Dataset Information

Functional Homologous Recombination Assay on FFPE Specimens of Advanced High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Predicts Clinical Outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Deficiency in homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA damage is characteristic of many high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSC). It is imperative to identify patients with homologous recombination-deficient (HRD) tumors as they are most likely to benefit from platinum-based chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors (PARPi). Existing methods measure historical, not necessarily current HRD and/or require high tumor cell content, which is not achievable for many patients. We set out to develop a clinically feasible assay for identifying functionally HRD tumors that can predict clinical outcomes.

Experimental design

We quantified RAD51, a key HR protein, in immunostained formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor samples obtained from chemotherapy-naïve and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)-treated HGSC patients. We defined cutoffs for functional HRD separately for these sample types, classified the patients accordingly as HRD or HR-proficient, and analyzed correlations with clinical outcomes. From the same specimens, genomics-based HRD estimates (HR gene mutations, genomic signatures, and genomic scars) were also determined, and compared with functional HR (fHR) status.

Results

fHR status significantly predicted several clinical outcomes, including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), when determined from chemo-naïve (PFS, P < 0.0001; OS, P < 0.0001) as well as NACT-treated (PFS, P < 0.0001; OS, P = 0.0033) tumor specimens. The fHR test also identified as HRD those PARPi-at-recurrence-treated patients with longer OS (P = 0.0188).

Conclusions

We developed an fHR assay performed on routine FFPE specimens, obtained from either chemo-naïve or NACT-treated HGSC patients, that can significantly predict real-world platinum-based chemotherapy and PARPi response. See related commentary by Garg and Oza, p. 2957.

SUBMITTER: Pikkusaari S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10425726 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Functional Homologous Recombination Assay on FFPE Specimens of Advanced High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Predicts Clinical Outcomes.

Pikkusaari Sanna S Tumiati Manuela M Virtanen Anni A Oikkonen Jaana J Li Yilin Y Perez-Villatoro Fernando F Muranen Taru T Salko Matilda M Huhtinen Kaisa K Kanerva Anna A Koskela Heidi H Tapper Johanna J Koivisto-Korander Riitta R Joutsiniemi Titta T Haltia Ulla-Maija UM Lassus Heini H Hautaniemi Sampsa S Färkkilä Anniina A Hynninen Johanna J Hietanen Sakari S Carpén Olli O Kauppi Liisa L

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 20230801 16

<h4>Purpose</h4>Deficiency in homologous recombination (HR) repair of DNA damage is characteristic of many high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSC). It is imperative to identify patients with homologous recombination-deficient (HRD) tumors as they are most likely to benefit from platinum-based chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors (PARPi). Existing methods measure historical, not necessarily current HRD and/or require high tumor cell content, which is not achievable for many patients. We set out to d ...[more]

PMID: 36805632

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Project description:BackgroundApproximately half of ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) have homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). However, HRD is not well-characterized in Black individuals.ObjectiveTo characterize HGSC HRD by self-reported race and evaluate whether differences in HRD are associated with ovarian cancer mortality.Study populationCohort study using data collected from two population-based case-control studies of ovarian cancer. Cases were selected based on self-reported race (178 Black, 123 White) and pathologically-confirmed HGSC.ExposuresHRD features identified using matched tumor-normal whole-exome DNA sequencing and categorized as germline or somatic variants in homologous recombination pathway genes, or the SBS3 HRD-associated signature.OutcomesMedian difference and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for age at diagnosis and tumor mutation burden, and age and stage-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95%CIs for survival, comparing individuals with an HRD feature to those without, separately by self-reported race.ResultsMore of the germline and somatic variants detected among Black individuals compared with White individuals were unannotated or variants of uncertain significance (VUS; germline 65% versus 45%; somatic 62% versus 50%, respectively). While the prevalences of many HRD features were similar between Black individuals and White individuals, Black individuals had a higher prevalence of the HRD signature identified using de novo mutational signature analysis (40% versus 29%) and germline BRCA2 variants (8% versus 2%) compared with White individuals. We observed that among Black individuals, BRCA2 variants were associated with better survival (somatic HR=0.23, 95%CI 0.07-0.76; germline HR=0.48, 95%CI 0.22-1.03), while germline BRCA1 variants were associated with worse survival (HR=2.11, 95%CI 1.14-3.88). When we restricted to VUS and unannotated variants, we observed similar associations with survival for BRCA2 among Black individuals (somatic HR=0.18, 95%CI 0.04-0.75; germline HR=0.40, 95%CI 0.15-1.09).Conclusions and relevanceHRD testing informs precision-based medicine approaches that improve outcomes, but a higher proportion of VUS among Black individuals may complicate referral for such care. Our findings emphasize the importance of recruiting diverse individuals in genomics research and better characterizing VUS.

Project description:BackgroundHigh-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSCs) are a heterogeneous subtype of epithelial ovarian cancers and include serous cancers arising in the fallopian tube and peritoneum. These cancers are now subdivided into homologous recombination repair (HR)-deficient and proficient subgroups as this classification impacts on management and prognosis. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have shown significant clinical efficacy, particularly as maintenance therapy following response to platinum-based chemotherapy in BRCA-mutant or homologous recombination (HR)-deficient HGSCs in both the 1st and 2nd line settings. However, PARPi have limited clinical benefit in HR-proficient HGSCs which make up almost 50% of HGSC and improving outcomes in these patients is now a high priority due to the poor prognosis with ineffectiveness of the current standard of care. There are a number of potential lines of investigation including efforts in sensitizing HR-proficient tumors to PARPi. Herein, we aimed to develop a novel combination therapy by targeting SSRP1 using a small molecule inhibitor CBL0137 with PARPi in HR-proficient HGSCs.Experimental designWe tested anti-cancer activity of CBL0137 monotherapy using a panel of HGSC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells in vitro. RNA sequencing was used to map global transcriptomic changes in CBL0137-treated patient-derived HR-proficient HGSC cells. We tested efficacy of CBL0137 in combination with PARPi using HGSC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.ResultsWe show that SSRP1 inhibition using a small molecule, CBL0137, that traps SSRP1 onto chromatin, exerts a significant anti-growth activity in vitro against HGSC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells, and also reduces tumor burden in vivo. CBL0137 induced DNA repair deficiency via inhibition of the HR repair pathway and sensitized SSRP1-high HR-proficient HGSC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells/xenografts to the PARPi, Olaparib in vitro and in vivo. CBL0137 also enhanced the efficacy of DNA damaging platinum-based chemotherapy in HGSC patient-derived xenografts.ConclusionOur findings strongly suggest that combination of CBL0137 and PARP inhibition represents a novel therapeutic strategy for HR-proficient HGSCs that express high levels of SSRP1 and should be investigated in the clinic.

Dataset Information

Functional Homologous Recombination Assay on FFPE Specimens of Advanced High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Predicts Clinical Outcomes.

Purpose

Experimental design

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Functional Homologous Recombination Assay on FFPE Specimens of Advanced High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Predicts Clinical Outcomes.

Similar Datasets

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