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Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin with two distinct etiologies. Clonal integration of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA into the tumor genome with persistent expression of viral T antigens causes at least 60% of all MCC. UV damage leading to highly mutated genomes causes a nonviral form of MCC. Despite these distinct etiologies, both forms of MCC are similar in presentation, prognosis, and response to therapy. At least three oncogenic transcriptional programs feature prominently in both forms of MCC driven by the virus or by mutation. Both forms of MCC have a high proliferative growth rate with increased levels of cell cycle-dependent genes due to inactivation of the tumor suppressors RB and p53, a strong MYC signature due to MYCL activation by the virus or gene amplification, and an attenuated neuroendocrine differentiation program driven by the ATOH1 transcription factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A DeCaprio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA; .,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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2
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Grunblatt E, Wu N, Zhang H, Liu X, Norton JP, Ohol Y, Leger P, Hiatt JB, Eastwood EC, Thomas R, Ibrahim AH, Jia D, Basom R, Eaton KD, Martins R, Houghton AM, MacPherson D. MYCN drives chemoresistance in small cell lung cancer while USP7 inhibition can restore chemosensitivity. Genes Dev 2020; 34:1210-1226. [PMID: 32820040 PMCID: PMC7462062 DOI: 10.1101/gad.340133.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [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: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine cancer characterized by initial chemosensitivity followed by emergence of chemoresistant disease. To study roles for MYCN amplification in SCLC progression and chemoresistance, we developed a genetically engineered mouse model of MYCN-overexpressing SCLC. In treatment-naïve mice, MYCN overexpression promoted cell cycle progression, suppressed infiltration of cytotoxic T cells, and accelerated SCLC. MYCN overexpression also suppressed response to cisplatin-etoposide chemotherapy, with similar findings made upon MYCL overexpression. We extended these data to genetically perturb chemosensitive patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of SCLC. In chemosensitive PDX models, overexpression of either MYCN or MYCL also conferred a switch to chemoresistance. To identify therapeutic strategies for MYCN-overexpressing SCLC, we performed a genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 sgRNA screen. We identified the deubiquitinase USP7 as a MYCN-associated synthetic vulnerability. Pharmacological inhibition of USP7 resensitized chemoresistant MYCN-overexpressing PDX models to chemotherapy in vivo. Our findings show that MYCN overexpression drives SCLC chemoresistance and provide a therapeutic strategy to restore chemosensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Grunblatt
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Nan Wu
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Huajia Zhang
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province 450008, China
| | - Justin P Norton
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Yamini Ohol
- RAPT Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Paul Leger
- RAPT Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, USA
| | - Joseph B Hiatt
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Emily C Eastwood
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Rhiana Thomas
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Ali H Ibrahim
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Deshui Jia
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Ryan Basom
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Keith D Eaton
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Renato Martins
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - A McGarry Houghton
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- Division of Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - David MacPherson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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3
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Abstract
Introduction: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Despite recent advances with personalized therapies and immunotherapy, the prognosis remains dire and recurrence is frequent. Myc is an oncogene deregulated in human cancers, including lung cancer, where it supports tumorigenic processes and progression. Elevated Myc levels have also been associated with resistance to therapy.Areas covered: This article summarizes the genomic and transcriptomic studies that compile evidence for (i) MYC, MYCN, and MYCL amplification and overexpression in lung cancer patients, and (ii) their prognostic significance. We collected the most recent literature regarding the development of Myc inhibitors where the emphasis is on those inhibitors tested in lung cancer experimental models and their potential for future clinical application.Expert opinion: The targeting of Myc in lung cancer is potentially an unprecedented opportunity for inhibiting a key player in tumor progression and maintenance and therapeutic resistance. Myc inhibitory strategies are on the path to their clinical application but further work is necessary for the assessment of their use in combination with standard treatment approaches. Given the role of Myc in immune suppression, a significant opportunity may exist in the combination of Myc inhibitors with immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Soucek
