Wnts, cholesterol, and MAPK signaling are essential for development and adult homeostasis. Here we report for the first time that fatty acid hydroxylase domain containing 2 (FAXDC2), a previously uncharacterized enzyme, functions as a methyl sterol oxidase catalyzing C4 demethylation in the Kandutsch-Russell branch of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. FAXDC2, a paralog of MSMO1, regulates the abundance of specific C4-methyl sterols lophenol and dihydro-TMAS. Highlighting its clinical relevance, FAXDC2 is repressed in Wnt/β-catenin high cancer xenografts, in a mouse genetic model of Wnt activation, and in human colorectal cancers. Moreover, in primary human colorectal cancers, the sterol lophenol, regulated by FAXDC2, accumulates in the cancerous tissues and not in adjacent normal tissues. FAXDC2 links Wnts to RTK/MAPK signaling. Wnt inhibition drives increased recycling of RTKs and activation of the MAPK pathway, and this requires FAXDC2. Blocking Wnt signaling in Wnt-high cancers causes both differentiation and senescence; and this is prevented by knockout of FAXDC2. Our data shows the integration of three ancient pathways, Wnts, cholesterol synthesis, and RTK/MAPK signaling, in cellular proliferation and differentiation.
Babita Madan, Shawn R. Wadia, Siddhi Patnaik, Nathan Harmston, Emile K.W. Tan, Iain Bee Huat Tan, W. David Nes, Enrico Petretto, David M. Virshup
Cancer cell plasticity contributes to therapy resistance and metastasis, which represent the main causes of cancer-related death, including in breast cancer. The tumor microenvironment drives cancer cell plasticity and metastasis, and unravelling the underlying cues may provide novel strategies to manage metastatic disease. Using breast cancer experimental models and transcriptomic analyses, we showed that stem cell antigen-1 positive (SCA1+) murine breast cancer cells enriched during tumor progression and metastasis had higher in vitro cancer stem cell-like properties, enhanced in vivo metastatic ability, and generated tumors rich in Gr1high Ly6G+CD11b+ cells. In turn, tumor-educated Gr1+CD11b+(Tu-Gr1+CD11b+) cells rapidly and transiently converted low metastatic SCA1- cells into highly metastatic SCA1+ cells via secreted OSM and IL6. JAK inhibition prevented OSM/IL6-induced SCA1+ population enrichment while OSM/IL6 depletion suppressed Tu-Gr1+CD11b+-induced SCA1+ population enrichment in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Moreover, chemotherapy-selected highly metastatic 4T1 cells maintained high SCA1+ positivity through autocrine IL6 production and in vitro JAK inhibition blunted SCA1 positivity and metastatic capacity. Importantly, Tu-Gr1+CD11b+ cells invoked a gene signature in tumor cells predicting shorter OS, RFS and lung metastasis in breast cancer patients. Collectively, our data identified OSM/IL6-JAK as a clinically relevant paracrine/autocrine axis instigating breast cancer cell plasticity and triggering metastasis.
Sanam Peyvandi, Manon Bulliard, Alev Yilmaz, Annamaria Kauzlaric, Rachel Marcone, Lisa Haerri, Oriana Coquoz, Yu-Ting Huang, Nathalie Duffey, Laetitia Gafner, Girieca Lorusso, Nadine Fournier, Qiang Lan, Curzio Rüegg
The combination of targeted therapy with immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is an area of intense interest. We studied the interaction of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibition with ICI in urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder, in which FGFR3 is altered in 50% of cases. Using an FGFR3-driven, Trp53-mutant genetically engineered murine model (UPFL), we demonstrate that UPFL tumors recapitulate the histology and molecular subtype of their FGFR3-altered human counterparts. Additionally, UPFL1 allografts exhibit hyperprogression to ICI associated with an expansion of T regulatory cells (Tregs). Erdafitinib blocked Treg proliferation in vitro, while in vivo ICI-induced Treg expansion was fully abrogated by FGFR inhibition. Combined erdafitinib and ICI resulted in high therapeutic efficacy. In aggregate, our work establishes that, in mice, co-alteration of FGFR3 and Trp53 results in high-grade, non–muscle-invasive UC and presents a previously underappreciated role for FGFR inhibition in blocking ICI-induced Treg expansion.
