bims-tumhet Biomed News
on Tumor Heterogeneity
Issue of 2021–08–08
eight papers selected by
Sergio Marchini, Humanitas Research
  1. The Molecular Landscape Influencing Prognoses of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
  2. Ovarian Cancer: Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Immune Suppression.
  3. PAX8, an Emerging Player in Ovarian Cancer.
  4. Classification of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma by Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Signature and Homologous Recombination Repair Genes.
  5. PARP-inhibitors in epithelial ovarian cancer: Actual positioning and future expectations.
  6. Current and Futuristic Roadmap of Ovarian Cancer Management: An Overview.
  7. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Ovarian Cancer: Promises and Challenges.
  8. Image-Based Identification and Genomic Analysis of Single Circulating Tumor Cells in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients.
  1. Biomolecules. 2021 Jul 07. pii: 998. [Epub ahead of print]11(7):
    The Molecular Landscape Influencing Prognoses of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
    Chao-Lien Liu, Ray-Hwang Yuan, Tsui-Lien Mao.
      Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the major increasing lethal malignancies of the gynecological tract, mostly due to delayed diagnosis and chemoresistance, as well as its very heterogeneous genetic makeup. Application of high-throughput molecular technologies, gene expression microarrays, and powerful preclinical models has provided a deeper understanding of the molecular characteristics of EOC. Therefore, molecular markers have become a potent tool in EOC management, including prediction of aggressiveness, prognosis, and recurrence, and identification of novel therapeutic targets. In addition, biomarkers derived from genomic/epigenomic alterations (e.g., gene mutations, copy number aberrations, and DNA methylation) enable targeted treatment of affected signaling pathways in advanced EOC, thereby improving the effectiveness of traditional treatments. This review outlines the molecular landscape and discusses the impacts of biomarkers on the detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and therapeutic targets of EOC. These findings focus on the necessity to translate these potential biomarkers into clinical practice.
    Keywords:  biomarker; epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC); genome/epigenome; mutation; personalized medicine; therapeutic targets
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11070998
  2. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021 ;1330 33-54
    Ovarian Cancer: Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Immune Suppression.
    Maureen L Drakes, Patrick J Stiff.
      Ovarian cancer generally escapes diagnosis until the advanced stages. High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most frequently occurring form of this malaise and is a disease which has the highest mortality rate of gynecologic cancers. Over recent years it has been revealed that the course of such cancers can be significantly influenced by the nature of immune cells in tumors at the time of diagnosis and by immune cells induced by therapy. Numerous investigators have since focused on disease biology to identify biomarkers or therapeutic targets. Yet, while over the past decade there have been significant improvements in state-of-the-art surgery for ovarian cancer as frontline therapy, there have been limited advancements in the development of novel curative or management drugs for this disease. This chapter discusses the major elements of immune suppression in HGSOC from a biological viewpoint, mechanisms of overcoming resistance to therapies, and recent therapy aimed at improving patient care and survival.
    Keywords:  Dendritic cell vaccine therapy; Epigenetic modulation; Immune checkpoint junctions; Immune suppression; Novel therapies; Ovarian cancer; Tumor microenvironment; Tumor-associated macrophages
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73359-9_3
  3. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021 ;1330 95-112
    PAX8, an Emerging Player in Ovarian Cancer.
    Priyanka Gokulnath, Amata Amy Soriano, Tiziana de Cristofaro, Tina Di Palma, Mariastella Zannini.
      Ovarian Cancer is one of the most lethal and widespread gynecological malignancies. It is the seventh leading cause of all cancer deaths worldwide. High-Grade Serous Cancer (HGSC), the most commonly occurring subtype, alone contributes to 70% of all ovarian cancer deaths. This is mainly attributed to the complete lack of symptoms during the early stages of the disease and absence of an early diagnostic marker.PAX8 is emerging as an important histological marker for most of the epithelial ovarian cancers, as it is expressed in about 90% of malignant ovarian cancers, specifically in HGSC. PAX8 is a member of the Paired-Box gene family (PAX1-9) of transcription factors whose expression is tightly controlled temporally and spatially. The PAX genes are well known for their role in embryonic development and their expression continues to persist in some adult tissues. PAX8 is required for the normal development of Müllerian duct that includes Fallopian tube, uterus, cervix, and upper part of vagina. In adults, it is expressed in the Fallopian tube and uterine epithelium and not in the ovarian epithelium. Considering the recent studies that predict the events preceding the tumorigenesis of HGSC from the Fallopian tube, PAX8 appears to have an important role in the development of ovarian cancer.In this chapter, we review some of the published findings to highlight the significance of PAX8 as an important marker and an emerging player in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. We also discuss regarding the future perspectives of PAX8 wherein it could contribute to the betterment of ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment.
