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Baugh AG, Gonzalez E, Narumi VH, Kreger J, Liu Y, Rafie C, Castanon S, Jang J, Kagohara LT, Anastasiadou DP, Leatherman J, Armstrong T, Chan I, Karagiannis GS, Jaffee EM, MacLean A, Torres ETR. A new Neu-a syngeneic model of spontaneously metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Clin Exp Metastasis 2024:10.1007/s10585-024-10289-z. [PMID: 38717519 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-024-10289-z] [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: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Metastatic disease results from the dissemination of tumor cells beyond their organ of origin to grow in distant organs and is the primary cause of death in patients with advanced breast cancer. Preclinical murine models in which primary tumors spontaneously metastasize are valuable tools for studying metastatic progression and novel cancer treatment combinations. Here, we characterize a novel syngeneic murine breast tumor cell line that provides a model of spontaneously metastatic neu-expressing breast cancer with quicker onset of widespread metastases after orthotopic mammary implantation in immune-competent NeuN mice. The NT2.5-lung metastasis (-LM) cell line was derived from serial passaging of tumor cells that were macro-dissected from spontaneous lung metastases after orthotopic mammary implantation of parental NT2.5 cells. Within one week of NT2.5-LM implantation, metastases are observed in the lungs. Within four weeks, metastases are also observed in the bones, spleen, colon, and liver. We demonstrate that NT2.5-LM metastases are positive for NeuN-the murine equivalent of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). We further demonstrate altered expression of markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), suggestive of their enhanced metastatic potential. Genomic analyses support these findings and reveal enrichment in EMT-regulating pathways. In addition, the metastases are rapidly growing, proliferative, and responsive to HER2-directed therapy. The new NT2.5-LM model provides certain advantages over the parental NT2/NT2.5 model, given its more rapid and spontaneous development of metastases. Besides investigating mechanisms of metastatic progression, this new model may be used for the rationalized development of novel therapeutic interventions and assessment of therapeutic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron G Baugh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Keck School of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 6412, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Edgar Gonzalez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Keck School of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 6412, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Valerie H Narumi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jesse Kreger
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yingtong Liu
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christine Rafie
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sofi Castanon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Keck School of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 6412, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Julie Jang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Keck School of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 6412, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Luciane T Kagohara
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dimitra P Anastasiadou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - James Leatherman
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Todd Armstrong
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Isaac Chan
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - George S Karagiannis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jaffee
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam MacLean
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Evanthia T Roussos Torres
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Keck School of Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Suite 6412, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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Balcioglu O, Gates BL, Freeman DW, Hagos BM, Mehrabad EM, Ayala-Talavera D, Spike BT. Mcam stabilizes luminal progenitor breast cancer phenotypes via Ck2 control and Src/Akt/Stat3 attenuation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.05.10.540211. [PMID: 38562809 PMCID: PMC10983870 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.540211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancers are categorized into subtypes with distinctive therapeutic vulnerabilities and prognoses based on their expression of clinically targetable receptors and gene expression patterns mimicking different cell types of the normal gland. Here, we tested the role of Mcam in breast cancer cell state control and tumorigenicity in a luminal progenitor-like murine tumor cell line (Py230) that exhibits lineage and tumor subtype plasticity. Mcam knockdown Py230 cells show augmented Stat3 and Pi3K/Akt activation associated with a lineage state switch away from a hormone-sensing/luminal progenitor state toward alveolar and basal cell related phenotypes that were refractory to growth inhibition by the anti-estrogen therapeutic, tamoxifen. Inhibition of Stat3, or the upstream activator Ck2, reversed these cell state changes. Mcam binds Ck2 and acts as a regulator of Ck2 substrate utilization across multiple mammary tumor cell lines. In Py230 cells this activity manifests as increased mesenchymal morphology, migration, and Src/Fak/Mapk/Paxillin adhesion complex signaling in vitro, in contrast to Mcam's reported roles in promoting mesenchymal phenotypes. In vivo, Mcam knockdown reduced tumor growth and take rate and inhibited cell state transition to Sox10+/neural crest like cells previously been associated with tumor aggressiveness. This contrasts with human luminal breast cancers where MCAM copy number loss is highly coupled to Cyclin D amplification, increased proliferation, and the more aggressive Luminal B subtype. Together these data indicate a critical role for Mcam and its regulation of Ck2 in control of breast cancer cell state plasticity with implications for progression, evasion of targeted therapies and combination therapy design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozlen Balcioglu
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Brooke L. Gates
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - David W. Freeman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Berhane M. Hagos
- Current Address: Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, Portland, OR 97239 USA
| | | | - David Ayala-Talavera
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Benjamin T. Spike
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
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Leggett SE, Brennan MC, Martinez S, Tien J, Nelson CM. Relatively Rare Populations of Invasive Cells Drive Progression of Heterogeneous Tumors. Cell Mol Bioeng 2024; 17:7-24. [PMID: 38435793 PMCID: PMC10902221 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-023-00792-w] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Breast tumors often display an astonishing degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which are associated with cancer progression, drug resistance, and relapse. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive and heterogeneous subtype for which targeted therapies are scarce. Consequently, patients with TNBC have a poorer overall prognosis compared to other breast cancer patients. Within heterogeneous tumors, individual clonal subpopulations may exhibit differences in their rates of growth and degrees of invasiveness. We hypothesized that such phenotypic heterogeneity at the single-cell level may accelerate tumor progression by enhancing the overall growth and invasion of the entire tumor. Methods To test this hypothesis, we isolated and characterized clonal subpopulations with distinct morphologies and biomarker expression from the inherently heterogeneous 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma cell line. We then leveraged a 3D microfluidic tumor model to reverse-engineer intratumoral heterogeneity and thus investigate how interactions between phenotypically distinct subpopulations affect tumor growth and invasion. Results We found that the growth and invasion of multiclonal tumors were largely dictated by the presence of cells with epithelial and mesenchymal traits, respectively. The latter accelerated overall tumor invasion, even when these cells comprised less than 1% of the initial population. Consistently, tumor progression was delayed by selectively targeting the mesenchymal subpopulation. Discussion This work reveals that highly invasive cells can dominate tumor phenotype and that specifically targeting these cells can slow the progression of heterogeneous tumors, which may help inform therapeutic approaches. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-023-00792-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E. Leggett
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, 303 Hoyt Laboratory, 25 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
| | - Molly C. Brennan
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, 303 Hoyt Laboratory, 25 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
| | - Sophia Martinez
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, 303 Hoyt Laboratory, 25 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
| | - Joe Tien
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Celeste M. Nelson
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, 303 Hoyt Laboratory, 25 William Street, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 USA
