bims-pideca Biomed News
on Class IA PI3K signalling in development and cancer
Issue of 2022‒01‒16
twenty papers selected by
Ralitsa Radostinova Madsen
University College London Cancer Institute
  1. PIK3CA Mutations in Diffuse Gliomas: An Update on Molecular Stratification, Prognosis, Recurrence, and Aggressiveness.
  2. A multidisciplinary approach to optimizing care of patients treated with alpelisib.
  3. Precision Targeting of Mutant PI3Kα in Cancer by Selective Degradation.
  4. MAPK4 promotes triple negative breast cancer growth and reduces tumor sensitivity to PI3K blockade.
  5. Systems-level analysis of insulin action in mouse strains provides insight into tissue- and pathway-specific interactions that drive insulin resistance.
  6. Combinatorial inhibition of BTK, PI3K-AKT and BRD4-MYC as a strategy for treatment of mantle cell lymphoma.
  7. Grainyhead 1 acts as a drug-inducible conserved transcriptional regulator linked to insulin signaling and lifespan.
  8. Overcoming resistance to immune checkpoint therapy in PTEN-null prostate cancer by intermittent anti-PI3Kα/β/δ treatment.
  9. Abnormal activation of yap/Taz contributes to the pathogenesis of tuberous sclerosis complex.
  10. How can same-gene mutations promote both cancer and developmental disorders?
  11. IBEX: an iterative immunolabeling and chemical bleaching method for high-content imaging of diverse tissues.
  12. A mass spectrometric method for in-depth profiling of phosphoinositide regioisomers and their disease-associated regulation.
  13. Comprehensive analysis of prime editing outcomes in human embryonic stem cells.
  14. CellRank for directed single-cell fate mapping.
  15. Tumor collection/processing under physioxia uncovers highly relevant signaling networks and drug sensitivity.
  16. Gasdermin D pores are dynamically regulated by local phosphoinositide circuitry.
  17. Triple combination of BET plus PI3K and NF-κB inhibitors exhibit synergistic activity in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma.
  18. Effective description of bistability and irreversibility in apoptosis.
  19. Towards targeting of shared mechanisms of cancer metastasis and therapy resistance.
  20. Engineered virus-like particles for efficient in vivo delivery of therapeutic proteins.
  1. Clin Med Insights Oncol. 2022 ;16 11795549211068804
    PIK3CA Mutations in Diffuse Gliomas: An Update on Molecular Stratification, Prognosis, Recurrence, and Aggressiveness.
    Cheila Brito, Ana Tomás, Ana Azevedo, Susana Esteves, Manuela Mafra, Lúcia Roque, Marta Pojo.
      Introduction: PIK3CA is one of the most mutated oncogenes in solid tumors. In breast cancer (ER-positive, HER2-negative), these events represent a predictive biomarker of response to alpelisib. In glioblastomas (GBM), PIK3CA mutations were described as early constitutive events. Here, we investigated PIK3CA mutational profile across glioma molecular subgroups and its relevance during glioma recurrence. Furthermore, PIK3CA mutations' effect in PI3K pathway, prognosis, and response to therapy was also explored.Material and Methods: Exons 10 and 21 of PIK3CA mutations were evaluated in 394 gliomas and 19 glioma recurrences from Instituto Português de Oncologia Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG) and compared with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. TIMER2.0 and NetMHCpan4.1 were used to assess the immune-microenvironment contribution.
    Results: PIK3CA mutations were identified among all glioma subgroups, although with no impact on their stratification or prognosis. In both cohorts (IPOLFG and TCGA), PIK3CA mutation frequencies in IDH-mutant and IDH-wild-type GBM were similar (IPOLFG: 9% and 3%; TCGA: 8% and 2%). These mutations were not mutually exclusive with PTEN deletion and EGFR amplification. Despite their reduced frequency, we discovered PIK3CA mutations were maintained during glioma recurrence regardless of administered therapies. The immune microenvironment might not contribute to this phenotype as PIK3CA mutations did not influence immune cell infiltration.
