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Foster JH, Reid JM, Minard C, Woodfield S, Denic KZ, Isikwei E, Voss SD, Nelson M, Liu X, Berg SL, Fox E, Weigel BJ. Phase 1 study of NEDD8 activating enzyme inhibitor pevonedistat in combination with chemotherapy in pediatric patients with recurrent or refractory solid tumors (ADVL1615). Eur J Cancer 2024; 209:114241. [PMID: 39096851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.114241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of pevonedistat, a first in class inhibitor of NEDD8 activating enzyme, in combination with irinotecan (IRN) and temozolomide (TMZ) in children with cancer. METHODS This Phase 1 study used a rolling 6 design to evaluate escalating doses of pevonedistat in combination with standard doses of IRN and TMZ in pediatric patients with recurrent/refractory solid or CNS tumors. During cycle 1, pevonedistat was administered intravenously on days 1, 8, 10, and 12, with IRN (IV, 50 mg/m2) and TMZ (orally, 100 mg/m2), on days 8-12 of a 28-day cycle. In subsequent cycles, pevonedistat was administered on days 1, 3, and 5, with IRN/TMZ on days 1-5 of a 21-day cycle. RESULTS Thirty patients enrolled; all were eligible and evaluable for toxicity. Six patients each enrolled on pevonedistat dose levels (DL) 1 (15 mg/m2), 2 (20 mg/m2), 3 (25 mg/m2) and 4 (35 mg/m2) as well as an expanded pharmacokinetic (PK) cohort at DL4. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not exceeded. 2/12 (17 %) patients treated at the RP2D (35 mg/m2) experienced a cycle 1 dose limiting toxicity (DLT). IRN is unlikely to affect the pharmacokinetics of pevonedistat. Two patients had a partial response and 6 patients had prolonged stable disease (> 6 cycles). CONCLUSIONS Pevonedistat in combination with IRN/TMZ is well tolerated in children with solid or CNS tumors. The RP2D of pevonedistat is 35 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, 5 in combination with IRN/TMZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Foster
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | | | - Charles Minard
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarah Woodfield
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Stephan D Voss
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marvin Nelson
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Radiology, Keck USC School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- Children's Oncology Group, Monrovia, CA, USA
| | - Stacey L Berg
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth Fox
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Brenda J Weigel
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Kumar P, Koach J, Nekritz E, Mukherjee S, Braun BS, DuBois SG, Nasholm N, Haas-Kogan D, Matthay KK, Weiss WA, Gustafson C, Seo Y. Aurora Kinase A inhibition enhances DNA damage and tumor cell death with 131I-MIBG therapy in high-risk neuroblastoma. EJNMMI Res 2024; 14:54. [PMID: 38869684 PMCID: PMC11176152 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-024-01112-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial pediatric solid tumor. 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is a targeted radiopharmaceutical highly specific for neuroblastoma tumors, providing potent radiotherapy to widely metastatic disease. Aurora kinase A (AURKA) plays a role in mitosis and stabilization of the MYCN protein in neuroblastoma. We aimed to study the impact of AURKA inhibitors on DNA damage and tumor cell death in combination with 131I-MIBG therapy in a pre-clinical model of high-risk neuroblastoma. RESULTS Using an in vivo model of high-risk neuroblastoma, we demonstrated a marked combinatorial effect of 131I-MIBG and alisertib on tumor growth. In MYCN amplified cell lines, the combination of radiation and an AURKA A inhibitor increased DNA damage and apoptosis and decreased MYCN protein levels. CONCLUSION The combination of AURKA inhibition with 131I-MIBG treatment is active in resistant neuroblastoma models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prerna Kumar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, 530 NE Glen Oak Ave, Peoria, IL, 61637, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Jessica Koach
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Erin Nekritz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sucheta Mukherjee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin S Braun
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steven G DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Nasholm
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daphne Haas-Kogan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine K Matthay
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William A Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Clay Gustafson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Youngho Seo
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Romiani A, Simonsson K, Pettersson D, Al-Awar A, Rassol N, Bakr H, Lind D, Umapathy G, Spetz J, Palmer R, Hallberg B, Helou K, Forssell-Aronsson E. Comparison of 177Lu-octreotate and 177Lu-octreotide for treatment in human neuroblastoma-bearing mice. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31409. [PMID: 38826727 PMCID: PMC11141386 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31409] [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: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) have a 5-year event-free survival of less than 50 %, and novel and improved treatment options are needed. Radiolabeled somatostatin analogs (SSTAs) could be a treatment option. The aims of this work were to compare the biodistribution and the therapeutic effects of 177Lu-octreotate and 177Lu-octreotide in mice bearing the human CLB-BAR NB cell line, and to evaluate their regulatory effects on apoptosis-related genes. Methods The biodistribution of 177Lu-octreotide in mice bearing CLB-BAR tumors was studied at 1, 24, and 168 h after administration, and the absorbed dose was estimated to tumor and normal tissues. Further, animals were administered different amounts of 177Lu-octreotate or 177Lu-octreotide. Tumor volume was measured over time and compared to a control group given saline. RNA was extracted from tumors, and the expression of 84 selected genes involved in apoptosis was quantified with qPCR. Results The activity concentration was generally lower in most tissues for 177Lu-octreotide compared to 177Lu-octreotate. Mean absorbed dose per administered activity to tumor after injection of 1.5 MBq and 15 MBq was 0.74 and 0.03 Gy/MBq for 177Lu-octreotide and 2.9 and 0.45 Gy/MBq for 177Lu-octreotate, respectively. 177Lu-octreotide treatment resulted in statistically significant differences compared to controls. Fractionated administration led to a higher survival fraction than after a single administration. The pro-apoptotic genes TNSFS8, TNSFS10, and TRADD were regulated after administration with 177Lu-octreotate. Treatment with 177Lu-octreotide yielded regulation of the pro-apoptotic genes CASP5 and TRADD, and of the anti-apoptotic gene IL10 as well as the apoptosis-related gene TNF. Conclusion 177Lu-octreotide gave somewhat better anti-tumor effects than 177Lu-octreotate. The similar effect observed in the treated groups with 177Lu-octreotate suggests saturation of the somatostatin receptors. Pronounced anti-tumor effects following fractionated administration merited receptor saturation as an explanation. The gene expression analyses suggest apoptosis activation through the extrinsic pathway for both radiopharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Romiani
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - K. Simonsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D. Pettersson
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - A. Al-Awar
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - N. Rassol
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - H. Bakr
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D.E. Lind
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - G. Umapathy
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - J. Spetz
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - R.H. Palmer
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - B. Hallberg
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - K. Helou
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - E. Forssell-Aronsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Hogarty MD, Ziegler DS, Franson A, Chi YY, Tsao-Wei D, Liu K, Vemu R, Gerner EW, Bruckheimer E, Shamirian A, Hasenauer B, Balis FM, Groshen S, Norris MD, Haber M, Park JR, Matthay KK, Marachelian A. Phase 1 study of high-dose DFMO, celecoxib, cyclophosphamide and topotecan for patients with relapsed neuroblastoma: a New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy trial. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:788-797. [PMID: 38200233 PMCID: PMC10912730 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02525-2] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MYC genes regulate ornithine decarboxylase (Odc) to increase intratumoral polyamines. We conducted a Phase I trial [NCT02030964] to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of DFMO, an Odc inhibitor, with celecoxib, cyclophosphamide and topotecan. METHODS Patients 2-30 years of age with relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma received oral DFMO at doses up to 9000 mg/m2/day, with celecoxib (500 mg/m2 daily), cyclophosphamide (250 mg/m2/day) and topotecan (0.75 mg/m2/day) IV for 5 days, for up to one year with G-CSF support. RESULTS Twenty-four patients (median age, 6.8 years) received 136 courses. Slow platelet recovery with 21-day courses (dose-levels 1 and 2) led to subsequent dose-levels using 28-day courses (dose-levels 2a-4a). There were three course-1 dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs; hematologic; anorexia; transaminases), and 23 serious adverse events (78% fever-related). Five patients (21%) completed 1-year of therapy. Nine stopped for PD, 2 for DLT, 8 by choice. Best overall response included two PR and four MR. Median time-to-progression was 19.8 months, and 3 patients remained progression-free at >4 years without receiving additional therapy. The MTD of DFMO with this regimen was 6750 mg/m2/day. CONCLUSION High-dose DFMO is tolerable when added to chemotherapy in heavily pre-treated patients. A randomized Phase 2 trial of DFMO added to chemoimmunotherapy is ongoing [NCT03794349].
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Hogarty
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - David S Ziegler
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrea Franson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yueh-Yun Chi
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Denice Tsao-Wei
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kangning Liu
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rohan Vemu
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Anasheh Shamirian
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Beth Hasenauer
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Frank M Balis
- Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Susan Groshen
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Murray D Norris
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Julie R Park
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Katherine K Matthay
- UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, UCSF School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Araz Marachelian
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Cheung SYA, Hay JL, Lin YW, de Greef R, Bullock J. Pediatric oncology drug development and dosage optimization. Front Oncol 2024; 13:1235947. [PMID: 38348118 PMCID: PMC10860405 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1235947] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Oncology drug discovery and development has always been an area facing many challenges. Phase 1 oncology studies are typically small, open-label, sequential studies enrolling a small sample of adult patients (i.e., 3-6 patients/cohort) in dose escalation. Pediatric evaluations typically lag behind the adult development program. The pediatric starting dose is traditionally referenced on the recommended phase 2 dose in adults with the incorporation of body size scaling. The size of the study is also small and dependent upon the prevalence of the disease in the pediatric population. Similar to adult development, the dose is escalated or de-escalated until reaching the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) that also provides desired biological activities or efficacy. The escalation steps and identification of MTD are often rule-based and do not incorporate all the available information, such as pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), tolerability and efficacy data. Therefore, it is doubtful if the MTD approach is optimal to determine the dosage. Hence, it is important to evaluate whether there is an optimal dosage below the MTD, especially considering the emerging complexity of combination therapies and the long-term tolerability and safety of the treatments. Identification of an optimal dosage is also vital not only for adult patients but for pediatric populations as well. Dosage-finding is much more challenging for pediatric populations due to the limited patient population and differences among the pediatric age range in terms of maturation and ontogeny that could impact PK. Many sponsors defer the pediatric strategy as they are often perplexed by the challenges presented by pediatric oncology drug development (model of action relevancy to pediatric population, budget, timeline and regulatory requirements). This leads to a limited number of approved drugs for pediatric oncology patients. This review article provides the current regulatory landscape, incentives and how they impact pediatric drug discovery and development. We also consider different pediatric cancers and potential clinical trial challenges/opportunities when designing pediatric clinical trials. An outline of how quantitative methods such as pharmacometrics/modelling & simulation can support the dosage-finding and justification is also included. Finally, we provide some reflections that we consider helpful to accelerate pediatric drug discovery and development.
