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Fröhlich F, Ramelyte E, Turko P, Dzung A, Freiberger SN, Mangana J, Levesque MP, Dummer R. Clock-like Mutation Signature May Be Prognostic for Worse Survival Than Signatures of UV Damage in Cutaneous Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3818. [PMID: 37568633 PMCID: PMC10418148 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel treatment modalities comprising immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies have revolutionized treatment of metastatic melanoma. Still, some patients suffer from rapid progression and decease within months after a diagnosis of stage IV melanoma. We aimed to assess whether genomic alterations may predict survival after the development of stage IV disease, irrespective of received therapy. We analyzed tumor samples of 79 patients with stage IV melanoma using a custom next-generation gene-sequencing panel, MelArray, designed to detect alterations in 190 melanoma-relevant genes. We classified the patients: first, as short survivors (survival ≤6 months after stage IV disease, n = 22) and long survivors (survival >6 months, n = 57); second, by using a cut-off of one year; and third, by comparing the longest surviving 20 patients to the shortest surviving 20. Among analyzed genes, no individual gene alterations, or combinations of alterations, could be dichotomously associated with survival. However, the cohort's mutational profiles closely matched three known mutational signatures curated by the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC): UV signature COSMIC_7 (cosine-similarity 0.932), clock-like signature COSMIC_5 (cosine-similarity 0.829), and COSMIC_30 (cosine-similarity 0.726). Patients with UV signature had longer survival compared to patients with clock-like and COSMIC 30 (p < 0.0001). Subgroup dichotomization at 6 months showed that 75% of patients with UV signature survived longer than 6 months, and about 75% of patients with clock-like signature survived less than 6 months after development of stage IV disease. In our cohort, clock-like COSMIC_5 mutational signature predicted poor survival while a UV signature COSMIC_7 predicted longer survival. The prognostic value of mutational signatures should be evaluated in prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Fröhlich
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Egle Ramelyte
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Turko
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra N. Freiberger
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Joanna Mangana
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P. Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (F.F.); (E.R.); (P.T.); (A.D.); (J.M.); (M.P.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
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Eichhoff OM, Stoffel CI, Käsler J, Briker L, Turko P, Karsai G, Zila N, Paulitschke V, Cheng PF, Leitner A, Bileck A, Zamboni N, Irmisch A, Balazs Z, Tastanova A, Pascoal S, Johansen P, Wegmann R, Mena J, Othman A, Viswanathan VS, Wenzina J, Aloia A, Saltari A, Dzung A, Aebersold R, Ak M, Al-Quaddoomi FS, Albert SI, Albinus J, Alborelli I, Andani S, Attinger PO, Bacac M, Baumhoer D, Beck-Schimmer B, Beerenwinkel N, Beisel C, Bernasconi L, Bertolini A, Bodenmiller B, Bonilla X, Bosshard L, Calgua B, Casanova R, Chevrier S, Chicherova N, Coelho R, D'Costa M, Danenberg E, Davidson N, Drãgan MA, Dummer R, Engler S, Erkens M, Eschbach K, Esposito C, Fedier A, Ferreira P, Ficek J, Frei AL, Frey B, Goetze S, Grob L, Gut G, Günther D, Haberecker M, Haeuptle P, Heinzelmann-Schwarz V, Herter S, Holtackers R, Huesser T, Immer A, Irmisch A, Jacob F, Jacobs A, Jaeger TM, Jahn K, James AR, Jermann PM, Kahles A, Kahraman A, Koelzer VH, Kuebler W, Kuipers J, Kunze CP, Kurzeder C, Lehmann KV, Levesque M, Lischetti U, Lugert S, Maass G, Manz MG, Markolin P, Mehnert M, Mena J, Metzler JM, Miglino N, Milani ES, Moch H, Muenst S, Murri R, Ng CK, Nicolet S, Nowak M, Lopez MN, Pedrioli PG, Pelkmans L, Piscuoglio S, Prummer M, Rimmer N, Ritter M, Rommel C, Rosano-González ML, Rätsch G, Santacroce N, Del Castillo JS, Schlenker R, Schwalie PC, Schwan S, Schär T, Senti G, Shao W, Singer F, Sivapatham S, Snijder B, Sobottka B, Sreedharan VT, Stark S, Stekhoven DJ, Tanna T, Theocharides AP, Thomas TM, Tolnay M, Tosevski V, Toussaint NC, Tuncel MA, Tusup M, Van Drogen A, Vetter M, Vlajnic T, Weber S, Weber WP, Wegmann R, Weller M, Wendt F, Wey N, Wicki A, Wildschut MH, Wollscheid B, Yu S, Ziegler J, Zimmermann M, Zoche M, Zuend G, Krauthammer M, Schreiber SL, Hornemann T, Distel M, Snijder B, Dummer R, Levesque MP. ROS Induction Targets Persister Cancer Cells with Low Metabolic Activity in NRAS-Mutated Melanoma. Cancer Res 2023; 83:1128-1146. [PMID: 36946761 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-1826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Clinical management of melanomas with NRAS mutations is challenging. Targeting MAPK signaling is only beneficial to a small subset of patients due to resistance that arises through genetic, transcriptional, and metabolic adaptation. Identification of targetable vulnerabilities in NRAS-mutated melanoma could help improve patient treatment. Here, we used multiomics analyses to reveal that NRAS-mutated melanoma cells adopt a mesenchymal phenotype with a quiescent metabolic program to resist cellular stress induced by MEK