    Conclusions: Despite the absence of a predominant effect in glioma stratification, PIK3CA mutations were maintained during glioma recurrence, possibly contributing to glioma cell survival, representing promising therapeutic targets in recurrent glioma. Nevertheless, understanding the potential synergistic effects between PIK3CA mutations, PTEN deletion, and EGFR amplification is pivotal to targeted therapies' efficiency.
    Keywords:  PI3K-Akt pathway; PIK3CA mutations; gliomas; immune cell infiltrates; molecular subgroups; progression; recurrence
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/11795549211068804
  2. Breast. 2021 Dec 27. pii: S0960-9776(21)01023-7. [Epub ahead of print]61 156-167
    A multidisciplinary approach to optimizing care of patients treated with alpelisib.
    Hope S Rugo, Mario E Lacouture, Marcus D Goncalves, Umesh Masharani, Matti S Aapro, Joyce A O'Shaughnessy.
      PURPOSE: The oral, α-specific phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3Kα) inhibitor alpelisib is the first PI3K inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. As alpelisib is a relatively new therapeutic option, specific guidance and a multidisciplinary approach are needed to provide optimal patient care. The primary objective of this manuscript is to provide comprehensive guidance on minimizing and managing adverse events (AEs) for patients with advanced breast cancer who are receiving alpelisib.METHODS: Clinical studies, prescribing information, published literature, and relevant guidelines were reviewed to provide recommendations on the prevention and management of alpelisib-associated AEs.
    RESULTS: The most common AEs associated with alpelisib in the phase 3 SOLAR-1 trial were hyperglycemia and rash (which are considered on-target effects of PI3Kα inhibition) and gastrointestinal AEs, including diarrhea, nausea, and decreased appetite. These AEs require regular monitoring, early recognition, and prompt initiation of appropriate treatment. In addition, there are effective strategies to reduce the onset and severity of frequently observed AEs-in particular, onset of hyperglycemia and rash may be reduced by lifestyle changes (such as reduced intake of carbohydrates and regular exercise) and antihistamine prophylaxis, respectively. To reduce risk of severe hyperglycemia, it is essential to achieve adequate glycemic control prior to initiation of alpelisib treatment.
    CONCLUSION: Overall, alpelisib-associated AEs are generally manageable with prompt recognition, regular monitoring, and appropriate intervention, preferably with a multidisciplinary approach.
    Keywords:  AE management; Alpelisib; Breast cancer; PIK3CA
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2021.12.016
  3. Cancer Discov. 2022 Jan;12(1): 20-22
    Precision Targeting of Mutant PI3Kα in Cancer by Selective Degradation.
    Bart Vanhaesebroeck, John E Burke, Ralitsa R Madsen.
      PIK3CA, which encodes the p110α catalytic subunit of PI3Kα, is one of the most frequently genetically activated kinases in solid tumors. In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Song and colleagues report that the related PI3Kα inhibitors taselisib and inavolisib trigger receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-dependent degradation of the mutant p110α protein in breast cancer cells that are positive for HER2 RTK, limiting feedback-mediated drug resistance and potentially widening the therapeutic index of PI3Kα inhibition.See related article by Song et al., p. 204.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1411
  4. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 11. 13(1): 245
    MAPK4 promotes triple negative breast cancer growth and reduces tumor sensitivity to PI3K blockade.
    Wei Wang, Dong Han, Qinbo Cai, Tao Shen, Bingning Dong, Michael T Lewis, Runsheng Wang, Yanling Meng, Wolong Zhou, Ping Yi, Chad J Creighton, David D Moore, Feng Yang.
