1
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Zheng DX, Bozym DJ, Tarantino G, Sullivan RJ, Liu D, Jenkins RW. Overcoming Resistance Mechanisms to Melanoma Immunotherapy. Am J Clin Dermatol 2024:10.1007/s40257-024-00907-7. [PMID: 39636504 DOI: 10.1007/s40257-024-00907-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/05/2024] [Indexed: 12/07/2024]
Abstract
The advent of immune checkpoint inhibition has revolutionized treatment of advanced melanoma. While most patients derive survival benefit from established immunotherapies, notably monoclonal antibodies blocking cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 and programmed cell death protein 1, a subset does not optimally respond due to the manifestation of innate or acquired resistance to these therapies. Combination regimens have proven efficacious relative to single-agent blockade, but also yield high-grade treatment toxicities that are often dose-limiting for patients. In this review, we discuss the significant strides made in the past half-decade toward expanding the melanoma immunotherapy treatment paradigm. These include newly approved therapies, adoption of neoadjuvant immunotherapy, and studies in the clinical trials pipeline targeting alternative immune checkpoints and key immunoregulatory molecules. We then review how developments in molecular and functional diagnostics have furthered our understanding of the tumor-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms driving immunotherapy resistance, as well as highlight novel biomarkers for predicting treatment response. Throughout, we discuss potential approaches for targeting these resistance mechanisms in rational combination with established immunotherapies to improve outcomes for patients with melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- David X Zheng
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David J Bozym
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Giuseppe Tarantino
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan J Sullivan
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Russell W Jenkins
- Mass General Cancer Center, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Ding F, Zheng P, Yan XY, Chen HJ, Fang HT, Luo YY, Peng YX, Zhang L, Yan YE. Adipocyte-secreted PRELP promotes adipocyte differentiation and adipose tissue fibrosis by binding with p75 NTR to activate FAK/MAPK signaling. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 279:135376. [PMID: 39244119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Adipocyte-secreted factors intricately regulate adipose tissue function, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are only partially understood. However, the function of PRELP, which is a key component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in adipocytes, remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that PRELP was upregulated in both obese humans and mice, which exhibited a positive correlation with metabolic disorders. PRELP knockout could resist HFD-induced obesity and inhibit adipocyte differentiation. PRELP knockout improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and alleviated adipose tissue fibrosis. Mechanistically, PRELP was secreted into the ECM and bound to the extracellular domain of its receptor p75NTR in adipocytes, which further activated the FAK/MAPK (JNK, p38 MAPK, ERK1/2) signaling pathway, promoting adipocyte differentiation and exacerbating adipocyte fibrosis. Adipocyte PRELP plays a pivotal role in regulating obesity and adipose tissue fibrosis through an autocrine manner, and PRELP may be a therapeutic target for obesity and its related metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Peng Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xi-Yue Yan
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui-Jian Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hong-Ting Fang
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Peng
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Demonstration Center for Experimental Basic Medicine Education, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - You-E Yan
- Department of Pharmacology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
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3
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Wu B, Bennett HM, Ye X, Sridhar A, Eidenschenk C, Everett C, Nazarova EV, Chen HH, Kim IK, Deangelis M, Owen LA, Chen C, Lau J, Shi M, Lund JM, Xavier-Magalhães A, Patel N, Liang Y, Modrusan Z, Darmanis S. Overloading And unpacKing (OAK) - droplet-based combinatorial indexing for ultra-high throughput single-cell multiomic profiling. Nat Commun 2024; 15:9146. [PMID: 39443484 PMCID: PMC11499997 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53227-z] [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: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 10/02/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiomic profiling of single cells by sequencing is a powerful technique for investigating cellular diversity. Existing droplet-based microfluidic methods produce many cell-free droplets, underutilizing bead barcodes and reagents. Combinatorial indexing on microplates is more efficient for barcoding but labor-intensive. Here we present Overloading And unpacKing (OAK), which uses a droplet-based barcoding system for initial compartmentalization followed by a second aliquoting round to achieve combinatorial indexing. We demonstrate OAK's versatility with single-cell RNA sequencing as well as paired single-nucleus RNA sequencing and accessible chromatin profiling. We further showcase OAK's performance on complex samples, including differentiated bronchial epithelial cells and primary retinal tissue. Finally, we examine transcriptomic responses of over 400,000 melanoma cells to a RAF inhibitor, belvarafenib, discovering a rare resistant cell population (0.12%). OAK's ultra-high throughput, broad compatibility, high sensitivity, and simplified procedures make it a powerful tool for large-scale molecular analysis, even for rare cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wu
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Hayley M Bennett
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xin Ye
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Akshayalakshmi Sridhar
- Department of Human Pathobiology & OMNI Reverse Translation, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Celine Eidenschenk
- Department of Functional Genomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christine Everett
- Department of Functional Genomics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Hsu-Hsin Chen
- Department of Human Pathobiology & OMNI Reverse Translation, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ivana K Kim
- Retina Service, Massachusetts Eye & Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaret Deangelis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ross Eye Institute; Department of Biochemistry; Neuroscience Graduate Program; Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Leah A Owen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Cynthia Chen
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julia Lau
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Minyi Shi
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jessica M Lund
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ana Xavier-Magalhães
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Neha Patel
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yuxin Liang
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zora Modrusan
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Spyros Darmanis
- Department of Proteomic and Genomic Technologies, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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4
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Datta KK, Kore H, Gowda H. Multi-omics analysis delineates resistance mechanisms associated with BRAF inhibition in melanoma cells. Exp Cell Res 2024; 442:114215. [PMID: 39182666 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Mutant BRAF is a critical oncogenic driver in melanoma, making it an attractive therapeutic target. However, the success of targeted therapy using BRAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib has been limited due to development of resistance, restricting their clinical efficacy. A prior knowledge of resistance mechanisms to BRAFi or any cancer drug can lead to development of drugs that overcome resistance thus improving clinical outcomes. In vitro cellular models are powerful systems that can be utilized to mimic and study resistance mechanisms. In this study, we employed a multi-omics approach to characterize a panel of BRAF mutant melanoma cell lines to develop and systematically characterize BRAFi persister and resistant cells using exome sequencing, proteomics and phosphoproteomics. Our datasets revealed frequently observed intrinsic and acquired, genetic and non-genetic mechanisms of BRAFi resistance that have been studied in patients who developed resistance. In addition, we identified proteins that can be potentially targeted to overcome BRAFi resistance. Overall, we demonstrate that in vitro systems can be utilized not only to predict resistance mechanisms but also to identify putative therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshava K Datta
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Hitesh Kore
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Harsha Gowda
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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5
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Tseropoulos G, Mehrotra P, Podder AK, Wilson E, Zhang Y, Wang J, Koontz A, Gao NP, Gunawan R, Liu S, Feltri LM, Bronner ME, Andreadis ST. Immobilized NRG1 Accelerates Neural Crest like Cell Differentiation Toward Functional Schwann Cells Through Sustained Erk1/2 Activation and YAP/TAZ Nuclear Translocation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2402607. [PMID: 38952126 PMCID: PMC11633358 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Neural Crest cells (NC) are a multipotent cell population that give rise to a multitude of cell types including Schwann cells (SC) in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Immature SC interact with neuronal axons via the neuregulin 1 (NRG1) ligand present on the neuronal surface and ultimately form the myelin sheath. Multiple attempts to derive functional SC from pluripotent stem cells have met challenges with respect to expression of mature markers and axonal sorting. Here, they hypothesized that sustained signaling from immobilized NRG1 (iNRG1) might enhance the differentiation of NC derived from glabrous neonatal epidermis towards a SC phenotype. Using this strategy, NC derived SC expressed mature markers to similar levels as compared to explanted rat sciatic SC. Signaling studies revealed that sustained NRG1 signaling led to yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) activation and nuclear translocation. Furthermore, NC derived SC on iNRG1 exhibited mature SC function as they aligned with rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons in an in vitro coculture model; and most notably, aligned on neuronal axons upon implantation in a chick embryo model in vivo. Taken together their work demonstrated the importance of signaling dynamics in SC differentiation, aiming towards development of drug testing platforms for de-myelinating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Tseropoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
| | - Pihu Mehrotra
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
| | - Ashis Kumer Podder
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
- Department of PharmacyBrac UniversityDhaka1212Bangladesh
| | - Emma Wilson
- Hunter James Kelly Research InstituteJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences StateUniversity of New York at BuffaloBuffaloNY14203USA
- Department of BiochemistryJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesState University of New York at BuffaloBuffaloNY14203USA
| | - Yali Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffaloNY14203USA
| | - Jianmin Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffaloNY14203USA
| | - Alison Koontz
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCA91126USA
| | - Nan Papili Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
| | - Rudiyanto Gunawan
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
- Center for CellGene and Tissue Engineering (CGTE)University at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and BioinformaticsRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffaloNY14203USA
| | - Laura M. Feltri
- Hunter James Kelly Research InstituteJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences StateUniversity of New York at BuffaloBuffaloNY14203USA
- Department of BiochemistryJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesState University of New York at BuffaloBuffaloNY14203USA
- Department of NeurologyJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical SciencesState University of New York at BuffaloBuffaloNY14203USA
| | - Marianne E. Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological EngineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCA91126USA
| | - Stelios T. Andreadis
- Department of Chemical and Biological EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
- Center for CellGene and Tissue Engineering (CGTE)University at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNY14260USA
- Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life SciencesBuffaloNY14203USA
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6
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Li J, Ravindran PT, O'Farrell A, Busch GT, Boe RH, Niu Z, Woo S, Dunagin MC, Jain N, Goyal Y, Sarma K, Herlyn M, Raj A. AP-1 Mediates Cellular Adaptation and Memory Formation During Therapy Resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.25.604999. [PMID: 39091739 PMCID: PMC11291112 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.25.604999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Cellular responses to environmental stimuli are typically thought to be governed by genetically encoded programs. We demonstrate that melanoma cells can form and maintain cellular memories during the acquisition of therapy resistance that exhibit characteristics of cellular learning and are dependent on the transcription factor AP-1. We show that cells exposed to a low dose of therapy adapt to become resistant to a high dose, demonstrating that resistance was not purely selective. The application of therapy itself results in the encoding of transient gene expression into cellular memory and that this encoding occurs for both transiently induced and probabilistically arising expression. Chromatin accessibility showed concomitant persistence. A two-color AP-1 reporter system showed that these memories are encoded in cis, constituting an example of activating cis epigenetics. Our findings establish the formation and maintenance of cellular memories as a critical aspect of gene regulation during the development of therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxin Li
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pavithran T Ravindran
- Cancer Biology Program, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Aoife O'Farrell
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gianna T Busch
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan H Boe
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zijian Niu
- Department of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sean Woo
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Margaret C Dunagin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Naveen Jain
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kavitha Sarma
- The Wistar Institute, Gene Expression and Regulation program, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meenhard Herlyn
