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Katic L, Priscan A. Multifaceted Roles of ALK Family Receptors and Augmentor Ligands in Health and Disease: A Comprehensive Review. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1490. [PMID: 37892172 PMCID: PMC10605310 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This review commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the discovery of physiological ligands Augα (Augmentor α; ALKAL2; Fam150b) and Augβ (Augmentor β; ALKAL1; Fam150a) for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and leukocyte tyrosine kinase (LTK), previously considered orphan receptors. This manuscript provides an in-depth review of the biophysical and cellular properties of ALK family receptors and their roles in cancer, metabolism, pain, ophthalmology, pigmentation, central nervous system (CNS) function, and reproduction. ALK and LTK receptors are implicated in the development of numerous cancers, and targeted inhibition of their signaling pathways can offer therapeutic benefits. Additionally, ALK family receptors are involved in regulating body weight and metabolism, modulating pain signaling, and contributing to eye development and pigmentation. In the CNS, these receptors play a role in synapse modulation, neurogenesis, and various psychiatric pathologies. Lastly, ALK expression is linked to reproductive functions, with potential implications for patients undergoing ALK inhibitor therapy. Further research is needed to better understand the complex interactions of ALK family receptors and Aug ligands and to repurpose targeted therapy for a wide range of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luka Katic
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Morningside/West, 1000 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10019, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Anamarija Priscan
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
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2
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Pratap Reddy Gajulapalli V, Lee J, Sohn I. Ligand-Based Pharmacophore Modelling in Search of Novel Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Inhibitors. RESULTS IN CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rechem.2022.100752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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3
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Li Z, Lin Y, Chi X, Xu M, Wang H. Appearance of an ALK mutation conferring resistance to crizotinib in non-small cell lung cancer harboring oncogenic ROS1 fusion. Lung Cancer 2021; 153:174-175. [PMID: 33472762 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- ZhiFeng Li
- Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Yingcheng Lin
- Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Xiuying Chi
- Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | | | - Hongbiao Wang
- Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
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Kachko VA, Platonova NM, Vanushko VE, Shifman BM. [The role of molecular testing in thyroid tumors]. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 66:33-46. [PMID: 33351337 DOI: 10.14341/probl12491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
¹I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia; ²Endocrinology Research Centre, Moscow, Russia Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine gland cancer. In the last few decades, the molecular diagnostics for thyroid tumors have been widely researched. It is one of the few cancers whose incidence has increased in recent years from microcarcinomas to common, large forms, in all age groups, from children to the elder people. Most researches focus on the genetic basis, since our current knowledge of the genetic background of various forms of thyroid cancer is far from being complete. Molecular and genetic research has several main directions: firstly, differential diagnosis of thyroid tumors, secondly, the prognostic value of detected mutations in thyroid cancer, and thirdly, targeted therapy for aggressive or radioactive iodine-resistant forms of thyroid cancer. In this review, we wanted to update our understanding and describe the prevailing advances in molecular genetics of thyroid cancer, focusing on the main genes associated with the pathology and their potential application in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera A Kachko
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)
