Project description:Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and other H3K27M-mutated diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are universally lethal central nervous system (CNS) tumors that occur most commonly in children and young adults1. Average life expectancy is ten months from diagnosis, and 5-year survival is less than 1%2. Palliative radiotherapy is the only established treatment3, and neither cytotoxic nor targeted pharmacological approaches have demonstrated anti-tumor responses or improved prognosis to date3,4. We previously discovered that the disialoganglioside GD2 is highly and uniformly expressed on H3K27M+ DMG cells and demonstrated that intravenously (IV) administered GD2.4-1BB.z chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells eradicated established DMGs in patient-derived orthotopic murine models5, thereby providing the rationale for a first-in-human/first-in-child Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT04196413). Because CAR T-cell-induced inflammation and edema of the brainstem can result in obstructive hydrocephalus, increased intracranial pressure, and dangerous tissue shifts, a number of neurocritical care precautions were incorporated in the clinical trial design and management plan. Here we present the clinical experience from the first four patients with H3K27M+ DMG treated with GD2-CAR T-cells at dose level 1 (DL1; 1e6 GD2-CAR T-cells/kg administered IV). Patients who exhibited clinical benefit were eligible for subsequent administrations of GD2-CAR T-cells. Given preclinical evidence for increased CAR T-cell potency6, and the potential for diminished immunogenicity with locoregional administration, second doses were administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) through an Ommaya catheter to three patients. As predicted from preclinical models, toxicity was largely related to the neuroanatomical location of the tumors and was reversible with intensive supportive care. Although GD2 is expressed at low levels in normal neural tissue, no evidence of on-target, off-tumor toxicity was observed. Three of four patients exhibited clinical and radiographic improvement, underscoring the promise of this approach for H3K27M+ DMG therapy. Correlative studies of serum and CSF revealed marked proinflammatory cytokine production following GD2 CAR T cell administration and single cell transcriptomic analysis of 65,598 single cells from CAR T cell products and patient CSF has begun to reveal differences that correlate with the heterogeneity between subjects and routes of administration.
Project description:Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are universally fatal pediatric brain tumors associated with mutations in genes encoding either histone H3.1 or histone 3.3, often substitution of methionine for lysine 27 (H3K27M). H3K27 is a critical determinant of chromatin state via methylation by Enhancer-of-Zeste-Homolog-2 (EZH2). Previous reports have suggested that the pathologically low levels of H3K27me3 found in histone-mutant DMGs result primarily from H3K27M inhibiting EZH2 directly, but recent reports have called this model into question. To better understand the chromatin landscape of DMGs, we applied CUT&RUN to patient-derived DMG cell lines. Remarkably, we find that the PRC2 activity is similar in DMGs and embryonic stem cells, suggesting a primitive cell-of-origin, despite transcriptionally active regions maintaining markers of both stem cells and differentiated cells. We also show that exogenous expression of H3.3M at physiological levels has little effect on H3K27me3 levels, that H3K27M can colocalize with H3K27me3 in vivo and that the H3.3K27M oncohistone does not show evidence of sequestering PRC2 components. Our results suggest that chromatin landscapes in DMGs are a consequence of a stem-like chromatin state that is retained despite activation of differentiation programs. Our findings have implications for understanding DMG gliomagenesis and therapeutic approaches centered on epigenome-modifying agents.
Project description:Treatment-resistance of lethal high-grade brain tumors including H3K27M diffuse midline gliomas is thought to arise in part from transcriptional and electrophysiological heterogeneity. These phenotypes are readily studied in isolation using single-cell RNA-seq and whole-cell patch clamping, respectively, but their simultaneous capture is now possible by aspirating a cell's contents into a patch pipet after electrophysiology recordings using a method called 'patch-seq'. Here, we adapt this method to characterize the gene expression programs and functional responses of patient-derived glioma xenografts to neuronal firing at single-cell resolution.
Project description:Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), bearing lysine-to-methionine mutations in histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27M) are lethal childhood brain cancers. These tumors harbor a global reduction in the transcriptional repressive mark H3K27me3 accompanied by an increase in the transcriptional activation mark H3K27ac. We postulated that H3K27M mutations, in addition to altering H3K27 modifications, reprogram the master chromatin remodeling SWI/SNF complex. The SWI/SNF complex can exist in two main forms termed BAF and PBAF that play central roles in neurodevelopment and cancer. Moreover, BAF antagonizes PRC2, the main enzyme catalyzing H3K27me3. We demonstrate that H3K27M gliomas show increased protein levels of the SWI/SNF complex ATPase subunits SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 and the PBAF component PBRM1. Additionally, knockdown of mutant H3K27M lowered SMARCA4 protein levels. The proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) AU-15330 that simultaneously targets SMARCA4, SMARCA2, and PBRM1 for degradation exhibits cytotoxicity in H3.3K27M but not H3 wild-type cells. AU-15330 lowered chromatin accessibility measured by ATAC-seq at non-promoter regions and reduced global H3K27ac levels. Integrated analysis of gene expression, proteomics, and chromatin accessibility in AU-15330-treated cells demonstrated reduction in levels of FOXO1, a key member of the forkhead family of transcription factors. Moreover, genetic or pharmacologic targeting of FOXO1 resulted in cell death in H3K27M cells. Overall, our results suggest that H3K27M upregulates SMARCA4 levels and combined targeting of SWI/SNF ATPases in H3.3K27M can serve as a potent therapeutic strategy for these deadly childhood brain tumors.