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program and Melanoma Research Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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7
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Stauffer PE, Brinkley J, Jacobson DA, Quaranta V, Tyson DR. Purinergic Ca 2+ Signaling as a Novel Mechanism of Drug Tolerance in BRAF-Mutant Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2426. [PMID: 39001489 PMCID: PMC11240618 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16132426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug tolerance is a major cause of relapse after cancer treatment. Despite intensive efforts, its molecular basis remains poorly understood, hampering actionable intervention. We report a previously unrecognized signaling mechanism supporting drug tolerance in BRAF-mutant melanoma treated with BRAF inhibitors that could be of general relevance to other cancers. Its key features are cell-intrinsic intracellular Ca2+ signaling initiated by P2X7 receptors (purinergic ligand-gated cation channels) and an enhanced ability for these Ca2+ signals to reactivate ERK1/2 in the drug-tolerant state. Extracellular ATP, virtually ubiquitous in living systems, is the ligand that can initiate Ca2+ spikes via P2X7 channels. ATP is abundant in the tumor microenvironment and is released by dying cells, ironically implicating treatment-initiated cancer cell death as a source of trophic stimuli that leads to ERK reactivation and drug tolerance. Such a mechanism immediately offers an explanation of the inevitable relapse after BRAFi treatment in BRAF-mutant melanoma and points to actionable strategies to overcome it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E. Stauffer
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jordon Brinkley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - David A. Jacobson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA;
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Darren R. Tyson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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8
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Di Leo L, Pagliuca C, Kishk A, Rizza S, Tsiavou C, Pecorari C, Dahl C, Pacheco MP, Tholstrup R, Brewer JR, Berico P, Hernando E, Cecconi F, Ballotti R, Bertolotto C, Filomeni G, Gjerstorff MF, Sauter T, Lovat P, Guldberg P, De Zio D. AMBRA1 levels predict resistance to MAPK inhibitors in melanoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2400566121. [PMID: 38870061 PMCID: PMC11194594 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2400566121] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic and acquired resistance to mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors (MAPKi) in melanoma remains a major therapeutic challenge. Here, we show that the clinical development of resistance to MAPKi is associated with reduced tumor expression of the melanoma suppressor Autophagy and Beclin 1 Regulator 1 (AMBRA1) and that lower expression levels of AMBRA1 predict a poor response to MAPKi treatment. Functional analyses show that loss of AMBRA1 induces phenotype switching and orchestrates an extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-independent resistance mechanism by activating focal adhesion kinase 1 (FAK1). In both in vitro and in vivo settings, melanomas with low AMBRA1 expression exhibit intrinsic resistance to MAPKi therapy but higher sensitivity to FAK1 inhibition. Finally, we show that the rapid development of resistance in initially MAPKi-sensitive melanomas can be attributed to preexisting subclones characterized by low AMBRA1 expression and that cotreatment with MAPKi and FAK1 inhibitors (FAKi) effectively prevents the development of resistance in these tumors. In summary, our findings underscore the value of AMBRA1 expression for predicting melanoma response to MAPKi and supporting the therapeutic efficacy of FAKi to overcome MAPKi-induced resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Di Leo
- Melanoma Research Team, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Chiara Pagliuca
- Melanoma Research Team, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Ali Kishk
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux4365, Luxembourg
| | - Salvatore Rizza
- Redox Biology Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Christina Tsiavou
- Melanoma Research Team, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Chiara Pecorari
- Redox Biology Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Christina Dahl
- Molecular Diagnostics Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Maria Pires Pacheco
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux4365, Luxembourg
| | - Rikke Tholstrup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense5230, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Richard Brewer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense5230, Denmark
| | - Pietro Berico
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Eva Hernando
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
| | - Francesco Cecconi
- Cell Stress and Survival, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del “Sacro Cuore”, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli—Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome00136, Italy
| | - Robert Ballotti
- Université Côte d’Azur, Nice06200, France
- Inserm, Biology and Pathologies of melanocytes, team1, Equipe labellisée Ligue 2020, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice06200, France
| | - Corine Bertolotto
- Université Côte d’Azur, Nice06200, France
- Inserm, Biology and Pathologies of melanocytes, team1, Equipe labellisée Ligue 2020, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice06200, France
| | - Giuseppe Filomeni
- Redox Biology Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
| | - Morten Frier Gjerstorff
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense5230, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense5000, Denmark
| | - Thomas Sauter
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux4365, Luxembourg
| | - Penny Lovat
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon TyneNE2 4HH, United Kingdom
| | - Per Guldberg
- Molecular Diagnostics Group, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense5230, Denmark
| | - Daniela De Zio
- Melanoma Research Team, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Institute, Copenhagen2100, Denmark
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense5230, Denmark
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9
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Tan YC, Low TY, Lee PY, Lim LC. Single-cell proteomics by mass spectrometry: Advances and implications in cancer research. Proteomics 2024; 24:e2300210. [PMID: 38727198 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300210] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Cancer harbours extensive proteomic heterogeneity. Inspired by the prior success of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in characterizing minute transcriptomics heterogeneity in cancer, researchers are now actively searching for information regarding the proteomics counterpart. Therefore recently, single-cell proteomics by mass spectrometry (SCP) has rapidly developed into state-of-the-art technology to cater the need. This review aims to summarize application of SCP in cancer research, while revealing current development progress of SCP technology. The review also aims to contribute ideas into research gaps and future directions, ultimately promoting the application of SCP in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Chiang Tan
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Teck Yew Low
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pey Yee Lee
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lay Cheng Lim
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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10
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Kinnunen PC, Humphries BA, Luker GD, Luker KE, Linderman JJ. Characterizing heterogeneous single-cell dose responses computationally and experimentally using threshold inhibition surfaces and dose-titration assays. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2024; 10:42. [PMID: 38637530 PMCID: PMC11026493 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-024-00369-x] [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: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Single cancer cells within a tumor exhibit variable levels of resistance to drugs, ultimately leading to treatment failures. While tumor heterogeneity is recognized as a major obstacle to cancer therapy, standard dose-response measurements for the potency of targeted kinase inhibitors aggregate populations of cells, obscuring intercellular variations in responses. In this work, we develop an analytical and experimental framework to quantify and model dose responses of individual cancer cells to drugs. We first explore the connection between population and single-cell dose responses using a computational model, revealing that multiple heterogeneous populations can yield nearly identical population dose responses. We demonstrate that a single-cell analysis method, which we term a threshold inhibition surface, can differentiate among these populations. To demonstrate the applicability of this method, we develop a dose-titration assay to measure dose responses in single cells. We apply this assay to breast cancer cells responding to phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibition (PI3Ki), using clinically relevant PI3Kis on breast cancer cell lines expressing fluorescent biosensors for kinase activity. We demonstrate that MCF-7 breast cancer cells exhibit heterogeneous dose responses with some cells requiring over ten-fold higher concentrations than the population average to achieve inhibition. Our work reimagines dose-response relationships for cancer drugs in an emerging paradigm of single-cell tumor heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick C Kinnunen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Brock A Humphries
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Gary D Luker
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Kathryn E Luker
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jennifer J Linderman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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11
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Stauffer PE, Brinkley J, Jacobson D, Quaranta V, Tyson DR. Purinergic Ca 2+ signaling as a novel mechanism of drug tolerance in BRAF mutant melanoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.03.565532. [PMID: 37961267 PMCID: PMC10635130 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Drug tolerance is a major cause of relapse after cancer treatment. In spite of intensive efforts1-9, its molecular basis remains poorly understood, hampering actionable intervention. We report a previously unrecognized signaling mechanism supporting drug tolerance in BRAF-mutant melanoma treated with BRAF inhibitors that could be of general relevance to other cancers. Its key features are cell-intrinsic intracellular Ca2+ signaling initiated by P2X7 receptors (purinergic ligand-gated cation channels), and an enhanced ability for these Ca2+ signals to reactivate ERK1/2 in the drug-tolerant state. Extracellular ATP, virtually ubiquitous in living systems, is the ligand that can initiate Ca2+ spikes via P2X7 channels. ATP is abundant in the tumor microenvironment and is released by dying cells, ironically implicating treatment-initiated cancer cell death as a source of trophic stimuli that leads to ERK reactivation and drug tolerance. Such a mechanism immediately offers an explanation of the inevitable relapse after BRAFi treatment in BRAF-mutant melanoma, and points to actionable strategies to overcome it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Stauffer
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jordon Brinkley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - David Jacobson
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Darren R Tyson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
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12
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Celeste FV, Powers S. Induction of Multiple Alternative Mitogenic Signaling Pathways Accompanies the Emergence of Drug-Tolerant Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1001. [PMID: 38473364 PMCID: PMC10930612 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16051001] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance can evolve from a subpopulation of cancer cells that initially survive drug treatment and then gradually form a pool of drug-tolerant cells. Several studies have pinpointed the activation of a specific bypass pathway that appears to provide the critical therapeutic target for preventing drug tolerance. Here, we take a systems-biology approach, using proteomics and genomics to examine the development of drug tolerance to EGFR inhibitors in EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma cells and BRAF inhibitors in BRAF-mutant melanoma cells. We found that there are numerous alternative mitogenic pathways that become activated in both cases, including YAP, STAT3, IGFR1, and phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC) pathways. Our results suggest that an effective therapeutic strategy to prevent drug tolerance will need to take multiple alternative mitogenic pathways into account rather than focusing on one specific pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank V. Celeste
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Scott Powers
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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13
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Flower CT, Liu C, Chuang HY, Ye X, Cheng H, Heath JR, Wei W, White FM. Signaling and transcriptional dynamics underlying early adaptation to oncogenic BRAF inhibition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.19.581004. [PMID: 39071317 PMCID: PMC11275845 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.19.581004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
A major contributor to poor sensitivity to anti-cancer kinase inhibitor therapy is drug-induced cellular adaptation, whereby remodeling of signaling and gene regulatory networks permits a drug-tolerant phenotype. Here, we resolve the scale and kinetics of critical subcellular events following oncogenic kinase inhibition and preceding cell cycle re-entry, using mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics and RNA sequencing to capture molecular snapshots within the first minutes, hours, and days of BRAF kinase inhibitor exposure in a human BRAF -mutant melanoma model of adaptive therapy resistance. By enriching specific phospho-motifs associated with mitogenic kinase activity, we monitored the dynamics of thousands of growth- and survival-related protein phosphorylation events under oncogenic BRAF inhibition and drug removal. We observed early and sustained inhibition of the BRAF-ERK axis, gradual downregulation of canonical cell cycle-dependent signals, and three distinct and reversible phase transitions toward quiescence. Statistical inference of kinetically-defined signaling and transcriptional modules revealed a concerted response to oncogenic BRAF inhibition and a dominant compensatory induction of SRC family kinase (SFK) signaling, which we found to be at least partially driven by accumulation of reactive oxygen species via impaired redox homeostasis. This induction sensitized cells to co-treatment with an SFK inhibitor across a panel of patient-derived melanoma cell lines and in an orthotopic mouse xenograft model, underscoring the translational potential for measuring the early temporal dynamics of signaling and transcriptional networks under therapeutic challenge.
