1
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Mandell JD, Diviti S, Xu M, Townsend JP. Rare Drivers at Low Prevalence with High Cancer Effects in T-Cell and B-Cell Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6589. [PMID: 38928295 PMCID: PMC11203805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126589] [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: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The genomic analyses of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subtypes, particularly T-cell and B-cell lineages, have been pivotal in identifying potential therapeutic targets. Typical genomic analyses have directed attention toward the most commonly mutated genes. However, assessing the contribution of mutations to cancer phenotypes is crucial. Therefore, we estimated the cancer effects (scaled selection coefficients) for somatic substitutions in T-cell and B-cell cohorts, revealing key insights into mutation contributions. Cancer effects for well-known, frequently mutated genes like NRAS and KRAS in B-ALL were high, which underscores their importance as therapeutic targets. However, less frequently mutated genes IL7R, XBP1, and TOX also demonstrated high cancer effects, suggesting pivotal roles in the development of leukemia when present. In T-ALL, KRAS and NRAS are less frequently mutated than in B-ALL. However, their cancer effects when present are high in both subtypes. Mutations in PIK3R1 and RPL10 were not at high prevalence, yet exhibited some of the highest cancer effects in individual T-cell ALL patients. Even CDKN2A, with a low prevalence and relatively modest cancer effect, is potentially highly relevant for the epistatic effects that its mutated form exerts on other mutations. Prioritizing investigation into these moderately frequent but potentially high-impact targets not only presents novel personalized therapeutic opportunities but also enhances the understanding of disease mechanisms and advances precision therapeutics for pediatric ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Mandell
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA;
| | | | - Mina Xu
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
- Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Epigenetics, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jeffrey P. Townsend
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA;
- Program in Genetics, Genomics, and Epigenetics, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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2
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Eleveld TF, Vernooij L, Schild L, Koopmans B, Alles LK, Ebus ME, Dandis R, van Tinteren H, Caron HN, Koster J, van Noesel MM, Tytgat GAM, Eising S, Versteeg R, Dolman MEM, Molenaar JJ. MEK inhibition causes BIM stabilization and increased sensitivity to BCL-2 family member inhibitors in RAS-MAPK-mutated neuroblastoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1130034. [PMID: 36895472 PMCID: PMC9990464 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1130034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mutations affecting the RAS-MAPK pathway occur frequently in relapsed neuroblastoma tumors and are associated with response to MEK inhibition in vitro. However, these inhibitors alone do not lead to tumor regression in vivo, indicating the need for combination therapy. Methods and results Via high-throughput combination screening, we identified that the MEK inhibitor trametinib can be combined with BCL-2 family member inhibitors, to efficiently inhibit growth of neuroblastoma cell lines with RAS-MAPK mutations. Suppressing the RAS-MAPK pathway with trametinib led to an increase in pro-apoptotic BIM, resulting in more BIM binding to anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members. By favoring the formation of these complexes, trametinib treatment enhances sensitivity to compounds targeting anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members. In vitro validation studies confirmed that this sensitizing effect is dependent on an active RAS-MAPK pathway. In vivo combination of trametinib with BCL-2 inhibitors led to tumor inhibition in NRAS-mutant and NF1-deleted xenografts. Conclusion Together, these results show that combining MEK inhibition with BCL-2 family member inhibition could potentially improve therapeutic outcomes for RAS-MAPK-mutated neuroblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Eleveld
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lindy Vernooij
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Linda Schild
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Bianca Koopmans
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Lindy K Alles
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marli E Ebus
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rana Dandis
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Jan Koster
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Max M van Noesel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Selma Eising
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rogier Versteeg
- Department of Oncogenomics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - M Emmy M Dolman
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia.,School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Pharmaceutical sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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3
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Lin L, Miao L, Lin H, Cheng J, Li M, Zhuo Z, He J. Targeting RAS in neuroblastoma: Is it possible? Pharmacol Ther 2022; 236:108054. [PMID: 34915055 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a common solid tumor in children and a leading cause of cancer death in children. Neuroblastoma exhibits genetic, morphological, and clinical heterogeneity that limits the efficacy of current monotherapies. With further research on neuroblastoma, the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma is found to be complex, and more and more treatment therapies are needed. The importance of personalized therapy is growing. Currently, various molecular features, including RAS mutations, are being used as targets for the development of new therapies for patients with neuroblastoma. A recent study found that RAS mutations are frequently present in recurrent neuroblastoma. RAS mutations have been shown to activate the MAPK pathway and play an important role in neuroblastoma. Treating RAS mutated neuroblastoma is a difficult challenge, but many preclinical studies have yielded effective results. At the same time, many of the therapies used to treat RAS mutated tumors also have good reference values for treating RAS mutated neuroblastoma. The success of KRAS-G12C inhibitors has greatly stimulated confidence in the direct suppression of RAS. This review describes the biological role of RAS and the frequency of RAS mutations in neuroblastoma. This paper focuses on the strategies, preclinical, and clinical progress of targeting carcinogenic RAS in neuroblastoma, and proposes possible prospects and challenges in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lin
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Lei Miao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiran Lin
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jiwen Cheng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenjian Zhuo
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China; Laboratory Animal Center, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong, China.