    Keywords:  Biomarkers; Cancer tissues; Metastasis; Ovarian cancers; PAX genes; Transcription factors
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73359-9_6
  4. Genes (Basel). 2021 Jul 20. pii: 1103. [Epub ahead of print]12(7):
    Classification of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma by Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Signature and Homologous Recombination Repair Genes.
    Min-Hwan Sohn, Se Ik Kim, Jong-Yeon Shin, Hee Seung Kim, Hyun Hoon Chung, Jae-Weon Kim, Maria Lee, Jeong-Sun Seo.
      High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is one of the deadliest cancers that can occur in women. This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics of HGSOC through integrative analysis of multi-omics data. We used fresh-frozen, chemotherapy-naïve primary ovarian cancer tissues and matched blood samples of HGSOC patients and conducted next-generation whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Genomic and transcriptomic profiles were comprehensively compared between patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and others with wild-type BRCA1/2. HGSOC samples initially divided into two groups by the presence of germline BRCA1/2 mutations showed mutually exclusive somatic mutation patterns, yet the implementation of high-dimensional analysis of RNA-seq and application of epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) index onto the HGSOC samples revealed that they can be divided into two subtypes; homologous recombination repair (HRR)-activated type and mesenchymal type. Patients with mesenchymal HGSOC, characterized by the activation of the EMT transcriptional program, low genomic alteration and diverse cell-type compositions, exhibited significantly worse overall survival than did those with HRR-activated HGSOC (p = 0.002). In validation with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HGSOC data, patients with a high EMT index (≥the median) showed significantly worse overall survival than did those with a low EMT index (<the median) (p = 0.030). In conclusion, through a comprehensive multi-omics approach towards our HGSOC cohorts, two distinctive types of HGSOC (HRR-activated and mesenchymal) were identified. Our novel EMT index seems to be a potential prognostic biomarker for HGSOC.
    Keywords:  epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; gene signature; high-grade serous carcinoma; homologous recombination repair; ovarian cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12071103
  5. Cancer Treat Rev. 2021 Jul 15. pii: S0305-7372(21)00103-1. [Epub ahead of print]99 102255
    PARP-inhibitors in epithelial ovarian cancer: Actual positioning and future expectations.
    Hélène Vanacker, Philipp Harter, Sana Intidhar Labidi-Galy, Susana Banerjee, Ana Oaknin, Domenica Lorusso, Isabelle Ray-Coquard.
      Poly-(ADP)-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are a class of oral anticancer drugs first developed as "synthetically lethal" in cancers harboring BRCA1/BRCA2 inactivating mutations. In high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian cancers (HGOC), PARPi demonstrated benefit as maintenance therapy in relapsing BRCA-mutated and non-mutated tumors. Recently, they extended their indications to frontline maintenance therapy. This review summarizes the current place of PARPi (i) as maintenance or single agent in recurrent disease and (ii) frontline maintenance with different settings. We reviewed the course of biomarker identification, the challenge of overcoming resistance to PARPi and future combinations with targeted therapies, including anti-angiogenic, immune checkpoint inhibitors and DNA damage response inhibitors.
    Keywords:  BRCA; HRD; Niraparib; Olaparib; Ovarian cancer; PARP inhibitor; Rucaparib, Veliparib
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102255
  6. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021 ;1330 1-19
    Current and Futuristic Roadmap of Ovarian Cancer Management: An Overview.
