bims-tucedo Biomed News
on Tumor cell dormancy
Issue of 2021–08–22
23 papers selected by
Isabel Puig Borreil, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology
  1. Anti-PD-1/L1 lead-in before MAPK inhibitor combination maximizes antitumor immunity and efficacy.
  2. circular RNA cia-MAF drives self-renewal and metastasis of liver tumor-initiating cells via transcription factor MAFF.
  3. Cisplatin-mediated activation of glucocorticoid receptor induces platinum resistance via MAST1.
  4. Slit2 inhibits breast cancer metastasis by activating M1-like phagocytic and anti-fibrotic macrophages.
  5. Acquired resistance to PRMT5 inhibition induces concomitant collateral sensitivity to paclitaxel.
  6. Spatiotemporal Immune Landscape of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis at Single-Cell Level.
  7. Single-cell evaluation reveals shifts in the tumor-immune niches that shape and maintain aggressive lesions in the breast.
  8. How the glucocorticoid receptor contributes to platinum-based therapy resistance in solid cancer.
  9. The Evolving Genomic Landscape of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Under Chemoradiotherapy.
  10. Autophagy is a major metabolic regulator involved in cancer therapy resistance.
  11. Multiregional genetic evolution of metastatic uveal melanoma.
  12. A novel mode of inhibiting SRC improves drug efficacy and tolerability.
  13. Parsing β-catenin's cell adhesion and Wnt signaling functions in malignant mammary tumor progression.
  14. Cancer-associated mesothelial cells promote ovarian cancer chemoresistance through paracrine osteopontin signaling.
  15. PDSS1-mediated activation of CAMK2A-STAT3 signaling promotes metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer.
  16. Tumour fatty acid metabolism in the context of therapy resistance and obesity.
  17. PIN1 Inhibition Synergizes with Immunochemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer.
  18. Dysregulation of ILC3s unleashes progression and immunotherapy resistance in colon cancer.
  19. Adipose stem cell niche reprograms the colorectal cancer stem cell metastatic machinery.
  20. Neutrophils Undergo NETosis to Block Cytotoxic Lymphocytes from Tumors.
  21. PRC2 Inhibitors Overcome Glucocorticoid Resistance Driven by NSD2 Mutation in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
  22. Taking the path of most resistance.
  23. CD63-mediated cloaking of VEGF in small extracellular vesicles contributes to anti-VEGF therapy resistance.
  1. Cancer Cell. 2021 Aug 18. pii: S1535-6108(21)00402-5. [Epub ahead of print]
    Anti-PD-1/L1 lead-in before MAPK inhibitor combination maximizes antitumor immunity and efficacy.
    Yujue Wang, Sixue Liu, Zhentao Yang, Alain P Algazi, Shirley H Lomeli, Yan Wang, Megan Othus, Aayoung Hong, Xiaoyan Wang, Chris E Randolph, Alexis M Jones, Marcus W Bosenberg, Stephanie D Byrum, Alan J Tackett, Henry Lopez, Clayton Yates, David B Solit, Antoni Ribas, Marco Piva, Gatien Moriceau, Roger S Lo.
      Rationally sequencing and combining PD-1/L1-and MAPK-targeted therapies may overcome innate and acquired resistance. Since increased clinical benefit of MAPK inhibitors (MAPKi) is associated with previous immune checkpoint therapy, we compare the efficacies of sequential and/or combinatorial regimens in subcutaneous murine models of melanoma driven by BrafV600, Nras, or Nf1 mutations as well as colorectal and pancreatic carcinoma driven by KrasG12C. Anti-PD-1/L1 lead-in preceding MAPKi combination optimizes response durability by promoting pro-inflammatory polarization of macrophages and clonal expansion of interferon-γhi, and CD8+ cytotoxic and proliferative (versus CD4+ regulatory) T cells that highly express activation genes. Since therapeutic resistance of melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) limits patient survival, we demonstrate that sequencing anti-PD-1/L1 therapy before MAPKi combination suppresses MBM and improves mouse survival with robust T cell clonal expansion in both intracranial and extracranial metastatic sites. We propose clinically testing brief anti-PD-1/L1 (± anti-CTLA-4) dosing before MAPKi co-treatment to suppress therapeutic resistance.