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Baugh AG, Gonzalez E, Narumi VH, Kreger J, Liu Y, Rafie C, Castanon S, Jang J, Kagohara LT, Anastasiadou DP, Leatherman J, Armstrong TD, Chan I, Karagiannis GS, Jaffee EM, MacLean A, Roussos Torres ET. Mimicking the breast metastatic microenvironment: characterization of a novel syngeneic model of HER2 + breast cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577282. [PMID: 38352476 PMCID: PMC10862766 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical murine models in which primary tumors spontaneously metastasize to distant organs are valuable tools to study metastatic progression and novel cancer treatment combinations. Here, we characterize a novel syngeneic murine breast tumor cell line, NT2.5-lung metastasis (-LM), that provides a model of spontaneously metastatic neu-expressing breast cancer with quicker onset of widespread metastases after orthotopic mammary implantation in immune-competent NeuN mice. Within one week of orthotopic implantation of NT2.5-LM in NeuN mice, distant metastases can be observed in the lungs. Within four weeks, metastases are also observed in the bones, spleen, colon, and liver. Metastases are rapidly growing, proliferative, and responsive to HER2-directed therapy. We demonstrate altered expression of markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and enrichment in EMT-regulating pathways, suggestive of their enhanced metastatic potential. The new NT2.5-LM model provides more rapid and spontaneous development of widespread metastases. Besides investigating mechanisms of metastatic progression, this new model may be used for the rationalized development of novel therapeutic interventions and assessment of therapeutic responses targeting distant visceral metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron G. Baugh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Edgar Gonzalez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Valerie H. Narumi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jesse Kreger
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yingtong Liu
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christine Rafie
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Sofi Castanon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julie Jang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Luciane T. Kagohara
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dimitra P. Anastasiadou
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis Program, Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - James Leatherman
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Todd D. Armstrong
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Isaac Chan
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - George S. Karagiannis
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis Program, Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center, Bronx, NY, USA
- Integrated Imaging Program for Cancer Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Jaffee
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Convergence Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam MacLean
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Evanthia T. Roussos Torres
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Peyvandi S, Bulliard M, Yilmaz A, Kauzlaric A, Marcone R, Haerri L, Coquoz O, Huang YT, Duffey N, Gafner L, Lorusso G, Fournier N, Lan Q, Rüegg C. Tumor-educated Gr1+CD11b+ cells drive breast cancer metastasis via OSM/IL-6/JAK-induced cancer cell plasticity. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e166847. [PMID: 38236642 PMCID: PMC10940099 DOI: 10.1172/jci166847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell plasticity contributes to therapy resistance and metastasis, which represent the main causes of cancer-related death, including in breast cancer. The tumor microenvironment drives cancer cell plasticity and metastasis, and unraveling the underlying cues may provide novel strategies for managing metastatic disease. Using breast cancer experimental models and transcriptomic analyses, we show that stem cell antigen-1 positive (SCA1+) murine breast cancer cells enriched during tumor progression and metastasis had higher in vitro cancer stem cell-like properties, enhanced in vivo metastatic ability, and generated tumors rich in Gr1hiLy6G+CD11b+ cells. In turn, tumor-educated Gr1+CD11b+ (Tu-Gr1+CD11b+) cells rapidly and transiently converted low metastatic SCA1- cells into highly metastatic SCA1+ cells via secreted oncostatin M (OSM) and IL-6. JAK inhibition prevented OSM/IL-6-induced SCA1+ population enrichment, while OSM/IL-6 depletion suppressed Tu-Gr1+CD11b+-induced SCA1+ population enrichment in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Moreover, chemotherapy-selected highly metastatic 4T1 cells maintained high SCA1+ positivity through autocrine IL-6 production, and in vitro JAK inhibition blunted SCA1 positivity and metastatic capacity. Importantly, Tu-Gr1+CD11b+ cells invoked a gene signature in tumor cells predicting shorter overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and lung metastasis in breast cancer patients. Collectively, our data identified OSM/IL-6/JAK as a clinically relevant paracrine/autocrine axis instigating breast cancer cell plasticity and triggering metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam Peyvandi
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Manon Bulliard
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Alev Yilmaz
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Annamaria Kauzlaric
- Translational Data Science Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rachel Marcone
- Translational Data Science Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Haerri
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Oriana Coquoz
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Yu-Ting Huang
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Duffey
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Laetitia Gafner
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Girieca Lorusso
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Fournier
- Translational Data Science Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Qiang Lan
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Cell and Tissue Dynamics Research Program, Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Curzio Rüegg
- Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI), Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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6
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Lee CM, Hwang Y, Jeong JW, Kim M, Lee J, Bae SJ, Ahn SG, Fang S. BRCA1 mutation promotes sprouting angiogenesis in inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblast of triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:5. [PMID: 38182557 PMCID: PMC10770063 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01768-5] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype with inferior outcomes owing to its low treatment response and high invasiveness. Based on abundant cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and frequent mutation of breast cancer-associated 1 (BRCA1) in TNBC, the characteristics of CAFs in TNBC patients with BRCA1 mutation compared to wild-type were investigated using single-cell analysis. Intriguingly, we observed that characteristics of inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs) were enriched in patients with BRCA1 mutation compared to the wild-type. iCAFs in patients with BRCA1 mutation exhibited outgoing signals to endothelial cells (ECs) clusters, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). During CXCL signaling, the atypical chemokine receptor 1 (ACKR1) mainly interacts with CXCL family members in tumor endothelial cells (TECs). ACKR1-high TECs also showed high expression levels of angiogenesis-related genes, such as ANGPT2, MMP1, and SELE, which might lead to EC migration. Furthermore, iCAFs showed VEGF signals for FLT1 and KDR in TECs, which showed high co-expression with tip cell marker genes, including ZEB1 and MAFF, involved in sprouting angiogenesis. Moreover, BRCA1 mutation patients with relatively abundant iCAFs and tip cell gene expression exhibited a limited response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including cisplatin and bevacizumab. Importantly, our study observed the intricate link between iCAFs-mediated angiogenesis and chemoresistance in TNBC with BRCA1 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae Min Lee
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeseong Hwang
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Woong Jeong
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Minki Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Janghee Lee
- Department of Surgery, Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Dongtan, 18450, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Soong June Bae
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Breast Cancer Precision Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Gwe Ahn
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea.
- Institute for Breast Cancer Precision Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sungsoon Fang
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
- Chronic Intractable Disease for Systems Medicine Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
- Severance Institute for Vascular and Metabolic Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Wang H, Huang R, Nelson J, Gao C, Tran M, Yeaton A, Felt K, Pfaff KL, Bowman T, Rodig SJ, Wei K, Goods BA, Farhi SL. Systematic benchmarking of imaging spatial transcriptomics platforms in FFPE tissues. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.07.570603. [PMID: 38106230 PMCID: PMC10723440 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.07.570603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Emerging imaging spatial transcriptomics (iST) platforms and coupled analytical methods can recover cell-to-cell interactions, groups of spatially covarying genes, and gene signatures associated with pathological features, and are thus particularly well-suited for applications in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues. Here, we benchmarked the performance of three commercial iST platforms on serial sections from tissue microarrays (TMAs) containing 23 tumor and normal tissue types for both relative technical and biological performance. On matched genes, we found that 10x Xenium shows higher transcript counts per gene without sacrificing specificity, but that all three platforms concord to orthogonal RNA-seq datasets and can perform spatially resolved cell typing, albeit with different false discovery rates, cell segmentation error frequencies, and with varying degrees of sub-clustering for downstream biological analyses. Taken together, our analyses provide a comprehensive benchmark to guide the choice of iST method as researchers design studies with precious samples in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Wang
- Spatial Technology Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Ruixu Huang
- Thayer School of Engineering, Molecular and Systems Biology, and Program in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Jack Nelson
- Spatial Technology Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Ce Gao
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Miles Tran
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anna Yeaton
- Present affiliation: Immunai, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kristen Felt
