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4796 citation(s) found for "Yu, Jennifer".

Ovarian juvenile granulosa cell tumor: A report from the International Ovarian and Testicular Stromal Tumor and International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma/DICER1 Registries
Harris, Anne K. , Nelson, Alexander T. , Watson, Dave , Mallinger, Paige, Stering, Allen I., Snyder, Stacy L., Levy, Carolyn Fein , Kamihara, Junne , Herzog, Cynthia E. , Lagmay, Joanne , Foresto, Steve, Young, Robert H. , Dehner, Louis P. , Tadavarthy, Anil K., Stall, Jennifer N., Billmire, Deborah F., Schneider, Dominik T. , Schultz, Kris Ann P. , Kamihara, Junne , Chen, Kenneth S , Devins, Kyle M , Schneider, Dominik T , Schultz, Kris Ann P , Levy, Carolyn Fein , Harris, Anne K , Messinger, Yoav H. , Frazier, A Lindsay , Chen, Kenneth , Devins, Kyle M. , Hill, Dana Ashley

Mayo Clinic

Cancer | April 23, 2025 | Volume: 131 | Issue: 9 | Pages: No page available

10.1002/cncr.35862 | PMID 40267023 Get It

AbstractBackgroundOvarian juvenile granulosa cell tumors (juvGCT) are rare sex cord‐stromal tumors that occur primarily in children and adolescents. This study summarizes the clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with juvGCT.MethodsPatients were enrolled in the International Ovarian and Testicular Stromal Tumor and/or International Pleuropulmonary Blastoma/DICER1 Registries. Available medical records were abstracted, and pathology was centrally reviewed. Surgical staging was classified using the 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) criteria.ResultsIn total, 70 patients with juvGCT enrolled and were diagnosed between 2001 and 2024; most patients (81%, 57 of 70) presented with FIGO stage I disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given in 30% (21 of 70); all regimens were platinum‐based. Three‐year event‐free survival among patients with stage IA tumors was 80.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 62.4%–100.0%), IC1 was 87.4 (95% CI, 72.4%–100.0%), IC2‐IC3 was 63.6% (95% CI, 40.7%–99.5%), and II‐IV was 48% (95% CI, 24.6%–93.8%). Of the patients with recurrent juvGCT with known mitotic index (MI), all had MI greater than 19 mitoses per 10 high power fields (HPF) at diagnosis.ConclusionOutcomes were worse for patients with FIGO stage ≥IC2 disease and for tumors with >19 mitoses per 10 HPF. Given the prognostic significance of MI, the authors strongly recommend the assessment of MI for all juvGCTs. More information about tumor biology is critical to identify which patients may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy and to facilitate the development of novel therapies.
Abstract 1107: Feature selection and machine learning strategies optimize an affordable molecular assay for cholangiocarcinoma subtype
Jessen, Erik , Carlson, Danielle M. , Salehinejad, Hojjat , Larson, Ellen L. , Mun, Dong‐Gi , Tomlinson, Jennifer L. , Abdelrahman, Amro M. , Carlson, Danielle Marie , Smoot, Rory L.

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 22, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 1107-1107

