bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3177: Angiopoietin-like 4 suppress clear cell renal cell carcinoma via inhibition lysosomal acid lipase
Authors: Jin Zeng , De Umasankar , Tithi Tanzia , Kleberg Jeremy , Nataraj Akhila , Jolley Elena , Davies Brandon , Zhang Weizhou , Kolb Ryan
Published: March 2024

Renal cell carcinomas(RCC) account for about 76,000 new cancer cases annually in the U.S. and 403,000 cases world wide. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is both the most common and aggressive subtype, accounting for 75-85% of cases with a 5-year survival rate of 50-69% for all cases and only 10% for metastatic disease. In our study, we report thatANGPTL4 is highly upregulated in ccRCC compared to other types of cancers and normal kidney tissues. However, we identified a cohort of patients with significantly lower expression of ANGPTL4 which had a worse prognosis compared to rest of the patients with higher expression of ANGPTL4. This subset of patients had a lower frequency of mutated VHL and were enriched for genes related to lipid metabolism. In transplant tumor models using RCC cell lines with wild-type VHL, we found that ANGPTL4 suppresses tumor growth. Moreover, loss of ANGPTL4 in ccRCC cell lines reduces colony formation in a lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) dependent manner, a phenotype that is rescued by expression of nANGPTL4. This data indicates that ANGPTL4 suppresses ccRCC tumors in a cancer cell intrinsic manner via regulation of LAL activity. This cohort of patients with low ANGPTL4 may be more dependent on lipid metabolism and less likely to respond to anti-angiogenic TKI plus immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Citation Format: Zeng Jin, Umasankar De, Tanzia Tithi, Jeremy Kleberg, Akhila Nataraj, Elena Jolley, Brandon Davies, Weizhou Zhang, Ryan Kolb. Angiopoietin-like 4 suppress clear cell renal cell carcinoma via inhibition lysosomal acid lipase [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3177.
Abstract 3178: Vitamin B1 derivative, fursultiamine, prevents colon cancer growth
Authors: Poludasu Sudeep , Pompoco Christian , Ramana Kota
Published: March 2024

Colon cancer is the second deadliest type of cancer in the United States, with surgical resection being the primary treatment modality for localized early-stage colon cancer. Still, more treatment and prevention options are needed to help improve the outcomes for colon cancer as they are currently limited to invasive procedures. One promising option is fursultiamine, a disulfide lipid-soluble vitamin B1 derivative, which has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity that could aid in preventing colon cancer. We hypothesize that supplementation of fursultiamine could be an effective chemopreventive treatment to control the growth and spread of colon carcinogenesis. Human colorectal adenocarcinoma (SW480) cell lines were incubated with complete media (CM) or human recombinant endothelial growth factor (EGF 20 ng/ml) in the absence and presence of fursultiamine. The cell viability was examined by MTT assay in a concentration- (0-150 uM) and time (24 and 48 h) - dependent manner. Our results indicate that fursultiamine prevents SW480 cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis was detected by using Annexin-V staining and live and death cell assay. Our results suggest that fursultiamine prevents SW480 cell proliferation by inducing apoptotic cell death. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of caspase-3 were examined by specific assay kits. Treatment with fursultiamine resulted in the decreased production of ROS and activation of caspase-3. The expression of anti-apoptotic, pro-apoptotic, and pro-inflammatory factors was analyzed using antibody arrays. The results demonstrated that treatment with fursultiamine increased the expression of pro-apoptotic factors such as Bad, Bax, cleaved caspase 3, Fas/CD95, and FADD. Further, fursultiamine increased expression of the tumor suppressor genes p53, p27, and p21. We next planned to examine this vitamin B1 derivative's effect in preventing cancer growth in nude mice xenograft models. In conclusion, our in vitro results indicate that fursultiamine, a vitamin B1 derivative, prevents colon cancer growth through increased regulation of pro-apoptotic pathways and tumor suppressor proteins and thus has the potential for further development as a chemopreventative agent.

Citation Format: Sudeep Poludasu, Christian Pompoco, Kota Ramana. Vitamin B1 derivative, fursultiamine, prevents colon cancer growth [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3178.
Abstract 3221: Targeting ARID1A-mutated gastric cancer cells with synthetic lethal approaches
Authors: Fang Menghan , Lin Youfen , Xue Chaorong , Sheng Kaiqin , Guo Zegeng , Han Yuting , Lin Hanbin , Wu Yuecheng , Howell Stephen B. , Lin Xu , Lin Xinjian
Published: March 2024

AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) functions as a tumor suppressor gene, and its loss or inactivation is a common occurrence in various human malignancies, including around 30% of gastric cancers (GC). This study aimed to identify potential therapeutic targets for GC cells with ARID1A deficiency. After robust screening from a chemical library consisting of 551 diverse protein kinase inhibitors, we identified the AKT inhibitor AZD5363 as being the most potent lead compound in inhibiting viability of ARID1A−/− cells. A synthetic lethality between loss of ARID1A expression and AKT inhibition by AZD5363 was validated in both GC cell model system and xenograft model. Mechanistically, AZD5363 treatment induced pyroptotic cell death in ARID1A-deficient GC cells through activation of the caspase-3/GSDME pathway. Furthermore, ARID1A occupied the AKT gene promoter and regulated its transcription negatively, thus the GC cells deficient in ARID1A showed increased expression and phosphorylation of AKT. Our study demonstrates a novel synthetic lethality interaction and unique mechanism between ARID1A loss and AKT inhibition, which may provide a therapeutic and mechanistic rationale for targeted therapy on patients with ARID1A-defective GC who are most likely to be beneficial to AZD5363 treatment.