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14
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Hu HH, Wang SQ, Shang HL, Lv HF, Chen BB, Gao SG, Chen XB. Roles and inhibitors of FAK in cancer: current advances and future directions. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1274209. [PMID: 38410129 PMCID: PMC10895298 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1274209] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that exhibits high expression in various tumors and is associated with a poor prognosis. FAK activation promotes tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis via both kinase-dependent and kinase-independent pathways. Moreover, FAK is crucial for sustaining the tumor microenvironment. The inhibition of FAK impedes tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance in cancer. Therefore, developing targeted inhibitors against FAK presents a promising therapeutic strategy. To date, numerous FAK inhibitors, including IN10018, defactinib, GSK2256098, conteltinib, and APG-2449, have been developed, which have demonstrated positive anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies and are undergoing clinical trials for several types of tumors. Moreover, many novel FAK inhibitors are currently in preclinical studies to advance targeted therapy for tumors with aberrantly activated FAK. The benefits of FAK degraders, especially in terms of their scaffold function, are increasingly evident, holding promising potential for future clinical exploration and breakthroughs. This review aims to clarify FAK's role in cancer, offering a comprehensive overview of the current status and future prospects of FAK-targeted therapy and combination approaches. The goal is to provide valuable insights for advancing anti-cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Hui Hu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Sai-Qi Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hai-Li Shang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hui-Fang Lv
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bei-Bei Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - She-Gan Gao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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15
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Han S, Zhang M, Qu X, Wu Z, Huang Z, Hu Y, Li Y, Cui L, Si L, Liu J, Shao Y. SOX10 deficiency-mediated LAMB3 upregulation determines the invasiveness of MAPKi-resistant melanoma. Oncogene 2024; 43:434-446. [PMID: 38102338 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02917-x] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma that develops adaptive resistance to MAPK inhibitors (MAPKi) through transcriptional reprograming-mediated phenotype switching is associated with enhanced metastatic potential, yet the underlying mechanism of this improved invasiveness has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we show that MAPKi-resistant melanoma cells are more motile and invasive than the parental cells. We further show that LAMB3, a β subunit of the extracellular matrix protein laminin-332 is upregulated in MAPKi-resistant melanoma cells and that the LAMB3-Integrin α3/α6 signaling mediates the motile and invasive phenotype of resistant cells. In addition, we demonstrate that SOX10 deficiency in MAPKi-resistant melanoma cells drives LAMB3 upregulation through TGF-β signaling. Transcriptome profiling and functional studies further reveal a FAK/MMPs axis mediates the pro-invasiveness effect of LAMB3. Using a mouse lung metastasis model, we demonstrate LAMB3 depletion inhibits the metastatic potential of MAPKi-resistant cells in vivo. In summary, this study identifies a SOX10low/TGF-β/LAMB3/FAK/MMPs signaling pathway that determines the migration and invasion properties of MAPKi-resistant melanoma cells and provide rationales for co-targeting LAMB3 to curb the metastasis of melanoma cells in targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujun Han
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Mo Zhang
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Xiaoyan Qu
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zihao Wu
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zongguan Huang
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Yiming Hu
- Department of Dermatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Dermatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Lanlan Cui
- Department of Dermatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Lu Si
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Melanoma and Sarcoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Jiankang Liu
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.
| | - Yongping Shao
- Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
- Department of Dermatology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
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16
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Mehta A, Stanger BZ. Lineage Plasticity: The New Cancer Hallmark on the Block. Cancer Res 2024; 84:184-191. [PMID: 37963209 PMCID: PMC10841583 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1067] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity refers to the ability of cells to adopt a spectrum of states or phenotypes. In cancer, it is a critical contributor to tumor initiation, progression, invasiveness, and therapy resistance, and it has recently been recognized as an emerging cancer hallmark. Plasticity can occur as a result of cell-intrinsic factors (e.g., genetic, transcriptional, or epigenetic fluctuations), or through cell-extrinsic cues (e.g., signaling from components of the tumor microenvironment or selective pressure from therapy). Over the past decade, technological advances, analysis of patient samples, and studies in mouse model systems have led to a deeper understanding of how such plastic states come about. In this review, we discuss: (i) the definition of plasticity; (ii) methods to measure and quantify plasticity; (iii) the clinical relevance of plasticity; and (iv) therapeutic hypotheses to modulate plasticity in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnav Mehta
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Ben Z. Stanger
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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17
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Liu B, He S, Li C, Li Z, Feng C, Wang H, Tu C, Li Z. Development of a prognostic Neutrophil Extracellular Traps related lncRNA signature for soft tissue sarcoma using machine learning. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1321616. [PMID: 38264665 PMCID: PMC10803471 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1321616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a highly heterogeneous musculoskeletal tumor with a significant impact on human health due to its high incidence and malignancy. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) have crucial roles in tumors. Herein, we aimed to develop a novel NETsLnc-related signature using machine learning algorithms for clinical decision-making in STS. Methods We applied 96 combined frameworks based on 10 different machine learning algorithms to develop a consensus signature for prognosis and therapy response prediction. Clinical characteristics, univariate and multivariate analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were used to evaluate the predictive performance of our models. Additionally, we explored the biological behavior, genomic patterns, and immune landscape of distinct NETsLnc groups. For patients with different NETsLnc scores, we provided information on immunotherapy responses, chemotherapy, and potential therapeutic agents to enhance the precision medicine of STS. Finally, the gene expression was validated through real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results Using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) algorithm, we identified NETsLncs. Subsequently, we constructed a prognostic NETsLnc signature with the highest mean c-index by combining machine learning algorithms. The NETsLnc-related features showed excellent and stable performance for survival prediction in STS. Patients in the low NETsLnc group, associated with improved prognosis, exhibited enhanced immune activity, immune infiltration, and tended toward an immunothermal phenotype with a potential immunotherapy response. Conversely, patients with a high NETsLnc score showed more frequent genomic alterations and demonstrated a better response to vincristine treatment. Furthermore, RT-qPCR confirmed abnormal expression of several signature lncRNAs in STS. Conclusion In conclusion, the NETsLnc signature shows promise as a powerful approach for predicting the prognosis of STS. which not only deepens our understanding of STS but also opens avenues for more targeted and effective treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binfeng Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shasha He
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chenbei Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoqi Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chengyao Feng
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chao Tu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Central South University, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhihong Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine of The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Central South University, Guangdong, China
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18
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Chehelgerdi M, Behdarvand Dehkordi F, Chehelgerdi M, Kabiri H, Salehian-Dehkordi H, Abdolvand M, Salmanizadeh S, Rashidi M, Niazmand A, Ahmadi S, Feizbakhshan S, Kabiri S, Vatandoost N, Ranjbarnejad T. Exploring the promising potential of induced pluripotent stem cells in cancer research and therapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:189. [PMID: 38017433 PMCID: PMC10683363 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01873-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of iPSCs has brought about a significant transformation in stem cell research, opening up promising avenues for advancing cancer treatment. The formation of cancer is a multifaceted process influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. iPSCs offer a distinctive platform for investigating the origin of cancer, paving the way for novel approaches to cancer treatment, drug testing, and tailored medical interventions. This review article will provide an overview of the science behind iPSCs, the current limitations and challenges in iPSC-based cancer therapy, the ethical and social implications, and the comparative analysis with other stem cell types for cancer treatment. The article will also discuss the applications of iPSCs in tumorigenesis, the future of iPSCs in tumorigenesis research, and highlight successful case studies utilizing iPSCs in tumorigenesis research. The conclusion will summarize the advancements made in iPSC-based tumorigenesis research and the importance of continued investment in iPSC research to unlock the full potential of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matin Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Behdarvand Dehkordi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mohammad Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Hamidreza Kabiri
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Abdolvand
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sharareh Salmanizadeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Hezar-Jereeb Street, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Anoosha Niazmand
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saba Ahmadi
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Sara Feizbakhshan
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saber Kabiri
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Nasimeh Vatandoost
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Ranjbarnejad
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
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19
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Jain P, Pillai M, Duddu AS, Somarelli JA, Goyal Y, Jolly MK. Dynamical hallmarks of cancer: Phenotypic switching in melanoma and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 96:48-63. [PMID: 37788736 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity was recently incorporated as a hallmark of cancer. This plasticity can manifest along many interconnected axes, such as stemness and differentiation, drug-sensitive and drug-resistant states, and between epithelial and mesenchymal cell-states. Despite growing acceptance for phenotypic plasticity as a hallmark of cancer, the dynamics of this process remains poorly understood. In particular, the knowledge necessary for a predictive understanding of how individual cancer cells and populations of cells dynamically switch their phenotypes in response to the intensity and/or duration of their current and past environmental stimuli remains far from complete. Here, we present recent investigations of phenotypic plasticity from a systems-level perspective using two exemplars: epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in carcinomas and phenotypic switching in melanoma. We highlight how an integrated computational-experimental approach has helped unravel insights into specific dynamical hallmarks of phenotypic plasticity in different cancers to address the following questions: a) how many distinct cell-states or phenotypes exist?; b) how reversible are transitions among these cell-states, and what factors control the extent of reversibility?; and c) how might cell-cell communication be able to alter rates of cell-state switching and enable diverse patterns of phenotypic heterogeneity? Understanding these dynamic features of phenotypic plasticity may be a key component in shifting the paradigm of cancer treatment from reactionary to a more predictive, proactive approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Jain
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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20
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Zhu EY, Schillo JL, Murray SD, Riordan JD, Dupuy AJ. Understanding cancer drug resistance with Sleeping Beauty functional genomic screens: Application to MAPK inhibition in cutaneous melanoma. iScience 2023; 26:107805. [PMID: 37860756 PMCID: PMC10582486 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Combined BRAF and MEK inhibition is an effective treatment for BRAF-mutant cutaneous melanoma. However, most patients progress on this treatment due to drug resistance. Here, we applied the Sleeping Beauty transposon system to understand how melanoma evades MAPK inhibition. We found that the specific drug resistance mechanisms differed across melanomas in our genetic screens of five cutaneous melanoma cell lines. While drivers that reactivated MAPK were highly conserved, many others were cell-line specific. One such driver, VAV1, activated a de-differentiated transcriptional program like that of hyperactive RAC1, RAC1P29S. To target this mechanism, we showed that an inhibitor of SRC, saracatinib, blunts the VAV1-induced transcriptional reprogramming. Overall, we highlighted the importance of accounting for melanoma heterogeneity in treating cutaneous melanoma with MAPK inhibitors. Moreover, we demonstrated the utility of the Sleeping Beauty transposon system in understanding cancer drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliot Y. Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Jacob L. Schillo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Sarina D. Murray
