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Hu Y, Lu Y, Xing F, Hsu W. FGFR1/MAPK-directed brachyury activation drives PD-L1-mediated immune evasion to promote lung cancer progression. Cancer Lett 2022; 547:215867. [PMID: 35985510 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors provide promising benefits for patients with cancer. However, efficacy has been encumbered by high resistance rates. It is critical to understand the basic mechanisms of tumor-mediated resistance to this treatment modality. Previous studies have found that the transcription factor brachyury is highly expressed in lung cancer. Here, we show that brachyury activation induces the upregulation of PD-L1 leading to inactivation of T cell proliferation in vitro and inhibited infiltration of CD8+ and CD3+ T cells into tumor in an immunocompetent mouse model. We further demonstrate that FGFR1/MAPK activation regulates brachyury and PD-L1 expressions and promotes immunosuppression. Blocking FGFR1/MAPK suppresses brachyury and PD-L1 expressions, revives immune activity, and reverses the resistance to anti-PD-1 treatment to produce a durable therapeutic response. We also find that lung cancer patients with high activation of the FGFR1-MAPK-brachyury-PD-L1 signature and low expression of CD8A, CD3D, or PDCD1 have worse survival outcomes. These findings elucidate a novel mechanism of immune escape from immune checkpoint therapy and provide an opportunity to enhance its therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of a subset of FGFR1/MAPK/brachyury/PD-L1-driven lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunping Hu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
| | - Yong Lu
- The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Avenue, Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Fei Xing
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Wesley Hsu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
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2
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Zauner R, Wimmer M, Dorfer S, Ablinger M, Koller U, Piñón Hofbauer J, Guttmann-Gruber C, Bauer JW, Wally V. Transcriptome-Guided Drug Repurposing for Aggressive SCCs. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23021007. [PMID: 35055192 PMCID: PMC8780441 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23021007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a significant rise in the incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in recent years, most SCCs are well treatable. However, against the background of pre-existing risk factors such as immunosuppression upon organ transplantation, or conditions such as recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), SCCs arise more frequently and follow a particularly aggressive course. Notably, such SCC types display molecular similarities, despite their differing etiologies. We leveraged the similarities in transcriptomes between tumors from organ transplant recipients and RDEB-patients, augmented with data from more common head and neck (HN)-SCCs, to identify drugs that can be repurposed to treat these SCCs. The in silico approach used is based on the assumption that SCC-derived transcriptome profiles reflect critical tumor pathways that, if reversed towards healthy tissue, will attenuate the malignant phenotype. We determined tumor-specific signatures based on differentially expressed genes, which were then used to mine drug-perturbation data. By leveraging recent efforts in the systematic profiling and cataloguing of thousands of small molecule compounds, we identified drugs including selumetinib that specifically target key molecules within the MEK signaling cascade, representing candidates with the potential to be effective in the treatment of these rare and aggressive SCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Zauner
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Monika Wimmer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
| | - Sonja Dorfer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
| | - Michael Ablinger
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
| | - Ulrich Koller
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
| | - Josefina Piñón Hofbauer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
| | - Christina Guttmann-Gruber
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
| | - Johann W. Bauer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Verena Wally
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (M.W.); (S.D.); (M.A.); (U.K.); (J.P.H.); (C.G.-G.); (J.W.B.); (V.W.)
