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C. Zhu
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MINI 02 - Immunotherapy (ID 92)
- Event: WCLC 2015
- Type: Mini Oral
- Track: Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing
- Presentations: 1
- Moderators:P. Forde, S.J. Antonia
- Coordinates: 9/07/2015, 10:45 - 12:15, Four Seasons Ballroom F3+F4
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MINI02.13 - Immune Related Gene Signature Reveal Potential Role for Leukocyte-Associated Immunoglobin-Like Receptor 2 (LAIR2) in Lung Cancer Regulation (ID 1243)
11:55 - 12:00 | Author(s): C. Zhu
- Abstract
- Presentation
Background:
Cancer development and biology is influenced by the host immune system. Emerging data indicate that the context of immune cell infiltrates within the tumor is associated with cancer prognosis. Both the activation state and type of immune cells present can provide mediators that either promote or inhibit tumor growth. While the presence of activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) may correlate with better patient survival, the presence of tumor associated macrophages and effector lymphocytes that lack cytotoxic properties may promote tumor growth. Thus, in established tumors, a balance between pro and anti-tumor mediators are present, but as advanced tumors rarely regress without therapeutic intervention, this balance is likely skewed towards tumor-promoting inflammation. In attempts to gain insight into the immune networks that regulate tumorigenesis, we used genome wide gene expression datasets of primary lung cancer tissues to identify and functionally validate immune related genes that are associated with patient survival.
Methods:
Gene expression analysis was conducted on microarray datasets from 128 early-stage NSCLC resected tumor samples. Limiting analysis to immune-related gene sets curated by NIAID ImmPortal, we identified a minimum gene set using MAximizing R Square Algorithm (MARSA) that selected for the greatest separation between good and poor prognostic patient subgroups. The prognostic value of this gene signature was validated in nine additional independently published microarray datasets of NSCLC. From the gene signature, we functionally characterized the potential role of the soluble protein LAIR2 in immune regulation of lung cancer.
Results:
We identify a 9-gene signature that separate patients into high and low-risk subgroups for 5-year cancer-free survival (hazard ratio 10.26, 95% confidence interval 4.32-24.34, p<0.0001). The prognostic accuracy of this signature was validated in additional NSCLC datasets (total 1095 patients without adjuvant treatment). Amongst the 9-genes, the gene encoding the soluble protein LAIR2 was highly expressed within the high-risk patient subgroup. Functionally, we found that addition of recombinant LAIR2 resulted in increased NK cell expression of cytotoxicity receptors and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the presence of lung cancer cell lines.
Conclusion:
By limiting gene expression analysis to immune related genes, we identify a 9-gene prognostic immune signature in resected early stage NSCLC patients. The signature identifies a role for the soluble protein LAIR2 in the modulation of immune cell activation during lung cancer development and may suggest that LAIR2 induce a pro-inflammatory microenvironment which promote tumorigenesis and poor patient outcome.
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MINI 14 - Pre-Clinical Therapy (ID 119)
- Event: WCLC 2015
- Type: Mini Oral
- Track: Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing
- Presentations: 1
- Moderators:L. Fernandez-Cuesta, A.F. Gazdar
- Coordinates: 9/08/2015, 10:45 - 12:15, Mile High Ballroom 2c-3c
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MINI14.12 - Genomic Profiling of Patient-Derived Xenografts Identify Passenger Aberrations Associated with Better Prognosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ID 1735)
11:50 - 11:55 | Author(s): C. Zhu
- Abstract
Background:
Patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) increasingly are being used as preclinical models to study human cancers, test novel therapeutics, and identify potential biomarkers, as they more accurately model human cancers than established tumor cell line cultures. However, uncertainty remains as to how well the genomic characteristics of patient non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are recapitulated in these PDX models.