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Zhou J, Du H, Cai W. Narrative review: precision medicine applications in neuroblastoma-current status and future prospects. Transl Pediatr 2024; 13:164-177. [PMID: 38323175 PMCID: PMC10839273 DOI: 10.21037/tp-23-557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common malignant tumor in children, and its treatment remains challenging. Precision medicine, as an individualized treatment strategy, aims to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity by combining unique patient- and tumor-related factors, bringing new hope for NB treatment. In this article, we review the evidence related to precision medicine in NB, with a focus on potential clinically actionable targets and a series of targeted drugs associated with NB. Methods We conducted an extensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science using key terms and database-specific strategies, filtered for time and language, to ensure a comprehensive collection of literature related to precision medicine in NB. The main search terms consisted of "neuroblastoma", "precision medicine", "pediatrics", and "targeting". The articles included in this study encompass those published from 1985 to the present, without restrictions on the type of articles. Key Content and Findings ALK inhibitors and MYCN inhibitors have been developed to interfere with tumor cell growth and dissemination, thereby improving treatment outcomes. Additionally, systematic testing to identify relevant driver mutations is crucial and can be used for diagnosis and prognostic assessment through the detection of many associated molecular markers. Furthermore, liquid biopsy, a non-invasive tumor detection method, can complement tissue biopsy and play a role in NB by analyzing circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells to provide genetic information and molecular characteristics of the tumor. Recently, trials conducted by many pediatric oncology groups have shown the urgent need for new approaches to cure relapsed and refractory patients. Conclusions The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest advances in clinical treatment of NB, to better understand and focus on the development of promising treatment approaches, and to expedite the transition to the precision medicine clinical relevance in NB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hongmei Du
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Weisong Cai
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Kumar P, Koach J, Nekritz E, Mukherjee S, Braun BS, DuBois SG, Nasholm N, Haas-Kogan D, Matthay KK, Weiss WA, Gustafson C, Seo Y. Aurora Kinase A inhibition enhances DNA damage and tumor cell death with 131I-MIBG therapy in high-risk neuroblastoma. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3845114. [PMID: 38313265 PMCID: PMC10836112 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3845114/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Background Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial pediatric solid tumor. 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is a targeted radiopharmaceutical highly specific for neuroblastoma tumors, providing potent radiotherapy to widely metastatic disease. Aurora kinase A (AURKA) plays a role in mitosis and stabilization of the MYCN protein in neuroblastoma. Here we explore whether AURKA inhibition potentiates a response to MIBG therapy. Results Using an in vivo model of high-risk neuroblastoma, we demonstrated a marked combinatorial effect of 131I-MIBG and alisertib on tumor growth. In MYCN amplified cell lines, the combination of radiation and an AURKA A inhibitor increased DNA damage and apoptosis and decreased MYCN protein levels. Conclusion The combination of AURKA inhibition with 131I-MIBG treatment is active in resistant neuroblastoma models and is a promising clinical approach in high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prerna Kumar
- University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Department of Pediatrics, Peoria, IL, United States
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jessica Koach
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Erin Nekritz
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sucheta Mukherjee
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Benjamin S. Braun
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Steven G. DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicole Nasholm
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Daphne Haas-Kogan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Katherine K. Matthay
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - William A. Weiss
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- University of California San Francisco, Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Brain Tumor Research Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Clay Gustafson
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Youngho Seo
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Li C, Liao J, Wang X, Chen FX, Guo X, Chen X. Combined Aurora Kinase A and CHK1 Inhibition Enhances Radiosensitivity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Through Induction of Apoptosis and Mitotic Catastrophe Associated With Excessive DNA Damage. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 117:1241-1254. [PMID: 37393021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is an urgent need for biomarkers and new actionable targets to improve radiosensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors. We characterized the radiosensitizing effects and underlying mechanisms of combined Aurora kinase A (AURKA) and CHK1 inhibition in TNBC. METHODS AND MATERIALS Different TNBC cell lines were treated with AURKA inhibitor (AURKAi, MLN8237) and CHK1 inhibitor (CHK1i, MK8776). Cell responses to irradiation (IR) were then evaluated. Cell apoptosis, DNA damage, cell cycle distribution, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) pathways were evaluated in vitro. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to facilitate the identification of potential biomarkers. Xenograft and immunohistochemistry were carried out to investigate the radiosensitizing effects of dual inhibition in vivo. Finally, the prognostic effect of CHEK1/AURKA in TNBC samples in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and our center were analyzed. RESULTS AURKAi (MLN8237) induced overexpression of phospho-CHK1 in TNBC cells. The addition of MK8776 (CHK1i) to MLN8237 greatly reduced cell viability and increased radiosensitivity compared with either the control or MLN8237 alone in vitro. Mechanistically, dual inhibition resulted in inducing excessive DNA damage by prompting G2/M transition to cells with defective spindles, leading to mitotic catastrophe and induction of apoptosis after IR. We also observed that dual inhibition suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK, while activation of ERK with its agonist or overexpression of active ERK1/2 allele could attenuate the apoptosis induced by dual inhibition with IR. Additionally, dual inhibition of AURKA and CHK1 synergistically enhanced radiosensitivity in MDA-MB-231 xenografts. Moreover, we detected that both CHEK1 and AURKA were overexpressed in patients with TNBC and negatively correlated with patient survival. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that AURKAi in combination with CHK1i enhanced TNBC radiosensitivity in preclinical models, potentially providing a novel strategy of precision treatment for patients with TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiatao Liao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanyi Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Xavier Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaomao Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xingxing Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai, China.
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9
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Ducray F, Ramirez C, Robert M, Fontanilles M, Bronnimann C, Chinot O, Estrade F, Durando X, Cartalat S, Bastid J, Bienayme H, Lemarchand C. A Multicenter Randomized Bioequivalence Study of a Novel Ready-to-Use Temozolomide Oral Suspension vs. Temozolomide Capsules. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2664. [PMID: 38140005 PMCID: PMC10747054 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15122664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temozolomide (TMZ) oral suspension (Ped-TMZ, KIZFIZO®) is being developed for the treatment of relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma, a rare cancer affecting infants and young children. The study assessed the safety and the bioequivalence of this novel pediatric formulation with existing TMZ oral capsules. METHODS In vitro dissolution profiles and the bioequivalence were evaluated following the European Medicines Agency "Guidelines on the investigation of Bioequivalence". The phase I, multicenter, randomized, open-label, crossover, single-dose bioequivalence study enrolled 36 adult patients with glioblastoma multiforme or lower-grade glioma. Each patient received 200 mg/m2 Ped-TMZ suspension and TMZ capsules (Temodal®) on 2 consecutive days, with the order being randomly assigned. Fourteen blood samples were collected up to 10 h post-dosing. Bioequivalence was assessed by comparing the 90% confidence interval for the ratio of the geometric means of maximum TMZ plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the curve (AUCt). Other endpoints included further pharmacokinetic parameters and safety. RESULTS Both formulations exhibited a fast in vitro dissolution profile with more than 85% of TMZ dissolved within 15 min. For the bioequivalence study, thirty patients completed the trial as per the protocol. The ratio of Ped-TMZ/TMZ capsule geometric means (90% CI) for AUCt and Cmax were 97.18% (95.05-99.35%) and 107.62% (98.07-118.09%), respectively, i.e., within the 80-125% bioequivalence limits. No buccal toxicity was associated with Ped-TMZ liquid formulation. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that Ped-TMZ oral suspension and TMZ oral capsule treatment are immediate release and bioequivalent medicines. There were also no unexpected safety signals or local toxicity (funded by ORPHELIA Pharma; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04467346).
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Affiliation(s)
- François Ducray
- Service de Neuro-Oncologie, Hôpital Neurologique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie UMR INSERM 1052 CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69008 Lyon, France;
| | - Carole Ramirez
- Services de Neurologie et D’oncologie Médicale, CHU et ICHUSE de Saint-Etienne, 42055 Saint-Etienne, France;
| | - Marie Robert
- Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest, Medical Oncology, 44800 Saint Herblain, France;
| | - Maxime Fontanilles
- INSERM U1245 Unit, Cancer Centre Henri Becquerel, Université Rouen Normandie, 76038 Rouen, France;
- Le Havre Hospital Group, 76083 Le Havre, France
| | - Charlotte Bronnimann
- CHU de Bordeaux, Service D’oncologie Médicale, Hôpital Saint André, 33075 Bordeaux, France;
| | - Olivier Chinot
- Aix-Marseille Université, Neuro-Oncology Department, APHM, CNRS, Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, CHU Timone, Service de Neuro-Oncologie, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | | | - Xavier Durando
- INSERM U1240 IMoST, University of Clermont Auvergne, 63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France;
- UMR 501, Clinical Investigation Centre, 63011 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Clinical Research and Innovation Department, Centre Jean Perrin, 63011 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Oncology Department, Centre Jean Perrin, 63011 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Stéphanie Cartalat
- Service de Neuro-Oncologie, Hôpital Neurologique, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie UMR INSERM 1052 CNRS 5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69008 Lyon, France;
| | - Jeremy Bastid
- ORPHELIA Pharma, 75005 Paris, France; (J.B.); (H.B.)
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10
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Altiner P, Çınaroğlu SS, Timucin AC, Timucin E. Computational completion of the Aurora interaction region of N-Myc in the Aurora a kinase complex. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18399. [PMID: 37884585 PMCID: PMC10603048 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45272-3] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibiting protein-protein interactions of the Myc family is a viable pharmacological strategy for modulation of the levels of Myc oncoproteins in cancer. Aurora A kinase (AurA) and N-Myc interaction is one of the most attractive targets of this strategy because formation of this complex blocks proteasomal degradation of N-Myc in neuroblastoma. Two crystallization studies have captured this complex (PDB IDs: 5g1x, 7ztl), partially resolving the AurA interaction region (AIR) of N-Myc. Prompted by the missing N-Myc fragment in these crystal structures, we modeled the complete structure between AurA and N-Myc, and comprehensively analyzed how the incomplete and complete N-Myc behave in complex by molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular dynamics simulations of the incomplete PDB complex (5g1x) repeatedly showed partial dissociation of the short N-Myc fragment (61-89) from the kinase. The missing N-Myc (19-60) fragment was modeled utilizing the N-terminal lobe of AurA as the protein-protein interaction surface, wherein TPX2, a well-known partner of AurA, also binds. Binding free energy calculations along with flexibility analysis confirmed that the complete AIR of N-Myc stabilizes the complex, accentuating the N-terminal lobe of AurA as a binding site for the missing N-Myc fragment (19-60). We further generated additional models consisting of only the missing N-Myc (19-60), and the fused form of TPX2 (7-43) and N-Myc (61-89). These partners also formed more stable interactions with the N-terminal lobe of AurA than did the incomplete N-Myc fragment (61-89) in the 5g1x complex. Altogether, this study provides structural insights into the involvement of the N-terminus of the AIR of N-Myc and the N-terminal lobe of AurA in formation of a stable complex, reflecting its potential for effective targeting of N-Myc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Altiner
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), 31077, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Ahmet Can Timucin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Acibadem University, 34752, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Emel Timucin
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Acibadem University, 34752, Istanbul, Turkey.
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11
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Wahba A, Wolters R, Foster JH. Neuroblastoma in the Era of Precision Medicine: A Clinical Review. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4722. [PMID: 37835416 PMCID: PMC10571527 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The latest advances in treatment for patients with neuroblastoma are constantly being incorporated into clinical trials and clinical practice standards, resulting in incremental improvements in the survival of patients over time. Survivors of high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNBL), however, continue to develop treatment-related late effects. Additionally, for the majority of the nearly 50% of patients with HRNBL who experience relapse, no curative therapy currently exists. As technologies in diagnostic and molecular profiling techniques rapidly advance, so does the discovery of potential treatment targets. Here, we discuss the current clinical landscape of therapies for neuroblastoma in the era of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jennifer H. Foster
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.W.); (R.W.)
