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Mengoni M, Braun AD, Seedarala S, Bonifatius S, Kostenis E, Schanze D, Zenker M, Tüting T, Gaffal E. Transactivation of Met signaling by oncogenic Gnaq drives the evolution of melanoma in Hgf-Cdk4 mice. Cancer Gene Ther 2024; 31:884-893. [PMID: 38360887 PMCID: PMC11192630 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-024-00744-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Recent pan-cancer genomic analyses have identified numerous oncogenic driver mutations that occur in a cell-type and tissue-specific distribution. For example, oncogenic mutations in Braf and Nras genes arise predominantly in melanocytic neoplasms of the epidermis, while oncogenic mutations in Gnaq/11 genes arise mostly in melanocytic lesions of the dermis or the uvea. The mechanisms promoting cell-type and tissue-specific oncogenic events currently remain poorly understood. Here, we report that Gnaq/11 hotspot mutations occur as early oncogenic drivers during the evolution of primary melanomas in Hgf-Cdk4 mice. Additional single base substitutions in the Trp53 gene and structural chromosomal aberrations favoring amplifications of the chromosomal region containing the Met receptor gene accumulate during serial tumor transplantation and in cell lines established in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that the GnaqQ209L mutation transactivates the Met receptor. Overexpression of oncogenic GnaqQ209L in the immortalized melanocyte cell line promoted in vivo growth that was enhanced by transgenic Hgf expression in the tumor microenvironment. This cross-signaling mechanism explains the selection of oncogenic Gnaq/11 in primary Hgf-Cdk4 melanomas and provides an example of how oncogenic driver mutations, intracellular signaling cascades, and microenvironmental cues cooperate to drive cancer development in a tissue-specific fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Mengoni
- Laboratory for Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Dominik Braun
- Laboratory for Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sahithi Seedarala
- Laboratory for Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Bonifatius
- Laboratory for Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evi Kostenis
- Molecular, Cellular and Pharmacobiology Section, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 6, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Denny Schanze
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Tüting
- Laboratory for Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evelyn Gaffal
- Laboratory for Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
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2
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Peil J, Vossen C, Bock F, Clahsen T, Schiller P, Heindl LM, Bosch JJ, Wunderlich FT, Cursiefen C, Schlereth SL. Combined Osteopontin Blockade and Type 2 Classical Dendritic Cell Vaccination as Effective Synergetic Therapy for Conjunctival Melanoma. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:487-499. [PMID: 38099710 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Angiogenesis and immune protection are essential at the onset of tumorigenesis. Angiogenesis serves to nourish the tumor, and prevention of immune defenses, for example, by dendritic cells (DCs), allows tumor growth. In this study, we investigated whether there are factors with dual functions that are both angiogenic and immunomodulatory and represent a therapeutic target. We analyzed 1) innate immune responses intratumorally and in draining lymph nodes and 2) angiogenic factors in conjunctival melanoma (CM), a potentially lethal malignant tumor at the ocular surface whose immune and vascular responses are largely unknown. For this purpose, an HGF-Cdk4R24C model in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice was used and revealed that CD103- type 2 classical DC (cDC2s) were the most abundant DC subtype in healthy conjunctiva, whereas in CM, CD103- cDC2s, CD103+ type 1 cDCs, monocyte-derived DCs, and plasmacytoid DCs were significantly increased. In our analysis of angiogenic factors in CM, the examination of 53 angiogenesis-related factors that might interact with DCs identified osteopontin (OPN) as a major tumor-derived protein that interacts with DCs. Consistent with these findings, 3) a dual therapeutic strategy that inhibited tumor cell function by an OPN blocking Ab while enhancing the immune response by cDC2 vaccination resulted in 35% failure of tumor development. Moreover, tumor progression, monocyte-derived DC infiltration, and intratumoral angiogenesis were significantly reduced, whereas survival and CD8+ T cell infiltration were increased in treated mice compared with the control group. Therefore, we identified OPN blockade in combination with cDC2 vaccination as a potential future therapeutic intervention for early stages of CM by combining antiangiogenic and host immune stimulating effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Peil
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Felix Bock
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Clahsen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Schiller
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ludwig M Heindl
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jacobus J Bosch
- Centre for Human Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - F Thomas Wunderlich
- MPI for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Claus Cursiefen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Simona L Schlereth
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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3
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Fedorov Kukk A, Wu D, Gaffal E, Panzer R, Emmert S, Roth B. Multimodal system for optical biopsy of melanoma with integrated ultrasound, optical coherence tomography and Raman spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202200129. [PMID: 35802400 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202200129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a new single-head multimodal optical system that integrates optical coherence tomography (OCT), 18 MHz ultrasound (US) tomography and Raman spectroscopy (RS), allowing for fast (<2 min) and noninvasive skin cancer diagnostics and lesion depth measurement. The OCT can deliver structural and depth information of smaller skin lesions (<1 mm), while the US allows to measure the penetration depth of thicker lesions (≥4 mm), and the RS analyzes the chemical composition from a small chosen spot (≤300 μm) that can be used to distinguish between benign and malignant melanoma. The RS and OCT utilize the same scanning and optical setup, allowing for co-localized measurements. The US on the other side is integrated with an acoustical reflector, which enables B-mode measurements on the same position as OCT and RS. The US B-mode scans can be translated across the sample by laterally moving the US transducer, which is made possible by the developed adapter with a flexible membrane. We present the results on custom-made liquid and agar phantoms that show the resolution and depth capabilities of the setup, as well as preliminary ex vivo measurements on mouse models with ∼4.3 mm thick melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoly Fedorov Kukk
- Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Di Wu
- Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Bernhard Roth
- Hannover Centre for Optical Technologies, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD (Photonics, Optics and Engineering - Innovation Across Disciplines), Hannover, Germany
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4
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Baker SJ, Poulikakos PI, Irie HY, Parekh S, Reddy EP. CDK4: a master regulator of the cell cycle and its role in cancer. Genes Cancer 2022; 13:21-45. [PMID: 36051751 PMCID: PMC9426627 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell cycle is regulated in part by cyclins and their associated serine/threonine cyclin-dependent kinases, or CDKs. CDK4, in conjunction with the D-type cyclins, mediates progression through the G1 phase when the cell prepares to initiate DNA synthesis. Although Cdk4-null mutant mice are viable and cell proliferation is not significantly affected in vitro due to compensatory roles played by other CDKs, this gene plays a key role in mammalian development and cancer. This review discusses the role that CDK4 plays in cell cycle control, normal development and tumorigenesis as well as the current status and utility of approved small molecule CDK4/6 inhibitors that are currently being used as cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey J. Baker
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
| | - Poulikos I. Poulikakos
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hanna Y. Irie
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
| | - Samir Parekh
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
| | - E. Premkumar Reddy
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Levy Place, NY 10029, USA
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5
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Daoud M, Broxtermann PN, Schorn F, Werthenbach JP, Seeger JM, Schiffmann LM, Brinkmann K, Vucic D, Tüting T, Mauch C, Kulms D, Zigrino P, Kashkar H. XIAP promotes melanoma growth by inducing tumour neutrophil infiltration. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e53608. [PMID: 35437868 PMCID: PMC9171690 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated expression of the X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) has been frequently reported in malignant melanoma suggesting that XIAP renders apoptosis resistance and thereby supports melanoma progression. Independent of its anti‐apoptotic function, XIAP mediates cellular inflammatory signalling and promotes immunity against bacterial infection. The pro‐inflammatory function of XIAP has not yet been considered in cancer. By providing detailed in vitro analyses, utilising two independent mouse melanoma models and including human melanoma samples, we show here that XIAP is an important mediator of melanoma neutrophil infiltration. Neutrophils represent a major driver of melanoma progression and are increasingly considered as a valuable therapeutic target in solid cancer. Our data reveal that XIAP ubiquitylates RIPK2, involve TAB1/RIPK2 complex and induce the transcriptional up‐regulation and secretion of chemokines such as IL8, that are responsible for intra‐tumour neutrophil accumulation. Alteration of the XIAP‐RIPK2‐TAB1 inflammatory axis or the depletion of neutrophils in mice reduced melanoma growth. Our data shed new light on how XIAP contributes to tumour growth and provides important insights for novel XIAP targeting strategies in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mila Daoud