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Xu J, Chen M, Wu Y, Zhang H, Zhou J, Wang D, Zou T, Shen J. The Role of Transcriptional Factor Brachyury on Cell Cycle Regulation in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1078. [PMID: 32719747 PMCID: PMC7348045 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for almost 80-85% of all lung cancer cases. The transcriptional factor brachyury has been verified to promote tumor cells migrate, invade, and metastasis in various types of tumors, whereas divergent roles of brachyury on cell proliferation have been reported in several types of tumor cells. In this study, we attempted to explore the effect of brachyury on the cell cycle progression and proliferation capability of NSCLC cells. Firstly, we performed RNA-sequence and ChIP-sequence to explore underlying downstream pathways regulated by brachyury. Cell proliferation and colony formation assays were utilized to detect the effect of brachyury on the proliferation ability of two types of lung NSCLC cells: H460 and Calu-1, which represent different brachyury expression levels. Following cell cycle and cell apoptosis assays were used to investigate the mechanism by which brachyury promotes NSCLC grow and progression. RNA-sequence and ChIP-sequence (ChIP-seq) showed that one of the vital downstream pathways regulated by brachyury involves in cell cycle progression. Through cell proliferation assays and colony formation assays, we found that inhibition of brachyury could decrease the capability of proliferation in H460 cells. We also found that brachyury overexpression could prevent the transition from G0/G1 to S phase in Calu-1 cells, and brachyury knockdown could decrease the transition of G2/M phase in H460 cells. The cell apoptosis assays showed that inhibition of brachyury could promote apoptosis in H460 cells. In this study we demonstrate that brachyury and downstream target genes together involve in tumor cell cycle regulation by inducing accelerated transition through G2/M, promote tumor cell proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in lung NSCLC H460 cells. Targeting brachyury expression could be developed into a promising avenue for the prevention of lung cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Xu
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yinghui Wu
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Jundong Zhou
- Suzhou Cancer Center Core Laboratory, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Donglai Wang
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Tianming Zou
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Jun Shen
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
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4
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Chen M, Wu Y, Zhang H, Li S, Zhou J, Shen J. The Roles of Embryonic Transcription Factor BRACHYURY in Tumorigenesis and Progression. Front Oncol 2020; 10:961. [PMID: 32695672 PMCID: PMC7338565 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor brachyury, with a DNA-binding T-domain, regulates posterior mesoderm formation and notochord development through binding with highly conserved palindromic consensus sequence in a variety of organisms. The absence of brachyury expression in majority of adult normal tissues and exclusive tumor-specific expression provides the potential to be developed into a novel and promising diagnostic and therapeutic target in cancer. As a sensitive and specific marker in the diagnosis of chordoma, brachyury protein has been verified to involve in the process of carcinogenesis and progression of chordoma and several epithelial carcinomas in various studies, but the mechanism by which brachyury promotes tumor cells migrate, invade and metastasis still remains less clear. To this end, we attempt to summarize the literature on the upstream regulatory pathway of brachyury transcription and downstream controlling network by brachyury activation, all of which involve in both the embryonic development and tumor progression. We present the respective correlation of brachyury expression with tumor progression, distant metastasis, survival rate and prognosis in several types of tumor samples (including chordoma, lung cancer, breast carcinoma, and prostate cancer), and various brachyury gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments are summarized to explore its specific role in respective tumor cell line in vitro. In addition, we also discuss another two programs relating to brachyury function: epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell cycle control, both of which implicate in the regulation of brachyury on biological behavior of tumor cells. This review will provide an overview of the function of master transcriptional factor brachyury, compare the similarities and differences of its role between embryonic development and carcinogenesis, and list the evidence on which brachyury-target therapies have the potential to help control advanced cancer populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Chen
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yinghui Wu
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Suoyuan Li
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Jundong Zhou
- Suzhou Cancer Center Core Laboratory, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jun Shen
- Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China
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5
