bims-tucedo Biomed News
on Tumor cell dormancy
Issue of 2021‒04‒18
twenty-two papers selected by
Isabel Puig Borreil
Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology
  1. Inhibition of the FACT complex targets aberrant hedgehog signaling and overcomes resistance to smoothened antagonists.
  2. Phase 2 multicenter study of enzalutamide in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer to identify mechanisms driving resistance.
  3. Mechanisms of KRAS Inhibitor Resistance Revealed.
  4. A rational targeted therapy for platinum-resistant small-cell lung cancer.
  5. DUSP16 promotes cancer chemoresistance through regulation of mitochondria-mediated cell death.
  6. Mechanosurveillance of tumour metastasis.
  7. CD169+ lymph node macrophages have protective functions in mouse breast cancer metastasis.
  8. Precision oncology in metastatic colorectal cancer - from biology to medicine.
  9. Stabilized epithelial phenotype of cancer cells in primary tumors leads to increased colonization of liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer.
  10. Inhibition of Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Overcomes Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in LKB1-deficient Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
  11. Elevated Asparagine Biosynthesis Drives Brain Tumor Stem Cell Metabolic Plasticity and Resistance to Oxidative Stress.
  12. TYRO3 induces anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy resistance by limiting innate immunity and tumoral ferroptosis.
  13. Human KIT+ myeloid cells facilitate visceral metastasis by melanoma.
  14. CircPTPRA blocks the recognition of RNA N6-methyladenosine through interacting with IGF2BP1 to suppress bladder cancer progression.
  15. EFA6B regulates a stop signal for collective invasion in breast cancer.
  16. Recruitment of KMT2C/MLL3 to DNA damage sites mediates DNA damage responses and regulates PARP inhibitor sensitivity in cancer.
  17. CRISPR screens identify a novel combination treatment targeting BCL-XL and WNT signaling for KRAS/BRAF-mutated colorectal cancers.
  18. Oncogenic KRAS recruits an expansive transcriptional network through mutant p53 to drive pancreatic cancer metastasis.
  19. The AMBRA1 E3 ligase adaptor regulates the stability of cyclin D.
  20. MEF2A transcriptionally upregulates the expression of ZEB2 and CTNNB1 in colorectal cancer to promote tumor progression.
  21. USP24 promotes drug resistance during cancer therapy.
  22. Determinants of Response and Intrinsic Resistance to PD-1 Blockade in Microsatellite Instability-High Gastric Cancer.
  1. Cancer Res. 2021 Apr 14. pii: canres.3186.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Inhibition of the FACT complex targets aberrant hedgehog signaling and overcomes resistance to smoothened antagonists.
    Jialin Mo, Fang Liu, Xi Sun, Hongting Huang, Kezhe Tan, Xiaojing Zhao, Rui Li, Wenyan Jiang, Yi Sui, Xiaosong Chen, Kunwei Shen, Liye Zhang, Jie Ma, Kewen Zhao, Yujie Tang.
      Hedgehog signaling is aberrantly activated in hematological malignancies and solid tumors, and targeting it is a promising therapeutic strategy against these cancers. Resistance to clinically available hedgehog-targeted Smoothened inhibitor (SMOi) drugs has become a critical issue in hedgehog-driven cancer treatment. Our previous studies identified inhibition of BET and CDK7 as two epigenetic/transcriptional targeted therapeutic strategies for overcoming SMOi resistance, providing a promising direction for anti-hedgehog drug development. To uncover additional strategies for inhibiting aberrant hedgehog activity, here we performed CRISPR-Cas9 screening with an sgRNA library targeting epigenetic and transcriptional modulators in hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma cells, combined with tumor dataset analyses. Structure specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1), a subunit of Facilitates Chromatin Transcription (FACT) complex, was identified as a hedgehog-induced essential oncogene and therapeutic target in hedgehog-driven cancer. The FACT inhibitor CBL0137, which has entered clinical trials for cancer, effectively suppressed in vitro and in vivo growth of multiple SMOi-responsive and -resistant hedgehog-driven cancer models. Mechanistically, CBL0137 exerted anti-hedgehog activity by targeting transcription of GLI1 and GLI2, which are core transcription factors of the hedgehog pathway. SSRP1 bound the promoter regions of GLI1 and GLI2, while CBL0137 treatment substantially disrupted these interactions. Moreover, CBL0137 synergized with BET or CDK7 inhibitors to antagonize aberrant hedgehog pathway and growth of hedgehog-driven cancer models. Taken together, these results identify FACT inhibition as a promising epigenetic/transcriptional targeted therapeutic strategy for treating hedgehog-driven cancers and overcoming SMOi resistance.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-3186
  2. Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Apr 13. pii: clincanres.4616.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Phase 2 multicenter study of enzalutamide in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer to identify mechanisms driving resistance.
