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Moran-Jones K. The Therapeutic Potential of Targeting the HGF/cMET Axis in Ovarian Cancer. Mol Diagn Ther 2017; 20:199-212. [PMID: 27139908 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-016-0201-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Survival rates for ovarian cancer have remained relatively stable for the past 2 decades despite advances in surgical techniques and cytotoxic chemotherapeutics, indicating a requirement for better therapies. One pathway currently proposed for targeting is the HGF/cMET pathway. Upregulated in a number of tumour types, cMET is a tyrosine kinase receptor expressed on epithelial cells. In ovarian cancer, it has been identified as highly expressed in the four major subtypes, with expression estimates ranging from 11 to 68 % of cases. HGF, the only known ligand for cMET, is found at high levels in both serum and ascites in women with ovarian cancer, and is proposed to induce both migration and metastasis. However, clinically validated biomarkers are not yet available for either HGF or cMET, preventing a clear understanding of the true rate of overexpression, or its correlation with prognosis. Despite this, a number of agents against HGF and cMET are currently being investigated in clinical trials for multiple tumour types, including ovarian. However, a lack of patient selection, biomarker usage, and post hoc analysis correlating response with expression has resulted in the majority of these trials showing little beneficial effect from these agents, indicating that additional research is required to determine their usefulness in patients with ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Moran-Jones
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Switchback Rd, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. .,The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 370 Victoria St, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia.
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Schmitz K, Koeppen H, Binot E, Fassunke J, Künstlinger H, Ihle MA, Heydt C, Wardelmann E, Büttner R, Merkelbach-Bruse S, Rüschoff J, Schildhaus HU. MET gene copy number alterations and expression of MET and hepatocyte growth factor are potential biomarkers in angiosarcomas and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120079. [PMID: 25844809 PMCID: PMC4386816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors with many different subtypes. In 2014 an estimated 12,020 newly diagnosed cases and 4,740 soft tissue sarcoma related deaths can be expected in the United States. Many soft tissue sarcomas are associated with poor prognosis and therapeutic options are often limited. The evolution of precision medicine has not yet fully reached the clinical treatment of sarcomas since therapeutically tractable genetic changes have not been comprehensively studied so far. We analyzed a total of 484 adult-type malignant mesenchymal tumors by MET fluorescence in situ hybridization and MET and hepatocyte growth factor immunohistochemistry. Eleven different entities were included, among them the most common and clinically relevant subtypes and tumors with specific translocations or complex genetic changes. MET protein expression was observed in 2.6% of the cases, all of which were either undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas or angiosarcomas, showing positivity rates of 14% and 17%, respectively. 6% of the tumors showed hepatocyte growth factor overexpression, mainly seen in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas and angiosarcomas, but also in clear cell sarcomas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, leiomyosarcomas and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. MET and hepatocyte growth factor overexpression were significantly correlated and may suggest an autocrine activation in these tumors. MET FISH amplification and copy number gain were present in 4% of the tumors (15/413). Two samples, both undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas, fulfilled the criteria for high level amplification of MET, one undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma reached an intermediate level copy number gain, and 12 samples of different subtypes were categorized as low level copy number gains for MET. Our findings indicate that angiosarcomas and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas rather than other frequent adult-type sarcomas should be enrolled in screening programs for clinical trials with MET inhibitors. The screening methods should include both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Schmitz
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hartmut Koeppen
- Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elke Binot
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jana Fassunke
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Helen Künstlinger
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michaela A. Ihle
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carina Heydt
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eva Wardelmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Gerhard Domagk Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Reinhard Büttner
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | - Hans-Ulrich Schildhaus
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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