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-1107 Get It

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma is a molecularly heterogenous cancer arising from the biliary epithelium. Individual omic techniques have identified clinically relevant, targetable subtypes but most tumors have no targetable alterations based on exome or transcriptomic evaluation. Integrated multiomics approaches incorporating transcriptomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic characterization provide deeper understanding and identify non-mutated, activated pathways that can be targeted. To optimize the potential clinical utility of these approaches, minimal classifier features must be defined. Methods: Approximately 60,000 RNA, protein, and phosphoprotein features were extracted from 35 cholangiocarcinomas treated at the primary US study site. 206 patients treated and profiled at an institution in China were also included. Using the Multiomics Factor Analysis clustering method, patients were sorted into 3 distinct molecular profiles. Important molecular features were selected using competing feature selection (FS) methods: Boruta, RreliefF, variable selection using random forests (RF), recursive factor elimination (RFE), median decrease accuracy in RF, and Concrete Autoencoders. Machine learning classification prediction models including Extreme Gradient Boosting, gradient-boosted trees, multinomial logit, and support vector machine (SVM) were tested on each FS. Each combination of FS and predictive model was tested with 10 replicates of 10-fold cross-validation of a randomly-selected balanced test set and an oversampled, balanced training subset. Accuracy, F1 score, AUC, precision, and recall were assessed for each FS and predictive model combination. A custom function of physical assay cost and classification accuracy was optimized to find the best assay. KEGG pathway overrepresentation analysis was used to analyze feature subsets. Results: A consistent set of 50 important RNA and protein features was identified, including previously reported prognostic factors, like SpryD4 protein expression, as well as previously unreported pathway surrogates, such as Slc2A2 or Pipox protein. Pathway overrepresentation analysis found insulin signaling and resistance and amino acid biosynthesis/metabolism pathways were overrepresented in the discriminative feature set. The gradient-boosted trees algorithm combined with the RFE FS method had the best performance, with a multiclass macro average (±sd) cross-validation accuracy 89% (±6%), F1 score 89% (±8%), AUC 0.98 (±0.02), precision 90% (±10%), recall 89% (±6%). Conclusions: Feature selection methods and predictive machine learning models work synchronously to develop accurate molecular subtype assays based on just 50 protein and RNA levels. This strategy has the potential to make molecular subtyping for cholangiocarcinoma and other molecularly complex cancers fast and widely available. Citation Format: Ellen Larson, Erik Jessen, Dong-Gi Mun, Jennifer Tomlinson, Amro Abdelrahman, Danielle Carlson, Hojjat Salehinejad, Rory Smoot. Feature selection and machine learning strategies optimize an affordable molecular assay for cholangiocarcinoma subtype [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 1107.
Abstract 4739: Development of a prognostic ovarian cancer gene signature based on glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional activity
Panchamukhi, Ananth V., Huang, Lei , Gray, Edward B. , Liu, Yuanhang , Taya, Manisha , Veneris, Jennifer , Hou, Xiaonan , Weroha, S. John , Wang, Chen , Conzen, Suzanne D. , Veneris, Jennifer T , Hou, Xiaonan , Győrffy, Balázs , Fleming, Gini F.

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 22, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 4739-4739

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-4739 Get It

Abstract Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), commonly known as ovarian cancer (OvCa), is the deadliest gynecological malignancy. High tumor expression of either NR3C1 mRNA (encoding the glucocorticoid receptor or GR) or GR protein (IHC) are associated with poor overall survival (OS) in patients (pts) with advanced stage OvCa. We hypothesized that high GR expression and associated GR transcriptional activity favor OvCa cell survival and chemotherapy resistance, thereby reducing OS. Here we investigated whether a GR transcriptome-based gene signature (GR-sig) would be a better prognosticator than tumor NR3C1 mRNA expression alone. Methods: mRNAs up- or downregulated >1.5 fold after glucocorticoid treatment (Dex) in one or both cultured OvCa cell lines (OVSAHO and HEYA8) were defined as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs were then identified in n=1247 unique OvCa microarrays from 15 publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets with matched pt OS (training set). We then used the OS data to train a Cox proportional hazards model. The “best subset selection” (BeSS) algorithm and bootstrap sampling identified those GR-regulated DEGs whose tumor mRNA expression correlated most significantly with pt OS, creating a GR-sig “risk score.” Subsequently, all n=522 microarray and n=374 RNA-seq publicly available samples from the OvCa TCGA were used as two independent validation sets. Microarray and RNA-seq data were normalized using the MAS5 and FPKM-UQ algorithms respectively. The two validation sets were independently stratified relative to the median training set risk score into low- and high-risk score groups. To examine the prognostic ability of NR3C1 mRNA expression alone, the median training set NR3C1 expression value was used to stratify validation set pts into low- and high-expression groups. In all cases, OS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: We identified n=2288 protein-coding DEGs in one or both cell lines. Of these genes, n=1251 were expressed in each GEO microarray sample (training set). A 10-gene GR-signature (GR-Sig) was then identified using the BeSS algorithm and bootstrap sampling, yielding a median training set risk score of 1.02. In both the microarray and RNA-seq validation datasets, the 10-gene GR-sig risk score was associated with significant OS differences between low- and high-risk score groups (microarray p = 0.018; RNA-seq p = 0.00049). In contrast, the OS difference between low- and high- NR3C1 mRNA expression groups did not reach significance (microarray p = 0.12; RNA-seq p = 0.28). Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, a 10-gene GR-sig derived from OvCa GR-regulated DEGs performed better as a prognosticator than NR3C1 mRNA expression alone. Prospective application of the GR-sig may be useful in stratifying patients for treatment response with novel agents in OvCa clinical trials. Citation Format: Ananth V. Panchamukhi, Lei Huang, Eleanore P. Gray, Yuanhang Liu, Manisha Taya, Jennifer T. Veneris, Xiaonan Hou, S John Weroha, Balázs Győrffy, Gini F. Fleming, Chen Wang, Suzanne D. Conzen. Development of a prognostic ovarian cancer gene signature based on glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional activity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 4739.
Abstract 5588: Efficacy of TGR-5 inhibition in cholangiocarcinoma using the novel small molecule inhibitor SBI-364
Ozmert, Enis H., Carlson, Danielle M. , Smoot, Rory L., Tomlinson, Jennifer L. , Carlson, Danielle Marie

