Project description:The nucleotide analogue azacitidine (AZA) interferes with RNA and DNA metabolism and is currently the best treatment option for a subset of patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. However, only half of treated patients respond and almost all patients that initially respond eventually relapse. Thus, response-predicting biomarkers and new treatment options are urgently needed to improve the clinical management of these patients. Here, we performed a loss-of-function shRNA screen in combination with AZA treatment in a MDS-derived AML cell line to identify chromatin regulators affecting drug response. We identified the histone acetyl transferase and transcriptional co-activator CBP as a major regulator of AZA sensitivity. Compounds inhibiting the enzymatic activity of CBP synergistically reduced viability of MDS-derived AML cell lines when combined with AZA. Surprisingly, this affect was specific for the RNA-dependent functions of AZA and not observed with the related compound decitabine that is limited to DNA incorporation. The identification of immediate target genes suggested that the effect of CBP inhibition is mediated by downregulation of genes encoding the translational machinery, which could be confirmed in proteomic analysis of nascent proteins. Furthermore, proteins most affected by CBP inhibition include key drivers of cycle progression. Taken together, our results identify a novel synergistic interaction between CBP inhibitors and specifically AZA that warrants further evaluation for the combinatorial treatment of high-risk MDS patients. Beyond the scope of MDS and AZA, we provide novel insight in the function of clinically promising CBP inhibitors that is related to unexpected interference with the translational machinery.
Project description:Stable Ba/F3 transfectants with FUS-ERG were repeatedly exposed with Aza in a clinical administration manner of 7-days treatment and 21-days interval to investigate Aza sensitivity. RNA-seq was performed when Aza susceptibility began to change and identified genes with altered expression or transcript variants.
Project description:The whole exome sequencing experiment is part of the study: “Analysis of 5-azacytidine resistance models reveals a set of targetable pathways”. In the study we generated myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML) OCI-M2 cell lines as well as patient-derived bone marrow cell lines that are resistant to hypomethylating therapy by 5-azacytidine (AZA). By integrated analysis of expression and mutation data obtained from these samples we have identified multiple signaling pathways whose modulation by specific small molecule inhibitors significantly block proliferation of AZA-resistant cell lines without increasing their sensitivity to AZA. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms which characterize the AZA-R phenotype can be used for broadening therapeutic options at progressing states during AZA therapy.
Project description:Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are diseases of abnormal hematopoietic differentiation with aberrant epigenetic alterations. Azacitidine (AZA) is a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DNMTi) widely used to treat MDS and AML, yet the impact of AZA on the cell surface proteome has not been defined. To identify potential therapeutic targets for use in combination with AZA in AML patients, we investigated the effects of AZA treatment on four AML cell lines representing different stages of differentiation. The effect of AZA treatment on these cell lines was characterized at three levels: the DNA methylome, the transcriptome, and the cell surface proteome. Untreated AML cell lines showed substantial overlap at all three omics level; however, while AZA treatment globally reduced DNA methylation in all cell lines, changes in the transcriptome and surface proteome were subtle and differed among the cell lines. Transcriptome analysis identified five commonly up-regulated coding genes upon AZA treatment in all four cell lines, TRPM4 being the only gene encoding a surface protein, and surface proteomics analysis found no commonly regulated proteins. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of differentially-regulated RNA and surface proteins showed a decrease in metabolism pathways and an increase in immune defense response pathways. As such, AZA treatment led to diverse effects at the individual gene and protein level but converged to common responses at the pathway level. Given the heterogeneous responses in the four cell lines, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies for AML in combinations with AZA.
Project description:Initial screening for potential metastases suppressors down regulated by methylation was performed using lung cancer cell line models specific for site-specific metastasation. Gene expression profiling and qRT-PCR validations were conducted on tumor tissues from primary lung cancer (LC) and brain metastasis. HERC5 was further characterized for the methylation pattern. Three human lung cancer cell lines H1993, H1395 and were compared to the (SV40)-transformed human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B in order to find genes, which might be specifically involved in brain metastasis formation. The cell lines were treated with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine in order to find genes potentially down regulated by methylation. The non-tumorigenic cell line BEAS-2B was used to control for stress response after the treatment with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine.