- ImmunoProfile, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kathleen L. Pfaff
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Tissue Biomarker Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Teri Bowman
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Scott J. Rodig
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Tissue Biomarker Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin Wei
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation, and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Brittany A. Goods
- Thayer School of Engineering, Molecular and Systems Biology, and Program in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Samouil L. Farhi
- Spatial Technology Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
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8
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Pranoto IKA, Lee J, Kwon YV. The roles of the native cell differentiation program aberrantly recapitulated in Drosophila intestinal tumors. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113245. [PMID: 37837622 PMCID: PMC10872463 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113245] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Many tumors recapitulate the developmental and differentiation program of their tissue of origin, a basis for tumor cell heterogeneity. Although stem-cell-like tumor cells are well studied, the roles of tumor cells undergoing differentiation remain to be elucidated. We employ Drosophila genetics to demonstrate that the differentiation program of intestinal stem cells is crucial for enabling intestinal tumors to invade and induce non-tumor-autonomous phenotypes. The differentiation program that generates absorptive cells is aberrantly recapitulated in the intestinal tumors generated by activation of the Yap1 ortholog Yorkie. Inhibiting it allows stem-cell-like tumor cells to grow but suppresses invasiveness and reshapes various phenotypes associated with cachexia-like wasting by altering the expression of tumor-derived factors. Our study provides insight into how a native differentiation program determines a tumor's capacity to induce advanced cancer phenotypes and suggests that manipulating the differentiation programs co-opted in tumors might alleviate complications of cancer, including cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiae Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Young V Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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9
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An Z, Liu W, Li W, Wei M, An C. Application of single-cell RNA sequencing in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Chin J Cancer Res 2023; 35:331-342. [PMID: 37691894 PMCID: PMC10485914 DOI: 10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2023.04.01] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing has been broadly applied to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for characterizing the heterogeneity and genomic mutations of HNSCC benefiting from the advantage of single-cell resolution. We summarized most of the current studies and aimed to explore their research methods and ideas, as well as how to transform them into clinical applications. Through single-cell RNA sequencing, we found the differences in tumor cells' expression programs and differentiation tracks. The studies of immune microenvironment allowed us to distinguish immune cell subpopulations, the extensive expression of immune checkpoints, and the complex crosstalk network between immune cells and non-immune cells. For cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), single-cell RNA sequencing had made an irreplaceable contribution to the exploration of their differentiation status, specific CAFs markers, and the interaction with tumor cells and immune cells. In addition, we demonstrated in detail how single-cell RNA sequencing explored the HNSCC epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) model and the mechanism of drug resistance, as well as its clinical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaohong An
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Wan Liu
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen Center, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Wenbin Li
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Minghui Wei
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen Center, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Changming An
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
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10
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Martino F, Lupi M, Giraudo E, Lanzetti L. Breast cancers as ecosystems: a metabolic perspective. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:244. [PMID: 37561190 PMCID: PMC10415483 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04902-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and one of the major causes of cancer death. Despite enormous progress in its management, both from the therapeutic and early diagnosis viewpoints, still around 700,000 patients succumb to the disease each year, worldwide. Late recurrency is the major problem in BC, with many patients developing distant metastases several years after the successful eradication of the primary tumor. This is linked to the phenomenon of metastatic dormancy, a still mysterious trait of the natural history of BC, and of several other types of cancer, by which metastatic cells remain dormant for long periods of time before becoming reactivated to initiate the clinical metastatic disease. In recent years, it has become clear that cancers are best understood if studied as ecosystems in which the impact of non-cancer-cell-autonomous events-dependent on complex interaction between the cancer and its environment, both local and systemic-plays a paramount role, probably as significant as the cell-autonomous alterations occurring in the cancer cell. In adopting this perspective, a metabolic vision of the cancer ecosystem is bound to improve our understanding of the natural history of cancer, across space and time. In BC, many metabolic pathways are coopted into the cancer ecosystem, to serve the anabolic and energy demands of the cancer. Their study is shedding new light on the most critical aspect of BC management, of metastatic dissemination, and that of the related phenomenon of dormancy and fostering the application of the knowledge to the development of metabolic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Martino
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Mariadomenica Lupi
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino Medical School, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrico Giraudo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Letizia Lanzetti
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino Medical School, Turin, Italy.
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Turin, Italy.
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11
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Penter L, ten Hacken E, Southard J, Lareau CA, Ludwig LS, Li S, Neuberg DS, Livak KJ, Wu CJ. Mitochondrial DNA Mutations as Natural Barcodes for Lineage Tracing of Murine Tumor Models. Cancer Res 2023; 83:667-672. [PMID: 36469010 PMCID: PMC9988704 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Murine models are indispensable tools for functional genomic studies and preclinical testing of novel therapeutic approaches. Mitochondrial single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (mtscATAC-seq) enables the dissection of cellular heterogeneity and clonal dynamics by capturing chromatin accessibility, copy-number variations (CNV), and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, yet its applicability to murine studies remains unexplored. By leveraging mtscATAC-seq in novel chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Richter syndrome mouse models, we report the detection of mtDNA mutations, particularly in highly proliferative murine cells, alongside CNV and chromatin state changes indicative of clonal evolution upon secondary transplant. This study thus demonstrates the feasibility and utility of multi-modal single-cell and natural barcoding approaches to characterize murine cancer models. SIGNIFICANCE mtDNA mutations can serve as natural barcodes to enable lineage tracing in murine cancer models, which can be used to provide new insights into disease biology and to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livius Penter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumorimmunology, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisa ten Hacken
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jackson Southard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caleb A. Lareau
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Leif S. Ludwig
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Tumorimmunology, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Shuqiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Donna S. Neuberg
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kenneth J. Livak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Catherine J. Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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Patkulkar P, Subbalakshmi AR, Jolly MK, Sinharay S. Mapping Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in Tumor Profiles by Integrating High-Throughput Imaging and Omics Analysis. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:6126-6138. [PMID: 36844580 PMCID: PMC9948167 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity associates with more aggressive disease progression and worse patient outcomes. Understanding the reasons enabling the emergence of such heterogeneity remains incomplete, which restricts our ability to manage it from a therapeutic perspective. Technological advancements such as high-throughput molecular imaging, single-cell omics, and spatial transcriptomics allow recording of patterns of spatiotemporal heterogeneity in a longitudinal manner, thus offering insights into the multiscale dynamics of its evolution. Here, we review the latest technological trends and biological insights from molecular diagnostics as well as spatial transcriptomics, both of which have witnessed burgeoning growth in the recent past in terms of mapping heterogeneity within tumor cell types as well as the stromal constitution. We also discuss ongoing challenges, indicating possible ways to integrate insights across these methods to have a systems-level spatiotemporal map of heterogeneity in each tumor and a more systematic investigation of the implications of heterogeneity for patient outcomes.