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 21, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 5588-5588

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-5588 Get It

Abstract Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy of the biliary epithelium with increasing incidence and poor survival. Despite the advances in targeted therapies, treatment success has been hindered by primary or acquired resistance. New therapeutic strategies are necessary to improve outcomes in this patient population. This study investigates the anti-tumor efficacy of TGR-5 inhibition in CCA using a novel small molecular inhibitor, SBI-364. Methods: Cell viability was assessed using a CellTiter-Glo assay in four unique CCA cell lines treated with SBI-364 at concentrations ranging from 1 nM to 100 µM for 48 hours. Viability was expressed as a percentage relative to untreated controls. Cell migration was assessed using a scratch wound healing assay at 0, 12, and 24 hours following SBI-364 treatment. Migration was reported as the percentage of wound closure relative to the initial scratch width. Apoptosis was assessed using the Caspase-Glo® 3/7 Assay (Promega) after 12 hours of treatment with SBI-364. Caspase activity was normalized to untreated controls and expressed as relative luminescence units. Results: SBI-364 reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner across all CCA cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 4.1-15.8 µM. Higher concentrations of SBI-364 induced increased cytotoxicity. In the scratch assay, untreated CCA cells achieved 100 % wound closure within 24 hours. Treatment with SBI-364 at 10 µM significantly inhibited cellular migration, with reduced wound closure compared to controls (p < 0.05). Apoptosis analysis revealed a significant increase in caspase-3/7 activity in three CCA cell lines following treatment with 10 µM SBI-364 for 12 hours (p < 0.01). Conclusion: TGR-5 inhibition using novel small molecule inhibitor SBI-364 demonstrates potent anti-tumor effects in CCA by reducing viability, inhibiting migration, and promoting apoptosis. These findings support further investigation of SBI-364 as a promising therapeutic strategy in CCA. Citation Format: Enis Ozmert, Jennifer L. Tomlinson, Danielle M. Carlson, Rory L. Smoot. Efficacy of TGR-5 inhibition in cholangiocarcinoma using the novel small molecule inhibitor SBI-364 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 5588.
Abstract 7331: Antitumor activity of amivantamab in diffuse pleural mesothelioma
Yang, Lin , Ayers-Ringler, Jennifer , Schaefer-Klein, Janet L., Kosari, Farhad , Suzuki, Shinichiro , Tolosa, Ezequiel J. , Wu, Kuan‐Li , Mansfield, Aaron S.