    Rana R McKay, Lucia Kwak, Jett Crowdis, Jamie M Sperger, Shuang G Zhao, Wanling Xie, Lillian Werner, Rosina T Lis, Zhenwei Zhang, Xiao X Wei, Joshua M Lang, Eliezer M Van Allen, Rupal S Bhatt, Evan Y Yu, Peter S Nelson, Glenn J Bubley, Bruce Montgomery, Mary-Ellen Taplin.
      PURPOSE: Enzalutamide is a second-generation androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor which has improved overall survival (OS) in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, nearly all patients develop resistance. We designed a phase 2 multicenter study of enzalutamide in metastatic CRPC incorporating tissue and blood biomarkers to dissect mechanisms driving resistance.EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Eligible patients with metastatic CRPC underwent a baseline metastasis biopsy and then initiated enzalutamide 160 mg daily. A repeat metastasis biopsy was obtained at radiographic progression from the same site when possible. Blood for circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis was collected at baseline and progression. The primary objective was to analyze mechanisms of resistance in serial biopsies. Whole exome sequencing was performed on tissue biopsies. CTC samples underwent RNA sequencing.
    RESULTS: 65 patients initiated treatment, of whom 22 (33.8%) had received prior abiraterone. Baseline biopsies were enriched for alterations in AR (mutations, amplifications) and tumor suppression genes (PTEN, RB1, and TP53) which were observed in 73.1% and 92.3% of baseline biopsies, respectively. Progression biopsies revealed increased AR amplifications (64.7% at progression versus 53.9% at baseline) and BRCA2 alterations (64.7% at progression versus 38.5% at baseline). Genomic analysis of baseline and progression CTC samples demonstrated increased AR splice variants, AR regulated-genes, and neuroendocrine markers at progression.
    CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that a large proportion of enzalutamide-treated patients have baseline and progression alterations in the AR pathway and tumor suppressor genes. We demonstrate an increased number of BRCA2 alterations post-enzalutamide highlighting importance of serial tumor sampling in CRPC.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-4616
  3. Cancer Discov. 2021 Apr 14.
    Mechanisms of KRAS Inhibitor Resistance Revealed.
      A recent study revealed diverse mechanisms of acquired resistance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer or colorectal cancer who stop responding to a KRASG12C inhibitor. These patients developed secondary KRAS mutations, MAPK pathway alterations, or genomic rearrangements-and in some cases multiple resistance mechanisms occurred simultaneously.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-NB2021-0335
  4. Cancer Cell. 2021 Apr 12. pii: S1535-6108(21)00161-6. [Epub ahead of print]39(4): 453-456
    A rational targeted therapy for platinum-resistant small-cell lung cancer.
    Benjamin J Drapkin, John D Minna.
      Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is initially sensitive to platinum doublet chemotherapy, providing dramatic clinical benefit. Unfortunately, most SCLCs relapse and become resistant to further therapy. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Thomas et al. show that some platinum-resistant SCLCs benefit from combination therapy with topotecan plus the ATR (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and rad3-related) inhibitor berzosertib.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2021.03.003
  5. Nat Commun. 2021 Apr 16. 12(1): 2284
    DUSP16 promotes cancer chemoresistance through regulation of mitochondria-mediated cell death.
    Heng Boon Low, Zhen Lim Wong, Bangyuan Wu, Li Ren Kong, Chin Wen Png, Yik-Lam Cho, Chun-Wei Li, Fengchun Xiao, Xuan Xin, Henry Yang, Jia Min Loo, Fiona Yi Xin Lee, Iain Bee Huat Tan, Ramanuj DasGupta, Han-Ming Shen, Herbert Schwarz, Nicholas R J Gascoigne, Boon Cher Goh, Xiaohong Xu, Yongliang Zhang.