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pia Nora Broxtermann
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabian Schorn
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - J Paul Werthenbach
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens Michael Seeger
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lars M Schiffmann
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplant Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Brinkmann
- The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Domagoj Vucic
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Tüting
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Cornelia Mauch
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dagmar Kulms
- Department of Dermatology, Experimental Dermatology, TU-Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden, TU-Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paola Zigrino
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hamid Kashkar
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute for Molecular Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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6
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Battaglia L, Scomparin A, Dianzani C, Milla P, Muntoni E, Arpicco S, Cavalli R. Nanotechnology Addressing Cutaneous Melanoma: The Italian Landscape. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1617. [PMID: 34683910 PMCID: PMC8540596 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most aggressive solid tumors, with a low survival for the metastatic stage. Currently, clinical melanoma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. Of note, innovative therapeutic regimens concern the administration of multitarget drugs in tandem, in order to improve therapeutic efficacy. However, also, if this drug combination is clinically relevant, the patient's response is not yet optimal. In this scenario, nanotechnology-based delivery systems can play a crucial role in the clinical treatment of advanced melanoma. In fact, their nano-features enable targeted drug delivery at a cellular level by overcoming biological barriers. Various nanomedicines have been proposed for the treatment of cutaneous melanoma, and a relevant number of them are undergoing clinical trials. In Italy, researchers are focusing on the pharmaceutical development of nanoformulations for malignant melanoma therapy. The present review reports an overview of the main melanoma-addressed nanomedicines currently under study in Italy, alongside the state of the art of melanoma therapy. Moreover, the latest Italian advances concerning the pre-clinical evaluation of nanomedicines for melanoma are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Battaglia
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
| | - Anna Scomparin
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
- . Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Chiara Dianzani
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
| | - Paola Milla
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
| | - Elisabetta Muntoni
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
| | - Silvia Arpicco
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
| | - Roberta Cavalli
- . Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy; (L.B.); (A.S.); (C.D.); (P.M.); (E.M.); (S.A.)
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7
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Kerzeli IK, Lord M, Doroszko M, Elgendy R, Chourlia A, Stepanek I, Larsson E, van Hooren L, Nelander S, Malmstrom PU, Dragomir A, Segersten U, Mangsbo SM. Single-cell RNAseq and longitudinal proteomic analysis of a novel semi-spontaneous urothelial cancer model reveals tumor cell heterogeneity and pretumoral urine protein alterations. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253178. [PMID: 34232958 PMCID: PMC8262791 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer, one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, remains hard to classify due to a staggering molecular complexity. Despite a plethora of diagnostic tools and therapies, it is hard to outline the key steps leading up to the transition from high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) to muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Carcinogen-induced murine models can recapitulate urothelial carcinogenesis and natural anti-tumor immunity. Herein, we have developed and profiled a novel model of progressive NMIBC based on 10 weeks of OH-BBN exposure in hepatocyte growth factor/cyclin dependent kinase 4 (R24C) (Hgf-Cdk4R24C) mice. The profiling of the model was performed by histology grading, single cell transcriptomic and proteomic analysis, while the derivation of a tumorigenic cell line was validated and used to assess in vivo anti-tumor effects in response to immunotherapy. Established NMIBC was present in females at 10 weeks post OH-BBN exposure while neoplasia was not as advanced in male mice, however all mice progressed to MIBC. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed an intratumoral heterogeneity also described in the human disease trajectory. Moreover, although immune activation biomarkers were elevated in urine during carcinogen exposure, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) monotherapy did not prevent tumor progression. Furthermore, anti-PD1 immunotherapy did not control the growth of subcutaneous tumors formed by the newly derived urothelial cancer cell line. However, treatment with CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) significantly decreased tumor volume, but only in females. In conclusion, the molecular map of this novel preclinical model of bladder cancer provides an opportunity to further investigate pharmacological therapies ahead with regards to both targeted drugs and immunotherapies to improve the strategies of how we should tackle the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment in urothelial bladder cancer to improve responses rates in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana K. Kerzeli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Lord
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Milena Doroszko
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ramy Elgendy
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aikaterini Chourlia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ivan Stepanek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elinor Larsson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Luuk van Hooren
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sven Nelander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per-Uno Malmstrom
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anca Dragomir
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Segersten
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara M. Mangsbo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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8
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El Meskini R, Atkinson D, Kulaga A, Abdelmaksoud A, Gumprecht M, Pate N, Hayes S, Oberst M, Kaplan IM, Raber P, Van Dyke T, Sharan SK, Hollingsworth R, Day CP, Merlino G, Weaver Ohler Z. Distinct Biomarker Profiles and TCR Sequence Diversity Characterize the Response to PD-L1 Blockade in a Mouse Melanoma Model. Mol Cancer Res 2021; 19:1422-1436. [PMID: 33888600 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Only a subset of patients responds to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in melanoma. A preclinical model recapitulating the clinical activity of ICB would provide a valuable platform for mechanistic studies. We used melanoma tumors arising from an Hgftg;Cdk4R24C/R24C genetically engineered mouse (GEM) model to evaluate the efficacy of an anti-mouse PD-L1 antibody similar to the anti-human PD-L1 antibodies durvalumab and atezolizumab. Consistent with clinical observations for ICB in melanoma, anti-PD-L1 treatment elicited complete and durable response in a subset of melanoma-bearing mice. We also observed tumor growth delay or regression followed by recurrence. For early treatment assessment, we analyzed gene expression profiles, T-cell infiltration, and T-cell receptor (TCR) signatures in regressing tumors compared with tumors exhibiting no response to anti-PD-L1 treatment. We found that CD8+ T-cell tumor infiltration corresponded to response to treatment, and that anti-PD-L1 gene signature response indicated an increase in antigen processing and presentation, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity. TCR sequence data suggest that an anti-PD-L1-mediated melanoma regression response requires not only an expansion of the TCR repertoire that is unique to individual mice, but also tumor access to the appropriate TCRs. Thus, this melanoma model recapitulated the variable response to ICB observed in patients and exhibited biomarkers that differentiate between early response and resistance to treatment, providing a valuable platform for prediction of successful immunotherapy. IMPLICATIONS: Our melanoma model recapitulates the variable response to anti-PD-L1 observed in patients and exhibits biomarkers that characterize early antibody response, including expansion of the TCR repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajaa El Meskini
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland.