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 21, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 7331-7331

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-7331 Get It

Abstract Background: Diffuse pleural mesothelioma (DPM) is a rare and aggressive cancer arising from mesothelial cells of the pleura. Over 2, 500 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States, mainly attributable to asbestos exposure. The prognosis is poor, and while nivolumab (PD-1 inhibitor) and ipilimumab (CTLA-4 inhibitor) have been approved for first-line treatment of unresectable DPM, the three-year survival rate is only 23%. DPM tumors express high levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), but targeted therapies like erlotinib (EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors) have shown no clinical benefit. We hypothesized that amivantamab, a bispecific antibody that targets both EGFR and MET, may have activity against DPM through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of amivantamab to mediate ADCC in tissue culture experiments with DPM cell lines. Methods: We assessed DPM for the expression of EGFR and MET using available data from bulk RNA sequencing. We also examined protein expressions of EGFR and MET by Western blot analysis in five epithelial (EM-Meso, H2452, H2461, Mero-41 and Mero-95), three sarcomatoid (H2373, H2596 and ONE58), and one normal mesothelial (MeT-5A) cell lines. Co-culture experiments were performed with the DPM and normal cell lines and NK cells in the presence of amivantamab to evaluate ADCC. Results: We identified high levels of EGFR and MET expression in both epithelial and sarcomatoid cases of DPM from 183 patients. This finding was corroborated by Western blot analysis of all eight DPM cell lines. In vitro experiments demonstrated that amivantamab induced dose-dependent ADCC in DPM cell lines, with robust NK cell-mediated ADCC observed across all tested DPM lines. Notably, sarcomatoid-type DPM cells were more sensitive to amivantamab-induced ADCC than epithelial-type cells. These findings suggest that amivantamab may offer therapeutic benefits for DPM tumors with high EGFR and MET expression. Conclusion: This study provides preclinical evidence supporting the potential of amivantamab as a novel therapeutic option for DPM, especially in sarcomatoid tumors. Ongoing in vivo studies including in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models will further evaluate the efficacy of amivantamab in DPM. Citation Format: Shinichiro Suzuki, Lin Yang, Jennifer Ayers-Ringler, Ezequiel J. Tolosa, Kuan-Li Wu, Janet L. Schaefer-Klein, Farhad Kosari, Aaron S. Mansfield. Antitumor activity of amivantamab in diffuse pleural mesothelioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 7331.
Abstract 5592: Modeling response prediction to a novel GCN2 kinase activator (NXP800) in patient-derived xenograft cholangiocarcinoma models using a multi-omics approach
Carlson, Danielle M. , Jessen, Erik , Kalill, Joshua Roldan, Truty, Mark J. , Smoot, Rory L., Carlson, Danielle Marie , Kuipers, Hendrien , Abdelrahman, Amro, Tomlinson, Jennifer L. , Sample, Jack W. , Pandey, Akhilesh

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 21, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 5592-5592

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-5592 Get It

Abstract Introduction: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive biliary malignancy with poor survival outcomes and multiple mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies. We previously validated NXP800, a novel GCN2 small-molecule activator, as an effective anti-cancer drug in six CCA cell lines. In vitro testing identified upregulation of phosphorylated eIF2a, as well as upregulation of ATF4, in CCA cells treated with of NXP800 compared to vehicle, suggesting that treated cells led to stimulation of stress-induced genes and subsequently, apoptosis. Furthermore, patient derived xenografts (PDX) models treated with NXP800 were found to have decreased tumor size, particularly in models containing ARID1A, FGFR1, and ATM mutations. Here, we aimed to predict response to NXP800 using sensitivity and resistance signatures from our profiled PDX models. Methods: GCN2 activation in multiple previously profiled PDX models was evaluated. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was done on multiple PDX models to characterize the mutational signature and activity in CCA. Two additional CCA xenografts were expanded into the flank of NOD/SCID mice. Tumor bearing mice were treated with NXP800 (35 mg/kg) or vehicle via oral gavage for 28 days once tumors averaged 120 mm3. Tumor volume and animal weight were collected twice weekly. Median Efficacy Index (MEI) scores were generated as drug response rates based on tumor growth. Predicted sensitivity and resistance kinase signatures to predict drug response were produced using multi-omics. Results: Treatment with NXP800 was associated with a statistically significant decrease in tumor size in two additional PDX models, which included ARID1A and BRAF mutants. Preliminary multi-omics on the PDX models revealed that sensitivity mechanisms were upregulated most in EGFR signaling, while resistance signatures were focused around CSNK2A1 signaling. Conclusion: Multi-omics analysis revealed a sensitivity mechanism structured around EGFR signaling, providing insights into which patients should be selected for treatment with NXP800. A Phase 1b clinical trial investigating the effects of NXP800 use in patients with advanced CCA is open and currently accepting patients. Citation Format: Danielle Marie Carlson, Hendrien Kuipers, Amro Abdelrahman, Erik Jessen, Joshua Roldan Kalill, Jennifer Tomlinson, Jack Sample, Akhilesh Pandey, Mark Truty, Rory Smoot. Modeling response prediction to a novel GCN2 kinase activator (NXP800) in patient-derived xenograft cholangiocarcinoma models using a multi-omics approach [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 5592.
Abstract 6103: BCMA CAR engineering arms T cells with superior functions post ex vivo stimulation by MUC1 peptide-loaded autologous PBMCs
Yun, Kun , Ruiz, Omar Gutierrez, Ogbodo, Ekene J. , Huynh, Truc , Sirpilla, Olivia , Stewart, Carli M. , DeFranco, Grace , Goldberg, Sophia Y., Skeele, Dominic, Missan, D.S., Pathangey, Latha , Mai, Long, Xia, Hong , Fonkoua, Lionel Aurelien Kankeu , Ruff, Michael W. , Bergsagel, Leif, Gustafson, Michael P. , Gendler, Sandra , Gutierrez-Ruiz, Omar L. , Sakemura, Reona , Can, İsmail , Roman, Claudia Manriquez , Stewart, Carli , Feigin, Jennifer M. , Goldberg, Sophia Y., Stein, Mariam I. , Kimball, Brooke , Hefazi, Mehrdad , Siegler, Elizabeth L. , Bergsagel, P. Leif , Kenderian, Saad S.

