China
| | - Xiaomin Jia
- Department of Pathology, Lhasa People's Hospital, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, 850001, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
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3
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Carrier A, Desjobert C, Lobjois V, Rigal L, Busato F, Tost J, Ensenyat-Mendez M, Marzese DM, Pradines A, Favre G, Lamant L, Lanfrancone L, Etievant C, Arimondo PB, Riond J. Epigenetically regulated PCDHB15 impairs aggressiveness of metastatic melanoma cells. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:156. [PMID: 36443814 PMCID: PMC9707039 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01364-x] [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: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The protocadherin proteins are cell adhesion molecules at the crossroad of signaling pathways playing a major role in neuronal development. It is now understood that their role as signaling hubs is not only important for the normal physiology of cells but also for the regulation of hallmarks of cancerogenesis. Importantly, protocadherins form a cluster of genes that are regulated by DNA methylation. We have identified for the first time that PCDHB15 gene is DNA-hypermethylated on its unique exon in the metastatic melanoma-derived cell lines and patients' metastases compared to primary tumors. This DNA hypermethylation silences the gene, and treatment with the DNA demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine reinduces its expression. We explored the role of PCDHB15 in melanoma aggressiveness and showed that overexpression impairs invasiveness and aggregation of metastatic melanoma cells in vitro and formation of lung metastasis in vivo. These findings highlight important modifications of the methylation of the PCDHβ genes in melanoma and support a functional role of PCDHB15 silencing in melanoma aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Carrier
- Unité de Service et de Recherche USR n°3388 CNRS-Pierre Fabre, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France ,Cancer Epigenetics Group, Institut de Recerca Contra la Leucèmia Josep Carreras, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cécile Desjobert
- Unité de Service et de Recherche USR n°3388 CNRS-Pierre Fabre, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France
| | - Valérie Lobjois
- grid.508721.9Institut des Technologies Avancées en Sciences du Vivant – ITAV-USR3505, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier-UT3, Toulouse, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire du Contrôle de la Prolifération, CNRS UMR 5088, Université Paul Sabatier-UT3, Toulouse, France
| | - Lise Rigal
- grid.508721.9Institut des Technologies Avancées en Sciences du Vivant – ITAV-USR3505, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier-UT3, Toulouse, France
| | - Florence Busato
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humain, CEA-Institut de Biologie Francois Jacob, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Jörg Tost
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humain, CEA-Institut de Biologie Francois Jacob, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez
- grid.507085.fCancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Diego M. Marzese
- grid.507085.fCancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Anne Pradines
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France ,grid.417829.10000 0000 9680 0846Laboratoire de Biologie Médicale Oncologique, Institut Claudius Regaud, Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse-Oncopole, Toulouse, France
| | - Gilles Favre
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France ,grid.417829.10000 0000 9680 0846Laboratoire de Biologie Médicale Oncologique, Institut Claudius Regaud, Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse-Oncopole, Toulouse, France
| | - Laurence Lamant
- grid.488470.7Laboratoire d’Anatomopathologie, Institut Universitaire du Cancer Toulouse Oncopole, Toulouse, France
| | - Luisa Lanfrancone
- grid.15667.330000 0004 1757 0843Department of Experimental Oncology, Instituto Europeo di Oncologia, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Chantal Etievant
- Unité de Service et de Recherche USR n°3388 CNRS-Pierre Fabre, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France
| | - Paola B. Arimondo
- Unité de Service et de Recherche USR n°3388 CNRS-Pierre Fabre, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France ,grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535EpiCBio, Epigenetic Chemical Biology, Department Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS UMR N°3523, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Joëlle Riond
- Unité de Service et de Recherche USR n°3388 CNRS-Pierre Fabre, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInserm, CNRS, Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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4
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Conway K, Tsai YS, Edmiston SN, Parker JS, Parrish EA, Hao H, Kuan PF, Scott GA, Frank JS, Googe P, Ollila DW, Thomas NE. Characterization of the CpG Island Hypermethylated Phenotype Subclass in Primary Melanomas. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:1869-1881.e10. [PMID: 34843679 PMCID: PMC9135958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma can be lethal even if detected at an early stage. Epigenetic profiling may facilitate the identification of aggressive primary melanomas with unfavorable outcomes. We performed clustering of whole-genome methylation data to identify subclasses that were then assessed for survival, clinical features, methylation patterns, and biological pathways. Among 89 cutaneous primary invasive melanomas, we identified three methylation subclasses exhibiting low methylation, intermediate methylation, or hypermethylation of CpG islands, known as the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). CIMP melanomas occurred as early as tumor stage 1b and, compared with low-methylation melanomas, were associated with age at diagnosis ≥65 years, lentigo maligna melanoma histologic subtype, presence of ulceration, higher American Joint Committee on Cancer stage and tumor stage, and lower tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte grade (all P < 0.05). Patients with CIMP melanomas had worse melanoma-specific survival (hazard ratio = 11.84; confidence interval = 4.65‒30.20) than those with low-methylation melanomas, adjusted for age, sex, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte grade. Genes hypermethylated in CIMP compared with those in low-methylation melanomas included PTEN, VDR, PD-L1, TET2, and gene sets related to development/differentiation, the extracellular matrix, and immunity. CIMP melanomas exhibited hypermethylation of genes important in melanoma progression and tumor immunity, and although present in some early melanomas, CIMP was associated with worse survival independent of known prognostic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Conway