      Drug resistance is a major obstacle to the treatment of most human tumors. In this study, we find that dual-specificity phosphatase 16 (DUSP16) regulates resistance to chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, colorectal cancer, gastric and breast cancer. Cancer cells expressing higher DUSP16 are intrinsically more resistant to chemotherapy-induced cell death than cells with lower DUSP16 expression. Overexpression of DUSP16 in cancer cells leads to increased resistance to cell death upon chemotherapy treatment. In contrast, knockdown of DUSP16 in cancer cells increases their sensitivity to treatment. Mechanistically, DUSP16 inhibits JNK and p38 activation, thereby reducing BAX accumulation in mitochondria to reduce apoptosis. Analysis of patient survival in head & neck cancer and breast cancer patient cohorts supports DUSP16 as a marker for sensitivity to chemotherapy and therapeutic outcome. This study therefore identifies DUSP16 as a prognostic marker for the efficacy of chemotherapy, and as a therapeutic target for overcoming chemoresistance in cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22638-7
  6. Nat Rev Cancer. 2021 Apr 14.
    Mechanosurveillance of tumour metastasis.
    Kirsty Minton.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00360-2
  7. Cell Rep. 2021 Apr 13. pii: S2211-1247(21)00307-7. [Epub ahead of print]35(2): 108993
    CD169+ lymph node macrophages have protective functions in mouse breast cancer metastasis.
    Carlotta Tacconi, Catharina D Commerford, Lothar C Dieterich, Simon Schwager, Yuliang He, Kristian Ikenberg, Ekaterina Friebel, Burkhard Becher, Sònia Tugues, Michael Detmar.
      Although the contribution of macrophages to metastasis is widely studied in primary tumors, the involvement of macrophages in tumor-draining lymph nodes (LNs) in this process is less clear. We find CD169+ macrophages as the predominant macrophage subtype in naive LNs, which undergo proliferative expansion in response to tumor stimuli. CD169+ LN macrophage depletion, using an anti-CSF-1R antibody or clodronate-loaded liposomes, leads to increased metastatic burden in two mouse breast cancer models. The expansion of CD169+ macrophages is tightly connected to B cell expansion in tumor-draining LNs, and B cell depletion abrogates the effect of CD169+ macrophage absence on metastasis, indicating that the CD169+ macrophage anti-metastatic effects require B cell presence. These results reveal a protective role of CD169+ LN macrophages in breast cancer metastasis and raise caution for the use of drugs aiming at the depletion of tumor-associated macrophages, which might simultaneously deplete macrophages in tumor-draining LNs.
    Keywords:  CD169+ macrophages; breast cancer metastasis; distant organ metastasis; lymph node macrophages; tumor-associated macrophages; tumor-draining lymph node
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108993
  8. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2021 Apr 16.
    Precision oncology in metastatic colorectal cancer - from biology to medicine.
    Federica Di Nicolantonio, Pietro Paolo Vitiello, Silvia Marsoni, Salvatore Siena, Josep Tabernero, Livio Trusolino, Rene Bernards, Alberto Bardelli.
      Remarkable progress has been made in the development of biomarker-driven targeted therapies for patients with multiple cancer types, including melanoma, breast and lung tumours, although precision oncology for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to lag behind. Nonetheless, the availability of patient-derived CRC models coupled with in vitro and in vivo pharmacological and functional analyses over the past decade has finally led to advances in the field. Gene-specific alterations are not the only determinants that can successfully direct the use of targeted therapy. Indeed, successful inhibition of BRAF or KRAS in metastatic CRCs driven by activating mutations in these genes requires combinations of drugs that inhibit the mutant protein while at the same time restraining adaptive resistance via CRC-specific EGFR-mediated feedback loops. The emerging paradigm is, therefore, that the intrinsic biology of CRC cells must be considered alongside the molecular profiles of individual tumours in order to successfully personalize treatment. In this Review, we outline how preclinical studies based on patient-derived models have informed the design of practice-changing clinical trials. The integration of these experiences into a common framework will reshape the future design of biology-informed clinical trials in this field.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-021-00495-z
  9. Cell Rep. 2021 Apr 13. pii: S2211-1247(21)00304-1. [Epub ahead of print]35(2): 108990
    Stabilized epithelial phenotype of cancer cells in primary tumors leads to increased colonization of liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer.
