Project description:Purpose: More than 90% of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) die within 2 years of diagnosis. There is a dire need to identify therapeutic targets, however lack of patient material for research has limited progress. We evaluated a large cohort of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) to identify recurrent genomic abnormalities and gene expression signatures underlying DIPG. Patients and Methods: We used single nucleotide polymorphism arrays to evaluate genomic copy number imbalances in 43 DIPGs from 40 patients and in 8 low-grade exophytic brainstem gliomas. Gene expression arrays were used to evaluate expression signatures from 27 DIPGs, 6 low-grade exophytic brainstem gliomas and 66 low-grade gliomas arising outside the brainstem. Results: Frequencies of specific large-scale and focal imbalances varied significantly between DIPGs and pediatric glioblastomas outside the brainstem. Focal amplifications of genes within the receptor tyrosine kinase-Ras-PI3-kinase signaling pathway were found in 47% of DIPG, with PDGFRA and MET showing the highest frequency. 30% of DIPG contained focal amplifications of cell-cycle regulatory genes controlling RB phosphorylation, and 21% had concurrent amplification of genes from both pathways. Some tumors showed heterogeneity in amplification patterns. DIPGs showed distinct gene expression signatures relating to developmental processes compared to pediatric glioblastomas arising outside the brainstem, while expression signatures of low-grade exophytic brainstem gliomas were similar to low-grade gliomas outside the brainstem. Copy number analaysis: 43 DIPG samples, 8 Low Grade Gliomas using SNP6.0. Available matched normals are also profiled with SNP6.0. Expression analysis: 29 DIPG samples, 6 Low grade samples Please contact Suzanne Baker at Suzanne.Baker@stjude.org for CEL files and genotype calls.
Project description:The outcome for children with high-grade gliomas (HGG) remains dismal, with a two-year survival rate of only 10-30%. Approximately half of pediatric HGGs are diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a brainstem tumor that arises almost exclusively in children. Genome-wide analyses of copy number imbalances previously showed that platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) is the most frequent target of focal amplification in pediatric HGGs. To determine whether the PDGFRA is also targeted by more subtle mutations not detected by copy number analysis, we sequenced all PDGFRA coding exons from a cohort of pediatric HGGs. Somatic activating mutations were identified in 14.4% (13/90) of non-brainstem pediatric HGGs and 4.7% (2/43) of DIPGs, including missense mutations and in-frame deletions and insertions not previously described. 40% of tumors with mutation showed concurrent amplification, while 60% carried heterozygous mutations. Six different mutations impacting different domains all resulted in ligand-independent receptor activation that was blocked by small molecule inhibitors of PDGFR. Expression of mutants in p53-null primary mouse astrocytes conferred a proliferative advantage in vitro, and generated HGGs in vivo with complete penetrance when implanted into brain. The gene expression signatures reflected the spectrum of human diffuse HGGs. PDGFRA intragenic deletion of exons 8 and 9 were previously shown in adult HGG, but were not detected in 83 non-brainstem pediatric HGG and 57 DIPGs. Thus, a distinct spectrum of mutations confers constitutive receptor activation and oncogenic activity to PDGFR in childhood HGG. To better understand the consequence of PDGFRα mutation in pediatric gliomagenesis, retroviral constructs expressing wild-type PDGFRα or six selected PDGFRα mutants that affect different regions of the receptor were generated for functional studies. p53-null primary mouse astrocyte (PMA) cultures were chosen as a relevant cellular background to assess PDGFRα function.
Project description:The recent discovery of mutations in metabolic enzymes has rekindled interest in harnessing the altered metabolism of cancer cells for cancer therapy. One potential drug target is isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) which is mutated in multiple human cancers. Here, we examine the role of mutant IDH1 in fully transformed cells with endogenous IDH1 mutations. A selective R132H-IDH1 inhibitor (AGI-5198) identified through a high-throughput screen dose-dependently blocked the ability of the mutant enzyme (mIDH1) to produce R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2HG). Under conditions of near complete R-2HG inhibition, the mIDH1 inhibitor induced demethylation of histone H3K9M3 and expression of genes associated with gliogenic differentiation. Blockade of mIDH1 impaired the growth of IDH1-mutant - but not IDH1-wildtype – glioma cells without appreciable changes in genome wide DNA methylation. These data suggest that mIDH1 may promote glioma growth through mechanisms beyond its well-characterized epigenetic effects. Xenograft experiments were carried out with treatment cohorts of vehicle, 150mg/kg/day, 450mg/kg/day. After the indicated tumors were harvested and genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed by the Illumina 450k Methylation array.
