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Edwards DW, Kroepfl GM, Jackson JM, Chen S, Hudson-Price L, Srinivasa G, Kannan K, Liu Q, Michalek JE, Keller C. Developmental and therapeutic implications of IL4ra expression for rhabdomyosarcoma. Transgenic Res 2024:10.1007/s11248-024-00390-0. [PMID: 38851650 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-024-00390-0] [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: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a solid tumor whose metastatic progression can be accelerated through interleukin-4 receptor alpha (Il4ra) mediated interaction with normal muscle stem cells (satellite cells). To understand the function of Il4ra in this tumor initiation phase of RMS, we conditionally deleted Il4ra in genetically-engineered RMS mouse models. Nullizygosity of Il4ra altered the latency, site and/or stage distribution of RMS tumors compared to IL4RA intact models. Primary tumor cell cultures taken from the genetically-engineered models then used in orthotopic allografts further defined the interaction of satellite cells and RMS tumor cells in the context of tumor initiation: in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), satellite cell co-injection was necessary for Il4ra null tumor cells engraftment, whereas in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), satellite cell co-injection decreased latency of engraftment of Il4ra wildtype tumor cells but not Il4ra null tumor cells. When refocusing on Il4ra wildtype tumors by single cell sequencing and cytokine studies, we have uncovered a putative signaling interplay of Il4 from T-lymphocytes being received by Il4ra + rhabdomyosarcoma tumor cells, which in turn express Ccl2, the ligand for Ccr2 and Ccr5. Taken together, these results suggest that mutations imposed during tumor initiation have different effects than genetic or therapeutic intervention imposed once tumors are already formed. We also propose that CCL2 and its cognate receptors CCR2 and/or CCR5 are potential therapeutic targets in Il4ra mediated RMS progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Edwards
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Gabrielle M Kroepfl
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Jacob M Jackson
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | - Sonja Chen
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Lisa Hudson-Price
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA
| | | | | | - Qianqian Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Joel E Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Charles Keller
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, 9025 NE Von Neumann Drive Ste 110, Hillsboro, OR, 97006, USA.
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2
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Kucinski JP, Calderon D, Kendall GC. Biological and therapeutic insights from animal modeling of fusion-driven pediatric soft tissue sarcomas. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050704. [PMID: 38916046 PMCID: PMC11225592 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050704] [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] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Survival for children with cancer has primarily improved over the past decades due to refinements in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Although these general therapies are sometimes curative, the cancer often recurs, resulting in poor outcomes for patients. Fusion-driven pediatric soft tissue sarcomas are genetically defined by chromosomal translocations that create a chimeric oncogene. This distinctive, almost 'monogenic', genetic feature supports the generation of animal models to study the respective diseases in vivo. This Review focuses on a subset of fusion-driven pediatric soft tissue sarcomas that have transgenic animal tumor models, which includes fusion-positive and infantile rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, undifferentiated small round cell sarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma and clear cell sarcoma. Studies using the animal models of these sarcomas have highlighted that pediatric cancers require a specific cellular state or developmental stage to drive tumorigenesis, as the fusion oncogenes cause different outcomes depending on their lineage and timing of expression. Therefore, understanding these context-specific activities could identify targetable activities and mechanisms critical for tumorigenesis. Broadly, these cancers show dependencies on chromatin regulators to support oncogenic gene expression and co-opting of developmental pathways. Comparative analyses across lineages and tumor models will further provide biological and therapeutic insights to improve outcomes for these children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack P. Kucinski
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology PhD Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Delia Calderon
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology PhD Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Genevieve C. Kendall
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology PhD Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
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3
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Nakazawa K, Shaw T, Song YK, Kouassi-Brou M, Molotkova A, Tiwari PB, Chou HC, Wen X, Wei JS, Deniz E, Toretsky JA, Keller C, Barr FG, Khan J, Üren A. Piperacetazine Directly Binds to the PAX3::FOXO1 Fusion Protein and Inhibits Its Transcriptional Activity. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:2030-2043. [PMID: 37732905 PMCID: PMC10557868 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The tumor-specific chromosomal translocation product, PAX3::FOXO1, is an aberrant fusion protein that plays a key role for oncogenesis in the alveolar subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). PAX3::FOXO1 represents a validated molecular target for alveolar RMS and successful inhibition of its oncogenic activity is likely to have significant clinical applications. Even though several PAX3::FOXO1 function-based screening studies have been successfully completed, a directly binding small-molecule inhibitor of PAX3::FOXO1 has not been reported. Therefore, we screened small-molecule libraries to identify compounds that were capable of directly binding to PAX3::FOXO1 protein using surface plasmon resonance technology. Compounds that directly bound to PAX3::FOXO1 were further evaluated in secondary transcriptional activation assays. We discovered that piperacetazine can directly bind to PAX3::FOXO1 protein and inhibit fusion protein-derived transcription in multiple alveolar RMS cell lines. Piperacetazine inhibited anchorage-independent growth of fusion-positive alveolar RMS cells but not embryonal RMS cells. On the basis of our findings, piperacetazine is a molecular scaffold upon which derivatives could be developed as specific inhibitors of PAX3::FOXO1. These novel inhibitors could potentially be evaluated in future clinical trials for recurrent or metastatic alveolar RMS as novel targeted therapy options. SIGNIFICANCE RMS is a malignant soft-tissue tumor mainly affecting the pediatric population. A subgroup of RMS with worse prognosis harbors a unique chromosomal translocation creating an oncogenic fusion protein, PAX3::FOXO1. We identified piperacetazine as a direct inhibitor of PAX3::FOXO1, which may provide a scaffold for designing RMS-specific targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Nakazawa
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Taryn Shaw
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Young K. Song
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Marilyn Kouassi-Brou
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Anna Molotkova
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Purushottam B. Tiwari
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Hsien-Chao Chou
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Xinyu Wen
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jun S. Wei
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Emre Deniz
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Jeffrey A. Toretsky