    Keywords:  BRAF/NRAS/KRAS/NF1; MAPK/BRAF/MEK inhibitor resistance; anti-CTLA-4; anti-PD-1/L1; brain metastasis; colorectal carcinoma; melanoma; pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; sequential-combination therapy; tumor immune microenvironment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2021.07.023
  2. J Clin Invest. 2021 Aug 17. pii: 148020. [Epub ahead of print]
    circular RNA cia-MAF drives self-renewal and metastasis of liver tumor-initiating cells via transcription factor MAFF.
    Zhenzhen Chen, Tiankun Lu, Lan Huang, Zhiwei Wang, Zhongyi Yan, Yubo Guan, Wenjing Hu, Zusen Fan, Pingping Zhu.
      Liver tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are involved in liver tumorigenesis, metastasis, drug resistance and relapse, but the regulatory mechanisms of liver TICs are largely unknown. Here, we have identified a functional circular RNA, termed circRNA activating MAFF (cia-MAF), that is robustly expressed in liver cancer and liver TICs. cia-MAF knockout primary cells and cia-maf knockout liver tumors harbor decreased ratios of TICs, and display impaired liver tumorigenesis, self-renewal and metastatic capacities. In contrast, cia-MAF overexpression drives liver TIC propagation, self-renewal and metastasis. Mechanistically, cia-MAF binds to the MAFF promoter, recruits the TIP60 complex to the MAFF promoter, and finally promotes MAFF expression. Loss of cia-MAF function attenuates the combination between the TIP60 complex and the MAFF promoter. MAFF is highly expressed in liver tumors and liver TICs, and its antisense oligo (ASO) has therapeutic potential in treating liver cancer without MAFA/MAFG gene copy number alterations (CNAs). This study reveal an additional layer for liver TIC regulation as well as circRNA function, and also provide an additional target for eliminating liver TICs, especially for liver tumor without MAFA/MAFG gene CNAs.
    Keywords:  Cell Biology; Gene therapy; Liver cancer; Molecular biology; Oncology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI148020
  3. Nat Commun. 2021 08 16. 12(1): 4960
    Cisplatin-mediated activation of glucocorticoid receptor induces platinum resistance via MAST1.
    Chaoyun Pan, JiHoon Kang, Jung Seok Hwang, Jie Li, Austin C Boese, Xu Wang, Likun Yang, Titus J Boggon, Georgia Z Chen, Nabil F Saba, Dong M Shin, Kelly R Magliocca, Lingtao Jin, Sumin Kang.
      Agonists of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are frequently given to cancer patients with platinum-containing chemotherapy to reduce inflammation, but how GR influences tumor growth in response to platinum-based chemotherapy such as cisplatin through inflammation-independent signaling remains largely unclear. Combined genomics and transcription factor profiling reveal that MAST1, a critical platinum resistance factor that reprograms the MAPK pathway, is upregulated upon cisplatin exposure through activated transcription factor GR. Mechanistically, cisplatin binds to C622 in GR and recruits GR to the nucleus for its activation, which induces MAST1 expression and consequently reactivates MEK signaling. GR nuclear translocation and MAST1 upregulation coordinately occur in patient tumors collected after platinum treatment, and align with patient treatment resistance. Co-treatment with dexamethasone and cisplatin restores cisplatin-resistant tumor growth, whereas addition of the MAST1 inhibitor lestaurtinib abrogates tumor growth while preserving the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on inflammation in vivo. These findings not only provide insights into the underlying mechanism of GR in cisplatin resistance but also offer an effective alternative therapeutic strategy to improve the clinical outcome of patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy with GR agonists.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24845-8
  4. Cancer Res. 2021 Aug 16. pii: canres.3909.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    Slit2 inhibits breast cancer metastasis by activating M1-like phagocytic and anti-fibrotic macrophages.
    Dinesh K Ahirwar, Manish Charan, Sanjay Mishra, Ajeet K Verma, Konstantin Shilo, Bhuvaneswari Ramaswamy, Ramesh K Ganju.
      Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are heterogeneous in nature and comprise anti-tumor M1-like (M1-TAMs) or pro-tumor M2-like (M2-TAMs) TAMs. M2-TAMs are a major component of stroma in breast tumors and enhance metastasis by reducing their phagocytic ability and increasing tumor fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate phenotypic plasticity of TAMs are not well known. Here we report that a novel tumor suppressor Slit2 in breast cancer by regulating TAMs in the tumor microenvironment. Slit2 reduced the in vivo growth and metastasis of autochthonous and syngeneic mammary tumor and xenograft breast tumor models. Slit2 increased recruitment of M1-TAMs to the tumor and enhanced the ability of M1-TAMs to phagocytose tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. This Slit2-mediated increase in M1-TAM phagocytosis occurred via suppression of IL6. Slit2 was also shown to diminish fibrosis in breast cancer mouse models by increasing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 in M1-TAMs. Analysis of patient samples showed high Slit2 expression strongly associated with better patient survival and inversely correlated with the abundance of CD163+ TAMs. Overall, these studies define the role of Slit2 in inhibiting metastasis by activating M1-TAMs and depleting tumor fibrosis. Furthermore, these findings suggest that Slit2 can be a promising immunotherapeutic agent to redirect TAMs to serve as tumor killers for aggressive and metastatic breast cancers. In addition, Slit2 expression along with CD163+ TAMs could be used as an improved prognostic biomarker in breast cancer patients.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-3909
  5. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Aug 24. pii: e2024055118. [Epub ahead of print]118(34):
    Acquired resistance to PRMT5 inhibition induces concomitant collateral sensitivity to paclitaxel.
    Helen S Mueller, Colin E Fowler, Simona Dalin, Enrico Moiso, Tee Udomlumleart, Salil Garg, Michael T Hemann, Jacqueline A Lees.
      Epigenetic regulators play key roles in cancer and are increasingly being targeted for treatment. However, for many, little is known about mechanisms of resistance to the inhibition of these regulators. We have generated a model of resistance to inhibitors of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). This study was conducted in Kras G12D;Tp53-null lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cell lines. Resistance to PRMT5 inhibitors (PRMT5i) arose rapidly, and barcoding experiments showed that this resulted from a drug-induced transcriptional state switch, not selection of a preexisting population. This resistant state is both stable and conserved across variants arising from distinct LUAD lines. Moreover, it brought with it vulnerabilities to other chemotherapeutics, especially the taxane paclitaxel. This paclitaxel sensitivity depended on the presence of stathmin 2 (STMN2), a microtubule regulator that is specifically expressed in the resistant state. Remarkably, STMN2 was also essential for resistance to PRMT5 inhibition. Thus, a single gene is required for both acquisition of resistance to PRMT5i and collateral sensitivity to paclitaxel in our LUAD cells. Accordingly, the combination of PRMT5i and paclitaxel yielded potent and synergistic killing of the murine LUAD cells. Importantly, the synergy between PRMT5i and paclitaxel also extended to human cancer cell lines. Finally, analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas patient data showed that high STMN2 levels correlate with complete regression of tumors in response to taxane treatment. Collectively, this study reveals a recurring mechanism of PRMT5i resistance in LUAD and identifies collateral sensitivities that have potential clinical relevance.
    Keywords:  PRMT5i resistance; STMN2; collateral sensitivity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2024055118
  6. Cancer Discov. 2021 Aug 20. pii: candisc.0316.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    Spatiotemporal Immune Landscape of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis at Single-Cell Level.
    Yingcheng Wu, Shuaixi Yang, Jiaqiang Ma, Zechuan Chen, Guohe Song, Dongning Rao, Yifei Cheng, Siyuan Huang, Yifei Liu, Shan Jiang, Jinxia Liu, Xiaowu Huang, Xiaoying Wang, Shuangjian Qiu, Jianmin Xu, Ruibin Xi, Fan Bai, Jian Zhou, Jia Fan, Xiaoming Zhang, Qiang Gao.
      Liver metastasis, the leading cause of colorectal cancer mortality, exhibits a highly heterogeneous and suppressive immune microenvironment. Here, we sequenced 97 matched samples by using single-cell RNA-seq and Spatial Transcriptomics. Strikingly, metastatic microenvironment underwent remarkable spatial reprogramming of immunosuppressive cells such as MRC1+ CCL18+ M2-like macrophages. We further developed scMetabolism, a computational pipeline for quantifying single-cell metabolism, and observed that those macrophages harbored enhanced metabolic activity. Interestingly, neoadjuvant chemotherapy could block this status and restore the antitumor immune balance in responsive patients, while the non-responsive patients deteriorated into a more suppressive one. Our work described the immune evolution of metastasis and uncovered the black box of how tumors respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0316
  7. Nat Commun. 2021 08 18. 12(1): 5024
    Single-cell evaluation reveals shifts in the tumor-immune niches that shape and maintain aggressive lesions in the breast.
