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Dupuy M, Lamoureux F, Mullard M, Postec A, Regnier L, Baud’huin M, Georges S, Brounais-Le Royer B, Ory B, Rédini F, Verrecchia F. Ewing sarcoma from molecular biology to the clinic. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1248753. [PMID: 37752913 PMCID: PMC10518617 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1248753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In Europe, with an incidence of 7.5 cases per million, Ewing sarcoma (ES) is the second most common primary malignant bone tumor in children, adolescents and young adults, after osteosarcoma. Since the 1980s, conventional treatment has been based on the use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapeutic agents combined with surgical resection of the tumor when possible. These treatments have increased the patient survival rate to 70% for localized forms, which drops drastically to less than 30% when patients are resistant to chemotherapy or when pulmonary metastases are present at diagnosis. However, the lack of improvement in these survival rates over the last decades points to the urgent need for new therapies. Genetically, ES is characterized by a chromosomal translocation between a member of the FET family and a member of the ETS family. In 85% of cases, the chromosomal translocation found is (11; 22) (q24; q12), between the EWS RNA-binding protein and the FLI1 transcription factor, leading to the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein. This chimeric protein acts as an oncogenic factor playing a crucial role in the development of ES. This review provides a non-exhaustive overview of ES from a clinical and biological point of view, describing its main clinical, cellular and molecular aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryne Dupuy
- Nantes Université, Inserm UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, CRCI2NA, Université d'Angers, Nantes, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Franck Verrecchia
- Nantes Université, Inserm UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, CRCI2NA, Université d'Angers, Nantes, France
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Grissenberger S, Sturtzel C, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Radic-Sarikas B, Scheuringer E, Bierbaumer L, Etienne V, Némati F, Pascoal S, Tötzl M, Tomazou EM, Metzelder M, Putz EM, Decaudin D, Delattre O, Surdez D, Kovar H, Halbritter F, Distel M. High-content drug screening in zebrafish xenografts reveals high efficacy of dual MCL-1/BCL-X L inhibition against Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Lett 2023; 554:216028. [PMID: 36462556 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric bone and soft tissue cancer with an urgent need for new therapies to improve disease outcome. To identify effective drugs, phenotypic drug screening has proven to be a powerful method, but achievable throughput in mouse xenografts, the preclinical Ewing sarcoma standard model, is limited. Here, we explored the use of xenografts in zebrafish for high-throughput drug screening to discover new combination therapies for Ewing sarcoma. We subjected xenografts in zebrafish larvae to high-content imaging and subsequent automated tumor size analysis to screen single agents and compound combinations. We identified three drug combinations effective against Ewing sarcoma cells: Irinotecan combined with either an MCL-1 or an BCL-XL inhibitor and in particular dual inhibition of the anti-apoptotic proteins MCL-1 and BCL-XL, which efficiently eradicated tumor cells in zebrafish xenografts. We confirmed enhanced efficacy of dual MCL-1/BCL-XL inhibition compared to single agents in a mouse PDX model. In conclusion, high-content screening of small compounds on Ewing sarcoma zebrafish xenografts identified dual MCL-1/BCL-XL targeting as a specific vulnerability and promising therapeutic strategy for Ewing sarcoma, which warrants further investigation towards clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caterina Sturtzel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Wenninger-Weinzierl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Branka Radic-Sarikas
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Scheuringer
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bierbaumer
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Vesnie Etienne
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Fariba Némati
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Susana Pascoal
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Tötzl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleni M Tomazou
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Metzelder
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva M Putz
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Didier Decaudin
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France; Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France; Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Dept. Pediatrics, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Martin Distel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria.