Citation Format: Menghan Fang, Youfen Lin, Chaorong Xue, Kaiqin Sheng, Zegeng Guo, Yuting Han, Hanbin Lin, Yuecheng Wu, Stephen B. Howell, Xu Lin, Xinjian Lin. Targeting ARID1A-mutated gastric cancer cells with synthetic lethal approaches [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3221.
Abstract 3222: Acute and long-term responses to treatment with the HDAC inhibitor quisinostat in preclinical models of glioblastoma
Authors: Orndorff Keely , McNamara James , Stavnichuk Mariya , Cascio Costanza Lo , White Connor , Melendez Ernesto Luna , Uzunalli Gozde , Sanai Nader , Mehta Shwetal
Published: March 2024

Introduction: High expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs), particularly HDAC1, is strongly associated with poor prognosis for glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Quisinostat is a second-generation, class I-II selective HDAC inhibitor with high specificity for HDAC1 and potent anti-tumor activity. Here, we evaluated GBM PDX tissues and glioma stem cells (GSCs) for cellular, transcriptomic and phenotypic changes after acute and long-term treatment with quisinostat.

Methods: Multiple GBM PDX models and PDX-derived GSCs were treated with quisinostat, radiation, or a combination of quisinostat and radiation. Tissue and cells were processed for RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence assays to examine alterations in neuronal signaling, cell fate, DNA damage, and markers of stemness and differentiation.

Results: Bulk RNA sequencing of tumor tissue revealed that chronic co-treatment with quisinostat and radiation led to increased cellular expression of neuronal signaling and neuronal development pathways compared to the untreated control group. Increase in expression of neuronal signaling genes was also observed upon in vitro treatment of GSCs with quisinostat. Immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence staining confirmed changes in neuronal signaling and neuronal cell fate proteins after quisinostat treatment.

Conclusions: Quisinostat treatment induces a shift in tumor cells towards a neuronal-like cell fate. Considering that GSCs have been shown to establish synaptic junctions with healthy neurons to evoke enhanced excitatory currents within glioma cells and contribute to treatment resistance, further investigation of this shift upon HDAC inhibition is crucial. Ongoing studies are aimed at evaluating the significance of these cellular and molecular changes resulting from quisinostat treatment and whether the quisinostat-induced cell fate changes can be exploited for future combination therapy for GBM.

Citation Format: Keely Orndorff, James McNamara, Mariya Stavnichuk, Costanza Lo Cascio, Connor White, Ernesto Luna Melendez, Gozde Uzunalli, Nader Sanai, Shwetal Mehta. Acute and long-term responses to treatment with the HDAC inhibitor quisinostat in preclinical models of glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3222.
Abstract 3234: A new vulnerability to BET inhibition due to enhanced autophagy in BRCA2-deficient pancreatic cancer
Authors: Archasappawat Suyakarn , Lee EunJung , Ji Keely , Pena Jocelyn , Vega Virneliz Fernandez , Gangaraju Ritika , Beesabathuni Nitin Sai , Kim Martin Jean , Tian Qi , Shah Priya , Scampavia Louis , Spicer Timothy , Hwang Chang-Il
Published: March 2024

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with the lowest five-year survival rate of all cancers. Around 10% of pancreatic cancer diagnoses are thought to be familial pancreatic cancer (FPC). BRCA2 pathogenic variants have been identified to be closely associated with FPC. Personalized medicine approaches that are tailored to FPC patients based on their mutation profiles could improve patient outcomes and minimize adverse effects. This study aims to identify novel potential drug candidates for BRCA2-deficient PDAC and dissect its underlying molecular mechanisms. To discover new vulnerabilities for BRCA2-deficient pancreatic cancer, we performed high-throughput drug screening (HTS) using isogenic murine Brca2 knockout (KO) and control PDAC cells. The HTS assay revealed that JQ1, a small molecule inhibitor of the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain protein (BET) family, selectively induced cytotoxicity in Brca2 KO cells. JQ1 significantly decreased the cell viability of Brca2 KO cells in vitro and suppressed the growth of Brca2 KO tumors in vivo compared to the controls. The transcriptomic analyses showed that JQ1 treatment resulted in upregulation of the gene sets associated with macroautophagy. Multi-orthogonal autophagy assays, including live cell imaging of fluorescence-based autophagy reporter, also supported that Brca2 KO cells had a constitutively higher basal level of autophagic activities compared to the controls, and JQ1 further induced autophagic flux in Brca2 KO cells. Moreover, blocking the autophagy process by pharmacological inhibition or knocking down essential autophagy genes rescued JQ1-induced cell death in Brca2 KO cells, indicating that the increased autophagy is responsible for JQ1-mediated cell death in Brca2 KO cells. In conclusion, we found that BRCA2 deficiency elevated autophagic flux, and extensive autophagy was further activated by BET inhibition, culminating in autophagy-dependent cell death in Brca2-deficient pancreatic cancer cells. Our findings suggest that BET inhibition could be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating BRCA2-deficient pancreatic cancer.