Methods:
PDXs were established by implantation of surgically resected NSCLC patient tumors into the subcutaneous or sub-renal capsule of non-obese diabetic severe combined immune deficient (NOD-SCID mice. Comprehensive genomic profiling including exome, gene copy number, DNA methylation and mRNA expression were conducted on 36 independent PDX models, their matched patient tumors and normal lung tissue. Publicly available cell line and TCGA data were used for comparison. Integrative analysis was performed to identify genomic alterations in PDXs that are associated with significant clinical outcomes in patients.
Results:
From 441 resected NSCLC tumors, 127 serially transplantable and stable PDX models were established. Among 264 NSCLC patients with at least 3-years follow-up, patients whose tumor formed stable PDXs (versus those who did not) showed significantly worse disease free (HR=3.12, 95% CI =2.02-4.83, P<0.0001) and overall survival (HR=4.08, 95% CI =2.16-7.73, P<0.0001), after multivariable adjustment for clinical pathological factors. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of 36 PDXs showed greater similarity in somatic alterations between PDX and primary tumors than with published cell line data. In addition to known mutations, we found at least 16 non-synonymous somatic mutations in known oncogenes and tumor suppressors that have never been reported. All these mutations had higher observed variant allele frequency in PDXs compared to their matched patient tumors, suggesting that these were tumor sub-clones selected or enriched for growth in the PDXs. Tumor models characterized by a higher number of somatic alterations among 865 frequently altered genes were associated with better overall patient survival (HR=0.15, p=0.00015) compared to patients with corresponding PDXs characterized by higher alteration number; this was validated in the TCGA lung cancer dataset patients (HR=0.28, p=0.000022). These 865 genes were enriched for those encoding for proteins involved in cell adhesion and interactions with the extracellular matrix, and a quarter of the genomic alterations would putatively form neo-antigens implicating a potential role of immune response in the observed improved patient survival.
Conclusion:
PDXs are close preclinical models of patient tumors. Further investigations of passenger mutations may clarify their clinical impact on interactions between tumor cells, stroma, immune microenvironment and patient prognosis.
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P2.04 - Poster Session/ Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing (ID 234)
- Event: WCLC 2015
- Type: Poster
- Track: Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing
- Presentations: 1
- Moderators:
- Coordinates: 9/08/2015, 09:30 - 17:00, Exhibit Hall (Hall B+C)
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P2.04-053 - Patient-Derived Xenograft Studies Suggest FGFR1 Amplification Is Insufficient to Predict Response to FGFR Inhibitors in Lung SqCC (ID 3067)
09:30 - 09:30 | Author(s): C. Zhu
- Abstract
Background:
FGFR1 amplification has been reported in 16%-20% of lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC). Early phase clinical trials with anti-FGFR small molecule inhibitors are in progress. It remains unclear whether genomic changes involving FGFR1 is associated with a dependency in FGFR-driven oncogenic activity that could be inhibited with pharmacologic agents. We evaluated a pan-FGFR inhibitor (BGJ398) in four SqCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models with amplification of the FGFR1 gene.
Methods:
FGFR1 gene copy changes were assessed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. PDX models were established by implanting surgical resected tumor fragments into the subcutaneous tissue of non-obese diabetic severe combined immune deficient (NOD-SCID) mice. Protein and mRNA expression levels were assessed by immunohistochemistry/western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively.
Results:
FGFR1 amplification was observed in 13 of 60 (22%) SqCC patient tumors, with all amplified tumors forming PDX. PDX models with FGFR1 gene amplification displayed higher levels of mRNA and protein compared to non-amplified tumor, excluding polysomy cases. One model demonstrated an average of 50% decrease in tumor volume in the BGJ398 treated group compared to control group, 21 days post-treatment. This model also expressed high FGFR1 and high cMYC protein. BGJ398-resistant PDX models included one model with high FGFR1 but low cMYC protein levels, and two models with low FGFR1 and high cMYC protein levels.
Conclusion:
The lack of growth arrest to a pan-FGFR small molecule inhibitor in the 4 PDX models evaluated suggests that FGFR1 amplification alone was not a sufficient predictive marker for pan-FGFR1 inhibitor activity. FGFR1 protein and MYC protein are putative markers.
