The Route of the Malignant Plasma Cell in Its Survival Niche: Exploring “Multiple Myelomas”

Growing evidence points to multiple myeloma (MM) and its stromal microenvironment using several mechanisms to subvert effective immune and anti-tumor responses. Recent advances have uncovered the tumor-stromal cell influence in regulating the immune-microenvironment and have envisioned targeting these suppressive pathways to improve therapeutic outcomes. Nevertheless, some subgroups of patients include those with particularly unfavorable prognoses. Biological stratification can be used to categorize patient-, disease- or therapy-related factors, or alternatively, these biological determinants can be included in a dynamic model that customizes a given treatment to a specific patient. Genetic heterogeneity and current knowledge enforce a systematic and comprehensive bench-to-bedside approach. Given the increasing role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in better characterizing the pathogenesis of solid and hematological malignancies, disease relapse, and drug resistance, identifying and describing CSCs is of paramount importance in the management of MM. Even though the function of CSCs is well-known in other cancer types, their role in MM remains elusive. With this review, we aim to provide an update on MM homing and resilience in the bone marrow micro milieu. These data are particularly interesting for clinicians facing unmet medical needs while designing novel treatment approaches for MM

CIC-Mutation As a Potential Molecular Mechanism of Acquired Resistance to Combined BRAF/MEK Inhibition in CNS Multiple Myeloma

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is an extremely rare extramedullary multiple myeloma (MM) manifestation, diagnosed in less than 1% of patients. It is considered an ultimate high-risk feature, associated with unfavorable cytogenetics, and, even with intense treatment applied, survival is short, reaching less than 12 months in most cases. In June 2017 an 81 years old male with a κ light chain MM was referred to our institution for an isolated CNS MM relapse. His cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) demonstrated a high load of clonal plasma cells, however, the patient's bone marrow infiltration was very little with a percentage of plasma cells less than 5%. Imaging, including gold standard MRI and experimental 11C-methionine PET scan, was performed, and high metabolic activity was detected supra- and infratentorially as well as in the right femur and the clivus. Following CD138+ cell purification we analyzed the specimen with M3P (v3.0) a disease specific in-house customized, next generation targeted sequencing panel for MM (Ion torrent platform). This includes most commonly mutated MM genes, actionable drug targets and drug resistance associated genes. The average sequencing depth increased 700X and spatial MM heterogeneity was detected, as the CFS cells harbored a clonal BRAFV600E mutation, absent in the bone marrow. Initial intrathecal and systemic chemotherapy with Cytarabine and Thiotepa was intolerable, thus the patient underwent a combined target inhibition with Dabrafenib/Trametinib, well known specific BRAF and a MEK 1/2 inhibitors. The patient displayed a rapid complete response (Figure. 1A), however, disease relapse occurred after three months of therapy. We obtained a sequential CFS sample and Whole Exome Sequencing (Illumina platform) was applied to pre and post therapy CFS sampling. Exome sequencing of the two time points performed an average sequencing depth of 115X; a total number of 97 non-silent coding variants (missense, nonsense, indels, splice) with an allele frequency higher than 5% were detected. In detail, 19 point mutations were acquired at relapse, including a subclonal missense mutation in CIC (p.A984P, VRF 17%), recently identified as a candidate gene contributing to MEK/BRAF resistance development. Next, we established a CIC knock-down model electroporating a specific anti-CIC siRNA into U266 MM cell line. We cultured the silenced and not-silenced cells with Trametinib and Dabrafenib, either as single agents, or in combination. As expected, we observed resistance induction to the combination of the two drugs (Row Factor 85.94%; P<0.0001, Two-way ANOVA) suggesting a critical role for this patient derived mutation for his MEK/BRAF resistance development (Figure 1C, D). In order to better clarify the landscape pathway related to CIC we analyzed expression data from 647 patients enrolled in the MMRF CoMMpass trial. Remarkably, we found a significant down-regulation of ERF and ETV6 (t-test -9.95, -9.93, P <0.001, respectively), two well characterized tumor suppressor genes correlated with the re-activation of the RAS downstream pathway (Figure 1B). This is the first report giving evidence for a potential role of point mutations in CIC as a resistance mechanism to targeted MEK/BRAF inhibition in BRAF mutated MM. The performed pathway analysis significantly extends the insights of the resistance mechanisms highlighted. Our results foster a statistically powered study to corroborate the clinical relevance

Gene Expression Comparison between the Lymph Node-Positive and -Negative Reveals a Peculiar Immune Microenvironment Signature and a Theranostic Role for WNT Targeting in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Pilot Study