| | - Devon Atkinson
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Alan Kulaga
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Abdalla Abdelmaksoud
- Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource (CCBR), Center for Cancer Research (CCR), National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.,Advanced Biomedical Computational Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Michelle Gumprecht
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Nathan Pate
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland
| | | | | | | | | | - Terry Van Dyke
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, CCR, NCI/NIH, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Shyam K Sharan
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland.,Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, CCR, NCI/NIH, Frederick, Maryland
| | | | - Chi-Ping Day
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, CCR, NCI/NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Glenn Merlino
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, CCR, NCI/NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Zoë Weaver Ohler
- Center for Advanced Preclinical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland.
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9
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Abstract
Since the first resection of melanoma by Hunter in 1787, efforts to treat patients with this deadly malignancy have been ongoing. Initial work to understand melanoma biology for therapeutics development began with the employment of isolated cancer cells grown in cell cultures. However, these models lack in vivo interactions with the tumor microenvironment. Melanoma cell line transplantation into suitable animals such as mice has been informative and useful for testing therapeutics as a preclinical model. Injection of freshly isolated patient melanomas into immunodeficient animals has shown the capacity to retain the genetic heterogeneity of the tumors, which is lost during the long-term culture of melanoma cells. Upon advancement of technology, genetically engineered animals have been generated to study the spontaneous development of melanomas in light of newly discovered genetic aberrations associated with melanoma formation. Culturing melanoma cells in a matrix generate tumor spheroids, providing an in vitro environment that promotes the heterogeneity commonplace with human melanoma and displaces the need for animal care facilities. Advanced 3D cultures have been created simulating the structure and cellularity of human skin to permit in vitro testing of therapeutics on melanomas expressing the same phenotype as demonstrated in vivo. This review will discuss these models and their relevance to the study of melanomagenesis, growth, metastasis, and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randal K Gregg
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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10
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Hidaka T, Fujimura T, Aiba S. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Modulates Carcinogenesis and Maintenance of Skin Cancers. Front Med (Lausanne) 2019; 6:194. [PMID: 31552251 PMCID: PMC6736988 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that responds to a wide range of chemicals, including chemical carcinogens such as dioxins and carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and induces a battery of genes associated with detoxification, proliferation, and immune regulation. Recent reports suggest that AHR plays an important role in carcinogenesis and maintenance of various types of skin cancers. Indeed, AHR is a susceptibility gene for squamous cell carcinoma and a prognostic factor for melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. In addition, the carcinogenic effects of ultraviolet (UV) and chemical carcinogens, both of which are major environmental carcinogenetic factors of skin, are at least partly mediated by AHR, which regulates UV-induced inflammation and apoptosis, the DNA repair system, and metabolic activation of chemical carcinogens. Furthermore, AHR modulates the efficacy of key therapeutic agents in melanoma. AHR activation induces the expression of resistance genes against the inhibitors of V600E mutated B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) in melanoma and upregulation of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in tumor-infiltrating T cells surrounding melanoma. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of AHR in the biology of skin cancers. Development of therapeutic agents that modulate AHR activity is a promising strategy to advance chemoprevention and chemotherapy for skin cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takanori Hidaka
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Taku Fujimura
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Setsuya Aiba
- Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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11
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Abstract
Melanoma is an aggressive and highly metastatic skin cancer, carrying a poor prognosis with a median survival time of 5.3-10 months depending on the stage of disease. Research has advanced our understanding of the underlying pathology of melanoma and strategies to prevent and treat melanoma. Mouse models have been developed to elucidate the molecular, immunological, and cellular mechanisms contributing to proliferation and metastasis of melanoma. This review article aims to provide an overview of various types of murine melanoma models, including xenograft and syngeneic transplantation models, genetically modified models, ultraviolent radiation models, and chemically induced models, and discuss the advantages and limitations of each model.
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12
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Serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor as a potential tumor marker in patients with malignant melanoma. Melanoma Res 2018; 26:354-60. [PMID: 27206057 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Serum markers can be important tools for prognostic classification and treatment monitoring in cancer patients. The MAP-kinase pathway, which is upregulated in the majority of melanoma patients, can be activated by hepatocyte-growth factor (HGF) through the proto-oncogene c-MET. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of circulating HGF in terms of treatment outcome and survival compared with a widely established serum marker, protein S-100B, in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. HGF and S-100B were measured in serum samples of 101 patients with metastatic melanoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IV) before and after treatment and 50 patients with stage I/II melanoma. HGF and S-100B correlated significantly with the stage of disease (P=0.032 and P<0.001, respectively). In stage IV melanoma patients, baseline serum levels of HGF and S-100B were significantly associated with treatment response (P=0.012 and 0.006, respectively). Furthermore, the Cox regression analysis confirmed that serum levels of HGF and S-100B proved to have a significant prognostic impact on progression-free survival (hazard ratio=1.39 and 1.29, respectively) and overall survival (hazard ratio=1.27 and 1.29, respectively) in advanced metastatic melanoma patients. In melanoma patients, serum levels of HGF and S-100B correlate significantly with the stage of disease. In stage IV melanoma, both markers are prognostic factors and correlate significantly with progression-free survival and overall survival. Measurement of serum HGF levels might be a useful additional tool in the management of melanoma patients.
