RESUMO
Immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive lymphocyte transfer-based therapies have shown great therapeutic potential in cancers with high tumor mutational burden (TMB), such as melanoma, but not in cancers with low TMB, such as mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-driven lung adenocarcinoma. Precision immunotherapy is an unmet need for most cancers, particularly for cancers that respond inadequately to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we employed large-scale MS-based proteogenomic profiling to identify potential immunogenic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I-presented peptides in melanoma and EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Similar numbers of peptides were identified from both tumor types. Cell line and patient-specific databases (DBs) were constructed using variants identified from whole-exome sequencing. A de novo search algorithm was used to interrogate the HLA class I immunopeptidome MS data. We identified 12 variant peptides and several classes of tumor-associated antigen-derived peptides. We constructed a cancer germ line (CG) antigen DB with 285 antigens. This allowed us to identify 40 class I-presented CG antigen-derived peptides. The class I immunopeptidome comprised more than 1000 post-translationally modified (PTM) peptides representing 58 different PTMs, underscoring the critical role PTMs may play in HLA binding. Finally, leveraging de novo search algorithm and an annotated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) DB, we developed a novel lncRNA-encoded peptide discovery pipeline to identify 44 lncRNA-derived peptides that are presented by class I. We validated tandem MS spectra of select variant, CG antigen, and lncRNA-derived peptides using synthetic peptides and performed HLA class I-binding assays to demonstrate binding to class I proteins. In summary, we provide direct evidence of HLA class I presentation of a large number of variant and tumor-associated peptides in both low and high TMB cancer. These results can potentially be useful for precision immunotherapies, such as vaccine or adoptive cell therapies in melanoma and EGFR-mutant lung cancers.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/metabolismo , Antígenos de Neoplasias/metabolismo , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe I/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Melanoma/metabolismo , Peptídeos/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/genética , Idoso , Antígenos de Neoplasias/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Receptores ErbB/genética , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe I/genética , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Masculino , Melanoma/genética , Mutação , Peptídeos/genética , ProteogenômicaRESUMO
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic disease with high mortality and is refractory to treatment. Pulmonary macrophages can both promote and repress fibrosis, however molecular mechanisms regulating macrophage functions during fibrosis remain poorly understood. FOXM1 is a transcription factor and is not expressed in quiescent lungs. Herein, we show that FOXM1 is highly expressed in pulmonary macrophages within fibrotic lungs of IPF patients and mouse fibrotic lungs. Macrophage-specific deletion of Foxm1 in mice (myFoxm1-/-) exacerbated pulmonary fibrosis. Inactivation of FOXM1 in vivo and in vitro increased p38 MAPK signaling in macrophages and decreased DUSP1, a negative regulator of p38 MAPK pathway. FOXM1 directly activated Dusp1 promoter. Overexpression of DUSP1 in FOXM1-deficient macrophages prevented activation of p38 MAPK pathway. Adoptive transfer of wild-type monocytes to myFoxm1-/- mice alleviated bleomycin-induced fibrosis. Altogether, contrary to known pro-fibrotic activities in lung epithelium and fibroblasts, FOXM1 has anti-fibrotic function in macrophages by regulating p38 MAPK.