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12
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Deng Z, Richardson DR. The Myc Family and the Metastasis Suppressor NDRG1: Targeting Key Molecular Interactions with Innovative Therapeutics. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:1007-1035. [PMID: 37280098 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, resulting in ∼10 million deaths in 2020. Major oncogenic effectors are the Myc proto-oncogene family, which consists of three members including c-Myc, N-Myc, and L-Myc. As a pertinent example of the role of the Myc family in tumorigenesis, amplification of MYCN in childhood neuroblastoma strongly correlates with poor patient prognosis. Complexes between Myc oncoproteins and their partners such as hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and Myc-associated protein X (MAX) result in proliferation arrest and pro-proliferative effects, respectively. Interactions with other proteins are also important for N-Myc activity. For instance, the enhancer of zest homolog 2 (EZH2) binds directly to N-Myc to stabilize it by acting as a competitor against the ubiquitin ligase, SCFFBXW7, which prevents proteasomal degradation. Heat shock protein 90 may also be involved in N-Myc stabilization since it binds to EZH2 and prevents its degradation. N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is downregulated by N-Myc and participates in the regulation of cellular proliferation via associating with other proteins, such as glycogen synthase kinase-3β and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6. These molecular interactions provide a better understanding of the biologic roles of N-Myc and NDRG1, which can be potentially used as therapeutic targets. In addition to directly targeting these proteins, disrupting their key interactions may also be a promising strategy for anti-cancer drug development. This review examines the interactions between the Myc proteins and other molecules, with a special focus on the relationship between N-Myc and NDRG1 and possible therapeutic interventions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Neuroblastoma is one of the most common childhood solid tumors, with a dismal five-year survival rate. This problem makes it imperative to discover new and more effective therapeutics. The molecular interactions between major oncogenic drivers of the Myc family and other key proteins; for example, the metastasis suppressor, NDRG1, may potentially be used as targets for anti-neuroblastoma drug development. In addition to directly targeting these proteins, disrupting their key molecular interactions may also be promising for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Deng
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia (Z.D., D.R.R.), and Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan (D.R.R.)
| | - Des R Richardson
- Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia (Z.D., D.R.R.), and Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan (D.R.R.)
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13
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Mayoh C, Mao J, Xie J, Tax G, Chow SO, Cadiz R, Pazaky K, Barahona P, Ajuyah P, Trebilcock P, Malquori A, Gunther K, Avila A, Yun DY, Alfred S, Gopalakrishnan A, Kamili A, Wong M, Cowley MJ, Jessop S, Lau LM, Trahair TN, Ziegler DS, Fletcher JI, Gifford AJ, Tsoli M, Marshall GM, Haber M, Tyrrell V, Failes TW, Arndt GM, Lock RB, Ekert PG, Dolman MEM. High-Throughput Drug Screening of Primary Tumor Cells Identifies Therapeutic Strategies for Treating Children with High-Risk Cancer. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2716-2732. [PMID: 37523146 PMCID: PMC10425737 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
For one-third of patients with pediatric cancer enrolled in precision medicine programs, molecular profiling does not result in a therapeutic recommendation. To identify potential strategies for treating these high-risk pediatric patients, we performed in vitro screening of 125 patient-derived samples against a library of 126 anticancer drugs. Tumor cell expansion did not influence drug responses, and 82% of the screens on expanded tumor cells were completed while the patients were still under clinical care. High-throughput drug screening (HTS) confirmed known associations between activating genomic alterations in NTRK, BRAF, and ALK and responses to matching targeted drugs. The in vitro results were further validated in patient-derived xenograft models in vivo and were consistent with clinical responses in treated patients. In addition, effective combinations could be predicted by correlating sensitivity profiles between drugs. Furthermore, molecular integration with HTS identified biomarkers of sensitivity to WEE1 and MEK inhibition. Incorporating HTS into precision medicine programs is a powerful tool to accelerate the improved identification of effective biomarker-driven therapeutic strategies for treating high-risk pediatric cancers. SIGNIFICANCE Integrating HTS with molecular profiling is a powerful tool for expanding precision medicine to support drug treatment recommendations and broaden the therapeutic options available to high-risk pediatric cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Mayoh
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jie Mao
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jinhan Xie
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gabor Tax
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shu-Oi Chow
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Roxanne Cadiz
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Karina Pazaky
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paulette Barahona
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pamela Ajuyah
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Trebilcock
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angela Malquori
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate Gunther
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anica Avila
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Doo Young Yun
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephanie Alfred
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anjana Gopalakrishnan
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alvin Kamili
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marie Wong
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark J. Cowley
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sophie Jessop
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Loretta M.S. Lau
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Toby N. Trahair
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David S. Ziegler
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jamie I. Fletcher
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew J. Gifford
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Anatomical Pathology, NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maria Tsoli
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Glenn M. Marshall
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vanessa Tyrrell
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy W. Failes
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Greg M. Arndt
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- ACRF Drug Discovery Centre for Childhood Cancer, Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Richard B. Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul G. Ekert
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Cancer Immunology Program, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - M. Emmy M. Dolman
- Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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14
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Zhou Y, Yan H, Zhou Q, Wang P, Yang F, Yuan Z, Du Q, Zhai B. CCNB1IP1 prevents ubiquitination-mediated destabilization of MYCN and potentiates tumourigenesis of MYCN-amplificated neuroblastoma. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1328. [PMID: 37461251 PMCID: PMC10352605 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1328] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MYCN amplification as a common genetic alteration that correlates with a poor prognosis for neuroblastoma (NB) patients. However, given the challenge of directly targeting MYCN, indirect strategies to modulate MYCN by interfering with its cofactors are attractive in NB treatment. Although cyclin B1 interacting protein 1 (CCNB1IP1) has been found to be upregulated in MYCN-driven mouse NB tissues, its regulation with MYCN and collaboration in driving the biological behaviour of NB remains unknown. METHODS To evaluate the expression and clinical significance of CCNB1IP1 in NB patients, public datasets, clinical NB samples and cell lines were explored. MTT, EdU incorporation, colony and tumour sphere formation assays, and a mouse xenograft tumour model were utilized to examine the biological function of CCNB1IP1. The reciprocal manipulation of CCNB1IP1 and MYCN and the underlying mechanisms involved were investigated by gain- and loss-of-function approaches, dual-luciferase assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments. RESULTS CCNB1IP1 was upregulated in MYCN-amplified (MYCN-AM) NB cell lines and patients-derived tumour tissues, which was associated with poor prognosis. Phenotypic studies revealed that CCNB1IP1 facilitated the proliferation and tumourigenicity of NB cells in cooperation with MYCN in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, MYCN directly mediates the transcription of CCNB1IP1, which in turn attenuated the ubiquitination and degradation of MYCN protein, thus enhancing CCNB1IP1-MYCN cooperativity. Moreover, CCNB1IP1 competed with F box/WD-40 domain protein 7 (FBXW7) for MYCN binding and enabled MYCN-mediated tumourigenesis in a C-terminal domain-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed a previously uncharacterized mechanism of CCNB1IP1-mediated MYCN protein stability and will provide new prospects for precise treatment of MYCN-AM NB based on MYCN-CCNB1IP1 interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Henan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Henan Key Laboratory of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hui Yan
- Henan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Henan Key Laboratory of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Henan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Henan Key Laboratory of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Penggao Wang
- Henan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Henan Key Laboratory of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Henan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Henan Key Laboratory of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ziqiao Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qianming Du
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
- School of Basic Medicine & Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Bo Zhai
- Henan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Diseases, Henan Key Laboratory of Pediatric Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
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15
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Moreno L, DuBois SG, Glade Bender J, Mauguen A, Bird N, Buenger V, Casanova M, Doz F, Fox E, Gore L, Hawkins DS, Izraeli S, Jones DT, Kearns PR, Molenaar JJ, Nysom K, Pfister S, Reaman G, Smith M, Weigel B, Vassal G, Zwaan CM, Paoletti X, Iasonos A, Pearson AD. Combination Early-Phase Trials of Anticancer Agents in Children and Adolescents. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:3408-3422. [PMID: 37015036 PMCID: PMC10414747 DOI: 10.1200/jco.22.02430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE There is an increasing need to evaluate innovative drugs for childhood cancer using combination strategies. Strong biological rationale and clinical experience suggest that multiple agents will be more efficacious than monotherapy for most diseases and may overcome resistance mechanisms and increase synergy. The process to evaluate these combination trials needs to maximize efficiency and should be agreed by all stakeholders. METHODS After a review of existing combination trial methodologies, regulatory requirements, and current results, a consensus among stakeholders was achieved. RESULTS Combinations of anticancer therapies should be developed on the basis of mechanism of action and robust preclinical evaluation, and may include data from adult clinical trials. The general principle for combination early-phase studies is that, when possible, clinical trials should be dose- and schedule-confirmatory rather than dose-exploratory, and every effort should be made to optimize doses early. Efficient early-phase combination trials should be seamless, including dose confirmation and randomized expansion. Dose evaluation designs for combinations depend on the extent of previous knowledge. If not previously evaluated, limited evaluation of monotherapy should be included in the same clinical trial as the combination. Randomized evaluation of a new agent plus standard therapy versus standard therapy is the most effective approach to isolate the effect and toxicity of the novel agent. Platform trials may be valuable in the evaluation of combination studies. Patient advocates and regulators should be engaged with investigators early in a proposed clinical development pathway and trial design must consider regulatory requirements. CONCLUSION An optimized, agreed approach to the design and evaluation of early-phase pediatric combination trials will accelerate drug development and benefit all stakeholders, most importantly children and adolescents with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Moreno
- Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Steven G. DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - Nick Bird
- Solving Kids' Cancer UK, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vickie Buenger
- Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - François Doz
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- SIREDO Centre (Care, Innovation Research in Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adults Oncology), Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - Lia Gore
- Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
- University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | | | - Shai Izraeli
- Rina Zaizov Pediatric Hematology Oncology Division, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel
- Hematological Malignancies Centre of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David T.W. Jones
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela R. Kearns
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan J. Molenaar
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, DKFZ, KiTZ
- Righospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karsten Nysom
- Clinical Trial Unit and Childhood Brain Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pfister
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Pediatric Glioma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Gilles Vassal
- Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer, Paris, France
- ACCELERATE, Brussels, Belgium
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, Paris, France
| | - Christian Michel Zwaan
- Righospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, Erasmus MC, Sophia Children’s Hospital, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Andrew D.J. Pearson
- Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer, Paris, France
- ACCELERATE, Brussels, Belgium
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Bhardwaj N, Das G, Srinivasan R. Neuroblastoma-derived v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral related oncogene or MYCN gene. J Clin Pathol 2023:jcp-2022-208476. [PMID: 37221048 DOI: 10.1136/jcp-2022-208476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The MYCN gene belongs to the MYC family of transcription factors. Amplification of MYCN, first discovered in neuroblastoma cells, ushered in the era of cancer genomics. The MYCN gene and MYCN protein are extensively studied in the context of neuroblastoma. As demonstrated in transgenic mouse models, MYCN gene shows a restricted spatiotemporal expression predominantly in the neural crest cells which explains the associated neoplasms including neuroblastoma and central nervous system tumours. In neuroblastoma, MYCN amplification is a marker of aggressive tumours with poor prognosis and survival and forms the basis of risk stratification classifications.MYCN dysregulated expression occurs by several mechanisms at the transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels. These include massive gene amplification which occurs in an extrachromosomal location, upregulated transcription and stabilisation of the protein increasing its half-life. MYCN protein, a basic loop-helix-loop leucine zipper transcription factor, has many regions which bind to several proteins foremost of which is MAX forming the MYC:MAX heterodimer. Overall, MYCN controls multiple aspects of cell fate, foremost of which is cellular proliferation besides cell differentiation, apoptosis and cellular metabolism, all of which are the focus of this brief review. In addition to amplification, other mechanisms of MYCN overexpression include activating missense mutations as reported in basal cell carcinoma and Wilms tumour. A better understanding of this molecule will help in the discovery of novel strategies for its indirect targeting to improve the outcomes of patients with neuroblastoma and other MYCN-associated neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Bhardwaj
- Department of Pathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Gargi Das
- Medical Oncology (Pediatric Oncology), Cancer Institute-WIA, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Radhika Srinivasan
- Pathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
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17
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Arroyo-Berdugo Y, Sendino M, Greaves D, Nojszewska N, Idilli O, So CW, Di Silvio L, Quartey-Papafio R, Farzaneh F, Rodriguez JA, Calle Y. High Throughput Fluorescence-Based In Vitro Experimental Platform for the Identification of Effective Therapies to Overcome Tumour Microenvironment-Mediated Drug Resistance in AML. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1988. [PMID: 37046649 PMCID: PMC10093176 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15071988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The interactions between Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) leukemic stem cells and the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment play a critical role during AML progression and resistance to drug treatments. Therefore, the identification of novel therapies requires drug-screening methods using in vitro co-culture models that closely recreate the cytoprotective BM setting. We have developed a new fluorescence-based in vitro co-culture system scalable to high throughput for measuring the concomitant effect of drugs on AML cells and the cytoprotective BM microenvironment. eGFP-expressing AML cells are co-cultured in direct contact with mCherry-expressing BM stromal cells for the accurate assessment of proliferation, viability, and signaling in both cell types. This model identified several efficacious compounds that overcome BM stroma-mediated drug resistance against daunorubicin, including the chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1/XPO1) inhibitor KPT-330. In silico analysis of genes co-expressed with CRM1, combined with in vitro experiments using our new methodology, also indicates that the combination of KPT-330 with the AURKA pharmacological inhibitor alisertib circumvents the cytoprotection of AML cells mediated by the BM stroma. This new experimental model and analysis provide a more precise screening method for developing improved therapeutics targeting AML cells within the cytoprotective BM microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoana Arroyo-Berdugo
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Maria Sendino
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - David Greaves
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Natalia Nojszewska
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Orest Idilli
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
| | - Chi Wai So
- Department of Haemato-Oncology, King’s College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Lucy Di Silvio
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | | | - Farzin Farzaneh
- Department of Haemato-Oncology, King’s College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Jose Antonio Rodriguez
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Yolanda Calle
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK
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18
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Choi Y, Lee HK, Choi KC. Engineered adult stem cells: a promising tool for anti-cancer therapy. BMB Rep 2023; 56:71-77. [PMID: 36330711 PMCID: PMC9978368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers are one of the most dreaded diseases in human history and have been targeted by numerous trials including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and anti-cancer drugs. Adult stem cells (ASCs), which can regenerate tissues and repair damage, have emerged as leading therapeutic candidates due to their homing ability toward tumor foci. Stem cells can precisely target malicious tumors, thereby minimizing the toxicity of normal cells and unfavorable side effects. ASCs, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), are powerful tools for delivering therapeutic agents to various primary and metastatic cancers. Engineered ASCs act as a bridge between the tumor sites and tumoricidal reagents, producing therapeutic substances such as exosomes, viruses, and anti-cancer proteins encoded by several suicide genes. This review focuses on various anti-cancer therapies implemented via ASCs and summarizes the recent treatment progress and shortcomings. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(2): 71-77].