Citation Format: Suyakarn Archasappawat, EunJung Lee, Keely Ji, Jocelyn Pena, Virneliz Fernandez Vega, Ritika Gangaraju, Nitin Sai Beesabathuni, Martin Jean Kim, Qi Tian, Priya Shah, Louis Scampavia, Timothy Spicer, Chang-Il Hwang. A new vulnerability to BET inhibition due to enhanced autophagy in BRCA2-deficient pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3234.
Abstract 3249: Simple, rapid, and robust bioluminescent cell-based assay for detecting neutralizing antibodies against AAV in serum
Authors: Seirup Morten , Wingate Kirsten , Nelson Jeff , Machleidt Kara , Ott Vanessa , Hoang Trish , Urh Marjeta
Published: March 2024

Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are prevalent gene therapy vectors, delivering therapeutic transgenes to treat various diseases including cancer and rare monogenic diseases. Individuals with pre-existing immunity to AAVs are less likely to benefit from AAV-based therapies due to both, a reduction in cellular AAV uptake and activation of a cytotoxic T-cell response to transduced cells, decreasing efficacy or changing the safety profile. Measurement of serum neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against AAV is essential to determine treatment eligibility and to identify clinical trial candidates. Here we introduce a cell-based assay using NanoLuc® luciferase to detect NAbs in serum samples. The superior brightness of NanoLuc® luciferase in our AAV reporter system results in the need of low concentrations of AAV and a short 24h assay time. The minimal AAV concentration in our assay aids in detecting low NAb titers in serum samples, reducing false negatives and enhancing decision-making accuracy. Testing 60 human serum samples against a range of AAV serotypes, we found that a large fraction of the population had pre-existing NAbs to at least one serotype, and of the pre-exposed individuals a majority displayed NAbs against multiple AAV serotypes. Interestingly, fewer samples were seropositive for AAV-DJ than for either parental serotype (AAV2, AAV8 or AAV9), highlighting the assays utility in the development of engineered capsids. Furthermore, the broad dynamic range of our assay facilitates serum sample categorization into four NAb tiers: negative, low, medium, and high using a single serum dilution. Neutralizing titers (ND50) which was determined by serial dilution of the serum samples strongly agreed with the assigned NAb tiers. Our study with 40 naïve mice further validated the assay's robustness, showing a clear correlation between NAb levels and injected AAV viral loads. Taken together, this rapid, highly sensitive, and reliable assay enabled by NanoLuc® AAV reporter technology precisely measures NAbs against AAVs in both human and animal serum. Further validation of the assay is required for future use in a clinical setting.

Citation Format: Morten Seirup, Kirsten Wingate, Jeff Nelson, Kara Machleidt, Vanessa Ott, Trish Hoang, Marjeta Urh. Simple, rapid, and robust bioluminescent cell-based assay for detecting neutralizing antibodies against AAV in serum [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3249.
Abstract 3273: Tirapazamine sensitizes homologous recombination-proficient cancers by enhancing DNA damage andferroptosis
Authors: Jiang Yanyan , Estephan Hala , Wang Yizhou , Aljarbou Ftoon , Lopera Nuria V. , Moon Eui Jung , Hammond Ester M. , Giaccia Amato J.
Published: March 2024

Despite its success in HR-deficient tumors, the application of PARP inhibitors (PARPis) in HR-proficient cancers is very limited. Since the majority of cancers are HR-proficient, there is a need for developing strategies to extend the use of PARPis to HR-proficient cancers. We investigated whether the hypoxic cytotoxin, tirapazamine (TPZ) sensitizes HR-proficient cancer cells to PARPis under normoxia and hypoxia (2% O2), and found that TPZ enhanced PARPi cell killing to a greater extent under hypoxia compared to normoxia. Mechanistically, this enhanced killing was due to the induction of DNA double-strand breaks and free radicals that lead to ferroptotic cell death. To determine the role of hypoxia in the anti-tumor effect of the combination treatment, we examined the efficacy of TPZ and PARPi treatment in hypoxic spheroids and subcutaneous xenograft models derived from a panel of HR-proficient human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. We found that PARPis combined with TPZ significantly inhibited the growth of the hypoxic NSCLC spheroids. In addition, the combination treatment significantly inhibited the growth of A549 and CORL105 xenografts that possess significant hypoxic fractions, but did not significantly inhibit the growth of well-oxygenated Calu3 and H3122 xenografts. Taken together, this study demonstrates that TPZ can sensitize HR-proficient tumor cells to PARPi through the introduction of DNA strand breaks and free radicals, suggesting that TPZ treatment can broaden the usage of PARPi to HR-proficient cancers.