Assuntos
Proteína Forkhead Box M1/metabolismo , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Fibrose Pulmonar/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinases p38 Ativadas por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Transferência Adotiva/métodos , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Fosfatase 1 de Especificidade Dupla/genética , Fosfatase 1 de Especificidade Dupla/metabolismo , Proteína Forkhead Box M1/genética , Humanos , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Fibrose Pulmonar/terapiaRESUMO
Lung cancer remains one of the most prominent public health challenges, accounting for the highest incidence and mortality among all human cancers. While pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (PIMA) is one of the most aggressive types of non-small cell lung cancer, transcriptional drivers of PIMA remain poorly understood. In the present study, we found that Forkhead box M1 transcription factor (FOXM1) is highly expressed in human PIMAs and associated with increased extracellular mucin deposition and the loss of NKX2.1. To examine consequences of FOXM1 expression in tumor cells in vivo, we employed an inducible, transgenic mouse model to express an activated FOXM1 transcript in urethane-induced benign lung adenomas. FOXM1 accelerated tumor growth, induced progression from benign adenomas to invasive, metastatic adenocarcinomas, and induced SOX2, a marker of poorly differentiated tumor cells. Adenocarcinomas in FOXM1 transgenic mice expressed increased MUC5B and MUC5AC, and reduced NKX2.1, which are characteristics of mucinous adenocarcinomas. Expression of FOXM1 in KrasG12D transgenic mice increased the mucinous phenotype in KrasG12D-driven lung tumors. Anterior Gradient 2 (AGR2), an oncogene critical for intracellular processing and packaging of mucins, was increased in mouse and human PIMAs and was associated with FOXM1. FOXM1 directly bound to and transcriptionally activated human AGR2 gene promoter via the -257/-247 bp region. Finally, using orthotopic xenografts we demonstrated that inhibition of either FOXM1 or AGR2 in human PIMAs inhibited mucinous characteristics, and reduced tumor growth and invasion. Altogether, FOXM1 is necessary and sufficient to induce mucinous phenotypes in lung tumor cells in vivo.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/patologia , Adenocarcinoma/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma/patologia , Adenoma/patologia , Proteína Forkhead Box M1/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Proteínas/metabolismo , Células A549 , Adenocarcinoma/genética , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão , Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/genética , Adenocarcinoma Mucinoso/metabolismo , Adenoma/genética , Adenoma/metabolismo , Animais , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/genética , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/metabolismo , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Progressão da Doença , Proteína Forkhead Box M1/genética , Xenoenxertos , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos NOD , Camundongos Transgênicos , Mucoproteínas , Proteínas Oncogênicas , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Proteínas/genéticaRESUMO
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells targeting Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 4 (FGFR4), a highly expressed surface tyrosine receptor in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), are already in the clinical phase of development, but tumour heterogeneity and suboptimal activation might hamper their potency. Here we report an optimization strategy of the co-stimulatory and targeting properties of a FGFR4 CAR. We replace the CD8 hinge and transmembrane domain and the 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain with those of CD28. The resulting CARs display enhanced anti-tumor activity in several RMS xenograft models except for an aggressive tumour cell line, RMS559. By searching for a direct target of the RMS core-regulatory transcription factor MYOD1, we identify another surface protein, CD276, as a potential target. Bicistronic CARs (BiCisCAR) targeting both FGFR4 and CD276, containing two distinct co-stimulatory domains, have superior prolonged persistent and invigorated anti-tumor activities compared to the optimized FGFR4-specific CAR and the other BiCisCAR with the same 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain. Our study thus lays down the proof-of-principle for a CAR T-cell therapy targeting both FGFR4 and CD276 in RMS.
Assuntos
Antígenos B7 , Imunoterapia Adotiva , Receptor Tipo 4 de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos , Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos , Rabdomiossarcoma , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de Xenoenxerto , Receptor Tipo 4 de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Receptor Tipo 4 de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/terapia , Rabdomiossarcoma/imunologia , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Humanos , Animais , Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos/imunologia , Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Camundongos , Imunoterapia Adotiva/métodos , Antígenos B7/metabolismo , Antígenos B7/imunologia , Antígenos B7/genética , Proteína MyoD/metabolismo , Proteína MyoD/genética , Linfócitos T/imunologia , Linfócitos T/metabolismo , Criança , Feminino , Camundongos SCID , Camundongos Endogâmicos NODRESUMO
Fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS) is an aggressive pediatric sarcoma driven primarily by the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion oncogene, for which therapies targeting PAX3-FOXO1 are lacking. Here, we screen 62,643 compounds using an engineered cell line that monitors PAX3-FOXO1 transcriptional activity identifying a hitherto uncharacterized compound, P3FI-63. RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and docking analyses implicate histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) as its targets. Enzymatic assays confirm the inhibition of multiple KDMs with the highest selectivity for KDM3B. Structural similarity search of P3FI-63 identifies P3FI-90 with improved solubility and potency. Biophysical binding of P3FI-90 to KDM3B is demonstrated using NMR and SPR. P3FI-90 suppresses the growth of FP-RMS in vitro and in vivo through downregulating PAX3-FOXO1 activity, and combined knockdown of KDM3B and KDM1A phenocopies P3FI-90 effects. Thus, we report KDM inhibitors P3FI-63 and P3FI-90 with the highest specificity for KDM3B. Their potent suppression of PAX3-FOXO1 activity indicates a possible therapeutic approach for FP-RMS and other transcriptionally addicted cancers.