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4
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Cleary JM, Wang V, Heist RS, Kopetz ES, Mitchell EP, Zwiebel JA, Kapner KS, Chen HX, Li S, Gray RJ, McShane LM, Rubinstein LV, Patton DR, Meric-Bernstam F, Dillmon MS, Williams PM, Hamilton SR, Conley BA, Aguirre AJ, O'Dwyer PJ, Harris LN, Arteaga CL, Chen AP, Flaherty KT. Differential Outcomes in Codon 12/13 and Codon 61 NRAS-Mutated Cancers in the Phase II NCI-MATCH Trial of Binimetinib in Patients with NRAS-Mutated Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:2996-3004. [PMID: 33637626 PMCID: PMC8542423 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Preclinical and clinical data suggest that downstream inhibition with an MEK inhibitor, such as binimetinib, might be efficacious for NRAS-mutated cancers. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients enrolled in the NCI-MATCH trial master protocol underwent tumor biopsy and molecular profiling by targeted next-generation sequencing. Patients with NRAS-mutated tumors, except melanoma, were enrolled in subprotocol Z1A, a single-arm study evaluating binimetinib 45 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). A post hoc analysis examined the association of NRAS mutation type with outcome. RESULTS In total, 47 eligible patients with a refractory solid tumor harboring a codon 12, 13, or 61 NRAS mutation were treated. Observed toxicity was moderate, and 30% of patients discontinued treatment because of binimetinib-associated toxicity. The ORR was 2.1% (1/47 patients). A patient with malignant ameloblastoma harboring a codon 61 NRAS mutation achieved a durable partial response (PR). A patient with NRAS codon 61-mutated colorectal cancer had an unconfirmed PR, and two other patients with NRAS codon 61-mutated colorectal had stable disease for at least 12 months. In an exploratory analysis, patients with colorectal cancer bearing a NRAS codon 61 mutation (n = 8) had a significantly longer OS (P = 0.03) and PFS (P = 0.007) than those with codon 12 or 13 mutations (n = 16). CONCLUSIONS Single-agent binimetinib did not show promising efficacy in NRAS-mutated cancers. The observation of increased OS and PFS in patients with codon 61 NRAS-mutated colorectal cancer merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Cleary
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | | | - Rebecca S Heist
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - E Scott Kopetz
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Edith P Mitchell
- Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - James A Zwiebel
- Investigational Drug Branch, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kevin S Kapner
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Helen X Chen
- Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Shuli Li
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Lisa M McShane
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Larry V Rubinstein
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - David R Patton
- Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Funda Meric-Bernstam
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - P Mickey Williams
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | | | - Barbara A Conley
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Lyndsay N Harris
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Alice P Chen
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Keith T Flaherty
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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5
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Ogino A, Choi J, Lin M, Wilkens MK, Calles A, Xu M, Adeni AE, Chambers ES, Capelletti M, Butaney M, Gray NS, Gokhale PC, Palakurthi S, Kirschmeier P, Oxnard GR, Sholl LM, Jänne PA. Genomic and pathological heterogeneity in clinically diagnosed small cell lung cancer in never/light smokers identifies therapeutically targetable alterations. Mol Oncol 2020; 15:27-42. [PMID: 32191822 PMCID: PMC7782083 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) occurs infrequently in never/former light smokers. We sought to study this rare clinical subset through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and by characterizing a representative patient-derived model. We performed targeted NGS, as well as comprehensive pathological evaluation, in 11 never/former light smokers with clinically diagnosed SCLC. We established a patient-derived model from one such patient (DFCI168) harboring an NRASQ61K mutation and characterized the sensitivity of this model to MEK and TORC1/2 inhibitors. Despite the clinical diagnosis of SCLC, the majority (8/11) of cases were either of nonpulmonary origin or of mixed histology and included atypical carcinoid (n = 1), mixed non-small-cell lung carcinoma and SCLC (n = 4), unspecified poorly differentiated carcinoma (n = 1), or small-cell carcinoma from different origins (n = 2). RB1 and TP53 mutations were found in four and five cases, respectively. Predicted driver mutations were detected in EGFR (n = 2), NRAS (n = 1), KRAS (n = 1), BRCA1 (n = 1), and ATM (n = 1), and one case harbored a TMPRSS2-ERG fusion. DFCI168 (NRASQ61K ) exhibited marked sensitivity to MEK inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. The combination of MEK and mTORC1/2 inhibitors synergized to prevent compensatory mTOR activation, resulting in prolonged growth inhibition in this model and in three other NRAS mutant lung cancer cell lines. SCLC in never/former light smokers is rare and is potentially a distinct disease entity comprised of oncogenic driver mutation-harboring carcinomas morphologically and/or clinically mimicking SCLC. Comprehensive pathologic review integrated with genomic profiling is critical in refining the diagnosis and in identifying potential therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Ogino
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jihyun Choi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mika Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaret K Wilkens
- Experimental Therapeutics Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Antonio Calles
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Man Xu
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anika E Adeni