      About 15-20% of breast cancer (BCa) is triple-negative BCa (TNBC), a devastating disease with limited therapeutic options. Aberrations in the PI3K/PTEN signaling pathway are common in TNBC. However, the therapeutic impact of PI3K inhibitors in TNBC has been limited and the mechanism(s) underlying this lack of efficacy remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a large subset of TNBC expresses significant levels of MAPK4, and this expression is critical for driving AKT activation independent of PI3K and promoting TNBC cell and xenograft growth. The ability of MAPK4 to bypass PI3K for AKT activation potentially provides a direct mechanism regulating tumor sensitivity to PI3K inhibition. Accordingly, repressing MAPK4 greatly sensitizes TNBC cells and xenografts to PI3K blockade. Altogether, we conclude that high MAPK4 expression defines a large subset or subtype of TNBC responsive to MAPK4 blockage. Targeting MAPK4 in this subset/subtype of TNBC both represses growth and sensitizes tumors to PI3K blockade.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27921-1
  5. Cell Metab. 2022 Jan 03. pii: S1550-4131(21)00632-X. [Epub ahead of print]
    Systems-level analysis of insulin action in mouse strains provides insight into tissue- and pathway-specific interactions that drive insulin resistance.
    Marin E Nelson, Søren Madsen, Kristen C Cooke, Andreas M Fritzen, Ida H Thorius, Stewart W C Masson, Luke Carroll, Fiona C Weiss, Marcus M Seldin, Meg Potter, Samantha L Hocking, Daniel J Fazakerley, Amanda E Brandon, Senthil Thillainadesan, Alistair M Senior, Gregory J Cooney, Jacqueline Stöckli, David E James.
      Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue insulin resistance are major drivers of metabolic disease. To uncover pathways involved in insulin resistance, specifically in these tissues, we leveraged the metabolic diversity of different dietary exposures and discrete inbred mouse strains. This revealed that muscle insulin resistance was driven by gene-by-environment interactions and was strongly correlated with hyperinsulinemia and decreased levels of ten key glycolytic enzymes. Remarkably, there was no relationship between muscle and adipose tissue insulin action. Adipocyte size profoundly varied across strains and diets, and this was strongly correlated with adipose tissue insulin resistance. The A/J strain, in particular, exhibited marked adipocyte insulin resistance and hypertrophy despite robust muscle insulin responsiveness, challenging the role of adipocyte hypertrophy per se in systemic insulin resistance. These data demonstrate that muscle and adipose tissue insulin resistance can occur independently and underscore the need for tissue-specific interrogation to understand metabolic disease.
    Keywords:  GxE; Western diet; adipose; glucose uptake; glycolysis; insulin resistance; metabolism; obesity; proteomics; skeletal muscle
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.12.013
  6. Mol Biomed. 2022 Jan 15. 3(1): 2
    Combinatorial inhibition of BTK, PI3K-AKT and BRD4-MYC as a strategy for treatment of mantle cell lymphoma.
    Kendra R Vann, Dhananjaya Pal, Audrey L Smith, Namood-E Sahar, Maddeboina Krishnaiah, Dalia El-Gamal, Tatiana G Kutateladze.
      Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma characterized by poor prognosis. The complexity of MCL pathogenesis arises from aberrant activities of diverse signaling pathways, including BTK, PI3K-AKT-mTOR and MYC-BRD4. Here, we report that MCL-related signaling pathways can be altered by a single small molecule inhibitor, SRX3305. Binding and kinase activities along with resonance changes in NMR experiments reveal that SRX3305 targets both bromodomains of BRD4 and is highly potent in inhibition of the PI3K isoforms α, γ and δ, as well as BTK and the drug-resistant BTK mutant. Preclinical investigations herein reveal that SRX3305 perturbs the cell cycle, promotes apoptosis in MCL cell lines and shows dose dependent anti-proliferative activity in both MCL and drug-resistant MCL cells. Our findings underscore the effectiveness of novel multi-action small molecule inhibitors for potential treatment of MCL.
