New Brain Tumor Entities Emerge from Molecular Classification of CNS-PNETs.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system (CNS-PNETs) are highly aggressive, poorly differentiated embryonal tumors occurring predominantly in young children but also affecting adolescents and adults. Herein, we demonstrate that a significant proportion of institutionally diagnosed CNS-PNETs display molecular profiles indistinguishable from those of various other well-defined CNS tumor entities, facilitating diagnosis and appropriate therapy for patients with these tumors. From the remaining fraction of CNS-PNETs, we identify four new CNS tumor entities, each associated with a recurrent genetic alteration and distinct histopathological and clinical features. These new molecular entities, designated "CNS neuroblastoma with FOXR2 activation (CNS NB-FOXR2)," "CNS Ewing sarcoma family tumor with CIC alteration (CNS EFT-CIC)," "CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumor with MN1 alteration (CNS HGNET-MN1)," and "CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR alteration (CNS HGNET-BCOR)," will enable meaningful clinical trials and the development of therapeutic strategies for patients affected by poorly differentiated CNS tumors.

Pathogenic ACVR1R206H activation by Activin A-induced receptor clustering and autophosphorylation.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) are debilitating diseases that share causal mutations in ACVR1, a TGF-ß family type I receptor. ACVR1R206H is a frequent mutation in both diseases. Pathogenic signaling via the SMAD1/5 pathway is mediated by Activin A, but how the mutation triggers aberrant signaling is not known. We show that ACVR1 is essential for Activin A-mediated SMAD1/5 phosphorylation and is activated by two distinct mechanisms. Wild-type ACVR1 is activated by the Activin type I receptors, ACVR1B/C. In contrast, ACVR1R206H activation does not require upstream kinases, but is predominantly activated via Activin A-dependent receptor clustering, which induces its auto-activation. We use optogenetics and live-imaging approaches to demonstrate Activin A-induced receptor clustering and show it requires the type II receptors ACVR2A/B. Our data provide molecular mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of FOP and DIPG by linking the causal activating genetic mutation to disrupted signaling.

DIPG Harbors Alterations Targetable by MEK Inhibitors, with Acquired Resistance Mechanisms Overcome by Combinatorial Inhibition.

The survival of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) remains dismal, with new treatments desperately needed. In a prospective biopsy-stratified clinical trial, we combined detailed molecular profiling and drug screening in newly established patient-derived models in vitro and in vivo. We identified in vitro sensitivity to MEK inhibitors in DIPGs harboring MAPK pathway alterations, but treatment of patient-derived xenograft models and a patient at relapse failed to elicit a significant response. We generated trametinib-resistant clones in a BRAFG469V model through continuous drug exposure and identified acquired mutations in MEK1/2 with sustained pathway upregulation. These cells showed hallmarks of mesenchymal transition and expression signatures overlapping with inherently trametinib-insensitive patient-derived cells, predicting sensitivity to dasatinib. Combined trametinib and dasatinib showed highly synergistic effects in vitro and on ex vivo brain slices. We highlight the MAPK pathway as a therapeutic target in DIPG and show the importance of parallel resistance modeling and combinatorial treatments for meaningful clinical translation. SIGNIFICANCE: We report alterations in the MAPK pathway in DIPGs to confer initial sensitivity to targeted MEK inhibition. We further identify for the first time the mechanism of resistance to single-agent targeted therapy in these tumors and suggest a novel combinatorial treatment strategy to overcome it in the clinic. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 587.

Repurposing Vandetanib plus Everolimus for the Treatment of ACVR1-Mutant Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

Somatic mutations in ACVR1 are found in a quarter of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), but there are no ACVR1 inhibitors licensed for the disease. Using an artificial intelligence-based platform to search for approved compounds for ACVR1-mutant DIPG, the combination of vandetanib and everolimus was identified as a possible therapeutic approach. Vandetanib, an inhibitor of VEGFR/RET/EGFR, was found to target ACVR1 (K d = 150 nmol/L) and reduce DIPG cell viability in vitro but has limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. In addition to mTOR, everolimus inhibited ABCG2 (BCRP) and ABCB1 (P-gp) transporters and was synergistic in DIPG cells when combined with vandetanib in vitro. This combination was well tolerated in vivo and significantly extended survival and reduced tumor burden in an orthotopic ACVR1-mutant patient-derived DIPG xenograft model. Four patients with ACVR1-mutant DIPG were treated with vandetanib plus an mTOR inhibitor, informing the dosing and toxicity profile of this combination for future clinical studies. SIGNIFICANCE: Twenty-five percent of patients with the incurable brainstem tumor DIPG harbor somatic activating mutations in ACVR1, but there are no approved drugs targeting the receptor. Using artificial intelligence, we identify and validate, both experimentally and clinically, the novel combination of vandetanib and everolimus in these children based on both signaling and pharmacokinetic synergies.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 275.

