Transcriptomic characterization of paired primary and recurrent HNSCC tumors
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ABSTRACT: Despite aggressive multi-modal treatment, advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients are at high risk of recurrence. Matched pairs (n=38) of primary/recurrent tumors were subjected to whole exome and RNA sequencing. Mutational landscapes and genomic copy number alterations indicated diverging clonal origins in a subset of cases. Transcriptional subtyping (classical/CL, basal/BA, inflamed-mesenchymal/IMS) in primary and recurrent HNSCC (n=112) revealed more frequent CL and IMS in primary tumors with low recurrence rates and a prevalence of BA in recurrent tumors associated with p-EMT and early recurrence. 44% of matched cases underwent a subtype change from primary to recurrent tumors, preferably from IMS to BA or CL. In recurrences, HYPOXIA, P-EMT and RADIATION RESISTANCE signatures were up- and TUMOR INFLAMMATION down-regulated compared to index tumors. A therapy-induced selection of transcriptional subtypes demonstrates the importance of molecular characterization of recurrences for second-line therapy decisions to enable optimally tailored treatments.
Project description:Despite aggressive multi-modal treatment, advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients are at high risk of recurrence. Matched pairs (n=38) of primary/recurrent tumors were subjected to whole exome and RNA sequencing. Mutational landscapes and genomic copy number alterations indicated diverging clonal origins in a subset of cases. Transcriptional subtyping (classical/CL, basal/BA, inflamed-mesenchymal/IMS) in primary and recurrent HNSCC (n=112) revealed more frequent CL and IMS in primary tumors with low recurrence rates and a prevalence of BA in recurrent tumors associated with p-EMT and early recurrence. 44% of matched cases underwent a subtype change from primary to recurrent tumors, preferably from IMS to BA or CL. In recurrences, HYPOXIA, P-EMT and RADIATION RESISTANCE signatures were up- and TUMOR INFLAMMATION down-regulated compared to index tumors. A therapy-induced selection of transcriptional subtypes demonstrates the importance of molecular characterization of recurrences for second-line therapy decisions to enable optimally tailored treatments.
Project description:Despite aggressive multi-modal treatment, advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients are at high risk of recurrence. n=19 different selected areas of matched pairs (n=3) of primary/recurrent tumor specimens were subjected to RNA sequencing. Transcriptional subtyping (classical/CL, basal/BA, inflamed-mesenchymal/IMS) in matched primary and recurrent HNSCC specimens revealed heterogeneity.
Project description:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the 6th most common cancer worldwide and the human papillomavirus (HPVP+P)-driven subtype is the fastest rising in North America. Although most cases of HPV+ HNSCC respond to radiation and chemotherapy in combination with surgery, up to 20% of patients recur after primary treatment with poor prognosis. To gain insights into the mechanism of recurrence to inform patient stratification and precision treatment, we carried out RNA-seq analysis on 43 HPV+ HNSCC specimens, of which 15, including 7 recurrent tumors, were analyzed by quantitative mass spectrometry. The proteome and phosphoproteome, but not the transcriptome, were found to be distinct between the recurrent and non-recurrent tumors. Specifically, recurrent tumors featured a pro-fibrotic and immune suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized with more abundant cancer associated fibroblasts, extracellular matrix (ECM), neutrophils and suppressive myeloid cells, increased potential for epithelial-mesenchymal transition and defective T cell function, accompanied by aberrant changes in the corresponding signaling pathways. Mechanistically, kinome reprogramming played a pivotal role in mediating recurrence through regulating TME remodelling, cytoskeletal reorganization, cell adhesion, neutrophil function, and coagulation. Besides providing systems-level insights into the molecular basis of recurrence, our work led to the identification of numerous mechanism-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets that may aid future endeavours of developing prognostic biomarkers and precision medicine for recurrent HPV+ HNSCC.