    Vidya C Sinha, Amanda L Rinkenbaugh, Mingchu Xu, Xinhui Zhou, Xiaomei Zhang, Sabrina Jeter-Jones, Jiansu Shao, Yuan Qi, John A Zebala, Dean Y Maeda, Florencia McAllister, Helen Piwnica-Worms.
      There is an unmet clinical need for stratification of breast lesions as indolent or aggressive to tailor treatment. Here, single-cell transcriptomics and multiparametric imaging applied to a mouse model of breast cancer reveals that the aggressive tumor niche is characterized by an expanded basal-like population, specialization of tumor subpopulations, and mixed-lineage tumor cells potentially serving as a transition state between luminal and basal phenotypes. Despite vast tumor cell-intrinsic differences, aggressive and indolent tumor cells are functionally indistinguishable once isolated from their local niche, suggesting a role for non-tumor collaborators in determining aggressiveness. Aggressive lesions harbor fewer total but more suppressed-like T cells, and elevated tumor-promoting neutrophils and IL-17 signaling, disruption of which increase tumor latency and reduce the number of aggressive lesions. Our study provides insight into tumor-immune features distinguishing indolent from aggressive lesions, identifies heterogeneous populations comprising these lesions, and supports a role for IL-17 signaling in aggressive progression.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25240-z
  8. Nat Commun. 2021 08 16. 12(1): 4959
    How the glucocorticoid receptor contributes to platinum-based therapy resistance in solid cancer.
    Dorien Clarisse, Karolien De Bosscher.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24847-6
  9. Cancer Res. 2021 Aug 19. pii: canres.0653.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    The Evolving Genomic Landscape of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Under Chemoradiotherapy.
    Hidenari Hirata, Atsushi Niida, Nobuyuki Kakiuchi, Ryutaro Uchi, Keishi Sugimachi, Takaaki Masuda, Tomoko Saito, Shun-Ichiro Kageyama, Yushi Motomura, Shuhei Ito, Tadamasa Yoshitake, Daisuke Tsurumaru, Yusuke Nishimuta, Akira Yokoyama, Takanori Hasegawa, Kenichi Chiba, Yuichi Shiraishi, Junyan Du, Fumihito Miura, Masaru Morita, Yasushi Toh, Masakazu Hirakawa, Yoshiyuki Shioyama, Takashi Ito, Tetsuo Akimoto, Satoru Miyano, Tatsuhiro Shibata, Masaki Mori, Yutaka Suzuki, Seishi Ogawa, Kousei Ishigami, Koshi Mimori.
      Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) often recurs after chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and the prognosis of ESCC after CRT has not improved over the past few decades. The mutation process in CRT-resistant clones and the functional relevance of genetic alterations remain unclear. To address these problems, we performed whole-exome sequencing of 52 tumor samples from 33 ESCC patients who received radiotherapy combined with 5-fluorouracil/platinum. In multi-region analyses of pretreatment and locally recurrent lesions from five cases, most driver gene-altered clones remained under CRT selection pressure, while few driver gene alterations were acquired at recurrence. The mutation signatures of recurrent ESCC, including increased deletion frequency and platinum dose-dependent base substitution signatures, were substantially different from those of primary ESCC and reflected the iatrogenic impacts of CRT. Single-region analysis of 28 pretreatment tumors indicated that focal copy number gain at the MYC locus was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival and overall survival after CRT. MYC gain remained throughout the CRT course and potentially contributes to intrinsic resistance to CRT. Consistent with these findings, MYC copy number and mRNA and protein levels in ESCC cell lines correlated positively with resistance to radiotherapy, and MYC knockdown improved sensitivity to radiotherapy. Overall, these data characterize the clonal evolution process induced by CRT and clinically relevant associations for genetic alterations in ESCC. These findings increase our understanding of therapeutic resistance and support the rationale for precision CRT.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0653
  10. Cell Rep. 2021 Aug 17. pii: S2211-1247(21)00959-1. [Epub ahead of print]36(7): 109528
    Autophagy is a major metabolic regulator involved in cancer therapy resistance.
    Laura Poillet-Perez, Jean-Emmanuel Sarry, Carine Joffre.