Citation Format: Yanyan Jiang, Hala Estephan, Yizhou Wang, Ftoon Aljarbou, Nuria V. Lopera, Eui Jung Moon, Ester M. Hammond, Amato J. Giaccia. Tirapazamine sensitizes homologous recombination-proficient cancers by enhancing DNA damage andferroptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3273.
Abstract 3294: The GSPT1 molecular glue degrader MRT-2359 is active against prostate cancer
Authors: Tiedt Ralph , Schillo Martin , Osmont Arnaud , Bonenfant Débora , Narayan Rajiv , Wallace Owen , Warmuth Markus
Published: March 2024

We have previously described our GSPT1 molecular glue degrader MRT-2359, which was optimized to achieve preferential antiproliferative activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) expressing high N-MYC or L-MYC mRNA. A clinical trial with this new drug candidate is ongoing (NCT05546268). Here, we present pre-clinical profiling of MRT-2359 across hundreds of cancer cell lines representing multiple cancer types, aiming at identifying other cancers where preferential sensitivity is associated with high expression of a MYC family member. These studies showed that prostate cancer cell lines clearly segregate into groups that are either sensitive or insensitive. Sensitive prostate cancer cell lines could be further divided into two subgroups: (1) androgen receptor positive cell lines displaying higher c-MYC mRNA expression levels than the other prostate cancer cell lines, (2) neuroendocrine prostate cancer cell lines with or without high N-MYC. The latter is in line with our previous observation that the neuroendocrine phenotype is generally associated with heightened sensitivity to MRT-2359 independently of MYC status. The insensitive cell lines were androgen receptor and neuroendocrine negative and displayed lower c-MYC mRNA levels. GSPT1 degradation in androgen receptor-positive cell lines led to rapid and deep loss of c-MYC protein as well as reduction of androgen receptor, including the splice variant AR-V7 that is associated with resistance to agents targeting androgen signaling. In androgen receptor-negative cell lines, the levels of c-MYC protein decreased only modestly upon GSPT1 degradation. Finally, in immunocompromised mice, xenografts of the AR-V7-positive cell line 22RV1 and the neuroendocrine prostate cell line NCI-H660, both of which are sensitive to MRT-2359 in vitro, were treated with several MRT-2359 dose regimens including continuous as well as intermittent (5 days on/9 days off) dosing. Most regimens led to marked tumor regression. Tumors of both models fully regressed after a 4-week course of 10 mg/kg MRT-2359 once daily, and no tumor regrowth could be detected after cessation of treatment. No significant in vivo response was observed for xenografts of the insensitive cell line PC-3. These data support the clinical investigation of MRT-2359 in prostate cancer.

Citation Format: Ralph Tiedt, Martin Schillo, Arnaud Osmont, Débora Bonenfant, Rajiv Narayan, Owen Wallace, Markus Warmuth. The GSPT1 molecular glue degrader MRT-2359 is active against prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3294.
Abstract 3299: Harnessing PIKfyve as a therapeutic vulnerability in neuroendocrine prostate cancer
Authors: Zheng Yang , Rogers Kyle Garcia , Kamat Arya Gopal , Yee Sarah Nicole , Mannan Rahul , Jiang Xia , Kannaiyan Rowena , Cao Xuhong , Wang Yuzhuo , Qiao Yuanyuan , Chinnaiyan Arul M.
Published: March 2024

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) represents an aggressive subtype characterized by the independence on androgen receptor (AR) signaling and the acquisition of neuroendocrine features. Despite its rarity among prostate cancer cases, NEPC carries a particularly poor prognosis with limited treatment options. Our prior investigation demonstrated the heightened efficacy of targeting PIKfyve with ESK981 in AR- prostate cancer models, prompting further exploration. In this study, we expanded our investigation to assess the efficacy of ESK981 monotherapy across five NEPC models, encompassing one cell line xenograft and four patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Our findings revealed consistent tumor inhibition and notable regression in select models. Comparative analysis highlighted the superior effectiveness of ESK981 in NEPC compared to AR+ prostate cancer, as evident through percent tumor growth inhibition (%TGI) assessments. Early evaluations post five days of treatment (PD5) unveiled that PIKfyve inhibition induced apoptotic cell death specifically in NEPC models, confirmed through immunoblotting and TUNEL staining in a time-dependent manner. Intriguingly, PD5 TUNEL positivity correlated with endpoint %TGI, suggesting its potential as a predictor for long-term efficacy. To further delineate the role of PIKfyve in NEPC, we successfully established two novel ex vivo NEPC cell lines from these PDXs, overcoming the constraint of limited publicly accessible NEPC cell lines, and confirmed their NEPC characteristics. Employing a doxycycline-inducible PIKfyve knockdown system in these cells demonstrated significant tumor inhibition in xenograft models, albeit with a lower %TGI compared to ESK981 monotherapy. In conclusion, our results illuminate the preferential cytotoxicity of PIKfyve inhibition in NEPC tumors compared to AR+ prostate cancer, advocating PIKfyve as a compelling therapeutic target. This study provides a strong rationale for advancing ESK981 into clinical trials for NEPC patients, underscoring its potential in addressing this challenging malignancy.