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 21, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 6103-6103

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-6103 Get It

Abstract Chimeric antigen receptor T (CART) cell therapy has shown clinical successes in B cell hematological malignancies. Two B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CART cell therapies treating multiple myeloma (MM) were approved by FDA but most patients relapse within 1-2 years. Ex vivo-expanded antigen specific T cells as cancer treatment rely on TCR-mediated killing of tumors. We hypothesized that arming ex vivo enriched tumor-specific T cells with CARs targeting a different antigen improves T cell functions. First, we expanded mucin 1 (MUC1)-activated T cells from patients with MM through ex vivo stimulation by MUC1 peptides-loaded autologous PBMCs for 19 days. Then, we engineered MUC1-activated T cells with 4-1BB-co-stimulated BCMA CAR to generate MUC1 TCR+BCMA CAR+ T cells. Baseline T cells without MUC1 stimulation were engineered with BCMA CAR as control. Baseline T cells, MUC1 T cells, baseline BCMA CART cells, or MUC1 BCMA CART cells were cocultured with luc+ RPMI-8226, a MUC1+BCMA+ MM cell line, for 3 days. MUC1 BCMA CART cells showed stronger tumor killing than BCMA CART or MUC1 T cells in all 3 patients (p<0.0001). MUC1 BCMA CART showed improved proliferation than BCMA CART or MUC1 T cells (p=0.0765, p<0.0001, respectively) after a 5-day stimulation by RPMI-8226. To exclude possibility of metabolic alterations by 19-day PBMC incubation leading to better T cell functions in MUC1 BCMA CART, baseline and MUC1-stimulated T cells from 3 healthy donors were processed for the same assays. Day-19 BCMA CART cells showed inferior tumor killing compared to baseline BCMA CART in all 3 donors (p<0.0001). Lower T cell proliferation was also observed in day-19 BCMA CART (p=0.0838). Our data indicate that improved T cell functions in MUC1 BCMA CART were unlikely due to metabolic changes and required stimulation by tumor antigens prior to CAR engineering likely through MUC1 TCR. Additionally, MUC1 T cells, BCMA CART, or MUC1 BCMA CART cells from tested patients were stimulated by RPMI-8226 for bulk RNA sequencing. Both BCMA CART and MUC1 T cells had distinct transcriptomic features from MUC1 BCMA CART cells. Differential gene expression analysis showed upregulation of T cell function-associated genes (RYR2, ITGA1, GNLY, GZMA, etc.) in MUC1 BCMA CART vs BCMA CART. Enrichment of T cell function-associated pathways was also observed in MUC1 BCMA CART. Analysis between MUC1 T cell and MUC1 BCMA CART showed upregulation of T cell function-associated genes (CSF2, CRTAM, IFNG, GZMB, etc.) and enrichment of immune response pathways in MUC1 BCMA CART. Our findings suggest that equipping ex vivo-enriched tumor-specific T cells with CARs targeting a different antigen improves T cell functions in vitro. Importantly, this provides a rationale for a therapeutic regimen where patients receive ex vivo-enriched tumor-induced T cells followed by CAR engineering. Persistence of the engineered T cells is being investigated Citation Format: Kun Yun, R. Leo Sakemura, Ismail Can, Omar Gutierrez Ruiz, Ekene J. Ogbodo, Truc N. Huynh, Claudia Manriquez Roman, Olivia Sirpilla, Carli M. Stewart, Jennifer M. Feigin, Grace E. DeFranco, Sophia Y. Goldberg, Dominic A. Skeele, Mariam Stein, Dara Missan, Latha Pathangey, Long Mai, Hong Xia, Brooke Kimball, Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua, Mehrdad Hefazi, Michael W. Ruff, Elizabeth L. Siegler, Leif Bergsagel, Michael Gustafson, Sandra Gendler, Saad S. Kenderian. BCMA CAR engineering arms T cells with superior functions post ex vivo stimulation by MUC1 peptide-loaded autologous PBMCs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 6103.
Abstract 1457: YAP tyrosine phosphorylation regulates lineage commitment in liver tumorigenesis
Aksu, Muhammed D., Millender, Jayla T. , Watkins, Ryan , Buckarma, EeeLN H. , Werneburg, Nathan W., O’Brien, Daniel R. , McCabe, Chantal E. , Aksu, Murat , Yonkus, Jennifer A. , Graham, Rondell P. , Gores, Gregory J. , Smoot, Rory L. , Conboy, Caitlin B.

