Project description:We investigated the therapeutic potential of BET inhibition to target ESR1 mutation-induced “transcriptional addiction” in ER-positive breast cancer. Our studies show that ESR1 mutant (Y537S and D538G) cells activate unique transcriptional programs that are targeted by OTX015, a BET inhibitor
Project description:Bromodomain inhibition comprises a promising therapeutic strategy in cancer, particularly for hematologic malignancies. To date, however, genomic biomarkers to direct clinical translation have been lacking. We conducted a cell-based screen of genetically-defined cancer cell lines using a prototypical inhibitor of BET bromodomains. Integration of genetic features with chemosensitivity data revealed a robust correlation between MYCN amplification and sensitivity to bromodomain inhibition. We characterized the mechanistic and translational significance of this finding in neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer with frequent amplification of MYCN. Genome-wide expression analysis demonstrated downregulation of the MYCN transcriptional program accompanied by suppression of MYCN transcription. Functionally, bromodomain-mediated inhibition of MYCN impaired growth and induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma. BRD4 knock-down phenocopied these effects, establishing BET bromodomains as transcriptional regulators of MYCN. BET inhibition conferred a significant survival advantage in three in vivo neuroblastoma models, providing a compelling rationale for developing BET bromodomain inhibitors in patients with neuroblastoma. Significance: Biomarkers of response to small-molecule inhibitors of BET bromodomains, a new compound class with promising anti-cancer activity, have been lacking. Here, we reveal MYCN amplification as a strong genetic predictor of sensitivity to BET bromodomain inhibitors, demonstrate a mechanistic rationale for this finding, and provide a translational framework for clinical trial development of BET bromodomain inhibitors for pediatric patients with MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. JQ1 is a novel thieno-triazolo-1,4-diazepine, which displaces BET bromodomains from chromatin by competitively binding to the acetyl lysine recognition pocket. BE(2)-C and Kelly cells were treated in triplicate with 1 µM JQ1 or DMSO for 24 hours. RNA was extracted and a decrease in MYCN transcript was confirmed by real time RT-PCR as described above. The samples were profiled using the Affymetrix PrimeView Human Gene Expression Array (Affymetrix) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA, USA).
Project description:Epigenetic regulators have emerged as exciting targets for cancer therapy. Additionally, restoration of antitumor immunity by blocking the PD-L1 signaling using antibodies has proven to be beneficial in cancer therapy. Here we show that BET bromodomain inhibition suppresses PD-L1 expression and restores antitumor immunity in ovarian cancer. CD274 (encoding PD-L1) is a direct target of BRD4-mediated gene transcription. In mouse models, treatment with the BET inhibitor JQ1 significantly reduced PD-L1 expression on tumor cells and tumor-associated dendritic cells and macrophages, which correlated with an increase in the activity of antitumor cytotoxic T cells. Together, these data demonstrate an epigenetic approach to block PD-L1 signaling to restore antitumor immunity. Given the fact that BET inhibitors have been proven safe with manageable reversible toxicity in clinical trials, our findings indicate that pharmacological BET inhibitors represent a novel treatment strategy for targeting PD-L1 expression.
Project description:Following the discovery of BRD4 as a non-oncogene addiction target in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), BET inhibitors are being explored as promising therapeutic avenue in numerous cancers. While clinical trials have reported single-agent activity in advanced hematologic malignancies, mechanisms determining the response to BET inhibition remain poorly understood. To identify factors involved in primary and acquired BET resistance in leukemia, we performed a chromatin-focused shRNAmir screen in a sensitive MLL/AF9; NrasG12D‑driven AML model, and investigated dynamic transcriptional profiles in sensitive and resistant murine and human leukemias. Our screen reveals that suppression of the PRC2 complex, contrary to effects in other contexts, promotes BET resistance in AML. PRC2 suppression does not directly affect the regulation of Brd4-dependent transcripts, but facilitates the remodeling of regulatory pathways that restore the transcription of key targets such as Myc. Similarly, while BET inhibition triggers acute MYC repression in human leukemias regardless of their sensitivity, resistant leukemias are uniformly characterized by their ability to rapidly restore MYC transcription. This process involves the activation and recruitment of WNT signaling components, which compensate for the loss of BRD4 and drive resistance in various cancer models. Dynamic ChIP- and STARR-seq enhancer profiles reveal that BET-resistant states are characterized by remodeled regulatory landscapes, involving the activation of a focal MYC enhancer that recruits WNT machinery in response to BET inhibition. Together, our results identify and validate WNT signaling as a driver and candidate biomarker of primary and acquired BET resistance in leukemia, and implicate the rewiring of transcriptional programs as an important mechanism promoting resistance to BET inhibitors and, potentially, other chromatin-targeted therapies. RNA-Seq of DMSO- or JQ1-treated cancer cell lines; ChIP-seq for H3K36me3 and H3K27me3 in a leukemia cell line treated either with DMSO or JQ1, ChIP-seq for H3K27ac in resistant and sensitive mouse and human leukemia. Functional enhancer mapping (STARR-seq) in K-562 treated either with DMSO or JQ1.