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngdong Choi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Hong Kyu Lee
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Kyung-Chul Choi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea,Corresponding author. Tel: +82-43-261-3664; Fax: +82-43-267-3150; E-mail:
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Choi Y, Lee HK, Choi KC. Engineered adult stem cells: a promising tool for anti-cancer therapy. BMB Rep 2023; 56:71-77. [PMID: 36330711 PMCID: PMC9978368 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2022-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers are one of the most dreaded diseases in human history and have been targeted by numerous trials including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and anti-cancer drugs. Adult stem cells (ASCs), which can regenerate tissues and repair damage, have emerged as leading therapeutic candidates due to their homing ability toward tumor foci. Stem cells can precisely target malicious tumors, thereby minimizing the toxicity of normal cells and unfavorable side effects. ASCs, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), are powerful tools for delivering therapeutic agents to various primary and metastatic cancers. Engineered ASCs act as a bridge between the tumor sites and tumoricidal reagents, producing therapeutic substances such as exosomes, viruses, and anti-cancer proteins encoded by several suicide genes. This review focuses on various anti-cancer therapies implemented via ASCs and summarizes the recent treatment progress and shortcomings. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(2): 71-77].
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngdong Choi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Hong Kyu Lee
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Kyung-Chul Choi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
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20
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Deciphering the Role of p53 and TAp73 in Neuroblastoma: From Pathogenesis to Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246212. [PMID: 36551697 PMCID: PMC9777536 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246212] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic cancer that develops from neural crest stem cells, being one of the most common malignancies in children. The clinical manifestation of this disease is highly variable, ranging from spontaneous regression to increased aggressiveness, which makes it a major therapeutic challenge in pediatric oncology. The p53 family proteins p53 and TAp73 play a key role in protecting cells against genomic instability and malignant transformation. However, in NB, their activities are commonly inhibited by interacting proteins such as murine double minute (MDM)2 and MDMX, mutant p53, ΔNp73, Itch, and Aurora kinase A. The interplay between the p53/TAp73 pathway and N-MYC, a known biomarker of poor prognosis and drug resistance in NB, also proves to be decisive in the pathogenesis of this tumor. More recently, a strong crosstalk between microRNAs (miRNAs) and p53/TAp73 has been established, which has been the focused of great attention because of its potential for developing new therapeutic strategies. Collectively, this review provides an updated overview about the critical role of the p53/TAp73 pathway in the pathogenesis of NB, highlighting encouraging clues for the advance of alternative NB targeted therapies.
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Park JR, Villablanca JG, Hero B, Kushner BH, Wheatley K, Beiske KH, Ladenstein RL, Baruchel S, Macy ME, Moreno L, Seibel NL, Pearson AD, Matthay KK, Valteua-Couanet D. Early-phase clinical trial eligibility and response evaluation criteria for refractory, relapsed, or progressive neuroblastoma: A consensus statement from the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Planning Meeting. Cancer 2022; 128:3775-3783. [PMID: 36101004 PMCID: PMC9614386 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34445] [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: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND International standardized criteria for eligibility, evaluable disease sites, and disease response assessment in patients with refractory, progressive, or relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma enrolled in early-phase clinical trials are lacking. METHODS A National Cancer Institute-sponsored Clinical Trials Planning Meeting was convened to develop an international consensus to refine the tumor site eligibility criteria and evaluation of disease response for early-phase clinical trials in children with high-risk neuroblastoma. RESULTS Standardized data collection of patient and disease characteristics (including specified genomic data), eligibility criteria, a definition of evaluable disease, and response evaluations for primary and metastatic sites of disease were developed. Eligibility included two distinct patient groups: progressive disease and refractory disease. The refractory disease group was subdivided into responding persistent disease and stable persistent disease to better capture the clinical heterogeneity of refractory neuroblastoma. Requirements for defining disease evaluable for a response assessment were provided; they included requirements for biopsy to confirm viable neuroblastoma and/or ganglioneuroblastoma in those patients with soft tissue or bone disease not avid for iodine-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine. Standardized evaluations for response components and time intervals for response evaluations were established. CONCLUSIONS The use of international consensus eligibility, evaluability, and response criteria for early-phase clinical studies will facilitate the collection of comparable data across international trials and promote more rapid identification of effective treatment regimens for high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie R. Park
- Seattle Children’s Hospital and Department of Pediatrics University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA, 98105
| | - Judith G. Villablanca
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Department of Pediatrics, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Barbara Hero
- Children’s Hospital and University of Cologne, D 50924 Koeln, Germany
| | | | | | - Klaus H. Beiske
- Oslo University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ruth L. Ladenstein
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, St Anna Children’s Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Margaret E. Macy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Lucas Moreno
- Division of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nita L. Seibel
- Clinical Investigations Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Andrew D. Pearson
- Divisions of Cancer Therapeutics and Clinical Studies, Institute of Cancer Research and Children and Young People’s Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, Surrey UK (Retired)
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22
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Desai AV, Applebaum MA, Karrison TG, Oppong A, Yuan C, Berg KR, MacQuarrie K, Sokol E, Hall AG, Pinto N, Wolfe I, Mody R, Shusterman S, Smith V, Foster JH, Nassin M, LaBelle JL, Bagatell R, Cohn SL. Efficacy of post-induction therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma patients with end-induction residual disease. Cancer 2022; 128:2967-2977. [PMID: 35665495 PMCID: PMC10764281 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-risk neuroblastoma patients with end-induction residual disease commonly receive post-induction therapy in an effort to increase survival by improving the response before autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The authors conducted a multicenter, retrospective study to investigate the efficacy of this approach. METHODS Patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2018 without progressive disease with a partial response or worse at end-induction were stratified according to the post-induction treatment: 1) no additional therapy before ASCT (cohort 1), 2) post-induction "bridge" therapy before ASCT (cohort 2), and 3) post-induction therapy without ASCT (cohort 3). χ2 tests were used to compare patient characteristics. Three-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared by log-rank test. RESULTS The study cohort consisted of 201 patients: cohort 1 (n = 123), cohort 2 (n = 51), and cohort 3 (n = 27). Although the end-induction response was better for cohort 1 than cohorts 2 and 3, the outcomes for cohorts 1 and 2 were not significantly different (P = .77 for EFS and P = .85 for OS). Inferior outcomes were observed for cohort 3 (P < .001 for EFS and P = .06 for OS). Among patients with end-induction stable metastatic disease, 3-year EFS was significantly improved for cohort 2 versus cohort 1 (P = .04). Cohort 3 patients with a complete response at metastatic sites after post-induction therapy had significantly better 3-year EFS than those with residual metastatic disease (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS Prospective studies to confirm the benefits of bridge treatment and the prognostic significance of metastatic response observed in this study are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami V. Desai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | | | - Akosua Oppong
- Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Cindy Yuan
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Katherine R. Berg
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kyle MacQuarrie
- Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Elizabeth Sokol
- Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Anurekha G. Hall
- Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Navin Pinto
- Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Ian Wolfe
- C.S Mott Children’s Hospital and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Rajen Mody
- C.S Mott Children’s Hospital and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Suzanne Shusterman
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Valeria Smith
- Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | | | - Michele Nassin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Rochelle Bagatell
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Susan L. Cohn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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A phase I study of irinotecan and temozolomide with bevacizumab in children with recurrent/refractory central nervous system tumors. Childs Nerv Syst 2022; 38:919-928. [PMID: 35260913 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-022-05479-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Children with relapsed/refractory central nervous system (CNS) tumors require novel combinations of therapies. Irinotecan and temozolomide (IT) is a frequently used therapy with an established toxicity profile. Bevacizumab is an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody with demonstrated activity in CNS tumors. Therefore, the combination of these agents has therapeutic potential in CNS tumors. The objective of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of escalating dose IT combined with a fixed dose of bevacizumab (BIT) in children with relapsed/refractory CNS tumors. METHODS A phase I trial was performed in a 3 + 3 design. Therapy toxicities and radiologic responses to treatment were described. RESULTS One hundred eighty cycles of therapy were administered to 26 patients. The MTD of BIT was dose level 1, (bevacizumab 10 mg/kg on days 1 and 15, irinotecan 125 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15, and temozolomide 125 mg/m2 on days 1-5 of 28-day cycles). The regimen was well tolerated with primarily hematologic toxicity, which was not dose limiting. Among 22 response-evaluable patients, there was 1 complete response (CR), 6 partial responses (PR), and 10 stable diseases (SD) with an overall response rate (ORR: CR + PR) of 31.8%. CONCLUSION At the MTD, BIT therapy was well tolerated, and prolonged treatment courses of up to 24 cycles were feasible, with radiographic responses observed. Further evaluation is needed for efficacy in a phase II trial (NCT00876993, registered April 7, 2009, www. CLINICALTRIALS gov ).