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Dermatology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Yihsuan S Tsai
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sharon N Edmiston
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joel S Parker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Genetics, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eloise A Parrish
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Honglin Hao
- Department of Genetics, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Pei Fen Kuan
- Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Glynis A Scott
- Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA; Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jill S Frank
- Department of Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Paul Googe
- Department of Dermatology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - David W Ollila
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nancy E Thomas
- Department of Dermatology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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5
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Chen Y, Yi X, Sun N, Guo W, Li C. Epigenetics Regulates Antitumor Immunity in Melanoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:868786. [PMID: 35693795 PMCID: PMC9174518 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.868786] [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: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most malignant skin cancer, which originates from epidermal melanocytes, with increasing worldwide incidence. The escape of immune surveillance is a hallmark of the tumor, which is manifested by the imbalance between the enhanced immune evasion of tumor cells and the impaired antitumor capacity of infiltrating immune cells. According to this notion, the invigoration of the exhausted immune cells by immune checkpoint blockades has gained encouraging outcomes in eliminating tumor cells and significantly prolonged the survival of patients, particularly in melanoma. Epigenetics is a pivotal non-genomic modulatory paradigm referring to heritable changes in gene expression without altering genome sequence, including DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNAs, and m6A RNA methylation. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated how the dysregulation of epigenetics regulates multiple biological behaviors of tumor cells and contributes to carcinogenesis and tumor progression in melanoma. Nevertheless, the linkage between epigenetics and antitumor immunity, as well as its implication in melanoma immunotherapy, remains elusive. In this review, we first introduce the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic innovations of melanoma. Then, the tumor microenvironment and the functions of different types of infiltrating immune cells are discussed, with an emphasis on their involvement in antitumor immunity in melanoma. Subsequently, we systemically summarize the linkage between epigenetics and antitumor immunity in melanoma, from the perspective of distinct paradigms of epigenetics. Ultimately, the progression of the clinical trials regarding epigenetics-based melanoma immunotherapy is introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiuli Yi
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ningyue Sun
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weinan Guo
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chunying Li
- Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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Rius FE, Papaiz DD, Azevedo HFZ, Ayub ALP, Pessoa DO, Oliveira TF, Loureiro APM, Andrade F, Fujita A, Reis EM, Mason CE, Jasiulionis MG. Genome-wide promoter methylation profiling in a cellular model of melanoma progression reveals markers of malignancy and metastasis that predict melanoma survival. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:68. [PMID: 35606887 PMCID: PMC9128240 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01291-x] [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: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The epigenetic changes associated with melanoma progression to advanced and metastatic stages are still poorly understood. To shed light on the CpG methylation dynamics during melanoma development, we analyzed the methylome profiles of a four-stage cell line model of melanoma progression: non-tumorigenic melanocytes (melan-a), premalignant melanocytes (4C), non-metastatic melanoma cells (4C11−), and metastatic melanoma cells (4C11+). We identified 540 hypo- and 37 hypermethylated gene promoters that together characterized a malignancy signature, and 646 hypo- and 520 hypermethylated promoters that distinguished a metastasis signature. Differentially methylated genes from these signatures were correlated with overall survival using TCGA-SKCM methylation data. Moreover, multivariate Cox analyses with LASSO regularization identified panels of 33 and 31 CpGs, respectively, from the malignancy and metastasis signatures that predicted poor survival. We found a concordant relationship between DNA methylation and transcriptional levels for genes from the malignancy (Pyroxd2 and Ptgfrn) and metastasis (Arnt2, Igfbp4 and Ptprf) signatures, which were both also correlated with melanoma prognosis. Altogether, this study reveals novel CpGs methylation markers associated with malignancy and metastasis that collectively could improve the survival prediction of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia E Rius
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora D Papaiz
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hatylas F Z Azevedo
- Divisão de Urologia, Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Luísa P Ayub
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diogo O Pessoa
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago F Oliveira
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula M Loureiro
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Andrade
- Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciências da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo M Reis
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Miriam G Jasiulionis
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, 04039-032, Brazil.