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Jesse D. Riordan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Adam J. Dupuy
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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21
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Wesolowski L, Ge J, Castillon L, Sesia D, Dyas A, Hirosue S, Caraffini V, Warren AY, Rodrigues P, Ciriello G, Patel SA, Vanharanta S. The SWI/SNF complex member SMARCB1 supports lineage fidelity in kidney cancer. iScience 2023; 26:107360. [PMID: 37554444 PMCID: PMC10405256 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lineage switching can induce therapy resistance in cancer. Yet, how lineage fidelity is maintained and how it can be lost remain poorly understood. Here, we have used CRISPR-Cas9-based genetic screening to demonstrate that loss of SMARCB1, a member of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, can confer an advantage to clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells upon inhibition of the renal lineage factor PAX8. Lineage factor inhibition-resistant ccRCC cells formed tumors with morphological features, but not molecular markers, of neuroendocrine differentiation. SMARCB1 inactivation led to large-scale loss of kidney-specific epigenetic programs and restoration of proliferative capacity through the adoption of new dependencies on factors that represent rare essential genes across different cancers. We further developed an analytical approach to systematically characterize lineage fidelity using large-scale CRISPR-Cas9 data. An understanding of the rules that govern lineage switching could aid the development of more durable lineage factor-targeted and other cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Wesolowski
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Jianfeng Ge
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
- Early Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Leticia Castillon
- Translational Cancer Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Debora Sesia
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Leman, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anna Dyas
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
- Early Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Shoko Hirosue
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Veronica Caraffini
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Anne Y. Warren
- Department of Histopathology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Paulo Rodrigues
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Giovanni Ciriello
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Leman, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Saroor A. Patel
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Sakari Vanharanta
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 197, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, UK
- Translational Cancer Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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22
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Hoffman TE, Nangia V, Ryland C, Passanisi VJ, Armstrong C, Yang C, Spencer SL. Multiple cancers escape from multiple MAPK pathway inhibitors and use DNA replication stress signaling to tolerate aberrant cell cycles. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eade8744. [PMID: 37527351 PMCID: PMC10704347 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.ade8744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Many cancers harbor pro-proliferative mutations of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. In BRAF-driven melanoma cells treated with BRAF inhibitors, subpopulations of cells escape drug-induced quiescence through a nongenetic manner of adaptation and resume slow proliferation. Here, we found that this phenomenon is common to many cancer types driven by EGFR, KRAS, or BRAF mutations in response to multiple, clinically approved MAPK pathway inhibitors. In 2D cultures and 3D spheroid models of various cancer cell lines, a subset of cells escaped drug-induced quiescence within 4 days to resume proliferation. These "escapee" cells exhibited DNA replication deficits, accumulated DNA lesions, and mounted a stress response that depended on the ataxia telangiectasia and RAD3-related (ATR) kinase. We further identified that components of the Fanconi anemia (FA) DNA repair pathway are recruited to sites of mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS) in escapee cells, enabling successful completion of cell division. Analysis of patient tumor samples and clinical data correlated disease progression with an increase in DNA replication stress response factors. Our findings suggest that many MAPK pathway-mutant cancers rapidly escape drug action and that suppressing early stress tolerance pathways may achieve more durable clinical responses to MAPK pathway inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E. Hoffman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - Varuna Nangia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical School, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - C. Ryland
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - Victor J. Passanisi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - Claire Armstrong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
- Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - Sabrina L. Spencer
- Department of Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
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23
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Peng J, Lin Z, Chen W, Ruan J, Deng F, Yao L, Rao M, Xiong X, Xu S, Zhang X, Liu X, Sun X. Vemurafenib induces a noncanonical senescence-associated secretory phenotype in melanoma cells which promotes vemurafenib resistance. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17714. [PMID: 37456058 PMCID: PMC10345356 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
More than one half melanoma patients have BRAF gene mutation. BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib is an effective medication for these patients. However, acquired resistance is generally inevitable, the mechanisms of which are not fully understood. Cell senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) are involved in extensive biological functions. This study was designed to explore the possible role of senescent cells in vemurafenib resistance. The results showed that vemurafenib treatment induced BRAF-mutant but not wild-type melanoma cells into senescence, as manifested by positive β-galactosidase staining, cell cycle arrest, enlarged cellular morphology, and cyclin D1/p-Rb pathway inhibition. However, the senescent cells induced by vemurafenib (SenV) did not display DNA damage response, p53/p21 pathway activation, reactive oxygen species accumulation, decline of mitochondrial membrane potential, or secretion of canonical SASP cytokines. Instead, SenV released other cytokines, including CCL2, TIMP2, and NGFR, to protect normal melanoma cells from growth inhibition upon vemurafenib treatment. Xenograft experiments further confirmed that vemurafenib induced melanoma cells into senescence in vivo. The results suggest that vemurafenib can induce robust senescence in BRAFV600E melanoma cells, leading to the release of resistance-conferring cytokines. Both the senescent cells and the resistant cytokines could be potential targets for tackling vemurafenib resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510378, China
| | - Zijun Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Weichun Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Jie Ruan
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Fan Deng
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Lin Yao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Minla Rao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Xingdong Xiong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Shun Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Xiangning Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Chinese-American Tumor Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, China
| | - Xinguang Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
| | - Xuerong Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
- Institute of Aging Research, School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523000, China
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24
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Ruffini F, Ceci C, Atzori MG, Caporali S, Levati L, Bonmassar L, Cappellini GCA, D'Atri S, Graziani G, Lacal PM. TARGETING OF PDGF-C/NRP-1 AUTOCRINE LOOP AS A NEW STRATEGY FOR COUNTERACTING THE INVASIVENESS OF MELANOMA RESISTANT TO BRAF INHIBITORS. Pharmacol Res 2023; 192:106782. [PMID: 37127213 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma resistance to BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) is often accompanied by a switch from a proliferative to an invasive phenotype. Therefore, the identification of signaling molecules involved in the development of metastatic properties by resistant melanoma cells is of primary importance. We have previously demonstrated that activation of neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-C confers melanoma cells with an invasive behavior similar to that of BRAFi resistant tumors. Aims of the present study were to evaluate the role of PDGF-C/NRP-1 autocrine loop in the acquisition of an invasive and BRAFi-resistant phenotype by melanoma cells and the effect of its inhibition on drug resistance and extracellular matrix (ECM) invasion. Furthermore, we investigated whether PDGF-C serum levels were differentially modulated by drug treatment in metastatic melanoma patients responsive or refractory to BRAFi as a single agent or in combination with MEK inhibitors (MEKi). The results indicated that human melanoma cells resistant to BRAFi express higher levels of PDGF-C and NRP-1 as compared to their susceptible counterparts. Overexpression occurs early during development of drug resistance and contributes to the invasive properties of resistant cells. Accordingly, silencing of NRP-1 or PDGF-C reduces tumor cell invasiveness. Analysis of PDGF-C in the serum collected from patients treated with BRAFi or BRAFi+MEKi, showed that in responders PDGF-C levels decrease after treatment and raise again at tumor progression. Conversely, in non-responders treatment does not affect PDGF-C serum levels. Thus, blockade of NRP-1 activation by PDGF-C might represent a new therapeutic approach to counteract the invasiveness of BRAFi-resistant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Ruffini
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Ceci
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; Departmental Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Via di Sant'Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Grazia Graziani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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25
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Koziej P, Kluszczynska K, Hartman ML, Czyz M. Trametinib-Resistant Melanoma Cells Displaying MITF high/NGFR low/IL-8 low Phenotype Are Highly Responsive to Alternating Periods of Drug Withdrawal and Drug Rechallenge. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097891. [PMID: 37175614 PMCID: PMC10178474 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097891] [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: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in targeted therapies against the hyperactivated BRAFV600/MEK pathway for patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma, acquired resistance remains an unsolved clinical problem. In this study, we focused on melanoma cells resistant to trametinib, an agent broadly used in combination therapies. Molecular and cellular changes were assessed during alternating periods of trametinib withdrawal and rechallenge in trametinib-resistant cell lines displaying either a differentiation phenotype (MITFhigh/NGFRlow) or neural crest stem-like dedifferentiation phenotype (NGFRhigh/MITFlow). Neither drug withdrawal nor drug rechallenge induced cell death, and instead of loss of fitness, trametinib-resistant melanoma cells adapted to altered conditions by phenotype switching. In resistant cells displaying a differentiation phenotype, trametinib withdrawal markedly decreased MITF level and activity, which was associated with reduced cell proliferation capacity, and induced stemness assessed as NGFR-positive cells and senescence features, including IL-8 expression and secretion. All these changes could be reversed by trametinib re-exposure, which emphasizes melanoma cell plasticity. Trametinib-resistant cells displaying a dedifferentiation phenotype were less responsive presumably due to the already low level of MITF, a master regulator of the melanoma phenotype. Considering new directions of the development of anti-melanoma treatment, our study suggests that the phenotype of melanomas resistant to targeted therapy might be a crucial determinant of the selection of second-line therapy for melanoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Koziej
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kluszczynska
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Mariusz L Hartman
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Czyz
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
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26
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Abstract
Over the past decade, melanoma has led the field in new cancer treatments, with impressive gains in on-treatment survival but more modest improvements in overall survival. Melanoma presents heterogeneity and transcriptional plasticity that recapitulates distinct melanocyte developmental states and phenotypes, allowing it to adapt to and eventually escape even the most advanced treatments. Despite remarkable advances in our understanding of melanoma biology and genetics, the melanoma cell of origin is still fiercely debated because both melanocyte stem cells and mature melanocytes can be transformed. Animal models and high-throughput single-cell sequencing approaches have opened new opportunities to address this question. Here, we discuss the melanocytic journey from the neural crest, where they emerge as melanoblasts, to the fully mature pigmented melanocytes resident in several tissues. We describe a new understanding of melanocyte biology and the different melanocyte subpopulations and microenvironments they inhabit, and how this provides unique insights into melanoma initiation and progression. We highlight recent findings on melanoma heterogeneity and transcriptional plasticity and their implications for exciting new research areas and treatment opportunities. The lessons from melanocyte biology reveal how cells that are present to protect us from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation reach back to their origins to become a potentially deadly cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia P Centeno
- Molecular Oncology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Valeria Pavet
- Molecular Oncology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Richard Marais
- Molecular Oncology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, UK.