Citation Format: Yang Zheng, Kyle Garcia Rogers, Arya Gopal Kamat, Sarah Nicole Yee, Rahul Mannan, Xia Jiang, Rowena Kannaiyan, Xuhong Cao, Yuzhuo Wang, Yuanyuan Qiao, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. Harnessing PIKfyve as a therapeutic vulnerability in neuroendocrine prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3299.
Abstract 3331: Preclinical combination of ONC206 with radiotherapy and temozolomide in a GBM mouse orthotopic model
Authors: Zhou Lanlan , Zhang Leiqing , Zhang Jun , Zhang Shengliang , El-Deiry Wafik S.
Published: March 2024

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of primary malignant brain tumor in adults. It is also the most aggressive and lethal. Standard of care therapy comprises maximal safe surgical resection followed by adjuvant alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) and radiotherapy (RT). There have only been five drugs and one device ever approved by the FDA for the treatment of GBM. The five-year survival rate for GBM patients has shown no notable improvement in the last three decades. We previously reported that the first-in-class imipridone small-molecule Dordaviprone (ONC201) decreases protein chaperone ClpX to unleash mitochondrial protease ClpP activity, integrated stress response and cell death. Preclinical combination of ONC201 (100 mg/kg weekly) with radiotherapy and Temozolomide in a GBM mouse orthotopic model results in reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival. The second generation imipridone ONC206 also activates integrated stress response and decreases ClpX in GBM cells but ONC206 is approximately 20 times more potent than its parent imipridone ONC201. ONC206 0.08 uM in combination with 12.5 uM TMZ and 2 Gy RT reduced the cell viability of GBM cells significantly compared to all single treatments and double treatments. During a short-term treatment of a GBM mouse orthotopic model, ONC206 (50 mg/kg weekly, half of ONC201 doses) synergizes with TMZ and RT to induce more tumor cell apoptosis and inhibits more tumor cell proliferation compared to other groups with single or double treatments. There are two ongoing clinical trials with ONC206: single weekly or multiple-day weekly dose regimens of single-agent, oral ONC206 in patients with recurrent, primary central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms (NCT04541082) and ONC206 alone or in combination with radiation therapy in treating patients with diffuse midline gliomas that is newly diagnosed or has come back (recurrent) or other recurrent primary malignant CNS tumors (NCT04732065). Future studies evaluating the role of immune function, mitochondrial metabolism, dopamine receptors, the ISR and TRAIL pathway in the synergistic effect would support further development of the triple combination regimen of ONC206, TMZ and radiation therapy for GBM clinical trial.

Citation Format: Lanlan Zhou, Leiqing Zhang, Jun Zhang, Shengliang Zhang, Wafik S. El-Deiry. Preclinical combination of ONC206 with radiotherapy and temozolomide in a GBM mouse orthotopic model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3331.
Abstract 3344: Widespread BRCA1/2-independent homologous recombination defects are caused by alterations in RNA binding proteins
Authors: Kaundal Babita , McGrail Daniel J. , Li Yang , Smith Roger S. , Feng Bin , Dai Hui , Hu Limei , Dennehey Briana , Awasthi Sharad , Mendillo Marc L. , Sood Anil K. , Mills Gordon B. , Lin Shiaw-Yih , Yi S. Stephen , Sahni Nidhi
Published: March 2024

Summary: Defects in homologous recombination DNA repair (HRD) both predispose to cancer development and produce therapeutic vulnerabilities, making it critical to define the spectrum of genetic events that cause HRD. However, we found that mutations in BRCA1/2 and other canonical HR genes only identified 10-20% of tumors that display genomic evidence of HRD. Using a networks-based approach, we discovered that over half of putative genes causing HRD originated outside of canonical DNA damage response genes, with a particular enrichment for RNA binding protein (RBP)-encoding genes. These putative drivers of HRD were experimentally validated, cross-validated in an independent cohort, and enriched in cancer-associated GWAS loci. Mechanistic studies indicate that some RBPs are recruited to sites of DNA damage to facilitate repair, whereas others control the expression of canonical HR genes. Overall, this study greatly expands the repertoire of known drivers of HRD, with implications for basic biology, genetic screening, and therapy stratification.

Citation Format: Babita Kaundal, Daniel J. McGrail, Yang Li, Roger S. Smith, Bin Feng, Hui Dai, Limei Hu, Briana Dennehey, Sharad Awasthi, Marc L. Mendillo, Anil K. Sood, Gordon B. Mills, Shiaw-Yih Lin, S. Stephen Yi, Nidhi Sahni. Widespread BRCA1/2-independent homologous recombination defects are caused by alterations in RNA binding proteins [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3344.
Abstract 3380: HER2 overexpression induces breast tumorigenesis in a non cell autonomous manner by inducing oxidative stress in the tissue microenvironment
Authors: Gurler Sevim Beyza , Wagstaff Oliver , Dimitrova Lili , Chen Fuhui , Pedley Robert , Weston William , Donaldson Ian , Telfer Brian A. , Novo David , Pavlou Kyriaki , Taylor George , Ou Yaqing , Williams Kaye , Gilmore Andrew , Brennan Keith , Ucar Ahmet
Published: March 2024