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily S Chambers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marzia Capelletti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohit Butaney
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prafulla C Gokhale
- Experimental Therapeutics Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sangeetha Palakurthi
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Kirschmeier
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Geoffrey R Oxnard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lynette M Sholl
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pasi A Jänne
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
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6
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Lanzi C, Dal Bo L, Favini E, Tortoreto M, Beretta GL, Arrighetti N, Zaffaroni N, Cassinelli G. Overactive IGF1/Insulin Receptors and NRASQ61R Mutation Drive Mechanisms of Resistance to Pazopanib and Define Rational Combination Strategies to Treat Synovial Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11030408. [PMID: 30909453 PMCID: PMC6468361 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11030408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pazopanib is approved for treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas, but primary and secondary drug resistance limits its clinical utility. We investigated the molecular mechanisms mediating pazopanib resistance in human synovial sarcoma (SS) models. We found reduced cell sensitivity to pazopanib associated with inefficient inhibition of the two critical signaling nodes, AKT and ERKs, despite strong inhibition of the main drug target, PDGFRα. In the CME-1 cell line, overactivation of IGF1 and Insulin receptors (IGF1R/InsR) sustained AKT activation and pazopanib resistance, which was overcome by a combination treatment with the double IGF1R/InsR inhibitor BMS754807. In the highly pazopanib resistant MoJo cell line, NRASQ61R mutation sustained constitutive ERK activation. Transfection of the NRAS mutant in the pazopanib sensitive SYO-1 cell line increased the drug IC50. MoJo cells treatment with pazopanib in combination with the MEK inhibitor trametinib restored ERK inhibition, synergistically inhibited cell growth, and induced apoptosis. The combination significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy against MoJo orthotopic xenograft abrogating growth in 38% of mice. These findings identified two different mechanisms of intrinsic pazopanib resistance in SS cells, supporting molecular/immunohistochemical profiling of tumor specimens as a valuable approach to selecting patients who may benefit from rational drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Lanzi
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Laura Dal Bo
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Enrica Favini
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Monica Tortoreto
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Luca Beretta
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Noemi Arrighetti
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuliana Cassinelli
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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7
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Luo G, Feng R, Sun Y, Zheng L, Wang Y, Chen Y, Wen T. Dendritic cell factor 1 inhibits proliferation and migration and induces apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway. Oncol Rep 2018; 41:103-112. [PMID: 30365123 PMCID: PMC6278510 DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor that affects mainly children and has extremely high mortality and recurrence rates. A previous study revealed that dendritic cell factor 1 (DCF1), also called transmembrane protein 59, could activate apoptosis in glioma cells. In the present study, we applied immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, flow cytometry and cell tumorigenicity to investigate the DCF1 mechanisms involved in NB apoptosis. DCF1 was overexpressed in Neuro-2a and SK-N-SH cells through instantaneous transfection. The data revealed that overexpression of DCF1 could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion and promote cell apoptosis in vitro, and suppress NB growth in vivo. The ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which promotes cell survival, was the target of DCF1 in neuroblastoma cells. All the results indicated that DCF1 could be a potential therapeutic target for the understanding and treatment of NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghong Luo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Ruili Feng
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Yangyang Sun
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Lili Zheng
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Yajiang Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Yanlu Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
| | - Tieqiao Wen
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P.R. China
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8
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The lincRNA MIRAT binds to IQGAP1 and modulates the MAPK pathway in NRAS mutant melanoma. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10902. [PMID: 30026510 PMCID: PMC6053443 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27643-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite major advances in targeted melanoma therapies, drug resistance limits their efficacy. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcriptome elements that do not encode proteins but are important regulatory molecules. LncRNAs have been implicated in cancer development and response to different therapeutics and are thus potential treatment targets; however, the majority of their functions and molecular interactions remain unexplored. In this study, we identify a novel cytoplasmic intergenic lincRNA (MIRAT), which is upregulated following prolonged MAPK inhibition in NRAS mutant melanoma and modulates MAPK signaling by binding to the MEK scaffold protein IQGAP1. Collectively, our results present MIRAT's direct modulatory effect on the MAPK pathway and highlight the relevance of cytoplasmic lncRNAs as potential targets in drug resistant cancer.