- Oncodrug Ltd, Alderly Park, Macclesfield, UK.
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27
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Hoffman TE, Yang C, Nangia V, Ill CR, Spencer SL. Multiple cancer types rapidly escape from multiple MAPK inhibitors to generate mutagenesis-prone subpopulations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.17.533211. [PMID: 36993538 PMCID: PMC10055235 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.17.533211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Many cancers harbor pro-proliferative mutations of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and many targeted inhibitors now exist for clinical use, but drug resistance remains a major issue. We recently showed that BRAF-driven melanoma cells treated with BRAF inhibitors can non-genetically adapt to drug within 3-4 days to escape quiescence and resume slow proliferation. Here we show that this phenomenon is not unique to melanomas treated with BRAF inhibitors but rather is widespread across many clinical MAPK inhibitors and cancer types driven by EGFR, KRAS, and BRAF mutations. In all treatment contexts examined, a subset of cells can escape drug-induced quiescence within four days to resume proliferation. These escapee cells broadly experience aberrant DNA replication, accumulate DNA lesions, spend longer in G2-M cell cycle phases, and mount an ATR-dependent stress response. We further identify the Fanconi anemia (FA) DNA repair pathway as critical for successful mitotic completion in escapees. Long-term cultures, patient samples, and clinical data demonstrate a broad dependency on ATR- and FA-mediated stress tolerance. Together, these results highlight the pervasiveness with which MAPK-mutant cancers are able to rapidly escape drug and the importance of suppressing early stress tolerance pathways to potentially achieve more durable clinical responses to targeted MAPK pathway inhibitors.
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28
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Machine learning algorithm-generated and multi-center validated melanoma prognostic signature with inspiration for treatment management. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:599-615. [PMID: 35998003 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03279-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although immunotherapy and targeted treatments have dramatically improved the survival of melanoma patients, the intra- or intertumoral heterogeneity and drug resistance have hindered the further expansion of clinical benefits. METHODS The 96 combination frames constructed by ten machine learning algorithms identified a prognostic consensus signature based on 1002 melanoma samples from nine independent cohorts. Clinical features and 26 published signatures were employed to compare the predictive performance of our model. RESULTS A machine learning-based prognostic signature (MLPS) with the highest average C-index was developed via 96 algorithm combinations. The MLPS has a stable and excellent predictive performance for overall survival, superior to common clinical traits and 26 collected signatures. The low MLPS group with a better prognosis had significantly enriched immune-related pathways, tending to be an immune-hot phenotype and possessing potential immunotherapeutic responses to anti-PD-1, anti-CTLA-4, and MAGE-A3. On the contrary, the high MLPS group with more complex genomic alterations and poorer prognoses is more sensitive to the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib, confirmed in patients with BRAF mutations. CONCLUSION MLPS could independently and stably predict the prognosis of melanoma, considered a promising biomarker to identify patients suitable for immunotherapy and those with BRAF mutations who would benefit from dabrafenib.
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29
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BET inhibitors synergize with sunitinib in melanoma through GDF15 suppression. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:364-376. [PMID: 36720918 PMCID: PMC9981764 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-00936-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins has shown a promising therapeutic effect on melanoma. The development of strategies to better kill melanoma cells with BET inhibitor treatment may provide new clinical applications. Here, we used a drug synergy screening approach to combine JQ1 with 240 antitumor drugs from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library and found that sunitinib synergizes with BET inhibitors in melanoma cells. We further demonstrated that BET inhibitors synergize with sunitinib in melanoma by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Mechanistically, BET inhibitors sensitize melanoma cells to sunitinib by inhibiting GDF15 expression. Strikingly, GDF15 is transcriptionally regulated directly by BRD4 or indirectly by the BRD4/IL6/STAT3 axis. Xenograft assays revealed that the combination of BET inhibitors with sunitinib causes melanoma suppression in vivo. Altogether, these findings suggest that BET inhibitor-mediated GDF15 inhibition plays a critical role in enhancing sunitinib sensitivity in melanoma, indicating that BET inhibitors synergize with sunitinib in melanoma.
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30
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Fröhlich F, Gerosa L, Muhlich J, Sorger PK. Mechanistic model of MAPK signaling reveals how allostery and rewiring contribute to drug resistance. Mol Syst Biol 2023; 19:e10988. [PMID: 36700386 PMCID: PMC9912026 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202210988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BRAF is prototypical of oncogenes that can be targeted therapeutically and the treatment of BRAFV600E melanomas with RAF and MEK inhibitors results in rapid tumor regression. However, drug-induced rewiring generates a drug adapted state thought to be involved in acquired resistance and disease recurrence. In this article, we study mechanisms of adaptive rewiring in BRAFV600E melanoma cells using an energy-based implementation of ordinary differential equation (ODE) modeling in combination with proteomic, transcriptomic and imaging data. We develop a method for causal tracing of ODE models and identify two parallel MAPK reaction channels that are differentially sensitive to RAF and MEK inhibitors due to differences in protein oligomerization and drug binding. We describe how these channels, and timescale separation between immediate-early signaling and transcriptional feedback, create a state in which the RAS-regulated MAPK channel can be activated by growth factors under conditions in which the BRAFV600E -driven channel is fully inhibited. Further development of the approaches in this article is expected to yield a unified model of adaptive drug resistance in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Fröhlich
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Luca Gerosa
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA,Present address:
Genentech, Inc.South San FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Jeremy Muhlich
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Peter K Sorger
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems BiologyHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
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31
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Rebecca VW, Xiao M, Kossenkov A, Godok T, Brown GS, Fingerman D, Alicea GM, Wei M, Ji H, Bravo J, Chen Y, Fane ME, Villanueva J, Nathanson K, Liu Q, Gopal YNV, Davies MA, Herlyn M. Dasatinib Resensitizes MAPK Inhibitor Efficacy in Standard-of-Care Relapsed Melanomas. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.524923. [PMID: 36711814 PMCID: PMC9882271 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.524923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Resistance to combination BRAF/MEK inhibitor (BRAFi/MEKi) therapy arises in nearly every patient with BRAFV600E/K melanoma, despite promising initial responses. Achieving cures in this expanding BRAFi/MEKi-resistant cohort represents one of the greatest challenges to the field; few experience additional durable benefit from immunotherapy and no alternative therapies exist. To better personalize therapy in cancer patients to address therapy relapse, umbrella trials have been initiated whereby genomic sequencing of a panel of potentially actionable targets guide therapy selection for patients; however, the superior efficacy of such approaches remains to be seen. We here test the robustness of the umbrella trial rationale by analyzing relationships between genomic status of a gene and the downstream consequences at the protein level of related pathway, which find poor relationships between mutations, copy number amplification, and protein level. To profile candidate therapeutic strategies that may offer clinical benefit in the context of acquired BRAFi/MEKi resistance, we established a repository of patient-derived xenograft models from heavily pretreated patients with resistance to BRAFi/MEKi and/or immunotherapy (R-PDX). With these R-PDXs, we executed in vivo compound repurposing screens using 11 FDA-approved agents from an NCI-portfolio with pan-RTK, non-RTK and/or PI3K-mTOR specificity. We identify dasatinib as capable of restoring BRAFi/MEKi antitumor efficacy in ~70% of R-PDX tested. A systems-biology analysis indicates elevated baseline protein expression of canonical drivers of therapy resistance (e.g., AXL, YAP, HSP70, phospho-AKT) as predictive of MAPKi/dasatinib sensitivity. We therefore propose that dasatinib-based MAPKi therapy may restore antitumor efficacy in patients that have relapsed to standard-of-care therapy by broadly targeting proteins critical in melanoma therapy escape. Further, we submit that this experimental PDX paradigm could potentially improve preclinical evaluation of therapeutic modalities and augment our ability to identify biomarker-defined patient subsets that may respond to a given clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vito W Rebecca
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Min Xiao
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Gretchen M Alicea
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Meihan Wei
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hongkai Ji
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeremy Bravo
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Mitchell E Fane
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Qin Liu
- The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Hossain SM, Eccles MR. Phenotype Switching and the Melanoma Microenvironment; Impact on Immunotherapy and Drug Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021601. [PMID: 36675114 PMCID: PMC9864717 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma, a highly heterogeneous tumor, is comprised of a functionally diverse spectrum of cell phenotypes and subpopulations, including stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Melanoma has been shown to dynamically shift between different transcriptional states or phenotypes. This is referred to as phenotype switching in melanoma, and it involves switching between quiescent and proliferative cell cycle states, and dramatic shifts in invasiveness, as well as changes in signaling pathways in the melanoma cells, and immune cell composition in the TME. Melanoma cell plasticity is associated with altered gene expression in immune cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts, as well as changes in extracellular matrix, which drive the metastatic cascade and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, resistance to therapy in melanoma is not only dependent on genetic evolution, but it has also been suggested to be driven by gene expression changes and adaptive phenotypic cell plasticity. This review discusses recent findings in melanoma phenotype switching, immunotherapy resistance, and the balancing of the homeostatic TME between the different melanoma cell subpopulations. We also discuss future perspectives of the biology of neural crest-like state(s) in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultana Mehbuba Hossain
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Michael R. Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Correspondence:
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Peng K, Zhang F, Wang Y, Sahgal P, Li T, Zhou J, Liang X, Zhang Y, Sethi N, Liu T, Zhang H, Bass AJ. Development of Combination Strategies for Focal Adhesion Kinase Inhibition in Diffuse Gastric Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:197-208. [PMID: 36278961 PMCID: PMC9812865 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diffuse gastric cancer (DGC) is an aggressive and frequently lethal subtype of gastric cancer. Because DGC often lacks genomic aberrations that indicate clear candidate therapeutic targets, it has been challenging to develop targeted therapies for this gastric cancer subtype. Our previous study highlighted the contribution of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in the tumorigenesis of DGC and the potential efficacy of small-molecule FAK inhibitors. However, drug resistance to monotherapy often hinders the efficacy of treatment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We generated a genome-scale library of open reading frames (ORF) in the DGC model of Cdh1-/-RHOAY42C/+ organoids to identify candidate mechanisms of resistance to FAK inhibition. Compensatory activated pathways were also detected following treatment with FAK inhibitors. Candidates were investigated by cotargeting in vitro and in vivo experiments using DGC. RESULTS We found that cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) promoted FAK inhibitor resistance in ORF screen. In addition, FAK inhibitor treatment in DGC models led to compensatory MAPK pathway activation. Small-molecule CDK4/6 inhibitors or MAPK inhibitors effectively enhanced FAK inhibitor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that FAK inhibitors combined with MAPK inhibitors or CDK4/6 inhibitors warrant further testing in clinical trials for DGC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Peng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Feifei Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yichen Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Pranshu Sahgal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tianxia Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jin Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Liver Surgery & Liver Transplantation, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanxi Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nilay Sethi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tianshu Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haisheng Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Adam J. Bass
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
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Vlašić I, Horvat A, Tadijan A, Slade N. p53 Family in Resistance to Targeted Therapy of Melanoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010065. [PMID: 36613518 PMCID: PMC9820688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors, with frequent mutations affecting components of the MAPK pathway, mainly protein kinase BRAF. Despite promising initial response to BRAF inhibitors, melanoma progresses due to development of resistance. In addition to frequent reactivation of MAPK or activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, recently, the p53 pathway has been shown to contribute to acquired resistance to targeted MAPK inhibitor therapy. Canonical tumor suppressor p53 is inactivated in melanoma by diverse mechanisms. The TP53 gene and two other family members, TP63 and TP73, encode numerous protein isoforms that exhibit diverse functions during tumorigenesis. The p53 family isoforms can be produced by usage of alternative promoters and/or splicing on the C- and N-terminus. Various p53 family isoforms are expressed in melanoma cell lines and tumor samples, and several of them have already shown to have specific functions in melanoma, affecting proliferation, survival, metastatic potential, invasion, migration, and response to therapy. Of special interest are p53 family isoforms with increased expression and direct involvement in acquired resistance to MAPK inhibitors in melanoma cells, implying that modulating their expression or targeting their functional pathways could be a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome resistance to MAPK inhibitors in melanoma.
