MicroRNA-375 Suppresses the Growth and Invasion of Fibrolamellar Carcinoma
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
Authors: Dinh, Timothy A.; Jewell, Mark L.; Kanke, Matt; Francisco, Adam; Sritharan, Ramja; Turnham, Rigney E.; Lee, Seona; Kastenhuber, Edward R.; Wauthier, Eliane; Guy, Cynthia D.; Yeung, Raymond S.; Lowe, Scott W.; Reid, Lola M.; Scott, John D.; Diehl, Anna M.; Sethupathy, Praveen
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that primarily affects adolescents and young adults. It is characterized by a heterozygous approximately 400-kb deletion on chromosome 19 that results in a unique fusion between DnaJ heat shock protein family member B1 (DNAJB1) and the alpha catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PRKACA). The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in FLC remains unclear. We identified dysregulated miRNAs in FLC and investigated whether dysregulation of 1 key miRNA contributes to FLC pathogenesis. METHODS: We analyzed small RNA sequencing (smRNA-seq) data from The Cancer Genome Atlas to identify dysregulated miRNAs in primary FLC tumors and validated the findings in 3 independent FLC cohorts. smRNA-seq also was performed on a FLC patient-derived xenograft model as well as purified cell populations of the liver to determine whether key miRNA changes were tumor cell-intrinsic. We then used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology and transposon-mediated gene transfer in mice to determine if the presence of DNAJB1-PRKACA is sufficient to suppress miR-375 expression. Finally, we established a new FLC cell line and performed colony formation and scratch wound assays to determine the functional consequences of miR-375 overexpression. RESULTS: We identified miR-375 as the most dysregulated miRNA in primary FLC tumors (27-fold down-regulation; P = .009). miR-375 expression also was decreased significantly in a FLC patient-derived xenograft model compared to 4 different cell populations of the liver. Introduction of DNAJB1-PRKACA by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 engineering and transposon-mediated somatic gene transfer in mice was sufficient to induce significant loss of miR-375 expression (P < .05). Overexpression of miR-375 in FLC cells inhibited Hippo signaling pathway proteins, including yes-associated protein 1 and connective tissue growth factor, and suppressed cell proliferation and migration (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: We identified miR-375 as the most down-regulated miRNA in FLC tumors and showed that overexpression of miR-375 mitigated tumor cell growth and invasive potential. These findings open a potentially new molecular therapeutic approach. Further studies are necessary to determine how DNAJB1-PRKACA suppresses miR-375 expression and whether miR-375 has additional important targets in this tumor. Transcript profiling: GEO accession numbers: GSE114974 and GSE125602.
Molecular profiling and analysis of genetic aberrations aimed at identifying potential therapeutic targets in fibrolamellar carcinoma of the liver
CANCER
Authors: El Dika, Imane; Bowman, Anita S.; Berger, Michael F.; Capanu, Marinela; Chou, Joanne F.; Benayed, Ryma; Zehir, Ahmet; Shia, Jinru; O'Reilly, Eileen M.; Klimstra, David S.; Solit, David B.; Abou-Alfa, Ghassan K.
Abstract
Background Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare primary liver cancer of young adults. A functional chimeric transcript resulting from the in-frame fusion of the DNAJ homolog, subfamily B, member 1 (DNAJB1), and the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PRKACA) genes on chromosome 19 is believed to be unique in FLC, with a possible role in pathogenesis, yet with no established therapeutic value. The objective of the current study was to understand the molecular landscape of FLC and to identify potential novel therapeutic targets. Methods Archival fresh, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from patients with FLC who prospectively consented to an institutional review board-approved protocol were analyzed using Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets (MSK-IMPACT), a next-generation sequencing assay encompassing up to 468 key cancer genes. Custom targeted RNA-Seq was performed in selected patients. Demographics, treatment, and outcome data were collected prospectively. Survival outcomes were estimated and correlated with mutation and/or copy number alterations. Results A total of 33 tumor samples from 31 patients with FLC were analyzed. The median age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 18 years and approximately 53% were women. TheDNAJB1-PRKACAfusion transcript was detected in 100% of patients. In 10 of 31 patients in which MSK-IMPACT did not detect the fusion, its presence was confirmed by targeted RNA-Seq.TERTpromoter mutation was the second most common, and was detected in 7 patients. The median follow up was 30 months (range, 6-153 months). The 3-year overall survival rate was 84% (95% CI, 61%-93%). Conclusions TheDNAJB1-PRKACAfusion transcript is nonspecific and nonsensitive to FLC. Its potential therapeutic value currently is under evaluation. Opportunities currently are under development for therapy that may be driven or related to theDNAJB1-PRKACAfusion transcript or any therapeutic target identified from next-generation sequencing in patients with FLC.