    Keywords:  BRD4; Bromodomain; Bruton's tyrosine kinase; Inhibitor; Mantle cell lymphoma; Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s43556-021-00066-9
  7. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 10. 13(1): 107
    Grainyhead 1 acts as a drug-inducible conserved transcriptional regulator linked to insulin signaling and lifespan.
    Giovanna Grigolon, Elisa Araldi, Reto Erni, Jia Yee Wu, Carolin Thomas, Marco La Fortezza, Beate Laube, Doris Pöhlmann, Markus Stoffel, Kim Zarse, Erick M Carreira, Michael Ristow, Fabian Fischer.
      Aging is impacted by interventions across species, often converging on metabolic pathways. Transcription factors regulate longevity yet approaches for their pharmacological modulation to exert geroprotection remain sparse. We show that increased expression of the transcription factor Grainyhead 1 (GRH-1) promotes lifespan and pathogen resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. A compound screen identifies FDA-approved drugs able to activate human GRHL1 and promote nematodal GRH-1-dependent longevity. GRHL1 activity is regulated by post-translational lysine methylation and the phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase C2A. Consistently, nematodal longevity following impairment of the PI 3-kinase or insulin/IGF-1 receptor requires grh-1. In BXD mice, Grhl1 expression is positively correlated with lifespan and insulin sensitivity. In humans, GRHL1 expression positively correlates with insulin receptor signaling and also with lifespan. Fasting blood glucose levels, including in individuals with type 2 diabetes, are negatively correlated with GRHL1 expression. Thereby, GRH-1/GRHL1 is identified as a pharmacologically malleable transcription factor impacting insulin signaling and lifespan.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27732-4
  8. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 10. 13(1): 182
    Overcoming resistance to immune checkpoint therapy in PTEN-null prostate cancer by intermittent anti-PI3Kα/β/δ treatment.
    Zhi Qi, Zihan Xu, Liuzhen Zhang, Yongkang Zou, Jinping Li, Wenyu Yan, Cheng Li, Ningshu Liu, Hong Wu.
      Combining immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) and targeted therapy holds great promises for broad and long-lasting anti-cancer therapies. However, combining ICT with anti-PI3K inhibitors have been challenging because the multifaceted effects of PI3K on both cancer cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. Here we find that intermittent but not daily dosing of a PI3Kα/β/δ inhibitor, BAY1082439, on Pten-null prostate cancer models could overcome ICT resistance and unleash CD8+ T cell-dependent anti-tumor immunity in vivo. Mechanistically, BAY1082439 converts cancer cell-intrinsic immune-suppression to immune-stimulation by promoting IFNα/IFNγ pathway activation, β2-microglubin expression and CXCL10/CCL5 secretion. With its preferential regulatory T cell inhibition activity, BAY1082439 promotes clonal expansion of tumor-associated CD8+ T cells, most likely via tertiary lymphoid structures. Once primed, tumors remain T cell-inflamed, become responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy and have durable therapeutic effect. Our data suggest that intermittent PI3K inhibition can alleviate Pten-null cancer cell-intrinsic immunosuppressive activity and turn "cold" tumors into T cell-inflamed ones, paving the way for successful ICT.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27833-0
  9. Hum Mol Genet. 2022 Jan 06. pii: ddab374. [Epub ahead of print]
    Abnormal activation of yap/Taz contributes to the pathogenesis of tuberous sclerosis complex.
    Bethany K Terry, Raehee Park, Seo-Hee Cho, Peter B Crino, Seonhee Kim.