Mayo Clinic

Cancer Research | April 21, 2025 | Volume: 85 | Issue: 8_Supplement_1 | Pages: 1457-1457

10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-1457 Get It

Abstract Background: The transcriptional cofactor Yes-associated protein (YAP) is activated in CCA pathophysiology. While canonical regulation by the Hippo pathway resulting in phosphorylation at serine 127 (S127) is inhibitory, SRC-family kinases (SFKs) phosphorylate YAP at tyrosine 357 (Y357), causing activation. Previously, cholangiocytes, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), and even mature hepatocytes were suggested as potential cells of origin of CCA, which highlights the plasticity in the liver. However, the role of YAP activation in selecting the cell of origin and lineage commitment during hepatobiliary oncogenesis is unknown. Aim: To determine if YAP Y357 phosphorylation is required for CCA tumorigenesis, we utilized an in vivo model. Unexpectedly, a shift in tumor phenotype to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was identified. Subsequently, we further explored cell signaling and cell of origin contributions to this phenotypic switch. Method: C57BL/6 mice underwent biliary transfection with Sleeping Beauty transposase and transposons encoding myr-AKT and either YAP S127A (YAP-S) or YAP S127A/Y357F (YAP-SY), followed by IL-33 treatment. Tumor nodule count, histologic classification, and liver-to-body ratio were assessed at necropsy after 10 weeks. RNA sequencing and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) were performed on HCC and CCA nodules. To determine the cell of origin, tumors were generated in lineage tracing mice (Rosa26 mT/mG mice treated with AAV8-TBG-Cre). Finally, two tumor-derived cell lines with YAP-SY and constitutive AKT expression were isolated. Results: Both YAP-S and YAP-SY models developed similar tumor numbers and bulk. YAP-S mice generated frequent CCA (25.3%) in addition to combined HCC-CCA (cHCC-CCA) tumors (10.7%) and HCC (64%), whereas YAP-SY mice developed predominantly HCC (86.7%), with rare CCA (8.8%) and mixed tumors (4.5%). Transcriptome analysis identified 3,367 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC from YAP-SY mice and CCA from YAP-S mice. Notably, YAP-regulated genes had decreased expression in the HCC from YAP-SY mice. IPA revealed key upstream regulators, including cytokines and growth factors (e.g., TGFB1, TNF, INFG, CSF2, IL6, IL1B, IL4) and transcription factors (e.g., TP53, JUN, SP1, NFKBIA, STAT3). Lineage tracing demonstrated HCC originated from hepatocytes and CCA from cholangiocytes in both models. Finally, gene expression analysis of novel syngeneic cancer cell lines from YAP-SY mice showed mixed features of both HCC and CCA. Conclusion: In this murine model, we found that sub-maximal YAP activation is associated with increased formation of HCC from hepatocytes, while a higher level of YAP activation due to YAP Y357 phosphorylation is associated with efficient formation of CCA. We identified cytokines and growth factors that may orchestrate this phenotypic switch. Finally, we developed novel syngeneic cancer cell lines with cHCC-CCA characteristics. Citation Format: Muhammed D. Aksu,Jayla T. Millender,Ryan D. Watkins,Jennifer A. Yonkus,EeeLN H. Buckarma,Nathan W. Werneburg,Daniel R. O'Brien,Chantal E. McCabe,Rondell P. Graham,Gregory J. Gores,Rory L. Smoot,Caitlin B. Conboy. YAP tyrosine phosphorylation regulates lineage commitment in liver tumorigenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 1457.
Interrogating Steroid Hormone Signaling in a Murine Model of ER+ Human Breast Cancer Bone Metastases
Babcock, Amanda L, Ehsani, Sima, Frye, Jennifer B., Whitman, Susan A., Babcock, Amanda L, Farr, Joshua N. , Funk, Janet L. , Rossi, Anthony M