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7
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Benboubker V, Boivin F, Dalle S, Caramel J. Cancer Cell Phenotype Plasticity as a Driver of Immune Escape in Melanoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:873116. [PMID: 35432344 PMCID: PMC9012258 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.873116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies blocking negative immune checkpoints are now approved for the treatment of a growing number of cancers. However, even in metastatic melanoma, where sustained responses are observed, a significant number of patients still do not respond or display resistance. Increasing evidence indicates that non-genetic cancer cell-intrinsic alterations play a key role in resistance to therapies and immune evasion. Cancer cell plasticity, mainly associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in carcinoma, relies on transcriptional, epigenetic or translational reprogramming. In melanoma, an EMT-like dedifferentiation process is characterized by the acquisition of invasive or neural crest stem cell-like features. Herein, we discuss recent findings on the specific roles of phenotypic reprogramming of melanoma cells in driving immune evasion and resistance to immunotherapies. The mechanisms by which dedifferentiated melanoma cells escape T cell lysis, mediate T cell exclusion or remodel the immune microenvironment will be detailed. The expanded knowledge on tumor cell plasticity in melanoma should contribute to the development of novel therapeutic combination strategies to further improve outcomes in this deadly metastatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Benboubker
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, CNRS, Centre Léon Bérard, "Cancer cell Plasticity in Melanoma" team, Lyon, France
| | - Félix Boivin
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, CNRS, Centre Léon Bérard, "Cancer cell Plasticity in Melanoma" team, Lyon, France
| | - Stéphane Dalle
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, CNRS, Centre Léon Bérard, "Cancer cell Plasticity in Melanoma" team, Lyon, France.,Dermatology Unit, Hospices Civils de Lyon, CH Lyon Sud, Pierre Bénite Cedex, France
| | - Julie Caramel
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM, CNRS, Centre Léon Bérard, "Cancer cell Plasticity in Melanoma" team, Lyon, France
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8
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Starzer AM, Heller G, Tomasich E, Melchardt T, Feldmann K, Hatziioannou T, Traint S, Minichsdorfer C, Schwarz-Nemec U, Nackenhorst M, Müllauer L, Preusser M, Berghoff AS, Fuereder T. DNA methylation profiles differ in responders versus non-responders to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003420. [PMID: 35338086 PMCID: PMC8961155 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomarkers for response prediction to anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are urgently needed for a personalized therapy approach. We investigated the predictive potential of inflammatory parameters and DNA methylation profiling in patients with HNSCC treated with anti-PD-1 ICI. METHODS We identified patients with HNSCC that were treated with anti-PD-1 ICI therapy in the recurrent or metastatic setting after progression to platinum-based chemotherapy in two independent centers. We analyzed DNA methylation profiles of >850.000 CpG sites in tumor specimens of these patients by Infinium MethylationEPIC microarrays, immune cell density in the tumor microenvironment (CD8, CD3, CD45RO, forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), CD68), PD-1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression by immunohistochemistry, and blood inflammation markers (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, leucocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio). DNA methylation profiles and immunological markers were bioinformatically and statistically correlated with radiological response to anti-PD-1 ICI. RESULTS 37 patients with HNSCC (median age of 62 years; range 49-83; 8 (21.6%) women, 29 (78.4%) men) were included (Center 1 N=26, 70.3%; Center 2 N=11, 29.7%). Median number of prior systemic therapies was 1 (range 1-4). Five out of 37 (13.5%) patients achieved an objective response to ICI. Median progression-free survival and median overall survival times were 3.7 months (range 0-22.9) and 9.0 months (range 0-38.8), respectively. Microarray analyses revealed a methylation signature including both hypomethylation and hypermethylation which was predictive for response to ICI and included several genes involved in cancer-related molecular pathways. Over-represented differentially methylated genes between responders and non-responders were associated with 'Axon guidance', 'Hippo signaling', 'Pathways in cancer' and 'MAPK signaling'. A statistically significant correlation of PD-L1 expression and response was present (p=0.0498). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that tumor DNA methylation profiling may be useful to predict response to ICI in patients with HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Martina Starzer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerwin Heller
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Erwin Tomasich
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Melchardt
- Laboratory for Immunological and Molecular Cancer Research, Department of Internal Medicine III with Hematology, Medical Oncology, Hemostaseology, Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology, Oncologic Center, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Katharina Feldmann
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Teresa Hatziioannou
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Traint
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Minichsdorfer
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ursula Schwarz-Nemec
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maja Nackenhorst
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Preusser
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Sophie Berghoff
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria .,Department of Medicine I, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thorsten Fuereder
- Department of Medicine I, Division of Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Yates J, Boeva V. Deciphering the etiology and role in oncogenic transformation of the CpG island methylator phenotype: a pan-cancer analysis. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6520307. [PMID: 35134107 PMCID: PMC8921629 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous cancer types have shown to present hypermethylation of CpG islands, also known as a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), often associated with survival variation. Despite extensive research on CIMP, the etiology of this variability remains elusive, possibly due to lack of consistency in defining CIMP. In this work, we utilize a pan-cancer approach to further explore CIMP, focusing on 26 cancer types profiled in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We defined CIMP systematically and agnostically, discarding any effects associated with age, gender or tumor purity. We then clustered samples based on their most variable DNA methylation values and analyzed resulting patient groups. Our results confirmed the existence of CIMP in 19 cancers, including gliomas and colorectal cancer. We further showed that CIMP was associated with survival differences in eight cancer types and, in five, represented a prognostic biomarker independent of clinical factors. By analyzing genetic and transcriptomic data, we further uncovered potential drivers of CIMP and classified them in four categories: mutations in genes directly involved in DNA demethylation; mutations in histone methyltransferases; mutations in genes not involved in methylation turnover, such as KRAS and BRAF; and microsatellite instability. Among the 19 CIMP-positive cancers, very few shared potential driver events, and those drivers were only IDH1 and SETD2 mutations. Finally, we found that CIMP was strongly correlated with tumor microenvironment characteristics, such as lymphocyte infiltration. Overall, our results indicate that CIMP does not exhibit a pan-cancer manifestation; rather, general dysregulation of CpG DNA methylation is caused by heterogeneous mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Yates
- Institute for Machine Learning, Department of Computer Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Valentina Boeva
- Institute for Machine Learning, Department of Computer Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics (SIB), Zürich, Switzerland.,Cochin Institute, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Paris Descartes University UMR-S1016, Paris 75014, France
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10
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Paweł K, Maria Małgorzata S. CpG Island Methylator Phenotype-A Hope for the Future or a Road to Nowhere? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020830. [PMID: 35055016 PMCID: PMC8777692 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) can be regarded as the most notable emanation of epigenetic instability in cancer. Since its discovery in the late 1990s, CIMP has been extensively studied, mainly in colorectal cancers (CRC) and gliomas. Consequently, knowledge on molecular and pathological characteristics of CIMP in CRC and other tumour types has rapidly expanded. Concordant and widespread hypermethylation of multiple CpG islands observed in CIMP in multiple cancers raised hopes for future epigenetically based diagnostics and treatments of solid tumours. However, studies on CIMP in solid tumours were hampered by a lack of generalisability and reproducibility of epigenetic markers. Moreover, CIMP was not a satisfactory marker in predicting clinical outcomes. The idea of targeting epigenetic abnormalities such as CIMP for cancer therapy has not been implemented for solid tumours, either. Twenty-one years after its discovery, we aim to cover both the fundamental and new aspects of CIMP and its future application as a diagnostic marker and target in anticancer therapies.