PPM1D mutations are oncogenic drivers of de novo diffuse midline glioma formation.

The role of PPM1D mutations in de novo gliomagenesis has not been systematically explored. Here we analyze whole genome sequences of 170 pediatric high-grade gliomas and find that truncating mutations in PPM1D that increase the stability of its phosphatase are clonal driver events in 11% of Diffuse Midline Gliomas (DMGs) and are enriched in primary pontine tumors. Through the development of DMG mouse models, we show that PPM1D mutations potentiate gliomagenesis and that PPM1D phosphatase activity is required for in vivo oncogenesis. Finally, we apply integrative phosphoproteomic and functional genomics assays and find that oncogenic effects of PPM1D truncation converge on regulators of cell cycle, DNA damage response, and p53 pathways, revealing therapeutic vulnerabilities including MDM2 inhibition.

Droplet digital PCR-based detection of circulating tumor DNA from pediatric high grade and diffuse midline glioma patients.

BACKGROUND: The use of liquid biopsy is of potential high importance for children with high grade (HGG) and diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), particularly where surgical procedures are limited, and invasive biopsy sampling not without risk. To date, however, the evidence that detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could provide useful information for these patients has been limited, or contradictory. METHODS: We optimized droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays for the detection of common somatic mutations observed in pediatric HGG/DMG, and applied them to liquid biopsies from plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and cystic fluid collected from 32 patients. RESULTS: Although detectable in all biomaterial types, ctDNA presented at significantly higher levels in CSF compared to plasma and/or serum. When applied to a cohort of 127 plasma specimens from 41 patients collected from 2011 to 2018 as part of a randomized clinical trial in pediatric non-brainstem HGG/DMG, ctDNA profiling by ddPCR was of limited use due to the small volumes (mean = 0.49 mL) available. In anecdotal cases where sufficient material was available, cfDNA concentration correlated with disease progression in two examples each of poor response in H3F3A_K27M-mutant DMG, and longer survival times in hemispheric BRAF_V600E-mutant cases. CONCLUSION: Tumor-specific DNA alterations are more readily detected in CSF than plasma. Although we demonstrate the potential of the approach to assessing tumor burden, our results highlight the necessity for adequate sample collection and approach to improve detection if plasma samples are to be used.

Infant High-Grade Gliomas Comprise Multiple Subgroups Characterized by Novel Targetable Gene Fusions and Favorable Outcomes.

Infant high-grade gliomas appear clinically distinct from their counterparts in older children, indicating that histopathologic grading may not accurately reflect the biology of these tumors. We have collected 241 cases under 4 years of age, and carried out histologic review, methylation profiling, and custom panel, genome, or exome sequencing. After excluding tumors representing other established entities or subgroups, we identified 130 cases to be part of an "intrinsic" spectrum of disease specific to the infant population. These included those with targetable MAPK alterations, and a large proportion of remaining cases harboring gene fusions targeting ALK (n = 31), NTRK1/2/3 (n = 21), ROS1 (n = 9), and MET (n = 4) as their driving alterations, with evidence of efficacy of targeted agents in the clinic. These data strongly support the concept that infant gliomas require a change in diagnostic practice and management. SIGNIFICANCE: Infant high-grade gliomas in the cerebral hemispheres comprise novel subgroups, with a prevalence of ALK, NTRK1/2/3, ROS1, or MET gene fusions. Kinase fusion-positive tumors have better outcome and respond to targeted therapy clinically. Other subgroups have poor outcome, with fusion-negative cases possibly representing an epigenetically driven pluripotent stem cell phenotype.See related commentary by Szulzewsky and Cimino, p. 904.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 890.

PPM1D mutations silence NAPRT gene expression and confer NAMPT inhibitor sensitivity in glioma.