Project description:Esophageal cancers (ECs) are highly aggressive tumors with poor prognosis and few treatment options. This study investigated the possibility of treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) cells by inhibitors of broad and specific histone deacetylases (HDACi; SAHA, MS-275, FK228) and/or of DNMT (Azacytidine, AZA). Drug targets (HDAC1,2,3 and DNMT1) were present in non-neoplastic (HET-1A), ESCC (OE21) and EAC (OE33) cell lines. All cell lines responded to HDACi by reduced HDAC activity and increased histone acetylation as well as to AZA by up-regulation of p21. Expression of drug targets remained largely unaffected by HDACi and AZA treatment. Importantly, cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle dynamics and DNA damage were only affected by HDACi and/or AZA in ESCC and EAC, but not the non-neoplastic cells. This was specifically seen for the combination of MS-275 and AZA, leading to enhanced cancer cell selectivity and drug efficiency. By transcriptome analyses of MS-275, AZA and MS-275/AZA treated cells, known (e.g. p21) as well as novel regulated genes significantly associated with the cellular effects post HDACi and/or AZA treatment in ESCC and EAC cells were identified. Finally, human EC tissue specimens frequently expressed the actionable drug targets HDAC1/2/3 and DNMT1. In summary, a combined HDACi (MS-275)/AZA treatment is cancer cell selective and efficient in vitro. Since the majority of ECs express the drug targets in situ, this paves the way for further investigations of HDACi/AZA treatment in esophageal cancer cells and their translation into a clinico-pathological setting.
Project description:The nucleotide analogue azacitidine interferes with RNA and DNA metabolism and is currently the best treatment option for a subset of patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. However, only half of treated patients respond and almost all patients that initially respond eventually relapse. We performed an optimized loss-of-function shRNA screen in combination with azacitidine treatment in an MDS-derived acute myeloid leukemia cell line to identify chromatin regulators affecting drug response. We identified CBP, as a major regulator of azacitidine sensitivity. Compounds inhibiting the enzymatic activity of CBP synergistically reduced viability of MDS-derived AML cell lines when combined with AZA. Surprisingly, this effect was specific for the RNA-dependent functions of AZA and not observed with the related compound decitabine that is limited to DNA incorporation. The identification of immediate target genes suggested that the effect of CBP inhibition is mediated by downregulation of genes encoding the translational machinery, which could be confirmed in proteomic analysis of nascent proteins. Furthermore, proteins most affected by CBP inhibition include key drivers of cell cycle progression.
Project description:The nucleotide analogue azacitidine interferes with RNA and DNA metabolism and is currently the best treatment option for a subset of patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes. However, only half of treated patients respond and almost all patients that initially respond eventually relapse. We performed an optimized loss-of-function shRNA screen in combination with azacitidine treatment in an MDS-derived acute myeloid leukemia cell line to identify chromatin regulators affecting drug response. We identified CBP, as a major regulator of azacitidine sensitivity. Compounds inhibiting the enzymatic activity of CBP synergistically reduced viability of MDS-derived AML cell lines when combined with AZA. Surprisingly, this effect was specific for the RNA-dependent functions of AZA and not observed with the related compound decitabine that is limited to DNA incorporation. The identification of immediate target genes suggested that the effect of CBP inhibition is mediated by downregulation of genes encoding the translational machinery, which could be confirmed in proteomic analysis of nascent proteins. Furthermore, proteins most affected by CBP inhibition include key drivers of cell cycle progression.
Project description:Human scrotum and labia majora samples treated with DHT and/or AZA A compound treatment design type is where the response to administration of a compound or chemical (including biological compounds such as hormones) is assayed. Compound Based Treatment: dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 5-aza-deoxy-cytidine (AZA), none or both Cell Line: normal scrotum or labia majora derived from complete androgen insensitivity syndrome due to inactivating mutation of the androgen receptor gene