RESUMO
EPM1 is the most common form of Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy characterized by late-childhood onset, ever-worsening and disabling myoclonus, seizures, ataxia, psychiatric disease, and shortened lifespan. EPM1 is caused by expansions of a dodecamer repeat sequence in the promoter of CSTB (cystatin B), which dramatically reduces, but does not eliminate, gene expression. The relatively late onset and consistent presence of a minimal amount of protein product makes EPM1 a favorable target for gene replacement therapy. If treated early, these children's normally developed brains could be rescued from the neurodegeneration that otherwise follows, and their cross-reactive immunological material (CRIM) positive status greatly reduces transgene related toxicity. We performed a proof-of-concept CSTB gene replacement study in Cstb knockout mice by introducing full-length human CSTB driven by the CBh promoter packaged in AAV9 and administered at postnatal days 21 and 60. Mice were sacrificed at 2 or 9 months of age, respectively. We observed significant improvements in expression levels of neuroinflammatory pathway genes and cerebellar granule cell layer apoptosis, as well as amelioration of motor impairment. The data suggest that gene replacement is a promising therapeutic modality for EPM1 and could spare affected children and families the ravages of this otherwise severe neurodegenerative disease.
Assuntos
Cistatina B , Terapia Genética , Camundongos Knockout , Doenças Neuroinflamatórias , Animais , Camundongos , Terapia Genética/métodos , Cistatina B/genética , Doenças Neuroinflamatórias/terapia , Doenças Neuroinflamatórias/genética , Humanos , Ataxia/genética , Ataxia/terapia , Epilepsias Mioclônicas Progressivas/genética , Epilepsias Mioclônicas Progressivas/terapia , Dependovirus/genética , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Vetores Genéticos/genética , Vetores Genéticos/administração & dosagemRESUMO
Activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway by mutations within its components drives the growth of several cancers. However, the role of Hh pathway activation in lung cancers has been controversial. Here, we demonstrate that the canonical Hh signaling pathway is activated in lung stroma by Hh ligands secreted from transformed lung epithelia. Genetic deletion of Shh, the primary Hh ligand expressed in the lung, in KrasG12D/+;Trp53fl/fl autochthonous murine lung adenocarcinoma had no effect on survival. Early abrogation of the pathway by an anti-SHH/IHH antibody 5E1 led to significantly worse survival with increased tumor and metastatic burden. Loss of IHH, another Hh ligand, by in vivo CRISPR led to more aggressive tumor growth suggesting that IHH, rather than SHH, activates the pathway in stroma to drive its tumor suppressive effects-a novel role for IHH in the lung. Tumors from mice treated with 5E1 had decreased blood vessel density and increased DNA damage suggestive of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity. Treatment of KrasG12D/+;Trp53fl/fl mice with 5E1 and N-acetylcysteine, as a ROS scavenger, decreased tumor DNA damage, inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival. Thus, IHH induces stromal activation of the canonical Hh signaling pathway to suppress tumor growth and metastases, in part, by limiting ROS activity.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/tratamento farmacológico , Proteínas Hedgehog/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Acetilcisteína/farmacologia , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/genética , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/patologia , Animais , Anticorpos Anti-Idiotípicos/farmacologia , Vasos Sanguíneos/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Dano ao DNA/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Ligantes , Pulmão/metabolismo , Pulmão/patologia , Camundongos , Mutação/genética , Metástase Neoplásica , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
In non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), concurrent mutations in the oncogene KRAS and the tumour suppressor STK11 (also known as LKB1) encoding the kinase LKB1 result in aggressive tumours prone to metastasis but with liabilities arising from reprogrammed metabolism. We previously demonstrated perturbed nitrogen metabolism and addiction to an unconventional pathway of pyrimidine synthesis in KRAS/LKB1 co-mutant cancer cells. To gain broader insight into metabolic reprogramming in NSCLC, we analysed tumour metabolomes in a series of genetically engineered mouse models with oncogenic KRAS combined with mutations in LKB1 or p53. Metabolomics and gene expression profiling pointed towards activation of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), another nitrogen-related metabolic pathway, in both mouse and human KRAS/LKB1 co-mutant tumours. KRAS/LKB1 co-mutant cells contain high levels of HBP metabolites, higher flux through the HBP pathway and elevated dependence on the HBP enzyme glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase [isomerizing] 2 (GFPT2). GFPT2 inhibition selectively reduced KRAS/LKB1 co-mutant tumour cell growth in culture, xenografts and genetically modified mice. Our results define a new metabolic vulnerability in KRAS/LKB1 co-mutant tumours and provide a rationale for targeting GFPT2 in this aggressive NSCLC subtype.