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in the world. Approximately 70% of pre-malignant breast tumours, known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 20% of invasive breast tumours overexpress HER2. Although molecular mechanisms of HER2 function in breast tumour cells have been extensively studied, our knowledge on how HER2 drives breast tumourigenesis at its pre-malignant stage is quite limited. Here, we investigate the HER2-overexpression driven cellular events at the earliest stages of breast tumourigenesis using in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo models. Using mouse models of HER2+ breast cancer and clinical samples of patients with DCIS, we showed that breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) reside in HER2-negative population of tumour cells and arise from a HER2-negative cell-of-origin. Proteomics and metabolomics analyses of mammary ducts isolated from the MMTV-Neu mice at the pre-cancerous stage showed that HER2/Neu overexpression alters the energy metabolism in mammary epithelial cells in vivo. Furthermore, we have observed an accumulation of reactive oxygen species levels in pre-cancerous mammary ducts, which consequently causes oxidative stress induction and DNA damage in both HER2-positive and HER2-negative epithelial cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that HER2 overexpression in normal mammary epithelia may lead to a genotoxic tissue microenvironment that may consequently result in the accumulation of further somatic mutations in HER2-negative cell populations, which contain BCSCs and their cell-of-origin. Our findings therefore illustrate a novel mechanism explaining the HER2-driven breast tumour initiation and thus provide new avenues of research for developing novel preventive approaches against breast cancer.

Citation Format: Sevim Beyza Gurler, Oliver Wagstaff, Lili Dimitrova, Fuhui Chen, Robert Pedley, William Weston, Ian Donaldson, Brian A. Telfer, David Novo, Kyriaki Pavlou, George Taylor, Yaqing Ou, Kaye Williams, Andrew Gilmore, Keith Brennan, Ahmet Ucar. HER2 overexpression induces breast tumorigenesis in a non cell autonomous manner by inducing oxidative stress in the tissue microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3380.
Abstract 3417: Dissecting tumor microenvironment to predict clinical outcome in prostate cancer
Authors: Bhattacharjee Aritri , Biswas Manjusha , Husain Amjad , Das Asim Kr , Karmakar Sourav Karmakar , Mondal Tapan , Roy Pinaki , Mondal Manas Kr , Sahu Badal Kumar , Murmu Nabendu , Nath Partho , Ghosh Chandra C. , Majumder Pradip Kumar
Published: March 2024

Prostate cancer is one of the major causes of cancer death in males, and its prevalence is particularly high in developed countries such as the United States and Western Europe. However, death rates in developing and underdeveloped countries are greater, presumably, due to a lack of routine clinical check-ups, poor health awareness, inadequate screening resources, and clinical intervention. Much progress has already been made using cutting-edge technologies like whole genome sequencing, RNAseq, phosphoproteomics, and targeted transcriptomic Nanostring profiling, etc. However, understanding of the prostate tumor microenvironment as a whole in clinical samples remains very limited. Here we use the latest genomic, proteomics, and metabolomic tools not only to understand the biology of prostate cancers but also their correlation with patient demography and clinical outcome. We recruited 80 patients from both tertiary research hospitals and clinical centers in the eastern region of India. All of their demographic information is collected along with their clinical outcome. Pathological evaluation revealed only 50 patients with positive Prostate Carcinoma. We performed a detailed analysis using experimental data (from genomic, and proteomic) in a cohort of patients' routine biomarkers (PSA and PSMA), histopathology, and clinical outcome. Our data demonstrate no linear correlation of any of the individual markers or parameters like AR status, PSA, Prostate Specific Acid Phosphatase, Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA), Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), Mesothelin, PD-L1, and other potential genomic and proteomic alterations or any histopathological readouts. However, a clear understanding of the relationship between these multiparameter data, disease pathology, and clinical outcomes in a group of patients has been established. The heterogeneity of these individual data for tumor microenvironments will lead us to identify novel biomarkers for the clinical response of targeted drugs, accelerating personalized treatment strategies.

Citation Format: Aritri Bhattacharjee, Manjusha Biswas, Amjad Husain, Asim Kr Das, Sourav Karmakar Karmakar, Tapan Mondal, Pinaki Roy, Manas Kr Mondal, Badal Kumar Sahu, Nabendu Murmu, Partho Nath, Chandra C. Ghosh, Pradip Kumar Majumder. Dissecting tumor microenvironment to predict clinical outcome in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3417.
Abstract 3493: Read-level methylation pattern extraction for high-multiplex large-scale targeted NGS assay
Authors: Jin Mingda , Kaneko Masatomo , Cen Steven , Li Hongtao , Guo Wei , Zhou Xinyi , Fujihara Atsuko , Iwata Tsuyoshi , Ramacciotti Lorenzo Storino , Paralkar Divyangi , Cacciamani Giovanni E , Aron Manju , Ukimura Osamu , Gill Inderbir S. , Liang Gangning , Abreu Andre L. , Bhasin Jeffrey , Yang Xiaojing , Jia Xi-Yu
Published: March 2024