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11
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Dobre EG, Constantin C, Costache M, Neagu M. Interrogating Epigenome toward Personalized Approach in Cutaneous Melanoma. J Pers Med 2021; 11:901. [PMID: 34575678 PMCID: PMC8467841 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11090901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations have emerged as essential contributors in the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including cutaneous melanoma (CM). Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic modifications are highly dynamic and reversible and thus easy to regulate. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the latest research findings on the role of genetic and epigenetic alterations in CM initiation and development. We believe that a better understanding of how aberrant DNA methylation and histone modifications, along with other molecular processes, affect the genesis and clinical behavior of CM can provide the clinical management of this disease a wide range of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as potential therapeutic targets that can be used to prevent or abrogate drug resistance. We will also approach the modalities by which these epigenetic alterations can be used to customize the therapeutic algorithms in CM, the current status of epi-therapies, and the preliminary results of epigenetic and traditional combinatorial pharmacological approaches in this fatal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena-Georgiana Dobre
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 91–95, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; (M.C.); (M.N.)
| | - Carolina Constantin
- Immunology Department, “Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania;
- Pathology Department, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 020125 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marieta Costache
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 91–95, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; (M.C.); (M.N.)
| | - Monica Neagu
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 91–95, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; (M.C.); (M.N.)
- Immunology Department, “Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania;
- Pathology Department, Colentina Clinical Hospital, 020125 Bucharest, Romania
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12
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Filipski K, Scherer M, Zeiner KN, Bucher A, Kleemann J, Jurmeister P, Hartung TI, Meissner M, Plate KH, Fenton TR, Walter J, Tierling S, Schilling B, Zeiner PS, Harter PN. DNA methylation-based prediction of response to immune checkpoint inhibition in metastatic melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-002226. [PMID: 34281986 PMCID: PMC8291310 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-002226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Therapies based on targeting immune checkpoints have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma in recent years. Still, biomarkers predicting long-term therapy responses are lacking. Methods A novel approach of reference-free deconvolution of large-scale DNA methylation data enabled us to develop a machine learning classifier based on CpG sites, specific for latent methylation components (LMC), that allowed for patient allocation to prognostic clusters. DNA methylation data were processed using reference-free analyses (MeDeCom) and reference-based computational tumor deconvolution (MethylCIBERSORT, LUMP). Results We provide evidence that DNA methylation signatures of tumor tissue from cutaneous metastases are predictive for therapy response to immune checkpoint inhibition in patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma. Conclusions These results demonstrate that LMC-based segregation of large-scale DNA methylation data is a promising tool for classifier development and treatment response estimation in cancer patients under targeted immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Filipski
- Neurological Institute (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Scherer
- Department of Genetics, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken, Germany.,Graduate School of Computer Science, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saabrücken, Germany
| | - Kim N Zeiner
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Bucher
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Johannes Kleemann
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Philipp Jurmeister
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tabea I Hartung
- Neurological Institute (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Markus Meissner
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Karl H Plate
- Neurological Institute (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tim R Fenton
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Kent, UK
| | - Jörn Walter
- Department of Genetics, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sascha Tierling
- Department of Genetics, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Bastian Schilling
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pia S Zeiner
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Neurooncology, University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Patrick N Harter
- Neurological Institute (Edinger Institute), University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany .,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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13
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Starzer AM, Berghoff AS, Hamacher R, Tomasich E, Feldmann K, Hatziioannou T, Traint S, Lamm W, Noebauer-Huhmann IM, Furtner J, Müllauer L, Amann G, Bauer S, Schildhaus HU, Preusser M, Heller G, Brodowicz T. Tumor DNA methylation profiles correlate with response to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in sarcoma patients. