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Hegde S, Gasilina A, Wunderlich M, Lin Y, Buchholzer M, Krumbach OHF, Akbarzadeh M, Ahmadian MR, Seibel W, Zheng Y, Perentesis JP, Mizukawa BE, Vinnedge LP, Cancelas JA, Nassar NN. Inhibition of the RacGEF VAV3 by the small molecule IODVA1 impedes RAC signaling and overcomes resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibition in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 2022; 36:637-647. [PMID: 34711926 PMCID: PMC8885421 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01455-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant RHO guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF) activation is chief mechanism driving abnormal activation of their GTPase targets in transformation and tumorigenesis. Consequently, a small-molecule inhibitor of RhoGEF can make an anti-cancer drug. We used cellular, mouse, and humanized models of RAC-dependent BCR-ABL1-driven and Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia to identify VAV3, a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent RacGEF, as the target of the small molecule IODVA1. We show that through binding to VAV3, IODVA1 inhibits RAC activation and signaling and increases pro-apoptotic activity in BCR-ABL1-transformed cells. Consistent with this mechanism of action, cellular and animal models of BCR-ABL1-induced leukemia in Vav3-null background do not respond to IODVA1. By durably decreasing in vivo RAC signaling, IODVA1 eradicates leukemic propagating activity of TKI-resistant BCR-ABL1(T315I) B-ALL cells after treatment withdrawal. Importantly, IODVA1 suppresses the leukemic burden in the treatment refractory pediatric Ph+ and TKI-resistant Ph+ B-ALL patient-derived xenograft models better than standard-of-care dasatinib or ponatinib and provides a more durable response after treatment withdrawal. Pediatric leukemia samples with diverse genetic lesions show high sensitivity to IODVA1 ex vivo and this sensitivity is VAV3 dependent. IODVA1 thus spearheads a novel class of drugs that inhibits a RacGEF and holds promise as an anti-tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailaja Hegde
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Anjelika Gasilina
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yuan Lin
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Marcel Buchholzer
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Oliver H F Krumbach
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Mohammad Akbarzadeh
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Mohammad Reza Ahmadian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - William Seibel
- Division of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yi Zheng
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - John P Perentesis
- Division of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Benjamin E Mizukawa
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Lisa Privette Vinnedge
- Division of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - José A Cancelas
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Nicolas N Nassar
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA.
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Nassar NN, Hegde S, Wunderlich K, Lin Y, Ahmadian R, Seibel W, Zheng Y, Mizukawa BE, Vinnedge LP, Cancelas JA. Abstract LB198: Inhibition of the RAC Activator VAV3 by the small molecule IODVA1 impedes RAC signaling & overcomes resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibition in lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-lb198] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Aberrant activation of RHO guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) is a chief mechanism driving abnormal activation of their RhoGTPase targets in transformation and tumorigenesis. Consequently, a small molecule inhibitor of RhoGEF activities can be used as an anti-cancer drug. Herein, we used cellular, mouse, and humanized models of RAC-dependent BCR-ABL1-driven and Ph-like lymphoblastic leukemia to identify VAV3, a tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent RacGEF, as the target of the small molecule IODVA1. We show that IODVA1 binds tightly to VAV3, inhibits RAC activation and signaling, and increases pro-apoptotic activity in BCR-ABL1-transformed cells only. Consistent with this mechanism of action, both VAV3-deficient leukemic cells and mouse models of BCR-ABL1 leukemia do not respond to IODVA1. IODVA1 eradicates leukemic propagating activity of TKI-resistant BCR-ABL1(T315I) B-ALL cells after treatment withdrawal by decreasing RAC signaling in vivo. Importantly, IODVA1 is superior to standard of care dasatinib and ponatinib at prolonging the survival of PDX models of relapsed pediatric Ph+ and TKI-resistant Ph+ B-ALL with commonly found genetic mutations especially after treatment withdrawal. Cells representing pediatric ALL patients with diverse genetic lesions are highly sensitive to IODVA1 ex vivo and this sensitivity is VAV3-dependent. IODVA1 thus spearheads a novel class of drugs that inhibits a RacGEF and holds promise as an anti-tumor therapeutic agent.