Assuntos
Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar , Rabdomiossarcoma , Criança , Humanos , Fatores de Transcrição Box Pareados/genética , Fatores de Transcrição Box Pareados/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Rabdomiossarcoma/tratamento farmacológico , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Proteína Forkhead Box O1/genética , Proteína Forkhead Box O1/metabolismo , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/metabolismo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Fator de Transcrição PAX3/genética , Fator de Transcrição PAX3/metabolismo , Histona Desmetilases com o Domínio Jumonji/genética , Histona Desmetilases com o Domínio Jumonji/metabolismo , Histona Desmetilases/metabolismoRESUMO
Pulmonary fibrosis results from dysregulated lung repair and involves multiple cell types. The role of endothelial cells (EC) in lung fibrosis is poorly understood. Using single cell RNA-sequencing we identified endothelial transcription factors involved in lung fibrogenesis, including FOXF1, SMAD6, ETV6 and LEF1. Focusing on FOXF1, we found that FOXF1 is decreased in EC within human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and mouse bleomycin-injured lungs. Endothelial-specific Foxf1 inhibition in mice increased collagen depositions, promoted lung inflammation, and impaired R-Ras signaling. In vitro, FOXF1-deficient EC increased proliferation, invasion and activation of human lung fibroblasts, and stimulated macrophage migration by secreting IL-6, TNFα, CCL2 and CXCL1. FOXF1 inhibited TNFα and CCL2 through direct transcriptional activation of Rras gene promoter. Transgenic overexpression or endothelial-specific nanoparticle delivery of Foxf1 cDNA decreased pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin-injured mice. Nanoparticle delivery of FOXF1 cDNA can be considered for future therapies in IPF.
Assuntos
Células Endoteliais , Fibrose Pulmonar Idiopática , Camundongos , Animais , Humanos , Células Endoteliais/metabolismo , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/metabolismo , DNA Complementar/metabolismo , Pulmão/metabolismo , Fibrose Pulmonar Idiopática/induzido quimicamente , Fibrose Pulmonar Idiopática/genética , Fibrose Pulmonar Idiopática/metabolismo , Bleomicina/toxicidade , Fatores de Transcrição Forkhead/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/metabolismoRESUMO
PURPOSE: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma, which primarily occurs in children and young adults. We previously reported specific genomic alterations in RMS, which strongly correlated with survival; however, predicting these mutations or high-risk disease at diagnosis remains a significant challenge. In this study, we utilized convolutional neural networks (CNN) to learn histologic features associated with driver mutations and outcome using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) images of RMS. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Digital whole slide H&E images were collected from clinically annotated diagnostic tumor samples from 321 patients with RMS enrolled in Children's Oncology Group (COG) trials (1998-2017). Patches were extracted and fed into deep learning CNNs to learn features associated with mutations and relative event-free survival risk. The performance of the trained models was evaluated against independent test sample data (n = 136) or holdout test data. RESULTS: The trained CNN could accurately classify alveolar RMS, a high-risk subtype associated with PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion genes, with an ROC of 0.85 on an independent test dataset. CNN models trained on mutationally-annotated samples identified tumors with RAS pathway with a ROC of 0.67, and high-risk mutations in MYOD1 or TP53 with a ROC of 0.97 and 0.63, respectively. Remarkably, CNN models were superior in predicting event-free and overall survival compared with current molecular-clinical risk stratification. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that high-risk features, including those associated with certain mutations, can be readily identified at diagnosis using deep learning. CNNs are a powerful tool for diagnostic and prognostic prediction of rhabdomyosarcoma, which will be tested in prospective COG clinical trials.
