Project description:We applied DNA content flow cytometry to a series of adenosquamous cancer of the pancreas (ASCP) tumor samples and patient derived xenografts (PDXs). We interrogated purified sorted tumor fractions from each sample with whole genome copy number variant (CNV) and whole exome sequencing (WES) analyses. These identified a variety of somatic genomic lesions targeting chromatin regulators in ASCP genomes that were superimposed on well characterized genomic lesions including mutations in KRAS and TP53, homozygous deletion of CDKN2A, and amplification of c-MYC, that are common in PDACs. Furthermore, a comparison of ATAC-seq profiles of ASCP and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) genomes using flow sorted PDX models distinguished genes with accessible chromatin in ASCP genomes including the lysine methyltransferase SMYD2, the pancreatic cancer stem cell driver RORγ, and a FGFR1-ERLIN2 fusion associated with focal CNVs in both genes. Organoids derived from these models were used to screen compounds of interest. Notably a FGFR inhibitor had significant activity against the FGFR1-ERLIN2 fusion positive PDX.
Project description:We applied DNA content flow cytometry to a series of adenosquamous cancer of the pancreas (ASCP) tumor samples and patient derived xenografts (PDXs). We interrogated purified sorted tumor fractions from each sample with whole genome copy number variant (CNV) and whole exome sequencing (WES) analyses. These identified a variety of somatic genomic lesions targeting chromatin regulators in ASCP genomes that were superimposed on well characterized genomic lesions including mutations in KRAS and TP53, homozygous deletion of CDKN2A, and amplification of c-MYC, that are common in PDACs. Furthermore, a comparison of ATAC-seq profiles of ASCP and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) genomes using flow sorted PDX models distinguished genes with accessible chromatin in ASCP genomes including the lysine methyltransferase SMYD2, the pancreatic cancer stem cell driver RORγ, and a FGFR1-ERLIN2 fusion associated with focal CNVs in both genes. Organoids derived from these models were used to screen compounds of interest. Notably a FGFR inhibitor had significant activity against the FGFR1-ERLIN2 fusion positive PDX.
Project description:We have generated a collection of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models and characterized them at the molecular level to facilitate precision oncology. Surgically resected HCC specimens were subcutaneously implanted in immunodeficient mice. Resulting xenografts were serially implanted to establish transplantable PDX models, which were sequentially subject to whole exome sequencing (WES), gene expression array, genome-wide human single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array 6.0, and serum a–fetoprotein (AFP) detection assay. The feasibility as a preclinical model was validated by efficacy studies using a standard-of-care (SOC) and a targeted agent, respectively.
Project description:Engraftment of primary pancreas ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) in mice to generate patient derived xenograft (PDX) models is a promising platform to for biological and therapeutic studies in this disease. However, these models are still incompletely characterized. Here, we measured the impact of the murine environment on the gene expression of the engrafted human tumoral cells. We have analyzed gene expression profiles from 35 new PDX models and compared them with previously published microarray data from PDAC and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our results showed that PDX models derived from PDAC, or HCC, were clearly different to the cell lines derived from the same cancer tissues. Indeed, PDAC- and HCC-derived cell lines are indistinguishable one from the other based in their gene expression profiles. In contrast, the transcriptomes of PDAC and HCC PDX models are clearly different and more similar to their original tumor than to PDX models from the other tumor type. Interestingly, the main differences between pancreatic PDX models and human PDAC is the expression of genes involved in pathways related with extracellular matrix interactions and cell cycle regulation likely reflecting the adaptations of the tumors to the new environment. Furthermore, most of these differences are detected in the first passages after the tumor engraftment, indicating early phases of the adaptation process. In conclusion, different from conventional cancer cell lines, PDX models of PDAC retain similar gene expression profiles of PDAC. Expression changes are mainly related to genes involved in stromal pathways likely reflecting the adaptation to new environments. We also provide evidence of the stability of gene expression patterns over subsequent passages. We have analyzed gene expression profiles from 35 new PDX models and compared them with previously published in GEO microarray data. We used PDX models, primary tumors and cell lines from PDAC and hepatocellular carcinoma. All these public data were re-process in order to compare with our 35 samples
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the worst prognosis of all common cancers, but divergent outcomes are apparent between patients. To delineate the intertumor heterogeneity that contributes to this, we aimed to identify clinically distinct gene expression-based subgroups. From a cohort of 345 resected pancreatic cancer cases, 90 samples with confirmed diagnosis of PDAC and sufficient tumor content were available for gene expression analysis by RNA sequencing. Unsupervised classification was applied, and a classifier was constructed. Species-specific transcript analysis on matching patient-derived xenografts (PDX, N=14) allowed construction of tumor- and stroma-specific classifiers for use on PDX models and cell lines.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a very poor prognosis, and new therapies and preclinical models are urgently needed. We developed patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), established PDX-derived cell lines (PDCLs), and generated cell line-derived xenografts (CDXs), and integrated these to create 13 matched trios, as systematic models for this cancer. Orthotopic implantation (OI) of PDCLs showed tumorigenesis and metastases to the liver and peritoneum. Morphological comparisons of OI-CDX and OI-PDX with passaged tumors showed that histopathological features of the original tumor were maintained in both models. Molecular alterations in PDX tumors (including those to KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, and CDKN2A) were similar to those in the respective PDCLs and CDX tumors. Comparing gene expression in PDCLs, ectopic tumors, and OI tumors, CXCR4 and CXCL12 genes were specifically upregulated in OI tumors, whose immunohistochemical profiles suggested epithelial-mesenchymal transition and adeno-squamous trans-differentiation. These patient-derived tumor models provide useful tools for preclinical research into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We performed comprehensive gene expression profiling of 13 pancreatic cancer cell lines, 14 CDX and 14 PDX tumors by Affymetrix Gene Chip HG-U133Plus2.0.
Project description:RNA-Seq and a species-specific mapping strategy were used to profile the human and mouse transcriptomes of tumour samples taken from 79 PDX models representing multiple cancer types (19 x breast, 37 x lung, 8 x colorectal, 7 x ovarian, 3 x endometrial, 2 x pancreatic, 2 x ampullary, 1 x leukaemia).