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Leduc A, Huffman RG, Cantlon J, Khan S, Slavov N. Exploring functional protein covariation across single cells using nPOP. Genome Biol 2022; 23:261. [PMID: 36527135 PMCID: PMC9756690 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02817-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many biological processes, such as cell division cycle and drug resistance, are reflected in protein covariation across single cells. This covariation can be quantified and interpreted by single-cell mass spectrometry with sufficiently high throughput and accuracy. RESULTS Here, we describe nPOP, a method that enables simultaneous sample preparation of thousands of single cells, including lysing, digesting, and labeling individual cells in volumes of 8-20 nl. nPOP uses piezo acoustic dispensing to isolate individual cells in 300 pl volumes and performs all subsequent sample preparation steps in small droplets on a fluorocarbon-coated glass slide. Protein covariation analysis identifies cell cycle dynamics that are similar and dynamics that differ between cell types, even within subpopulations of melanoma cells delineated by markers for drug resistance priming. Melanoma cells expressing these markers accumulate in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, display distinct protein covariation across the cell cycle, accumulate glycogen, and have lower abundance of glycolytic enzymes. The non-primed melanoma cells exhibit gradients of protein abundance, suggesting transition states. Within this subpopulation, proteins functioning in oxidative phosphorylation covary with each other and inversely with proteins functioning in glycolysis. This protein covariation suggests divergent reliance on energy sources and its association with other biological functions. These results are validated by different mass spectrometry methods. CONCLUSIONS nPOP enables flexible, automated, and highly parallelized sample preparation for single-cell proteomics. This allows for quantifying protein covariation across thousands of single cells and revealing functionally concerted biological differences between closely related cell states. Support for nPOP is available at https://scp.slavovlab.net/nPOP .
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Leduc
- Departments of Bioengineering, Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Single Cell Proteomics Center, and Barnett Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - R Gray Huffman
- Departments of Bioengineering, Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Single Cell Proteomics Center, and Barnett Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | | | - Saad Khan
- Departments of Bioengineering, Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Single Cell Proteomics Center, and Barnett Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nikolai Slavov
- Departments of Bioengineering, Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Single Cell Proteomics Center, and Barnett Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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36
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Corrales E, Levit-Zerdoun E, Metzger P, Mertes R, Lehmann A, Münch J, Lemke S, Kowar S, Boerries M. PI3K/AKT signaling allows for MAPK/ERK pathway independency mediating dedifferentiation-driven treatment resistance in melanoma. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:187. [PMID: 36434616 PMCID: PMC9700886 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00989-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current therapeutic management of advanced melanoma patients largely depends on their BRAF mutation status. However, the vast heterogeneity of the tumors hampers the success of therapies targeting the MAPK/ERK pathway alone. Dissecting this heterogeneity will contribute to identifying key players in the oncogenic progression to tailor more effective therapies. METHODS We performed a comprehensive molecular and phenotypic characterization of a panel of patient-derived BRAFV600E-positive melanoma cell lines. Transcriptional profiling was used to identify groups of coregulated genes whose expression relates to an increased migratory potential and a higher resistance. RESULTS A decrease in sensitivity to MAPK/ERK pathway inhibition with vemurafenib or trametinib corresponded with an increasing quiescence and migratory properties of the cells. This was accompanied by the loss of transcriptional signatures of melanocytic differentiation, and the gain of stem cell features that conferred highly-resistant/mesenchymal-like cells with increased xenobiotic efflux capacity. Nevertheless, targeting of the implicated ABC transporters did not improve the response to vemurafenib, indicating that incomplete BRAF inhibition due to reduced drug uptake is not a main driver of resistance. Rather, indifference to MAPK/ERK pathway inhibition arose from the activation of compensatory signaling cascades. The PI3K/AKT pathway in particular showed a higher activity in mesenchymal-like cells, conferring a lower dependency on MAPK/ERK signaling and supporting stem-like properties that could be reverted by dual PI3K/mTOR inhibition with dactolisib. CONCLUSIONS In case of MAPK/ERK independency, therapeutic focus may be shifted to the PI3K/AKT pathway to overcome late-stage resistance in melanoma tumors that have acquired a mesenchymal phenotype. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyleen Corrales
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ella Levit-Zerdoun
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Metzger
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Mertes
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ariane Lehmann
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julia Münch
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Lemke
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Silke Kowar
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Boerries
- grid.5963.9Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ), University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.5963.9Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine (IBSM), University of Freiburg, Breisacherstr. 153, 79110 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany
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Paris A, Tardif N, Baietti FM, Berra C, Leclair HM, Leucci E, Galibert M, Corre S. The AhR-SRC axis as a therapeutic vulnerability in BRAFi-resistant melanoma. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e15677. [PMID: 36305167 PMCID: PMC9728058 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202215677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nongenetic mechanisms required to control tumor phenotypic plasticity and shape drug-resistance remain unclear. We show here that the Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) transcription factor directly regulates the gene expression program associated with the acquisition of resistance to BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) in melanoma. In addition, we show in melanoma cells that canonical activation of AhR mediates the activation of the SRC pathway and promotes the acquisition of an invasive and aggressive resistant phenotype to front-line BRAFi treatment in melanoma. This nongenetic reprogramming identifies a clinically compatible approach to reverse BRAFi resistance in melanoma. Using a preclinical BRAFi-resistant PDX melanoma model, we demonstrate that SRC inhibition with dasatinib significantly re-sensitizes melanoma cells to BRAFi. Together we identify the AhR/SRC axis as a new therapeutic vulnerability to trigger resistance and warrant the introduction of SRC inhibitors during the course of the treatment in combination with front-line therapeutics to delay BRAFi resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Paris
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) – UMR6290, ERL U1305RennesFrance
| | - Nina Tardif
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) – UMR6290, ERL U1305RennesFrance
| | - Francesca M Baietti
- Laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology, Department of OncologyLKI, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium,Trace PDX Platform, Department of OncologyLKI, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Cyrille Berra
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) – UMR6290, ERL U1305RennesFrance,Department of Molecular Genetics and GenomicsHospital University of Rennes (CHU Rennes)RennesFrance
| | - Héloïse M Leclair
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) – UMR6290, ERL U1305RennesFrance
| | - Eleonora Leucci
- Laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology, Department of OncologyLKI, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium,Trace PDX Platform, Department of OncologyLKI, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Marie‐Dominique Galibert
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) – UMR6290, ERL U1305RennesFrance,Department of Molecular Genetics and GenomicsHospital University of Rennes (CHU Rennes)RennesFrance
| | - Sébastien Corre
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) – UMR6290, ERL U1305RennesFrance
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Zhu EY, Riordan JD, Vanneste M, Henry MD, Stipp CS, Dupuy AJ. SRC-RAC1 signaling drives drug resistance to BRAF inhibition in de-differentiated cutaneous melanomas. NPJ Precis Oncol 2022; 6:74. [PMID: 36271142 PMCID: PMC9587254 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-022-00310-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare gain-of-function mutations in RAC1 drive drug resistance to targeted BRAF inhibition in cutaneous melanoma. Here, we show that wildtype RAC1 is a critical driver of growth and drug resistance, but only in a subset of melanomas with elevated markers of de-differentiation. Similarly, SRC inhibition also selectively sensitized de-differentiated melanomas to BRAF inhibition. One possible mechanism may be the suppression of the de-differentiated state, as SRC and RAC1 maintained markers of de-differentiation in human melanoma cells. The functional differences between melanoma subtypes suggest that the clinical management of cutaneous melanoma can be enhanced by the knowledge of differentiation status. To simplify the task of classification, we developed a binary classification strategy based on a small set of ten genes. Using this gene set, we reliably determined the differentiation status previously defined by hundreds of genes. Overall, our study informs strategies that enhance the precision of BRAFi by discovering unique vulnerabilities of the de-differentiated cutaneous melanoma subtype and creating a practical method to resolve differentiation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliot Y Zhu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Cancer Biology Graduate Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,The Medical Scientist Training Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jesse D Riordan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Marion Vanneste
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Michael D Henry
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Christopher S Stipp
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.,Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Adam J Dupuy
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. .,Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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39
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Stochastic population dynamics of cancer stemness and adaptive response to therapies. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:387-398. [PMID: 36073715 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity can exist along multiple axes: Cancer stem cells (CSCs)/non-CSCs, drug-sensitive/drug-tolerant states, and a spectrum of epithelial-hybrid-mesenchymal phenotypes. Further, these diverse cell-states can switch reversibly among one another, thereby posing a major challenge to therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, understanding the origins of phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity remains an active area of investigation. While genomic components (mutations, chromosomal instability) driving heterogeneity have been well-studied, recent reports highlight the role of non-genetic mechanisms in enabling both phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity. Here, we discuss various processes underlying phenotypic plasticity such as stochastic gene expression, chromatin reprogramming, asymmetric cell division and the presence of multiple stable gene expression patterns ('attractors'). These processes can facilitate a dynamically evolving cell population such that a subpopulation of (drug-tolerant) cells can survive lethal drug exposure and recapitulate population heterogeneity on drug withdrawal, leading to relapse. These drug-tolerant cells can be both pre-existing and also induced by the drug itself through cell-state reprogramming. The dynamics of cell-state transitions both in absence and presence of the drug can be quantified through mathematical models. Such a dynamical systems approach to elucidating patterns of intratumoral heterogeneity by integrating longitudinal experimental data with mathematical models can help design effective combinatorial and/or sequential therapies for better clinical outcomes.