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Cervantes-Madrid D, Szydzik J, Lind DE, Borenäs M, Bemark M, Cui J, Palmer RH, Hallberg B. Repotrectinib (TPX-0005), effectively reduces growth of ALK driven neuroblastoma cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19353. [PMID: 31852910 PMCID: PMC6920469 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55060-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most commonly diagnosed extracranial tumor in the first year of life. Approximately 9% of neuroblastoma patients present germline or somatic aberrations in the gene encoding for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). This increases in high-risk neuroblastomas, which have a 14% frequency of ALK aberrations at the time of diagnosis and show increasing numbers at relapse. Abrogating ALK activity with kinase inhibitors is employed as clinical therapy in malignancies such as non-small cell lung cancer and has shown good results in pediatric inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors and anaplastic large cell lymphomas. A phase I clinical trial of the first generation ALK inhibitor, crizotinib, in neuroblastoma patients showed modest results and suggested that further investigation was needed. Continuous development of ALK inhibitors has resulted in the third generation inhibitor repotrectinib (TPX-0005), which targets the active kinase conformations of ALK, ROS1 and TRK receptors. In the present study we investigated the effects of repotrectinib in a neuroblastoma setting in vitro and in vivo. Neuroblastoma cell lines were treated with repotrectinib to investigate inhibition of ALK and to determine its effect on proliferation. PC12 cells transfected with different ALK mutant variants were used to study the efficacy of repotrectinib to block ALK activation/signaling. The in vivo effect of repotrectinib was also analyzed in a neuroblastoma xenograft model. Our results show that repotrectinib is capable of inhibiting signaling activity of a range of ALK mutant variants found in neuroblastoma patients and importantly it exhibits strong antitumor effects in a xenograft model of neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Cervantes-Madrid
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joanna Szydzik
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dan Emil Lind
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marcus Borenäs
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Bemark
- Mucosal Immunobiology and Vaccine Center (MIVAC), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jean Cui
- Turning Point Therapeutics, Inc. 10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, California, 92121, United States
| | - Ruth Helen Palmer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Molecular Alterations in Thyroid Cancer: From Bench to Clinical Practice. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10090709. [PMID: 31540307 PMCID: PMC6771012 DOI: 10.3390/genes10090709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancer comprises different clinical and histological entities. Whereas differentiated (DTCs) malignancies are sensitive to radioiodine therapy, anaplastic (ATCs) and medullary (MTCs) tumors do not uptake radioactive iodine and display aggressive features associated with a poor prognosis. Moreover, in a majority of DTCs, disease evolution leads to the progressive loss of iodine sensitivity. Hence, iodine-refractory DTCs, along with ATCs and MTCs, require alternative treatments reflective of their different tumor biology. In the last decade, the molecular mechanisms promoting thyroid cancer development and progression have been extensively studied. This has led to a better understanding of the genomic landscape, displayed by thyroid malignancies, and to the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Indeed, several pharmacological compounds have been developed for iodine-refractory tumors, with four multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitors already available for DTCs (sorafenib and lenvatinib) and MTCs (cabozantib and vandetanib), and a plethora of drugs currently being evaluated in clinical trials. In this review, we will describe the genomic alterations and biological processes intertwined with thyroid cancer development, also providing a thorough overview of targeted drugs already tested or under investigation for these tumors. Furthermore, given the existing preclinical evidence, we will briefly discuss the potential role of immunotherapy as an additional therapeutic strategy for the treatment of thyroid cancer.
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Ducray SP, Natarajan K, Garland GD, Turner SD, Egger G. The Transcriptional Roles of ALK Fusion Proteins in Tumorigenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081074. [PMID: 31366041 PMCID: PMC6721376 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a tyrosine kinase involved in neuronal and gut development. Initially discovered in T cell lymphoma, ALK is frequently affected in diverse cancers by oncogenic translocations. These translocations involve different fusion partners that facilitate multimerisation and autophosphorylation of ALK, resulting in a constitutively active tyrosine kinase with oncogenic potential. ALK fusion proteins are involved in diverse cellular signalling pathways, such as Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and Janus protein tyrosine kinase (JAK)/STAT. Furthermore, ALK is implicated in epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation and miRNA expression, and an interaction with nuclear proteins has been described. Through these mechanisms, ALK fusion proteins enable a transcriptional programme that drives the pathogenesis of a range of ALK-related malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Ducray
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20QQ, UK
| | | | - Gavin D Garland
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20QQ, UK
| | - Suzanne D Turner
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20QQ, UK.
