Project description:Medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, is defined by four molecular subgroups (Wnt, Shh, Group 3, Group 4) based on transcriptional and epigenetic profiles. Wnt MB accounts for 10% of cases with the majority harboring somatic CTNNB1 mutations and chromosomal alterations for monosomy 6. Clinically, Wnt MBs have the most favorable prognosis with a >95% 5-year survivorship. By contrast, non-Wnt MBs are characterized by metastatic disease, increased rates of recurrence, and intermediate-poor overall survivorship. Given that Wnt MBs represent the only subgroup in which metastasis is not indicative of a poor prognosis, it has been suggested that Wnt signaling may contribute to their remarkable response to therapy. Using primary patient-derived MB brain tumor-initiating cell (BTIC) lines, we have characterized intrinsic differences in the tumor-initiating capacity of Wnt and non-Wnt MBs. In this work, we aimed to discover if Wnt activation in non-Wnt MBs could serve as a rationale for therapy employing a novel substrate-competitive peptide Wnt agonist. Our preclinical work establishes activated Wnt signaling as an innovative treatment paradigm with high clinical utility in childhood MB and provides evidence for the context-specific tumor suppressive function of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Project description:The childhood brain tumour medulloblastoma includes four subtypes with very different prognoses. Here, we show that paracrine signals driven by mutant Beta-Catenin in WNT-medulloblastoma â an essentially curable form of the disease â induce an aberrant fenestrated vasculature that permits the accumulation of high levels of intra-tumoural chemotherapy and a robust therapeutic response. In contrast, SHH-medulloblastoma â a less curable disease subtype â contains an intact blood brain barrier, rendering this tumour impermeable and resistant to chemotherapy. Remarkably, the medulloblastoma-endothelial cell paracrine axis can be manipulated in vivo, altering chemotherapy permeability and clinical response. Thus, medulloblastoma genotype dictates tumour vessel phenotype, explaining in part the disparate prognoses among medulloblastoma subtypes and suggesting an approach to enhance the chemoresponsiveness of other brain tumours. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression within endothelial cells from normal mouse hindbrain and genetic mouse models of different medulloblastoma subtypes to identify and verify up-regulated and down-regulated genes Endothelial cells were isolated from adult mouse hindbrain and genetic mouse models of Wnt and Shh-medulloblastoma using Cd-144 and Cd-105 antibodies based magnetic sorting. RNA was extracted and used for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to identify changes in endothelial gene expression patterns based on the surrounding microenvironment, so we purified endothelial cells from normal mouse brain or tumors from genetic mouse models. These include the Shh-medulloblastoma model (Ptch+/-; Ink4c -/-) and Wnt-medulloblastoma model (Blbp-Cre; mutant Ctnnb1+/-; p53-/-; mutant Pik3ca +/-)
Project description:The childhood brain tumour medulloblastoma includes four subtypes with very different prognoses. Here, we show that paracrine signals driven by mutant Beta-Catenin in WNT-medulloblastoma – an essentially curable form of the disease – induce an aberrant fenestrated vasculature that permits the accumulation of high levels of intra-tumoural chemotherapy and a robust therapeutic response. In contrast, SHH-medulloblastoma – a less curable disease subtype – contains an intact blood brain barrier, rendering this tumour impermeable and resistant to chemotherapy. Remarkably, the medulloblastoma-endothelial cell paracrine axis can be manipulated in vivo, altering chemotherapy permeability and clinical response. Thus, medulloblastoma genotype dictates tumour vessel phenotype, explaining in part the disparate prognoses among medulloblastoma subtypes and suggesting an approach to enhance the chemoresponsiveness of other brain tumours. We used microarrays to detail the global program of gene expression within endothelial cells from normal mouse hindbrain and genetic mouse models of different medulloblastoma subtypes to identify and verify up-regulated and down-regulated genes
Project description:Medulloblastoma is a malignant childhood brain tumour comprising four discrete subgroups. To identify mutations that drive medulloblastoma we sequenced the entire genomes of 37 tumours and matched normal blood. One hundred and thirty-six genes harbouring somatic mutations in this discovery set were sequenced in an additional 56 medulloblastomas. Recurrent mutations were detected in 41 genes not yet implicated in medulloblastoma: several target distinct components of the epigenetic machinery in different disease subgroups, e.g., regulators of H3K27 and H3K4 trimethylation in subgroup-3 and 4 (e.g., KDM6A and ZMYM3), and CTNNB1-associated chromatin remodellers in WNT-subgroup tumours (e.g., SMARCA4 and CREBBP). Modelling of mutations in mouse lower rhombic lip progenitors that generate WNT-subgroup tumours, identified genes that maintain this cell lineage (DDX3X) as well as mutated genes that initiate (CDH1) or cooperate (PIK3CA) in tumourigenesis. These data provide important new insights into the pathogenesis of medulloblastoma subgroups and highlight targets for therapeutic development. A total of 76 pediatric medulloblastoma samples were analyzed, representing 4 expression classes