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Charles Keller
- Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Hillsboro, Oregon
| | - Frederic G. Barr
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Javed Khan
- Genetics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Aykut Üren
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
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4
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Cleary MM, Bharathy N, Abraham J, Kim JA, Rudzinski ER, Michalek JE, Keller C. Interleukin-4 Receptor Inhibition Targeting Metastasis Independent of Macrophages. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:906-914. [PMID: 33853867 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma occurring in children and carries a dismal prognosis when metastatic disease is detected. Our previous work has suggested the cytokine receptor IL4Rα may play a role in contributing to metastasis in the alveolar subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS), and thus could present a therapeutic target. The IL4 signaling axis has been characterized in various adult cancers as well; however, pediatric trials often follow similar adult trials and the role of the IL4Rα receptor has not been explored in the context of a mediator of metastasis in adult disease. Here, we demonstrate that the impact of IL4Rα blockade in an orthotopic allograft model of aRMS is not mediated by a macrophage response. We further examine the effect of IL4 blockade in adult colon, breast, and prostate cancers and find that inhibition of IL4Rα signaling modulates in vitro cell viability of HCT-116 colon carcinoma cells; however, this finding did not translate to an autocrine-related in vivo difference in tumor burden or lung metastasis. Our results suggest that if humanized IL4 mouse host strains are not available (or not ideal due to the need for immunosuppressing the host innate immune response for xenograft systems), then genetically-engineered mice and mouse allograft studies may be the best indicator of therapeutic targeting efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Cleary
- The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, Oregon
| | - Narendra Bharathy
- The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, Oregon
| | - Jinu Abraham
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Jin-Ah Kim
- The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, Oregon
| | | | - Joel E Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Charles Keller
- The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, Oregon.
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5
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Lian X, Bond JS, Bharathy N, Boudko SP, Pokidysheva E, Shern JF, Lathara M, Sasaki T, Settelmeyer T, Cleary MM, Bajwa A, Srinivasa G, Hartley CP, Bächinger HP, Mansoor A, Gultekin SH, Berlow NE, Keller C. Defining the Extracellular Matrix of Rhabdomyosarcoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:601957. [PMID: 33708626 PMCID: PMC7942227 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.601957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma of childhood with a propensity to metastasize. Current treatment for patients with RMS includes conventional systemic chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical resection; nevertheless, little to no improvement in long term survival has been achieved in decades-underlining the need for target discovery and new therapeutic approaches to targeting tumor cells or the tumor microenvironment. To evaluate cross-species sarcoma extracellular matrix production, we have used murine models which feature knowledge of the myogenic cell-of-origin. With focus on the RMS/undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) continuum, we have constructed tissue microarrays of 48 murine and four human sarcomas to analyze expression of seven different collagens, fibrillins, and collagen-modifying proteins, with cross-correlation to RNA deep sequencing. We have uncovered that RMS produces increased expression of type XVIII collagen alpha 1 (COL18A1), which is clinically associated with decreased long-term survival. We have also identified significantly increased RNA expression of COL4A1, FBN2, PLOD1, and PLOD2 in human RMS relative to normal skeletal muscle. These results complement recent studies investigating whether soft tissue sarcomas utilize collagens, fibrillins, and collagen-modifying enzymes to alter the structural integrity of surrounding host extracellular matrix/collagen quaternary structure resulting in improved ability to improve the ability to invade regionally and metastasize, for which therapeutic targeting is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Lian
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - J. Steffan Bond
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Narendra Bharathy
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Sergei P. Boudko
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Elena Pokidysheva
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jack F. Shern
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Melvin Lathara
- Bioinformatics, Omics Data Automation, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Takako Sasaki
- Department of Matrix Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan
| | - Teagan Settelmeyer
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Megan M. Cleary
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Ayeza Bajwa
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | | | | | - Hans Peter Bächinger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shriners Hospital for Children, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Atiya Mansoor
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Sakir H. Gultekin
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Noah E. Berlow
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Charles Keller
- Pediatric Cancer Biology, Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute, Beaverton, OR, United States
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6
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Straughn AR, Hindi SM, Xiong G, Kumar A. Canonical NF-κB signaling regulates satellite stem cell homeostasis and function during regenerative myogenesis. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 11:53-66. [PMID: 30239789 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjy053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle regeneration in adults is attributed to the presence of satellite stem cells that proliferate, differentiate, and eventually fuse with injured myofibers. However, the signaling mechanisms that regulate satellite cell homeostasis and function remain less understood. While IKKβ-mediated canonical NF-κB signaling has been implicated in the regulation of myogenesis and skeletal muscle mass, its role in the regulation of satellite cell function during muscle regeneration has not been fully elucidated. Here, we report that canonical NF-κB signaling is induced in skeletal muscle upon injury. Satellite cell-specific inducible ablation of IKKβ attenuates skeletal muscle regeneration in adult mice. Targeted ablation of IKKβ also reduces the number of satellite cells in injured skeletal muscle of adult mice, potentially through inhibiting their proliferation and survival. We also demonstrate that the inhibition of specific components of the canonical NF-κB pathway causes precocious differentiation of cultured satellite cells both ex vivo and in vitro. Finally, our results highlight that the constitutive activation of canonical NF-κB signaling in satellite cells also attenuates skeletal muscle regeneration following injury in adult mice. Collectively, our study demonstrates that the proper regulation of canonical NF-κB signaling is important for the regeneration of adult skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R Straughn
- Departments of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Sajedah M Hindi
- Departments of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Guangyan Xiong
- Departments of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Departments of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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