Assuntos
Aprendizado Profundo , Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar , Rabdomiossarcoma , Criança , Humanos , Adulto Jovem , Amarelo de Eosina-(YS) , Hematoxilina , Fatores de Transcrição Box Pareados/genética , Estudos Prospectivos , Rabdomiossarcoma/diagnóstico , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar/genéticaRESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. Despite decades of clinical trials, the overall survival rate for patients with relapsed and metastatic disease remains below 30%, underscoring the need for novel treatments. FGFR4, a receptor tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed in RMS and mutationally activated in 10% of cases, is a promising target for treatment. Here, we show that futibatinib, an irreversible pan-FGFR inhibitor, inhibits the growth of RMS cell lines in vitro by inhibiting phosphorylation of FGFR4 and its downstream targets. Moreover, we provide evidence that the combination of futibatinib with currently used chemotherapies such as irinotecan and vincristine has a synergistic effect against RMS in vitro. However, in RMS xenograft models, futibatinib monotherapy and combination treatment have limited efficacy in delaying tumor growth and prolonging survival. Moreover, limited efficacy is only observed in a PAX3-FOXO1 fusion-negative (FN) RMS cell line with mutationally activated FGFR4, whereas little or no efficacy is observed in PAX3-FOXO1 fusion-positive (FP) RMS cell lines with FGFR4 overexpression. Alternative treatment modalities such as combining futibatinib with other kinase inhibitors or targeting FGFR4 with CAR T cells or antibody-drug conjugate may be more effective than the approaches tested in this study.
RESUMO
CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CD19-CAR) has changed the treatment landscape and outcomes for patients with pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Unfortunately, primary nonresponse (PNR), sustained CD19+ disease, and concurrent expansion of CD19-CAR occur in 20% of the patients and is associated with adverse outcomes. Although some failures may be attributable to CD19 loss, mechanisms of CD19-independent, leukemia-intrinsic resistance to CD19-CAR remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that PNR leukemias are distinct compared with primary sensitive (PS) leukemias and that these differences are present before treatment. We used a multiomic approach to investigate this in 14 patients (7 with PNR and 7 with PS) enrolled in the PLAT-02 trial at Seattle Children's Hospital. Long-read PacBio sequencing helped identify 1 PNR in which 47% of CD19 transcripts had exon 2 skipping, but other samples lacked CD19 transcript abnormalities. Epigenetic profiling discovered DNA hypermethylation at genes targeted by polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) in embryonic stem cells. Similarly, assays of transposase-accessible chromatin-sequencing revealed reduced accessibility at these PRC2 target genes, with a gain in accessibility of regions characteristic of hematopoietic stem cells and multilineage progenitors in PNR. Single-cell RNA sequencing and cytometry by time of flight analyses identified leukemic subpopulations expressing multilineage markers and decreased antigen presentation in PNR. We thus describe the association of a stem cell epigenome with primary resistance to CD19-CAR therapy. Future trials incorporating these biomarkers, with the addition of multispecific CAR T cells targeting against leukemic stem cell or myeloid antigens, and/or combined epigenetic therapy to disrupt this distinct stem cell epigenome may improve outcomes of patients with B-ALL.
