Project description:End-stage breast cancers are clonally heterogeneous and harbor many poorly-understood treatment resistance mechanisms. We therefore established multiple Patient-Derived-Xenograft (PDX) models to study genomic events driving advanced disease. Comparative whole-genome sequencing of paired primary tumors and their PDX models demonstrated that PDX retain the vast majority of the structural variations and copy number aberrations seen within the originating tumor, and with high fidelity. Variant allele fractions (VAF) were preserved, even for rare mutations. Clonal representation is therefore a transplantable phenotype, indicating that genomic heterogeneity can be regulated in a tumor-autonomous mechanism, indifferent to host immune status. Mutations and gene rearrangements were documented in the ESR1 gene in three of five sequenced luminal PDX/progenitor tumor pairs (amplification, point mutation and translocation), and were associated with clinical endocrine response phenotypes, differential PDX estradiol responsiveness and all induced estradiol-independent growth in standard cell lines. PDX models are therefore a significant new tool for fundamental studies on the molecular basis for resistance to endocrine treatment in advanced breast cancer. reference x sample
Project description:A significant proportion of patients with oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers (BC) develop resistance to endocrine treatments (ET) and relapse with metastatic disease. Bone is the most common metastatic site in ER+ patients, however bone metastases are technically challenging to biopsy and analyse. Difficulties concern both tumour tissue acquisition and techniques for analysis and RNA extractions. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of BC bone metastases have not been reported yet. For the first time we established PDX models from bone metastatic biopsies of patients progressing on ET and treated by vertebroplasty. PDX models were analysed at genomic level to identify new therapeutic targets associated with endocrine resistance in the metastatic setting. Identification of chromosomic alterations in bone metastasis derived PDX.
Project description:We deciphered molecular mechanisms associated with acquired resistance to anti-EGFR targeted therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by comparing gene expression profiles in cetuximab-sensitive and -resistant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of HNSCC. We generated and validated several HNSCC PDX models. Resistance mechanisms to anti-EGFR therapy were investigated in one of these PDX models (UCLHN04). First, sensitivity to cetuximab treatment was tested. This model showed high sensitivity to this drug. We induced acquired resistance to anti-EGFR therapy in this sensitive model by treating it chronically with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (cetuximab, 30 mg/kg/week) until resistance ensues. RNA-seq analysis was performed on samples coming from untreated and cetuximab-resistant PDX, revealing major changes of expression at the mRNA level.
Project description:A significant proportion of patients with oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers (BC) develop resistance to endocrine treatments (ET) and relapse with metastatic disease. Bone is the most common metastatic site in ER+ patients, however bone metastases are technically challenging to biopsy and analyse. Difficulties concern both tumour tissue acquisition and techniques for analysis and RNA extractions. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of BC bone metastases have not been reported yet. For the first time we established PDX models from bone metastatic biopsies of patients progressing on ET and treated by vertebroplasty. PDX models were analysed at transcriptomic level and compared to patient’s early primary tumours to identify new therapeutic targets associated with endocrine resistance in the metastatic setting. Identification of activated signalling pathways in bone metastasis by comparative transcriptomic analyses of the bone metastasis derived PDX compared to the patients' primary breast tumor.
Project description:Combining CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) with endocrine therapy has proven clinically effective and represents now the first-line treatment for advanced Luminal Breast Cancer (LBC) patients. However, resistance to CDK4/6i almost invariably arises in these patients, emphasising the critical need to comprehend these mechanisms and develop new strategies to overcome resistance. We report on the generation and characterisation of a LBC PDX displaying acquired resistance to CDK4/6i palbociclib. Treating a sensitive luminal BC PDX with the CDK4/6i palbociclib revealed that, despite initial tumour shrinkage, some tumours might eventually regrow under drug treatment. RNA sequencing, followed by gene set enrichment analyses, unveiled that this PDX have become refractory to CDK4/6i, both at biological and molecular level.
Project description:Resistance to endocrine treatments and CDK4/6 inhibitors is considered a near-inevitability in most patients with estrogen receptor positive breast cancers (ER + BC). By genomic and metabolomics analyses of patients' tumours, metastasis-derived patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and isogenic cell lines we demonstrate that a fraction of metastatic ER + BC is highly reliant on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Treatment by the OXPHOS inhibitor IACS-010759 strongly inhibits tumour growth in multiple endocrine and palbociclib resistant PDX. Mutations in the PIK3CA/AKT1 genes are significantly associated with response to IACS-010759. At the metabolic level, in vivo response to IACS-010759 is associated with decreased levels of metabolites of the glutathione, glycogen and pentose phosphate pathways in treated tumours. In vitro, endocrine and palbociclib resistant cells show increased OXPHOS dependency and increased ROS levels upon IACS-010759 treatment. Finally, in ER + BC patients, high expression of OXPHOS associated genes predict poor prognosis. In conclusion, these results identify OXPHOS as a promising target for treatment resistant ER + BC patients.
Project description:End-stage breast cancers are clonally heterogeneous and harbor many poorly-understood treatment resistance mechanisms. We therefore established multiple Patient-Derived-Xenograft (PDX) models to study genomic events driving advanced disease. Comparative whole-genome sequencing of paired primary tumors and their PDX models demonstrated that PDX retain the vast majority of the structural variations and copy number aberrations seen within the originating tumor, and with high fidelity. Variant allele fractions (VAF) were preserved, even for rare mutations. Clonal representation is therefore a transplantable phenotype, indicating that genomic heterogeneity can be regulated in a tumor-autonomous mechanism, indifferent to host immune status. Mutations and gene rearrangements were documented in the ESR1 gene in three of five sequenced luminal PDX/progenitor tumor pairs (amplification, point mutation and translocation), and were associated with clinical endocrine response phenotypes, differential PDX estradiol responsiveness and all induced estradiol-independent growth in standard cell lines. PDX models are therefore a significant new tool for fundamental studies on the molecular basis for resistance to endocrine treatment in advanced breast cancer.
Project description:Glioblastomas (GBM) are the most common primary CNS tumor. GBMs often recur as highly aggressive, intractable, therapy resistant tumors. Key molecular regulators of acquired radiation resistance in recurrent GBM are largely unknown with a dearth of accurate pre-clinical models. To address this, we generated eight GBM patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of acquired radiation-therapy selected (RTS) resistance compared with same-patient, treatment naïve (RTU) PDX. A novel bioinformatics pipeline analyzed phenotypic, transcriptomic and kinomic alterations, identifying long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and targetable, PDX-specific kinases. We observed differential transcriptional enrichment of DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways in our RTS models. Multiple molecular routes to acquired radiation-resistance were revealed in our models including PDX-specific kinases that we validated with targeted small molecule inhibitors (SMIs). We identified 184, mostly novel, lncRNAs differentially regulated between RTU and RTS PDX. Several of these lncRNAs were associated with transcriptional changes in DDR, cell cycle progression, stemness, and chromatin remodeling pathways. This study identifies lncRNAs as potential key regulators in recurrent GBM and therapy resistance. We also demonstrate that SMIs aimed at lncRNA-related signaling pathways may represent a novel therapeutic approach for recurrent GBM tumors.