inhibition. The metabolic alterations elevated baseline reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, leading these cells to become highly sensitive to ROS induction. In vivo xenograft experiments and single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrated that intratumor heterogeneity necessitates the combination of a ROS inducer and a MEK inhibitor to inhibit both tumor growth and metastasis. Ex vivo pharmacoscopy of 62 human metastatic melanomas confirmed that MEK inhibitor-resistant tumors significantly benefited from the combination therapy. Finally, oxidative stress response and translational suppression corresponded with ROS-inducer sensitivity in 486 cancer cell lines, independent of cancer type. These findings link transcriptional plasticity to a metabolic phenotype that can be inhibited by ROS inducers in melanoma and other cancers. SIGNIFICANCE Metabolic reprogramming in drug-resistant NRAS-mutated melanoma cells confers sensitivity to ROS induction, which suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in combination with MAPK pathway inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossia M Eichhoff
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corinne I Stoffel
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Käsler
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luzia Briker
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Turko
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gergely Karsai
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Zila
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Paulitschke
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Phil F Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Andrea Bileck
- Joint Metabolome Facility, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicola Zamboni
- Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja Irmisch
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zsolt Balazs
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Biomedical Informatics, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aizhan Tastanova
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susana Pascoal
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pål Johansen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rebekka Wegmann
- Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julien Mena
- Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alaa Othman
- Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Judith Wenzina
- Skin and Endothelium Research Division, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Aloia
- Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annalisa Saltari
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael Krauthammer
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Biomedical Informatics, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thorsten Hornemann
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Distel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Berend Snijder
- Institute for Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Dzung A, Saltari A, Tiso N, Lyck R, Dummer R, Levesque MP. STK11 Prevents Invasion through Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3/5 and FAK Repression in Cutaneous Melanoma. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:1171-1182.e10. [PMID: 34757069 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The STK11/LKB1 is a tumor suppressor involved in metabolism and cell motility. In BRAFV600E melanoma, STK11 is inactivated by extracellular signal‒regulated kinase and RSK, preventing it from binding and activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and promoting melanoma cell proliferation. Although STK11 mutations occur in 5‒10% of cutaneous melanoma, few functional studies have been performed. By knocking out STK11 with CRISPR/Cas9 in two human BRAF-mutant melanoma cell lines, we found that STK11 loss reduced the sensitivity to a BRAF inhibitor. More strikingly, STK11 loss led to an increased invasive phenotype in both three-dimensional spheroids and in vivo zebrafish xenograft models. STK11 overexpression consistently reversed the invasive phenotype. Interestingly, STK11 knockout increased invasion also in an NRAS-mutant melanoma cell line. Furthermore, although STK11 was expressed in primary human melanoma tumors, its expression significantly decreased in melanoma metastases, especially in brain metastases. In the STK11-knockout cells, we observed increased activating phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/5 and FAK. Using inhibitors of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/5 and FAK, we reversed the invasive phenotype in both BRAF- and NRAS-mutated cells. Our findings confirm an increased invasive phenotype on STK11 inactivation in BRAF- and NRAS-mutant cutaneous melanoma that can be targeted by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/5 and FAK inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annalisa Saltari
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ruth Lyck
- Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Saltari A, Dzung A, Quadri M, Tiso N, Facchinello N, Hernández-Barranco A, Garcia-Silva S, Nogués L, Stoffel CI, Cheng PF, Turko P, Eichhoff OM, Truzzi F, Marconi A, Pincelli C, Peinado H, Dummer R, Levesque MP. Specific Activation of the CD271 Intracellular Domain in Combination with Chemotherapy or Targeted Therapy Inhibits Melanoma Progression. Cancer Res 2021; 81:6044-6057. [PMID: 34645608 PMCID: PMC9397645 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