    Julienne L Carstens, Sujuan Yang, Pedro Correa de Sampaio, Xiaofeng Zheng, Souptik Barua, Kathleen M McAndrews, Arvind Rao, Jared K Burks, Andrew D Rhim, Raghu Kalluri.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is therapeutically recalcitrant and metastatic. Partial epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with metastasis; however, a causal connection needs further unraveling. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing and genetic mouse models to identify the functional roles of partial EMT and epithelial stabilization in PDAC growth and metastasis. A global EMT expression signature identifies ∼50 cancer cell clusters spanning the epithelial-mesenchymal continuum in both human and murine PDACs. The combined genetic suppression of Snail and Twist results in PDAC epithelial stabilization and increased liver metastasis. Genetic deletion of Zeb1 in PDAC cells also leads to liver metastasis associated with cancer cell epithelial stabilization. We demonstrate that epithelial stabilization leads to the enhanced collective migration of cancer cells and modulation of the immune microenvironment, which likely contribute to efficient liver colonization. Our study provides insights into the diverse mechanisms of metastasis in pancreatic cancer and potential therapeutic targets.
    Keywords:  Snail; Twist; Zeb1; collective migration; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; immune modulation; metastasis; mouse models; pancreatic cancer; single-cell RNA sequencing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108990
  10. Cancer Res. 2021 Apr 14. pii: canres.3564.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Inhibition of Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Overcomes Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in LKB1-deficient Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
    Rui Li, Ramin Salehi-Rad, William Crosson, Milica Momcilovic, Raymond J Lim, Stephanie L Ong, Zi Ling Huang, Tianhao Zhang, Jensen Abascal, Camelia Dumitras, Zhe Jing, Stacy J Park, Kostyantyn Krysan, David B Shackelford, Linh M Tran, Bin Liu, Steven M Dubinett.
      LKB1 inactivating mutations are commonly observed in patients with KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While treatment of NSCLC with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has resulted in improved overall survival in a subset of patients, studies have revealed that co-occurring KRAS/LKB1 mutations drive primary resistance to ICIs in NSCLC. Effective therapeutic options that overcome ICI resistance in LKB1-mutant NSCLC are limited. Here we report that loss of LKB1 results in increased secretion of the C-X-C motif (CXC) chemokines with an NH2-terminal Glu-Leu-Arg (ELR) motif in premalignant and cancerous cells, as well as in genetically engineered murine models (GEMM) of NSCLC. Heightened levels of ELR+ CXC chemokines in LKB1-deficient murine models of NSCLC positively correlated with increased abundance of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSC) locally within the tumor microenvironment and systemically in peripheral blood and spleen. Depletion of G-MDSCs with antibody or functional inhibition via all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) led to enhanced anti-tumor T cell responses and sensitized LKB1-deficent murine tumors to PD-1 blockade. Combination therapy with anti-PD-1 and ATRA improved local and systemic T cell proliferation and generated tumor-specific immunity. Our findings implicate ELR+ CXC chemokine-mediated enrichment of G-MDSCs as a potential mediator of immunosuppression in LKB1-deficient NSCLC and provide a rationale for utilizing ATRA in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with LKB1-deficient NSCLC refractory to ICIs.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-3564
  11. Mol Cancer Res. 2021 Apr 16. pii: molcanres.0086.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Elevated Asparagine Biosynthesis Drives Brain Tumor Stem Cell Metabolic Plasticity and Resistance to Oxidative Stress.
    Tom M Thomas, Ken Miyaguchi, Lincoln A Edwards, Hongqiang Wang, Hassen Wollebo, Li Aiguo, Ramachandran Murali, Yizhou Wang, Daniel Braas, Justin S Michael, Allen Andres, Miqin Zhang, Kamel Khalili, Roberta A Gottlieb, J Manuel Perez, John S Yu.
      Asparagine synthetase (ASNS) is a gene on the long arm of chromosome 7 that is copy number amplified in the majority of glioblastomas. ASNS copy number amplification is associated with a significantly decreased survival. Using patient-derived glioma stem cells (GSCs), we showed significant metabolic alterations occur in gliomas when perturbing the expression of asparagine synthetase, which is not merely restricted to amino acid homeostasis. ASNS-high GSCs maintained a slower basal metabolic profile yet readily shifted to a greatly increased capacity for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation when needed. This led ASNS-high cells to a greater ability to proliferate and spread into brain tissue. Finally, we demonstrate that these changes confer resistance to cellular stress, notably oxidative stress, through adaptive redox homeostasis which led to radiation resistance. Furthermore, ASNS overexpression led to modifications of the one-carbon metabolism to promote a more antioxidant tumor environment revealing a metabolic vulnerability that may be therapeutically exploited. Implications: This study reveals a new role for ASNS in metabolic control and redox homeostasis in glioma stem cells and proposes a new treatment strategy that attempts to exploit one vulnerable metabolic node within the larger multilayered tumor network.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-20-0086
  12. J Clin Invest. 2021 Apr 15. pii: 139434. [Epub ahead of print]131(8):
    TYRO3 induces anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy resistance by limiting innate immunity and tumoral ferroptosis.
