Project description:We have previously established an in vitro model of PARPi-resistant ovarian cancer by long-term exposure of UWB1.289 ovarian cancer cells (and their isogenic derivatives UWB1.289+BRCA1) to incrementally ascending olaparib concentrations. After finalizing this model, we performed RNA-seq, in order to identify differentially expressed transcript in the PARPi-resistant cells, with a focus on genes related to DNA-repair, multi-drug resistance and EMT. As a result, we show that the phenotype of PARPi resistance is associated with EMT-like traits and up-regulation of selective multi-drug related transcripts.
Project description:Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) are approved to treat recurrent ovarian cancer with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, and as maintenance therapy for recurrent platinum sensitive ovarian cancer (BRCA wild-type or mutated) after treatment with platinum. However, the acquired resistance against PARPi remains a clinical hurdle. Our previous study has demonstrated that PARPi can enhance the Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity in ovarian cancer cells, mainly through inducing expression of ALDH1A1, an isoform of the ALDH family. In addition, an ALDH1A1 selective inhibitor can synergize with olaparib in killing EOC cells carrying BRCA2 mutation in both in vitro cell culture and the in vivo xenograft animal model. In order to elucidating the mechanism by which ALDH1A1 renders PARPi resistance to ovarian cancer, we performed RNA-seq analysis to identify genes whose expression can be regulated by ALDH1A1.
Project description:Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play significant roles in drug resistance through different ways. Antitumor therapies, including molecular targeted interventions, not only effect tumor cells but also modulate the phenotype and characteristics of CAFs, which can in turn blunt the therapeutic response. Little is known about how stromal fibroblasts respond to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) in ovarian cancer (OC) and subsequent effects on tumor cells. This is a study to evaluate how CAFs react to PARPis and their potential influence on PARPi resistance in OC. We discovered that OC stromal fibroblasts exhibited intrinsic resistance to PARPis and were further activated after the administration of PARPis. PARPi-challenged fibroblasts displayed a specific secretory profile characterized by increased secretion of CCL5, MIP-3α, MCP3, CCL11, and ENA-78. Mechanistically, increased secretion of CCL5 through activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway was required for PARPi-induced stromal fibroblast activation in an autocrine manner. Moreover, neutralizing CCL5 partly reversed PARPi-induced fibroblast activation and boosted the tumor inhibitory effect of PARPis in both BRCA1/2-mutant and BRCA1/2-wild type xenograft models. Our study revealed that PARPis could maintain and improve stromal fibroblast activation involving CCL5 autocrine upregulation. Targeting CCL5 might offer a new treatment modality in overcoming the reality of PARPi resistance in OC.
Project description:KFTX paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant ovarian cancer cells, KFTXlow PTX-resistant ovarian cancer cells and KFlow PTX-sensitive ovarian cancer cells expression profilies
Project description:PARP inhibitor olaparib induces the formation of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) in ovarian and breast cancer cell lines, human high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC)–derived organoids, and HGSC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Time-lapse tracking of ovarian cancer cells revealed that PGCCs primarily developed from endoreplication of cancer cells after exposure to sublethal concentrations of olaparib. PGCCs exhibited features of senescent cells but, after olaparib withdrawal, could escape senescence via restitutional multipolar endomitosis and other modes of cell division to generate mitotically competent resistant daughter cells. The contraceptive drug mifepristone blocked PGCC formation and daughter cell production. Mifepristone/olaparib combination therapy substantially reduced tumor growth in PDX models without previous olaparib exposure, while mifepristone alone decreased tumor growth in PDX models with acquired olaparib resistance. Thus, targeting PGCCs may represent a promising approach to potentiate the therapeutic response to PARPi and overcome PARPi-induced resistance.