Atsushi Okato, Takanobu Utsumi, Michela Ranieri, Xingnan Zheng, Mi Zhou, Luiza D. Pereira, Ting Chen, Yuki Kita, Di Wu, Hyesun Hyun, Hyojin Lee, Andrew S. Gdowski, John D. Raupp, Sean Clark-Garvey, Ujjawal Manocha, Alison Chafitz, Fiona Sherman, Janaye Stephens, Tracy L. Rose, Matthew I. Milowsky, Sara E. Wobker, Jonathan S. Serody, Jeffrey S. Damrauer, Kwok-Kin Wong, William Y. Kim
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), a web-like structure of cytosolic and granule proteins assembled on decondensed chromatin, kill pathogens and causes tissue damage in diseases. Whether NETs can kill cancer cells is unexplored. Here, we report that a combination of glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 and 5-FU inhibits the growth of PIK3CA mutant colorectal cancers (CRCs) in xenograft, syngeneic, and genetically engineered mouse models in part through NETs. Disruption of NETs by either DNase I treatment or depletion of neutrophils in CRCs attenuated the efficacy of the drug combination. Moreover, NETs were present in tumor biopsies taken from patients treated with the drug combination in a phase II clinical trial. Increased NET levels in tumors are associated with longer progression-free survival. Mechanistically, the drug combination induced the expression of IL-8 preferentially in PIK3CA mutant CRCs to attract neutrophils into the tumors. Further, the drug combination increased the levels of reactive oxygen species in neutrophils, thereby inducing NETs. Cathepsin G (CTSG), a serine protease localized in NETs, enters CRC cells through the RAGE cell surface protein. The internalized CTSG cleaves 14-3-3 proteins, releases Bax, and triggers apoptosis in CRC cells. Thus, our studies illuminate a previously unrecognized mechanism by which chemotherapy-induced NETs kill cancer cells.
Yamu Li, Sulin Wu, Yiqing Zhao, Trang Dinh, Dongxu Jiang, J. Eva Selfridge, George Myers, Yuxiang Wang, Xuan Zhao, Suzanne L. Tomchuck, George Dubyak, Richard T. Lee, Bassam Estfan, Marc Shapiro, Suneel D. Kamath, Amr Mohamed, Stanley C.-C. Huang, Alex Y. Huang, Ronald A. Conlon, Smitha S. Krishnamurthi, Jennifer R. Eads, Joseph E. Willis, Alok A. Khorana, David L. Bajor, Zhenghe Wang
BACKGROUND. Improving and predicting tumor response to immunotherapy remains challenging. Combination therapy with a transforming growth factor-β receptor (TGF-βR) inhibitor that targets cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is promising to enhance efficacy of immunotherapies. However, the effect of this approach in clinical trials is limited, requiring in vivo methods to better assess tumor responses to combination therapy. METHODS. We measure CAFs in vivo using 68Ga-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (68Ga-FAPI)-04 for PET/CT imaging to guide combination of TGF-β inhibition and immunotherapy. 131 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) underwent 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT imaging. Relationship between uptake of 68Ga-FAPI and tumor immunity was analyzed in patients. Mouse cohorts of metastatic CRC were treated with TGF-βR inhibitor combined with KN046 which blocks PD-L1 and CTLA4, followed with 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-FDG micro-PET/CT imaging to assess tumor responses. RESULTS. Patients with metastatic CRC demonstrated high uptakes of 68Ga-FAPI, along with suppressive tumor immunity and poor prognosis. TGF-βR inhibitor enhanced tumor infiltrating T cells and significantly sensitized metastatic CRC to KN046. 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT imaging accurately monitored the dynamical changes of CAFs and tumor response to combined TGF-βR inhibitor with immunotherapy. CONCLUSION. 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT imaging is powerful in assessing tumor immunity and response to immunotherapy in metastatic CRC. This study supports future clinical application of 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT to guide CRC patients for precise TGF-β inhibition plus immunotherapy, recommending 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-FDG dual PET/CT for CRC management. TRIAL REGISTRATION. CFFSTS Trial, ChiCTR2100053984, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. FUNDING. National Natural Science Foundation of China (82072695, 32270767, 82272035,81972260).
Ke Li, Wei Liu, Hang Yu, Jiwei Chen, Wenxuan Tang, Jianpeng Wang, Ming Qi, Yuyun Sun, Xiaoping Xu, Ji Zhang, Xinxiang Li, Weijian Guo, Xiaoling Li, Shaoli Song, Shuang Tang
Metastasized colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with a poor prognosis and rapid disease progression. Besides hepatic metastasis, peritoneal carcinomatosis is the major cause of death in UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) stage IV CRC patients. Insights into differential site-specific reconstitution of tumour cells and the corresponding tumour microenvironment are still missing. Here, we analysed the transcriptome of single cells derived from murine multivisceral CRC and delineated the inter-metastatic cellular heterogeneity regarding tumour epithelium, stroma and immune cells. Interestingly, we found an intercellular site-specific network of cancer associated fibroblasts and tumour epithelium during peritoneal metastasis as well as an autologous feed-forward loop in cancer stem cells. We furthermore deciphered a metastatic dysfunctional adaptive immunity by a loss of B cell dependent antigen presentation and consecutive effector T cell exhaustion. Furthermore, we demonstrated major similarities of this murine metastatic CRC model with human disease and -based on the results of our analysis- provided an auspicious site-specific immune modulatory treatment approach for stage IV CRC by intraperitoneal checkpoint inhibition.