    Zhou Jiang, Seung-Oe Lim, Meisi Yan, Jennifer L Hsu, Jun Yao, Yongkun Wei, Shih-Shin Chang, Hirohito Yamaguchi, Heng-Huan Lee, Baozhen Ke, Jung-Mao Hsu, Li-Chuan Chan, Gabriel N Hortobagyi, Liuqing Yang, Chunru Lin, Dihua Yu, Mien-Chie Hung.
      Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has demonstrated promising clinical outcomes for multiple cancer types. However, the emergence of resistance as well as inadequate biomarkers for patient stratification have largely limited the clinical benefits. Here, we showed that tumors with high TYRO3 expression exhibited anti-programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death ligand 1 (anti-PD-1/PD-L1) resistance in a syngeneic mouse model and in patients who received anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Mechanistically, TYRO3 inhibited tumor cell ferroptosis triggered by anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and facilitated the development of a protumor microenvironment by reducing the M1/M2 macrophage ratio, resulting in resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Inhibition of TYRO3 promoted tumor ferroptosis and sensitized resistant tumors to anti-PD-1 therapy. Collectively, our findings suggest that TYRO3 could serve as a predictive biomarker for patient selection and a promising therapeutic target to overcome anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistance.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Cancer immunotherapy; Cell Biology; Immunotherapy; Oncology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI139434
  13. J Exp Med. 2021 Jun 07. pii: e20182163. [Epub ahead of print]218(6):
    Human KIT+ myeloid cells facilitate visceral metastasis by melanoma.
    Chun I Yu, Jan Martinek, Te-Chia Wu, Kyung In Kim, Joshy George, Elaheh Ahmadzadeh, Rick Maser, Florentina Marches, Patrick Metang, Pierre Authie, Vanessa K P Oliveira, Victor G Wang, Jeffrey H Chuang, Paul Robson, Jacques Banchereau, Karolina Palucka.
      Metastasis of melanoma significantly worsens prognosis; thus, therapeutic interventions that prevent metastasis could improve patient outcomes. Here, we show using humanized mice that colonization of distant visceral organs with melanoma is dependent upon a human CD33+CD11b+CD117+ progenitor cell subset comprising <4% of the human CD45+ leukocytes. Metastatic tumor-infiltrating CD33+ cells from patients and humanized (h)NSG-SGM3 mice showed converging transcriptional profiles. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis identified a gene signature of a KIT/CD117-expressing CD33+ subset that correlated with decreased overall survival in a TCGA melanoma cohort. Thus, human CD33+CD11b+CD117+ myeloid cells represent a novel candidate biomarker as well as a therapeutic target for metastatic melanoma.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20182163
  14. Mol Cancer. 2021 Apr 14. 20(1): 68
    CircPTPRA blocks the recognition of RNA N6-methyladenosine through interacting with IGF2BP1 to suppress bladder cancer progression.
    Fei Xie, Chao Huang, Feng Liu, Hui Zhang, Xingyuan Xiao, Jiayin Sun, Xiaoping Zhang, Guosong Jiang.
      BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to have significant impacts on bladder cancer (BC) progression through various mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to identify novel circRNAs that regulate the function of IGF2BP1, a key m6A reader, and explore the regulatory mechanisms and clinical significances in BC.METHODS: Firstly, the clinical role of IGF2BP1 in BC was studied. Then, RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) analysis was performed to identify the circRNAs interacted with IGF2BP1 in BC cells. The overall biological roles of IGF2BP1 and the candidate circPTPRA were investigated in both BC cell lines and animal xenograft studies. Subsequently, we evaluated the regulation effects of circPTPRA on IGF2BP1 and screened out its target genes through RNA sequencing. Finally, we explored the underlying molecular mechanisms that circPTPRA might act as a blocker in recognition of m6A.
    RESULTS: We demonstrated that IGF2BP1 was predominantly binded with circPTPRA in the cytoplasm in BC cells. Ectopic expression of circPTPRA abolished the promotion of cell proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells induced by IGF2BP1. Importantly, circPTPRA downregulated IGF2BP1-regulation of MYC and FSCN1 expression via interacting with IGF2BP1. Moreover, the recognition of m6A-modified RNAs mediated by IGF2BP1 was partly disturbed by circPTPRA through its interaction with KH domains of IGF2BP1.
    CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies exonic circular circPTPRA as a new tumor suppressor that inhibits cancer progression through endogenous blocking the recognition of IGF2BP1 to m6A-modified RNAs, indicating that circPTPRA may serve as an exploitable therapeutic target for patients with BC.
    Keywords:  Bladder cancer; IGF2BP1; N 6-methyladenosine; circPTPRA
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-021-01359-x
  15. Nat Commun. 2021 04 13. 12(1): 2198
    EFA6B regulates a stop signal for collective invasion in breast cancer.
    Racha Fayad, Monserrat Vázquez Rojas, Mariagrazia Partisani, Pascal Finetti, Shiraz Dib, Sophie Abelanet, Virginie Virolle, Anne Farina, Olivier Cabaud, Marc Lopez, Daniel Birnbaum, François Bertucci, Michel Franco, Frédéric Luton.
      Cancer is initiated by somatic mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. However, additional alterations provide selective advantages to the tumor cells to resist treatment and develop metastases. Their identification is of paramount importance. Reduced expression of EFA6B (Exchange Factor for ARF6, B) is associated with breast cancer of poor prognosis. Here, we report that loss of EFA6B triggers a transcriptional reprogramming of the cell-to-ECM interaction machinery and unleashes CDC42-dependent collective invasion in collagen. In xenograft experiments, MCF10 DCIS.com cells, a DCIS-to-IDC transition model, invades faster when knocked-out for EFA6B. In addition, invasive and metastatic tumors isolated from patients have lower expression of EFA6B and display gene ontology signatures identical to those of EFA6B knock-out cells. Thus, we reveal an EFA6B-regulated molecular mechanism that controls the invasive potential of mammary cells; this finding opens up avenues for the treatment of invasive breast cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22522-4
  16. Cancer Res. 2021 Apr 14. pii: canres.CAN-21-0688-E.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    Recruitment of KMT2C/MLL3 to DNA damage sites mediates DNA damage responses and regulates PARP inhibitor sensitivity in cancer.
    Antao Chang, Liang Liu, Justin M Ashby, Dan Wu, Yanan Chen, Stacey S O'Neill, Shan Huang, Juan Wang, Guanwen Wang, Dongmei Cheng, Xiaoming Tan, W Jeffrey Petty, Boris C Pasche, Rong Xiang, Wei Zhang, Peiqing Sun.
      When recruited to promoters, histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferases KMT2 (KMT2A-D) activate transcription by opening chromatin through H3K4 methylation. Here we report that KMT2 mutations occur frequently in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are associated with high mutation loads and poor survival. KMT2C regulated DNA damage responses (DDR) through direct recruitment to DNA damage sites by Ago2 and small noncoding DNA damage response RNA, where it mediates H3K4 methylation, chromatin relaxation, secondary recruitment of DDR factors, and amplification of DDR signals along chromatin. Furthermore, by disrupting homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA repair, KMT2C/D mutations sensitized NSCLC to Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), whose efficacy is unclear in NSCLC due to low BRCA1/2 mutation rates. These results demonstrate a novel, transcription-independent role of KMT2C in DDR and identify high-frequency KMT2C/D mutations as much-needed biomarkers for PARPi therapies in NSCLC and other cancers with infrequent BRCA1/2 mutations.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0688
  17. Oncogene. 2021 Apr 12.
    CRISPR screens identify a novel combination treatment targeting BCL-XL and WNT signaling for KRAS/BRAF-mutated colorectal cancers.
    Hae Rim Jung, Yumi Oh, Deukchae Na, Seoyeon Min, Jinjoo Kang, Dongjun Jang, Seungjae Shin, Jiwon Kim, Sang Eun Lee, Eui Man Jeong, Joon Yong An, Chang Ohk Sung, Won-Suk Lee, Charles Lee, Sung-Yup Cho.
      Metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer (CRC) patients require systemic chemotherapy, but the therapeutic options of targeted agents remain limited. CRC patients with KRAS or BRAF gene mutations exhibit a worse prognosis and are resistant to anti-EGFR treatment. Previous studies have shown that the expression of anti-apoptotic protein BCL-XL is increased in CRC patients with KRAS/BRAF mutations, suggesting BCL-XL as a therapeutic target for this subgroup. Here, we performed genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens of cell lines with KRAS mutations to investigate the factors required for sensitivity to BCL-XL inhibitor ABT-263 using single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) that induce loss-of-function mutations. In the presence of ABT-263, sgRNAs targeting negative regulators of WNT signaling (resulting in WNT activation) were enriched, whereas sgRNAs targeting positive regulators of WNT signaling (resulting in WNT inhibition) were depleted in ABT-263-resistant cells. The activation of WNT signaling was highly associated with an increased expression ratio of anti- to pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family genes in CRC samples. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of WNT signaling using β-catenin short hairpin RNA or TNIK inhibitor NCB-0846, respectively, augmented ABT-263-induced cell death in KRAS/BRAF-mutated cells. Inhibition of WNT signaling resulted in transcriptional repression of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family member, MCL1, via the functional inhibition of the β-catenin-containing complex at the MCL1 promoter. In addition, the combination of ABT-263 and NCB-0846 exhibited synergistic effects in in vivo patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models with KRAS mutations. Our data provide a novel targeted combination treatment strategy for the CRC patient subgroup with KRAS or BRAF mutations.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01777-7
  18. Cancer Discov. 2021 Apr 10. pii: candisc.1228.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Oncogenic KRAS recruits an expansive transcriptional network through mutant p53 to drive pancreatic cancer metastasis.
    Michael P Kim, Xinqun Li, Jenying Deng, Yun Zhang, Bingbing Dai, Kendra L Allton, Tara G Hughes, Christian Siangco, Jithesh J Augustine, Ya'an Kang, Joy M McDaniel, Shunbin Xiong, Eugene J Koay, Florencia McAllister, Christopher A Bristow, Timothy P Heffernan, Anirban Maitra, Bin Liu, Michelle C Barton, Amanda R Wasylishen, Jason B Fleming, Guillermina Lozano.
      Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is almost uniformly fatal and characterized by early metastasis. Oncogenic KRAS mutations prevail in 95% of PDAC tumors and co-occur with genetic alterations in the TP53 tumor suppressor in nearly 70% of patients. Most TP53 alterations are missense mutations that exhibit gain-of-function phenotypes that include increased invasiveness and metastasis yet the extent of direct cooperation between KRAS effectors and mutant p53 remains largely undefined. We show that oncogenic KRAS effectors activate cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1) to allow physical interactions with mutant p53 that hyperactivate multiple pro-metastatic transcriptional networks. Specifically, mutant p53 and CREB1 upregulate the pro-metastatic, pioneer transcription factor, FOXA1, activating its transcriptional network while promoting Wnt/B-catenin signaling, together driving PDAC metastasis. Pharmacologic CREB1 inhibition dramatically reduced FOXA1 and B-catenin expression and dampened PDAC metastasis, identifying a new therapeutic strategy to disrupt cooperation between oncogenic KRAS and mutant p53 to mitigate metastasis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-1228
  19. Nature. 2021 Apr 14.
    The AMBRA1 E3 ligase adaptor regulates the stability of cyclin D.
    Andrea C Chaikovsky, Chuan Li, Edwin E Jeng, Samuel Loebell, Myung Chang Lee, Christopher W Murray, Ran Cheng, Janos Demeter, Danielle L Swaney, Si-Han Chen, Billy W Newton, Jeffrey R Johnson, Alexandros P Drainas, Yan Ting Shue, Jose A Seoane, Preethi Srinivasan, Andy He, Akihiro Yoshida, Susan Q Hipkins, Edel McCrea, Carson D Poltorack, Nevan J Krogan, J Alan Diehl, Christina Kong, Peter K Jackson, Christina Curtis, Dmitri A Petrov, Michael C Bassik, Monte M Winslow, Julien Sage.
      The initiation of cell division integrates a large number of intra- and extracellular inputs. D-type cyclins (hereafter, cyclin D) couple these inputs to the initiation of DNA replication1. Increased levels of cyclin D promote cell division by activating cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (hereafter, CDK4/6), which in turn phosphorylate and inactivate the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor. Accordingly, increased levels and activity of cyclin D-CDK4/6 complexes are strongly linked to unchecked cell proliferation and cancer2,3. However, the mechanisms that regulate levels of cyclin D are incompletely understood4,5. Here we show that autophagy and beclin 1 regulator 1 (AMBRA1) is the main regulator of the degradation of cyclin D. We identified AMBRA1 in a genome-wide screen to investigate the genetic basis of  the response to CDK4/6 inhibition. Loss of AMBRA1 results in high levels of cyclin D in cells and in mice, which promotes proliferation and decreases sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibition. Mechanistically, AMBRA1 mediates ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of cyclin D as a substrate receptor for the cullin 4 E3 ligase complex. Loss of AMBRA1 enhances the growth of lung adenocarcinoma in a mouse model, and low levels of AMBRA1 correlate with worse survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Thus, AMBRA1 regulates cellular levels of cyclin D, and contributes to cancer development and the response of cancer cells to CDK4/6 inhibitors.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03474-7
  20. Oncogene. 2021 Apr 16.
    MEF2A transcriptionally upregulates the expression of ZEB2 and CTNNB1 in colorectal cancer to promote tumor progression.
