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Fuentes ME, Lu X, Flores NM, Hausmann S, Mazur PK. Combined deletion of MEN1, ATRX and PTEN triggers development of high-grade pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8510. [PMID: 38609433 PMCID: PMC11014914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58874-2] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors that exhibit an unpredictable and broad spectrum of clinical presentations and biological aggressiveness. Surgical resection is still the only curative therapeutic option for localized PanNET, but the majority of patients are diagnosed at an advanced and metastatic stage with limited therapeutic options. Key factors limiting the development of new therapeutics are the extensive heterogeneity of PanNETs and the lack of appropriate clinically relevant models. In that context, genomic sequencing of human PanNETs revealed recurrent mutations and structural alterations in several tumor suppressors. Here, we demonstrated that combined loss of MEN1, ATRX, and PTEN, tumor suppressors commonly mutated in human PanNETs, triggers the development of high-grade pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in mice. Histopathological evaluation and gene expression analyses of the developed tumors confirm the presence of PanNET hallmarks and significant overlap in gene expression patterns found in human disease. Thus, we postulate that the presented novel genetically defined mouse model is the first clinically relevant immunocompetent high-grade PanNET mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Esmeralda Fuentes
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoyin Lu
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Natasha M Flores
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Simone Hausmann
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pawel K Mazur
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Gaspar TB, Jesus TT, Azevedo MT, Macedo S, Soares MA, Martins RS, Leite R, Rodrigues L, Rodrigues DF, Cardoso L, Borges I, Canberk S, Gärtner F, Miranda-Alves L, Lopes JM, Soares P, Vinagre J. Generation of an Obese Diabetic Mouse Model upon Conditional Atrx Disruption. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15113018. [PMID: 37296979 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15113018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Atrx loss was recently ascertained as insufficient to drive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (PanNET) formation in mice islets. We have identified a preponderant role of Atrx in the endocrine dysfunction in a Rip-Cre;AtrxKO genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM). To validate the impact of a different Cre-driver line, we used similar methodologies and characterised the Pdx1-Cre;AtrxKO (P.AtrxKO) GEMM to search for PanNET formation and endocrine fitness disruption for a period of up to 24 months. Male and female mice presented different phenotypes. Compared to P.AtrxWT, P.AtrxHOM males were heavier during the entire study period, hyperglycaemic between 3 and 12 mo., and glucose intolerant only from 6 mo.; in contrast, P.AtrxHOM females started exhibiting increased weight gains later (after 6 mo.), but diabetes or glucose intolerance was detected by 3 mo. Overall, all studied mice were overweight or obese from early ages, which challenged the histopathological evaluation of the pancreas and liver, especially after 12 mo. Noteworthily, losing Atrx predisposed mice to an increase in intrapancreatic fatty infiltration (FI), peripancreatic fat deposition, and macrovesicular steatosis. As expected, no animal developed PanNETs. An obese diabetic GEMM of disrupted Atrx is presented as potentially useful for metabolic studies and as a putative candidate for inserting additional tumourigenic genetic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Bordeira Gaspar
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Tito Teles Jesus
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Teresa Azevedo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sofia Macedo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Alves Soares
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório de Endocrinologia Experimental (LEEx), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Rui Sousa Martins
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rúben Leite
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- School of Health (ESS), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lia Rodrigues
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniela Ferreira Rodrigues
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Cardoso
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Inês Borges
- Centro de Diagnóstico Veterinário (Cedivet), 4200-071 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sule Canberk
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Gärtner
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Leandro Miranda-Alves
- Laboratório de Endocrinologia Experimental (LEEx), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - José Manuel Lopes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João (CHUSJ), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Soares
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Vinagre
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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Pang Y, Chen X, Ji T, Cheng M, Wang R, Zhang C, Liu M, Zhang J, Zhong C. The Chromatin Remodeler ATRX: Role and Mechanism in Biology and Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082228. [PMID: 37190157 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The alpha-thalassemia mental retardation X-linked (ATRX) syndrome protein is a chromatin remodeling protein that primarily promotes the deposit of H3.3 histone variants in the telomere area. ATRX mutations not only cause ATRX syndrome but also influence development and promote cancer. The primary molecular characteristics of ATRX, including its molecular structures and normal and malignant biological roles, are reviewed in this article. We discuss the role of ATRX in its interactions with the histone variant H3.3, chromatin remodeling, DNA damage response, replication stress, and cancers, particularly gliomas, neuroblastomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. ATRX is implicated in several important cellular processes and serves a crucial function in regulating gene expression and genomic integrity throughout embryogenesis. However, the nature of its involvement in the growth and development of cancer remains unknown. As mechanistic and molecular investigations on ATRX disclose its essential functions in cancer, customized therapies targeting ATRX will become accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Pang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Tongjie Ji
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Meng Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
- Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chunlong Zhong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai 200120, China
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Gaspar TB, Lopes JM, Soares P, Vinagre J. An update on genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Endocr Relat Cancer 2022; 29:R191-R208. [PMID: 36197786 DOI: 10.1530/erc-22-0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs) are rare and clinically challenging entities. At the molecular level, PanNENs' genetic profile is well characterized, but there is limited knowledge regarding the contribution of the newly identified genes to tumor initiation and progression. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) are the most versatile tool for studying the plethora of genetic variations influencing PanNENs' etiopathogenesis and behavior over time. In this review, we present the state of the art of the most relevant PanNEN GEMMs available and correlate their findings with the human neoplasms' counterparts. We discuss the historic GEMMs as the most used and with higher translational utility models. GEMMs with Men1 and glucagon receptor gene germline alterations stand out as the most faithful models in recapitulating human disease; RIP-Tag models are unique models of early-onset, highly vascularized, invasive carcinomas. We also include a section of the most recent GEMMs that evaluate pathways related to cell cycle and apoptosis, Pi3k/Akt/mTOR, and Atrx/Daxx. For the latter, their tumorigenic effect is heterogeneous. In particular, for Atrx/Daxx, we will require more in-depth studies to evaluate their contribution; even though they are prevalent genetic events in PanNENs, they have low/inexistent tumorigenic capacity per se in GEMMs. Researchers planning to use GEMMs can find a road map of the main clinical features in this review, presented as a guide that summarizes the chief milestones achieved. We identify pitfalls to overcome, concerning the novel designs and standardization of results, so that future models can replicate human disease more closely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Bordeira Gaspar
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- FMUP - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - José Manuel Lopes
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- FMUP - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Soares
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- FMUP - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João Vinagre
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- FMUP - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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