| | - Gerda Egger
- Department of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Umapathy G, Mendoza-Garcia P, Hallberg B, Palmer RH. Targeting anaplastic lymphoma kinase in neuroblastoma. APMIS 2019; 127:288-302. [PMID: 30803032 PMCID: PMC6850425 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), has been identified as a fusion partner in a diverse variety of translocation events resulting in oncogenic signaling in many different cancer types. In tumors where the full‐length ALK RTK itself is mutated, such as neuroblastoma, the picture regarding the role of ALK as an oncogenic driver is less clear. Neuroblastoma is a complex and heterogeneous tumor that arises from the neural crest derived peripheral nervous system. Although high‐risk neuroblastoma is rare, it often relapses and becomes refractory to treatment. Thus, neuroblastoma accounts for 10–15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Since most cases are in children under the age of 2, understanding the role and regulation of ALK during neural crest development is an important goal in addressing neuroblastoma tumorigenesis. An impressive array of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that act to inhibit ALK have been FDA approved for use in ALK‐driven cancers. ALK TKIs bind differently within the ATP‐binding pocket of the ALK kinase domain and have been associated with different resistance mutations within ALK itself that arise in response to therapeutic use, particularly in ALK‐fusion positive non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This patient population has highlighted the importance of considering the relevant ALK TKI to be used for a given ALK mutant variant. In this review, we discuss ALK in neuroblastoma, as well as the use of ALK TKIs and other strategies to inhibit tumor growth. Current efforts combining novel approaches and increasing our understanding of the oncogenic role of ALK in neuroblastoma are aimed at improving the efficacy of ALK TKIs as precision medicine options in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Umapathy
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Patricia Mendoza-Garcia
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ruth H Palmer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Van den Eynden J, Umapathy G, Ashouri A, Cervantes-Madrid D, Szydzik J, Ruuth K, Koster J, Larsson E, Guan J, Palmer RH, Hallberg B. Phosphoproteome and gene expression profiling of ALK inhibition in neuroblastoma cell lines reveals conserved oncogenic pathways. Sci Signal 2018; 11:11/557/eaar5680. [PMID: 30459281 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aar5680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a tyrosine kinase receptor that is a clinical target of major interest in cancer. Mutations and rearrangements in ALK trigger the activation of the encoded receptor and its downstream signaling pathways. ALK mutations have been identified in both familial and sporadic neuroblastoma cases as well as in 30 to 40% of relapses, which makes ALK a bona fide target in neuroblastoma therapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that target ALK are currently in clinical use for the treatment of patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. However, monotherapy with the ALK inhibitor crizotinib has been less encouraging in neuroblastoma patients with ALK alterations, raising the question of whether combinatorial therapy would be more effective. In this study, we established both phosphoproteomic and gene expression profiles of ALK activity in neuroblastoma cells exposed to first- and third-generation ALK TKIs, to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms and identify relevant biomarkers, signaling networks, and new therapeutic targets. This analysis has unveiled various important leads for novel combinatorial treatment strategies for patients with neuroblastoma and an increased understanding of ALK signaling involved in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Van den Eynden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.,Department of Human Structure and Repair, Anatomy and Embryology Unit, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ganesh Umapathy
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Arghavan Ashouri
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | | | - Joanna Szydzik
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Kristina Ruuth
- Institution for Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Erik Larsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jikui Guan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.,Children's Hospital affiliated with Zhengzhou University, 450018 Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ruth H Palmer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
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Umapathy G, Guan J, Gustafsson DE, Javanmardi N, Cervantes-Madrid D, Djos A, Martinsson T, Palmer RH, Hallberg B. MEK inhibitor trametinib does not prevent the growth of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-addicted neuroblastomas. Sci Signal 2017; 10:10/507/eaam7550. [PMID: 29184034 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aam7550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway is implicated in driving the initiation and progression of multiple cancers. Several inhibitors targeting the RAS-MAPK pathway are clinically approved as single- or polyagent therapies for patients with specific types of cancer. One example is the MEK inhibitor trametinib, which is included as a rational polytherapy strategy for treating EML4-ALK-positive, EGFR-activated, or KRAS-mutant lung cancers and neuroblastomas that also contain activating mutations in the RAS-MAPK pathway. In addition, in neuroblastoma, a heterogeneous disease, relapse cases display an increased rate of mutations in ALK, NRAS, and NF1, leading to increased activation of RAS-MAPK signaling. Co-targeting ALK and the RAS-MAPK pathway is an attractive option, because monotherapies have not yet produced effective results in ALK-addicted neuroblastoma patients. We evaluated the response of neuroblastoma cell lines to MEK-ERK pathway inhibition by trametinib. In contrast to RAS-MAPK pathway-mutated neuroblastoma cell lines, ALK-addicted neuroblastoma cells treated with trametinib showed increased activation (inferred by phosphorylation) of the kinases AKT and ERK5. This feedback response was mediated by the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2-associated protein SIN1, resulting in increased survival and proliferation that depended on AKT signaling. In xenografts in mice, trametinib inhibited the growth of EML4-ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer and RAS-mutant neuroblastoma but not ALK-addicted neuroblastoma. Thus, our results advise against the seemingly rational option of using MEK inhibitors to treat ALK-addicted neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Umapathy
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jikui Guan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Dan E Gustafsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Niloufar Javanmardi
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Diana Cervantes-Madrid
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Anna Djos
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Tommy Martinsson
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Ruth H Palmer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
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Novel Mechanisms of ALK Activation Revealed by Analysis of the Y1278S Neuroblastoma Mutation. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9110149. [PMID: 29084134 PMCID: PMC5704167 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9110149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous mutations have been observed in the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) in both germline and sporadic neuroblastoma. Here, we have investigated the Y1278S mutation, observed in four patient cases, and its potential importance in the activation of the full length ALK receptor. Y1278S is located in the 1278-YRASYY-1283 motif of the ALK activation loop, which has previously been reported to be important in the activation of the ALK kinase domain. In this study, we have characterized activation loop mutations within the context of the full length ALK employing cell culture and Drosophila melanogaster model systems. Our results show that the Y1278S mutant observed in patients with neuroblastoma harbors gain-of-function activity. Secondly, we show that the suggested interaction between Y1278 and other amino acids might be of less importance in the activation process of the ALK kinase than previously proposed. Thirdly, of the three individual tyrosines in the 1278-YRASYY-1283 activation loop, we find that Y1283 is the critical tyrosine in the activation process. Taken together, our observations employing different model systems reveal new mechanistic insights on how the full length ALK receptor is activated and highlight differences with earlier described activation mechanisms observed in the NPM-ALK fusion protein, supporting a mechanism of activation more in line with those observed for the Insulin Receptor (InR).