    Qing Xiao, Yaqi Gan, Yimin Li, Lili Fan, Jiaqi Liu, Pengyan Lu, Jiaxin Liu, Aoao Chen, Guang Shu, Gang Yin.
      Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide, accounting for high morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms governing tumor growth and metastasis in CRC require detailed investigation. The results of the present study indicated that the transcription factor (TF) myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) plays a dual role in promoting proliferation and metastasis of CRC by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Aberrant expression of MEF2A in CRC clinical specimens was significantly associated with poor prognosis and metastasis. Functionally, MEF2A directly binds to the promoter region to initiate the transcription of ZEB2 and CTNNB1. Simultaneous activation of the expression of EMT-related TFs and Wnt/β-catenin signaling by MEF2A overexpression induced the EMT and increased the frequency of tumor formation and metastasis. The present study identified a new critical oncogene involved in the growth and metastasis of CRC, providing a potential novel therapeutic target for CRC intervention.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01774-w
  21. Cell Death Differ. 2021 Apr 12.
    USP24 promotes drug resistance during cancer therapy.
    Shao-An Wang, Ming-Jer Young, Yi-Chang Wang, Shu-Hui Chen, Chia-Yu Liu, Yao-An Lo, Hung-Hsiang Jen, Kai-Cheng Hsu, Jan-Jong Hung.
      Drug resistance has remained an important issue in the treatment and prevention of various diseases, including cancer. Herein, we found that USP24 not only repressed DNA-damage repair (DDR) activity by decreasing Rad51 expression to cause the tumor genomic instability and cancer stemness, but also increased the levels of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters P-gp, ABCG2, and ezrin to enhance the pumping out of Taxol from cancer cells, thus resulted in drug resistance during cancer therapy. A novel USP24 inhibitor, NCI677397, was screened for specific inhibiting the catalytic activity of USP24. This inhibitor was identified to suppress drug resistance via decreasing genomic instability, cancer stemness, and the pumping out of drugs from cancer cells. Understanding the role and molecular mechanisms of USP24 in drug resistance will be beneficial for the future development of a novel USP24 inhibitor. Our studies provide a new insight of USP24 inhibitor for clinically implication of blocking drug resistance during chemotherapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-021-00778-z
  22. Cancer Discov. 2021 Apr 12. pii: candisc.0219.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    Determinants of Response and Intrinsic Resistance to PD-1 Blockade in Microsatellite Instability-High Gastric Cancer.
    Minsuk Kwon, Minae An, Samuel J Klempner, Hyuk Lee, Kyoung-Mee Kim, Jason Kyungha Sa, Hee Jin Cho, Jung Yong Hong, Taehyang Lee, Yang Won Min, Tae Jun Kim, Byung-Hoon Min, Woong-Yang Park, Won Ki Kang, Kyu-Tae Kim, Seung Tae Kim, Jeeyun Lee.
      Sequence alterations in microsatellites and an elevated mutational burden are observed in 20% of gastric cancers (GC) and associated with clinical response to anti-programmed death (PD)-1 antibodies. However, 50% of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cancers are intrinsically resistant to PD-1 therapies. We conducted a phase II trial of pembrolizumab in advanced MSI-H GC patients and included serial and multi-region tissue samples in addition to serial peripheral blood analyses. The number of whole-exome sequencing (WES)-derived nonsynonymous mutations correlated with anti-tumor activity and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS). Coupling WES to single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified dynamic tumor evolution with greater on treatment collapse of mutational architecture in responders. Diverse T-cell receptor repertoire was associated with longer PFS to pembrolizumab. Additionally, increase in PD-1+ CD8+ T cells correlated with durable clinical benefit. Our findings highlight the genomic, immunologic, and clinical outcome heterogeneity within MSI-H GC and may inform development of strategies to enhance responsiveness.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0219
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