Project description:Purpose: Several risk factors for local recurrence of breast cancer after breast conserving therapy (BCT) have been identified. The identification of additional risk factors would be very useful in guiding optimal therapy and also improve understanding of the mechanisms underlying local recurrence. We used cDNA microarray analysis to identify gene expression profiles associated with local recurrence. Experimental Design: Using 18K cDNA microarrays, gene expression profiles were obtained from 50 patients who underwent BCT. Of these 50 patients 19 developed a local recurrence; the remaining 31 patients were selected as controls as they were free of local recurrence at least 11 years after treatment. For 9/19 patients also the local recurrence was available for gene expression profiling. Unsupervised and supervised methods of classification were used to separate patients in groups corresponding to disease outcome and to study the overall gene expression pattern of primary tumors and their recurrences. Results: Hierarchical clustering of patients did not show any grouping reflecting local recurrence status. Supervised analysis revealed no significant set of genes that was able to distinguish recurring tumors from non-recurring tumors. Paired-data analysis of primary tumors and local recurrences showed a remarkable similarity in gene expression profile between primary tumors and their recurrences. Conclusions: No significant differences in gene expression between primary breast cancer tumors in patients with or without local recurrence after breast conserving therapy were identified. Furthermore, analyses of primary tumors and local recurrences show a preservation of the overall gene expression pattern in the local recurrence, even after radiotherapy. Keywords: gene expression profiling
Project description:Purpose: Predominant causes of head and neck cancer recurrence after radiotherapy are rapid repopulation, hypoxia, fraction of cancer stem cells and intrinsic radioresistance. Currently, intrinsic radioresistance can only be assessed by ex-vivo colony assays. Besides being time-consuming, colony assays do not identify causes of intrinsic resistance. We aimed to identify a biomarker for intrinsic radioresistance to be used before start of treatment and to reveal biological processes that could be targeted to overcome intrinsic resistance. Experimental design: We analyzed both micro- and messenger RNA expression in a large panel of HNSCC cell lines. Expression was measured on both irradiated and unirradiated samples. Results were validated using modified cell lines and a series of laryngeal cancer patients. Results: MiRs, mRNAs and gene sets that correlated with resistance could be identified from expression data of unirradiated cells. The presence of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and low expression of miRs involved in the inhibition of EMT were important radioresistance determinants. This finding was validated in two independent cell line pairs, in which the induction of EMT reduced radiosensitivity. Moreover, low expression of the most important miR (miR-203) was shown to correlate with local disease recurrence after radiotherapy in a series of laryngeal cancer patients. Conclusions: These findings indicate that EMT and low expression of EMT-inhibiting miRs, especially miR-203, measured in pre-treatment material, causes intrinsic radioresistance of HNSCC, which could enable identification and treatment modification of radioresistant tumors. Matched pairs of pre-treatment biopsies of 34 patients treated at The Netherlands Cancer Institute between 2002 and 2010. Patients with T2-3 laryngeal cancers, all treated with radiotherapy alone with a curative intent. The series was designed to be a matched cohort of 17 patients with local recurrences matched with 17 local cures. There were no significant differences between groups with and without local recurrence in age, gender, subsite, T-stage or treatment year.
Project description:We applied global gene expression with samples derived from a recently established mouse model for oral cancer recurrences and identified a list of genes with differential expression between primary and recurrent tumors. 5 independent primary tumors and respectivce recurrences were analyzed. Two replicates of the original cell line used for the generation of all tumors was also added to the study.
Project description:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous disease with significant morbidity and mortality and frequent recurrence. Pre-NGS efforts to transcriptionally classify HNSCC into groups of varying prognosis have identified four accepted molecular subtypes of disease: Atypical (AT), Basal (BA), Classical (CL), and Mesenchymal (MS). Here, we investigated the active enhancer landscapes of these subtypes using representative HNSCC cell lines and identified samples belonging to the AT subtype as having increased enhancer activity compared to the other 3 HNSCC subtypes. Cell lines belonging to atypical subtype were more resistant to bromodomain inhibitors (BETi). PRO-Seq experiments that both TCGA tumors and AT cell lines showed higher eRNA transcripts for enhancers controlling BETi resistance pathways, such as lipid metabolism and MAPK signaling. Additionally, HiChIP experiments suggested higher enhancer-promoter (E-P) contacts in the AT subtype, including on genes identified in the eRNA analysis. Consistently, known BETi resistance pathways were upregulated upon exposure to these inhibitors. Together, our results identify that the AT subtype of HNSCC is associated with high enhancer activity, resistance to BET inhibition, and signaling pathways that could serve as future targets for sensitizing HNSCC to BET inhibition.