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13
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van der Weyden L, Arends MJ, Brenn T, Tuting T, Adams DJ. Widespread spontaneous hyperproliferation, melanosis and melanoma in Hgf-Cdk4R24C mice. Melanoma Res 2018; 28:76-78. [PMID: 29200095 PMCID: PMC5739287 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Louise van der Weyden
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge
| | - Mark J Arends
- Centre for Comparative Pathology, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Division of Pathology, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine
| | - Thomas Brenn
- Pathology Department, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas Tuting
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - David J Adams
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge
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14
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Pérez-Guijarro E, Day CP, Merlino G, Zaidi MR. Genetically engineered mouse models of melanoma. Cancer 2017; 123:2089-2103. [PMID: 28543694 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.30684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is a complex disease that exhibits highly heterogeneous etiological, histopathological, and genetic features, as well as therapeutic responses. Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models provide powerful tools to unravel the molecular mechanisms critical for melanoma development and drug resistance. Here, we expound briefly the basis of the mouse modeling design, the available technology for genetic engineering, and the aspects influencing the use of GEMs to model melanoma. Furthermore, we describe in detail the currently available GEM models of melanoma. Cancer 2017;123:2089-103. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Pérez-Guijarro
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chi-Ping Day
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Glenn Merlino
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - M Raza Zaidi
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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15
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The HGF/SF Mouse Model of UV-Induced Melanoma as an In Vivo Sensor for Metastasis-Regulating Gene. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18081647. [PMID: 28788083 PMCID: PMC5578037 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18081647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous malignant melanoma is an aggressive and potentially lethal form of skin cancer, particularly in its advanced and therapy-resistant stages, and the need for novel therapeutics and prognostic tools is acute. Incidence of melanoma has steadily increased over the past few decades, with exposure to the genome-damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) well-recognized as a primary cause. A number of genetically-engineered mouse models (GEMMs) have been created that exhibit high incidence of spontaneous and induced forms of melanoma, and a select subset recapitulates its progression to aggressive and metastatic forms. These GEMMs hold considerable promise for providing insights into advanced stages of melanoma, such as potential therapeutic targets and prognostic markers, and as in vivo systems for testing of novel therapies. In this review, we summarize how the HGF/SF transgenic mouse has been used to reveal metastasis-regulating activity of four different genes (CDK4R24C, survivin and NME1/NME2) in the context of UV-induced melanoma. We also discuss how these models can potentially yield new strategies for clinical management of melanoma in its most aggressive forms.
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16
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Deletion of ADAM-9 in HGF/CDK4 mice impairs melanoma development and metastasis. Oncogene 2017; 36:5058-5067. [PMID: 28553955 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2017.162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
ADAM-9 is a metalloproteinase expressed in peritumoral areas by invading melanoma cells and by adjacent peritumoral stromal cells; however, its function in stromal and melanoma cells is not fully understood. To address this question in vivo in a spontaneous melanoma model, we deleted ADAM-9 in mice carrying the hepatocyte growth factor (Hgf) transgene and knock-in mutation Cdk4R24C/R24C, demonstrated to spontaneously develop melanoma. Spontaneous melanoma arose less frequently in ADAM-9-deleted mice than in controls. Similarly reduced tumor numbers (although with faster growth kinetics) were detected upon induction of melanoma with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). However, more lesions were induced at early time points in the absence of ADAM-9. Increased initial and decreased late tumor numbers were paralleled by altered tumor cell proliferation, but not apoptosis or inflammation. Importantly, significantly reduced lung metastases were detected upon ADAM-9 deletion. Using in vitro assays to address this effect mechanistically, we detected reduced adhesion and transmigration of ADAM-9-silenced melanoma cells to/through the endothelium. This implies that ADAM-9 functionally and cell autonomously mediates extravasation of melanoma cells. In vitro and in vivo we demonstrated that the basement membrane (BM) component laminin β3-chain is a direct substrate of ADAM-9, thus contributing to destabilization and disruption of the BM barrier during invasion. In in vitro invasion assays using human melanoma cells and skin equivalents, depletion of ADAM-9 resulted in decreased invasion of the BM, which remained almost completely intact, as shown by continuous staining for laminin β3-chain. Importantly, supplying soluble ADAM-9 to the system reversed this effect. Taken together, our data show that melanoma derived ADAM-9 autonomously contributes to melanoma progression by modulating cell adhesion to the endothelium and altering BM integrity by proteolytically processing the laminin-β3 chain. This newly described process and ADAM-9 itself may represent potential targets for anti-tumor therapies.
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17
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Mescher M, Jeong P, Knapp SK, Rübsam M, Saynisch M, Kranen M, Landsberg J, Schlaak M, Mauch C, Tüting T, Niessen CM, Iden S. The epidermal polarity protein Par3 is a non-cell autonomous suppressor of malignant melanoma. J Exp Med 2017; 214:339-358. [PMID: 28096290 PMCID: PMC5294851 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20160596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mescher et al. uncover a novel tissue-borne tumor suppression mechanism, engaging polarity proteins in the epithelial microenvironment that prevent malignant outgrowth of neighboring cell types through control of heterologous cell–cell contacts. Moreover, their data support an emerging role of P-cadherin, which is frequently amplified in human carcinoma, as a protumorigenic and proinvasive adhesion molecule, thus placing it as a promising druggable target to disrupt tumor–microenvironment interactions for anticancer therapy. Melanoma, an aggressive skin malignancy with increasing lifetime risk, originates from melanocytes (MCs) that are in close contact with surrounding epidermal keratinocytes (KCs). How the epidermal microenvironment controls melanomagenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we identify an unexpected non–cell autonomous role of epidermal polarity proteins, molecular determinants of cytoarchitecture, in malignant melanoma. Epidermal Par3 inactivation in mice promotes MC dedifferentiation, motility, and hyperplasia and, in an autochthonous melanoma model, results in increased tumor formation and lung metastasis. KC-specific Par3 loss up-regulates surface P-cadherin that is essential to promote MC proliferation and phenotypic switch toward dedifferentiation. In agreement, low epidermal PAR3 and high P-cadherin expression correlate with human melanoma progression, whereas elevated P-cadherin levels are associated with reduced survival of melanoma patients, implying that this mechanism also drives human disease. Collectively, our data show that reduced KC Par3 function fosters a permissive P-cadherin–dependent niche for MC transformation, invasion, and metastasis. This reveals a previously unrecognized extrinsic tumor-suppressive mechanism, whereby epithelial polarity proteins dictate the cytoarchitecture and fate of other tissue-resident cells to suppress their malignant outgrowth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Mescher
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Peter Jeong
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Sina K Knapp
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Matthias Rübsam
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Michael Saynisch
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Marina Kranen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Jennifer Landsberg
- Laboratory of Immunodermatology, Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, and German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Essen/Düsseldorf, West German Cancer Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.,Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Max Schlaak
