Abstract 2856: Multi-omics approaches for biomarker discovery and target therapy in pediatric germ cell tumors
Authors: Ana Flavia Souza Peres, Ingridy Izabella Vieira Cardoso, Janaina Mello Soares Galvao, Ana Glenda Santarosa Vieira, Marcela Nunes Rosa, Isabela Cristiane Tosi, Daniel Antunes Moreno, Ana Carolina Laus, Andre van Helvoort Lengert, Silvia Aparecida Teixeira, Adriane Feijo Evangelista, Rui Manuel Reis, Luiz Fernando Lopes, Mariana Tomazini Pinto
Journal: Cancer Research (2024)

Abstract Pediatric germ cell tumors (GCT) are rare and heterogeneous, presenting various histologies. There are no specific markers for diagnosing GCT, and 30% of patients are resistant to standard cisplatin-based chemotherapy, which can be related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Therefore, this study aims to elucidate markers for classifying GCTs, evaluate the molecular mechanisms related to drug resistance, and search for new therapeutic approaches. The expression of miRNAs was assessed for 42 GCT-pediatric patients through miRNA Panel - Nanostring technology. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was performed for 16 GCT-pediatric patients to assess somatic mutations. In silico analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was performed using the cBioPortal database. The expression of EMT markers was evaluated in vitro in parental and cisplatin-resistant models (NTERA-2R). Xenograft model-derived NTERA-2R was established and EMT markers were also assessed. We identified specific miRNA expression signatures for each histology, including 34 miRNAs for dysgerminomas, 13 for embryonal carcinomas, 25 for yolk sac tumors, and one for immature teratoma. We identified 26 miRNAs that were commonly expressed in malignant tumors, with six miRNAs (miR-302a-3p, miR-302b-3p, miR-371a-5p, miR-372-3p, miR-373-3p, miR-367-3p) showing significant overexpression. MiR-302b-3p had a significant association with all the evaluated clinical features. WES analysis showed that Single Base Substitution signature 39 was observed in 68.75% of samples and SBS22 in 12.5%. Copy number alterations were identified in 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 21, and 22 chromosomes, with amplification of CDKN1B, KRAS, CCND2, ETV6, and KDM5A genes and deletions of KIT and PTEN genes. Somatic mutations in NYAP2, RHBDF2, MTOR, KIT, ATM, KRAS, and PIK3CA were frequent among the samples. KIT (Asp816Val, Ala829Pro) and KRAS (Gln61Leu) mutations were classified with potential clinical significance and were validated. In silico analysis showed that different histologies had distinct expression profiles for EMT markers. Patients with SNAILlowSLUGlow expression had higher PFS than those with SNAILhighSLUGhigh (p=0.006). The median PFS of patients with SLUGlow was 46.4 months, while SLUGhigh was 28.0 months (p=0.022). In vitro analysis using NTERA-2R showed overexpression of EMT markers. The same result was obtained in the xenograft model derived from NTERA-2R. Our study offers vital insights into pediatric GCTs' molecular landscape, using in silico, in vitro, in vivo analyses, and genetic assessments, highlighting three points: 1) The miRNA signatures for each histology may have robust diagnostic and prognostic potential, besides clinical implications as biomarkers. 2) KIT and KRAS genes are possible therapeutic targets of pediatric GCTs. 3) EMT is related to cisplatin resistance and SLUG is a potential molecular target. Citation Format: Ana Flavia Souza Peres, Ingridy Izabella Vieira Cardoso, Janaina Mello Soares Galvao, Ana Glenda Santarosa Vieira, Marcela Nunes Rosa, Isabela Cristiane Tosi, Daniel Antunes Moreno, Ana Carolina Laus, Andre van Helvoort Lengert, Silvia Aparecida Teixeira, Adriane Feijo Evangelista, Rui Manuel Reis, Luiz Fernando Lopes, Mariana Tomazini Pinto. Multi-omics approaches for biomarker discovery and target therapy in pediatric germ cell tumors [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 2856.