Assuntos
Leucemia-Linfoma Linfoblástico de Células Precursoras , Linfócitos T , Criança , Humanos , Epigenoma , Leucemia-Linfoma Linfoblástico de Células Precursoras/genética , Leucemia-Linfoma Linfoblástico de Células Precursoras/terapia , Antígenos CD19 , Células-Tronco HematopoéticasRESUMO
Pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have dismal cure rates, and effective therapy is urgently needed. The oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) is highly expressed in RMS and lowly expressed in healthy tissues. Here, we describe a second-generation FGFR4-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), based on an anti-human FGFR4-specific murine monoclonal antibody 3A11, as an adoptive T cell treatment for RMS. The 3A11 CAR T cells induced robust cytokine production and cytotoxicity against RMS cell lines in vitro. In contrast, a panel of healthy human primary cells failed to activate 3A11 CAR T cells, confirming the selectivity of 3A11 CAR T cells against tumors with high FGFR4 expression. Finally, we demonstrate that 3A11 CAR T cells are persistent in vivo and can effectively eliminate RMS tumors in two metastatic and two orthotopic models. Therefore, our study credentials CAR T cell therapy targeting FGFR4 to treat patients with RMS.
Assuntos
Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos , Rabdomiossarcoma , Animais , Criança , Humanos , Camundongos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Imunoterapia Adotiva , Receptor Tipo 4 de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos/genética , Receptor Tipo 4 de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are pediatric mesenchymal-derived malignancies encompassing PAX3/7-FOXO1 Fusion Positive (FP)-RMS, and Fusion Negative (FN)-RMS with frequent RAS pathway mutations. RMS express the master myogenic transcription factor MYOD that, whilst essential for survival, cannot support differentiation. Here we discover SKP2, an oncogenic E3-ubiquitin ligase, as a critical pro-tumorigenic driver in FN-RMS. We show that SKP2 is overexpressed in RMS through the binding of MYOD to an intronic enhancer. SKP2 in FN-RMS promotes cell cycle progression and prevents differentiation by directly targeting p27Kip1 and p57Kip2, respectively. SKP2 depletion unlocks a partly MYOD-dependent myogenic transcriptional program and strongly affects stemness and tumorigenic features and prevents in vivo tumor growth. These effects are mirrored by the investigational NEDDylation inhibitor MLN4924. Results demonstrate a crucial crosstalk between transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms through the MYOD-SKP2 axis that contributes to tumorigenesis in FN-RMS. Finally, NEDDylation inhibition is identified as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in FN-RMS.
Assuntos
Rabdomiossarcoma , Humanos , Carcinogênese/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/patologia , Fatores de Transcrição , Transformação Celular Neoplásica , Diferenciação CelularRESUMO
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies targeting single antigens have performed poorly in clinical trials for solid tumors due to heterogenous expression of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), limited T cell persistence, and T cell exhaustion. Here, we aimed to identify optimal CARs against glypican 2 (GPC2) or CD276 (B7-H3), which were highly but heterogeneously expressed in neuroblastoma (NB), a lethal extracranial solid tumor of childhood. First, we examined CAR T cell expansion in the presence of targets by digital droplet PCR. Next, using pooled competitive optimization of CAR by cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing (CITE-Seq), termed P-COCC, we simultaneously analyzed protein and transcriptome expression of CAR T cells to identify high-activity CARs. Finally, we performed cytotoxicity assays to identify the most effective CAR against each target and combined the CARs into a bicistronic "OR" CAR (BiCisCAR). BiCisCAR T cells effectively eliminated tumor cells expressing GPC2 or CD276. Furthermore, the BiCisCAR T cells demonstrated prolonged persistence and resistance to exhaustion when compared with CARs targeting a single antigen. This study illustrated that targeting multiple TAAs with BiCisCAR may overcome heterogenous expression of target antigens in solid tumors and identified a potent, clinically relevant CAR against NB. Moreover, our multimodal approach integrating competitive expansion, P-COCC, and cytotoxicity assays is an effective strategy to identify potent CARs among a pool of candidates.