Project description:Purpose: More than 90% of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) die within 2 years of diagnosis. There is a dire need to identify therapeutic targets, however lack of patient material for research has limited progress. We evaluated a large cohort of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) to identify recurrent genomic abnormalities and gene expression signatures underlying DIPG. Patients and Methods: We used single nucleotide polymorphism arrays to evaluate genomic copy number imbalances in 43 DIPGs from 40 patients and in 8 low-grade exophytic brainstem gliomas. Gene expression arrays were used to evaluate expression signatures from 27 DIPGs, 6 low-grade exophytic brainstem gliomas and 66 low-grade gliomas arising outside the brainstem. Results: Frequencies of specific large-scale and focal imbalances varied significantly between DIPGs and pediatric glioblastomas outside the brainstem. Focal amplifications of genes within the receptor tyrosine kinase-Ras-PI3-kinase signaling pathway were found in 47% of DIPG, with PDGFRA and MET showing the highest frequency. 30% of DIPG contained focal amplifications of cell-cycle regulatory genes controlling RB phosphorylation, and 21% had concurrent amplification of genes from both pathways. Some tumors showed heterogeneity in amplification patterns. DIPGs showed distinct gene expression signatures relating to developmental processes compared to pediatric glioblastomas arising outside the brainstem, while expression signatures of low-grade exophytic brainstem gliomas were similar to low-grade gliomas outside the brainstem.
Project description:Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is an aggressive and poor prognosis malignancy for which there are few effective targeted approaches, despite the numerous genetic alterations, including MLL gene rearrangements (MLL-r). The histone methyltransferase DOT1L is involved in supporting proliferation of MLL-r cells, for which a target inhibitor, Pinometostat, has been evaluated in a clinical trial recruiting pediatric MLL-r leukemic patients. However, modest clinical effects have been reported. Recent studies reported that additional leukemia subtypes lacking MLL-r are sensitive to DOT1L inhibition. Here we report that targeting DOT1L with Pinometostat sensitizes pediatric AML cells to further treatment with the multi-kinase inhibitor Sorafenib, irrespectively of MLL-r. DOT1L pharmacologic inhibition induces AML cell differentiation and modulated expression of genes with relevant roles in cancer development. Such modifications in transcriptional program impact on further treatments, inducing a strong sensitization to Sorafenib, with increased apoptosis and growth suppression of both AML cell lines and primary pediatric AML cells with diverse genotypes. We used microarrays to define differential regulation of gene expression in AML cell lines with or without MLL gene rearrangements following pharmacologic inhibition of DOT1L.
Project description:LSD1 (also known as KDM1A) is a histone demethylase and a key regulator of gene expression in embryonic stem cells and cancer.1,2 LSD1 was initially identified as a transcriptional repressor via its demethylation of active histone H3 marks (di-methyl lysine 4 [2MK4]).1 In prostate cancer, specifically, LSD1 also co-localizes with the AR and demethylates repressive 2MK9 histone marks from androgen-responsive AR target genes, facilitating androgen-mediated induction of AR-regulated gene expression and androgen-induced proliferation in androgen-dependent cancers. We report here that the LSD1 protein is universally upregulated in human CRPC and promotes survival of CRPC cell lines. This effect is explained in part by LSD1-induced activation of cell cycle and embryonic stem cell gene setsâgene sets enriched in transcriptomal studies of lethal human tumors. Importantly, despite the fact that many of these genes are direct LSD1 targets, we did not observe histone methylation changes at the LSD1-bound regions, demonstrating non-canonical histone demethylation-independent mechanisms of gene regulation. This ChIP-seq dataset included H3K4me2 and H3K9me2 ChIP-seq data for siRNA target against LSD1 and non-targeting control, as well as SP2509 inhibition of LSD1 and mock treatment 4 conditions: siRNA against LSD1, siRNA against luciferase (non-targeting control); SP2509 inhibition of LSD1, mock treatment. There are 2 replicates per condition.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE22477: PHF8 mediates histone demethylation events in cell cycle progression [expression] GSE22478: PHF8 mediates histone demethylation events in cell cycle progression [ChIP-Seq] Refer to individual Series
Project description:The recent discovery of mutations in metabolic enzymes has rekindled interest in harnessing the altered metabolism of cancer cells for cancer therapy. One potential drug target is isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) which is mutated in multiple human cancers. Here, we examine the role of mutant IDH1 in fully transformed cells with endogenous IDH1 mutations. A selective R132H-IDH1 inhibitor (AGI-5198) identified through a high-throughput screen dose-dependently blocked the ability of the mutant enzyme (mIDH1) to produce R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2HG). Under conditions of near complete R-2HG inhibition, the mIDH1 inhibitor induced demethylation of histone H3K9M3 and expression of genes associated with gliogenic differentiation. Blockade of mIDH1 impaired the growth of IDH1-mutant - but not IDH1-wildtype – glioma cells without appreciable changes in genome wide DNA methylation. These data suggest that mIDH1 may promote glioma growth through mechanisms beyond its well-characterized epigenetic effects. Two xenograft experiments were carried out, one with treatment cohorts of vehicle and 450mg/kg, and the other with vehicle, 150mg/kg/day, and 450mg/kg/day. After the indicated time tumors were harvested and total RNA was extracted and analyzed by the Affymetrix U133 plus 2 array.