      Autophagy sustains cellular homeostasis and metabolism in numerous diseases. By regulating cancer metabolism, both tumor and microenvironmental autophagy promote tumor growth. However, autophagy can support cancer progression through other biological functions such as immune response regulation or cytokine/growth factor secretion. Moreover, autophagy is induced in numerous tumor types as a resistance mechanism following therapy, highlighting autophagy inhibition as a promising target for anti-cancer therapy. Thus, better understanding the mechanisms involved in tumor growth and resistance regulation through autophagy, which are not fully understood, will provide insights into patient treatment.
    Keywords:  Poillet-Perez et al. review how both tumor and microenvironmental autophagy promote tumor growth by regulating cancer metabolism and the immune response. Moreover; autophagy is induced as a cell death or resistance mechanism following therapy. Better understanding the role of autophagy and the mechanisms involved will provide insights into patient treatment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109528
  11. NPJ Genom Med. 2021 Aug 16. 6(1): 70
    Multiregional genetic evolution of metastatic uveal melanoma.
    Daniel A Rodriguez, Jessica Yang, Michael A Durante, Alexander N Shoushtari, Stergios J Moschos, Kazimierz O Wrzeszczynski, J William Harbour, Richard D Carvajal.
      Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults and leads to deadly metastases for which there is no approved treatment. Genetic events driving early tumor development are well-described, but those occurring later during metastatic progression remain poorly understood. We performed multiregional genomic sequencing on 22 tumors collected from two patients with widely metastatic UM who underwent rapid autopsy. We observed multiple seeding events from the primary tumors, metastasis-to-metastasis seeding, polyclonal seeding, and late driver variants in ATM, KRAS, and other genes previously unreported in UM. These findings reveal previously unrecognized temporal and anatomic complexity in the genetic evolution of metastatic uveal melanoma, and they highlight the distinction between early and late phases of UM genetic evolution with implications for novel therapeutic approaches.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41525-021-00233-5
  12. Cancer Res. 2021 Aug 20. pii: canres.0613.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    A novel mode of inhibiting SRC improves drug efficacy and tolerability.
    Carolin Temps, Daniel Lietha, Emily R Webb, Xue-Feng Li, John C Dawson, Morwenna Muir, Kenneth G Macleod, Teresa Valero, Alison F Munro, Rafael Contreras-Montoya, Juan R Luque-Ortega, Craig Fraser, Henry Beetham, Christina Schoenherr, Maria Lopalco, Mark J Arends, Margaret C Frame, Bin-Zhi Qian, Valerie G Brunton, Neil O Carragher, Asier Unciti-Broceta.
      Despite the approval of several multikinase inhibitors that target SRC and the overwhelming evidence of the role of SRC in the progression and resistance mechanisms of many solid malignancies, inhibition of its kinase activity has thus far failed to improve patient outcomes. Here we report the small molecule eCF506 locks SRC in its native inactive conformation, thereby inhibiting both enzymatic and scaffolding functions that prevent phosphorylation and complex formation with its partner FAK. This unprecedented mechanism of action resulted in highly potent and selective pathway inhibition, in culture and in vivo. Treatment with eCF506 resulted in increased antitumor efficacy and tolerability in syngeneic murine cancer models, demonstrating significant therapeutic advantages over existing SRC/ABL inhibitors. Therefore, this novel mode of inhibiting SRC could lead to improved treatment of SRC-associated disorders.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0613
  13. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Aug 24. pii: e2020227118. [Epub ahead of print]118(34):
    Parsing β-catenin's cell adhesion and Wnt signaling functions in malignant mammary tumor progression.
    David Buechel, Nami Sugiyama, Natalia Rubinstein, Meera Saxena, Ravi K R Kalathur, Fabiana Lüönd, Vida Vafaizadeh, Tomas Valenta, George Hausmann, Claudio Cantù, Konrad Basler, Gerhard Christofori.