Project description:Extending the therapeutic spectrum of PARP-inhibition (PARPi) beyond HR-deficiency or reverting PARPi resistance is of high clinical interest. This is particularly true for the identification of innovative therapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer, given the recent advances in the use of PARPi in clinical practice. In this regard, the combination of PARPi with chemotherapy is a promising strategy for defining new therapeutic standards. In this study, we analysed the therapeutic effect of novel triazene derivatives, including the drug CT913 and its metabolite CT913-M1 on ovarian cancer cells and describe their interaction with PARPi. This is the first study analysing the potential therapeutic effect of these components. In vitro assays for drug characterization including RNA-seq were applied in a selected panel of ovarian cancer cell lines. CT913 treatment conferred a dose-dependent reduction of cell viability in a set of platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines with an IC50 in the micro- to almost millimolar range (107-940µM), whereas its metabolite CT913-M1 was about 10-fold more potent (IC50 of 17-93µM). Neither of the drugs increased the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin, CT913 might even antagonize it. Furthermore, CT913 conferred synthetic lethality in BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer cells, indicating that homologues recombination (HR) repair may contribute to its mechanism of action. Importantly, CT913 sensitized for olaparib treatment, independently of BRCA-1 mutational status, supporting the finding that CT913 may act partially independent of an impaired HR. CT913 treatment led to changes in gene transcription. CT913 strongly induced CDKN1A transcription, suggesting cell cycle arrest as an early response to this drug. It also downregulated a variety of transcripts involved in prominent DNA-repair pathways, such as HR, mismatch repair (MMR) or nucleotide excision repair (NER). This is the first study, suggesting the triazene drug class CT913 as auxiliary drug for extending the therapeutic spectrum of PARPi.
Project description:Background: PARP inhibitors (PARPi) kill cancer cells by stalling DNA replication and preventing DNA repair, resulting in a critical accumulation of DNA damage. Resistance to PARPi is a growing clinical problem in the treatment of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Acetylation of histone H3 lysine 14 (H3K14ac) and associated histone acetyltransferases (HATs) have known functions in DNA repair and replication, but their expression and activities have not been examined in the context of PARPi-resistant HGSOC. Results: Using mass spectrometry profiling of histone modifications, we observed altered H3K14ac enrichment in PARPi-resistant HGSOC cells relative to isogenic PARPi-sensitive lines. By RT-qPCR and RNA-Seq, we also observed altered expression of numerous HATs in PARPi-resistant HGSOC cells and a PARPi-resistant PDX model. Knockdown of HATs only modestly altered PARPi response, although knockdown and inhibition of PCAF significantly increased resistance. Pharmacologic inhibition of HBO1 severely depleted H3K14ac but did not affect PARPi response. However, knockdown and inhibition of BRPF3, which is known to interact in a complex with HBO1, did reduce PARPi resistance. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that severe depletion of H3K14ac does not affect PARPi response in HGSOC. Our data suggest that bromodomain functions of HAT proteins such as PCAF, or accessory proteins such as BRPF3, may play a greater role in PARPi response than acetyltransferase functions.
Project description:PARP inhibitor (PARPi)-resistant BRCA mutant (BRCAm) high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) represents a new clinical challenge with unmet therapeutic needs. Quantitative high-throughput drug combination screen identifies that ATR inhibitor (ATRi) and AKT inhibitor (AKTi) combination is a rational treatment strategy for both PARPi-sensitive and PARPi-resistant BRCAm HGSOC by inducing DNA damage and R-loop-mediated replication stress (RS). Mechanistically, the kinase domain of AKT1 directly interacts with DHX9, thus facilitating recruitment of DHX9 to R-loops. AKTi increases ATRi-induced R-loop-mediated RS by mitigating recruitment of DHX9 to R-loops. Moreover, DHX9 is upregulated in tumors from PARPi-resistant BRCAm HGSOC patients and high co-expression of DHX9 and AKT1 correlates with worse survival. Our study reveals a previously unknown interaction between AKT1 and DHX9 in R-loop resolution and novel mechanisms of action of AKTi and ATRi combination. Our data also provide a rationale for the clinical development of ATRi and AKTi combination for BRCAm HGSOC irrespective of PARPi resistance status and a potential biomarker to predict the response of combination therapy.
Project description:Oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV) has demonstrated appropriate safety profiles for clinical development. Although OVV was designed to kill cancer cells efficiently, sensitivity to OVV varies in individual cancers. Here, we found that OVV was much more efficient in KFTX paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant ovarian cancer cells, compared to that in KFlow PTX-sensitive cells. Microarray analysis showed that urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) upregulation contributed to both enhanced PTX resistance and OVV spread.