Mayo Clinic

Endocrinology | April 21, 2025 | Volume: 166 | Issue: Supplement_1 | Pages: No page available

10.1210/endocr/bqaf043.003 Get It

Abstract Text While the importance of estrogen in driving ER+ breast cancer progression is clear, data from pre-clinical studies exploring the role of tumoral progesterone (PR) and androgen (AR) receptors are conflicting, likely due in part to the promiscuity of steroid receptor ligands, as well as relative levels of steroid hormone receptor expression and of steroid hormones within the tumor milieu. While bone is usually the first site of metastases in ER+ metastatic breast cancer, the roles of tumoral PR and AR (present in 58 percent and 86 percent of clinical ER+ bone metastases [BMET], respectively) in ER+ breast cancer progression at this site have not been well studied. Studies were undertaken to examine the effects of ovariectomy (OVX), a model of surgical menopause that significantly reduces endogenous progesterone and androgen levels, in a pre-clinical model of human ER+ bone metastases that is dependent on exogenous 17ß-estradiol (E2) supplementation. Effects of OVX (at 9-weeks of age) were ascertained using skeletally mature female nude mice supplemented with a modest dose of E2 (0.36 mg 60 day pellets) prior to intracardiac inoculation (at 10 weeks of age) with bone metastasis-derived MCF7 cells (43.4M cells) that form robust E2- and TGFß-dependent osteolytic metastasis in vivo, and express PR and AR in vitro. Osteolytic bone metastatic lesions in E2-supplemented mice were reduced in both incidence and size in OVX (vs ovary intact) mice. Anti-tumoral effects of OVX were not limited to bone; E2-driven orthotopic tumor progression was similarly reduced. Histologic assessment of cytokeratin-positive breast cancer tumor cells within bone revealed a small but statistically significant reduction in Ki67-positivity in OVX (vs ovary -intact) mice that correlated with osteolytic lesion size. In addition, PR and AR expression in BMET lesions, which was readily detected by IHC in ovary-intact mice, was markedly reduced in OVX mice. While additional experiments are underway to query possible roles of specific reproductive hormones altered in OVX mice, these results are consistent with the postulate that tumoral AR and PR signaling may promote ER+ bone metastases progression in this model. In addition, while ovariectomy is a common pre-clinical means of reducing estrogen to model natural menopause in women, resultant changes in steroid receptor signaling are clearly much more complex. Funding: NIH 5R25CA275753, 5P30CA023074 Date of Presentation October 17, 2024