Citation Format: Nicolas N. Nassar, Shailaja Hegde, Kark Wunderlich, Yuan Lin, Reza Ahmadian, William Seibel, Yi Zheng, Benjamin E. Mizukawa, Lisa Privette Vinnedge, Jose A. Cancelas. Inhibition of the RAC Activator VAV3 by the small molecule IODVA1 impedes RAC signaling & overcomes resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibition in lymphoblastic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr LB198.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shailaja Hegde
- 1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Kark Wunderlich
- 1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Yuan Lin
- 1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | | | - William Seibel
- 1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Yi Zheng
- 1Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
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Greene A, Balmer N, Estrada C, Vinnedge LP, Solomon M. GONADAL HORMONES MODULATE HIPPOCAMPAL NUCLEAR DEK EXPRESSION IN ADULT MICE AND RATS. FASEB J 2020. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.09129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Allie Greene
- University of Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
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Wen Y, Xu HN, Privette Vinnedge L, Feng M, Li LZ. Optical Redox Imaging Detects the Effects of DEK Oncogene Knockdown on the Redox State of MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells. Mol Imaging Biol 2019; 21:410-416. [PMID: 30758703 PMCID: PMC6684344 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-019-01321-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Optical redox imaging (ORI), based on collecting the endogenous fluorescence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and oxidized flavoproteins (Fp) containing a redox cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), provides sensitive indicators of cellular metabolism and redox status. ORI indices (such as NADH, FAD, and their ratio) have been under investigation as potential progression/prognosis biomarkers for cancer. Higher FAD redox ratio (i.e., FAD/(FAD + NADH)) has been associated with higher invasive/metastatic potential in tumor xenografts and cultured cells. This study is to examine whether ORI indices can respond to the modulation of oncogene DEK activities that change cancer cell invasive/metastatic potential. PROCEDURES Using lentiviral shRNA, DEK gene expression was efficiently knocked down in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (DEKsh). These DEKsh cells, along with scrambled shRNA-transduced control cells (NTsh), were imaged with a fluorescence microscope. In vitro invasive potential of the DEKsh cells and NTsh cells was also measured in parallel using the transwell assay. RESULTS FAD and FAD redox ratios in polyclonal cells with DEKsh were significantly lower than that in NTsh control cells. Consistently, the DEKsh cells demonstrated decreased invasive potential than their non-knockdown counterparts NTsh cells. CONCLUSIONS This study provides direct evidence that oncogene activities could mediate ORI-detected cellular redox state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wen
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08903, USA
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - He N Xu
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Privette Vinnedge
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Min Feng
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lin Z Li
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Abramson Cancer Center and Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Wise-Draper T, Sendilnathan A, Palackdharry S, Pease N, Qualtieri J, Butler R, Sadraei NH, Morris JC, Patil Y, Wilson K, Mark J, Casper K, Takiar V, Lane A, Privette Vinnedge L. Decreased plasma DEK Oncogene Levels Correlate with p16-Negative Disease and Advanced Tumor Stage in a Case-Control Study of Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2017; 11:168-174. [PMID: 29289845 PMCID: PMC6002348 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) remains the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and survival upon recurrence and/or metastasis remains poor. HNSCC has traditionally been associated with alcohol and nicotine use, but more recently the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has emerged as a favorable prognostic risk factor for oropharyngeal HNSCC. However, further stratification with additional biomarkers to predict patient outcome continues to be essential. One candidate biomarker is the DEK oncogenic protein, which was previously detected in the urine of patients with bladder cancer and is known to be secreted by immune cells such as macrophages. Here, we investigated if DEK could be detected in human plasma and if DEK levels correlated with clinical and pathological variables of HNSCC. Plasma was separated from the peripheral blood of newly diagnosed, untreated HNSCC patients or age-matched normal healthy controls and analyzed for DEK protein using ELISA. Plasma concentrations of DEK protein were lower in p16-negative tumors compared to both normal controls and patients with p16-positive tumors. Patients with lower plasma concentrations of DEK were also more likely to have late stage tumors and a lower white blood cell count. Contrary to previously published work demonstrating a poor prognosis with high intratumoral DEK levels, we show for the first time that decreased concentrations of DEK in patient plasma correlates with poor prognostic factors, including HPV-negative status as determined by negative p16 expression and advanced tumor stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha Wise-Draper
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267.
| | - Arun Sendilnathan
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Sarah Palackdharry
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Nicholas Pease
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Julianne Qualtieri
- Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Randall Butler
- Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Nooshin Hashemi Sadraei
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - John C Morris
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Yash Patil
- Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Keith Wilson
- Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Jonathan Mark
- Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Keith Casper
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Vinita Takiar
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267
| | - Adam Lane
- Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229
| | - Lisa Privette Vinnedge
- Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229.