      The multi-systemic genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) impacts multiple neurodevelopmental processes including neuronal morphogenesis, neuronal migration, myelination, and gliogenesis. These alterations contribute to the development of cerebral cortex abnormalities and malformations. Although TSC is caused by mTORC1 hyperactivation, cognitive and behavioral impairments are not improved through mTORC1 targeting, making the study of the downstream effectors of this complex important for understanding the mechanisms underlying TSC. As mTORC1 has been shown to promote the activity of the transcriptional co-activator Yap, we hypothesized that altered Yap/Taz signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of TSC. We first observed that the level of Yap/Taz are increased in a human cortical tuber sample and in embryonic cortices of Tsc2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice. Next, to determine how abnormal upregulation of Yap/Taz impacts the neuropathology of TSC, we deleted Yap/Taz in Tsc2 cKO mice. Importantly, Yap/Taz/Tsc2 tcKO animals show reduced cortical thickness and cortical neuron cell size, despite the persistence of high mTORC1 activity, suggesting that Yap/Taz play a downstream role in cytomegaly. Furthermore, Yap/Taz/Tsc2 tcKO significantly restored cortical and hippocampal lamination defects and reduced hippocampal heterotopia formation. Finally, the loss of Yap/Taz increased the distribution of myelin basic protein in Tsc2 cKO animals, consistent with an improvement in myelination. Overall, our results indicate that targeting Yap/Taz lessens the severity of neuropathology in a TSC animal model. This study is the first to implicate Yap/Taz as contributors to cortical pathogenesis in TSC and therefore as potential novel targets in the treatment of this disorder.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddab374
  10. Sci Adv. 2022 Jan 14. 8(2): eabm2059
    How can same-gene mutations promote both cancer and developmental disorders?
    Ruth Nussinov, Chung-Jung Tsai, Hyunbum Jang.
      [Figure: see text].
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm2059
  11. Nat Protoc. 2022 Jan 12.
    IBEX: an iterative immunolabeling and chemical bleaching method for high-content imaging of diverse tissues.
    Andrea J Radtke, Colin J Chu, Ziv Yaniv, Li Yao, James Marr, Rebecca T Beuschel, Hiroshi Ichise, Anita Gola, Juraj Kabat, Bradley Lowekamp, Emily Speranza, Joshua Croteau, Nishant Thakur, Danny Jonigk, Jeremy L Davis, Jonathan M Hernandez, Ronald N Germain.
      High-content imaging is needed to catalog the variety of cellular phenotypes and multicellular ecosystems present in metazoan tissues. We recently developed iterative bleaching extends multiplexity (IBEX), an iterative immunolabeling and chemical bleaching method that enables multiplexed imaging (>65 parameters) in diverse tissues, including human organs relevant for international consortia efforts. IBEX is compatible with >250 commercially available antibodies and 16 unique fluorophores, and can be easily adopted to different imaging platforms using slides and nonproprietary imaging chambers. The overall protocol consists of iterative cycles of antibody labeling, imaging and chemical bleaching that can be completed at relatively low cost in 2-5 d by biologists with basic laboratory skills. To support widespread adoption, we provide extensive details on tissue processing, curated lists of validated antibodies and tissue-specific panels for multiplex imaging. Furthermore, instructions are included on how to automate the method using competitively priced instruments and reagents. Finally, we present a software solution for image alignment that can be executed by individuals without programming experience using open-source software and freeware. In summary, IBEX is a noncommercial method that can be readily implemented by academic laboratories and scaled to achieve high-content mapping of diverse tissues in support of a Human Reference Atlas or other such applications.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-021-00644-9
  12. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 10. 13(1): 83
    A mass spectrometric method for in-depth profiling of phosphoinositide regioisomers and their disease-associated regulation.
    Shin Morioka, Hiroki Nakanishi, Toshiyoshi Yamamoto, Junya Hasegawa, Emi Tokuda, Tomoya Hikita, Tomoko Sakihara, Yuuki Kugii, Chitose Oneyama, Masakazu Yamazaki, Akira Suzuki, Junko Sasaki, Takehiko Sasaki.