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Nguyen R, Wang H, Sun M, Lee DG, Peng J, Thiele CJ. Combining selinexor with alisertib to target the p53 pathway in neuroblastoma. Neoplasia 2022; 26:100776. [PMID: 35217309 PMCID: PMC8866064 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2022.100776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma accounts for 15% of cancer-related deaths in children, highlighting an unmet need for novel therapies. Selinexor is a small molecule inhibitor of XPO1. XPO1 shuffles cargo proteins with a nuclear export sequence from the nucleus to the cytosol, many of which are essential for cancer growth and cell maintenance. We systematically tested the effect of selinexor against neuroblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo and used an advanced proteomic and phosphoproteomic screening approach to interrogate unknown mechanisms of action. We found that selinexor induced its cytotoxic effects in neuroblastoma through the predominantly nuclear accumulation of p53 and global activation of apoptosis pathways. Selinexor also induced p53 phosphorylation at site S315, which is one initiating step for p53 degradation. Since this phosphorylation step is undertaken mostly by aurora kinase A (AURKA), we used the clinically available AURKA inhibitor, alisertib, and found p53-mediated lethality could be further augmented in three orthotopic xenograft mouse models. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic benefit using selinexor and alisertib to synergistically increase p53-mediated cytotoxicity of high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Nguyen
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Hong Wang
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ming Sun
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dong Geun Lee
- Departments of Structural Biology and Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Junmin Peng
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; Departments of Structural Biology and Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
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Chen X, Liu C, Zhang Z, Wang M, Guo S, Li T, Sun H, Zhang P. ZNF655 Promotes the Progression of Glioma Through Transcriptional Regulation of AURKA. Front Oncol 2022; 12:770013. [PMID: 35280721 PMCID: PMC8907887 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.770013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Glioma has a high degree of malignancy, strong invasiveness, and poor prognosis, which is always a serious threat to human health. Previous studies have reported that C2H2 zinc finger (ZNF) protein is involved in the progression of various cancers. In this study, the clinical significance, biological behavior, and molecule mechanism of ZNF655 in glioma were explored. Methods The expression of ZNF655 in glioma and its correlation with prognosis were analyzed through public datasets and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The shRNA-mediated ZNF655 knockdown was used to explore the effects of ZNF655 alteration on the phenotypes and tumorigenesis of human glioma cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were performed to determine the potential mechanism of ZNF655 regulating Aurora kinase A (AURKA). Results ZNF655 was abundantly expressed in glioma tissue and cell lines SHG-44 and U251. Knockdown of suppressed the progression of glioma cells, which was characterized by reduced proliferation, enhanced apoptosis, cycle repression in G2, inhibition of migration, and weakened tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, transcription factor ZNF655 activated the expression of AURKA by directly binding to the promoter of AURKA. In addition, downregulation of AURKA partially reversed the promoting effects of overexpression of ZNF655 on glioma cells. Conclusions ZNF655 promoted the progression of glioma by binding to the promoter of AURKA, which may be a promising target for molecular therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
| | - Shewei Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
| | - Tianhao Li
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, China
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26
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Sissung TM, Figg WD. Pharmacogenomics Testing in Phase I Oncology Clinical Trials: Constructive Criticism Is Warranted. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14051131. [PMID: 35267440 PMCID: PMC8909728 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051131] [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: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Phase I clinical trials are a cornerstone of pharmaceutical development in oncology. Many studies have now attempted to incorporate pharmacogenomics into phase I studies; however, many of these studies have fundamental flaws that that preclude interpretation and application of their findings. Study populations are often small and heterogeneous with multiple disease states, multiple dose levels, and prior therapies. Genetic testing typically includes few variants in candidate genes that do no encapsulate the full range of phenotypic variability in protein function. Moreover, a plurality of these studies do not present scientifically robust clinical or preclinical justification for undertaking pharmacogenomics studies. A significant amount of progress in understanding pharmacogenomic variability has occurred since pharmacogenomics approaches first began appearing in the literature. This progress can be immediately leveraged for the vast majority of Phase I studies. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature pertaining to Phase I incorporation of pharmacogenomics studies, analyze potential flaws in study design, and suggest approaches that can improve design of future scientific efforts. Abstract While over ten-thousand phase I studies are published in oncology, fewer than 1% of these studies stratify patients based on genetic variants that influence pharmacology. Pharmacogenetics-based patient stratification can improve the success of clinical trials by identifying responsive patients who have less potential to develop toxicity; however, the scientific limits imposed by phase I study designs reduce the potential for these studies to make conclusions. We compiled all phase I studies in oncology with pharmacogenetics endpoints (n = 84), evaluating toxicity (n = 42), response or PFS (n = 32), and pharmacokinetics (n = 40). Most of these studies focus on a limited number of agent classes: Topoisomerase inhibitors, antimetabolites, and anti-angiogenesis agents. Eight genotype-directed phase I studies were identified. Phase I studies consist of homogeneous populations with a variety of comorbidities, prior therapies, racial backgrounds, and other factors that confound statistical analysis of pharmacogenetics. Taken together, phase I studies analyzed herein treated small numbers of patients (median, 95% CI = 28, 24–31), evaluated few variants that are known to change phenotype, and provided little justification of pharmacogenetics hypotheses. Future studies should account for these factors during study design to optimize the success of phase I studies and to answer important scientific questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William D. Figg
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-240-760-6179; Fax: +1-240-541-4536
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Zhong X, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Jiang Z, Li Y, Chang J, Niu J, Shi Y. HMGB3 is Associated With an Unfavorable Prognosis of Neuroblastoma and Promotes Tumor Progression by Mediating TPX2. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:769547. [PMID: 34988076 PMCID: PMC8721485 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.769547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid tumor apart from central nervous system malignancies in children aged 0–14 years, and the outcomes of high-risk patients are dismal. High mobility group box 3 (HMGB3) plays an oncogenic role in many cancers; however, its biological role in NB is still unclear. Using data mining, we found that HMGB3 expression was markedly elevated in NB patients with unfavorable prognoses. When HMGB3 expression in NB cell lines was inhibited, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were suppressed, and HMGB3 knockdown inhibited NB tumor development in mice. RT−PCR was employed to detect mRNA expression of nine coexpressed genes in response to HMGB3 knockdown, and TPX2 was identified. Furthermore, overexpression of TPX2 reversed the cell proliferation effect of HMGB3 silencing. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that HMGB3 and TPX2 might be independent prognostic factors for overall survival and event-free survival, which showed the highest significance (p < 0.001). According to the nomogram predictor constructed, the integration of gene expression and clinicopathological features exhibited better prognostic prediction power. Furthermore, the random forest algorithm and receiver operating characteristic curves also showed that HMGB3 and TPX2 played important roles in discriminating the vital status (alive/dead) of patients in the NB datasets. Our informatics analysis and biological experiments suggested that HMGB3 is correlated with the unfavorable clinical outcomes of NB, and plays an important role in promoting cell growth, proliferation, and invasion in NB, potentially representing a new therapeutic target for tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Zhong
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Songling Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yutong Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zongmiao Jiang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jian Chang
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Junqi Niu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Shi
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Guo Z, Shen L, Li N, Wu X, Wang C, Gu Z, Chen Z, Liu J, Mao W, Han Y. Aurora Kinase A as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker of Malignant Mesothelioma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:789244. [PMID: 34956905 PMCID: PMC8692759 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.789244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. Despite the use of several well-known markers, the diagnosis of MM is still challenging in some cases. we applied bioinformatics to identify key genes and screen for diagnostic and prognostic markers of MM. Methods The expression profiles of GSE2549 and GSE112154 microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database contained 87 cases of MM tissue and 8 cases of normal mesothelial tissue in total. The GEO2R tool was used to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed using DAVID Bioinformatics Resources. The DEGs protein-protein interaction networks were constructed from the STRING database. Cytoscape was used to identify significant modules and hub genes. The GEPIA database was used to explore relationships between hub genes and prognosis of MM. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze protein expression in tissue microarrays with 47 Chinese MM tissues. Statistical analyses diagnostic and prognostic values. Results 346 DEGs were identified: 111 genes upregulated, and 235 downregulated. GO analysis showed that the primary biological processes of these DEGs were cell adhesion, leukocyte migration, and angiogenesis. The main cellular components included the extracellular space, extracellular exosome, and extracellular region. The molecular functions were integrin binding, heparin binding, and calcium ion binding. KEGG pathway analysis showed that DEGs are primarily involved in PPAR signaling pathway, extracellular matrix–receptor interactions, and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. Survival analysis showed that seven genes—AURKA, GAPDH, TOP2A, PPARG, SCD, FABP4, and CEBPA—may be potential prognostic markers for MM. Immunohistochemical studies showed that Aurora kinase A (AURKA gene encode, Aurora-A) and GAPDH were highly expressed in MM tissue in comparison with normal mesothelial tissue. Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed a correlation between Aurora-A protein expression and overall survival but did not confirm a correlation with GAPDH. The receiver operating characteristic curves of Aurora-A protein expression suggested acceptable accuracy (AUC = 0.827; 95% CI [0.6686 to 0.9535]; p = 0.04). The sensitivity and specificity of Aurora-A were 83.33% and 77.78%, respectively. Conclusion Aurora-A could be an optimal diagnostic biomarker and a potential prognostic marker for MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenying Guo
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology on Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Shen
- Office of Education, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ningning Li
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wu
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Canming Wang
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zheng Gu
- Department of Clinical Medicine Engineering, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongjian Chen
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junping Liu
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weimin Mao
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology on Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuchen Han
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yuchen Han,
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Liu H, Qiu W, Sun T, Wang L, Du C, Hu Y, Liu W, Feng F, Chen Y, Sun H. Therapeutic strtegies of glioblastoma (GBM): The current advances in the molecular targets and bioactive small molecule compounds. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 12:1781-1804. [PMID: 35847506 PMCID: PMC9279645 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common aggressive malignant tumor in brain neuroepithelial tumors and remains incurable. A variety of treatment options are currently being explored to improve patient survival, including small molecule inhibitors, viral therapies, cancer vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies. Among them, the unique advantages of small molecule inhibitors have made them a focus of attention in the drug discovery of glioblastoma. Currently, the most used chemotherapeutic agents are small molecule inhibitors that target key dysregulated signaling pathways in glioblastoma, including receptor tyrosine kinase, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, DNA damage response, TP53 and cell cycle inhibitors. This review analyzes the therapeutic benefit and clinical development of novel small molecule inhibitors discovered as promising anti-glioblastoma agents by the related targets of these major pathways. Meanwhile, the recent advances in temozolomide resistance and drug combination are also reviewed. In the last part, due to the constant clinical failure of targeted therapies, this paper reviewed the research progress of other therapeutic methods for glioblastoma, to provide patients and readers with a more comprehensive understanding of the treatment landscape of glioblastoma.