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9
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Rinner B, Gandolfi G, Meditz K, Frisch MT, Wagner K, Ciarrocchi A, Torricelli F, Koivuniemi R, Niklander J, Liegl-Atzwanger B, Lohberger B, Heitzer E, Ghaffari-Tabrizi-Wizsy N, Zweytick D, Zalaudek I. MUG-Mel2, a novel highly pigmented and well characterized NRAS mutated human melanoma cell line. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2098. [PMID: 28522871 PMCID: PMC5437015 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02197-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
NRAS mutation in melanoma has been associated with aggressive tumor biology and poor prognosis. Although targeted therapy has been tested for NRAS mutated melanoma, response rates still appear much weaker, than in BRAF mutated melanoma. While plenty of cell lines exist, however, only few melanogenic cell lines retain their in vivo characteristics. In this work we present an intensively pigmented and well-characterized cell line derived from a highly aggressive NRAS mutated cutaneous melanoma, named MUG-Mel2. We present the clinical course, unique morphology, angiogenic properties, growth characteristics using in vivo experiments and 3D cell culture, and results of the exome gene sequencing of an intensively pigmented melanogenic cell line MUG-Mel2, derived from a cutaneous metastasis of an aggressive NRAS p. Q61R mutated melanoma. Amongst several genetic alterations, mutations in GRIN2A, CREBP, PIK3C2G, ATM, and ATR were present. These mutations, known to reinforce DNA repair problems in melanoma, might serve as potential treatment targets. The aggressive and fast growing behavior in animal models and the obtained phenotype in 3D culture reveal a perfect model for research in the field of NRAS mutated melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Rinner
- Division of Biomedical Research, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Greta Gandolfi
- Laboratorio di Ricerca Traslazionale Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova - IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
| | - Katharina Meditz
- Division of Biomedical Research, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Karin Wagner
- Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Alessia Ciarrocchi
- Laboratorio di Ricerca Traslazionale Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova - IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Federica Torricelli
- Laboratorio di Ricerca Traslazionale Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova - IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Raili Koivuniemi
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Niklander
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Birgit Lohberger
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ellen Heitzer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Dagmar Zweytick
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Biophysics Division, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Iris Zalaudek
- Division of Dermatology, Graz, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
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10
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Pan Y, Yan C, Hu Y, Fan Y, Pan Q, Wan Q, Torcivia-Rodriguez J, Mazumder R. Distribution bias analysis of germline and somatic single-nucleotide variations that impact protein functional site and neighboring amino acids. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42169. [PMID: 28176830 PMCID: PMC5296879 DOI: 10.1038/srep42169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide variations (SNVs) can result in loss or gain of protein functional sites. We analyzed the effects of SNVs on enzyme active sites, ligand binding sites, and various types of post translational modification (PTM) sites. We found that, for most types of protein functional sites, the SNV pattern differs between germline and somatic mutations as well as between synonymous and non-synonymous mutations. From a total of 51,138 protein functional site affecting SNVs (pfsSNVs), a pan-cancer analysis revealed 142 somatic pfsSNVs in five or more cancer types. By leveraging patient information for somatic pfsSNVs, we identified 17 loss of functional site SNVs and 60 gain of functional site SNVs which are significantly enriched in patients with specific cancer types. Of the key pfsSNVs identified in our analysis above, we highlight 132 key pfsSNVs within 17 genes that are found in well-established cancer associated gene lists. For illustrating how key pfsSNVs can be prioritized further, we provide a use case where we performed survival analysis showing that a loss of phosphorylation site pfsSNV at position 105 in MEF2A is significantly associated with decreased pancreatic cancer patient survival rate. These 132 pfsSNVs can be used in developing genetic testing pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Pan
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Cheng Yan
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Yu Hu
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Yu Fan
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Qing Pan
- The Department of Statistics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Quan Wan
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - John Torcivia-Rodriguez
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
| | - Raja Mazumder
- The Department of Biochemistry &Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America.,McCormick Genomic and Proteomic Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, United States of America
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11
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Prevalence of NRAS, PTEN and AKT1 gene mutations in the central nervous system metastases of non-small cell lung cancer. Brain Tumor Pathol 2017; 34:36-41. [PMID: 28097440 PMCID: PMC5344951 DOI: 10.1007/s10014-016-0276-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Somatic mutations in NRAS, PTEN and AKT1 genes are rarely (~1%) reported in primary NSCLC, but their role in carcinogenesis have been proven. Therefore, we assessed the frequency of them in 145 FFPE tissue samples from CNS metastases of NSCLC using the real-time PCR technique. We identified four (two NRAS and single AKT1 and PTEN) mutations in CNS metastases of NSCLC. All mutations were observed in current male smokers (4% out of the male group; 4/100 and 4.25% out of smokers; 4/94). Three mutations have been detected in patients with SqCC (10.3% out of SqCC patients; 3/29), and only one mutation in the NRAS gene—in a patient with adenocarcinoma (1.25% out of AC patients; 1/80). The examined genes were mutually exclusive in terms of molecular background in KRAS; EGFR; DDR2; PIK3CA; HER2 and MEK1 genes that were evaluated in our previous studies. The OS of the patients who harbored NRAS, AKT1 and PTEN mutations was 10.1, 12.1, 7.3 and 4 months, respectively (vs 13.5 months of the studied group). Our results suggest that the presence of NRAS, PTEN and AKT1 gene mutations may have an influence on the occurrence of CNS metastases in patients with SqCC.