The abnormal changes in DNA methylation are linked to the early stages of carcinogenesis. Identifying these epigenetic changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can reveal potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of various cancers. However, analyzing such data poses bioinformatics challenges due to the lack of sensitivity in detecting the low abundance ctDNA signals in biopsy samples, which are often overwhelmed by the complexity of libraries containing hundreds of targeted regions. Read-level methylation analysis holds the promise of more in-depth DNA methylation detection due to the wide coverage and high sensitivity of rare signals. However, this approach is hindered by the absence of a standardized workflow capable of generating interpretable reports suitable for both bench scientists and professional bioinformaticians. Here, we present a bioinformatics workflow that examines next-generation sequencing (NGS) data and characterizes the read-level methylation patterns of amplicons. Compared to other currently available tools, our method is designed to work with high-multiplex, large-scale targeted assays. It effectively eliminates the undesired noise derived from sequencing byproducts such as false CpG calls, dimers, and off-target alignments. Additionally, to accommodate the substantial volume of data generated by state-of-the-art NGS platforms, the workflow enables parallel processing of samples compatible with both cloud-based and on-premises computing resources. This workflow provides a comprehensive per-sample visualization of DNA methylation patterns and reports read-level methylation results in a “pattern-as-a-feature” table. In this table, the occurrence of an amplicon epiallelic haplotype (pattern) for every sample is represented as a “feature column” and is aggregated with all patterns discovered in the experiment. These read-level patterns, along with other information, can be used to develop machine learning algorithms to reiteratively harvest true predictive features and penalize confounding signals in predicting cancer diagnosis.

Citation Format: Mingda Jin, Masatomo Kaneko, Steven Cen, Hongtao Li, Wei Guo, Xinyi Zhou, Atsuko Fujihara, Tsuyoshi Iwata, Lorenzo Storino Ramacciotti, Divyangi Paralkar, Giovanni E Cacciamani, Manju Aron, Osamu Ukimura, Inderbir S. Gill, Gangning Liang, Andre L. Abreu, Jeffrey Bhasin, Xiaojing Yang, Xi-Yu Jia. Read-level methylation pattern extraction for high-multiplex large-scale targeted NGS assay [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3493.
Abstract 351: Quaratusugene ozeplasmid mediated TUSC2 upregulation in EML4-ALK bearing non-small cell lung carcinoma can induce cellular apoptosis
Authors: Banerjee Ananya , Busette Neeke , Berger Mark S. , Soellner Matthew B. , Qin Angel , Merajver Sofia D. , Merrill Nathan M.
Published: March 2024

Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK), a potent oncogenic driver in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC), is found to be rearranged and fused to Echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4), contributing to approximately 5% of NSCLC as a distinct clinicopathological subset. Tumors bearing the EML4-ALK fusion are sensitive to ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), that form the first and second line of treatment for these patients. However, ALK+ lung cancers develop resistance to ALK inhibitors, creating the need for newer treatment strategies in ALK+ NSCLC. Tumor Suppressor Candidate 2 (TUSC2) is a tumor suppressor gene that is known to have low endogenous expression in NSCLC in general but data on TUSC2 in ALK+ lung cancers are not available. Quaratusugene ozeplasmid, developed by Genprex, is an immunogene therapy that upregulates TUSC2 expression in cancer cells by delivering the functional TUSC2 gene. It consists of the TUSC2 gene expressing plasmid encapsulated in non viral lipid nanoparticles. We evaluated TUSC2 expression in 3 ALK+ cell lines, both before and after exposure to quaratusugene ozeplasmid and to a TUSC2-containing plasmid. Controls were non-ALK+ cell lines and transfection with a plasmid containing no insert. Our studies in ALK+ lung cancer reveal that overexpressing TUSC2 using quaratusugene ozeplasmid treatment of ALK+ lung cancer cell lines is able to suppress colony formation by 50%, the effect being more significant than using a TUSC2-containing plasmid. Furthermore, we have observed a robust pro-apoptotic response to TUSC2 expression in ALK+ NSCLC, as both quaratusugene ozeplasmid and TUSC2-containing plasmid induced an increase in caspase 3/7 activity in the cancer cells, accompanied by an increase in cleaved PARP expression. Taken together, our data indicate that overexpression of TUSC2 in ALK+ NSCLC cell lines with quaratusugene ozeplasmid or with TUSC2-containing plasmid is effective in decreasing growth and proliferation through the activation of apoptotic pathways and warrants further investigation as an anti-ALK NSCLC strategy.

Citation Format: Ananya Banerjee, Neeke Busette, Mark S. Berger, Matthew B. Soellner, Angel Qin, Sofia D. Merajver, Nathan M. Merrill. Quaratusugene ozeplasmid mediated TUSC2 upregulation in EML4-ALK bearing non-small cell lung carcinoma can induce cellular apoptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 351.
Abstract 359: The Hippo pathway on breast tumor recurrence  collateral vulnerability to ferroptosis
Authors: Lin Chao-Chieh , Chi Jen-Tsan
Published: March 2024

Comparing with primary breast tumors, recurrent breast cancers are generally considered more aggressive and incurable. Therefore, novel molecular strategies are urgently needed to target these type of cancers. Here, we report that murine recurrent breast tumor cells are highly susceptible to ferroptosis, a novel form of cell death. Discoidin Domain Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 2 (DDR2), the receptor for collagen I, is upregulated in ferroptosis-sensitive recurrent tumor cells. Ferroptosis inducer, erastin treatment leads to DDR2 upregulation and phosphorylation, independent of collagen I. Furthermore, DDR2 silencing not only prevent ferroptosis but also abolished the robust cell proliferation of murine recurrent tumor cells. Both the ferroptosis protection and reduction of active cell growth may be compatible with the compromised YAP/TAZ upon DDR2 inhibition. Collectively, these findings suggest the role of DDR2 in recurrent breast tumors to drive aggressive cell growth but at the same time reveals its weakness to YAP/TAZ-mediated ferroptosis, providing potential molecular mechanism to target recurrent breast cancers.