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Sendilnathan A, Charif M, Shaughnessy E, Lewis JD, Radhakrishnan N, Lower E, Lanigan C, Kumar H, Wise-Draper TM, Vinnedge LP. Abstract A51: Investigation of the DEK oncogene as a blood biomarker for breast cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3125.advbc15-a51] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of death for women in the United States. This is due, in part, because women wait too long to get a diagnosis or the disease returns, sometimes years later, due to ineffective treatment. Therefore, it is critically important to identify biomarkers that can better inform clinicians while providing a screening test more amenable to patients than mammograms. We are investigating the feasibility of using DEK protein levels in patient plasma as a biomarker for disease stage and prognosis. DEK is a chromatin-organizing protein that functions in DNA replication and repair, transcription, and mRNA splicing. The DEK oncoprotein is highly upregulated in many types of cancer including breast, head and neck, and melanoma. Using human cell culture and murine models, our previous studies have shown that DEK is functionally important for the promotion of cellular growth, invasion/metastasis, drug resistance, and breast cancer stem cell maintenance. Work by the Markovitz laboratory indicated that DEK is secreted by macrophages as a pro-inflammatory signaling molecule and can be internalized by neighboring cancer cells to promote typical DEK functions. This led to our hypothesis that DEK may be present in the plasma of cancer patients. In fact, the detection of DEK protein in urine is currently being explored as a diagnostic biomarker for bladder cancer. To test this hypothesis, we collected peripheral blood from patients with newly diagnosed, untreated BC (irrespective of the clinical stage) and age- and ethnicity-matched normal healthy controls. Plasma was separated from the samples and subjected to DEK specific ELISA (Cusabio, Wuhan, China). Preliminary results demonstrate that DEK is indeed present in the plasma of BC patients and we are currently comparing these levels to normal healthy controls. Further analyses are ongoing to determine whether DEK levels correlate with pertinent clinical and pathological variables including age, tumor stage, and ER/PR/HER-2 status. In addition, we are examining if DEK levels can predict response to various treatment modalities and risk of relapse. These data will be important to verify DEK plasma measurements as a clinically useful test and may give insight to future personalized and targeted treatment strategies for BC.
Citation Format: Arun Sendilnathan, Mahmoud Charif, Elizabeth Shaughnessy, Jaime D. Lewis, Neetu Radhakrishnan, Elyse Lower, Catherine Lanigan, Harriet Kumar, Trisha M. Wise-Draper, Lisa Privette Vinnedge. Investigation of the DEK oncogene as a blood biomarker for breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr A51.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahmoud Charif
- 1University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,
| | | | - Jaime D. Lewis
- 1University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,
| | | | - Elyse Lower
- 1University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,
| | | | - Harriet Kumar
- 1University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH,
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Wise-Draper T, Privette Vinnedge L, Sendilnathan A. Abstract 584: The DEK oncogene may serve as a predictive plasma biomarker in head and neck cancer patients. Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-584] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) remains the sixth most common cancer worldwide with almost 50,000 new diagnoses in the US each year. Although, infection with HPV has emerged as a favorable prognostic factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) leading to de-intensifying treatment strategies, no serum biomarkers currently exist to predict tumor response and/or relapse. One candidate serum biomarker is encoded by the human DEK gene. DEK mRNA and protein is highly upregulated in tissue specimens from several tumor types including HNSCC, breast cancer and melanoma and antibodies to DEK are detected in patients with auto-immune disease (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, etc.). Our previous work has demonstrated that DEK is highly and universally expressed in HNSCC tissue specimens regardless of stage or HPV infection. Additionally, in vitro data has suggested that tumor associated macrophages secrete DEK protein leading to the hypothesis that DEK may be present in the serum of cancer patients. In fact, the detection of DEK protein in urine is currently being explored as a diagnostic biomarker for bladder cancer. Here, we sought to determine if secreted DEK protein can be detected in human plasma and if it could be used as a biomarker for HNSCC. Peripheral blood was collected from either patients with newly diagnosed, untreated, HNSCC or age-matched normal healthy controls. Plasma was separated from the samples and subjected to DEK specific ELISA (Cusabio, Wuhan, China). Plasma DEK levels were compared to tumor stage, response to therapy, and overall tumor burden in patients. Preliminary results demonstrate that DEK is indeed present in the plasma of HNSCC patients and we are currently comparing these levels to normal healthy controls. Further analyses are ongoing to determine whether DEK levels predict response to various treatment modalities, correlate with the body's immune response, and whether DEK presence in the serum will predict residual disease and/or early relapse. These data will be important to verify DEK plasma measurements as a clinically useful test and may give insight to future personalized and targeted treatment strategies for HNSCC.
Citation Format: Trisha Wise-Draper, Lisa Privette Vinnedge, Arun Sendilnathan. The DEK oncogene may serve as a predictive plasma biomarker in head and neck cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 584. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-584
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