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13
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Sikandar SS, Gulati GS, Antony J, Fetter I, Kuo AH, Ho WHD, Haro-Acosta V, Das S, Steen CB, Pereira TA, Qian D, Beachy PA, Dirbas FM, Red-Horse K, Rabbitts TH, Thiery JP, Newman AM, Clarke MF. Identification of a minority population of LMO2 + breast cancer cells that integrate into the vasculature and initiate metastasis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm3548. [PMID: 36351009 PMCID: PMC10939096 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm3548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis is responsible for most breast cancer-related deaths; however, identifying the cellular determinants of metastasis has remained challenging. Here, we identified a minority population of immature THY1+/VEGFA+ tumor epithelial cells in human breast tumor biopsies that display angiogenic features and are marked by the expression of the oncogene, LMO2. Higher abundance of LMO2+ basal cells correlated with tumor endothelial content and predicted poor distant recurrence-free survival in patients. Using MMTV-PyMT/Lmo2CreERT2 mice, we demonstrated that Lmo2 lineage-traced cells integrate into the vasculature and have a higher propensity to metastasize. LMO2 knockdown in human breast tumors reduced lung metastasis by impairing intravasation, leading to a reduced frequency of circulating tumor cells. Mechanistically, we find that LMO2 binds to STAT3 and is required for STAT3 activation by tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. Collectively, our study identifies a population of metastasis-initiating cells with angiogenic features and establishes the LMO2-STAT3 signaling axis as a therapeutic target in breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaheen S. Sikandar
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Gunsagar S. Gulati
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jane Antony
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Isobel Fetter
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Angera H. Kuo
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - William Hai Dang Ho
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Veronica Haro-Acosta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Soumyashree Das
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chloé B. Steen
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thiago Almeida Pereira
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Dalong Qian
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Philip A. Beachy
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Frederick M. Dirbas
- Department of Surgery, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, Rm CC2235, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kristy Red-Horse
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Terence H. Rabbitts
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Guangzhou Laboratory, International Biological Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510005, China
| | - Aaron M. Newman
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael F. Clarke
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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14
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Ors A, Chitsazan AD, Doe AR, Mulqueen RM, Ak C, Wen Y, Haverlack S, Handu M, Naldiga S, Saldivar J, Mohammed H. Estrogen regulates divergent transcriptional and epigenetic cell states in breast cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11492-11508. [PMID: 36318267 PMCID: PMC9723652 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancers are known to be driven by the transcription factor estrogen receptor and its ligand estrogen. While the receptor's cis-binding elements are known to vary between tumors, heterogeneity of hormone signaling at a single-cell level is unknown. In this study, we systematically tracked estrogen response across time at a single-cell level in multiple cell line and organoid models. To accurately model these changes, we developed a computational tool (TITAN) that quantifies signaling gradients in single-cell datasets. Using this approach, we found that gene expression response to estrogen is non-uniform, with distinct cell groups expressing divergent transcriptional networks. Pathway analysis suggested the two most distinct signatures are driven separately by ER and FOXM1. We observed that FOXM1 was indeed activated by phosphorylation upon estrogen stimulation and silencing of FOXM1 attenuated the relevant gene signature. Analysis of scRNA-seq data from patient samples confirmed the existence of these divergent cell groups, with the FOXM1 signature predominantly found in ER negative cells. Further, multi-omic single-cell experiments indicated that the different cell groups have distinct chromatin accessibility states. Our results provide a comprehensive insight into ER biology at the single-cell level and potential therapeutic strategies to mitigate resistance to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aaron Reid Doe
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Ryan M Mulqueen
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Cigdem Ak
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Yahong Wen
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Syber Haverlack
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Mithila Handu
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Spandana Naldiga
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Joshua C Saldivar
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA,Division of Oncological Sciences, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
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15
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Kopanja D, Chand V, O’Brien E, Mukhopadhyay NK, Zappia MP, Islam AB, Frolov MV, Merrill BJ, Raychaudhuri P. Transcriptional Repression by FoxM1 Suppresses Tumor Differentiation and Promotes Metastasis of Breast Cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2458-2471. [PMID: 35583996 PMCID: PMC9258028 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is overexpressed in breast cancers and correlates with poor prognosis. Mechanistically, FoxM1 associates with CBP to activate transcription and with Rb to repress transcription. Although the activating function of FoxM1 in breast cancer has been well documented, the significance of its repressive activity is poorly understood. Using CRISPR-Cas9 engineering, we generated a mouse model that expresses FoxM1-harboring point mutations that block binding to Rb while retaining its ability to bind CBP. Unlike FoxM1-null mice, mice harboring Rb-binding mutant FoxM1 did not exhibit significant developmental defects. The mutant mouse line developed PyMT-driven mammary tumors that were deficient in lung metastasis, which was tumor cell-intrinsic. Single-cell RNA-seq of the tumors revealed a deficiency in prometastatic tumor cells and an expansion of differentiated alveolar type tumor cells, and further investigation identified that loss of the FoxM1/Rb interaction caused enhancement of the mammary alveolar differentiation program. The FoxM1 mutant tumors also showed increased Pten expression, and FoxM1/Rb was found to activate Akt signaling by repressing Pten. In human breast cancers, expression of FoxM1 negatively correlated with Pten mRNA. Furthermore, the lack of tumor-infiltrating cells in FoxM1 mutant tumors appeared related to decreases in pro-metastatic tumor cells that express factors required for infiltration. These observations demonstrate that the FoxM1/Rb-regulated transcriptome is critical for the plasticity of breast cancer cells that drive metastasis, identifying a prometastatic role of Rb when bound to FoxM1. SIGNIFICANCE This work provides new insights into how the interaction between FoxM1 and Rb facilitates the evolution of metastatic breast cancer cells by altering the transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragana Kopanja
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Vaibhav Chand
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Eilidh O’Brien
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Nishit K. Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Maria P. Zappia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Abul B.M.M.K. Islam
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Maxim V. Frolov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Bradley J. Merrill
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Pradip Raychaudhuri
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Research and Development Section, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence: Pradip Raychaudhuri, 900 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, Il, 60607, Phone number: 312-413-0255;
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16
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Improved Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Algorithm-Based Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features in the Diagnosis of Invasive Breast Carcinoma before and after Menopause. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:2917844. [PMID: 35761837 PMCID: PMC9233585 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2917844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The application effect of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) based on the improved fuzzy C-mean clustering (GA-PFCM) algorithm in analyzing premenopausal and postmenopausal invasive breast carcinoma was discussed. 159 patients with breast carcinoma were selected and divided into the postmenopausal group (71 patients) and the premenopausal group (88 patients) according to their menstrual status. The magnetic resonance images of the two groups were processed and analyzed using GA-PFCM algorithm, and the imaging characteristics and relevant parameters of DCE-MRI examination of the two groups were analyzed. Besides, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma by DCE-MRI examination were investigated. The results showed that the percentage of patients with lobulated lumps, patients with burrs on lesion edge, and patients with uniformly enhanced tumors in the premenopausal group was larger than that in the postmenopausal group (P < 0.05). In the postmenopausal group, TCI of 33 patients was shown as platform curves, and that of 34 patients was shown as outflow curves. In the premenopausal group, TCI of 39 patients was shown as platform curves, and that of 41 patients was shown as outflow curves with a high proportion. The number of patients with peak height time ranging between 130 s and 260 s and of patients with early signal enhancement rate ranging between 100% and 200% was large. In contrast, the number of patients with ADC value higher than 1.2 × 10-3 was the least. In this research, there were 128 patients with positive invasive breast carcinoma and 31 with negative invasive breast carcinoma by pathological examination. Based on DCE-MRI examination, there were 121 patients with positive invasive breast carcinoma and 38 with negative invasive breast carcinoma. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of invasive breast carcinoma by DCE-MRI were 91.41%, 87.1%, and 90.57%, respectively. In addition, the positive and negative predictive values reached 96.69% and 71.05%, respectively. In summary, GA-PFCM algorithm can be applied in the processing and segmentation of DCE-MRI images, and DCE-MRI could better diagnose invasive breast carcinoma with positive guiding value.
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17
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Beyond Genetics: Metastasis as an Adaptive Response in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116271. [PMID: 35682953 PMCID: PMC9181003 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic disease represents the primary cause of breast cancer (BC) mortality, yet it is still one of the most enigmatic processes in the biology of this tumor. Metastatic progression includes distinct phases: invasion, intravasation, hematogenous dissemination, extravasation and seeding at distant sites, micro-metastasis formation and metastatic outgrowth. Whole-genome sequencing analyses of primary BC and metastases revealed that BC metastatization is a non-genetically selected trait, rather the result of transcriptional and metabolic adaptation to the unfavorable microenvironmental conditions which cancer cells are exposed to (e.g., hypoxia, low nutrients, endoplasmic reticulum stress and chemotherapy administration). In this regard, the latest multi-omics analyses unveiled intra-tumor phenotypic heterogeneity, which determines the polyclonal nature of breast tumors and constitutes a challenge for clinicians, correlating with patient poor prognosis. The present work reviews BC classification and epidemiology, focusing on the impact of metastatic disease on patient prognosis and survival, while describing general principles and current in vitro/in vivo models of the BC metastatic cascade. The authors address here both genetic and phenotypic intrinsic heterogeneity of breast tumors, reporting the latest studies that support the role of the latter in metastatic spreading. Finally, the review illustrates the mechanisms underlying adaptive stress responses during BC metastatic progression.