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001458. [PMID: 33762319 PMCID: PMC7993298 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some sarcomas respond to immune checkpoint inhibition, but predictive biomarkers are unknown. We analyzed tumor DNA methylation profiles in relation to immunological parameters and response to anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with sarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively identified adult patients who had received anti-PD-1 ICI therapy for recurrent sarcoma in two independent centers. We performed (1) blinded radiological response evaluation according to immune response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (iRECIST) ; (2) tumor DNA methylation profiling of >850,000 probes using Infinium MethylationEPIC microarrays; (3) analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cell subsets (CD3, CD8, CD45RO, FOXP3) and intratumoral expression of immune checkpoint molecules (PD-L1, PD-1, LAG-3) using immunohistochemistry; and (4) evaluation of blood-based systemic inflammation scores (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, leucocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio). Response to anti-PD-1 ICI therapy was bioinformatically and statistically correlated with DNA methylation profiles and immunological data. RESULTS 35 patients (median age of 50 (23-81) years; 18 females, 17 males; 27 soft tissue sarcomas; 8 osteosarcomas) were included in this study. The objective response rate to anti-PD-1 ICI therapy was 22.9% with complete responses in 3 out of 35 and partial responses in 5 out of 35 patients. Adjustment of DNA methylation data for tumor-infiltrating immune cells resulted in identification of methylation differences between responders and non-responders to anti-PD-1 ICI. 2453 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMPs; 2043 with decreased and 410 with increased methylation) were identified. Clustering of sarcoma samples based on these DMPs revealed two main clusters: methylation cluster 1 (MC1) consisted of 73% responders and methylation cluster 2 (MC2) contained only non-responders to anti-PD-1 ICI. Median progression-free survival from anti-PD-1 therapy start of MC1 and MC2 patients was 16.5 and 1.9 months, respectively (p=0.001). Median overall survival of these patients was 34.4 and 8.0 months, respectively (p=0.029). The most prominent DNA methylation differences were found in pathways implicated in Rap1 signaling, focal adhesion, adherens junction Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling and extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that tumor DNA methylation profiles may serve as a predictive marker for response to anti-PD-1 ICI therapy in sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelika M Starzer
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna S Berghoff
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Hamacher
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sarcoma Center, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | - Erwin Tomasich
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Feldmann
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Teresa Hatziioannou
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Traint
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Lamm
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Iris M Noebauer-Huhmann
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of General and Paediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Furtner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of General and Paediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Amann
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Bauer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sarcoma Center, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Preusser
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Personalized Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerwin Heller
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Brodowicz
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Yamamoto Y, Matsusaka K, Fukuyo M, Rahmutulla B, Matsue H, Kaneda A. Higher methylation subtype of malignant melanoma and its correlation with thicker progression and worse prognosis. Cancer Med 2020; 9:7194-7204. [PMID: 32406600 PMCID: PMC7541157 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most life‐threatening disease among all skin malignancies, and recent genome‐wide studies reported BRAF, RAS, and NF1 as the most frequently mutated driver genes. While epigenetic aberrations are known to contribute to the oncogenic activity seen in various cancers, their role in MM has not been fully investigated. To investigate the role of epigenetic aberrations in MM, we performed genome‐wide DNA methylation analysis of 51 clinical MM samples using Infinium 450k beadarray. Hierarchical clustering analysis stratified MM into two DNA methylation epigenotypes: high‐ and low‐methylation subgroups. Tumor thickness was significantly greater in case of high‐methylation tumors than low‐methylation tumors (8.3 ± 5.3 mm vs 4.5 ± 2.9 mm, P = .003). Moreover, prognosis was significantly worse in high‐methylation cases (P = .03). Twenty‐seven genes were found to undergo significant and frequent hypermethylation in high‐methylation subgroup, where TFPI2 was identified as the most frequently hypermethylated gene. MM cases with lower expression levels of TFPI2 showed significantly worse prognosis (P = .001). Knockdown of TFPI2 in two MM cell lines, CHL‐1 and G361, resulted in significant increases of cell proliferation and invasion. These indicate that MM can be stratified into at least two different epigenetic subgroups, that the MM subgroup with higher DNA methylation shows a more progressive phenotype, and that methylation of TFPI2 may contribute to the tumor progression of MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Yamamoto
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Keisuke Matsusaka
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masaki Fukuyo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Genome Research and Development, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Bahityar Rahmutulla
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Matsue
- Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kaneda
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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15
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Koroknai V, Szász I, Hernandez-Vargas H, Fernandez-Jimenez N, Cuenin C, Herceg Z, Vízkeleti L, Ádány R, Ecsedi S, Balázs M. DNA hypermethylation is associated with invasive phenotype of malignant melanoma. Exp Dermatol 2020; 29:39-50. [PMID: 31602702 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Tumor cell invasion is one of the key processes during cancer progression, leading to life-threatening metastatic lesions in melanoma. As methylation of cancer-related genes plays a fundamental role during tumorigenesis and may lead to cellular plasticity which promotes invasion, our aim was to identify novel epigenetic markers on selected invasive melanoma cells. Using Illumina BeadChip assays and Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 microarrays, we explored the DNA methylation landscape of selected invasive melanoma cells and examined the impact of DNA methylation on gene expression patterns. Our data revealed predominantly hypermethylated genes in the invasive cells affecting the neural crest differentiation pathway and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Integrative analysis of the methylation and gene expression profiles resulted in a cohort of hypermethylated genes (IL12RB2, LYPD6B, CHL1, SLC9A3, BAALC, FAM213A, SORCS1, GPR158, FBN1 and ADORA2B) with decreased expression. On the other hand, hypermethylation in the gene body of the EGFR and RBP4 genes was positively correlated with overexpression of the genes. We identified several methylation changes that can have role during melanoma progression, including hypermethylation of the promoter regions of the ARHGAP22 and NAV2 genes that are commonly altered in locally invasive primary melanomas as well as during metastasis. Interestingly, the down-regulation of the methylcytosine dioxygenase TET2 gene, which regulates DNA methylation, was associated with hypermethylated promoter region of the gene. This can probably lead to the observed global hypermethylation pattern of invasive cells and might be one of the key changes during the development of malignant melanoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktória Koroknai
- Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Szász
- Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | | | - Cyrille Cuenin
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Zdenko Herceg
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Laura Vízkeleti
- Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Róza Ádány
- Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Ecsedi
- Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Epigenetics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France
| | - Margit Balázs
- Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group, Public Health Research Institute, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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16
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Donnelly D, Aung PP, Jour G. The "-OMICS" facet of melanoma: Heterogeneity of genomic, proteomic and metabolomic biomarkers. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 59:165-174. [PMID: 31295564 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In the recent decade, cutting edge molecular and proteomic analysis platforms revolutionized biomarkers discovery in cancers. Melanoma is the prototype with over 51,100 biomarkers discovered and investigated thus far. These biomarkers include tissue based tumor cell and tumor microenvironment biomarkers and circulating biomarkers including tumor DNA (cf-DNA), mir-RNA, proteins and metabolites. These biomarkers provide invaluable information for diagnosis, prognosis and play an important role in prediction of treatment response. In this review, we summarize the most recent discoveries in each of these biomarker categories. We will discuss the challenges in their implementation and standardization and conclude with some perspectives in melanoma biomarker research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Donnelly
- The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Interdisciplinary Melanoma Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Phyu P Aung
- Department of Pathology, Section of Dermatopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - George Jour
- The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Interdisciplinary Melanoma Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
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17
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Zafon C, Gil J, Pérez-González B, Jordà M. DNA methylation in thyroid cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2019; 26:R415-R439. [PMID: 31035251 DOI: 10.1530/erc-19-0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, cancer genomics has provided new insights into genetic alterations and signaling pathways involved in thyroid cancer. However, the picture of the molecular landscape is not yet complete. DNA methylation, the most widely studied epigenetic mechanism, is altered in thyroid cancer. Recent technological advances have allowed the identification of novel differentially methylated regions, methylation signatures and potential biomarkers. However, despite recent progress in cataloging methylation alterations in thyroid cancer, many questions remain unanswered. The aim of this review is to comprehensively examine the current knowledge on DNA methylation in thyroid cancer and discuss its potential clinical applications. After providing a general overview of DNA methylation and its dysregulation in cancer, we carefully describe the aberrant methylation changes in thyroid cancer and relate them to methylation patterns, global hypomethylation and gene-specific alterations. We hope this review helps to accelerate the use of the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential of DNA methylation for the benefit of thyroid cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Zafon
- Diabetes and Metabolism Research Unit (VHIR) and Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital Vall d'Hebron and Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Consortium for the Study of Thyroid Cancer (CECaT), Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Gil
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Pérez-González
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Jordà
- Consortium for the Study of Thyroid Cancer (CECaT), Catalonia, Spain
- Program of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (PMPPC-IGTP), Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Methylation Changes of Primary Tumors, Monolayer, and Spheroid Tissue Culture Environments in Malignant Melanoma and Breast Carcinoma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:1407167. [PMID: 30792990 PMCID: PMC6354143 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1407167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic changes have major role in the normal development and programming of gene expression. Aberrant methylation results in carcinogenesis. The primary objective of our study is to determine whether primary tumor tissue and cultured tumor cells in 2D and 3D tissue culture systems have the same methylation signature for PAX5, TMPRSS2, and SBDS. These findings will play an important role in developing in vitro model system to understand the effect of methylation inhibitors on primary tumor tissue. In a previous study PAX5, TMPRSS2, and SBDS genes that we are investigating were reported to be methylated more than 60% in breast cancer and malignant melanoma cell lines. However, these genes have never been studied in primary tumor tissues. Thus, primary tumor tissues of breast cancer and malignant melanoma were first grown in 2D and 3D cultures. Then these two types of tumor tissues and their 2D and 3D cultures were investigated for changes considering methylation levels in PAX5, TMPRSS2, and SBDS genes using real-time polymerase chain reaction. No differences were observed in the primary tissues and culture systems for both PAX5 and TMPRSS2 in malignant melanoma tissues. We found that PAX5 gene was an efficient marker to measure the effects of methylation inhibitors for in vitro systems for malignant melanoma tissue.