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Dongre A, Weinberg RA. New insights into the mechanisms of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and implications for cancer. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2019; 20:69-84. [PMID: 30459476 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-018-0080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2125] [Impact Index Per Article: 425.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular programme that is known to be crucial for embryogenesis, wound healing and malignant progression. During EMT, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions are remodelled, which leads to the detachment of epithelial cells from each other and the underlying basement membrane, and a new transcriptional programme is activated to promote the mesenchymal fate. In the context of neoplasias, EMT confers on cancer cells increased tumour-initiating and metastatic potential and a greater resistance to elimination by several therapeutic regimens. In this Review, we discuss recent findings on the mechanisms and roles of EMT in normal and neoplastic tissues, and the cell-intrinsic signals that sustain expression of this programme. We also highlight how EMT gives rise to a variety of intermediate cell states between the epithelial and the mesenchymal state, which could function as cancer stem cells. In addition, we describe the contributions of the tumour microenvironment in inducing EMT and the effects of EMT on the immunobiology of carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anushka Dongre
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Weinberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,MIT Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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6
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Yiangou L, Grandy RA, Osnato A, Ortmann D, Sinha S, Vallier L. Cell cycle regulators control mesoderm specification in human pluripotent stem cells. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:17903-17914. [PMID: 31515269 PMCID: PMC6879335 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.008251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The mesoderm is one of the three germ layers produced during gastrulation from which muscle, bones, kidneys, and the cardiovascular system originate. Understanding the mechanisms that control mesoderm specification could inform many applications, including the development of regenerative medicine therapies to manage diseases affecting these tissues. Here, we used human pluripotent stem cells to investigate the role of cell cycle in mesoderm formation. To this end, using small molecules or conditional gene knockdown, we inhibited proteins controlling G1 and G2/M cell cycle phases during the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into lateral plate, cardiac, and presomitic mesoderm. These loss-of-function experiments revealed that regulators of the G1 phase, such as cyclin-dependent kinases and pRb (retinoblastoma protein), are necessary for efficient mesoderm formation in a context-dependent manner. Further investigations disclosed that inhibition of the G2/M regulator cyclin-dependent kinase 1 decreases BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) signaling activity specifically during lateral plate mesoderm formation while reducing fibroblast growth factor/extracellular signaling-regulated kinase 1/2 activity in all mesoderm subtypes. Taken together, our findings reveal that cell cycle regulators direct mesoderm formation by controlling the activity of key developmental pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loukia Yiangou
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Rodrigo A Grandy
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Osnato
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Ortmann
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Sanjay Sinha
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Ludovic Vallier
- Wellcome-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
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FGFR1-ERK1/2-SOX2 axis promotes cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and metastasis in FGFR1-amplified lung cancer. Oncogene 2018; 37:5340-5354. [PMID: 29858603 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0311-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important process for cancer metastasis, drug resistance, and cancer stem cells. Activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) was found to promote EMT and metastasis in prostate and breast cancers, but the effects and mechanisms in lung cancer was unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore whether and how activation of FGFR1 promotes EMT and metastasis in FGFR1-amplified lung cancer. We show that activation of FGFR1 by its ligand fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) promoted proliferation, EMT, migration, and invasion in FGFR1-amplified lung cancer cell lines H1581 and DMS114, whereas inhibition of FGFR1 suppressed these processes. FGFR1 activation upregulated expression of Sry-related HMG box 2 (SOX2) by downstream phosphorylated ERK1/2; moreover, the upregulation of SOX2 by autophosphorylation variant ERK2_R67S plasmid transfection was not suppressed by FGFR1 inhibitor AZD4547 or MEK/ERK inhibitor AZD6244 in vitro. And SOX2 expression was also significantly upregulated in ERK2_R67S lentivirus-transfected stable cell lines in vivo. Overexpression of SOX2 promoted cell proliferation, EMT, migration, and invasion. Importantly, activation of FGFR1 could not promote these processes in SOX2-silenced stable cell lines. In orthotopic and subcutaneous lung cancer xenograft models, inhibition of FGFR1 suppressed tumor growth, SOX2 expression, EMT, and metastasis in vivo; however, these processes caused by SOX2-overexpressing stable cell lines were not suppressed by FGFR1 inhibition. Higher expression of FGFR1 and SOX2 were positively correlated, and both were associated with shorter survival in lung cancer patients. In conclusion, our findings reveal that activation of FGFR1 promotes cell proliferation, EMT, and metastasis by the newly defined FGFR1-ERK1/2-SOX2 axis in FGFR1-amplified lung cancer.
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