Over the past several years there has been much debate with regards to the prognostic and clinical significance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with lymph nodes metastasis. The PDAC gene expression knowledge and the biologic alterations underlying the lymph node involvement convey a clinical implication in dealing with the theranostic window. To this end, we provide an original bioinformatic dissection of the gene expression differences of PDAC according to the nodal involvement from a large public available dataset. Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis from 143 RNA-seq patient's derived samples indicated that WNT increased activation and a peculiar immune microenvironment identify subjects with nodal involvement. In frame of this thinking, we validated the WNT pathway role in increasing the likelihood of lymphatic dissemination in vitro. Moreover, we demonstrated for the first time in a PDAC model the potential therapeutic window that XAV-939-a specific WNT pathway inhibitor-has in re-educating a tumor-permissive immune system. Finally, we outline the potential implication on bystander molecular drivers exerted by WNT molecular inhibition, providing a picture of the proteomic oncogenic landscape changes elicited by XAV-939 on PDAC cells and their clinical implication. Our findings hold the promise to identify novel immune-based therapeutic strategies targeting WNT to enhance PDAC cytotoxicity and restore anti-PDAC immunity in node-positive disease

Junctional Adhesion Molecule-C expression specifies a {CD}138low/neg multiple myeloma cell population in mice and humans

Deregulation such as overexpression of adhesion molecules influences cancer progression and survival. Metastasis of malignant cells from their primary tumor site to distant organs is the most common reason for cancer-related deaths. Junctional adhesion molecule (JAM)-C, a member of the Ig-like JAM family, can homodimerize and aid cancer cell migration and metastasis. Here we show that this molecule is dynamically expressed on multiple myeloma (MM) cells in the marrow and co-localizes with blood vessels within the bone marrow of mice and humans. Additionally, JAM-C upregulation inversely correlates with the downregulation of the canonical plasma cell marker CD138 (syndecan-1), whose surface expression has recently been found to dynamically regulate a switch between MM growth in situ and MM dissemination. Moreover, targeting JAM-C in a syngeneic in vivo MM model ameliorates MM progression and improves outcome. Overall, our data demonstrate that JAM-C might serve not only as an additional novel diagnostic biomarker but also as a therapeutic target in MM disease

CIC Mutation as a Molecular Mechanism of Acquired Resistance to Combined BRAF‐MEK Inhibition in Extramedullary Multiple Myeloma with Central Nervous System Involvement

Combined MEK‐BRAF inhibition is a well‐established treatment strategy in BRAF‐mutated cancer, most prominently in malignant melanoma with durable responses being achieved through this targeted therapy. However, a subset of patients face primary unresponsiveness despite presence of the activating mutation at position V600E, and others acquire resistance under treatment. Underlying resistance mechanisms are largely unknown, and diagnostic tests to predict tumor response to BRAF‐MEK inhibitor treatment are unavailable. Multiple myeloma represents the second most common hematologic malignancy, and point mutations in BRAF are detectable in about 10% of patients. Targeted inhibition has been successfully applied, with mixed responses observed in a substantial subset of patients mirroring the widespread spatial heterogeneity in this genomically complex disease. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is an extremely rare, extramedullary form of multiple myeloma that can be diagnosed in less than 1% of patients. It is considered an ultimate high‐risk feature, associated with unfavorable cytogenetics, and, even with intense treatment applied, survival is short, reaching less than 12 months in most cases. Here we not only describe the first patient with an extramedullary CNS relapse responding to targeted dabrafenib and trametinib treatment, we furthermore provide evidence that a point mutation within the capicua transcriptional repressor (CIC) gene mediated the acquired resistance in this patient

HB-EGF–EGFR Signaling in Bone Marrow Endothelial Cells Mediates Angiogenesis Associated with Multiple Myeloma

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligand heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) sustain endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis in solid tumors, but little is known about the role of HB-EGF–EGFR signaling in bone marrow angiogenesis and multiple myeloma (MM) progression. We found that bone marrow endothelial cells from patients with MM express high levels of EGFR and HB-EGF, compared with cells from patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, and that overexpressed HB-EGF stimulates EGFR expression in an autocrine loop. We also found that levels of EGFR and HB-EGF parallel MM plasma cell number, and that HB-EGF is a potent inducer of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, blockade of HB-EGF–EGFR signaling, by an anti-HB-EGF neutralizing antibody or the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib, limited the angiogenic potential of bone marrow endothelial cells and hampered tumor growth in an MM xenograft mouse model. These results identify HB-EGF–EGFR signaling as a potential target of anti-angiogenic therapy, and encourage the clinical investigation of EGFR inhibitors in combination with conventional cytotoxic drugs as a new therapeutic strategy for MM