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12
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Acyl protein thioesterase 1 and 2 (APT-1, APT-2) inhibitors palmostatin B, ML348 and ML349 have different effects on NRAS mutant melanoma cells. Oncotarget 2016; 7:7297-306. [PMID: 26771141 PMCID: PMC4872786 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic NRAS mutations are frequent in melanoma and lead to increased downstream signaling and uncontrolled cell proliferation. Since the direct inhibition of NRAS is not possible yet, modulators of NRAS posttranslational modifications have become an area of interest. Specifically, interfering with NRAS posttranslational palmitoylation/depalmitoylation cycle could disturb proper NRAS localization, and therefore decrease cell proliferation and downstream signaling. Here, we investigate the expression and function of NRAS depalmitoylating acyl protein thioesterases 1 and 2 (APT-1, APT-2) in a panel of NRAS mutant melanoma cells. First, we show that all melanoma cell lines examined express APT-1 and APT-2. Next, we show that siRNA mediated APT-1 and APT-2 knock down and that the specific APT-1 and -2 inhibitors ML348 and ML349 have no biologically significant effects in NRAS mutant melanoma cells. Finally, we test the dual APT-1 and APT-2 inhibitor palmostatin B and conclude that palmostatin B has effects on NRAS downstream signaling and cell viability in NRAS mutant melanoma cells, offering an interesting starting point for future studies.
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13
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Kiessling MK, Curioni-Fontecedro A, Samaras P, Atrott K, Cosin-Roger J, Lang S, Scharl M, Rogler G. Mutant HRAS as novel target for MEK and mTOR inhibitors. Oncotarget 2016; 6:42183-96. [PMID: 26544513 PMCID: PMC4747218 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
HRAS is a frequently mutated oncogene in cancer. However, mutant HRAS as drug target has not been investigated so far. Here, we show that mutant HRAS hyperactivates the RAS and the mTOR pathway in various cancer cell lines including lung, bladder and esophageal cancer. HRAS mutation sensitized toward growth inhibition by the MEK inhibitors AZD6244, MEK162 and PD0325901. Further, we found that MEK inhibitors induce apoptosis in mutant HRAS cell lines but not in cell lines lacking RAS mutations. In addition, knockdown of HRAS by siRNA blocked cell growth in mutant HRAS cell lines. Inhibition of the PI3K pathway alone or in combination with MEK inhibitors did not alter signaling nor had an impact on viability. However, inhibition of mTOR or combined inhibition of MEK and mTOR reduced cell growth in a synergistic manner. Finally, Ba/F3 cells transformed with mutant HRAS isoforms Q61L, Q61R and G12V demonstrated equal sensitivity towards MEK and mTOR inhibition. Our results show that HRAS mutations in cancer activate the RAS and mTOR pathways which might serve as a therapeutic option for patients with HRAS mutant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Kiessling
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Panagiotis Samaras
- Division of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kirstin Atrott
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jesus Cosin-Roger
- Department of Pharmacology and CIBERehd, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Silvia Lang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Scharl
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Rogler
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zurich, and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Vieira GC, Chockalingam S, Melegh Z, Greenhough A, Malik S, Szemes M, Park JH, Kaidi A, Zhou L, Catchpoole D, Morgan R, Bates DO, Gabb PD, Malik K. LGR5 regulates pro-survival MEK/ERK and proliferative Wnt/β-catenin signalling in neuroblastoma. Oncotarget 2016; 6:40053-67. [PMID: 26517508 PMCID: PMC4741879 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
LGR5 is a marker of normal and cancer stem cells in various tissues where it functions as a receptor for R-spondins and increases canonical Wnt signalling amplitude. Here we report that LGR5 is also highly expressed in a subset of high grade neuroblastomas. Neuroblastoma is a clinically heterogenous paediatric cancer comprising a high proportion of poor prognosis cases (~40%) which are frequently lethal. Unlike many cancers, Wnt pathway mutations are not apparent in neuroblastoma, although previous microarray analyses have implicated deregulated Wnt signalling in high-risk neuroblastoma. We demonstrate that LGR5 facilitates high Wnt signalling in neuroblastoma cell lines treated with Wnt3a and R-spondins, with SK-N-BE(2)-C, SK-N-NAS and SH-SY5Y cell-lines all displaying strong Wnt induction. These lines represent MYCN-amplified, NRAS and ALK mutant neuroblastoma subtypes respectively. Wnt3a/R-Spondin treatment also promoted nuclear translocation of β-catenin, increased proliferation and activation of Wnt target genes. Strikingly, short-interfering RNA mediated knockdown of LGR5 induces dramatic Wnt-independent apoptosis in all three cell-lines, accompanied by greatly diminished phosphorylation of mitogen/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (MEK1/2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2), and an increase of BimEL, an apoptosis facilitator downstream of ERK. Akt signalling is also decreased by a Rictor dependent, PDK1-independent mechanism. LGR5 expression is cell cycle regulated and LGR5 depletion triggers G1 cell-cycle arrest, increased p27 and decreased phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein. Our study therefore characterises new cancer-associated pathways regulated by LGR5, and suggest that targeting of LGR5 may be of therapeutic benefit for neuroblastomas with diverse etiologies, as well as other cancers expressing high LGR5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Cunha Vieira
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - S Chockalingam
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zsombor Melegh
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - Alexander Greenhough
- Colorectal Cancer Laboratory, School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sally Malik
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marianna Szemes
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ji Hyun Park
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Abderrahmane Kaidi