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Ciaccio R, De Rosa P, Aloisi S, Viggiano M, Cimadom L, Zadran SK, Perini G, Milazzo G. Targeting Oncogenic Transcriptional Networks in Neuroblastoma: From N-Myc to Epigenetic Drugs. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12883. [PMID: 34884690 PMCID: PMC8657550 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most frequently occurring neurogenic extracranial solid cancers in childhood and infancy. Over the years, many pieces of evidence suggested that NB development is controlled by gene expression dysregulation. These unleashed programs that outline NB cancer cells make them highly dependent on specific tuning of gene expression, which can act co-operatively to define the differentiation state, cell identity, and specialized functions. The peculiar regulation is mainly caused by genetic and epigenetic alterations, resulting in the dependency on a small set of key master transcriptional regulators as the convergence point of multiple signalling pathways. In this review, we provide a comprehensive blueprint of transcriptional regulation bearing NB initiation and progression, unveiling the complexity of novel oncogenic and tumour suppressive regulatory networks of this pathology. Furthermore, we underline the significance of multi-target therapies against these hallmarks, showing how novel approaches, together with chemotherapy, surgery, or radiotherapy, can have substantial antineoplastic effects, disrupting a wide variety of tumorigenic pathways through combinations of different treatments.
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Synthetic Heterocyclic Derivatives as Kinase Inhibitors Tested for the Treatment of Neuroblastoma. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26237069. [PMID: 34885651 PMCID: PMC8658969 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, small molecules endowed with different heterocyclic scaffolds have been developed as kinase inhibitors. Some of them are being tested at preclinical or clinical levels for the potential treatment of neuroblastoma (NB). This disease is the most common extracranial solid tumor in childhood and is responsible for 10% to 15% of pediatric cancer deaths. Despite the availability of some treatments, including the use of very toxic cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, high-risk (HR)-NB patients still have a poor prognosis and a survival rate below 50%. For these reasons, new pharmacological options are urgently needed. This review focuses on synthetic heterocyclic compounds published in the last five years, which showed at least some activity on this severe disease and act as kinase inhibitors. The specific mechanism of action, selectivity, and biological activity of these drug candidates are described, when established. Moreover, the most remarkable clinical trials are reported. Importantly, kinase inhibitors approved for other diseases have shown to be active and endowed with lower toxicity compared to conventional cytotoxic agents. The data collected in this article can be particularly useful for the researchers working in this area.
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Stainczyk SA, Westermann F. Neuroblastoma-Telomere maintenance, deregulated signaling transduction and beyond. Int J Cancer 2021; 150:903-915. [PMID: 34636058 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The childhood malignancy neuroblastoma belongs to the group of embryonal tumors and originates from progenitor cells of the sympathoadrenal lineage. Treatment options for children with high-risk and relapsed disease are still very limited. In recent years, an ever-growing molecular diversity was identified using (epi)-genetic profiling of neuroblastoma tumors, indicating that molecularly targeted therapies could be a promising therapeutic option. In this review article, we summarize the various molecular subtypes and genetic events associated with neuroblastoma and describe recent advances in targeted therapies. We lay a strong emphasis on the importance of telomere maintenance mechanisms for understanding tumor progression and risk classification of neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine A Stainczyk
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Neuroblastoma Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frank Westermann
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Neuroblastoma Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Sooreshjani MA, Kamra M, Zoubeidi A, Shah K. Reciprocal deregulation of NKX3.1 and AURKA axis in castration-resistant prostate cancer and NEPC models. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:68. [PMID: 34625072 PMCID: PMC8499580 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00765-z] [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: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background NKX3.1, a prostate-specific tumor suppressor, is either genomically lost or its protein levels are severely downregulated, which are invariably associated with poor prognosis in prostate cancer (PCa). Nevertheless, a clear disconnect exists between its mRNA and protein levels, indicating that its post-translational regulation may be critical in maintaining its protein levels. Similarly, AURKA is vastly overexpressed in all stages of prostate cancer (PCa), including castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) and neuroendocrine PCa (NEPC), although its transcripts are only increased in ~ 15% of cases, hinting at additional mechanisms of deregulation. Thus, identifying the upstream regulators that control AURKA and NKX3.1’s levels and/or their downstream effectors offer an alternative route to inhibit AURKA and upregulate NKX3.1 in highly fatal CRPC and NEPC. AURKA and NKX3.1 have not linked to each other in any study to date. Methods A chemical genetic screen revealed NKX3.1 as a direct target of AURKA. AURKA-NKX3.1 cross-talk was analyzed using several biochemical techniques in CRPC and NEPC cells. Results We uncovered a reciprocal loop between AURKA and NKX3.1 in CRPC and NEPC cells. We observed that AURKA-mediated NKX3.1 downregulation is a major mechanism that drives CRPC pathogenesis and NEPC differentiation. AURKA phosphorylates NKX3.1 at three sites, which degrades it, but AURKA does not regulate NKX3.1 mRNA levels. NKX3.1 degradation drives highly aggressive oncogenic phenotypes in cells. NKX3.1 also degrades AURKA in a feedback loop. NKX3.1-AURKA loop thus upregulates AKT, ARv7 and Androgen Receptor (AR)-signaling in tandem promoting highly malignant phenotypes. Just as importantly, we observed that NKX3.1 overexpression fully abolished synaptophysin and enolase expression in NEPC cells, uncovering a strong negative relationship between NKX3.1 and neuroendocrine phenotypes, which was further confirmed be measuring neurite outgrowth. While WT-NKX3.1 inhibited neuronal differentiation, 3A-NKX3.1 expression obliterated it. Conclusions NKX3.1 loss could be a major mechanism causing AURKA upregulation in CRPC and NEPC and vice versa. NKX3.1 genomic loss requires gene therapy, nonetheless, targeting AURKA provides a powerful tool to maintain NKX3.1 levels. Conversely, when NKX3.1 upregulation strategy using small molecules comes to fruition, AURKA inhibition should work synergistically due to the reciprocal loop in these highly aggressive incurable diseases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12929-021-00765-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moloud Aflaki Sooreshjani
- Department of Chemistry and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Mohini Kamra
- Department of Chemistry and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Amina Zoubeidi
- Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | - Kavita Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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Shawraba F, Hammoud H, Mrad Y, Saker Z, Fares Y, Harati H, Bahmad HF, Nabha S. Biomarkers in Neuroblastoma: An Insight into Their Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Utilities. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2021; 22:102. [PMID: 34580780 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-021-00898-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Neuroblastoma (NB) is a heterogeneous solid tumor of the pediatric population that originates from neural crest cells and affects the developing sympathetic nervous system. It is the most common neuroblastic tumor accounting for approximately 10% of all childhood cancers and 10-15% of pediatric tumor mortalities. The outcomes range from spontaneous tumor regression in low-risk groups to metastasis and death even after multimodal therapy in high-risk groups. Hence, the detection of NB at an early stage improves outcomes and provides a better prognosis for patients. Early detection and prognosis of NB depend on specific molecules termed biomarkers which can be tissue-specific or circulating. Certain biomarkers are employed in the classification of NB into different groups to improve the treatment and prognosis, and others can be used as therapeutic targets. Therefore, novel biomarker discovery is essential for the early detection of NB, predicting the course of the disease, and developing new targeted treatment strategies. In this review, we aim to summarize the literature pertinent to some important biomarkers of NB and discuss the prognostic role of these biomarkers as well as their potential role in targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Shawraba
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hussein Hammoud
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Yara Mrad
- Université Clermont Auvergne, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Zahraa Saker
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Youssef Fares
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon.,Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hayat Harati
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hisham F Bahmad
- Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL, 33140, USA.
| | - Sanaa Nabha
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Pezeshki PS, Moeinafshar A, Ghaemdoust F, Razi S, Keshavarz-Fathi M, Rezaei N. Advances in pharmacotherapy for neuroblastoma. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2021; 22:2383-2404. [PMID: 34254549 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1953470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuroblastoma is the most prevalent cancer type diagnosed within the first year after birth and accounts for 15% of deaths from pediatric cancer. Despite the improvements in survival rates of patients with neuroblastoma, the incidence of the disease has increased over the last decade. Neuroblastoma tumor cells harbor a vast range of variable and heterogeneous histochemical and genetic alterations which calls for the need to administer individualized and targeted therapies to induce tumor regression in each patient. AREAS COVERED This paper provides reviews the recent clinical trials which used chemotherapeutic and/or targeted agents as either monotherapies or in combination to improve the response rate in patients with neuroblastoma, and especially high-risk neuroblastoma. It also reviews some of the prominent preclinical studies which can provide the rationale for future clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION Although some distinguished advances in pharmacotherapy have been made to improve the survival rate and reduce adverse events in patients with neuroblastoma, a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, resistance to therapies or relapse, identifying biomarkers of response to each specific drug, and developing predictive preclinical models of the tumor can lead to further breakthroughs in the treatment of neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmida Sadat Pezeshki
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aysan Moeinafshar
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faezeh Ghaemdoust
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Razi
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Keshavarz-Fathi
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.,School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Stockholm, Sweden
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36
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Programmed cell death, redox imbalance, and cancer therapeutics. Apoptosis 2021; 26:385-414. [PMID: 34236569 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-021-01682-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells are disordered by nature and thus featured by higher internal redox level than healthy cells. Redox imbalance could trigger programmed cell death if exceeded a certain threshold, rendering therapeutic strategies relying on redox control a possible cancer management solution. Yet, various programmed cell death events have been consecutively discovered, complicating our understandings on their associations with redox imbalance and clinical implications especially therapeutic design. Thus, it is imperative to understand differences and similarities among programmed cell death events regarding their associations with redox imbalance for improved control over these events in malignant cells as well as appropriate design on therapeutic approaches relying on redox control. This review addresses these issues and concludes by bringing affront cold atmospheric plasma as an emerging redox controller with translational potential in clinics.
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ISL1 promoted tumorigenesis and EMT via Aurora kinase A-induced activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in neuroblastoma. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:620. [PMID: 34131100 PMCID: PMC8206128 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03894-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid malignancy in children and its mortality rate is relatively high. However, driver genes of NB are not clearly identified. Using bioinformatics analysis, we determined the top 8 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in NB, including GFAP, PAX6, FOXG1, GAD1, PTPRC, ISL1, GRM5, and GATA3. Insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 (ISL1) is a LIM homeodomain transcription factor which has been found to be highly expressed in a variety of malignant tumors, but the function of ISL1 in NB has not been fully elucidated. We identified ISL1 as an oncogene in NB. ISL1 is preferentially upregulated in NB tissues compared with normal tissues. High ISL1 expression is significantly associated with poor outcome of NB patients. Knockdown of ISL1 markedly represses proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in vitro, and suppresses tumorigenicity in vivo, while overexpression of ISL1 has the opposite effects. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that ISL1 promotes cell proliferation and EMT transformation through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by upregulating Aurora kinase A (AURKA), a serine-threonine kinase that is essential for the survival of NB cells. The blockade of AURKA attenuates the function of ISL1 overexpression in the regulation of cell proliferation and migration, Conclusively, this study showed that ISL1 targeted AURKA to facilitate the development of NB, which provided new insights into the tumorigenesis of NB. Thus, ISL1 may be a promising therapeutic target in the future.