Assuntos
Neuroblastoma , Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos , Antígenos de Neoplasias/genética , Antígenos B7 , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Glipicanas/genética , Humanos , Imunoterapia Adotiva , Neuroblastoma/genética , Neuroblastoma/terapia , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/metabolismo , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
Pediatric neuroblastoma is a heterogenous disease that accounts for significant morbidity and mortality in children. Deep genomic and transcriptomic profiling of patient tumors has revealed a low mutational burden and a paucity of therapeutic targets. Furthermore, different molecular subtypes, such as MYCN amplification, have been associated with adverse outcomes. Using whole transcriptome sequencing, we previously explored the immune microenvironment of neuroblastoma subtypes and discovered its association with clinical outcome. Specifically, we found that patients with tumors infiltrated by higher levels of cytotoxic lymphocytes had a better overall survival. Additionally, we found that a high MYCN gene expression signature in MYCN-non-amplified tumors is an independent predictor of adverse outcome. However, signatures of tumor infiltrating cytotoxic immune cells in this subtype of tumors predict an improved outcome. While this is clinically informative, it does not provide a full picture of the dynamics underlying the biology of tumor immune microenvironment and how to use this information to improve patient outcomes. Here, we highlight our previous work and current approaches using immunotherapy in neuroblastoma and explore our current understanding of the immune biology of these tumors. We further describe how this correlates with patient outcome, and how this information can be used to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies for pediatric patients with neuroblastoma.
RESUMO
EWSR1/FLI1, the most common fusion gene in Ewing sarcoma, upregulates expression of the Eyes Absent 3 (EYA3) transactivator-phosphatase protein. The purpose of this study was to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms through which EYA3 might promote Ewing sarcoma tumor growth and to determine whether the EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity represents a viable therapeutic target. We used genetic and pharmacologic modulation of EYA3 in cell line-based xenografts to examine how loss of EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity affects tumor growth and angiogenesis. Molecular mechanisms were evaluated in vivo and in vitro through analyses of tumor tissue and multicellular tumor spheroids. Our results show that both loss of EYA3 in Ewing sarcoma cells and pharmacologic inhibition of the EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase activity inhibit tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis. EYA3 regulates levels of VEGFA in Ewing tumors, as well as promoting DNA damage repair and survival of Ewing sarcoma tumor cells. Target engagement is demonstrated in tumor tissue through elevated levels of the EYA3 substrate H2AX-pY142 upon loss of EYA3 or with Benzarone treatment. The efficacy of EYA3 tyrosine phosphatase inhibition in attenuating tumor growth and angiogenesis is corroborated in an Ewing sarcoma patient-derived tumor xenograft. Together, the results presented here validate EYA3 as a target for the development of novel Ewing sarcoma therapeutic strategies, and set the stage for evaluating the efficacy of combining the antiangiogenic and anti-cell survival effects of EYA3 inhibition with cytotoxic chemotherapy.
Assuntos
Dano ao DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Sarcoma de Ewing/terapia , Animais , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Feminino , Humanos , Camundongos , Neovascularização Patológica , Sarcoma de Ewing/patologiaRESUMO