CD271 (NGFR) is a neurotrophin receptor that belongs to the tumor necrosis receptor (TNFR) family. Upon ligand binding, CD271 can mediate either survival or cell death. Although the role of CD271 as a marker of tumor-initiating cells is still a matter of debate, its role in melanoma progression has been well documented. Moreover, CD271 has been shown to be upregulated after exposure to both chemotherapy and targeted therapy. In this study, we demonstrate that activation of CD271 by a short β-amyloid-derived peptide (Aβ(25-35)) in combination with either chemotherapy or MAPK inhibitors induces apoptosis in 2D and 3D cultures of eight melanoma cell lines. This combinatorial treatment significantly reduced metastasis in a zebrafish xenograft model and led to significantly decreased tumor volume in mice. Administration of Aβ(25-35) in ex vivo tumors from immunotherapy- and targeted therapy-resistant patients significantly reduced proliferation of melanoma cells, showing that activation of CD271 can overcome drug resistance. Aβ(25-35) was specific to CD271-expressing cells and induced CD271 cleavage and phosphorylation of JNK (pJNK). The direct protein-protein interaction of pJNK with CD271 led to PARP1 cleavage, p53 and caspase activation, and pJNK-dependent cell death. Aβ(25-35) also mediated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) accumulation, which induced CD271 overexpression. Finally, CD271 upregulation inhibited mROS production, revealing the presence of a negative feedback loop in mROS regulation. These results indicate that targeting CD271 can activate cell death pathways to inhibit melanoma progression and potentially overcome resistance to targeted therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: The discovery of a means to specifically activate the CD271 death domain reveals unknown pathways mediated by the receptor and highlights new treatment possibilities for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Saltari
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marika Quadri
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Facchinello
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Hernández-Barranco
- Microenvironment and Metastasis Laboratory, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Garcia-Silva
- Microenvironment and Metastasis Laboratory, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Nogués
- Microenvironment and Metastasis Laboratory, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Corinne Isabelle Stoffel
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Phil F. Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Turko
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ossia M. Eichhoff
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Truzzi
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marconi
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Pincelli
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Biology, Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Héctor Peinado
- Microenvironment and Metastasis Laboratory, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P. Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University of Zurich Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Corresponding Author: Mitchell P. Levesque, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, Wagistrasse 18, Zurich 8952, Switzerland. E-mail:
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Tastanova A, Stoffel CI, Dzung A, Cheng PF, Bellini E, Johansen P, Duda A, Nobbe S, Lienhard R, Bosshard PP, Levesque MP. A Comparative Study of Real-Time RT-PCR-Based SARS-CoV-2 Detection Methods and Its Application to Human-Derived and Surface Swabbed Material. J Mol Diagn 2021; 23:796-804. [PMID: 33962053 PMCID: PMC8096526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Real-time RT-PCR remains a gold standard in the detection of various viral diseases. In the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, multiple RT-PCR-based tests were developed to screen for viral infection. As an emergency response to increasing testing demand, we established a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR diagnostics platform for which we compared different commercial and in-house RT-PCR protocols. Four commercial, one customized, and one in-house RT-PCR protocols were evaluated with 92 SARS-CoV-2-positive and 92 SARS-CoV-2-negative samples. Furthermore, economical and practical characteristics of these protocols were compared. In addition, a highly sensitive digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) method was developed, and application of RT-PCR and ddPCR methods on SARS-CoV-2 environmental samples was examined. Very low limits of detection (1 or 2 viral copies/μL), high sensitivities (93.6% to 97.8%), and high specificities (98.7% to 100%) for the tested RT-PCR protocols were found. Furthermore, the feasibility of downscaling two of the commercial protocols, which could optimize testing capacity, was demonstrated. Tested commercial and customized RT-PCR detection kits show very good and comparable sensitivity and specificity, and the kits could be further optimized for use on SARS-CoV-2 viral samples derived from human and surface swabbed samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aizhan Tastanova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corinne Isabelle Stoffel