    Orlandric Miree, Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava, Santanu Dasgupta, Seema Singh, Rodney Rocconi, Ajay Pratap Singh.
      Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy among women worldwide. In most cases, it is diagnosed late at an advanced stage and does not respond well to existing therapies leading to its poor prognosis. In addition, other factors including epidemiological, complex histological diversity, multiple molecular alterations, and overlapping signaling pathways are also important contributors to poor disease outcome. Efforts have continued to develop a deeper understanding of the molecular pathogenesis and altered signaling nodes that provide hope for better clinical management through the development of novel approaches for early diagnosis, disease subtyping, prognosis, and therapy. In this chapter, we provide a detailed overview of OC and its histological subtypes and discuss prevalent molecular aberrations and active signaling pathways that drive OC progression. We also summarize various diagnostic and prognostic markers and therapeutic approaches currently being employed and discuss emerging findings that hold the potential to change the future course of OC management.
    Keywords:  Molecular alterations; Oncogenic signaling; Ovarian cancer; Prognosis; Therapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73359-9_1
  7. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021 ;1330 113-123
    Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Ovarian Cancer: Promises and Challenges.
    Shobhana Talukdar, Zenas Chang, Boris Winterhoff, Timothy K Starr.
      Ovarian cancer remains the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy in the Western world. Tumors are comprised of heterogeneous populations of various cancer, immune, and stromal cells; it is hypothesized that rare cancer stem cells within these subpopulations lead to disease recurrence and treatment resistance. Technological advances now allow for the analysis of tumor genomes and transcriptomes at the single-cell level, which provides the resolution to potentially identify these rare cancer stem cells within the larger tumor.In this chapter, we review the evolution of next-generation RNA sequencing techniques, the methodology of single-cell isolation and sequencing, sequencing data analysis, and the potential applications in ovarian cancer. We also summarize the current published work using single-cell sequencing in ovarian cancer.By utilizing this novel technique to characterize the gene expression of rare subpopulations, new targets and treatment pathways may be identified in ovarian cancer to change treatment paradigms.
    Keywords:  Gene expression; Next generation RNA sequencing; Ovarian cancer; Rare cancer stem cells; Rare cancer subpopulations; Single cell isolation; Single cell sequencing; Treatment
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73359-9_7
  8. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jul 26. pii: 3748. [Epub ahead of print]13(15):
    Image-Based Identification and Genomic Analysis of Single Circulating Tumor Cells in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients.
    Carolin Salmon, Janina Levermann, Rui P L Neves, Sven-Thorsten Liffers, Jan Dominik Kuhlmann, Paul Buderath, Rainer Kimmig, Sabine Kasimir-Bauer.
      In Ovarian Cancer (OC), the analysis of single circulating tumor cells (sCTCs) might help to investigate genetic tumor evolution during the course of treatment. Since common CTC identification features failed to reliably detect CTCs in OC, we here present a workflow for their detection and genomic analysis. Blood of 13 high-grade serous primary OC patients was analyzed, using negative immunomagnetic enrichment, followed by immunofluorescence staining and imaging for Hoechst, ERCC1, CD45, CD11b and cytokeratin (CK) and sCTC sorting with the DEPArrayTM NxT. The whole genome of single cells was amplified and profiled for copy number variation (CNV). We detected: Type A-cells, epithelial (Hoechstpos, ERCC1pos, CD45neg, CD11bpos, CKpos); Type B-cells, potentially epithelial (Hoechstpos, ERCC1pos, CD45neg, CD11bpos, CKneg) and Type C-cells, potentially mesenchymal (Hoechstpos, ERCC1pos, CD45neg, CD11bneg, CKneg). In total, we identified five (38.5%) patients harboring sCTCs with an altered CN profile, which were mainly Type A-cells (80%). In addition to inter-and intra-patient genomic heterogeneity, high numbers of Type B- and C-cells were identified in every patient with their aberrant character only confirmed in 6.25% and 4.76% of cases. Further identification markers and studies in the course of treatment are under way to expand sCTC analysis for the identification of tumor evolution in OC.
    Keywords:  copy number variations; liquid biopsy; ovarian cancer; single circulating tumor cell
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13153748
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