      During malignant progression, epithelial cancer cells dissolve their cell-cell adhesion and gain invasive features. By virtue of its dual function, β-catenin contributes to cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion, and it determines the transcriptional output of Wnt signaling: via its N terminus, it recruits the signaling coactivators Bcl9 and Pygopus, and via the C terminus, it interacts with the general transcriptional machinery. This duality confounds the simple loss-of-function analysis of Wnt signaling in cancer progression. In many cancer types including breast cancer, the functional contribution of β-catenin's transcriptional activities, as compared to its adhesion functions, to tumor progression has remained elusive. Employing the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-PyMT mouse model of metastatic breast cancer, we compared the complete elimination of β-catenin with the specific ablation of its signaling outputs in mammary tumor cells. Notably, the complete lack of β-catenin resulted in massive apoptosis of mammary tumor cells. In contrast, the loss of β-catenin's transcriptional activity resulted in a reduction of primary tumor growth, tumor invasion, and metastasis formation in vivo. These phenotypic changes were reflected by stalled cell cycle progression and diminished epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell migration of breast cancer cells in vitro. Transcriptome analysis revealed subsets of genes which were specifically regulated by β-catenin's transcriptional activities upon stimulation with Wnt3a or during TGF-β-induced EMT. Our results uncouple the signaling from the adhesion function of β-catenin and underline the importance of Wnt/β-catenin-dependent transcription in malignant tumor progression of breast cancer.
    Keywords:  Wnt signaling; breast cancer; cell adhesion; metastasis; β-catenin
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020227118
  14. J Clin Invest. 2021 Aug 16. pii: 146186. [Epub ahead of print]131(16):
    Cancer-associated mesothelial cells promote ovarian cancer chemoresistance through paracrine osteopontin signaling.
    Jin Qian, Bauer L LeSavage, Kelsea M Hubka, Chenkai Ma, Suchitra Natarajan, Joshua T Eggold, Yiren Xiao, Katherine C Fuh, Venkatesh Krishnan, Annika Enejder, Sarah C Heilshorn, Oliver Dorigo, Erinn B Rankin.
      Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecological malignancy-related deaths, due to its widespread intraperitoneal metastases and acquired chemoresistance. Mesothelial cells are an important cellular component of the ovarian cancer microenvironment that promote metastasis. However, their role in chemoresistance is unclear. Here, we investigated whether cancer-associated mesothelial cells promote ovarian cancer chemoresistance and stemness in vitro and in vivo. We found that osteopontin is a key secreted factor that drives mesothelial-mediated ovarian cancer chemoresistance and stemness. Osteopontin is a secreted glycoprotein that is clinically associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. Mechanistically, ovarian cancer cells induced osteopontin expression and secretion by mesothelial cells through TGF-β signaling. Osteopontin facilitated ovarian cancer cell chemoresistance via the activation of the CD44 receptor, PI3K/AKT signaling, and ABC drug efflux transporter activity. Importantly, therapeutic inhibition of osteopontin markedly improved the efficacy of cisplatin in both human and mouse ovarian tumor xenografts. Collectively, our results highlight mesothelial cells as a key driver of ovarian cancer chemoresistance and suggest that therapeutic targeting of osteopontin may be an effective strategy for enhancing platinum sensitivity in ovarian cancer.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Cytokines; Oncology; Signal transduction
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI146186
  15. Cancer Res. 2021 Aug 18. pii: canres.0747.2021. [Epub ahead of print]
    PDSS1-mediated activation of CAMK2A-STAT3 signaling promotes metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer.
    Tian-Jian Yu, Ying-Ying Liu, Xiao-Guang Li, Bi Lian, Xun-Xi Lu, Xi Jin, Zhi-Ming Shao, Xin Hu, Gen-Hong Di, Yi-Zhou Jiang.
      Genomic alterations are crucial for the development and progression of human cancers. Copy number gains found in genes encoding metabolic enzymes may induce triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) adaptation. However, little is known about how metabolic enzymes regulate TNBC metastasis. Using our previously constructed multiomic profiling of a TNBC cohort, we identified decaprenyl diphosphate synthase subunit 1 (PDSS1) as an essential gene for TNBC metastasis. PDSS1 expression was significantly upregulated in TNBC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues and was positively associated with poor survival among TNBC patients. PDSS1 knockdown inhibited TNBC cell migration, invasion, and distant metastasis. Mechanistically, PDSS1, but not a catalytically inactive mutant, positively regulated the cellular level of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and intracellular calcium levels, thereby inducing CAMK2A phosphorylation, which is essential for STAT3 phosphorylation in the cytoplasm. Phosphorylated STAT3 entered the nucleus, promoting oncogenic STAT3 signaling and TNBC metastasis. STAT3 phosphorylation inhibitors (e.g., Stattic) effectively blocked PDSS1-induced cell migration and invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. Taken together, our study highlights the importance of targeting the previously uncharacterized PDSS1/CAMK2A/STAT3 oncogenic signaling axis, expanding the repertoire of precision medicine in TNBC.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0747
  16. Nat Rev Cancer. 2021 Aug 20.
    Tumour fatty acid metabolism in the context of therapy resistance and obesity.