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Li Zhou
- The Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel Catchpoole
- The Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rhys Morgan
- Colorectal Cancer Laboratory, School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David O Bates
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Peter David Gabb
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Karim Malik
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory and School of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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15
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Kiessling MK, Schuierer S, Stertz S, Beibel M, Bergling S, Knehr J, Carbone W, de Vallière C, Tchinda J, Bouwmeester T, Seuwen K, Rogler G, Roma G. Identification of oncogenic driver mutations by genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screening. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:723. [PMID: 27613601 PMCID: PMC5016932 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3042-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screens can identify genes whose knockout affects cell viability. Recent CRISPR screens detected thousands of essential genes required for cellular survival and key cellular processes; however discovering novel lineage-specific genetic dependencies from the many hits still remains a challenge. RESULTS To assess whether CRISPR-Cas9 dropout screens can help identify cancer dependencies, we screened two human cancer cell lines carrying known and distinct oncogenic mutations using a genome-wide sgRNA library. We found that the gRNA targeting the driver mutation EGFR was one of the highest-ranking candidates in the EGFR-mutant HCC-827 lung adenocarcinoma cell line. Likewise, sgRNAs for NRAS and MAP2K1 (MEK1), a downstream kinase of mutant NRAS, were identified among the top hits in the NRAS-mutant neuroblastoma cell line CHP-212. Depletion of these genes targeted by the sgRNAs strongly correlated with the sensitivity to specific kinase inhibitors of the EGFR or RAS pathway in cell viability assays. In addition, we describe other dependencies such as TBK1 in HCC-827 cells and TRIB2 in CHP-212 cells which merit further investigation. CONCLUSIONS We show that genome-wide CRISPR dropout screens are suitable for the identification of oncogenic drivers and other essential genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K. Kiessling
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Schuierer
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Silke Stertz
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Beibel
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Bergling
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Judith Knehr
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Walter Carbone
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cheryl de Vallière
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Joelle Tchinda
- Department of Oncology, Children University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tewis Bouwmeester
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Klaus Seuwen
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Rogler
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Guglielmo Roma
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
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16
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Montagnani Marelli M, Marzagalli M, Moretti RM, Beretta G, Casati L, Comitato R, Gravina GL, Festuccia C, Limonta P. Vitamin E δ-tocotrienol triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis in human melanoma cells. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30502. [PMID: 27461002 PMCID: PMC4996065 DOI: 10.1038/srep30502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin cancer. Drug toxicity and resistance represent a serious challange for melanoma treatments. Evidence demonstrates that natural compounds may play a crucial role in cancer prevention, growth and progression. Vitamin E tocotrienols (TT) were shown to possess antitumor activity. Here, we analyzed the effects of δ-TT on melanoma cell growth and the involvement of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in this activity. The experiments were performed on human melanoma cell lines, BLM and A375. δ-TT exerted a significant proapoptotic effect on both cell lines, involving the intrinsic apoptosis pathway; importantly, this compound did not affect the viability of normal human melanocytes. In melanoma cells, δ-TT exerted its antitumor effect through activation of the PERK/p-eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP, IRE1α and caspase-4 ER stress-related branches. Salubrinal, an inhibitor of the ER stress, counteracted the cytotoxic activity of δ-TT. In vivo experiments performed in nude mice bearing A375 xenografts evidenced that δ-TT reduces tumor volume and tumor mass; importantly, tumor progression was significantly delayed by δ-TT treatment. In conclusion, δ-TT exerts a proapoptotic activity on melanoma cells, through activation of the ER stress-related pathways. δ-TT might represent an effective option for novel chemopreventive/therapeutic strategies for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Montagnani Marelli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Monica Marzagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Roberta M. Moretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Giangiacomo Beretta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Lavinia Casati
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 20129, Italy
| | - Raffaella Comitato
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Food and Nutrition Research Centre, Roma, 00178, Italy
| | - Giovanni L. Gravina
- Department of Applied and Biotechnological Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, L’Aquila, 67100, Italy
| | - Claudio Festuccia
- Department of Applied and Biotechnological Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, L’Aquila, 67100, Italy
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 20133, Italy
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17