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Cornelia Mauch
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Thomas Tüting
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Carien M Niessen
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
| | - Sandra Iden
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany .,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
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18
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Overexpression of hepatocyte growth factor and an oncogenic CDK4 variant in mice alters corneal stroma morphology but does not lead to spontaneous ocular melanoma. Melanoma Res 2016; 26:89-91. [PMID: 26731561 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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Cataisson C, Michalowski AM, Shibuya K, Ryscavage A, Klosterman M, Wright L, Dubois W, Liu F, Zhuang A, Rodrigues KB, Hoover S, Dwyer J, Simpson MR, Merlino G, Yuspa SH. MET signaling in keratinocytes activates EGFR and initiates squamous carcinogenesis. Sci Signal 2016; 9:ra62. [PMID: 27330189 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaf5106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The receptor tyrosine kinase MET is abundant in many human squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), but its functional significance in tumorigenesis is not clear. We found that the incidence of carcinogen-induced skin squamous tumors was substantially increased in transgenic MT-HGF (mouse metallothionein-hepatocyte growth factor) mice, which have increased abundance of the MET ligand HGF. Squamous tumors also erupted spontaneously on the skin of MT-HGF mice that were promoted by wounding or the application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, an activator of protein kinase C. Carcinogen-initiated tumors had Ras mutations, but spontaneous tumors did not. Cultured keratinocytes from MT-HGF mice and oncogenic RAS-transduced keratinocytes shared phenotypic and biochemical features of initiation that were dependent on autocrine activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) through increased synthesis and release of EGFR ligands, which was mediated by the kinase SRC, the pseudoproteases iRhom1 and iRhom2, and the metallopeptidase ADAM17. Pharmacological inhibition of EGFR caused the regression of MT-HGF squamous tumors that developed spontaneously in orthografts of MT-HGF keratinocytes combined with dermal fibroblasts and implanted onto syngeneic mice. The global gene expression profile in MET-transformed keratinocytes was highly concordant with that in RAS-transformed keratinocytes, and a core RAS/MET coexpression network was activated in precancerous and cancerous human skin lesions. Tissue arrays revealed that many human skin SCCs have abundant HGF at both the transcript and protein levels. Thus, through the activation of EGFR, MET activation parallels a RAS pathway to contribute to human and mouse cutaneous cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Cataisson
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aleksandra M Michalowski
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kelly Shibuya
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew Ryscavage
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mary Klosterman
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lisa Wright
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wendy Dubois
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Fan Liu
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anne Zhuang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kameron B Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shelley Hoover
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jennifer Dwyer
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mark R Simpson
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Glenn Merlino
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Stuart H Yuspa
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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20
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Animal Models of Uveal Melanoma: Methods, Applicability, and Limitations. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:4521807. [PMID: 27366747 PMCID: PMC4913058 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4521807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Animal models serve as powerful tools for investigating the pathobiology of cancer, identifying relevant pathways, and developing novel therapeutic agents. They have facilitated rapid scientific progress in many tumor entities. However, for establishing a powerful animal model of uveal melanoma fundamental challenges remain. To date, no animal model offers specific genetic attributes as well as histologic, immunologic, and metastatic features of uveal melanoma. Syngeneic models with intraocular injection of cutaneous melanoma cells may suit best for investigating immunologic/tumor biology aspects. However, differences between cutaneous and uveal melanoma regarding genetics and metastasis remain problematic. Human xenograft models are widely used for evaluating novel therapeutics but require immunosuppression to allow tumor growth. New approaches aim to establish transgenic mouse models of spontaneous uveal melanoma which recently provided preliminary promising results. Each model provides certain benefits and may render them suitable for answering a respective scientific question. However, all existing models also exhibit relevant limitations which may have led to delayed research progress. Despite refined therapeutic options for the primary ocular tumor, patients' prognosis has not improved since the 1970s. Basic research needs to further focus on a refinement of a potent animal model which mimics uveal melanoma specific mechanisms of progression and metastasis. This review will summarise and interpret existing animal models of uveal melanoma including recent advances in the field.
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21
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Hölzel M, Landsberg J, Glodde N, Bald T, Rogava M, Riesenberg S, Becker A, Jönsson G, Tüting T. A Preclinical Model of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor-like Melanoma Is Characterized by Infiltrating Mast Cells. Cancer Res 2015; 76:251-63. [PMID: 26511633 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-1090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Human melanomas exhibit considerable genetic, pathologic, and microenvironmental heterogeneity. Genetically engineered mice have successfully been used to model the genomic aberrations contributing to melanoma pathogenesis, but their ability to recapitulate the phenotypic variability of human disease and the complex interactions with the immune system have not been addressed. Here, we report the unexpected finding that immune cell-poor pigmented and immune cell-rich amelanotic melanomas developed simultaneously in Cdk4R24C-mutant mice upon melanocyte-specific conditional activation of oncogenic BrafV600E and a single application of the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. Interestingly, amelanotic melanomas showed morphologic and molecular features of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). A bioinformatic cross-species comparison using a gene expression signature of MPNST-like mouse melanomas identified a subset of human melanomas with a similar histomorphology. Furthermore, this subset of human melanomas was found to be highly associated with a mast cell gene signature, and accordingly, mouse MPNST-like melanomas were also extensively infiltrated by mast cells and expressed mast cell chemoattractants similar to human counterparts. A transplantable mouse MPNST-like melanoma cell line recapitulated mast cell recruitment in syngeneic mice, demonstrating that this cell state can directly reconstitute the histomorphologic and microenvironmental features of primary MPNST-like melanomas. Our study emphasizes the importance of reciprocal, phenotype-dependent melanoma-immune cell interactions and highlights a critical role for mast cells in a subset of melanomas. Moreover, our BrafV600E-Cdk4R24C model represents an attractive system for the development of therapeutic approaches that can target the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment characteristic of human melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hölzel
- Unit for RNA Biology, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Jennifer Landsberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicole Glodde
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Bald
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Meri Rogava
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefanie Riesenberg
- Unit for RNA Biology, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Albert Becker
- Section of Translational Epileptology, Department of Neuropathology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Göran Jönsson
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Thomas Tüting
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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22