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Takita J. The role of anaplastic lymphoma kinase in pediatric cancers. Cancer Sci 2017; 108:1913-1920. [PMID: 28756644 PMCID: PMC5623752 DOI: 10.1111/cas.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene was initially identified as a fusion partner of the nucleophosmin gene in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma with t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation, and then described with different genetic abnormalities in a number of tumors. Although ALK is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma through activating mutations or gene amplification, its role in the pathogenesis of other pediatric cancers is still elusive. In addition to neuroblastoma, the high-grade amplification of ALK has been described in a subset of rhabdomyosarcoma cases. Normal ALK protein expression is restricted to the nervous systems of adult mammals, but the aberrant expression of ALK has been observed in a variety of pediatric cancers, including glioma and Ewing sarcoma. The discovery of oncogenic activation of ALK in neuroblastoma suggests that this cancer could be potentially treated with an ALK inhibitor, as could other cancers, such as non-small-cell lung cancer and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. However, cellular responses to mutant ALK are complex when compared to rearranged ALK, and treatment remains a challenge. This review focuses on the biology of ALK in pediatric cancers and possible therapeutic strategies for ALK-associated tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Takita
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Hout DR, Schweitzer BL, Lawrence K, Morris SW, Tucker T, Mazzola R, Skelton R, McMahon F, Handshoe J, Lesperance M, Karsan A, Saltman DL. Performance of a RT-PCR Assay in Comparison to FISH and Immunohistochemistry for the Detection of ALK in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9080099. [PMID: 28763012 PMCID: PMC5575602 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9080099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with lung cancers harboring an activating anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement respond favorably to ALK inhibitor therapy. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are validated and widely used screening tests for ALK rearrangements but both methods have limitations. The ALK RGQ RT-PCR Kit (RT-PCR) is a single tube quantitative real-time PCR assay for high throughput and automated interpretation of ALK expression. In this study, we performed a direct comparison of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung cancer specimens using all three ALK detection methods. The RT-PCR test (diagnostic cut-off ΔCt of ≤8) was shown to be highly sensitive (100%) when compared to FISH and IHC. Sequencing of RNA detected full-length ALK transcripts or EML4-ALK and KIF5B-ALK fusion variants in discordant cases in which ALK expression was detected by the ALK RT-PCR test but negative by FISH and IHC. The overall specificity of the RT-PCR test for the detection of ALK in cases without full-length ALK expression was 94% in comparison to FISH and sequencing. These data support the ALK RT-PCR test as a highly efficient and reliable diagnostic screening approach to identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors are driven by oncogenic ALK.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Hout
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - Brock L Schweitzer
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - Kasey Lawrence
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - Stephan W Morris
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - Tracy Tucker
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, BC Cancer Agency, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada.
| | - Rosetta Mazzola
- Department of Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, VIC 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada.
| | - Rachel Skelton
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - Frank McMahon
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - John Handshoe
- Insight Genetics, Inc., Suite 510, 2 International Plaza, Nashville, TN 37217, USA.
| | - Mary Lesperance
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Victoria, Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Aly Karsan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, BC Cancer Agency, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada.
| | - David L Saltman
- Department of Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, VIC 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada.
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