      Phosphoinositides are a family of membrane lipids essential for many biological and pathological processes. Due to the existence of multiple phosphoinositide regioisomers and their low intracellular concentrations, profiling these lipids and linking a specific acyl variant to a change in biological state have been difficult. To enable the comprehensive analysis of phosphoinositide phosphorylation status and acyl chain identity, we develop PRMC-MS (Phosphoinositide Regioisomer Measurement by Chiral column chromatography and Mass Spectrometry). Using this method, we reveal a severe skewing in acyl chains in phosphoinositides in Pten-deficient prostate cancer tissues, extracellular mobilization of phosphoinositides upon expression of oncogenic PIK3CA, and a unique profile for exosomal phosphoinositides. Thus, our approach allows characterizing the dynamics of phosphoinositide acyl variants in intracellular and extracellular milieus.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27648-z
  13. Nucleic Acids Res. 2022 Jan 08. pii: gkab1295. [Epub ahead of print]
    Comprehensive analysis of prime editing outcomes in human embryonic stem cells.
    Omer Habib, Gizem Habib, Gue-Ho Hwang, Sangsu Bae.
      Prime editing is a versatile and precise genome editing technique that can directly copy desired genetic modifications into target DNA sites without the need for donor DNA. This technique holds great promise for the analysis of gene function, disease modeling, and the correction of pathogenic mutations in clinically relevant cells such as human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Here, we comprehensively tested prime editing in hPSCs by generating a doxycycline-inducible prime editing platform. Prime editing successfully induced all types of nucleotide substitutions and small insertions and deletions, similar to observations in other human cell types. Moreover, we compared prime editing and base editing for correcting a disease-related mutation in induced pluripotent stem cells derived form a patient with α 1-antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency. Finally, whole-genome sequencing showed that, unlike the cytidine deaminase domain of cytosine base editors, the reverse transcriptase domain of a prime editor does not lead to guide RNA-independent off-target mutations in the genome. Our results demonstrate that prime editing in hPSCs has great potential for complementing previously developed CRISPR genome editing tools.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkab1295
  14. Nat Methods. 2022 Jan 13.
    CellRank for directed single-cell fate mapping.
    Marius Lange, Volker Bergen, Michal Klein, Manu Setty, Bernhard Reuter, Mostafa Bakhti, Heiko Lickert, Meshal Ansari, Janine Schniering, Herbert B Schiller, Dana Pe'er, Fabian J Theis.
      Computational trajectory inference enables the reconstruction of cell state dynamics from single-cell RNA sequencing experiments. However, trajectory inference requires that the direction of a biological process is known, largely limiting its application to differentiating systems in normal development. Here, we present CellRank ( https://cellrank.org ) for single-cell fate mapping in diverse scenarios, including regeneration, reprogramming and disease, for which direction is unknown. Our approach combines the robustness of trajectory inference with directional information from RNA velocity, taking into account the gradual and stochastic nature of cellular fate decisions, as well as uncertainty in velocity vectors. On pancreas development data, CellRank automatically detects initial, intermediate and terminal populations, predicts fate potentials and visualizes continuous gene expression trends along individual lineages. Applied to lineage-traced cellular reprogramming data, predicted fate probabilities correctly recover reprogramming outcomes. CellRank also predicts a new dedifferentiation trajectory during postinjury lung regeneration, including previously unknown intermediate cell states, which we confirm experimentally.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01346-6
  15. Sci Adv. 2022 Jan 14. 8(2): eabh3375
    Tumor collection/processing under physioxia uncovers highly relevant signaling networks and drug sensitivity.
    Brijesh Kumar, Adedeji K Adebayo, Mayuri Prasad, Maegan L Capitano, Ruizhong Wang, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, Edward Simpson, Duojiao Chen, Yunlong Liu, Jeanne M Schilder, Austyn B Colter, Callista Maguire, Constance J Temm, George Sandusky, Emma H Doud, Aruna B Wijeratne, Amber L Mosley, Hal E Broxmeyer, Harikrishna Nakshatri.