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Bald T, Landsberg J, Jansen P, Gaffal E, Tüting T. Phorbol ester-induced neutrophilic inflammatory responses selectively promote metastatic spread of melanoma in a TLR4-dependent manner. Oncoimmunology 2015; 5:e1078964. [PMID: 27057457 PMCID: PMC4801457 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1078964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased neutrophil counts both in tumor tissue and peripheral blood correlate with poor clinical outcome in melanoma patients suggesting a pro-tumorigenic role of neutrophils for the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma. Recently, we discovered that neutrophilic skin inflammatory responses induced by UV exposure promote metastatic spread of primary cutaneous melanomas in genetically engineered Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) mice. We hypothesized that other pro-inflammatory stimuli that induce neutrophilic inflammatory responses also promote the development and progression of melanomas. In the current study, we therefore investigated how the most potent and frequently used tumor promoter 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) affects the development and progression of carcinogen-induced melanomas in Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) mice. Local and systemic neutrophilic inflammatory responses induced by TPA also selectively increase the metastatic spread of melanoma cells to draining lymph nodes and lungs. Using a highly metastatic Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) melanoma skin transplant we could show that TPA enhances systemic spread of melanoma cells which was depended on intact TLR4 signaling in recipient mice and on the presence of neutrophils. Altogether, our experimental results support an important mechanistic role of TLR4-driven neutrophilic inflammation for melanoma progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Bald
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn , Bonn, Germany
| | - Jennifer Landsberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn , Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp Jansen
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn , Bonn, Germany
| | - Evelyn Gaffal
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn , Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Tüting
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn , Bonn, Germany
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Petrini I. Biology of MET: a double life between normal tissue repair and tumor progression. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2015; 3:82. [PMID: 25992381 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.03.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
MNNG HOS transforming gene (MET) is a class IV receptor tyrosine kinase, expressed on the surface of epithelial cells. The interaction with the hepatocyte grow factor (HGF) induces MET dimerization and the activation of multiple intracellular pathways leading to cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis, morphogenic differentiation, motility, invasion, and angiogenesis. Knock out mice have demonstrated that MET is necessary for normal embryogenesis including the formation of striate muscles, liver and trophoblastic structures. The overexpression of MET and HGF are common in solid tumors and contribute to determine their growth. Indeed, MET has been cloned as a transforming gene from a chemically induced human osteosarcoma cell line and therefore is considered a proto-oncogene. Germline MET mutations are characteristic of hereditary papillary kidney cancers and MET amplification is observed in tumors including lung and gastric adenocarcinomas. The inhibition of MET signaling is the target for specific drugs that are raising exciting expectation for medical treatment of cancer.
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Differential role of cannabinoids in the pathogenesis of skin cancer. Life Sci 2015; 138:35-40. [PMID: 25921771 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
AIM Cannabinoids (CB) like ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can induce cancer cell apoptosis and inhibit angiogenesis. However, the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of malignant diseases is discussed controversially because of their immunomodulatory effects which can suppress anti-tumor immunity. Here we investigated the role of exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids in mouse skin cancer. MAIN METHODS First we examined the effect of THC, which binds to CB receptors (CB1, CB2), on the growth of the mouse melanoma cell lines B16 and HCmel12 in vitro and in vivo in wild type (WT) and CB1/CB2-receptor deficient mice (Cnr1/2(-/-)). Next we evaluated the role of the endogenous cannabinoid system by studying the growth of chemically induced melanomas, fibrosarcoma and papillomas in WT and Cnr1/2(-/-) mice. KEY FINDINGS THC significantly inhibited tumor growth of transplanted HCmel12 melanomas in a CB receptor-dependent manner in vivo through antagonistic effects on its characteristic pro-inflammatory microenvironment. Chemically induced skin tumors developed in a similar manner in Cnr1/2(-/-) mice when compared to WT mice. SIGNIFICANCE Our results confirm the value of exogenous cannabinoids for the treatment of melanoma but do not support a role for the endogenous cannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of skin cancer.
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25
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Gandarillas A, Freije A. Cycling up the epidermis: reconciling 100 years of debate. Exp Dermatol 2013; 23:87-91. [PMID: 24261570 DOI: 10.1111/exd.12287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is likely general consensus within the skin research community that cell cycle control is critical to epidermal homeostasis and disease. The current predominant model proposes that keratinocytes switch off DNA replication and undergo cell cycle and cell growth arrest as they initiate terminal differentiation. However, this model cannot explain key physiological features of the skin, mainly why squamous differentiation prevails over proliferation in benign hyperproliferative disorders. In recent years, we have proposed an alternative model that involves mitotic slippage and endoreplication. This new model is controversial and has encountered resistance within the field. However, looking back at history, the epidermal cell cycle has been a matter of controversy and debate for around 100 years now. The accumulated data are confusing and contradictory. Our present model can explain and reconcile both old and new paradoxical observations. Here, we explain and discuss the endoreplicative cell cycle, the evidence for and against its existence in human epidermis and the important implications for skin homeostasis and disease. We show that regardless of the strengths or weaknesses of the Endoreplication Model, the existing evidence in support of the Cell Cycle Arrest Model is very weak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Gandarillas
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla-Instituto de Formación e Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla (IFIMAV), Santander, Spain; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Languedoc-Roussillon, France
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Tüting T. T cell immunotherapy for melanoma from bedside to bench to barn and back: how conceptual advances in experimental mouse models can be translated into clinical benefit for patients. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2013; 26:441-56. [PMID: 23617831 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.12111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A solid scientific basis now supports the concept that cytotoxic T lymphocytes can specifically recognize and destroy melanoma cells. Over the last decades, clinicians and basic scientists have joined forces to advance our concepts of melanoma immunobiology. This has catalyzed the rational development of therapeutic approaches to enforce melanoma-specific T cell responses. Preclinical studies in experimental mouse models paved the way for their successful translation into clinical benefit for patients with metastatic melanoma. A more thorough understanding of how melanomas develop resistance to T cell immunotherapy is necessary to extend this success. This requires a continued interdisciplinary effort of melanoma biologists and immunologists that closely connects clinical observations with in vitro investigations and appropriate in vivo mouse models: From bedside to bench to barn and back.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Tüting
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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27
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Abstract
The cell cycle is regulated in part by cyclins and their associated serine/threonine cyclin-dependent kinases, or CDKs. CDK4, in conjunction with the D-type cyclins, mediates progression through the G1 phase when the cell prepares to initiate DNA synthesis. Although CDK4-null mutant mice are viable and cell proliferation is not significantly affected in vitro due to compensatory roles played by other CDKs, this gene plays a key role in mammalian development and cancer. This review discusses the role that CDK4 plays in cell cycle control, normal development, and tumorigenesis as well as how small molecule inhibitors of CDK4 can be used to treat disease.