Project description:Medulloblastoma encompasses a collection of clinically and molecularly diverse tumor subtypes that together comprise the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. These tumors are thought to arise within the cerebellum, with approximately 25% originating from granule neuron precursor cells (GNPCs) following aberrant activation of the Sonic Hedgehog pathway (hereafter, SHH-subtype). The pathological processes that drive heterogeneity among the other medulloblastoma subtypes are not known, hindering the development of much needed new therapies. Here, we provide evidence that a discrete subtype of medulloblastoma that contains activating mutations in the WNT pathway effector CTNNB1 (hereafter, WNT-subtype), arises outside the cerebellum from cells of the dorsal brainstem. We found that genes marking human WNT-subtype medulloblastomas are more frequently expressed in the lower rhombic lip (LRL) and embryonic dorsal brainstem than in the upper rhombic lip (URL) and developing cerebellum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intra-operative reports showed that human WNT-subtype tumors infiltrate the dorsal brainstem, while SHH-subtype tumors are located within the cerebellar hemispheres. Activating mutations in Ctnnb1 had little impact on progenitor cell populations in the cerebellum, but caused the abnormal accumulation of cells on the embryonic dorsal brainstem that included aberrantly proliferating Zic1+ precursor cells. These lesions persisted in all mutant adult mice and in 15% of cases in which Tp53 was concurrently deleted, progressed to form medulloblastomas that recapitulated the anatomy and gene expression profiles of human WNT-subtype medulloblastoma. We provide the first evidence that subtypes of medulloblastoma have distinct cellular origins. Our data provide an explanation for the marked molecular and clinical differences between SHH and WNT-subtype medulloblastomas and have profound implications for future research and treatment of this important childhood cancer. A total of 16 samples are analyzed, repsresenting 4 experimental groups: Ctnnb1 medulloblastoma (3 samples); Ptch1 medulloblastoma (6 samples); embryonic dorsal brainstem (4 samples); and postnatal granule neuron precursor cells (3 samples). Every sample was prepared from a different mouse.
Project description:We examined the transformation susceptibility of different cerebellar stem/progenitors by developing several new Group3 medulloblastoma murine models using orthotopic transplantation and in utero electroporation (EP)-based in vivo gene transfer with Cre/LoxP-mediated conditional Myc gene activation and loss of Trp53 function. We used microarrays to compared the transcriptome of these novel Group3 medulloblastoma mouse models to existing mouse models of medulloblastoma subgroups and used cross-species analysis to compare these models to human medulloblastoma subgroups This study aimed to investigate the cell of origin of Group3 MB using our orthotopical MYC model followed by a novel electroporation approach. Orthotopic cell-lineage specific MYC tumors were generated by enforced Myc expression in P6 GNPs isolated from P0-1 tamoxifen treated [Atoh1-CreER;Trp53fl/-] and [Prom1-CreER;Trp53fl/-] mice followed by cortical implants in immunocompromised mice. These tumors are referred to as Atoh1ER-MYC [dka072-075], Prom1-CreER [dka077-081]. The first Group3 MB models in which tumors developed in situ were generated by electroporation of plasmids containing Myc and dominant negative Trp53 flanked by loxP sites into the fourth ventricle of E13.5 Blbp-Cre [dka081, 087, 089, 090, 091 and blm121], Gad2-IRES-Cre [blm128-130 and blm134] and Ptf1a-Cre [blm135-137] mouse embryos. The gene expression profile of these tumors were compared to our previously published Group3 MB model as well as SHH and WNT models of medulloblastoma. For SHH subgroup medulloblastoma, [dka001-005, 009, 033 and 034] and [dka050-057], spontaneous medulloblastomas from [Cdkn2c-/-; Trp53Fl/Fl; Nestin-Cre] and [Cdkn2c-/-; Ptch1+/-] (Uziel et al.,2005 Genes Dev) were used, respectively. For Group3 medulloblastomas, [dka013-16, 049 and 065-067], in which Myc was overexpressed in Cdkn2c-/-, Trp53-/- cerebellar cells and implanted into the cortices of immunocompromised nude mice prior to tumor isolation. For WNT subgroup medulloblastomas [pgr003, 016 and 066], spontaneously developed tumors from CTNNB1+/lox (ex3); BLBP-Cre; Trp53Fl/Fl (Gibson et al., 2010, Nature) were removed for RNA extraction.