      [Figure: see text].
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abh3375
  16. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 10. 13(1): 52
    Gasdermin D pores are dynamically regulated by local phosphoinositide circuitry.
    Ana Beatriz Santa Cruz Garcia, Kevin P Schnur, Asrar B Malik, Gary C H Mo.
      Gasdermin D forms large, ~21 nm diameter pores in the plasma membrane to drive the cell death program pyroptosis. These pores are thought to be permanently open, and the resultant osmotic imbalance is thought to be highly damaging. Yet some cells mitigate and survive pore formation, suggesting an undiscovered layer of regulation over the function of these pores. However, no methods exist to directly reveal these mechanistic details. Here, we combine optogenetic tools, live cell fluorescence biosensing, and electrophysiology to demonstrate that gasdermin pores display phosphoinositide-dependent dynamics. We quantify repeated and fast opening-closing of these pores on the tens of seconds timescale, visualize the dynamic pore geometry, and identify the signaling that controls dynamic pore activity. The identification of this circuit allows pharmacological tuning of pyroptosis and control of inflammatory cytokine release by living cells.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27692-9
  17. Blood Adv. 2022 Jan 14. pii: bloodadvances.2021005948. [Epub ahead of print]
    Triple combination of BET plus PI3K and NF-κB inhibitors exhibit synergistic activity in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma.
    Anusara Daenthanasanmak, Richard N Bamford, Makoto Yoshioka, Shyh-Ming Yang, Philip John Homan, Baktiar Karim, Bonita R Bryant, Michael N Petrus, Craig Thomas, Patrick L Green, Milos D Miljkovic, Kevin C Conlon, Thomas A Waldmann.
      Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive T-cell lymphoproliferative malignancy, caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). ATL is an orphan disease with no curative drug treatment regimens, urgently needing new combination therapy. HTLV-1-infected cells rely on viral proteins, Tax and HBZ (HTLV-1-b-ZIP factor), to activate the transcription of various host genes that are critical for promoting leukemic transformation. Inhibition of bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) protein was previously shown to collapse the transcriptional network directed by BATF3 super-enhancer and thereby induced ATL cell apoptosis. In the current work, by using xenograft, ex vivo, and in vitro models, we demonstrated that I-BET762 (BETi) synergized with copanlisib (PI3Ki) and bardoxolone methyl (NF-κBi) to dramatically decrease the growth of ATL cells. Mechanistically, the triple combination exhibited synergistic activity by down-regulating the expression of c-MYC while up-regulating the level of the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ). The triple combination also enhanced apoptosis induction by elevating the expression of active caspase-3 and cleaved PARP. Importantly, the triple combination prolonged the survival of ATL-bearing xenograft mice and inhibited the proliferation of ATL cells from PBMCs of both acute and smoldering/chronic ATL patients. Therefore, our data provide the rationale for a clinical trial exploring the multi-agent combination of BET, PI3K/AKT, and NF-κB inhibitors for ATL patients, and expands the potential treatments for this recalcitrant malignancy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2021005948
  18. Phys Rev E. 2021 Dec;104(6-1): 064410
    Effective description of bistability and irreversibility in apoptosis.
    Sol M Fernández Arancibia, Hernán E Grecco, Luis G Morelli.