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Posch C, Sanlorenzo M, Vujic I, Oses-Prieto JA, Cholewa BD, Kim ST, Ma J, Lai K, Zekhtser M, Esteve-Puig R, Green G, Chand S, Burlingame AL, Panzer-Grümayer R, Rappersberger K, Ortiz-Urda S. Phosphoproteomic Analyses of NRAS(G12) and NRAS(Q61) Mutant Melanocytes Reveal Increased CK2α Kinase Levels in NRAS(Q61) Mutant Cells. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136:2041-2048. [PMID: 27251789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.05.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In melanoma, mutant and thereby constantly active neuroblastoma rat sarcoma (NRAS) affects 15-20% of tumors, contributing to tumor initiation, growth, invasion, and metastasis. Recent therapeutic approaches aim to mimic RAS extinction by interfering with critical signaling pathways downstream of the mutant protein. This study investigates the phosphoproteome of primary human melanocytes bearing mutations in the two hot spots of NRAS, NRAS(G12) and NRAS(Q61). Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture followed by mass spectrometry identified 14,155 spectra of 3,371 unique phosphopeptides mapping to 1,159 proteins (false discovery rate < 2%). Data revealed pronounced PI3K/AKT signaling in NRAS(G12V) mutant cells and pronounced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in NRAS(Q61L) variants. Computer-based prediction models for kinases involved, revealed that CK2α is significantly overrepresented in primary human melanocytes bearing NRAS(Q61L) mutations. Similar differences were found in human NRAS(Q61) mutant melanoma cell lines that were also more sensitive to pharmacologic CK2α inhibition compared with NRAS(G12) mutant cells. Furthermore, CK2α levels were pronounced in patient samples of NRAS(Q61) mutant melanoma at the mRNA and protein level. The preclinical findings of this study reveal that codon 12 and 61 mutant NRAS cells have distinct signaling characteristics that could allow for the development of more effective, mutation-specific treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Posch
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Dermatology, The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Leukemia Biology Group, Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria; School of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Martina Sanlorenzo
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Igor Vujic
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Dermatology, The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; School of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan A Oses-Prieto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Brian D Cholewa
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarasa T Kim
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey Ma
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kevin Lai
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mitchell Zekhtser
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rosaura Esteve-Puig
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Gary Green
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shreya Chand
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alma L Burlingame
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Klemens Rappersberger
- Department of Dermatology, The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susana Ortiz-Urda
- Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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18
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Kiessling MK, Curioni-Fontecedro A, Samaras P, Lang S, Scharl M, Aguzzi A, Oldrige DA, Maris JM, Rogler G. Targeting the mTOR Complex by Everolimus in NRAS Mutant Neuroblastoma. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147682. [PMID: 26821351 PMCID: PMC4731059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
High-risk neuroblastoma remains lethal in about 50% of patients despite multimodal treatment. Recent attempts to identify molecular targets for specific therapies have shown that Neuroblastoma RAS (NRAS) is significantly mutated in a small number of patients. However, few inhibitors for the potential treatment for NRAS mutant neuroblastoma have been investigated so far. In this in-vitro study, we show that MEK inhibitors AZD6244, MEK162 and PD0325901 block cell growth in NRAS mutant neuroblastoma cell lines but not in NRAS wild-type cell lines. Several studies show that mutant NRAS leads to PI3K pathway activation and combined inhibitors of PI3K/mTOR effectively block cell growth. However, we observed the combination of MEK inhibitors with PI3K or AKT inhibitors did not show synergestic effects on cell growth. Thus, we tested single mTOR inhibitors Everolimus and AZD8055. Interestingly, Everolimus and AZD8055 alone were sufficient to block cell growth in NRAS mutant cell lines but not in wild-type cell lines. We found that Everolimus alone induced apoptosis in NRAS mutant neuroblastoma. Furthermore, the combination of mTOR and MEK inhibitors resulted in synergistic growth inhibition. Taken together, our results show that NRAS mutant neuroblastoma can be targeted by clinically available Everolimus alone or in combination with MEK inhibitors which could impact future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K. Kiessling
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, UniversityHospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | - Silvia Lang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, UniversityHospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Scharl
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, UniversityHospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Derek A. Oldrige
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - John M. Maris
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Gerhard Rogler
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, UniversityHospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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19
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Vujic I, Sanlorenzo M, Posch C, Esteve-Puig R, Yen AJ, Kwong A, Tsumura A, Murphy R, Rappersberger K, Ortiz-Urda S. Metformin and trametinib have synergistic effects on cell viability and tumor growth in NRAS mutant cancer. Oncotarget 2015; 6:969-78. [PMID: 25504439 PMCID: PMC4359268 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Attempts to directly block the mutant neuroblastoma rat sarcoma oncogene (NRAS) protein, a driving mutation in many cancer types, have been unsuccessful. Current treatments focus on inhibition of different components of NRAS' two main downstream cascades: PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK. Here we test a novel dual therapy combination of metformin and trametinib on a panel of 16 NRAS mutant cell lines, including melanoma cells, melanoma cells with acquired trametinib resistance, lung cancer and neuroblastoma cells. We show that both of the main downstream cascades of NRAS can be blocked by this combination: metformin indirectly inhibits the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and trametinib directly impedes the MAPK pathway. This dual therapy synergistically reduced cell viability in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. We conclude that metformin and trametinib combinations are effective in preclinical models and may be a possible option for treatment of NRAS mutant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Vujic