The PAX3-FOXO1 fusion protein is the key oncogenic driver in fusion positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS), an aggressive soft tissue malignancy with a particularly poor prognosis. Identifying key downstream targets of PAX3-FOXO1 will provide new therapeutic opportunities for treatment of FP-RMS. Herein, we demonstrate that Forkhead Box F1 (FOXF1) transcription factor is uniquely expressed in FP-RMS and is required for FP-RMS tumorigenesis. The PAX3-FOXO1 directly binds to FOXF1 enhancers and induces FOXF1 gene expression. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated inactivation of either FOXF1 coding sequence or FOXF1 enhancers suppresses FP-RMS tumorigenesis even in the presence of PAX3-FOXO1 oncogene. Knockdown or genetic knockout of FOXF1 induces myogenic differentiation in PAX3-FOXO1-positive FP-RMS. Over-expression of FOXF1 decreases myogenic differentiation in primary human myoblasts. In FP-RMS tumor cells, FOXF1 protein binds chromatin near enhancers associated with FP-RMS gene signature. FOXF1 cooperates with PAX3-FOXO1 and E-box transcription factors MYOD1 and MYOG to regulate FP-RMS-specific gene expression. Altogether, FOXF1 functions downstream of PAX3-FOXO1 to promote FP-RMS tumorigenesis.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/genética , Proteína Forkhead Box O1/genética , Fatores de Transcrição Forkhead/genética , Fator de Transcrição PAX3/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/genética , Humanos , Desenvolvimento Muscular/genética , Proteína MyoD/genética , Miogenina/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/patologiaRESUMO
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is an aggressive pediatric malignancy of the muscle, that includes Fusion Positive (FP)-RMS harboring PAX3/7-FOXO1 and Fusion Negative (FN)-RMS commonly with RAS pathway mutations. RMS express myogenic master transcription factors MYOD and MYOG yet are unable to terminally differentiate. Here, we report that SNAI2 is highly expressed in FN-RMS, is oncogenic, blocks myogenic differentiation, and promotes growth. MYOD activates SNAI2 transcription via super enhancers with striped 3D contact architecture. Genome wide chromatin binding analysis demonstrates that SNAI2 preferentially binds enhancer elements and competes with MYOD at a subset of myogenic enhancers required for terminal differentiation. SNAI2 also suppresses expression of a muscle differentiation program modulated by MYOG, MEF2, and CDKN1A. Further, RAS/MEK-signaling modulates SNAI2 levels and binding to chromatin, suggesting that the differentiation blockade by oncogenic RAS is mediated in part by SNAI2. Thus, an interplay between SNAI2, MYOD, and RAS prevents myogenic differentiation and promotes tumorigenesis.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular , Proteína MyoD/metabolismo , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/metabolismo , Rabdomiossarcoma/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição da Família Snail/metabolismo , Animais , Carcinogênese/genética , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Inibidor de Quinase Dependente de Ciclina p21/metabolismo , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Xenoenxertos , Humanos , Fatores de Transcrição MEF2/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos SCID , Desenvolvimento Muscular/genética , Proteína MyoD/genética , Miogenina/metabolismo , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Oncogenes , Rabdomiossarcoma/patologia , Rabdomiossarcoma Alveolar/genética , Rabdomiossarcoma Embrionário/genética , Fatores de Transcrição da Família Snail/genética , TranscriptomaRESUMO
We perform an immunogenomics analysis utilizing whole-transcriptome sequencing of 657 pediatric extracranial solid cancer samples representing 14 diagnoses, and additionally utilize transcriptomes of 131 pediatric cancer cell lines and 147 normal tissue samples for comparison. We describe patterns of infiltrating immune cells, T cell receptor (TCR) clonal expansion, and translationally relevant immune checkpoints. We find that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and TCR counts vary widely across cancer types and within each diagnosis, and notably are significantly predictive of survival in osteosarcoma patients. We identify potential cancer-specific immunotherapeutic targets for adoptive cell therapies including cell-surface proteins, tumor germline antigens, and lineage-specific transcription factors. Using an orthogonal immunopeptidomics approach, we find several potential immunotherapeutic targets in osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma and validated PRAME as a bona fide multi-pediatric cancer target. Importantly, this work provides a critical framework for immune targeting of extracranial solid tumors using parallel immuno-transcriptomic and -peptidomic approaches.