Project description:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous disease with significant morbidity and mortality and frequent recurrence. Pre-NGS efforts to transcriptionally classify HNSCC into groups of varying prognosis have identified four accepted molecular subtypes of disease: Atypical (AT), Basal (BA), Classical (CL), and Mesenchymal (MS). Here, we investigated the active enhancer landscapes of these subtypes using representative HNSCC cell lines and identified samples belonging to the AT subtype as having increased enhancer activity compared to the other 3 HNSCC subtypes. Cell lines belonging to atypical subtype were more resistant to bromodomain inhibitors (BETi). PRO-Seq experiments that both TCGA tumors and AT cell lines showed higher eRNA transcripts for enhancers controlling BETi resistance pathways, such as lipid metabolism and MAPK signaling. Additionally, HiChIP experiments suggested higher enhancer-promoter (E-P) contacts in the AT subtype, including on genes identified in the eRNA analysis. Consistently, known BETi resistance pathways were upregulated upon exposure to these inhibitors. Together, our results identify that the AT subtype of HNSCC is associated with high enhancer activity, resistance to BET inhibition, and signaling pathways that could serve as future targets for sensitizing HNSCC to BET inhibition.
Project description:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous disease with significant morbidity and mortality and frequent recurrence. Pre-NGS efforts to transcriptionally classify HNSCC into groups of varying prognosis have identified four accepted molecular subtypes of disease: Atypical (AT), Basal (BA), Classical (CL), and Mesenchymal (MS). Here, we investigated the active enhancer landscapes of these subtypes using representative HNSCC cell lines and identified samples belonging to the AT subtype as having increased enhancer activity compared to the other 3 HNSCC subtypes. Cell lines belonging to atypical subtype were more resistant to bromodomain inhibitors (BETi). PRO-Seq experiments that both TCGA tumors and AT cell lines showed higher eRNA transcripts for enhancers controlling BETi resistance pathways, such as lipid metabolism and MAPK signaling. Additionally, HiChIP experiments suggested higher enhancer-promoter (E-P) contacts in the AT subtype, including on genes identified in the eRNA analysis. Consistently, known BETi resistance pathways were upregulated upon exposure to these inhibitors. Together, our results identify that the AT subtype of HNSCC is associated with high enhancer activity, resistance to BET inhibition, and signaling pathways that could serve as future targets for sensitizing HNSCC to BET inhibition.
Project description:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous disease with significant morbidity and mortality and frequent recurrence. Pre-NGS efforts to transcriptionally classify HNSCC into groups of varying prognosis have identified four accepted molecular subtypes of disease: Atypical (AT), Basal (BA), Classical (CL), and Mesenchymal (MS). Here, we investigated the active enhancer landscapes of these subtypes using representative HNSCC cell lines and identified samples belonging to the AT subtype as having increased enhancer activity compared to the other 3 HNSCC subtypes. Cell lines belonging to atypical subtype were more resistant to bromodomain inhibitors (BETi). PRO-Seq experiments that both TCGA tumors and AT cell lines showed higher eRNA transcripts for enhancers controlling BETi resistance pathways, such as lipid metabolism and MAPK signaling. Additionally, HiChIP experiments suggested higher enhancer-promoter (E-P) contacts in the AT subtype, including on genes identified in the eRNA analysis. Consistently, known BETi resistance pathways were upregulated upon exposure to these inhibitors. Together, our results identify that the AT subtype of HNSCC is associated with high enhancer activity, resistance to BET inhibition, and signaling pathways that could serve as future targets for sensitizing HNSCC to BET inhibition.