Project description:Bromodomain inhibition comprises a promising therapeutic strategy in cancer, particularly for hematologic malignancies. To date, however, genomic biomarkers to direct clinical translation have been lacking. We conducted a cell-based screen of genetically-defined cancer cell lines using a prototypical inhibitor of BET bromodomains. Integration of genetic features with chemosensitivity data revealed a robust correlation between MYCN amplification and sensitivity to bromodomain inhibition. We characterized the mechanistic and translational significance of this finding in neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer with frequent amplification of MYCN. Genome-wide expression analysis demonstrated downregulation of the MYCN transcriptional program accompanied by suppression of MYCN transcription. Functionally, bromodomain-mediated inhibition of MYCN impaired growth and induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma. BRD4 knock-down phenocopied these effects, establishing BET bromodomains as transcriptional regulators of MYCN. BET inhibition conferred a significant survival advantage in three in vivo neuroblastoma models, providing a compelling rationale for developing BET bromodomain inhibitors in patients with neuroblastoma. Significance: Biomarkers of response to small-molecule inhibitors of BET bromodomains, a new compound class with promising anti-cancer activity, have been lacking. Here, we reveal MYCN amplification as a strong genetic predictor of sensitivity to BET bromodomain inhibitors, demonstrate a mechanistic rationale for this finding, and provide a translational framework for clinical trial development of BET bromodomain inhibitors for pediatric patients with MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.
Project description:One critical task in pluripotent reprogramming is to erase the somatic transcriptional program of starting cells. No strategy or theory exists for achieving erasure of somatic gene expression memory. Here, we present a proof-of-principle strategy in which reprogramming to pluripotency is facilitated by small molecules that erase somatic cell transcription memory. We show that mild chemical targeting of the acetyllysine-binding pockets of the BET bromodomains, the transcriptional bookmarking domains, robustly enhances reprogramming. Furthermore, we show that chemical targeting of the transcriptional bookmarking BET bromodomains dramatically downregulates specific somatic gene expression programs in both naïve and reprogramming fibroblasts. Chemical blocking of the BET bromodomains also resulted in loss of fibroblast morphology early in reprograming. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate a concept for cell fate conversion: facilitating the conversion by chemically targeting the transcriptional bookmarking BET bromodomains responsible for transcriptional memory. human BJ cells were treated with JQ1 at 50 nM for 48 hours. Differential expression was compared with DMSO treatment. The same treatments and comparsion were conducted for reprogramming BJ cells, which were transduced with OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4. JQ1iPSC5 is a iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cell) line generated in this study using small molecules JQ1.
Project description:Transcriptionally active ESR1 fusions promote endocrine therapy (ET)-resistant growth and metastasis of estrogen receptor-alpha positive (ERα+) breast cancer. Currently, there are no targeted treatment options for tumors harboring active fusions because the ESR1 ligand binding domain (LBD) has been replaced with non-drug binding sequences from the 3’ partner gene. A mass spectrometry (MS)-based Kinase Inhibitor Pulldown Assay (KIPA) demonstrated an increase of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases including RET in T47D cells expressing active ESR1 fusions. Integrated proteogenomics defined tumor subsets that could be responsive to RET and CDK4/6 directed therapy from 22 biologically heterogeneous ERα+ patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. Inhibition of RET by repurposing an FDA-approved drug significantly suppressed ESR1 fusion-driven growth of cell, PDX-derived organoid (PDXO) and PDX models. CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment showed similar tumor reductions to RET inhibition. Here, we reveal therapeutic kinase vulnerabilities in ESR1 fusion-driven tumors, which will lay the framework for future clinical trials.
Project description:Estrogen receptor α (ER) positivity defines ~75% of breast cancers (BCs), treated with a variety of estrogen-targeting therapies. However, ~25% of patients with localized disease and nearly all metastatic disease patients develop resistance to such therapies. One major mechanism of resistance occurs through gain-of-function mutations in the gene encoding ER (ESR1), which occurs after prolonged endocrine therapy. These gain-of-function mutations render ESR1 constitutively active and represent critical neoepitopes of ER+ BC. We here confirm that these mutations permit ligand-independent estrogen signaling, as well as stimulate alternate pathways to enhance BC oncogenicity in vivo. As these oncogenic ESR1-mutated genes (ESR1mut) may be a significant, predictable contributor to the development of acquired resistance to endocrine therapy, we explored the potential of vaccination targeting these neoepitopes. In our study, we confirmed that these peptides are presented by MHC complexes and capable of stimulating CD8+ T-cell responses. Using recombinant adenoviral vectors encoding ESR1mut, we also demonstrate the induction of ESR1-specific immunity to generate anti-tumor responses against ESR1mut-expressing BC. Finally, we improved the safety profile, ESR1-specific immunity and anti-tumor efficacy of our vaccines using c-terminal subunit ESR1mut targeting, which has the potential to prevent the outgrowth of resistant ER+ BCs and improve patient outcomes.