Pediatric high-grade gliomas are among the deadliest of childhood cancers due to limited knowledge of early driving events in their gliomagenesis and the lack of effective therapies available. In this study, we investigate the oncogenic role of PPM1D, a protein phosphatase often found truncated in pediatric gliomas such as DIPG, and uncover a synthetic lethal interaction between PPM1D mutations and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) inhibition. Specifically, we show that mutant PPM1D drives hypermethylation of CpG islands throughout the genome and promotes epigenetic silencing of nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase (NAPRT), a key gene involved in NAD biosynthesis. Notably, PPM1D mutant cells are shown to be sensitive to NAMPT inhibitors in vitro and in vivo, within both engineered isogenic astrocytes and primary patient-derived model systems, suggesting the possible application of NAMPT inhibitors for the treatment of pediatric gliomas. Overall, our results reveal a promising approach for the targeting of PPM1D mutant tumors, and define a critical link between oncogenic driver mutations and NAD metabolism, which can be exploited for tumor-specific cell killing.

Novel Quinazolinone Inhibitors of ALK2 Flip between Alternate Binding Modes: Structure-Activity Relationship, Structural Characterization, Kinase Profiling, and Cellular Proof of Concept.

Structure-activity relationship and crystallographic data revealed that quinazolinone-containing fragments flip between two distinct modes of binding to activin receptor-like kinase-2 (ALK2). We explored both binding modes to discover potent inhibitors and characterized the chemical modifications that triggered the flip in binding mode. We report kinase selectivity and demonstrate that compounds of this series modulate ALK2 in cancer cells. These inhibitors are attractive starting points for the discovery of more advanced ALK2 inhibitors.

Dissociation between rat hippocampal CA1 and dentate gyrus cells in their response to corticosterone: effects on calcium channel protein and current.

Stress and corticosterone affect, via glucocorticoid receptors, cellular physiology in the rodent brain. A well-documented example concerns corticosteroid effects on high-voltage activated (L type) calcium currents in the hippocampal CA1 area. We tested whether corticosterone also affects calcium currents in another hippocampal area that highly expresses glucocorticoid receptors, i.e. the dentate gyrus (DG). Remarkably, corticosterone (100 nm, given for 20 min, 1-4.5 hr before recording) did not change high-voltage activated calcium currents in the DG, whereas currents in the CA1 area of the same rats were increased. Follow-up studies revealed that no apparent dissociation between the two areas was observed with respect to transcriptional regulation of calcium channel subunits; thus, in both areas corticosterone increased mRNA levels of the calcium channel-beta4 but not the (alpha) Ca(v)1.2 subunit. At the protein level, however, beta4 and Ca(v)1.2 levels were significantly up-regulated by corticosterone in the CA1 but not the DG area. These data suggest that stress-induced elevations in the level of corticosterone result in a regionally differentiated physiological response that is not simply determined by the glucocorticoid receptor distribution and that the observed regional differentiation may be caused by a gene involved in the translational machinery or in mechanisms regulating mRNA or protein stability.

The effect of subcapsular meningococcal B + C vaccine on the prognosis of patients with meningococcal disease.

The effectiveness of the meningococcal Cuban vaccine (VaMengoc B + C) was examined in terms of the prognosis of patients who develop disease. All cases in the vaccinee age category admitted to the Meningococcal Disease Reference Centre, Rio de Janeiro between August 1990 and December 1993 were enrolled. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated from the relationship 1-OR, where the OR (odds ratio) was the exponential of the logistic regression coefficient for the association between death from meningococcal disease and previous vaccination. The case fatality rate for vaccinees was 6.1% and that for non-vaccinees was 10.6% (relative risk 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-1.01). An overall protective effect of the vaccine against a fatal outcome was identified (VE 53%; 95% CI 12-75%) controlling for sex, age at time of immunization, elapsed time since vaccination and time between onset of disease and hospital admission. This study suggests that, for some people, even if the vaccine does not protect against the development of disease it may have a beneficial effect in terms of preventing a fatal outcome. This protective effect needs to be further investigated in a prospective cohort study specifically designed to evaluate the new generation of meningococcal vaccines.

Doença meningocócica: epidemiologia e controle dos casos secundários / Meningococcal disease: epidemiology and control of secondary cases

Aspectos epidemiológicos da doença meningocócica registrados a partir da segunda metade da década de 80 impulsionaram as autoridades de saúde pública a discutirem as medidas de controle disponíveis. A ocorrência da doença entre adolescentes e o registro de surtos envolvendo escolas säo os dois pontos que mais pressionaram uma revisäo das medidas de controle disponíveis. O uso das vacinas antimeningocócicas polissacarídeas e as recomendaçöes para o controle de surtos localizados (clusters) säo outros aspectos que mereceram atençäo recentemente. Objetivou, assim, apresentar um panorama atual de alguns aspectos da epidemiologia e do controle dos casos secundários da doença meningocócica