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18
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Fultang N, Chakraborty M, Peethambaran B. Regulation of cancer stem cells in triple negative breast cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2022; 4:321-342. [PMID: 35582030 PMCID: PMC9019272 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2020.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is the most lethal subtype of breast cancer. Despite the successes of emerging targeted therapies, relapse, recurrence, and therapy failure rates in TNBC significantly outpace other subtypes of breast cancer. Mounting evidence suggests accumulation of therapy resistant Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) populations within TNBCs contributes to poor clinical outcomes. These CSCs are enriched in TNBC compared to non-TNBC breast cancers. The mechanisms underlying CSC accumulation have been well-characterized and discussed in other reviews. In this review, we focus on TNBC-specific mechanisms that allow the expansion and activity of self-renewing CSCs. We highlight cellular signaling pathways and transcription factors, specifically enriched in TNBC over non-TNBC breast cancer, contributing to stemness. We also analyze publicly available single-cell RNA-seq data from basal breast cancer tumors to highlight the potential of emerging bioinformatic approaches in identifying novel drivers of stemness in TNBC and other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Fultang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Madhuparna Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Bela Peethambaran
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
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19
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Shendy NAM, Zimmerman MW, Abraham BJ, Durbin AD. Intrinsic transcriptional heterogeneity in neuroblastoma guides mechanistic and therapeutic insights. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100632. [PMID: 35584622 PMCID: PMC9133465 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100632] [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: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cell state is controlled by master transcription factors (mTFs) that determine the cellular gene expression program. Cancer cells acquire dysregulated gene expression programs by mutational and non-mutational processes. Intratumoral heterogeneity can result from cells displaying distinct mTF-regulated cell states, which co-exist within the tumor. One archetypal tumor associated with transcriptionally regulated heterogeneity is high-risk neuroblastoma (NB). Patients with NB have poor overall survival despite intensive therapies, and relapsed patients are commonly refractory to treatment. The cellular populations that comprise NB are marked by different cohorts of mTFs and differential sensitivity to conventional therapies. Recent studies have highlighted mechanisms by which NB cells dynamically shift the cell state with treatment, revealing new opportunities to control the cellular response to treatment by manipulating cell-state-defining transcriptional programs. Here, we review recent advances in understanding transcriptionally defined cancer heterogeneity. We offer challenges to the field to encourage translation of basic science into clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha A M Shendy
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Mark W Zimmerman
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Abraham
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Adam D Durbin
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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20
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Understanding the Correlation between Metabolic Regulator SIRT1 and Exosomes with CA-125 in Ovarian Cancer: A Clinicopathological Study. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:5346091. [PMID: 35496046 PMCID: PMC9053760 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5346091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer (OvCa), the deadliest gynaecological malignancy, is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Ovarian cancer has been related with CA-125 and metabolic reprogramming by SIRT1 leading to metastasis with the involvement of exosomes. Methods Clinicopathological data of OvCa patients were collected to perform the analysis. Patients' samples were collected during surgery for immunohistochemistry and flow cytometric analysis of SIRT1, HIF-1α, exosomal markers (CD81 and CD63), ki-67, and PAS staining for glycogen deposition. Adjacent normal and tumor tissues were collected as per the CA-125 levels. Results CA-125, a vital diagnostic marker, has shown significant correlation with body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.0153), tumor type (P = 0.0029), ascites level, ascites malignancy, degree of dissemination, tumor differentiation, FIGO stage, TNM stage, laterality, and tumor size at P < 0.0001. Since significant correlation was associated with BMI and degree of dissemination, as disclosed by IHC analysis, metabolic marker SIRT1 (P = 0.0003), HIF-1α (P < 0.0001), exosomal marker CD81 (P < 0.0001), ki-67 status (P = 0.0034), and glycogen deposition (P <0.0001) were expressed more in tumor tissues as compared to the normal ones. ROC analysis of CA-125 had shown 327.7 U/ml has the best cutoff point with 82.4% sensitivity and specificity of 52.3%. In addition, Kaplan-Meier plots of CA-125 (P < 0.0001), BMI (P = 0.001), degree of dissemination (P < 0.0001), and ascites level (P <0.0001) reflected significant correlation with overall survival (OS). Upon multivariate Cox-regression analysis for overall survival (OS), BMI (P = 0.008, HR 1.759, 95% CI 1.156-2.677), ascites malignancy (P = 0.032, HR 0.336, 95% CI 0.124-0.911), and degree of dissemination (P = 0.004, HR 1.994, 95% CI 1.251-3.178) were significant proving to be independent indicators of the disease. Conclusion Clinicopathological parameters like BMI, degree of dissemination, and ascites level along with CA-125 can be prognostic factors for the disease. Levels of CA-125 can depict the metabolic and metastatic factors. Thus, by targeting SIRT1 and assessing exosomal concentrations to overcome metastasis and glycogen deposition, individualized treatment strategy could be designed. In-depth studies are still required.
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21
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Biglycan Promotes Cancer Stem Cell Properties, NFκB Signaling and Metastatic Potential in Breast Cancer Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14020455. [PMID: 35053617 PMCID: PMC8773822 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small sub-population of cells within tumors with high metastatic potential. We identified biglycan (BGN) as a prospective molecular target in BCSCs that regulates the aggressive phenotypes of these cells. These findings establish a foundation for the development of therapeutics against BGN to eliminate BCSCs and prevent metastatic breast cancer. Abstract It is a major challenge to treat metastasis due to the presence of heterogenous BCSCs. Therefore, it is important to identify new molecular targets and their underlying molecular mechanisms in various BCSCs to improve treatment of breast cancer metastasis. Here, we performed RNA sequencing on two distinct co-existing BCSC populations, ALDH+ and CD29hi CD61+ from PyMT mammary tumor cells and detected upregulation of biglycan (BGN) in these BCSCs. Genetic depletion of BGN reduced BCSC proportions and tumorsphere formation. Furthermore, BCSC associated aggressive traits such as migration and invasion were significantly reduced by depletion of BGN. Glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolic assays also revealed that BCSCs exhibited decreased metabolism upon loss of BGN. BCSCs showed decreased activation of the NFκB transcription factor, p65, and phospho-IκB levels upon BGN ablation, indicating regulation of NFκB pathway by BGN. To further support our data, we also characterized CD24−/CD44+ BCSCs from human luminal MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These CD24−/CD44+ BCSCs similarly exhibited reduced tumorigenic phenotypes, metabolism and attenuation of NFκB pathway after knockdown of BGN. Finally, loss of BGN in ALDH+ and CD29hi CD61+ BCSCs showed decreased metastatic potential, suggesting BGN serves as an important therapeutic target in BCSCs for treating metastasis of breast cancer.
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22
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Wnt signaling and Hedgehog expression in basal cell carcinoma. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLASTIC SURGERY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00238-021-01920-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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23
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Sun H, Zeng J, Miao Z, Lei KC, Huang C, Hu L, Su SM, Chan UI, Miao K, Zhang X, Zhang A, Guo S, Chen S, Meng Y, Deng M, Hao W, Lei H, Lin Y, Yang Z, Tang D, Wong KH, Zhang XD, Xu X, Deng CX. Dissecting the heterogeneity and tumorigenesis of BRCA1 deficient mammary tumors via single cell RNA sequencing. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:9967-9987. [PMID: 34815798 PMCID: PMC8581428 DOI: 10.7150/thno.63995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: BRCA1 plays critical roles in mammary gland development and mammary tumorigenesis. And loss of BRCA1 induces mammary tumors in a stochastic manner. These tumors present great heterogeneity at both intertumor and intratumor levels. Methods: To comprehensively elucidate the heterogeneity of BRCA1 deficient mammary tumors and the underlying mechanisms for tumor initiation and progression, we conducted bulk and single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on both mammary gland cells and mammary tumor cells isolated from Brca1 knockout mice. Results: We found the BRCA1 deficient tumors could be classified into four subtypes with distinct molecular features and different sensitivities to anti-cancer drugs at the intertumor level. Whereas within the tumors, heterogeneous subgroups were classified mainly due to the different activities of cell proliferation, DNA damage response/repair and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Besides, we reconstructed the BRCA1 related mammary tumorigenesis to uncover the transcriptomes alterations during this process via pseudo-temporal analysis of the scRNA-seq data. Furthermore, from candidate markers for BRCA1 mutant tumors, we discovered and validated one oncogene Mrc2, whose loss could reduce mammary tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Our study provides a useful resource for better understanding of mammary tumorigenesis induced by BRCA1 deficiency.