Assuntos
Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/imunologia , Transcriptoma/genética , Adolescente , Antígenos de Neoplasias , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Expressão Gênica/genética , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica/métodos , Humanos , Proteínas de Checkpoint Imunológico/genética , Proteínas de Checkpoint Imunológico/imunologia , Imunogenética/métodos , Imunoterapia Adotiva , Lactente , Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral/imunologia , Masculino , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/genética , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/imunologia , Transcriptoma/imunologia , Microambiente Tumoral , Sequenciamento do Exoma/métodosRESUMO
Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1), a nuclear transcription factor that activates cell cycle regulatory genes, is highly expressed in a majority of human cancers. The function of FOXM1 independent of nuclear transcription is unknown. In the present study, we found the FOXM1 protein inside the mitochondria. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we generated FOXM1 mutant proteins that localized to distinct cellular compartments, uncoupling the nuclear and mitochondrial functions of FOXM1. Directing FOXM1 into the mitochondria decreased mitochondrial mass, membrane potential, respiration, and electron transport chain (ETC) activity. In mitochondria, the FOXM1 directly bound to and increased the pentatricopeptide repeat domain 1 (PTCD1) protein, a mitochondrial leucine-specific tRNA binding protein that inhibits leucine-rich ETC complexes. Mitochondrial FOXM1 did not change cellular proliferation. Thus, FOXM1 translocates into mitochondria and inhibits mitochondrial respiration by increasing PTCD1. We identify a new paradigm that FOXM1 regulates mitochondrial homeostasis in a process independent of nuclear transcription.
Assuntos
Proteína Forkhead Box M1/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Fosforilação Oxidativa , Animais , Simulação por Computador , Proteína Forkhead Box M1/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Camundongos , Proteínas Mitocondriais/genética , Mutação , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Ratos , Xenopus laevis , Peixe-ZebraRESUMO
We report the synthesis and preliminary characterization of IODVA1, a potent small molecule that is active in xenograft mouse models of Ras-driven lung and breast cancers. In an effort to inhibit oncogenic Ras signaling, we combined in silico screening with inhibition of proliferation and colony formation of Ras-driven cells. NSC124205 fulfilled all criteria. HPLC analysis revealed that NSC124205 was a mixture of at least three compounds, from which IODVA1 was determined to be the active component. IODVA1 decreased 2D and 3D cell proliferation, cell spreading and ruffle and lamellipodia formation through downregulation of Rac activity. IODVA1 significantly impaired xenograft tumor growth of Ras-driven cancer cells with no observable toxicity. Immuno-histochemistry analysis of tumor sections suggests that cell death occurs by increased apoptosis. Our data suggest that IODVA1 targets Rac signaling to induce death of Ras-transformed cells. Therefore, IODVA1 holds promise as an anti-tumor therapeutic agent.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Benzimidazóis/farmacologia , Neoplasias da Mama/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamento farmacológico , Proteínas ras/antagonistas & inibidores , Animais , Antineoplásicos/síntese química , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Benzimidazóis/síntese química , Benzimidazóis/uso terapêutico , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Feminino , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Células MCF-7 , Camundongos , Camundongos Nus , Células NIH 3T3 , Ensaio Tumoral de Célula-Tronco , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
The oncogenic transcription factor FOXM1 has been previously shown to play a critical role in carcinogenesis by inducing cellular proliferation in multiple cancer types. A small-molecule compound, Robert Costa Memorial drug-1 (RCM-1), has been recently identified from high-throughput screen as an inhibitor of FOXM1 in vitro and in mouse model of allergen-mediated lung inflammation. In the present study, we examined antitumor activities of RCM-1 using tumor models. Treatment with RCM-1 inhibited tumor cell proliferation as evidenced by increased cell-cycle duration. Confocal imaging of RCM-1-treated tumor cells indicated that delay in cellular proliferation was concordant with inhibition of FOXM1 nuclear localization in these cells. RCM-1 reduced the formation and growth of tumor cell colonies in the colony formation assay. In animal models, RCM-1 treatment inhibited growth of mouse rhabdomyosarcoma Rd76-9, melanoma B16-F10, and human H2122 lung adenocarcinoma. RCM-1 decreased FOXM1 protein in the tumors, reduced tumor cell proliferation, and increased tumor cell apoptosis. RCM-1 decreased protein levels and nuclear localization of ß-catenin, and inhibited protein-protein interaction between ß-catenin and FOXM1 in cultured tumor cells and in vivo Altogether, our study provides important evidence of antitumor potential of the small-molecule compound RCM-1, suggesting that RCM-1 can be a promising candidate for anticancer therapy.