Project description:Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of many cancers, including medulloblastoma and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). In this study, using neonatally irradiated Ptch1+/- mice as a model of Hh-dependent tumors, we investigated the in vivo effects of MK-4101, a novel SMO antagonist, for treatment of medulloblastoma and BCC. Results clearly demonstrate a robust antitumor activity of MK-4101, achieved through the inhibition of proliferation and induction of extensive apoptosis in tumor cells. Of note, beside antitumor activity on transplanted tumors, MK-4101 was highly efficacious against primary medulloblastoma and BCC developing in the cerebellum and skin of Ptch1+/- mice. By identifying the changes induced by MK-4101 in gene expression profiles in tumors, we also elucidate the mechanism of action of this novel, orally administrable compound. MK-4101 targets the Hh pathway in the tumor cells, showing the maximum inhibitory effect on Gli1 activity. MK-4101 also induced deregulation of cell cycle and block of DNA replication in tumors. Members of the IGF and Wnt signaling pathways , were among the most highly deregulated genes by MK-4101, suggesting that the interplay among Hh, IGF and Wnt is crucial in Hh-dependent tumorigenesis. Altogether, the results of this preclinical study support a therapeutic opportunity for MK-4101 in the treatment of Hh-driven cancers, also providing useful information for combination therapy with drugs targeting pathways cooperating with Hh oncogenic activity. Gene expression data was generated (in replicates) from Medulloblastoma allografts collected at various time points and following low (40mpk) or high (80 mpk) or vehicle single dose (QD) or mutiple dose (BID) treatment with a SHH pathway inhibitor.
Project description:<p>Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant brain tumors in children. Identifying and understanding the genetic events that drive these tumors is critical for the development of more effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies. Recently, our group and others described distinct molecular subtypes of medulloblastoma based on transcriptional and copy number profiles. Here, we utilized whole exome hybrid capture and Illumina sequencing to identify somatic mutations across the coding regions of 92 primary medulloblastoma/normal pairs. Overall, medulloblastomas exhibit low mutation rates consistent with other pediatric tumors, with a median of 0.35 non-silent mutations per megabase. We identified twelve genes mutated at statistically significant frequencies, including previously known mutated genes in medulloblastoma such as <i>CTNNB1</i>, <i>PTCH1</i>, <i>MLL2</i>, <i>SMARCA4</i> and <i>TP53</i>. Recurrent somatic mutations were identified in an RNA helicase gene, <i>DDX3X</i>, often concurrent with <i>CTNNB1</i> mutations, and in the nuclear co-repressor (N-CoR) complex genes <i>GPS2</i>, <i>BCOR</i>, and <i>LDB1</i>, to our knowledge novel findings in medulloblastoma and all cancer. We show that mutant <i>DDX3X</i> potentiates transactivation of a TCF promoter and enhances cell viability in combination with mutant but not wild type beta-catenin. Together, our study reveals the alteration of Wnt, Hedgehog, histone methyltransferase and now <i>N-CoR</i> pathways across medulloblastomas and nominates the RNA helicase <i>DDX3X</i> as a component of pathogenic beta-catenin signaling in medulloblastoma.</p> <p>"Reprinted from 'MEDULLOBLASTOMA EXOME SEQUENCING UNCOVERS SUBTYPE-SPECIFIC SOMATIC MUTATION', with permission from Nature" </p>
Project description:Medulloblastoma is a malignant childhood brain tumour comprising four discrete subgroups. To identify mutations that drive medulloblastoma we sequenced the entire genomes of 37 tumours and matched normal blood. One hundred and thirty-six genes harbouring somatic mutations in this discovery set were sequenced in an additional 56 medulloblastomas. Recurrent mutations were detected in 41 genes not yet implicated in medulloblastoma: several target distinct components of the epigenetic machinery in different disease subgroups, e.g., regulators of H3K27 and H3K4 trimethylation in subgroup-3 and 4 (e.g., KDM6A and ZMYM3), and CTNNB1-associated chromatin remodellers in WNT-subgroup tumours (e.g., SMARCA4 and CREBBP). Modelling of mutations in mouse lower rhombic lip progenitors that generate WNT-subgroup tumours, identified genes that maintain this cell lineage (DDX3X) as well as mutated genes that initiate (CDH1) or cooperate (PIK3CA) in tumourigenesis. These data provide important new insights into the pathogenesis of medulloblastoma subgroups and highlight targets for therapeutic development.