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40
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Comandante-Lou N, Baumann DG, Fallahi-Sichani M. AP-1 transcription factor network explains diverse patterns of cellular plasticity in melanoma cells. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111147. [PMID: 35926467 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular plasticity associated with fluctuations in transcriptional programs allows individual cells in a tumor to adopt heterogeneous differentiation states and switch phenotype during their adaptive responses to therapies. Despite increasing knowledge of such transcriptional programs, the molecular basis of cellular plasticity remains poorly understood. Here, we combine multiplexed transcriptional and protein measurements at population and single-cell levels with multivariate statistical modeling to show that the state of AP-1 transcription factor network plays a unifying role in explaining diverse patterns of plasticity in melanoma. We find that a regulated balance among AP-1 factors cJUN, JUND, FRA2, FRA1, and cFOS determines the intrinsic diversity of differentiation states and adaptive responses to MAPK inhibitors in melanoma cells. Perturbing this balance through genetic depletion of specific AP-1 proteins, or by MAPK inhibitors, shifts cellular heterogeneity in a predictable fashion. Thus, AP-1 may serve as a critical node for manipulating cellular plasticity with potential therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Comandante-Lou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Douglas G Baumann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Mohammad Fallahi-Sichani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; UVA Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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Pietrobono S, De Paolo R, Mangiameli D, Marranci A, Battisti I, Franchin C, Arrigoni G, Melisi D, Poliseno L, Stecca B. p38 MAPK-dependent phosphorylation of transcription factor SOX2 promotes an adaptive response to BRAF inhibitors in melanoma cells. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102353. [PMID: 35944584 PMCID: PMC9463537 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Ohanna M, Biber P, Deckert M. Emerging Role of Deubiquitinating Enzymes (DUBs) in Melanoma Pathogenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3371. [PMID: 35884430 PMCID: PMC9322030 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin cancer. Therapies targeting the BRAF oncogenic pathway and immunotherapies show remarkable clinical efficacy. However, these treatments are limited to subgroups of patients and relapse is common. Overall, the majority of patients require additional treatments, justifying the development of new therapeutic strategies. Non-genetic and genetic alterations are considered to be important drivers of cellular adaptation mechanisms to current therapies and disease relapse. Importantly, modification of the overall proteome in response to non-genetic and genetic events supports major cellular changes that are required for the survival, proliferation, and migration of melanoma cells. However, the mechanisms underlying these adaptive responses remain to be investigated. The major contributor to proteome remodeling involves the ubiquitin pathway, ubiquitinating enzymes, and ubiquitin-specific proteases also known as DeUBiquitinases (DUBs). In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the nature and roles of the DUBs recently identified in melanoma progression and therapeutic resistance and discuss their potential as novel sources of vulnerability for melanoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Ohanna
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France; (P.B.); (M.D.)
- Team MicroCan, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 06204 Nice, France
| | - Pierric Biber
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France; (P.B.); (M.D.)
- Team MicroCan, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 06204 Nice, France
| | - Marcel Deckert
- Université Côte d’Azur, INSERM, C3M, 06204 Nice, France; (P.B.); (M.D.)
- Team MicroCan, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 06204 Nice, France
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Biermann J, Melms JC, Amin AD, Wang Y, Caprio LA, Karz A, Tagore S, Barrera I, Ibarra-Arellano MA, Andreatta M, Fullerton BT, Gretarsson KH, Sahu V, Mangipudy VS, Nguyen TTT, Nair A, Rogava M, Ho P, Koch PD, Banu M, Humala N, Mahajan A, Walsh ZH, Shah SB, Vaccaro DH, Caldwell B, Mu M, Wünnemann F, Chazotte M, Berhe S, Luoma AM, Driver J, Ingham M, Khan SA, Rapisuwon S, Slingluff CL, Eigentler T, Röcken M, Carvajal R, Atkins MB, Davies MA, Agustinus A, Bakhoum SF, Azizi E, Siegelin M, Lu C, Carmona SJ, Hibshoosh H, Ribas A, Canoll P, Bruce JN, Bi WL, Agrawal P, Schapiro D, Hernando E, Macosko EZ, Chen F, Schwartz GK, Izar B. Dissecting the treatment-naive ecosystem of human melanoma brain metastasis. Cell 2022; 185:2591-2608.e30. [PMID: 35803246 PMCID: PMC9677434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) frequently occurs in patients with advanced melanoma; yet, our understanding of the underlying salient biology is rudimentary. Here, we performed single-cell/nucleus RNA-seq in 22 treatment-naive MBMs and 10 extracranial melanoma metastases (ECMs) and matched spatial single-cell transcriptomics and T cell receptor (TCR)-seq. Cancer cells from MBM were more chromosomally unstable, adopted a neuronal-like cell state, and enriched for spatially variably expressed metabolic pathways. Key observations were validated in independent patient cohorts, patient-derived MBM/ECM xenograft models, RNA/ATAC-seq, proteomics, and multiplexed imaging. Integrated spatial analyses revealed distinct geography of putative cancer immune evasion and evidence for more abundant intra-tumoral B to plasma cell differentiation in lymphoid aggregates in MBM. MBM harbored larger fractions of monocyte-derived macrophages and dysfunctional TOX+CD8+ T cells with distinct expression of immune checkpoints. This work provides comprehensive insights into MBM biology and serves as a foundational resource for further discovery and therapeutic exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Biermann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Johannes C Melms
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Amit Dipak Amin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yiping Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Lindsay A Caprio
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alcida Karz
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Somnath Tagore
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Irving Barrera
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Miguel A Ibarra-Arellano
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Massimo Andreatta
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1066 Épalinges, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin T Fullerton
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kristjan H Gretarsson
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Varun Sahu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Vaibhav S Mangipudy
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Trang T T Nguyen
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ajay Nair
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Meri Rogava
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Patricia Ho
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter D Koch
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Matei Banu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nelson Humala
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Aayushi Mahajan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Zachary H Walsh
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Shivem B Shah
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Daniel H Vaccaro
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Blake Caldwell
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael Mu
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Florian Wünnemann
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Margot Chazotte
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Berhe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Adrienne M Luoma
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Joseph Driver
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthew Ingham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Shaheer A Khan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Suthee Rapisuwon
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Medstar Washington Cancer Institute, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Craig L Slingluff
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Thomas Eigentler
- Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Röcken
- Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Richard Carvajal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael B Atkins
- Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Albert Agustinus
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Samuel F Bakhoum
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Elham Azizi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Markus Siegelin
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chao Lu
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Santiago J Carmona
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1066 Épalinges, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hanina Hibshoosh
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Department of Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Peter Canoll
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Bruce
- Department of Neurological Surgery, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Wenya Linda Bi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Praveen Agrawal
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Denis Schapiro
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Medicine, and Heidelberg University Hospital, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Bioquant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Hernando
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gary K Schwartz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Early Steps of Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112613. [PMID: 35681591 PMCID: PMC9179469 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Patients with lung cancer benefit from more effective treatments, such as targeted therapies, and the overall survival has increased in the past decade. However, the efficacy of targeted therapies is limited due to the emergence of resistance. Growing evidence suggests that resistances may arise from a small population of drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells. Understanding the mechanisms underlying DTP survival is therefore crucial to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent the development of resistance. Herein, we propose an overview of the current scientific knowledge about the characterisation of DTP, and summarise the new therapeutic strategies that are tested to target these cells. Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women worldwide. Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective therapies for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbouring EGFR-activating mutations, but are not curative due to the inevitable emergence of resistances. Recent in vitro studies suggest that resistance to EGFR-TKI may arise from a small population of drug-tolerant persister cells (DTP) through non-genetic reprogramming, by entering a reversible slow-to-non-proliferative state, before developing genetically derived resistances. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms governing the dynamics of the drug-tolerant state is therefore a priority to provide sustainable therapeutic solutions for patients. An increasing number of molecular mechanisms underlying DTP survival are being described, such as chromatin and epigenetic remodelling, the reactivation of anti-apoptotic/survival pathways, metabolic reprogramming, and interactions with their micro-environment. Here, we review and discuss the existing proposed mechanisms involved in the DTP state. We describe their biological features, molecular mechanisms of tolerance, and the therapeutic strategies that are tested to target the DTP.
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Ng TSC, Hu H, Kronister S, Lee C, Li R, Gerosa L, Stopka SA, Burgenske DM, Khurana I, Regan MS, Vallabhaneni S, Putta N, Scott E, Matvey D, Giobbie-Hurder A, Kohler RH, Sarkaria JN, Parangi S, Sorger PK, Agar NYR, Jacene HA, Sullivan RJ, Buchbinder E, Mikula H, Weissleder R, Miller MA. Overcoming differential tumor penetration of BRAF inhibitors using computationally guided combination therapy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl6339. [PMID: 35486732 PMCID: PMC9054019 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl6339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BRAF-targeted kinase inhibitors (KIs) are used to treat malignancies including BRAF-mutant non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer, and, most prominently, melanoma. However, KI selection criteria in patients remain unclear, as are pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) mechanisms that may limit context-dependent efficacy and differentiate related drugs. To address this issue, we imaged mouse models of BRAF-mutant cancers, fluorescent KI tracers, and unlabeled drug to calibrate in silico spatial PK/PD models. Results indicated that drug lipophilicity, plasma clearance, faster target dissociation, and, in particular, high albumin binding could limit dabrafenib action in visceral metastases compared to other KIs. This correlated with retrospective clinical observations. Computational modeling identified a timed strategy for combining dabrafenib and encorafenib to better sustain BRAF inhibition, which showed enhanced efficacy in mice. This study thus offers principles of spatial drug action that may help guide drug development, KI selection, and combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S. C. Ng
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Huiyu Hu
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Stefan Kronister
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chanseo Lee
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ran Li
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Luca Gerosa
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sylwia A. Stopka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Ishaan Khurana
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael S. Regan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sreeram Vallabhaneni
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Niharika Putta
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ella Scott
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dylan Matvey
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anita Giobbie-Hurder
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Data Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rainer H. Kohler
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jann N. Sarkaria
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sareh Parangi
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter K. Sorger
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nathalie Y. R. Agar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heather A. Jacene
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryan J. Sullivan
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Hannes Mikula
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ralph Weissleder
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miles A. Miller
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Corresponding author.