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Sanlorenzo
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - Christian Posch
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rosaura Esteve-Puig
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adam J Yen
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Kwong
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Tsumura
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Murphy
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Klemens Rappersberger
- Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susana Ortiz-Urda
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
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20
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Posch C, Cholewa BD, Vujic I, Sanlorenzo M, Ma J, Kim ST, Kleffel S, Schatton T, Rappersberger K, Gutteridge R, Ahmad N, Ortiz/Urda S. Combined Inhibition of MEK and Plk1 Has Synergistic Antitumor Activity in NRAS Mutant Melanoma. J Invest Dermatol 2015; 135:2475-2483. [PMID: 26016894 PMCID: PMC4567913 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2015.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
About one-third of cancers harbor activating mutations in rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (RAS) oncogenes. In melanoma, aberrant neuroblastoma-RAS (NRAS) signaling fuels tumor progression in about 20% of patients. Current therapeutics for NRAS-driven malignancies barely affect overall survival. To date, pathway interference downstream of mutant NRAS seems to be the most promising approach. In this study, data revealed that mutant NRAS induced Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) expression, and pharmacologic inhibition of Plk1 stabilized the size of NRAS mutant melanoma xenografts. The combination of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) and Plk1 inhibitors resulted in a significant growth reduction of NRAS mutant melanoma cells in vitro, and regression of xenografted NRAS mutant melanoma in vivo. Independent cell cycle arrest and increased induction of apoptosis underlies the synergistic effect of this combination. Data further suggest that the p53 signaling pathway is of key importance to the observed therapeutic efficacy. This study provides in vitro, in vivo, and first mechanistic data that an MEK/Plk1 inhibitor combination might be a promising treatment approach for patients with NRAS-driven melanoma. As mutant NRAS signaling is similar across different malignancies, this inhibitor combination could also offer a previously unreported treatment modality for NRAS mutant tumors of other cell origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Posch
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston – USA
- The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna – Austria
| | - BD Cholewa
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Dermatology, 7418 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705 – USA
| | - I Vujic
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
- The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna – Austria
| | - M Sanlorenzo
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Dermatology, University of Turin – Italy
| | - J Ma
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
| | - ST Kim
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
| | - S Kleffel
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston – USA
| | - T Schatton
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, 02115 Boston – USA
| | - K Rappersberger
- The Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical University Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Vienna – Austria
| | - R Gutteridge
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Dermatology, 7418 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705 – USA
| | - N Ahmad
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Dermatology, 7418 Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705 – USA
| | - S Ortiz/Urda
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Zion Cancer Research Center, 2340 Sutter Street N461, 94115 San Francisco – USA
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Vogel CJ, Smit MA, Maddalo G, Possik PA, Sparidans RW, van der Burg SH, Verdegaal EM, Heck AJR, Samatar AA, Beijnen JH, Altelaar AFM, Peeper DS. Cooperative induction of apoptosis in NRAS mutant melanoma by inhibition of MEK and ROCK. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2015; 28:307-17. [PMID: 25728708 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
No effective targeted therapy is currently available for NRAS mutant melanoma. Experimental MEK inhibition is rather toxic and has only limited efficacy in clinical trials. At least in part, this is caused by the emergence of drug resistance, which is commonly seen for single agent treatment and shortens clinical responses. Therefore, there is a dire need to identify effective companion drug targets for NRAS mutant melanoma. Here, we show that at concentrations where single drugs had little effect, ROCK inhibitors GSK269962A or Fasudil, in combination with either MEK inhibitor GSK1120212 (Trametinib) or ERK inhibitor SCH772984 cooperatively caused proliferation inhibition and cell death in vitro. Simultaneous inhibition of MEK and ROCK caused induction of BimEL , PARP, and Puma, and hence apoptosis. In vivo, MEK and ROCK inhibition suppressed growth of established tumors. Our findings warrant clinical investigation of the effectiveness of combinatorial targeting of MAPK/ERK and ROCK in NRAS mutant melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia J Vogel
- Division of Molecular Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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