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Phil Fang Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisa Bellini
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pål Johansen
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Agathe Duda
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Nobbe
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Philipp Peter Bosshard
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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6
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Dzung A, Cheng PF, Stoffel C, Tastanova A, Turko P, Levesque MP, Bosshard PP. Prolonged Unfrozen Storage and Repeated Freeze-Thawing of SARS-CoV-2 Patient Samples Have Minor Effects on SARS-CoV-2 Detectability by RT-PCR. J Mol Diagn 2021; 23:691-697. [PMID: 33775845 PMCID: PMC7997259 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Reliable transportation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patient samples from a swabbing station to a diagnostics facility is essential for accurate results. Therefore, cooling or freezing the samples is recommended in case of longer transportation times. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 detectability by RT-PCR was assessed after prolonged unfrozen storage or repetitive freeze-thawing of SARS-CoV-2 samples. SARS-CoV-2–positive patient swabs stored in viral transport medium were exposed to different temperatures (4°C, 25°C, and 35°C) and to repetitive freeze-thawing, to assess the effect of storage conditions on RT-PCR detection. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was still reliably detected by RT-PCR after 21 days of storage in viral transport medium, even when the samples had been stored at 35°C. The maximum observed change in cycle threshold value per day was 0.046 (±0.019) at 35°C, and the maximum observed change in cycle threshold value per freeze-thaw cycle per day was 0.197 (±0.06). Compared with storage at 4°C, viral RNA levels deviated little but significantly when stored at 25°C or 35°C, or after repeated freeze-thawing. The results of this study indicate that viral RNA levels are relatively stable at higher temperatures and repetitive freeze-thawing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Phil F Cheng
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corinne Stoffel
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aizhan Tastanova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Turko
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitchell P Levesque
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp P Bosshard
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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7
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Neu J, Dziunycz PJ, Dzung A, Lefort K, Falke M, Denzler R, Freiberger SN, Iotzova-Weiss G, Kuzmanov A, Levesque MP, Dotto GP, Hofbauer GFL. miR-181a decelerates proliferation in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by targeting the proto-oncogene KRAS. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185028. [PMID: 28931048 PMCID: PMC5607211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common human skin cancer with a rapidly increasing incidence among the Caucasian population. Among the many regulators, responsible for cancer progression and growth, microRNAs (miRNA) are generally accepted as key players by now. In our current study we found that microRNA-181a (miR-181a) shows low abundance in SCC compared to normal epidermal skin. In vitro, miRNA downregulation in normal primary keratinocytes induced increased proliferation, while in vivo miR-181a downregulation in HaCaT normal keratinocytes showed tumor-like growth increase up to 50%. Inversely, upregulation of these miRNAs in cancer cells lead to reduced cellular proliferation and induction of apoptosis in vitro. An in vivo therapeutic model with induced miR-181a expression in SCC13 cancer cells reduced tumor formation in mice by 80%. Modulation of miR-181a levels showed an inverse correlation with the proto-oncogene KRAS both on mRNA and protein level by direct interaction. Knockdown of KRAS mimicked the anti-proliferative effects of miR-181a overexpression in patient-derived SCC cells and abolished the enhanced viability of HaCaT cells following miR-181a knockdown. Furthermore, phospho-ERK levels correlated with KRAS levels, suggesting that the observed effects were mediated via the MAPK signaling pathway. miR-181a seemed regulated during keratinocyte differentiation probably in order to amplify the tumor suppressive character of differentiation. Taken together, miR-181a plays a crucial tumor suppressive role in SCC by targeting KRAS and could be a promising candidate for a miRNA based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Neu
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Piotr Jan Dziunycz
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Dzung
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karine Lefort
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Martin Falke
- Institute of Molecular Cancer Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Denzler
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Gian-Paolo Dotto
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
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