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Landsberg J, Kohlmeyer J, Renn M, Bald T, Rogava M, Cron M, Fatho M, Lennerz V, Wölfel T, Hölzel M, Tüting T. Melanomas resist T-cell therapy through inflammation-induced reversible dedifferentiation. Nature 2012; 490:412-6. [PMID: 23051752 DOI: 10.1038/nature11538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 431] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive cell transfer therapies (ACTs) with cytotoxic T cells that target melanocytic antigens can achieve remissions in patients with metastatic melanomas, but tumours frequently relapse. Hypotheses explaining the acquired resistance to ACTs include the selection of antigen-deficient tumour cell variants and the induction of T-cell tolerance. However, the lack of appropriate experimental melanoma models has so far impeded clear insights into the underlying mechanisms. Here we establish an effective ACT protocol in a genetically engineered mouse melanoma model that recapitulates tumour regression, remission and relapse as seen in patients. We report the unexpected observation that melanomas acquire ACT resistance through an inflammation-induced reversible loss of melanocytic antigens. In serial transplantation experiments, melanoma cells switch between a differentiated and a dedifferentiated phenotype in response to T-cell-driven inflammatory stimuli. We identified the proinflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α as a crucial factor that directly caused reversible dedifferentiation of mouse and human melanoma cells. Tumour cells exposed to TNF-α were poorly recognized by T cells specific for melanocytic antigens, whereas recognition by T cells specific for non-melanocytic antigens was unaffected or even increased. Our results demonstrate that the phenotypic plasticity of melanoma cells in an inflammatory microenvironment contributes to tumour relapse after initially successful T-cell immunotherapy. On the basis of our work, we propose that future ACT protocols should simultaneously target melanocytic and non-melanocytic antigens to ensure broad recognition of both differentiated and dedifferentiated melanoma cells, and include strategies to sustain T-cell effector functions by blocking immune-inhibitory mechanisms in the tumour microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Landsberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
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Stromal fibroblast-specific expression of ADAM-9 modulates proliferation and apoptosis in melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. J Invest Dermatol 2012; 132:2451-2458. [PMID: 22622419 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2012.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
ADAMs are members of the zinc metalloproteinase superfamily characterized by the presence of disintegrin and metalloprotease domains. In human melanoma, ADAM-9 is expressed in focalized areas of the tumor-stroma border in both melanoma and stromal cells. However, the role of ADAM-9 in melanoma progression remains elusive. To analyze the role of stromal-derived ADAM-9 for the growth and survival of melanoma cells, we have used in vitro coculture systems of melanoma cells and ADAM-9(-/-) fibroblasts. Coculture of melanoma cells in the presence of ADAM-9(-/-) fibroblasts led to increased melanoma cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis as compared with control cocultures. We identified TIMP-1 and sTNFRI as the two relevant factors expressed in increased amounts in culture supernatants from ADAM-9(-/-) fibroblasts. TIMP-1 was associated with induced melanoma cell proliferation, whereas soluble TNFR1 mediated the reduced cellular apoptosis in vitro. In vivo, injection of murine melanoma cells into the flank of ADAM-9(-/-) animals resulted in the development of significantly larger tumors than in wild-type animals as a result of increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of melanoma cells. Taken together, stromal expression of ADAM-9 during melanoma development modulates the expression of TIMP-1 and sTNFR1, which in turn affect tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis.
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A defect of the INK4-Cdk4 checkpoint and Myc collaborate in blastoid mantle cell lymphoma-like lymphoma formation in mice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2012; 180:1688-701. [PMID: 22326754 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2012.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2011] [Revised: 12/02/2011] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell malignancy characterized by a monoclonal proliferation of lymphocytes with the co-expression of CD5 and CD43, but not of CD23. Typical MCL is associated with overexpression of cyclin D1, and blastoid MCL variants are associated with Myc (alias c-myc) translocations. In this study, we developed a murine model of MCL-like lymphoma by crossing Cdk4(R24C) mice with Myc-3'RR transgenic mice. The Cdk4(R24C) mouse is a knockin strain that expresses a Cdk4 protein that is resistant to inhibition by p16(INK4a) as well as other INK4 family members. Ablation of INK4 control on Cdk4 does not affect lymphomagenesis, B-cell maturation, and functions in Cdk4(R24C) mice. Additionally, B cells were normal in numbers, cell cycle activity, mitogen responsiveness, and Ig synthesis in response to activation. By contrast, breeding Cdk4(R24C) mice with Myc-3'RR transgenic mice prone to develop aggressive Burkitt lymphoma-like lymphoma (CD19(+)IgM(+)IgD(+) cells) leads to the development of clonal blastoid MCL-like lymphoma (CD19(+)IgM(+)CD5(+)CD43(+)CD23(-) cells) in Myc/Cdk4(R24C) mice. Western blot analysis revealed high amounts of Cdk4/cyclin D1 complexes as the main hallmark of these lymphomas. These results indicate that although silent in nonmalignant B cells, a defect in the INK4-Cdk4 checkpoint can participate in lymphomagenesis in conjunction with additional alterations of cell cycle control, a situation that might be reminiscent of the development of human blastoid MCL.