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24
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Wajapeyee N, Gupta R. Epigenetic Alterations and Mechanisms That Drive Resistance to Targeted Cancer Therapies. Cancer Res 2021; 81:5589-5595. [PMID: 34531319 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-1606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease and cancer cells typically harbor multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations. Large-scale sequencing of patient-derived cancer samples has identified several druggable driver oncogenes. Many of these oncogenes can be pharmacologically targeted to provide effective therapies for breast cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, and other cancer types. Initial responses to these agents can be robust in many cancer types and some patients with cancer experience sustained tumor inhibition. However, resistance to these targeted therapeutics frequently emerges, either from intrinsic or acquired mechanisms, posing a major clinical hurdle for effective treatment. Several resistance mechanisms, both cell autonomous and cell nonautonomous, have been identified in different cancer types. Here we describe how alterations of the transcriptome, transcription factors, DNA, and chromatin regulatory proteins confer resistance to targeted therapeutic agents. We also elaborate on how these studies have identified underlying epigenetic factors that drive drug resistance and oncogenic pathways, with direct implications for the prevention and treatment of drug-resistant cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendra Wajapeyee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. .,O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Romi Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. .,O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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25
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Barkley D, Rao A, Pour M, França GS, Yanai I. Cancer cell states and emergent properties of the dynamic tumor system. Genome Res 2021; 31:1719-1727. [PMID: 34599005 PMCID: PMC8494223 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275308.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic heterogeneity within malignant cells of a tumor is emerging as a key property of tumorigenesis. Recent work using single-cell transcriptomics has led to the identification of distinct cancer cell states across a range of cancer types, but their functional relevance and the advantage that they provide to the tumor as a system remain elusive. We present here a definition of cancer cell states in terms of coherently and differentially expressed gene modules and review the origins, dynamics, and impact of states on the tumor system as a whole. The spectrum of cell states taken on by a malignant population may depend on cellular lineage, epigenetic history, genetic mutations, or environmental cues, which has implications for the relative stability or plasticity of individual states. Finally, evidence has emerged that malignant cells in different states may cooperate or compete within a tumor niche, thereby providing an evolutionary advantage to the tumor through increased immune evasion, drug resistance, or invasiveness. Uncovering the mechanisms that govern the origin and dynamics of cancer cell states in tumorigenesis may shed light on how heterogeneity contributes to tumor fitness and highlight vulnerabilities that can be exploited for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia Barkley
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Anjali Rao
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Maayan Pour
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Gustavo S França
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Itai Yanai
- Institute for Computational Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York 10016, USA
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26
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Transcriptome analysis of heterogeneity in mouse model of metastatic breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2021; 23:93. [PMID: 34579762 PMCID: PMC8477508 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-021-01468-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer metastasis is a complex process involving the spread of malignant cells from a primary tumor to distal organs. Understanding this cascade at a mechanistic level could provide critical new insights into the disease and potentially reveal new avenues for treatment. Transcriptome profiling of spontaneous cancer models is an attractive method to examine the dynamic changes accompanying tumor cell spread. However, such studies are complicated by the underlying heterogeneity of the cell types involved. The purpose of this study was to examine the transcriptomes of metastatic breast cancer cells using the well-established MMTV-PyMT mouse model. Methods Organ-derived metastatic cell lines were harvested from 10 female MMTV-PyMT mice. Cancer cells were isolated and sorted based on the expression of CD44low/EpCAMhigh or CD44high/EpCAMhigh surface markers. RNA from each cell line was extracted and sequenced using the NextSeq 500 Illumina platform. Tissue-specific genes were compared across the different metastatic and primary tumor samples. Reads were mapped to the mouse genome using STAR, and gene expression was quantified using RSEM. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) was performed on select samples using the ddSeq platform by BioRad and analyzed using Seurat v3.2.3. Monocle2 was used to infer pseudo-time progression. Results Comparison of RNA sequencing data across all cell populations produced distinct gene clusters. Differential gene expression patterns related to CD44 expression, organ tropism, and immunomodulatory signatures were observed. scRNA-seq identified expression profiles based on tissue-dependent niches and clonal heterogeneity. These cohorts of data were narrowed down to identify subsets of genes with high expression and known metastatic propensity. Dot plot analyses further revealed clusters expressing cancer stem cell and cancer dormancy markers. Changes in relevant genes were investigated across pseudo-time and tissue origin using Monocle2. These data revealed transcriptomes that may contribute to sub-clonal evolution and treatment evasion during cancer progression. Conclusions We performed a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of tumor heterogeneity and organ tropism during breast cancer metastasis. These data add to our understanding of metastatic progression and highlight targets for breast cancer treatment. These markers could also be used to image the impact of tumor heterogeneity on metastases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-021-01468-x.
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Zhao W, Li X, Nian W, Wang J, Wang X, Sun L, Zhu Y, Tong Z. Ribosome Proteins Represented by RPL27A Mark the Development and Metastasis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Mouse and Human. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:716730. [PMID: 34497807 PMCID: PMC8419227 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.716730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known to have a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. The lack of targeted therapies and poor prognosis of patients with TNBC have made it urgent to discover novel critical diagnosis and therapeutic targets in the TNBC field. Here, in the current study, we integrated the single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from four normal mouse mammary tissues and four mouse breast tumors. Comparative analysis was conducted to identify the gene profiles of normal epithelial cells and cancer cells at different models. Surprisingly, two ribosomal protein genes, Rpl27a and Rpl15, were significantly upregulated in the cancer cells in all the TNBC models. Next, we accessed the scRNA-seq data from human primary and metastatic TNBC tissues, and comparative analysis revealed gene profiles of human primary and metastatic TNBC cancer cells. Ribosomal protein genes, represented by RPL27A and RPL15, showed significantly upregulated expression in metastatic TNBC cancer cells. Pathway analysis on the upregulated genes of the metastatic TNBC cancer cells identified the key regulators and signaling pathways that were driving the metastasis of the TNBC cancer cells. Specifically, EIF2 signaling was significantly activated, and major member genes of this signaling pathway were upregulated. In vitro study revealed that targeting RPL27A or EIF2 signaling in a TNBC cell line, MDA-MB-231, significantly reduced cell migration and invasion. Altogether, these data suggested that the RPL27A gene is conducting critical functions in TNBC cancer development and metastasis and is a potential therapeutic target for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weipeng Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Xichuan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Weiqi Nian
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaorui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Linlin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Ye Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhongsheng Tong
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
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28