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Serrano-Del Valle A, Reina-Ortiz C, Benedi A, Anel A, Naval J, Marzo I. Future prospects for mitosis-targeted antitumor therapies. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114655. [PMID: 34129859 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of cell cycle progression is a hallmark of cancer cells. In recent years, efforts have been devoted to the development of new therapies that target proteins involved in cell cycle regulation and mitosis. Novel targeted antimitotic drugs include inhibitors of aurora kinase family, polo-like kinase 1, Mps1, Eg5, CENP-5 and the APC/cyclosome complex. While certain new inhibitors reached the clinical trial stage, most were discontinued due to negative results. However, these therapies should not be readily dismissed. Based on recent advances concerning their mechanisms of action, new strategies could be devised to increase their efficacy and promote further clinical trials. Here we discuss three main lines of action to empower these therapeutic approaches: increasing cell death signals during mitotic arrest, targeting senescent cells and facilitating antitumor immune response through immunogenic cell death (ICD).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chantal Reina-Ortiz
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Andrea Benedi
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Alberto Anel
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Javier Naval
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain
| | - Isabel Marzo
- Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Zaragoza and IIS Aragón, Spain.
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Yi JS, Sias-Garcia O, Nasholm N, Hu X, Iniguez AB, Hall MD, Davis M, Guha R, Moreno-Smith M, Barbieri E, Duong K, Koach J, Qi J, Bradner JE, Stegmaier K, Weiss WA, Gustafson WC. The synergy of BET inhibitors with aurora A kinase inhibitors in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma is heightened with functional TP53. Neoplasia 2021; 23:624-633. [PMID: 34107377 PMCID: PMC8192452 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amplification of MYCN is a poor prognostic feature in neuroblastoma (NBL) indicating aggressive disease. We and others have shown BET bromodomain inhibitors (BETi) target MYCN indirectly by downregulating its transcription. Here we sought to identify agents that synergize with BETi and to identify biomarkers of resistance. We previously performed a viability screen of ∼1,900 oncology-focused compounds combined with BET bromodomain inhibitors against MYCN-amplified NBL cell lines. Reanalysis of our screening results prominently identified inhibitors of aurora kinase A (AURKAi) to be highly synergistic with BETi. We confirmed the anti-proliferative effects of several BETi+AURKAi combinations in MYCN-amplified NBL cell lines. Compared to single agents, these combinations cooperated to decrease levels of N-myc. We treated both TP53-wild type and mutant, MYCN-amplified cell lines with the BETi JQ1 and the AURKAi Alisertib. The combination had improved efficacy in the TP53-WT context, notably driving apoptosis in both genetic backgrounds. JQ1+Alisertib combination treatment of a MYCN-amplified, TP53-null or TP53-restored genetically engineered mouse model of NBL prolonged survival better than either single agent. This was most profound with TP53 restored, with marked tumor shrinkage and apoptosis induction in response to combination JQ1+Alisertib. BETi+AURKAi in MYCN-amplified NBL, particularly in the context of functional TP53, provided anti-tumor benefits in preclinical models. This combination should be studied more closely in a pediatric clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna S Yi
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Oscar Sias-Garcia
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Nicole Nasholm
- Department of Pediatrics, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Amanda Balboni Iniguez
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew D Hall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Mindy Davis
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Rajarshi Guha
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Myrthala Moreno-Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Eveline Barbieri
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kevin Duong
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jessica Koach
- Department of Pediatrics, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jun Qi
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James E Bradner
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William A Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - W Clay Gustafson
- Department of Pediatrics, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
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Semrad TJ, Kim EJ, Gong IY, Li T, Christensen S, Arora M, Riess JW, Gandara DR, Kelly K. Phase 1 study of alisertib (MLN8237) and weekly irinotecan in adults with advanced solid tumors. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2021; 88:335-341. [PMID: 33993383 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-021-04293-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Aurora kinases are overexpressed or amplified in numerous malignancies. This study was designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the Aurora A kinase inhibitor alisertib (MLN8237) when combined with weekly irinotecan. METHODS In this single-center phase 1 study, adult patients with refractory advanced solid tumors received 100 mg/m2 irinotecan intravenously on day 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Alisertib at planned escalating dose levels of 20-60 mg was administered orally twice per day on days 1-3 and 8-10. Patients homozygous for UGT1A1*28 were excluded. The primary objective was the safety of alisertib when combined with irinotecan to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Secondary objectives included overall response rate by RECIST and pharmacokinetics in a planned expansion cohort of patients with colorectal cancer treated at the MTD. RESULTS A total of 17 patients enrolled at three dose levels. Dose-limiting toxicities included diarrhea, dehydration, and neutropenia. The MTD of alisertib combined with weekly irinotecan was 20 mg twice per day on days 1-3 and 8-10. One fatal cardiac arrest at the highest dose level tested was deemed possibly related to drug treatment. One partial response in 11 efficacy evaluable patients (9%) occurred in a patient with small cell lung cancer. The study was terminated prior to the planned expansion in patients with colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION In contrast to prior results in a pediatric population, adult patients did not tolerate alisertib combined with irinotecan at clinically meaningful doses due to hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicities. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under study number NCT01923337 on Aug 15, 2013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Semrad
- Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center, 10121 Pine Avenue, Truckee, CA, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| | - Edward J Kim
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - I-Yeh Gong
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Kaiser Permanente, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Tianhong Li
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Scott Christensen
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Mili Arora
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan W Riess
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David R Gandara
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Karen Kelly
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
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Abstract
Introduction: Aurora kinases are a family of serine/threonine kinases, and promote mitotic spindle assembly by regulating centrosome duplication and separation. Aurora kinases are overexpressed in a variety of tumor cell lines, thus, the use of Aurora kinase small-molecule inhibitors has become a potential treatment option for cancer.Areas covered: As a continuing review of Aurora kinase inhibitors and their patents published in 2009, 2011 and 2014. Herein, we updated the information for Aurora kinase inhibitors in clinical trials and the patents filed from 2014 to 2020. PubMed, Scopus, SciFinder, and www.clinicaltrials.gov databases were used for searching the clinical information and patents of Aurora kinase inhibitors.Expert opinion: Even though Aurora A or B selective as well as pan inhibitors show preclinical and clinical efficacy, so far, no Aurora kinase inhibitor has been approved for clinical use. Preliminary evidence suggested that highly selective Aurora kinase or multi-target inhibitors as a single agent as well as in combination therapy are still the current main development trend of Aurora kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Li Jing
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shi-Wu Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Zhong X, Tao Y, Chang J, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wang L, Liu Y. Prognostic Signature of Immune Genes and Immune-Related LncRNAs in Neuroblastoma: A Study Based on GEO and TARGET Datasets. Front Oncol 2021; 11:631546. [PMID: 33767996 PMCID: PMC7985261 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.631546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prognostic value of immune-related genes and lncRNAs in neuroblastoma has not been elucidated, especially in subgroups with different outcomes. This study aimed to explore immune-related prognostic signatures. Materials and Methods Immune-related prognostic genes and lncRNAs were identified by univariate Cox regression analysis in the training set. The top 20 C-index genes and 17 immune-related lncRNAs were included in prognostic model construction, and random forest and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression algorithms were employed to select features. The risk score model was constructed and assessed using the Kaplan-Meier plot and the receiver operating characteristic curve. Functional enrichment analysis of the immune-related lncRNAs was conducted using the STRING database. Results In GSE49710, five immune genes (CDK4, PIK3R1, THRA, MAP2K2, and ULBP2) were included in the risk score five genes (RS5_G) signature, and eleven immune-related lncRNAs (LINC00260, FAM13A1OS, AGPAT4-IT1, DUBR, MIAT, TSC22D1-AS1, DANCR, MIR137HG, ERC2-IT1, LINC01184, LINC00667) were brought into risk score LncRNAs (RS_Lnc) signature. Patients were divided into high/low-risk score groups by the median. Overall survival and event/progression-free survival time were shortened in patients with high scores, both in training and validation cohorts. The same results were found in subgroups. In grouping ability assessment, the area under the curves (AUCs) in distinguishing different groups ranged from 0.737 to 0.94, better in discriminating MYCN status and high risk in training cohort (higher than 0.9). Multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that RS5_G and RS_Lnc were the independent risk factors for overall and event/progression-free survival (all p-values <0.001). Correlation analysis showed that RS5_G and RS_Lnc were negatively associated with aDC, CD8+ T cells, but positively correlated with Th2 cells. Functional enrichment analyzes demonstrated that immune-related lncRNAs are mainly enriched in cancer-related pathways and immune-related pathways. Conclusion We identified the immune-related prognostic signature RS5_G and RS_Lnc. The predicting and grouping ability is close to being even better than those reported in other studies, especially in subgroups. This study provided prognostic signatures that may help clinicians to choose optimal treatment strategies and showed a new insight for NB treatment. These results need further biological experiments and clinical validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Zhong
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Department of Pediatric Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jian Chang
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yutong Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Linyu Wang
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanning Liu
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Lou J, Zhou Y, Feng Z, Ma M, Yao Y, Wang Y, Deng Y, Wu Y. Caspase-Independent Regulated Necrosis Pathways as Potential Targets in Cancer Management. Front Oncol 2021; 10:616952. [PMID: 33665167 PMCID: PMC7921719 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.616952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated necrosis is an emerging type of cell death independent of caspase. Recently, with increasing findings of regulated necrosis in the field of biochemistry and genetics, the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of regulated necrosis are gradually understood. Nowadays, there are several modes of regulated necrosis that are tightly related to cancer initiation and development, including necroptosis, ferroptosis, parthanatos, pyroptosis, and so on. What’s more, accumulating evidence shows that various compounds can exhibit the anti-cancer effect via inducing regulated necrosis in cancer cells, which indicates that caspase-independent regulated necrosis pathways are potential targets in cancer management. In this review, we expand the molecular mechanisms as well as signaling pathways of multiple modes of regulated necrosis. We also elaborate on the roles they play in tumorigenesis and discuss how each of the regulated necrosis pathways could be therapeutically targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyao Lou
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunxiang Zhou
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zengyu Feng
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mindi Ma
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yihan Yao
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongchuan Deng
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yulian Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Liu Z, Chen SS, Clarke S, Veschi V, Thiele CJ. Targeting MYCN in Pediatric and Adult Cancers. Front Oncol 2021; 10:623679. [PMID: 33628735 PMCID: PMC7898977 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.623679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The deregulation of the MYC family of oncogenes, including c-MYC, MYCN and MYCL occurs in many types of cancers, and is frequently associated with a poor prognosis. The majority of functional studies have focused on c-MYC due to its broad expression profile in human cancers. The existence of highly conserved functional domains between MYCN and c-MYC suggests that MYCN participates in similar activities. MYC encodes a basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-LZ) transcription factor (TF) whose central oncogenic role in many human cancers makes it a highly desirable therapeutic target. Historically, as a TF, MYC has been regarded as “undruggable”. Thus, recent efforts focus on investigating methods to indirectly target MYC to achieve anti-tumor effects. This review will primarily summarize the recent progress in understanding the function of MYCN. It will explore efforts at targeting MYCN, including strategies aimed at suppression of MYCN transcription, destabilization of MYCN protein, inhibition of MYCN transcriptional activity, repression of MYCN targets and utilization of MYCN overexpression dependent synthetic lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Liu
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Samuel S Chen
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Saki Clarke
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Veronica Veschi
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Stomatological Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Carol J Thiele
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
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45
