Project description:The pathogenesis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) remains unclear. Using single-cell RNA or T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of 32 619 CD3+CD4+ and CD26+/CD7+ and 29 932 CD3+CD4+ and CD26-/CD7- lymphocytes from the peripheral blood of 7 patients with CTCL, coupled to single-cell ATAC-sequencing of 26,411 CD3+CD4+ and CD26+/CD7+ and 33 841 CD3+CD4+ and CD26-/CD7- lymphocytes, we show that tumor cells in Sézary syndrome and mycosis fungoides (MF) exhibit different phenotypes and trajectories of differentiation. When compared to MF, Sézary cells exhibit narrower repertoires of TCRs and exhibit clonal enrichment. Surprisingly, we identified ≥200 mutations in hematopoietic stem cells from multiple patients with Sézary syndrome. Mutations in key oncogenes were also present in peripheral Sézary cells, which also showed the hallmarks of recent thymic egression. Together our data suggest that CTCL arises from mutated lymphocyte progenitors that acquire TCRs in the thymus, which complete their malignant transformation in the periphery.
Project description:This study used tumour and paired normal samples from 28 Sézary Syndrome (SS) patients to define recurrent regions of chromosomal aberrations. Our data identified recurrent losses of 17p13.2-p11.2 and 10p12.1-q26.3 occurring in 71 and 68% of cases respectively; common gains were detected for 17p11.2-q25.3 (64%) and chromosome 8/8q (50%). Moreover, we identified novel genomic lesions recurring in more than 30% of tumours: loss of 9q13-q21.33 and gain of 10p15.3-10p12.2. In the Sézary Syndrome cases analysed, we could find several small and few large Uniparental Disomies involving interstitial or telomeric regions of LOH occurring mainly for chromosome 10 and to a lesser extent for chromosome 9 and 17. In the attempt to correlate Copy Number data and clinical parameters we find a relationship between complex pattern of chromosomal aberrations, involving at least three recurrent Copy Number alterations, and shorter survival. Integrating mapping and transcriptional data we were able to identify a total of 113 deregulated transcripts in aberrant chromosomal regions that included cancer related genes such as members of the NF-kB pathway (BAG4, BTRC, NKIRAS2, PSMD3, TRAF2) that might explain its constitutive activation in CTCL. Matching this list of genes with those discriminating patients with different survival times we identify several common candidates that might exert critical roles in Sézary Syndrome, like BUB3 and PIP5K1B.
Project description:This study used tumour and paired normal samples from 28 Sézary Syndrome (SS) patients to define recurrent regions of chromosomal aberrations. Our data identified recurrent losses of 17p13.2-p11.2 and 10p12.1-q26.3 occurring in 71 and 68% of cases respectively; common gains were detected for 17p11.2-q25.3 (64%) and chromosome 8/8q (50%). Moreover, we identified novel genomic lesions recurring in more than 30% of tumours: loss of 9q13-q21.33 and gain of 10p15.3-10p12.2. In the Sézary Syndrome cases analysed, we could find several small and few large Uniparental Disomies involving interstitial or telomeric regions of LOH occurring mainly for chromosome 10 and to a lesser extent for chromosome 9 and 17. In the attempt to correlate Copy Number data and clinical parameters we find a relationship between complex pattern of chromosomal aberrations, involving at least three recurrent Copy Number alterations, and shorter survival. Integrating mapping and transcriptional data we were able to identify a total of 113 deregulated transcripts in aberrant chromosomal regions that included cancer related genes such as members of the NF-kB pathway (BAG4, BTRC, NKIRAS2, PSMD3, TRAF2) that might explain its constitutive activation in CTCL. Matching this list of genes with those discriminating patients with different survival times we identify several common candidates that might exert critical roles in Sézary Syndrome, like BUB3 and PIP5K1B.