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Tokarsky EJ, Crow JC, Guenther LM, Sherman J, Taslim C, Alexe G, Pishas KI, Rask G, Justis BS, Kasumova A, Stegmaier K, Lessnick SL, Theisen ER. Mitochondrial Dysfunction Is a Driver of SP-2509 Drug Resistance in Ewing Sarcoma. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:1035-1046. [PMID: 35298000 PMCID: PMC9284474 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Expression of the fusion oncoprotein EWS/FLI causes Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive pediatric tumor characterized by widespread epigenetic deregulation. These epigenetic changes are targeted by novel lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) inhibitors, which are currently in early-phase clinical trials. Single-agent-targeted therapy often induces resistance, and successful clinical development requires knowledge of resistance mechanisms, enabling the design of effective combination strategies. Here, we used a genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen to identify genes whose knockout (KO) conferred resistance to the LSD1 inhibitor SP-2509 in Ewing sarcoma cell lines. Multiple genes required for mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes III and IV function were hits in our screen. We validated this finding using genetic and chemical approaches, including CRISPR KO, ETC inhibitors, and mitochondrial depletion. Further global transcriptional profiling revealed that altered complex III/IV function disrupted the oncogenic program mediated by EWS/FLI and LSD1 and blunted the transcriptomic response to SP-2509. IMPLICATIONS These findings demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction modulates SP-2509 efficacy and suggest that new therapeutic strategies combining LSD1 with agents that prevent mitochondrial dysfunction may benefit patients with this aggressive malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. John Tokarsky
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jesse C. Crow
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Lillian M. Guenther
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John Sherman
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Cenny Taslim
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Gabriela Alexe
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Galen Rask
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Blake S. Justis
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Ana Kasumova
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Kimberly Stegmaier
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen L. Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Emily R. Theisen
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.,Corresponding Author: Emily R. Theisen, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH 43205. Phone: 614-355-2927; E-mail:
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Aryee DNT, Fock V, Kapoor U, Radic-Sarikas B, Kovar H. Zooming in on Long Non-Coding RNAs in Ewing Sarcoma Pathogenesis. Cells 2022; 11:1267. [PMID: 35455947 PMCID: PMC9032025 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare aggressive cancer of bone and soft tissue that is mainly characterized by a reciprocal chromosomal translocation. As a result, about 90% of cases express the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein that has been shown to function as an aberrant transcription factor driving sarcomagenesis. ES is the second most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Current treatment modalities include dose-intensified chemo- and radiotherapy, as well as surgery. Despite these strategies, patients who present with metastasis or relapse still have dismal prognosis, warranting a better understanding of treatment resistant-disease biology in order to generate better prognostic and therapeutic tools. Since the genomes of ES tumors are relatively quiet and stable, exploring the contributions of epigenetic mechanisms in the initiation and progression of the disease becomes inevitable. The search for novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets of cancer metastasis and chemotherapeutic drug resistance is increasingly focusing on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Recent advances in genome analysis by high throughput sequencing have immensely expanded and advanced our knowledge of lncRNAs. They are non-protein coding RNA species with multiple biological functions that have been shown to be dysregulated in many diseases and are emerging as crucial players in cancer development. Understanding the various roles of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and metastasis would determine eclectic avenues to establish therapeutic and diagnostic targets. In ES, some lncRNAs have been implicated in cell proliferation, migration and invasion, features that make them suitable as relevant biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In this review, we comprehensively discuss known lncRNAs implicated in ES that could serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of the disease. Though some current reviews have discussed non-coding RNAs in ES, to our knowledge, this is the first review focusing exclusively on ES-associated lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave N. T. Aryee
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Valerie Fock
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
| | - Utkarsh Kapoor
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
| | - Branka Radic-Sarikas
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a highly aggressive pediatric bone cancer that is defined by a somatic fusion between the EWSR1 gene and an ETS family member, most frequently the FLI1 gene, leading to expression of a chimeric transcription factor EWSR1-FLI1. Otherwise, EwS is one of the most genetically stable cancers. The situation when the major cancer driver is well known looks like a unique opportunity for applying the systems biology approach in order to understand the EwS mechanisms as well as to uncover some general mechanistic principles of carcinogenesis. A number of studies have been performed revealing the direct and indirect effects of EWSR1-FLI1 on multiple aspects of cellular life. Nevertheless, the emerging picture of the oncogene action appears to be highly complex and systemic, with multiple reciprocal influences between the immediate consequences of the driver mutation and intracellular and intercellular molecular mechanisms, including regulation of transcription, epigenome, and tumoral microenvironment. In this chapter, we present an overview of existing molecular profiling resources available for EwS tumors and cell lines and provide an online comprehensive catalogue of publicly available omics and other datasets. We further highlight the systems biology studies of EwS, involving mathematical modeling of networks and integration of molecular data. We conclude that despite the seeming simplicity, a lot has yet to be understood on the systems-wide mechanisms connecting the driver mutation and the major cellular phenotypes of this pediatric cancer. Overall, this chapter can serve as a guide for a systems biology researcher to start working on EwS.