Project description:Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), bearing lysine-to-methionine mutations in histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27M) are lethal childhood brain cancers. These tumors harbor a global reduction in the transcriptional repressive mark H3K27me3 accompanied by an increase in the transcriptional activation mark H3K27ac. We postulated that H3K27M mutations, in addition to altering H3K27 modifications, reprogram the master chromatin remodeling SWI/SNF complex. The SWI/SNF complex can exist in two main forms termed BAF and PBAF that play central roles in neurodevelopment and cancer. Moreover, BAF antagonizes PRC2, the main enzyme catalyzing H3K27me3. We demonstrate that H3K27M gliomas show increased protein levels of the SWI/SNF complex ATPase subunits SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 and the PBAF component PBRM1. Additionally, knockdown of mutant H3K27M lowered SMARCA4 protein levels. The proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) AU-15330 that simultaneously targets SMARCA4, SMARCA2, and PBRM1 for degradation exhibits cytotoxicity in H3.3K27M but not H3 wild-type cells. AU-15330 lowered chromatin accessibility measured by ATAC-seq at non-promoter regions and reduced global H3K27ac levels. Integrated analysis of gene expression, proteomics, and chromatin accessibility in AU-15330-treated cells demonstrated reduction in levels of FOXO1, a key member of the forkhead family of transcription factors. Moreover, genetic or pharmacologic targeting of FOXO1 resulted in cell death in H3K27M cells. Overall, our results suggest that H3K27M upregulates SMARCA4 levels and combined targeting of SWI/SNF ATPases in H3.3K27M can serve as a potent therapeutic strategy for these deadly childhood brain tumors.
Project description:We generated a syngeneic H3K27M diffuse midline glioma (DMG) mouse model and performed total RNA seq on H3K27MPP cells and control cell lines H3wtMPP and Normal Neural stem cells. Aditionally we generate a Dox Inducible Mat2A Knockdown in that human DIPG cell line DIPG04 and performed RNA sequencing on cells treated with 2ug/ml Doxycyclin and no treatment
Project description:Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are lethal brain tumors characterized by inactivating p53 mutations and oncohistone H3.3K27M mutations that rewire the cellular response to genotoxic stress, presenting therapeutic opportunities. We used RCAS/tv-a retroviruses and Cre recombinase to inactivate p53 and induce K27M in the native H3f3a allele in a lineage- and spatially-directed manner, yielding primary mouse DMGs. Disruption of the DNA damage response kinase Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (Atm) enhanced the efficacy of focal brain irradiation, extending mouse survival. This finding suggests that targeting ATM will enhance the efficacy of radiation therapy for p53-mutant DMG but not p53-wildtype DMG. We used spatial in situ transcriptomics and an allelic series of primary murine DMG models to identify transactivation-independent p53 activity as the key mediator of such radiosensitivity.
Project description:Gliomas bearing driver mutations of histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27M) are incurable brain tumors. H3K27M mutant tumors display unique epigenomes with global loss of the chromatin repressive H3K27 trimethylation mark. Here, we generated a syngeneic H3K27M mouse model to study the dependence upon amino acid (AA) metabolism by performing an AA drop out screen. H3K27M mutant cells, but not histone wildtype cells, were highly dependent on the amino acid, methionine. Interrogating the methionine cycle dependency through an siRNA screen identified the enzyme Methionine Adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A), which catalyzes production of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a methyl donor. Sensitivity to MAT2A loss in H3K27M mutant cells was not mediated through the canonical mechanism of MTAP deletion; instead, H3K27M mutant cells have lower MAT2A protein levels, which is mediated by Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase 1 (AMD1) production of decarboxylated SAM (dcSAM). MAT2A loss induces global depletion of H3K36me3, a potent chromatin mark of transcriptional elongation, as evaluated by quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation with reference exogenous genome sequencing (ChIP-Rx-Seq) in multiple DIPG lines. Tandem H3K36me3 ChIP-Rx-seq and RNA-seq identified several oncogenic and developmental transcriptional programs associated with MAT2A loss. Moreover, inducible knockdown of MAT2A or methionine-restricted diets (MR) extended survival in both syngeneic and patient-derived xenograft models (PDXs) in vivo. Collectively, our results provide novel connections between AA metabolism and the epigenome in H3K27M gliomas, suggesting that MAT2A, a central regulator of methionine metabolism, presents exploitable therapeutic vulnerabilities in H3K27M gliomas.