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Tyner JW, Haderk F, Kumaraswamy A, Baughn LB, Van Ness B, Liu S, Marathe H, Alumkal JJ, Bivona TG, Chan KS, Druker BJ, Hutson AD, Nelson PS, Sawyers CL, Willey CD. Understanding Drug Sensitivity and Tackling Resistance in Cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:1448-1460. [PMID: 35195258 PMCID: PMC9018544 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-3695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Decades of research into the molecular mechanisms of cancer and the development of novel therapeutics have yielded a number of remarkable successes. However, our ability to broadly assign effective, rationally targeted therapies in a personalized manner remains elusive for many patients, and drug resistance persists as a major problem. This is in part due to the well-documented heterogeneity of cancer, including the diversity of tumor cell lineages and cell states, the spectrum of somatic mutations, the complexity of microenvironments, and immune-suppressive features and immune repertoires, which collectively require numerous different therapeutic approaches. Here, we describe a framework to understand the types and biological causes of resistance, providing translational opportunities to tackle drug resistance by rational therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey W. Tyner
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Franziska Haderk
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Linda B. Baughn
- Division of Hematopathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Brian Van Ness
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Song Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Himangi Marathe
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Joshi J. Alumkal
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Trever G. Bivona
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Keith Syson Chan
- Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Brian J. Druker
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Alan D. Hutson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Peter S. Nelson
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Charles L. Sawyers
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
| | - Christopher D. Willey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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Hodgkinson A, Trucu D, Lacroix M, Le Cam L, Radulescu O. Computational Model of Heterogeneity in Melanoma: Designing Therapies and Predicting Outcomes. Front Oncol 2022; 12:857572. [PMID: 35494017 PMCID: PMC9046868 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.857572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is a highly invasive tumor and, despite the development of recent therapies, most patients with advanced metastatic melanoma have a poor clinical outcome. The most frequent mutations in melanoma affect the BRAF oncogene, a protein kinase of the MAPK signaling pathway. Therapies targeting both BRAF and MEK are effective for only 50% of patients and, almost systematically, generate drug resistance. Genetic and non-genetic mechanisms associated with the strong heterogeneity and plasticity of melanoma cells have been suggested to favor drug resistance but are still poorly understood. Recently, we have introduced a novel mathematical formalism allowing the representation of the relation between tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance and proposed several models for the development of resistance of melanoma treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. In this paper, we further investigate this relationship by using a new computational model that copes with multiple cell states identified by single cell mRNA sequencing data in melanoma treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. We use this model to predict the outcome of different therapeutic strategies. The reference therapy, referred to as “continuous” consists in applying one or several drugs without disruption. In “combination therapy”, several drugs are used sequentially. In “adaptive therapy” drug application is interrupted when the tumor size is below a lower threshold and resumed when the size goes over an upper threshold. We show that, counter-intuitively, the optimal protocol in combination therapy of BRAF/MEK inhibitors with a hypothetical drug targeting cell states that develop later during the tumor response to kinase inhibitors, is to treat first with this hypothetical drug. Also, even though there is little difference in the timing of emergence of the resistance between continuous and adaptive therapies, the spatial distribution of the different melanoma subpopulations is more zonated in the case of adaptive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran Hodgkinson
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Dumitru Trucu
- Division of Mathematics, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Matthieu Lacroix
- IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U1194, Univ Montpellier, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Equipe Labélisée Ligue contre le cancer, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Le Cam
- IRCM, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U1194, Univ Montpellier, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Equipe Labélisée Ligue contre le cancer, Paris, France
| | - Ovidiu Radulescu
- LPHI, University of Montpellier and CNRS UMR 5235, Montpellier, France
- *Correspondence: Ovidiu Radulescu,
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Intermittent treatment of BRAF V600E melanoma cells delays resistance by adaptive resensitization to drug rechallenge. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113535119. [PMID: 35290123 PMCID: PMC8944661 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113535119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Preclinical studies of metastatic melanoma treated with targeted therapeutics have suggested that alternating periods of treatment and withdrawal might delay the onset of resistance. This has been attributed to drug addiction, where cells lose fitness upon drug removal due to the resulting hyperactivation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling. This study presents evidence that the intermittent treatment response can also be explained by the resensitization of cells following drug removal and enhanced cell loss upon drug rechallenge. Resensitization is accompanied by adaptive transcriptomic switching and occurs despite the sustained expression of resistance genes throughout the intermittent treatment. Patients with melanoma receiving drugs targeting BRAFV600E and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinases 1 and 2 (MEK1/2) invariably develop resistance and face continued progression. Based on preclinical studies, intermittent treatment involving alternating periods of drug withdrawal and rechallenge has been proposed as a method to delay the onset of resistance. The beneficial effect of intermittent treatment has been attributed to drug addiction, where drug withdrawal reduces the viability of resistant cells due to MAP kinase pathway hyperactivation. However, the mechanistic basis of the intermittent effect is incompletely understood. We show that intermittent treatment with the BRAFV600E inhibitor, LGX818/encorafenib, suppresses growth compared with continuous treatment in human melanoma cells engineered to express BRAFV600E, p61-BRAFV600E, or MEK2C125 oncogenes. Analysis of the BRAFV600E-overexpressing cells shows that, while drug addiction clearly occurs, it fails to account for the advantageous effect of intermittent treatment. Instead, growth suppression is best explained by resensitization during periods of drug removal, followed by cell death after drug readdition. Continuous treatment leads to transcriptional responses prominently associated with chemoresistance in melanoma. By contrast, cells treated intermittently reveal a subset of transcripts that reverse expression between successive cycles of drug removal and rechallenge and include mediators of cell invasiveness and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These transcripts change during periods of drug removal by adaptive switching, rather than selection pressure. Resensitization occurs against a background of sustained expression of melanoma resistance genes, producing a transcriptome distinct from that of the initial drug-naive cell state. We conclude that phenotypic plasticity leading to drug resensitization can underlie the beneficial effect of intermittent treatment.
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Diazzi S, Baeri A, Fassy J, Lecacheur M, Marin-Bejar O, Girard CA, Lefevre L, Lacoux C, Irondelle M, Mounier C, Truchi M, Couralet M, Ohanna M, Carminati A, Berestjuk I, Larbret F, Gilot D, Vassaux G, Marine JC, Deckert M, Mari B, Tartare-Deckert S. Blockade of the pro-fibrotic reaction mediated by the miR-143/-145 cluster enhances the responses to targeted therapy in melanoma. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e15295. [PMID: 35156321 PMCID: PMC8899916 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202115295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lineage dedifferentiation toward a mesenchymal‐like state displaying myofibroblast and fibrotic features is a common mechanism of adaptive and acquired resistance to targeted therapy in melanoma. Here, we show that the anti‐fibrotic drug nintedanib is active to normalize the fibrous ECM network, enhance the efficacy of MAPK‐targeted therapy, and delay tumor relapse in a preclinical model of melanoma. Acquisition of this resistant phenotype and its reversion by nintedanib pointed to miR‐143/‐145 pro‐fibrotic cluster as a driver of this mesenchymal‐like phenotype. Upregulation of the miR‐143/‐145 cluster under BRAFi/MAPKi therapy was observed in melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo and was associated with an invasive/undifferentiated profile. The 2 mature miRNAs generated from this cluster, miR‐143‐3p and miR‐145‐5p, collaborated to mediate transition toward a drug‐resistant undifferentiated mesenchymal‐like state by targeting Fascin actin‐bundling protein 1 (FSCN1), modulating the dynamic crosstalk between the actin cytoskeleton and the ECM through the regulation of focal adhesion dynamics and mechanotransduction pathways. Our study brings insights into a novel miRNA‐mediated regulatory network that contributes to non‐genetic adaptive drug resistance and provides proof of principle that preventing MAPKi‐induced pro‐fibrotic stromal response is a viable therapeutic opportunity for patients on targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Diazzi
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Alberto Baeri
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Julien Fassy
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Margaux Lecacheur
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Oskar Marin-Bejar
- Laboratory For Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe A Girard
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Lauren Lefevre
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Caroline Lacoux
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | | | - Carine Mounier
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France.,CYU Université, ERRMECe (EA1391), Neuville-sur-Oise, France
| | - Marin Truchi
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Marie Couralet
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Mickael Ohanna
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Alexandrine Carminati
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Ilona Berestjuk
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Frederic Larbret
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - David Gilot
- INSERM U1242, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Georges Vassaux
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Marine
- Laboratory For Molecular Cancer Biology, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marcel Deckert
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France
| | - Bernard Mari
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Sophia Antipolis, France.,FHU-OncoAge, Nice, France
| | - Sophie Tartare-Deckert
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Nice, France.,FHU-OncoAge, Nice, France
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Barreno A, Orgaz JL. Cytoskeletal Remodelling as an Achilles’ Heel for Therapy Resistance in Melanoma. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030518. [PMID: 35159327 PMCID: PMC8834185 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer with a poor prognosis when diagnosed late. MAPK-targeted therapies and immune checkpoint blockers benefit a subset of melanoma patients; however, acquired therapy resistance inevitably arises within a year. In addition, some patients display intrinsic (primary) resistance and never respond to therapy. There is mounting evidence that resistant cells adapt to therapy through the rewiring of cytoskeleton regulators, leading to a profound remodelling of the actomyosin cytoskeleton. Importantly, this renders therapy-resistant cells highly dependent on cytoskeletal signalling pathways for sustaining their survival under drug pressure, which becomes a vulnerability that can be exploited therapeutically. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on cytoskeletal pathways involved in mainly targeted therapy resistance and future avenues, as well as potential clinical interventions.
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