    Andrew J Hoy, Shilpa R Nagarajan, Lisa M Butler.
      Fatty acid metabolism is known to support tumorigenesis and disease progression as well as treatment resistance through enhanced lipid synthesis, storage and catabolism. More recently, the role of membrane fatty acid composition, for example, ratios of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in promoting cell survival while limiting lipotoxicity and ferroptosis has been increasingly appreciated. Alongside these insights, it has become clear that tumour cells exhibit plasticity with respect to fatty acid metabolism, responding to extratumoural and systemic metabolic signals, such as obesity and cancer therapeutics, to promote the development of aggressive, treatment-resistant disease. Here, we describe cellular fatty acid metabolic changes that are connected to therapy resistance and contextualize obesity-associated changes in host fatty acid metabolism that likely influence the local tumour microenvironment to further modify cancer cell behaviour while simultaneously creating potential new vulnerabilities.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00388-4
  17. Cancer Discov. 2021 Aug 20.
    PIN1 Inhibition Synergizes with Immunochemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer.
      PIN1 inhibition in combination with immunochemotherapy caused pancreatic tumor regression in vivo.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-RW2021-118
  18. Cell. 2021 Aug 13. pii: S0092-8674(21)00888-6. [Epub ahead of print]
    Dysregulation of ILC3s unleashes progression and immunotherapy resistance in colon cancer.
    JRI Live Cell Bank
      Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) regulate immunity and inflammation, yet their role in cancer remains elusive. Here, we identify that colorectal cancer (CRC) manifests with altered ILC3s that are characterized by reduced frequencies, increased plasticity, and an imbalance with T cells. We evaluated the consequences of these changes in mice and determined that a dialog between ILC3s and T cells via major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) is necessary to support colonization with microbiota that subsequently induce type-1 immunity in the intestine and tumor microenvironment. As a result, mice lacking ILC3-specific MHCII develop invasive CRC and resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Finally, humans with dysregulated intestinal ILC3s harbor microbiota that fail to induce type-1 immunity and immunotherapy responsiveness when transferred to mice. Collectively, these data define a protective role for ILC3s in cancer and indicate that their inherent disruption in CRC drives dysfunctional adaptive immunity, tumor progression, and immunotherapy resistance.
    Keywords:  checkpoint blockade immunotherapy; colorectal cancer; innate lymphoid cells; intestinal inflammation; microbiota
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.029
  19. Nat Commun. 2021 08 18. 12(1): 5006
    Adipose stem cell niche reprograms the colorectal cancer stem cell metastatic machinery.
    Simone Di Franco, Paola Bianca, Davide Stefano Sardina, Alice Turdo, Miriam Gaggianesi, Veronica Veschi, Annalisa Nicotra, Laura Rosa Mangiapane, Melania Lo Iacono, Irene Pillitteri, Sander van Hooff, Federica Martorana, Gianmarco Motta, Eliana Gulotta, Vincenzo Luca Lentini, Emanuele Martorana, Micol Eleonora Fiori, Salvatore Vieni, Maria Rita Bongiorno, Giorgio Giannone, Dario Giuffrida, Lorenzo Memeo, Lorenzo Colarossi, Marzia Mare, Paolo Vigneri, Matilde Todaro, Ruggero De Maria, Jan Paul Medema, Giorgio Stassi.
      Obesity is a strong risk factor for cancer progression, posing obesity-related cancer as one of the leading causes of death. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms that endow cancer cells with metastatic properties in patients affected by obesity remain unexplored.Here, we show that IL-6 and HGF, secreted by tumor neighboring visceral adipose stromal cells (V-ASCs), expand the metastatic colorectal (CR) cancer cell compartment (CD44v6 + ), which in turn secretes neurotrophins such as NGF and NT-3, and recruits adipose stem cells within tumor mass. Visceral adipose-derived factors promote vasculogenesis and the onset of metastatic dissemination by activation of STAT3, which inhibits miR-200a and enhances ZEB2 expression, effectively reprogramming CRC cells into a highly metastatic phenotype. Notably, obesity-associated tumor microenvironment provokes a transition in the transcriptomic expression profile of cells derived from the epithelial consensus molecular subtype (CMS2) CRC patients towards a mesenchymal subtype (CMS4). STAT3 pathway inhibition reduces ZEB2 expression and abrogates the metastatic growth sustained by adipose-released proteins. Together, our data suggest that targeting adipose factors in colorectal cancer patients with obesity may represent a therapeutic strategy for preventing metastatic disease.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25333-9
  20. Cancer Discov. 2020 Jun;10(6): OF11
    Neutrophils Undergo NETosis to Block Cytotoxic Lymphocytes from Tumors.