Citation Format: Chao-Chieh Lin, Jen-Tsan Chi. The Hippo pathway on breast tumor recurrence  collateral vulnerability to ferroptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 359.
Abstract 3591: Upregulation of CXCL8 is an early step in the oncogenic transition of human thyroid cells by BRAFV600E
Authors: Sarkar Rhitajit , Bolel Priyanka , Klubo-Gwiezdzinska Joanna , Gershengorn Marvin C.
Published: March 2024

Introduction: BRAFV600E is one of the most common oncogenic mutations in human thyroid cancers, especially in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the early molecular changes caused by this mutation have not been studied previously in human thyrocytes in vitro.

Methods: Primary cultures of cells derived from noncancerous thyroid tissue of patients (at least n=3) were infected with BRAFV600E adenovirus to mimic the mutated condition. Changes induced by the infection were measured at early times (<24h). Transcriptome analysis was performed on infected thyrocytes (n=6) to determine the highest differentially expressed genes between the control and infected groups, which were then verified at the gene and protein levels. RNAi downregulation experiments were performed to determine the cross-regulatory function of the genes.

Results: The induction of BRAFV600E mutation, confirmed at the protein level, increased proliferation of the cells, and morphological changes were observed at approximately 24h post-infection. The decreased expression of thyroid-specific genes, viz. TSHR, TG, and TPO were observed after >72h post-introduction of BRAFV600E mutation. Transcriptome and protein expression analysis of BRAFV600E-positive thyrocytes showed the overexpression of chemokines CXCL8 and CXCL12, and upregulation of endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1). These molecules are known to be associated with increased neoangiogenesis and proliferation. Functional studies showed that siRNA knockdown of CXCL8 decreased the expressions of CXCL12 and ESM1, whereas knockdown of either CXCL12 or ESM1 did not decrease the expression of CXCL8.

Conclusion: Increased proliferation, de-differentiation, upregulation of chemokines, and endothelial-specific factor are effects associated with BRAFV600E-driven thyroid carcinogenesis. CXCL8 appears to play an important early regulatory role in this process.

Citation Format: Rhitajit Sarkar, Priyanka Bolel, Joanna Klubo-Gwiezdzinska, Marvin C. Gershengorn. Upregulation of CXCL8 is an early step in the oncogenic transition of human thyroid cells by BRAFV600E [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3591.
Abstract 361: Targeting the suppressor of ferroptosis to improve the treament effeciency of glioblastoma
Authors: Wang Jing
Published: March 2024

Glioma is the most frequent tumor in central nervous system (CNS), which makes up about 30% of CNS tumors. The current standard strategy for glioma treatment is surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy and concurrent radiotherapy. Even though, the prognosis of glioma is still poor. It’s encouraging that temozolomide (TMZ) prolongs the overall survival of glioma patients, but the following TMZ resistance is really frustrating. It’s urgent to figure out efficient ways to improve the long term prognosis of patients, such as antagonizing the TMZ resistance. Ferroptosis was a newly discovered type of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent aberrant lipid peroxidation and membrane damage in the last decade. Ferroptosis-associated iron transport proteins modulate the process precisely through controlling the iron content. ZIP14, also known as SLC39A14, is an eight-transmembrane protein which could transport divalent metal ion like Mn2+, Zn2+ and Fe2+. Our preliminary data showed that the expression level of ZIP14 was higher in tumor tissues than paired normal tissue, which was corelated with poor prognosis of glioma. Knock down ZIP14 could induce cell death, and which could be rescued by inhibitors for ferroptosis but not for apoptosis or necrosis. Knock down ZIP14 decreased the ferroptosis inhibition by Ferroptosis suppress protein 1 (FSP1) which through reduction of lipid peroxidation, and sensitized cells to TMZ. Furthermore, we found that ZIP14 formed a complex with Ubiquinone. And it was known that FSP1 is critical in the switch of ubiquinone to ubiquinol. Therefore, we propose that ZIP14 suppress lipid peroxidation through blockage of the transition of ubiquinone to ubiquinol. While ZIP14 was knocked down, the complex with Ubiquinone wad damaged, and could not further change to Ubiquinol, so the suppression to lipid peroxidation was released, and then, ferroptosis was upregulated. In this study, we are going to figure out the molecular mechanism about how ZIP14 suppress ferroptosis and find out efficient small molecule inhibitors to activate ferroptosis by abolishing ZIP14 and improve the prognosis of glioma patients.

Citation Format: Jing Wang. Targeting the suppressor of ferroptosis to improve the treament effeciency of glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 361.