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19
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Micevic G, Thakral D, McGeary M, Bosenberg MW. PD-L1 methylation regulates PD-L1 expression and is associated with melanoma survival. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2018; 32:435-440. [PMID: 30343532 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the significance of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1 or CD274) methylation in relation to PD-L1 expression and survival in melanoma. Despite the clinical importance of therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint in melanoma, factors regulating PD-L1 expression, including epigenetic mechanisms, are not completely understood. In this study, we examined PD-L1 promoter methylation in relation to PD-L1 expression and overall survival in melanoma patients. Our results suggest that DNA methylation regulates PD-L1 expression in melanoma, and we identify the key methylated CpG loci in the PD-L1 promoter, establish PD-L1 methylation as an independent survival prognostic factor, provide proof of concept for altering PD-L1 expression by hypomethylating agents, and uncover that PD-L1 methylation is associated with an interferon signaling transcriptional phenotype. Based on our findings, measuring and altering PD-L1 promoter DNA methylation may have potential prognostic and therapeutic applications in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Micevic
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Durga Thakral
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Meaghan McGeary
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marcus W Bosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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20
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Giricz O, Mo Y, Dahlman KB, Cotto-Rios XM, Vardabasso C, Nguyen H, Matusow B, Bartenstein M, Polishchuk V, Johnson DB, Bhagat TD, Shellooe R, Burton E, Tsai J, Zhang C, Habets G, Greally JM, Yu Y, Kenny PA, Fields GB, Pradhan K, Stanley ER, Bernstein E, Bollag G, Gavathiotis E, West BL, Sosman JA, Verma AK. The RUNX1/IL-34/CSF-1R axis is an autocrinally regulated modulator of resistance to BRAF-V600E inhibition in melanoma. JCI Insight 2018; 3:120422. [PMID: 30046005 PMCID: PMC6124424 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.120422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to current therapies still impacts a significant number of melanoma patients and can be regulated by epigenetic alterations. Analysis of global cytosine methylation in a cohort of primary melanomas revealed a pattern of early demethylation associated with overexpression of oncogenic transcripts. Loss of methylation and associated overexpression of the CSF 1 receptor (CSF1R) was seen in a majority of tumors and was driven by an alternative, endogenous viral promoter in a subset of samples. CSF1R was particularly elevated in melanomas with BRAF and other MAPK activating mutations. Furthermore, rebound ERK activation after BRAF inhibition was associated with RUNX1-mediated further upregulation of CSF-1R and its ligand IL-34. Importantly, increased CSF-1R and IL-34 overexpression were detected in an independent cohort of resistant melanomas. Inhibition of CSF-1R kinase or decreased CSF-1R expression by RNAi reduced 3-D growth and invasiveness of melanoma cells. Coinhibition of CSF-1R and BRAF resulted in synergistic efficacy in vivo. To our knowledge, our data unveil a previously unknown role for the autocrine-regulated CSF-1R in BRAF V600E resistance and provide a preclinical rationale for targeting this pathway in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsi Giricz
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Yongkai Mo
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Chiara Vardabasso
- Departments of Oncological Sciences & Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Matthias Bartenstein
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Veronika Polishchuk
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | | | - Tushar D. Bhagat
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yiting Yu
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Paraic A. Kenny
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Gregg B. Fields
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Florida, USA
| | - Kith Pradhan
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - E. Richard Stanley
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Emily Bernstein
- Departments of Oncological Sciences & Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Evripidis Gavathiotis
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Amit K. Verma
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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21
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de Unamuno Bustos B, Murria Estal R, Pérez Simó G, Simarro Farinos J, Pujol Marco C, Navarro Mira M, Alegre de Miquel V, Ballester Sánchez R, Sabater Marco V, Llavador Ros M, Palanca Suela S, Botella Estrada R. Aberrant DNA methylation is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor survival in cutaneous melanoma. Br J Dermatol 2018; 179:394-404. [PMID: 29278418 DOI: 10.1111/bjd.16254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Promoter methylation of tumour suppressor genes (TSGs) has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of several types of cancer. Regarding melanoma, over 100 genes that contribute to its pathogenesis have been identified to be aberrantly hypermethylated. OBJECTIVES This is a retrospective observational study that aims to analyse the prevalence of CpG island methylation in a series of primary melanomas, to identify the associations with the main clinicopathological features, and to explore the prognostic significance of methylation in melanoma survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS DNA methylation was analysed using methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in a series of 170 melanoma formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour samples. The relationship between the methylation status, known somatic mutations and clinicopathological features was evaluated. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were displayed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS In the entire cohort, one or more genes were detected to be methylated in 55% of the patients. The most prevalent methylated genes were RARB 31%, PTEN 24%, APC 16%, CDH13 16%, ESR1 14%, CDKN2A 6% and RASSF1 5%. An association between aberrant methylation and aggressive clinicopathological features was observed (older age, increased Breslow thickness, presence of mitosis and ulceration, fast-growing melanomas, advancing stage and TERT mutations). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a correlation of methylation and poorer DFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS Aberrant methylation of TSGs is a frequent event in melanoma. It is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poorer survival. Epigenetic alterations may represent a significant prognostic marker with utility in routine practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- B de Unamuno Bustos
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - R Murria Estal
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Service of Clinical Analysis, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - G Pérez Simó
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Service of Clinical Analysis, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - J Simarro Farinos
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Service of Clinical Analysis, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - C Pujol Marco
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Navarro Mira
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - V Alegre de Miquel
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - V Sabater Marco
- Department of Pathology, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Llavador Ros
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - S Palanca Suela
- Department of Molecular Biology Laboratory, Service of Clinical Analysis, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - R Botella Estrada
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
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22
