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Kostrzewa CE, Luo L, Arora A, Seshan VE, Ernstoff MS, Edmiston SN, Conway K, Gorlov I, Busam K, Orlow I, Hernando-Monge E, Thomas NE, Berwick M, Begg CB, Shen R. Pathway Alterations in Stage II/III Primary Melanoma. JCO Precis Oncol 2023; 7:e2200439. [PMID: 36926987 PMCID: PMC10309586 DOI: 10.1200/po.22.00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Genomic classification of melanoma has thus far focused on the mutational status of BRAF, NRAS, and NF1. The clinical utility of this classification remains limited, and the landscape of alterations in other oncogenic signaling pathways is underexplored. METHODS Using primary samples from the InterMEL study, a retrospective cohort of cases with specimens collected from an international consortium with participating institutions throughout the United States and Australia, with oversampling of cases who ultimately died of melanoma, we examined mutual exclusivity and co-occurrence of genomic alterations in 495 stage II/III primary melanomas across 11 cancer pathways. Somatic mutation and copy number alterations were analyzed from next-generation sequencing using a clinical sequencing panel. RESULTS Mutations in the RTK-RAS pathway were observed in 81% of cases. Other frequently occurring pathways were TP53 (31%), Cell Cycle (30%), and PI3K (18%). These frequencies are generally lower than was observed in The Cancer Genome Atlas, where the specimens analyzed were predominantly obtained from metastases. Overall, 81% of the cases had at least one targetable mutation. The RTK-RAS pathway was the only pathway that demonstrated strong and statistically significant mutual exclusivity. However, this strong mutual exclusivity signal was evident only for the three common genes in the pathway (BRAF, NRAS, and NF1). Analysis of co-occurrence of different pathways exhibited no positive significant trends. However, interestingly, a high frequency of cases with none of these pathways represented was observed, 8.4% of cases versus 4.0% expected (P < .001). A higher frequency of RTK-RAS singletons (with no other pathway alteration) was observed compared with The Cancer Genome Atlas. Clonality analyses suggest strongly that both the cell cycle and RTK-RAS pathways represent early events in melanogenesis. CONCLUSION Our results confirm the dominance of mutations in the RTK-RAS pathway. The presence of many mutations in several well-known, actionable pathways suggests potential avenues for targeted therapy in these early-stage cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E. Kostrzewa
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Li Luo
- Department of Internal Medicine and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Arshi Arora
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Venkatraman E. Seshan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Sharon N. Edmiston
- Department of Dermatology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Kathleen Conway
- Department of Dermatology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Ivan Gorlov
- Epidemiology and Population Science, Baylor Medical Center, Houston, TX
| | - Klaus Busam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Science, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Irene Orlow
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Nancy E. Thomas
- Department of Dermatology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Marianne Berwick
- Department of Internal Medicine and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Colin B. Begg
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Ronglai Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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NAD/NAMPT and mTOR Pathways in Melanoma: Drivers of Drug Resistance and Prospective Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179985. [PMID: 36077374 PMCID: PMC9456568 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma represents the most fatal skin cancer due to its aggressive behavior and high metastatic potential. The introduction of BRAF/MEK inhibitors and immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the clinic has dramatically improved patient survival over the last decade. However, many patients either display primary (i.e., innate) or develop secondary (i.e., acquired) resistance to systemic treatments. Therapeutic resistance relies on the rewiring of multiple processes, including cancer metabolism, epigenetics, gene expression, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment that are only partially understood. Therefore, reliable biomarkers of resistance or response, capable of facilitating the choice of the best treatment option for each patient, are currently missing. Recently, activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism and, in particular, of its rate-limiting enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) have been identified as key drivers of targeted therapy resistance and melanoma progression. Another major player in this context is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which plays key roles in the regulation of melanoma cell anabolic functions and energy metabolism at the switch between sensitivity and resistance to targeted therapy. In this review, we summarize known resistance mechanisms to ICIs and targeted therapy, focusing on metabolic adaptation as one main mechanism of drug resistance. In particular, we highlight the roles of NAD/NAMPT and mTOR signaling axes in this context and overview data in support of their inhibition as a promising strategy to overcome treatment resistance.
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