Project description:Disease frameshift mutations of calreticulin (CALR) are the second most prevalent driver mutations in essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). To identify potential targeted therapies for CALR mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms, we aimed to search for small molecule drugs that selectively inhibit the growth of CALR mutated cells using high-throughput drug screening. We investigated 89,172 compounds using isogenic cell lines and identified several hits targeting the ATR-CHK1 pathway. The selective inhibitory effect of these candidate compounds was validated in a co-culture assay of CALR mutated and wild type cells. Of the tested hit compounds, CHK1 inhibitors potently depleted CALR mutated cells, allowing CALR wild type cell dominance in the co-culture over time. Neither CALR deficient cells nor JAK2V617F mutated cells showed hypersensitivity to the drug treatment, suggesting that the vulnerability to ATR-CHK1 inhibition is specifically caused by the oncogenic activation by the mutant CALR. CHK1 inhibitors induced replication stress in CALR mutated cells revealed by elevated pan-nuclear staining for γH2AX and hyperphosphorylation of RPA2. They also promoted S-phase cell cycle arrest and blocked the completion of DNA replication in CALR mutated cells. Transcriptomic and phosphoproteomic analyses revealed a replication stress signature caused by the oncogenic CALR mutation, suggesting an intrinsic vulnerability of these cells to CHK1 perturbation. This study indicates that ATR-CHK1 pathway is a potential therapeutic target in CALR mutated hematopoietic cells.
Project description:Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms originating in the skin, with mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) representing the most common variants. The cellular origin of cutaneous lymphomas has remained controversial due to their immense phenotypic heterogeneity that obfuscates lineage reconstruction based on classical surface biomarkers. To overcome this heterogeneity and reconstruct the differentiation trajectory of malignant cells in MF and SS, T-cell receptor sequencing was performed in parallel with targeted transcriptomics at the single-cell resolution among cutaneous samples in MF and SS. Unsupervised lineage reconstruction showed that Sézary cells exist as a population of CD4+ T cells distinct from those in patch, plaque, and tumor MF. Further investigation of malignant cell heterogeneity in SS showed that Sézary cells phenotypically comprised at least three subsets based on differential proliferation potentials and expression of exhaustion markers. A Th1 polarized cell type, intermediate cell type, and exhausted Th2 polarized cell type were identified, with Th1 and Th2 polarized cells displaying divergent proliferation potentials. Collectively, these findings provide evidence to clarify the relationship between MF and SS, and reveal cell subsets in SS that suggest a possible mechanism for therapeutic resistance.
Project description:This study was designed to identify highly recurrent genetic alterations typical of Sézary syndrome (Sz), an aggressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma/leukemia, possibly revealing pathogenetic mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets. High-resolution array-based comparative genomic hybridization was done on malignant T cells from 20 patients. Expression levels of selected biologically relevant genes residing within loci with frequent copy number alteration were measured using quantitative PCR. Combined binary ratio labeling-fluorescence in situ hybridization karyotyping was done on malignant cells from five patients. Minimal common regions with copy number alteration occurring in at least 35% of patients harbored 15 bona fide oncogenes and 3 tumor suppressor genes. Based on the function of the identified oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, at least three molecular mechanisms are relevant in the pathogenesis of Sz. First, gain of cMYC and loss of cMYC antagonists (MXI1 and MNT) were observed in 75% and 40% to 55% of patients, respectively, which were frequently associated with deregulated gene expression. The presence of cMYC/MAX protein heterodimers in Sézary cells was confirmed using a proximity ligation assay. Second, a region containing TP53 and genome maintenance genes (RPA1/HIC1) was lost in the majority of patients. Third, the interleukin 2 (IL-2) pathway was affected by gain of STAT3/STAT5 and IL-2 (receptor) genes in 75% and 30%, respectively, and loss of TCF8 and DUSP5 in at least 45% of patients. In sum, the Sz genome is characterized by gross chromosomal instability with highly recurrent gains and losses. Prominent among deregulated genes are those encoding cMYC, cMYC-regulating proteins, mediators of MYC-induced apoptosis, and IL-2 signaling pathway components. [Cancer Res 2008;68(8):2689–98] Keywords: aCGH, COBRA, FISH, PLA