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Du R, Huang C, Liu K, Li X, Dong Z. Targeting AURKA in Cancer: molecular mechanisms and opportunities for Cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:15. [PMID: 33451333 PMCID: PMC7809767 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-020-01305-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurora kinase A (AURKA) belongs to the family of serine/threonine kinases, whose activation is necessary for cell division processes via regulation of mitosis. AURKA shows significantly higher expression in cancer tissues than in normal control tissues for multiple tumor types according to the TCGA database. Activation of AURKA has been demonstrated to play an important role in a wide range of cancers, and numerous AURKA substrates have been identified. AURKA-mediated phosphorylation can regulate the functions of AURKA substrates, some of which are mitosis regulators, tumor suppressors or oncogenes. In addition, enrichment of AURKA-interacting proteins with KEGG pathway and GO analysis have demonstrated that these proteins are involved in classic oncogenic pathways. All of this evidence favors the idea of AURKA as a target for cancer therapy, and some small molecules targeting AURKA have been discovered. These AURKA inhibitors (AKIs) have been tested in preclinical studies, and some of them have been subjected to clinical trials as monotherapies or in combination with classic chemotherapy or other targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Du
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
| | - Chuntian Huang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Kangdong Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.,The Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China. .,The Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Zigang Dong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China. .,China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, No. 127, Dongming Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China. .,The Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. .,College of medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
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Kumar A, Rocke JPJ, Kumar BN. Evolving treatments in high-risk neuroblastoma. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2020.1865918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Kumar
- Division of Medicine, University College London Medical School, London, UK
| | - John P J Rocke
- ENT Department, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan, UK
| | - B Nirmal Kumar
- ENT Department, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Teaching NHS, Wigan, UK
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Moreno L, Barone G, DuBois SG, Molenaar J, Fischer M, Schulte J, Eggert A, Schleiermacher G, Speleman F, Chesler L, Geoerger B, Hogarty MD, Irwin MS, Bird N, Blanchard GB, Buckland S, Caron H, Davis S, De Wilde B, Deubzer HE, Dolman E, Eilers M, George RE, George S, Jaroslav Š, Maris JM, Marshall L, Merchant M, Mortimer P, Owens C, Philpott A, Poon E, Shay JW, Tonelli R, Valteau-Couanet D, Vassal G, Park JR, Pearson ADJ. Accelerating drug development for neuroblastoma: Summary of the Second Neuroblastoma Drug Development Strategy forum from Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer and International Society of Paediatric Oncology Europe Neuroblastoma. Eur J Cancer 2020; 136:52-68. [PMID: 32653773 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Only one class of targeted agents (anti-GD2 antibodies) has been incorporated into front-line therapy for neuroblastoma since the 1980s. The Neuroblastoma New Drug Development Strategy (NDDS) initiative commenced in 2012 to accelerate the development of new drugs for neuroblastoma. Advances have occurred, with eight of nine high-priority targets being evaluated in paediatric trials including anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors being investigated in front-line, but significant challenges remain. This article reports the conclusions of the second NDDS forum, which expanded across the Atlantic to further develop the initiative. Pre-clinical and clinical data for 40 genetic targets and mechanisms of action were prioritised and drugs were identified for early-phase trials. Strategies to develop drugs targeting TERT, telomere maintenance, ATRX, alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), BRIP1 and RRM2 as well as direct targeting of MYCN are high priority and should be championed for drug discovery. Promising pre-clinical data suggest that targeting of ALT by ATM or PARP inhibition may be potential strategies. Drugs targeting CDK2/9, CDK7, ATR and telomere maintenance should enter paediatric clinical development rapidly. Optimising the response to anti-GD2 by combinations with chemotherapy, targeted agents and other immunological targets are crucial. Delivering this strategy in the face of small patient cohorts, genomically defined subpopulations and a large number of permutations of combination trials, demands even greater international collaboration. In conclusion, the NDDS provides an internationally agreed, biologically driven selection of prioritised genetic targets and drugs. Improvements in the strategy for conducting trials in neuroblastoma will accelerate bringing these new drugs more rapidly to front-line therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Moreno
- Paediatric Haematology & Oncology Division, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Giuseppe Barone
- Department of Paediatric Oncology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Steven G DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Centre for Paediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Fischer
- Experimental Pediatric Oncology, University Children's Hospital, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Johannes Schulte
- Department of Pediatric Oncology & Hematology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angelika Eggert
- Department of Pediatric Oncology & Hematology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK Berlin), Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Gudrun Schleiermacher
- SIREDO, Department of Paediatric, Adolescents and Young Adults Oncology and INSERM U830, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Frank Speleman
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent (CMGG), Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Belgium
| | - Louis Chesler
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Birgit Geoerger
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, University Paris-Saclay & Inserm U1015, Villejuif, France
| | - Michael D Hogarty
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Meredith S Irwin
- Department of Paediatrics, Medical Biophysics and Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, The Hospital for Sick Kids, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nick Bird
- Solving Kids' Cancer, UK and National Cancer Research Institute Children's Cancer & Leukaemia Clinical Studies Group, UK
| | - Guy B Blanchard
- Neuroblastoma UK & Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Bram De Wilde
- Center for Medical Genetics Ghent (CMGG), Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Belgium
| | - Hedwig E Deubzer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Emmy Dolman
- Department of Translational Research, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Eilers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Rani E George
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sally George
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Štěrba Jaroslav
- Pediatric Oncology Department, University Hospital Brno, School of Medicine Masaryk University Brno, Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, ICRC Brno, St Anna University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
| | - John M Maris
- Division of Oncology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lynley Marshall
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Melinda Merchant
- Astrazeneca, Early Clinical Projects, Oncology Translation Medicines Unit, Innovative Medicines Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Mortimer
- Astrazeneca, Early Clinical Projects, Oncology Translation Medicines Unit, Innovative Medicines Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cormac Owens
- Department of Paediatric Haemaology/Oncology, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Evon Poon
- Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Jerry W Shay
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Roberto Tonelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Dominique Valteau-Couanet
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, University Paris-Saclay & Inserm U1015, Villejuif, France
| | - Gilles Vassal
- Department of Clinical Research, Gustave Roussy, Paris-Sud University, Paris, France
| | - Julie R Park
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine and Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Seattle Children's Hospital, USA
| | - Andrew D J Pearson
- Paediatric Drug Development, Children & Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK; Division of Clinical Studies and Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
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Lin X, Xiang X, Hao L, Wang T, Lai Y, Abudoureyimu M, Zhou H, Feng B, Chu X, Wang R. The role of Aurora-A in human cancers and future therapeutics. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:2705-2729. [PMID: 33042612 PMCID: PMC7539775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aurora-A is a mitotic serine/threonine-protein kinase and an oncogene. In normal cells, Aurora-A appears from G2 phase and localizes at the centrosome, where it participates in centrosome replication, isolation and maturation. Aurora-A also maintains Golgi apparatus structure and spindle assembly. Aurora-A undergoes ubiquitination-mediated degradation after the cell division phase. Aurora-A is abnormally expressed in tumor cells and promotes cell proliferation by regulating mitotic substrates, such as PP1, PLK1, TPX2, and LAST2, and affects other molecules through a non-mitotic pathway to promote cell invasion and metastasis. Some molecules in tumor cells also indirectly act on Aurora-A to regulate tumor cells. Aurora-A also mediates resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is involved in tumor immunotherapy. Clinical trials of Aurora-A molecular inhibitors are currently underway, and clinical transformation is just around the corner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrong Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Xiaosong Xiang
- Affiliated Jinling Hospital Research Institution of General Surgery, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Liping Hao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Yongting Lai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Mubalake Abudoureyimu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Hao Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Bing Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjing, China
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Federico SM, Pappo AS, Sahr N, Sykes A, Campagne O, Stewart CF, Clay MR, Bahrami A, McCarville MB, Kaste SC, Santana VM, Helmig S, Gartrell J, Shelat A, Brennan RC, Hawkins D, Godwin K, Bishop MW, Furman WL, Stewart E. A phase I trial of talazoparib and irinotecan with and without temozolomide in children and young adults with recurrent or refractory solid malignancies. Eur J Cancer 2020; 137:204-213. [PMID: 32795876 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Talazoparib combined with irinotecan and temozolomide demonstrated efficacy in a murine Ewing sarcoma model. Based on these data, we conducted a phase I trial of talazoparib and irinotecan with/without temozolomide in paediatric patients with recurrent/refractory solid malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS Cohorts of 3-6 patients with recurrent/refractory solid malignancies received escalating doses of oral talazoparib and intravenous irinotecan (arm A) and oral talazoparib, oral temozolomide and intravenous irinotecan (arm B) in a 3 + 3 design. Talazoparib was administered on days 1-6, and intravenous irinotecan and oral temozolomide were administered on days 2-6, of a 21-day course. Serum for talazoparib and irinotecan pharmacokinetics was obtained during course 1. UGT1A1 polymorphism and Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) immunohistochemical staining were performed. RESULTS Forty-one patients (20 males; median age, 14.6 years; 24 with recurrent disease) were evaluable for dose escalation. Twenty-nine and 12 patients were treated on arm A and arm B, respectively, for a total of 208 courses. The most common diagnosis was Ewing sarcoma (53%). The most common ≥grade III haematologic toxicities in arms A and B included neutropenia (78% and 31%, respectively) and thrombocytopenia (42% and 31%, respectively). In arms A and B, febrile neutropenia (24% and 14%, respectively) and diarrhoea (21% and 7%, respectively) were the most common ≥grade III non-hematologic toxicities. Six patients (Ewing sarcoma [5 patients] and synovial sarcoma [1 patient]) had a response (1 with a complete response, 5 with a partial response). The objective response rates were 10.3% (arm A) and 25% (arm B). Pharmacokinetic testing demonstrated no evidence of drug-drug interaction between talazoparib and irinotecan. UGT1A1 was not related to response. SLFN11 positivity was associated with best response to therapy. CONCLUSIONS The combination of talazoparib and irinotecan with/without temozolomide is feasible and active in Ewing sarcoma, and further investigation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Federico
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA.
| | - Alberto S Pappo
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Natasha Sahr
- Departments of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - April Sykes
- Departments of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Olivia Campagne
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Clinton F Stewart
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Michael R Clay
- Departments of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Armita Bahrami
- Departments of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Mary B McCarville
- Departments of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Sue C Kaste
- Departments of Radiological Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Victor M Santana
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Sara Helmig
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Jessica Gartrell
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Anang Shelat
- Departments of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Rachel C Brennan
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Dana Hawkins
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kimberly Godwin
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Michael W Bishop
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Wayne L Furman
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Elizabeth Stewart
- Departments of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; The Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
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50
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Serra-Roma A, Shakhova O. Identification of Novel Small-Molecule Kinase Modulators for the Treatment of Neuroblastoma. Oncol Ther 2020; 8:133-145. [PMID: 32700077 PMCID: PMC7359976 DOI: 10.1007/s40487-020-00113-5] [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: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma represents 8-10% of all childhood cancer cases and is responsible for 15% of all cancer-related deaths in infants. Even though patients with low- and intermediate-risk disease have a good prognosis, the 5-year survival rate of the vast majority of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma is 50%. Despite extensive research efforts to find a cure for neuroblastoma, current treatment options are still limited. The aim of our study was to identify novel therapeutic compounds using high-throughput drug screening of a small molecule kinase inhibitor library containing 960 compounds. This screening resulted in the identification of two compounds, ST013381 and ST022328, that showed pronounced cytotoxic effects in six human neuroblastoma cell lines in vitro while having reduced effects in the BJ-5ta control cell line. These effects were observed in both MYCN-amplified and -non-amplified cells, indicating that these compounds can affect a wide range of neuroblastomas. Our experiments also revealed that several signaling pathways underlie the selective elimination of neuroblastoma cells by the ST013381 and ST022328 compounds. In summary, we have identified two novel compounds with a strong cytotoxic effect in vitro as promising agents for the treatment of neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Serra-Roma
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olga Shakhova
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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