      Apoptosis is a mechanism of programmed cell death in which cells engage in a controlled demolition and prepare to be digested without damaging their environment. In normal conditions, apoptosis is repressed until it is irreversibly induced by an appropriate signal. In adult organisms, apoptosis is a natural way to dispose of damaged cells and its disruption or excess is associated with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Apoptosis is regulated by a complex signaling network controlled by caspases, specialized enzymes that digest essential cellular components and promote the degradation of genomic DNA. In this work, we propose an effective description of the signaling network focused on caspase-3 as a readout of cell fate. We integrate intermediate network interactions into a nonlinear feedback function acting on caspase-3 and introduce the effect of pro-apoptotic stimuli and regulatory elements as a saturating activation function. We show that activation dynamics in the theory is similar to previously reported experimental results. We compute bifurcation diagrams and obtain cell fate maps describing how stimulus intensity and feedback strength affect cell survival and death fates. These fates overlap within a bistable region that depends on total caspase concentration, regulatory elements, and feedback nonlinearity. We study a strongly nonlinear regime to obtain analytical expressions for bifurcation curves and fate map boundaries. For a broad range of parameters, strong stimuli can induce an irreversible switch to the death fate. We use the theory to explore dynamical stimulation conditions and determine how cell fate depends on stimulation temporal patterns. This analysis predicts a critical relation between transient stimuli intensity and duration to trigger irreversible apoptosis. We derive an analytical expression for this critical relation, valid for short stimuli. Our description provides distinct predictions and offers a framework to study how this signaling network processes different stimuli to make a cell fate decision.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.104.064410
  19. Nat Rev Cancer. 2022 Jan 10.
    Towards targeting of shared mechanisms of cancer metastasis and therapy resistance.
    Felix Weiss, Douglas Lauffenburger, Peter Friedl.
      Resistance to therapeutic treatment and metastatic progression jointly determine a fatal outcome of cancer. Cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance are traditionally studied as separate fields using non-overlapping strategies. However, emerging evidence, including from in vivo imaging and in vitro organotypic culture, now suggests that both programmes cooperate and reinforce each other in the invasion niche and persist upon metastatic evasion. As a consequence, cancer cell subpopulations exhibiting metastatic invasion undergo multistep reprogramming that - beyond migration signalling - supports repair programmes, anti-apoptosis processes, metabolic adaptation, stemness and survival. Shared metastasis and therapy resistance signalling are mediated by multiple mechanisms, such as engagement of integrins and other context receptors, cell-cell communication, stress responses and metabolic reprogramming, which cooperate with effects elicited by autocrine and paracrine chemokine and growth factor cues present in the activated tumour microenvironment. These signals empower metastatic cells to cope with therapeutic assault and survive. Identifying nodes shared in metastasis and therapy resistance signalling networks should offer new opportunities to improve anticancer therapy beyond current strategies, to eliminate both nodular lesions and cells in metastatic transit.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00427-0
  20. Cell. 2022 Jan 07. pii: S0092-8674(21)01484-7. [Epub ahead of print]
    Engineered virus-like particles for efficient in vivo delivery of therapeutic proteins.
    Samagya Banskota, Aditya Raguram, Susie Suh, Samuel W Du, Jessie R Davis, Elliot H Choi, Xiao Wang, Sarah C Nielsen, Gregory A Newby, Peyton B Randolph, Mark J Osborn, Kiran Musunuru, Krzysztof Palczewski, David R Liu.
      Methods to deliver gene editing agents in vivo as ribonucleoproteins could offer safety advantages over nucleic acid delivery approaches. We report the development and application of engineered DNA-free virus-like particles (eVLPs) that efficiently package and deliver base editor or Cas9 ribonucleoproteins. By engineering VLPs to overcome cargo packaging, release, and localization bottlenecks, we developed fourth-generation eVLPs that mediate efficient base editing in several primary mouse and human cell types. Using different glycoproteins in eVLPs alters their cellular tropism. Single injections of eVLPs into mice support therapeutic levels of base editing in multiple tissues, reducing serum Pcsk9 levels 78% following 63% liver editing, and partially restoring visual function in a mouse model of genetic blindness. In vitro and in vivo off-target editing from eVLPs was virtually undetected, an improvement over AAV or plasmid delivery. These results establish eVLPs as promising vehicles for therapeutic macromolecule delivery that combine key advantages of both viral and nonviral delivery.
    Keywords:  base editing; genome editing; in vivo delivery; ribonucleoproteins; therapeutic gene editing; virus-like particles
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.021
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