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Sinha VC, Rinkenbaugh AL, Xu M, Zhou X, Zhang X, Jeter-Jones S, Shao J, Qi Y, Zebala JA, Maeda DY, McAllister F, Piwnica-Worms H. Single-cell evaluation reveals shifts in the tumor-immune niches that shape and maintain aggressive lesions in the breast. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5024. [PMID: 34408137 PMCID: PMC8373912 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an unmet clinical need for stratification of breast lesions as indolent or aggressive to tailor treatment. Here, single-cell transcriptomics and multiparametric imaging applied to a mouse model of breast cancer reveals that the aggressive tumor niche is characterized by an expanded basal-like population, specialization of tumor subpopulations, and mixed-lineage tumor cells potentially serving as a transition state between luminal and basal phenotypes. Despite vast tumor cell-intrinsic differences, aggressive and indolent tumor cells are functionally indistinguishable once isolated from their local niche, suggesting a role for non-tumor collaborators in determining aggressiveness. Aggressive lesions harbor fewer total but more suppressed-like T cells, and elevated tumor-promoting neutrophils and IL-17 signaling, disruption of which increase tumor latency and reduce the number of aggressive lesions. Our study provides insight into tumor-immune features distinguishing indolent from aggressive lesions, identifies heterogeneous populations comprising these lesions, and supports a role for IL-17 signaling in aggressive progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya C. Sinha
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Amanda L. Rinkenbaugh
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Mingchu Xu
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Xinhui Zhou
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Xiaomei Zhang
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Sabrina Jeter-Jones
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Jiansu Shao
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Yuan Qi
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | | | | | - Florencia McAllister
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Helen Piwnica-Worms
- grid.240145.60000 0001 2291 4776Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 USA
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Deregulation of Transcriptional Enhancers in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143532. [PMID: 34298745 PMCID: PMC8303223 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary One of the major challenges in cancer treatments is the dynamic adaptation of tumor cells to cancer therapies. In this regard, tumor cells can modify their response to environmental cues without altering their DNA sequence. This cell plasticity enables cells to undergo morphological and functional changes, for example, during the process of tumour metastasis or when acquiring resistance to cancer therapies. Central to cell plasticity, are the dynamic changes in gene expression that are controlled by a set of molecular switches called enhancers. Enhancers are DNA elements that determine when, where and to what extent genes should be switched on and off. Thus, defects in enhancer function can disrupt the gene expression program and can lead to tumour formation. Here, we review how enhancers control the activity of cancer-associated genes and how defects in these regulatory elements contribute to cell plasticity in cancer. Understanding enhancer (de)regulation can provide new strategies for modulating cell plasticity in tumour cells and can open new research avenues for cancer therapy. Abstract Epigenetic regulations can shape a cell’s identity by reversible modifications of the chromatin that ultimately control gene expression in response to internal and external cues. In this review, we first discuss the concept of cell plasticity in cancer, a process that is directly controlled by epigenetic mechanisms, with a particular focus on transcriptional enhancers as the cornerstone of epigenetic regulation. In the second part, we discuss mechanisms of enhancer deregulation in adult stem cells and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as two paradigms of cell plasticity that are dependent on epigenetic regulation and serve as major sources of tumour heterogeneity. Finally, we review how genetic variations at enhancers and their epigenetic modifiers contribute to tumourigenesis, and we highlight examples of cancer drugs that target epigenetic modifications at enhancers.
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30
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Turner KM, Yeo SK, Holm TM, Shaughnessy E, Guan JL. Heterogeneity within molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2021; 321:C343-C354. [PMID: 34191627 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00109.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the quintessential example of how molecular characterization of tumor biology guides therapeutic decisions. From the discovery of the estrogen receptor to current clinical molecular profiles to evolving single-cell analytics, the characterization and compartmentalization of breast cancer into divergent subtypes is clear. However, competing with this divergent model of breast cancer is the recognition of intratumoral heterogeneity, which acknowledges the possibility that multiple different subtypes exist within a single tumor. Intratumoral heterogeneity is driven by both intrinsic effects of the tumor cells themselves as well as extrinsic effects from the surrounding microenvironment. There is emerging evidence that these intratumoral molecular subtypes are not static; rather, plasticity between divergent subtypes is possible. Interconversion between seemingly different subtypes within a tumor drives tumor progression, metastases, and treatment resistance. Therapeutic strategies must, therefore, contend with changing phenotypes in an individual patient's tumor. Identifying targetable drivers of molecular heterogeneity may improve treatment durability and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Turner
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.,Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Syn Kok Yeo
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Tammy M Holm
- Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Elizabeth Shaughnessy
- Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jun-Lin Guan
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
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31
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Sun G, Li Z, Rong D, Zhang H, Shi X, Yang W, Zheng W, Sun G, Wu F, Cao H, Tang W, Sun Y. Single-cell RNA sequencing in cancer: Applications, advances, and emerging challenges. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2021; 21:183-206. [PMID: 34027052 PMCID: PMC8131398 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer has become one of the greatest threats to human health, and new technologies are urgently needed to further clarify the mechanisms of cancer so that better detection and treatment strategies can be developed. At present, extensive genomic analysis and testing of clinical specimens shape the insights into carcinoma. Nevertheless, carcinoma of humans is a complex ecosystem of cells, including carcinoma cells and immunity-related and stroma-related subsets, with accurate characteristics obscured by extensive genome-related approaches. A growing body of research shows that sequencing of single-cell RNA (scRNA-seq) is emerging to be an effective way for dissecting human tumor tissue at single-cell resolution, presenting one prominent way for explaining carcinoma biology. This review summarizes the research progress of scRNA-seq in the field of tumors, focusing on the application of scRNA-seq in tumor circulating cells, tumor stem cells, tumor drug resistance, the tumor microenvironment, and so on, which provides a new perspective for tumor research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshun Sun
- Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhouxiao Li
- Department of Hand Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Dawei Rong
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuesong Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weijun Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wubin Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guoqiang Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongyong Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yangbai Sun
- Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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32
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Function of Drosophila Synaptotagmins in membrane trafficking at synapses. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4335-4364. [PMID: 33619613 PMCID: PMC8164606 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03788-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Synaptotagmin (SYT) family of proteins play key roles in regulating membrane trafficking at neuronal synapses. Using both Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent interactions, several SYT isoforms participate in synchronous and asynchronous fusion of synaptic vesicles (SVs) while preventing spontaneous release that occurs in the absence of stimulation. Changes in the function or abundance of the SYT1 and SYT7 isoforms alter the number and route by which SVs fuse at nerve terminals. Several SYT family members also regulate trafficking of other subcellular organelles at synapses, including dense core vesicles (DCV), exosomes, and postsynaptic vesicles. Although SYTs are linked to trafficking of multiple classes of synaptic membrane compartments, how and when they interact with lipids, the SNARE machinery and other release effectors are still being elucidated. Given mutations in the SYT family cause disorders in both the central and peripheral nervous system in humans, ongoing efforts are defining how these proteins regulate vesicle trafficking within distinct neuronal compartments. Here, we review the Drosophila SYT family and examine their role in synaptic communication. Studies in this invertebrate model have revealed key similarities and several differences with the predicted activity of their mammalian counterparts. In addition, we highlight the remaining areas of uncertainty in the field and describe outstanding questions on how the SYT family regulates membrane trafficking at nerve terminals.