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Testa U, Castelli G, Pelosi E. Melanoma: Genetic Abnormalities, Tumor Progression, Clonal Evolution and Tumor Initiating Cells. Med Sci (Basel) 2017; 5:E28. [PMID: 29156643 PMCID: PMC5753657 DOI: 10.3390/medsci5040028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive neoplasia issued from the malignant transformation of melanocytes, the pigment-generating cells of the skin. It is responsible for about 75% of deaths due to skin cancers. Melanoma is a phenotypically and molecularly heterogeneous disease: cutaneous, uveal, acral, and mucosal melanomas have different clinical courses, are associated with different mutational profiles, and possess distinct risk factors. The discovery of the molecular abnormalities underlying melanomas has led to the promising improvement of therapy, and further progress is expected in the near future. The study of melanoma precursor lesions has led to the suggestion that the pathway of tumor evolution implies the progression from benign naevi, to dysplastic naevi, to melanoma in situ and then to invasive and metastatic melanoma. The gene alterations characterizing melanomas tend to accumulate in these precursor lesions in a sequential order. Studies carried out in recent years have, in part, elucidated the great tumorigenic potential of melanoma tumor cells. These findings have led to speculation that the cancer stem cell model cannot be applied to melanoma because, in this malignancy, tumor cells possess an intrinsic plasticity, conferring the capacity to initiate and maintain the neoplastic process to phenotypically different tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Germana Castelli
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Elvira Pelosi
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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23
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Karpinski P, Pesz K, Sasiadek MM. Pan-cancer analysis reveals presence of pronounced DNA methylation drift in CpG island methylator phenotype clusters. Epigenomics 2017; 9:1341-1352. [PMID: 28960094 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2017-0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To provide characteristics of major genomic correlates in CpG island methylator phenotype-high (CIMP-H) subgroups in relation to corresponding non-CIMP-H subgroups by use of phenotypic, DNA methylation and RNAseq data. MATERIALS & METHODS Twenty-three datasets generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas project encompassing over 7200 unique samples were analyzed. We identified 23 CIMP-H clusters by use of unsupervised clustering. RESULTS & CONCLUSION More than 90% of CIMP-H clusters were significantly associated with accelerated epigenetic mitotic clock, demethylation of enhancer sites, backbone and repetitive sequences. Pronounced epigenetic drift observed in majority of CIMP-H subgroups may be related to increased cell division rate, which leads to expansion of DNA methylation errors. This may explain pan-cancer mechanism of establishing CIMP-H in majority of tissue types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawel Karpinski
- Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Pesz
- Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Maria M Sasiadek
- Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
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24
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Wouters J, Vizoso M, Martinez-Cardus A, Carmona FJ, Govaere O, Laguna T, Joseph J, Dynoodt P, Aura C, Foth M, Cloots R, van den Hurk K, Balint B, Murphy IG, McDermott EW, Sheahan K, Jirström K, Nodin B, Mallya-Udupi G, van den Oord JJ, Gallagher WM, Esteller M. Comprehensive DNA methylation study identifies novel progression-related and prognostic markers for cutaneous melanoma. BMC Med 2017; 15:101. [PMID: 28578692 PMCID: PMC5458482 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-017-0851-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, with an increasing incidence and mortality rate. Currently, staging of patients with primary melanoma is performed using histological biomarkers such as tumor thickness and ulceration. As disruption of the epigenomic landscape is recognized as a widespread feature inherent in tumor development and progression, we aimed to identify novel biomarkers providing additional clinical information over current factors using unbiased genome-wide DNA methylation analyses. METHODS We performed a comprehensive DNA methylation analysis during all progression stages of melanoma using Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChips on a discovery cohort of benign nevi (n = 14) and malignant melanoma from both primary (n = 33) and metastatic (n = 28) sites, integrating the DNA methylome with gene expression data. We validated the discovered biomarkers in three independent validation cohorts by pyrosequencing and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS We identified and validated biomarkers for, and pathways involved in, melanoma development (e.g., HOXA9 DNA methylation) and tumor progression (e.g., TBC1D16 DNA methylation). In addition, we determined a prognostic signature with potential clinical applicability and validated PON3 DNA methylation and OVOL1 protein expression as biomarkers with prognostic information independent of tumor thickness and ulceration. CONCLUSIONS Our data underscores the importance of epigenomic regulation in triggering metastatic dissemination through the inactivation of central cancer-related pathways. Inactivation of cell-adhesion and differentiation unleashes dissemination, and subsequent activation of inflammatory and immune system programs impairs anti-tumoral defense pathways. Moreover, we identify several markers of tumor development and progression previously unrelated to melanoma, and determined a prognostic signature with potential clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Wouters
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Miguel Vizoso
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Anna Martinez-Cardus
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - F Javier Carmona
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Olivier Govaere
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Teresa Laguna
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Claudia Aura
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mona Foth
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Cancer Research UK, Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Roy Cloots
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Department of Pathology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Karin van den Hurk
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Department of Pathology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Balazs Balint
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ian G Murphy
- Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Enda W McDermott
- Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Kieran Sheahan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Karin Jirström
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Pathology, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, 221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bjorn Nodin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Pathology, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, 221 85, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Joost J van den Oord
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - William M Gallagher
- OncoMark Ltd, NovaUCD, Dublin 4, Ireland.
- UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Department of Physiological Sciences II, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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25
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Micevic G, Theodosakis N, Bosenberg M. Aberrant DNA methylation in melanoma: biomarker and therapeutic opportunities. Clin Epigenetics 2017; 9:34. [PMID: 28396701 PMCID: PMC5381063 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-017-0332-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant DNA methylation is an epigenetic hallmark of melanoma, known to play important roles in melanoma formation and progression. Recent advances in genome-wide methylation methods have provided the means to identify differentially methylated genes, methylation signatures, and potential biomarkers. However, despite considerable effort and advances in cataloging methylation changes in melanoma, many questions remain unanswered. The aim of this review is to summarize recent developments, emerging trends, and important unresolved questions in the field of aberrant DNA methylation in melanoma. In addition to reviewing recent developments, we carefully synthesize the findings in an effort to provide a framework for understanding the current state and direction of the field. To facilitate clarity, we divided the review into DNA methylation changes in melanoma, biomarker opportunities, and therapeutic developments. We hope this review contributes to accelerating the utilization of the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential of DNA methylation for the benefit of melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Micevic
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA.,Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Nicholas Theodosakis
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA.,Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Marcus Bosenberg
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA.,Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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26
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Xin Y, Li Z, Chan MT, Wu WKK. Circulating epigenetic biomarkers in melanoma. Tumour Biol 2015; 37:1487-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s13277-015-4599-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
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