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Gaffal E, Landsberg J, Bald T, Sporleder A, Kohlmeyer J, Tüting T. Neonatal UVB exposure accelerates melanoma growth and enhances distant metastases in Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) C57BL/6 mice. Int J Cancer 2011; 129:285-94. [PMID: 21207411 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.25913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models offer new opportunities to experimentally investigate the impact of UV on melanoma pathogenesis. Here we irradiated a cohort of newborn 15 Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) mice on the pigmented C57BL/6 background with one erythemogenic dose of 6 kJ/m(2) UVB and compared the development of nevi and melanoma with a cohort of 30 untreated Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) mice. Neonatal UVB exposure decreased the latency and accelerated the growth of primary melanomas resulting in a significantly decreased time from melanoma onset to melanoma-related death (61 days vs. 96 days). Interestingly, we did not observe differences in the development of melanocytic nevi. Histopathological investigations revealed that UVB irradiation shifted the spectrum of melanomas toward a more aggressive phenotype with increased tumor cell proliferation, invasive growth and enhanced angiogenesis. Accordingly, we observed distal melanoma metastases in the lungs more frequently in the UV-irradiated than in the untreated cohort of Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) mice (73% vs. 47%). UVB-induced melanomas only contained very few infiltrating immune cells and expressed very low levels of proinflammatory chemokines. Taken together, our results demonstrate that neonatal UVB exposure promoted the early appearance of rapidly enlarging primary melanomas in Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) C57BL/6 mice which showed enhanced invasive and metastatic behaviour without a persistent tumor-associated inflammatory response. The preferential impact of UVB irradiation on the progression of melanoma without an effect on the development of nevi supports the hypothesis that the molecular targets of UVB are involved in bypassing the proliferative arrest of transformed melanocytes without alerting a cellular immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Gaffal
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, University of Bonn, Germany
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McKinney AJ, Holmen SL. Animal models of melanoma: a somatic cell gene delivery mouse model allows rapid evaluation of genes implicated in human melanoma. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CANCER 2011; 30:153-62. [PMID: 21352692 PMCID: PMC4013311 DOI: 10.5732/cjc.011.10007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Revised: 01/10/2011] [Accepted: 01/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The increasing incidence and mortality associated with advanced stages of melanoma are cause for concern. Few treatment options are available for advanced melanoma and the 5-year survival rate is less than 15%. Targeted therapies may revolutionize melanoma treatment by providing less toxic and more effective strategies. However, maximizing effectiveness requires further understanding of the molecular alterations that drive tumor formation, progression, and maintenance, as well as elucidating the mechanisms of resistance. Several different genetic alterations identified in human melanoma have been recapitulated in mice. This review outlines recent progress made in the development of mouse models of melanoma and summarizes what these findings reveal about the human disease. We begin with a discussion of traditional models and conclude with the recently developed RCAS/TVA somatic cell gene delivery mouse model of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J McKinney
- Department of Drug and Target Discovery, Nevada Cancer Institute, Las Vegas, NV 89135, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- William E Damsky
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Landsberg J, Gaffal E, Cron M, Kohlmeyer J, Renn M, Tüting T. Autochthonous primary and metastatic melanomas in Hgf-Cdk4R24C mice evade T-cell-mediated immune surveillance. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2010; 23:649-60. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2010.00744.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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35
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Hyter S, Bajaj G, Liang X, Barbacid M, Ganguli-Indra G, Indra AK. Loss of nuclear receptor RXRα in epidermal keratinocytes promotes the formation of Cdk4-activated invasive melanomas. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2010; 23:635-48. [PMID: 20629968 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-148x.2010.00732.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Keratinocytes contribute to melanocyte transformation by affecting their microenvironment, in part through the secretion of paracrine factors. Here we report a loss of expression of nuclear receptor RXRα in epidermal keratinocytes during human melanoma progression. In the absence of keratinocytic RXRα, in combination with mutant Cdk4, cutaneous melanoma was generated that metastasized to lymph nodes in a bigenic mouse model. Expression of several keratinocyte-derived mitogenic growth factors (Et-1, Hgf, Scf, α-MSH and Fgf 2 ) was elevated in skin of bigenic mice, whereas Fas, E-cadherin and Pten, implicated in apoptosis, cellular invasion and melanomagenesis, respectively, were downregulated within the microdissected melanocytic tumors. We demonstrated that RXRα is recruited on the proximal promoter of both Et-1 and Hgf, possibly directly regulating their transcription in keratinocytes. These studies demonstrate the contribution of keratinocytic paracrine signaling during the cellular transformation and malignant conversion of melanocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Hyter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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36
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Kohlmeyer J, Cron M, Landsberg J, Bald T, Renn M, Mikus S, Bondong S, Wikasari D, Gaffal E, Hartmann G, Tüting T. Complete regression of advanced primary and metastatic mouse melanomas following combination chemoimmunotherapy. Cancer Res 2009; 69:6265-74. [PMID: 19622767 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-0579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The development of therapeutic strategies which induce effective cellular antitumor immunity represents an important goal in cancer immunology. Here, we used the unique features of the genetically engineered Hgf-Cdk4(R24C) mouse model to identify a combination chemoimmunotherapy for melanoma. These mice develop primary cutaneous melanomas which grow progressively and metastasize in the absence of immunogenic foreign proteins such as oncogenes or antigens. Primary and metastatic tumors evade innate and adaptive immune defenses, although they naturally express melanocytic antigens which can be recognized by antigen-specific T cells. We found that primary melanomas continued to grow despite infiltration with adoptively transferred, in vivo-activated, tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells. To promote tumor immune defense, we developed a treatment protocol consisting of four complementary components: (a) chemotherapeutic preconditioning prior to (b) adoptive lymphocyte transfer and (c) viral vaccination followed by (d) adjuvant peritumoral injections of immunostimulatory nucleic acids. Lymphocyte ablation and innate antiviral immune stimulation cooperatively enhanced the expansion and the effector cell differentiation of adoptively transferred lymphocytes. The efficacy of the different treatment approaches converged in the tumor microenvironment and induced a strong cytotoxic inflammatory response enabling preferential recognition and destruction of melanoma cells. This combination chemoimmunotherapy caused complete regression of advanced primary melanomas in the skin and metastases in the lung with minimal autoimmune side effects. Our results in a clinically highly relevant experimental model provide a scientific rationale to evaluate similar strategies which unleash the power of innate and adaptive immune defense in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Kohlmeyer
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Laboratory of Experimental Dermatology, Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Toll-like receptor-agonists in the treatment of skin cancer: history, current developments and future prospects. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2008:201-20. [PMID: 18071661 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-72167-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This review will briefly cover some important aspects of skin structure and function before touching upon fundamental principles of neoplastic cell growth in the skin and some of the important molecular pathways involved. After presenting evidence for a role of the immune system in shaping the development of skin cancer, concepts for tumor immunotherapy with TLR-agonists are introduced from a historical point of view. Subsequently, the use of synthetic DNA, synthetic RNA and synthetic small immunostimulatory molecules for immunotherapy of early forms of epithelial carcinoma (actinic keratoses) and melanoma (lentigo maligna), as well as for advanced metastatic melanoma, is comprehensively presented. Finally, current developments and future prospects for immunotherapy of occult or unresectable melanoma metastastases, the most important clinical problem today, are discussed.
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39
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Abstract
The acquisition of invasive behaviour is the key transition in the progression of benign melanocyte hyperplasia to life threatening melanoma. Understanding this transition and the mechanisms of invasion are the key to understanding why malignant melanoma is such a devastating disease and will aid treatment strategies. Underlying the invasive behaviour is increased cell motility caused by changes in cytoskeletal organization and altered contacts with the extra-cellular matrix (ECM). In addition, changes in the interactions of melanoma cells with keratinocytes and fibroblasts enable them to survive and proliferate outside their normal epidermal location. Proteomic and genomic initiatives are greatly increasing our knowledge of which gene products are deregulated in invasive and metastatic melanoma; however, the next challenge is to understand how these genes promote the invasion of melanoma cells. In recent years new models have been developed that more closely recapitulate the conditions of melanoma invasion in vivo. It is hoped that these models will give us a better understanding of how the genes implicated in melanoma progression affect the motility of melanoma cells and their interactions with the ECM, stromal cells and blood vessels. This review will summarise our current understanding of melanoma invasion and focus on the new model systems that can be used to study melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Gaggioli
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute, London, UK
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