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Khella CA, Mehta GA, Mehta RN, Gatza ML. Recent Advances in Integrative Multi-Omics Research in Breast and Ovarian Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:149. [PMID: 33669749 PMCID: PMC7922242 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11020149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The underlying molecular heterogeneity of cancer is responsible for the dynamic clinical landscape of this disease. The combination of genomic and proteomic alterations, including both inherited and acquired mutations, promotes tumor diversity and accounts for variable disease progression, therapeutic response, and clinical outcome. Recent advances in high-throughput proteogenomic profiling of tumor samples have resulted in the identification of novel oncogenic drivers, tumor suppressors, and signaling networks; biomarkers for the prediction of drug sensitivity and disease progression; and have contributed to the development of novel and more effective treatment strategies. In this review, we will focus on the impact of historical and recent advances in single platform and integrative proteogenomic studies in breast and ovarian cancer, which constitute two of the most lethal forms of cancer for women, and discuss the molecular similarities of these diseases, the impact of these findings on our understanding of tumor biology as well as the clinical applicability of these discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen A Khella
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Gaurav A Mehta
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Rushabh N Mehta
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Michael L Gatza
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
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Hao M, Yeo SK, Turner K, Harold A, Yang Y, Zhang X, Guan JL. Autophagy Blockade Limits HER2+ Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis by Perturbing HER2 Trafficking and Promoting Release Via Small Extracellular Vesicles. Dev Cell 2021; 56:341-355.e5. [PMID: 33472043 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy modulation is an emerging strategy for cancer therapy. By deleting an essential autophagy gene or disrupting its autophagy function, we determined a mechanism of HER2+ breast cancer tumorigenesis by directly regulating the oncogenic driver. Disruption of FIP200-mediated autophagy reduced HER2 expression on the tumor cell surface and abolished mammary tumorigenesis in MMTV-Neu mice. Decreased HER2 surface expression was due to trafficking from the Golgi to the endocytic pathways instead of the plasma membrane. Autophagy inhibition led to HER2 accumulation in early and late endosomes associated with intraluminal vesicles and released from tumor cells in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Increased HER2 release from sEVs correlated with reduced tumor cell surface levels. Blocking sEVs secretion rescued HER2 levels in tumor cells. Our results demonstrate a role for autophagy to promote tumorigenesis in HER2+ breast cancer. This suggests that blocking autophagy could supplement current anti-HER2 agents for treating the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingang Hao
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Syn Kok Yeo
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Kevin Turner
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Alexis Harold
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Yongguang Yang
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Xiaoting Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Jun-Lin Guan
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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O'Leary KA, Rugowski DE, Shea MP, Sullivan R, Moser AR, Schuler LA. Prolactin synergizes with canonical Wnt signals to drive development of ER+ mammary tumors via activation of the Notch pathway. Cancer Lett 2021; 503:231-239. [PMID: 33472091 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prolactin (PRL) cooperates with other factors to orchestrate mammary development and lactation, and is epidemiologically linked to higher risk for breast cancer. However, how PRL collaborates with oncogenes to foster tumorigenesis and influence breast cancer phenotype is not well understood. To understand its interactions with canonical Wnt signals, which elevate mammary stem cell activity, we crossed heterozygous NRL-PRL mice with ApcMin/+ mice and treated pubertal females with a single dose of mutagen. PRL in the context of ApcMin/+ fueled a dramatic increase in tumor incidence in nulliparous mice, compared to ApcMin/+ alone. Although carcinomas in both NRL-PRL/ApcMin/+ and ApcMin/+ females acquired a mutation in the remaining wildtype Apc allele and expressed abundant β-catenin, PRL-promoted tumors displayed higher levels of Notch-driven target genes and Notch-dependent cancer stem cell activity, compared to β-catenin-driven activity in ApcMin/+ tumors. This PRL-induced shift to dominant Notch signals was evident in preneoplastic epithelial hyperplasias at 120 days of age. In NRL-PRL/ApcMin/+ females, rapidly proliferating hyperplasias, characterized by β-catenin at cell junctions and high NOTCH1 expression, contrasted with slower growing lesions with nuclear β-catenin in ApcMin/+ females. These studies demonstrate that PRL can powerfully modulate the incidence and phenotype of mammary tumors, shedding light on mechanisms whereby PRL elevates risk of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A O'Leary
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Debra E Rugowski
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael P Shea
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ruth Sullivan
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
| | - Amy R Moser
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
| | - Linda A Schuler
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA.
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The Tumor Microenvironment as a Driving Force of Breast Cancer Stem Cell Plasticity. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123863. [PMID: 33371274 PMCID: PMC7766255 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Breast cancer stem cells are a subset of transformed cells that sustain tumor growth and can metastasize to secondary organs. Since metastasis accounts for most cancer deaths, it is of paramount importance to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate this subgroup of cells. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the habitat in which transformed cells evolve, and it is composed by many different cell types and the extracellular matrix (ECM). A body of evidence strongly indicates that microenvironmental cues modulate stemness in breast cancer, and that the coevolution of the TME and cancer stem cells determine the fate of breast tumors. In this review, we summarize the studies providing links between the TME and the breast cancer stem cell phenotype and we discuss their specific interactions with immune cell subsets, stromal cells, and the ECM. Abstract Tumor progression involves the co-evolution of transformed cells and the milieu in which they live and expand. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a specialized subset of cells that sustain tumor growth and drive metastatic colonization. However, the cellular hierarchy in breast tumors is rather plastic, and the capacity to transition from one cell state to another depends not only on the intrinsic properties of transformed cells, but also on the interplay with their niches. It has become evident that the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a major player in regulating the BCSC phenotype and metastasis. The complexity of the TME is reflected in its number of players and in the interactions that they establish with each other. Multiple types of immune cells, stromal cells, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) form an intricate communication network with cancer cells, exert a highly selective pressure on the tumor, and provide supportive niches for BCSC expansion. A better understanding of the mechanisms regulating these interactions is crucial to develop strategies aimed at interfering with key BCSC niche factors, which may help reducing tumor heterogeneity and impair metastasis.
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Baek M, Chang JT, Echeverria GV. Methodological Advancements for Investigating Intra-tumoral Heterogeneity in Breast Cancer at the Bench and Bedside. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2020; 25:289-304. [PMID: 33300087 PMCID: PMC7960623 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-020-09470-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a major need to overcome therapeutic resistance and metastasis that eventually arises in many breast cancer patients. Therapy resistant and metastatic tumors are increasingly recognized to possess intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH), a diversity of cells within an individual tumor. First hypothesized in the 1970s, the possibility that this complex ITH may endow tumors with adaptability and evolvability to metastasize and evade therapies is now supported by multiple lines of evidence. Our understanding of ITH has been driven by recent methodological advances including next-generation sequencing, computational modeling, lineage tracing, single-cell technologies, and multiplexed in situ approaches. These have been applied across a range of specimens, including patient tumor biopsies, liquid biopsies, cultured cell lines, and mouse models. In this review, we discuss these approaches and how they have deepened our understanding of the mechanistic origins of ITH amongst tumor cells, including stem cell-like differentiation hierarchies and Darwinian evolution, and the functional role for ITH in breast cancer progression. While ITH presents a challenge for combating tumor evolution, in-depth analyses of ITH in clinical biopsies and laboratory models hold promise to elucidate therapeutic strategies that should ultimately improve outcomes for breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mokryun Baek
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Chang
- Department of Pharmacology and Integrative Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gloria V Echeverria
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Mitochondria at Center of Exchanges between Cancer Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts during Tumor Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12103017. [PMID: 33080792 PMCID: PMC7603005 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12103017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Malignant cells and their supportive associated fibroblasts (CAFs) exchange various molecules that promote energy production, biosynthesis and therapy resistance by modulating mitochondrial activity and dynamics. We herein review molecular exchanges from CAFs to malignant cells that support tumor growth and therapy resistance, and we highlight the crucial role of CAFs mitochondria in this support. This implies (1) reciprocal mitochondrial control by malignant cells and (2) fibroblast activation. Finally, we discuss therapeutic strategies that could improve current therapies by targeting mitochondrial-mediated dialogue between the two cell types. Abstract Resistance of solid cancer cells to chemotherapies and targeted therapies is not only due to the mutational status of cancer cells but also to the concurring of stromal cells of the tumor ecosystem, such as immune cells, vasculature and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The reciprocal education of cancer cells and CAFs favors tumor growth, survival and invasion. Mitochondrial function control, including the regulation of mitochondrial metabolism, oxidative stress and apoptotic stress are crucial for these different tumor progression steps. In this review, we focus on how CAFs participate in cancer progression by modulating cancer cells metabolic functions and mitochondrial apoptosis. We emphasize that mitochondria from CAFs influence their activation status and pro-tumoral effects. We thus advocate that understanding mitochondria-mediated tumor–stroma interactions provides the possibility to consider cancer therapies that improve current treatments by targeting these interactions or mitochondria directly in tumor and/or stromal cells.
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