      Tumors produce chemokines that attract neutrophils and cause them to undergo NETosis.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-RW2020-062
  21. Cancer Discov. 2021 Aug 20. pii: candisc.1771.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
    PRC2 Inhibitors Overcome Glucocorticoid Resistance Driven by NSD2 Mutation in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
    Jianping Li, Julia Hlavka-Zhang, Jonathan H Shrimp, Crissandra Piper, Daphne Dupere-Richer, Jacob S Roth, Duohui Jing, Heidi L Casellas Roman, Catalina Troche, Alok Swaroop, Marta Kulis, Jon A Oyer, Christine M Will, Min Shen, Alberto Riva, Richard L Bennett, Adolfo A Ferrando, Matthew D Hall, Richard B Lock, Jonathan D Licht.
      Mutations in epigenetic regulators are common in relapsed pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here, we uncovered the mechanism underlying the relapse of ALL driven by an activating mutation of the NSD2 histone methyltransferase (p.E1099K). Using high-throughput drug screening, we found that NSD2 mutant cells were specifically resistant to glucocorticoids. Correction of this mutation restored glucocorticoid sensitivity. The transcriptional response to glucocorticoids was blocked in NSD2 mutant cells due to depressed glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels and the failure of glucocorticoids to autoactivate GR expression. While H3K27me3 was globally decreased by NSD2 p.E1099K, H3K27me3 accumulated at the NR3C1/(GR) promoter. Pre-treatment of NSD2 p.E1099K cell lines and PDX samples with PRC2 inhibitors reversed glucocorticoid resistance in vitro and in vivo. PRC2 inhibitors restored NR3C1 autoactivation by glucocorticoids, increasing GR levels and allowing GR binding and activation of pro-apoptotic genes. These findings suggest a new therapeutic approach to relapsed ALL associated with NSD2 mutation.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-1771
  22. Nat Rev Cancer. 2021 Aug 17.
    Taking the path of most resistance.
    Anna Dart.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00398-2
  23. Cell Rep. 2021 Aug 17. pii: S2211-1247(21)00983-9. [Epub ahead of print]36(7): 109549
    CD63-mediated cloaking of VEGF in small extracellular vesicles contributes to anti-VEGF therapy resistance.
    Shaolin Ma, Lingegowda S Mangala, Wen Hu, Emine Bayaktar, Akira Yokoi, Wei Hu, Sunila Pradeep, Sanghoon Lee, Paul D Piehowski, Alejandro Villar-Prados, Sherry Y Wu, Michael H McGuire, Olivia D Lara, Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo, Christopher J LaFargue, Nicholas B Jennings, Karin D Rodland, Tao Liu, Vikas Kundra, Prahlad T Ram, Sundaram Ramakrishnan, Gabriel Lopez-Berestein, Robert L Coleman, Anil K Sood.
      Despite wide use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for many solid cancers, most individuals become resistant to this therapy, leading to disease progression. Therefore, new biomarkers and strategies for blocking adaptive resistance of cancer to anti-VEGF therapy are needed. As described here, we demonstrate that cancer-derived small extracellular vesicles package increasing quantities of VEGF and other factors in response to anti-VEGF therapy. The packaging process of VEGF into small extracellular vesicles (EVs) is mediated by the tetraspanin CD63. Furthermore, small EV-VEGF (eVEGF) is not accessible to anti-VEGF antibodies and can trigger intracrine VEGF signaling in endothelial cells. eVEGF promotes angiogenesis and enhances tumor growth despite bevacizumab treatment. These data demonstrate a mechanism where VEGF is partitioned into small EVs and promotes tumor angiogenesis and progression. These findings have clinical implications for biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer.
    Keywords:  CD63; VEGF; angiogenesis; bevacizumab; drug resistance; extracellular vesicles
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109549
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