- Peptomyc S.L., Edifici Cellex, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Edifici Cellex, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana De Recerca I Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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Kato F, Fiorentino FP, Alibés A, Perucho M, Sánchez-Céspedes M, Kohno T, Yokota J. MYCL is a target of a BET bromodomain inhibitor, JQ1, on growth suppression efficacy in small cell lung cancer cells. Oncotarget 2016; 7:77378-88. [PMID: 27764802 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to elucidate the effect of JQ1, a BET inhibitor, on small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) with MYCL amplification and/or expression. Fourteen SCLC cell lines, including four with MYCL amplification, were examined for the effects of JQ1 on protein and gene expression by Western blot and mRNA microarray analyses. The sensitivity of SCLC cells to JQ1 was assessed by cell growth and apoptosis assays. MYCL was expressed in all the 14 cell lines, whereas MYC/MYCN expression was restricted mostly to cell lines with gene amplification. ASCL1, a transcription factor shown to play a role in SCLC, was also expressed in 11/14 cell lines. All SCLC cell lines were sensitive to JQ1 with GI50 values ≤1.23 μM, with six of them showing GI50 values <0.1 μM. Expression of MYCL as well as MYCN, ASCL1 and other driver oncogenes including CDK6 was reduced by JQ1 treatment, in particular in the cell lines with high expression of the respective genes; however, no association was observed between the sensitivity to JQ1 and the levels of MYCL, MYCN and ASCL1 expression. In contrast, levels of CDK6 expression and its reduction rates by JQ1 were associated with JQ1 sensitivity. Therefore, we concluded that CDK6 is a novel target of JQ1 and predictive marker for JQ1 sensitivity in SCLC cells.
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Fiorentino FP, Tokgün E, Solé-Sánchez S, Giampaolo S, Tokgün O, Jauset T, Kohno T, Perucho M, Soucek L, Yokota J. Growth suppression by MYC inhibition in small cell lung cancer cells with TP53 and RB1 inactivation. Oncotarget 2018; 7:31014-28. [PMID: 27105536 PMCID: PMC5058735 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive type of lung cancer with high mortality. One of the MYC family genes, MYC, MYCL or MYCN, is amplified in ~20% of the SCLCs; therefore, MYC proteins are potential therapeutic targets in SCLC patients. We investigated the therapeutic impact of Omomyc, a MYC dominant negative, in a panel of SCLC cell lines. Strikingly, Omomyc suppressed the growth of all tested cell lines by inducing cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. Induction of G1 arrest by Omomyc was found to be dependent on the activation of CDKN1A, in part, through the TP73 pathway. Our results strongly indicate that SCLC cells carrying amplification of MYC, MYCL or MYCN are addicted to MYC function, suggesting that MYC targeting would be an efficient therapeutic option for SCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paolo Fiorentino
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elvan Tokgün
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sònia Solé-Sánchez
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sabrina Giampaolo
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Onur Tokgün
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Jauset
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Takashi Kohno
- Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manuel Perucho
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Soucek
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jun Yokota
- Genomics and Epigenomics of Cancer Prediction Program, Institute of Predictive and Personalized Medicine of Cancer (IMPPC), Campus Can Ruti, Barcelona, Spain.,Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
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Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most deadly cancers and currently lacks effective targeted treatment options. Recent advances in the molecular characterization of SCLC has provided novel insight into the biology of this disease and raises hope for a paradigm shift in the treatment of SCLC. We and others have identified activation of MYC as a driver of susceptibility to Aurora kinase inhibition in SCLC cells and tumors that translates into a therapeutic option for the targeted treatment of MYC-driven SCLC. While MYC shares major features with its paralogs MYCN and MYCL, the sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibitors is unique for MYC-driven SCLC. In this review, we will compare the distinct molecular features of the 3 MYC family members and address the potential implications for targeted therapy of SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Brägelmann
- a Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.,b Department of Translational Genomics , Medical Faculty, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Stefanie Böhm
- a Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.,b Department of Translational Genomics , Medical Faculty, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Matthew R Guthrie
- c Department of Oncological Sciences , University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Gurkan Mollaoglu
- c Department of Oncological Sciences , University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Trudy G Oliver
- c Department of Oncological Sciences , University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Martin L Sos
- a Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.,b Department of Translational Genomics , Medical Faculty, University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.,d Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne , University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
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