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A Big Bang model of human colorectal tumor growth.

ABSTRACT: What happens in early, still undetectable human malignancies is unknown because direct observations are impractical. Here we present and validate a 'Big Bang' model, whereby tumors grow predominantly as a single expansion producing numerous intermixed subclones that are not subject to stringent selection and where both public (clonal) and most detectable private (subclonal) alterations arise early during growth. Genomic profiling of 349 individual glands from 15 colorectal tumors showed an absence of selective sweeps, uniformly high intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and subclone mixing in distant regions, as postulated by our model. We also verified the prediction that most detectable ITH originates from early private alterations and not from later clonal expansions, thus exposing the profile of the primordial tumor. Moreover, some tumors appear 'born to be bad', with subclone mixing indicative of early malignant potential. This new model provides a quantitative framework to interpret tumor growth dynamics and the origins of ITH, with important clinical implications.

SUBMITTER: Sottoriva A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4575589 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A Big Bang model of human colorectal tumor growth.

Sottoriva Andrea A Kang Haeyoun H Ma Zhicheng Z Graham Trevor A TA Salomon Matthew P MP Zhao Junsong J Marjoram Paul P Siegmund Kimberly K Press Michael F MF Shibata Darryl D Curtis Christina C

Nature genetics 20150209 3

What happens in early, still undetectable human malignancies is unknown because direct observations are impractical. Here we present and validate a 'Big Bang' model, whereby tumors grow predominantly as a single expansion producing numerous intermixed subclones that are not subject to stringent selection and where both public (clonal) and most detectable private (subclonal) alterations arise early during growth. Genomic profiling of 349 individual glands from 15 colorectal tumors showed an absen ...[more]

PMID: 25665006

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Project description:Colorectal cancer often arises from adenomatous polyps. Polyps can grow and progress to cancer, but may also remain static in size, regress, or resolve. Prediciting which progress to cancer and which remain benign is difficult. We developed a long-lived murine model of colorectal cancer with tumors that can be followed by colonoscopy. Our aim was to assess whether these tumors have similar growth patterns and histologic fates to human colorectal polyps to identify features to aid in risk stratification of colonic tumors. Long-lived Apcin/+ mice were treated with 4% dextran sodium sulfate to promote colonic tumorigenesis. Tumor growth patterns were characterized by serial colonoscopy, and pathology was determined. Serial biopsies of tumors were obtained for immunohistochemistry and gene expression profiling by microarray analysis with Affymetrix Whole Genome array. Tumors (n=424) grew, remained static, regressed, or resolved over time with different relative frequencies. Newly developed tumors demonstrated dynamic growth patterns with higher rates of growth and resolution, while more established tumors tended to remain static in size. Colonic tumors were hyperplastic lesions (3%), adenomas (73%), intramucosal carcinomas (20%), or adenocarcinomas (3%). Differentially expressed genes between adenomas and intramucosal carcinomas were identified. We did not identify differentially expressed genes between early and late biopsies from the same tumor. This novel murine model of intestinal tumorigenesis develops colonic tumors that can be monitored by serial colonoscopy, mirror growth patterns seen in human colorectal polyps, and progress to colorectal cancer. Further characterization of cellular and molecular features are needed to determine which features can be used to risk-stratify polyps for progress to colorectal cancer and potentially guide prevention strategies. F1 (SWR x C57BL/6) Apcin/+ mice who had been given two treatments of 4% dextran sodium sulfate in drinking water at weaning underwent colonoscopy around 80 days of age. Those with distal colonic tumors amenable to biopsy had two biopsies taken at that time. Tumors were monitored by colonoscopy every 14 days. Every 28 days, two additional biopsies were taken of each tumor. This protocol was repeated until mice were moribund. Six tumors were removed after sacrifice. The earliest and latest biopsies of each tumor were selected for RNA extraction and Affymetrix hybridization.

Dataset Information

A Big Bang model of human colorectal tumor growth.

Publications

A Big Bang model of human colorectal tumor growth.

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