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[Is there a magic bullet for sarcomas? : Personalised treatment for maligant tumours of bone and soft tissue]. DER ORTHOPADE 2019; 48:776-783. [PMID: 31396640 DOI: 10.1007/s00132-019-03790-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Personalised tumour therapies aim to selectively target pathways and structures to which a tumour shows an oncogenic addiction. OBJECTIVE AND METHOD This article aims to provide an overview of relevant genetic alterations in bone and soft-tissue tumours, which might serve as potential therapeutic targets for personalised medicines in the future. Recent approaches towards a personalised treatment of various tumours of bone and soft tissues are reviewed. RESULTS Molecular diagnosis has become an essential tool for the characterisation of bone and soft-tissue tumours. Currently, no targeted therapies are routinely available for bone sarcomas. Denosumab is merely a symptomatic treatment for giant cell tumours of the bone. Imatinib has become the paradigm of a targeted treatment for subgroups of malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitors, various other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies are currently being evaluated in several (sub-)types of soft-tissue sarcomas. Sorafenib showed promising results in the treatment of aggressive desmoid-type fibromatosis. Histology-tailored chemotherapies did not yield superior results in a prospective randomised multicentre trial. CONCLUSION More in-depth knowledge is required for many sarcomas to link their genetic alterations to tumorigenesis in order to develop efficient personalised treatment strategies. Clinical trial designs need to be adapted to evaluate new therapeutic strategies in these ultra-rare tumours and their various sub-types more efficaciously.
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Casey DL, Lin TY, Cheung NKV. Exploiting Signaling Pathways and Immune Targets Beyond the Standard of Care for Ewing Sarcoma. Front Oncol 2019; 9:537. [PMID: 31275859 PMCID: PMC6593481 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) family of tumors includes bone and soft tissue tumors that are often characterized by a specific translocation between chromosome 11 and 22, resulting in the EWS-FLI1 fusion gene. With the advent of multi-modality treatment including cytotoxic chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, the prognosis for patients with ES has substantially improved. However, a therapeutic plateau is now reached for both localized and metastatic disease over the last two decades. Burdened by the toxicity limits associated with the current frontline systemic therapy, there is an urgent need for novel targeted therapeutic strategies. In this review, we discuss the current treatment paradigm of ES, and explore preclinical evidence and emerging treatments directed at tumor signaling pathways and immune targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Casey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Tsung-Yi Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nai-Kong V Cheung
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma (NRSTS) is a rare subgroup of malignancy in childhood that is composed of a variety of soft tissue and bony tumors. Prognosis for resectable localized disease is usually good and improved with systemic treatment. However, survival from locally advanced and metastatic disease remains poor. There have been numerous preclinical and clinical studies to define histopathology, biology, and genetic alteration of sarcomas. The purpose of this review is to clarify the progress in the management of NRSTS. RECENT FINDINGS Genomic analysis, including the use of next-generation sequencing, has revealed fusion transcripts or specific genetic alterations which provide diagnostic biomarkers and potential targets for novel therapies. SUMMARY Most cases are sporadic, but some are associated with genetic predispositions. Most present as a painless mass and diagnosis is frequently delayed because of a low index of suspicion. There is a wide array of histopathological subtypes. Investigations usually involve core, incisional or excisional biopsy for tissue diagnosis, and cross-sectional and nuclear imaging for staging. Management of pediatric sarcoma is largely dependent on the patient's histopathological diagnosis, age, disease stage, and co-morbidities but usually involves a combination of systemic and local therapies. Preclinical studies and phase I/II trials of newer targeted therapies are ongoing.
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