Christopher Berlin, Bernhard Mauerer, Pierre Cauchy, Jost Luenstedt, Roman Sankowski, Lisa Marx, Reinhild Feuerstein, Luisa Schäfer, Florian R. Greten, Marina Pesic, Olaf Groß, Marco Prinz, Naomi Rühl, Laura Miketiuk, Dominik Jauch, Claudia Laessle, Andreas Jud, Esther A. Biesel, Hannes P. Neeff, Stefan Fichtner-Feigl, Philipp A. Holzner, Rebecca Kesselring
Cell lineage plasticity is one of the major causes for the failure of targeted therapies in various cancers. However, the driver and actionable drug targets in promoting cancer cell lineage plasticity are scarcely identified. Here, we found that a G protein-coupled receptor, ADORA2A, is specifically upregulated during neuroendocrine differentiation, a common form of lineage plasticity in prostate cancer and lung cancer following targeted therapies. Activation of the ADORA2A signaling rewires the proline metabolism via an ERK/MYC/PYCR cascade. Increased proline synthesis promotes deacetylases SIRT6/7-mediated deacetylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27), and thereby biases a global transcriptional output toward a neuroendocrine lineage profile. Ablation of Adora2a in genetically engineered mouse models inhibits the development and progression of neuroendocrine prostate and lung cancers, and, intriguingly, prevents the adenocarcinoma-to-neuroendocrine phenotypic transition. Importantly, pharmacological blockade of ADORA2A profoundly represses neuroendocrine prostate and lung cancer growth in vivo. Therefore, we believe that ADORA2A can be used as a promising therapeutic target to govern the epigenetic reprogramming in neuroendocrine malignancies.
Na Jing, Kai Zhang, Xinyu Chen, Kaiyuan Liu, Jinming Wang, Lingling Xiao, Wentian Zhang, Pengfei Ma, Penghui Xu, Chaping Cheng, Deng Wang, Huifang Zhao, Yuman He, Zhongzhong Ji, Zhixiang Xin, Yujiao Sun, Yingchao Zhang, Wei Bao, Yiming Gong, Liancheng Fan, Yiyi Ji, Guanglei Zhuang, Qi Wang, Baijun Dong, Pengcheng Zhang, Wei Xue, Wei-Qiang Gao, Helen He Zhu
Activation of TGF-β signaling serves as an extrinsic resistance mechanism that limits the potential for radiotherapy. Bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) antagonizes TGF-β signaling and is implicated in cancer progression. However, the molecular mechanisms of BAMBI regulation in immune cells and its impact on antitumor immunity after radiation have not been established. Here, we show that ionizing radiation (IR) specifically reduces BAMBI expression in immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in both murine models and humans. Mechanistically, YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA-binding protein F2 (YTHDF2) directly binds and degrades Bambi transcripts in an N6-methyladenosine–dependent (m6A-dependent) manner, and this relies on NF-κB signaling. BAMBI suppresses the tumor-infiltrating capacity and suppression function of MDSCs via inhibiting TGF-β signaling. Adeno-associated viral delivery of Bambi (AAV-Bambi) to the tumor microenvironment boosts the antitumor effects of radiotherapy and radioimmunotherapy combinations. Intriguingly, combination of AAV-Bambi and IR not only improves local tumor control, but also suppresses distant metastasis, further supporting its clinical translation potential. Our findings uncover a surprising role of BAMBI in myeloid cells, unveiling a potential therapeutic strategy for overcoming extrinsic radioresistance.
Liangliang Wang, Wei Si, Xianbin Yu, Andras Piffko, Xiaoyang Dou, Xingchen Ding, Jason Bugno, Kaiting Yang, Chuangyu Wen, Linda Zhang, Dapeng Chen, Xiaona Huang, Jiaai Wang, Ainhoa Arina, Sean Pitroda, Steven J. Chmura, Chuan He, Hua Laura Liang, Ralph Weichselbaum
Strategies for patient stratification and early intervention are required to improve clinical benefits for patients with prostate cancer. Here, we found that active DHEA utilization in the prostate gland correlated with tumor aggressiveness at early disease stages, and 3βHSD1 inhibitors were promising for early intervention. [3H]-labeled DHEA consumption was traced in fresh prostatic biopsies ex vivo. Active DHEA utilization was more frequently found in patients with metastatic disease or therapy-resistant disease. Genetic and transcriptomic features associated with the potency of prostatic DHEA utilization were analyzed to generate clinically accessible approaches for patient stratification. UBE3D, by regulating 3βHSD1 homeostasis, was discovered to be a regulator of patient metabolic heterogeneity. Equilin suppressed DHEA utilization and inhibited tumor growth as a potent 3βHSD1 antagonist, providing a promising strategy for the early treatment of aggressive prostate cancer. Overall, our findings indicate that patients with active prostatic DHEA utilization might benefit from 3βHSD1 inhibitors as early intervention.
Xuebin Zhang, Zengming Wang, Shengsong Huang, Dongyin He, Weiwei Yan, Qian Zhuang, Zixian Wang, Chenyang Wang, Qilong Tan, Ziqun Liu, Tao Yang, Ying Liu, Ruobing Ren, Jing Li, William Butler, Huiru Tang, Gong-Hong Wei, Xin Li, Denglong Wu, Zhenfei Li
Amanda Macamo, Jan Beckervordersandforth, Axel zur Hausen