A preclinical pipeline to evaluate migrastatics as therapeutic agents in metastatic melanoma

© The Author(s) 2021.[Background]: Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer and responsible for most cancer deaths. Migrastatics were defined as drugs interfering with all modes of cancer cell invasion and thus cancers’ ability to metastasise. First anti-metastatic treatments have recently been approved. [Methods]: We used bioinformatic analyses of publicly available melanoma databases. Experimentally, we performed in vitro target validation (including 2.5D cell morphology analysis and mass spectrometric analysis of RhoA binding partners), developed a new traceable spontaneously metastasising murine melanoma model for in vivo validation, and employed histology (haematoxylin/eosin and phospho-myosin II staining) to confirm drug action in harvested tumour tissues. [Results]: Unbiased and targeted bioinformatic analyses identified the Rho kinase (ROCK)-myosin II pathway and its various components as potentially relevant targets in melanoma. In vitro validation demonstrated redundancy of several RhoGEFs upstream of RhoA and confirmed ROCK as a druggable target downstream of RhoA. The anti-metastatic effects of two ROCK inhibitors were demonstrated through in vivo melanoma metastasis tracking and inhibitor effects also confirmed ex vivo by digital pathology. [Conclusions]: We proposed a migrastatic drug development pipeline. As part of the pipeline, we provide a new traceable spontaneous melanoma metastasis model for in vivo quantification of metastasis and anti-metastatic effects by non-invasive imaging.GOF’s lab was supported by Cancer Research UK [C48390/A21153], Worldwide Cancer Research [16-1153], and King’s Health Partners [King’s Medical Research Trust Joint Research Committee studentship to A.V.]. B.F. was supported by a King’s Health Partners studentship to V.S.M. and G.O.F. V.S.M.’s lab was supported by Cancer Research UK [C33043/A12065] and [C33043/A24478] (V.S.M., E.C.M., J.L.O., L.B. and GC), the Royal Society [RG110591] (V.S.M.), The Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust (J.L.O. and V.S.M.), the Barts Charity (V.S.M., J.L.O., O.M., I.R.H. and E.C.M.), the Fundacion Alfonso Martin Escudero and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action [H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-EF-ST] (I.R.H.), and Fundacion Ramon Areces (E.C.M.). F.M. was supported by an MRC Career Development Award (MR/P009417/1). This work was further supported by the Department of Health (DoH) via the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to King’s Health Partners, and the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Medical Engineering [WT203148/Z/16/Z]. Views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, NIHR or DoH

WNT11-FZD7-DAAM1 signalling supports tumour initiating abilities and melanoma amoeboid invasion

Melanoma is a highly aggressive tumour that can metastasize very early in disease progression. Notably, melanoma can disseminate using amoeboid invasive strategies. We show here that high Myosin II activity, high levels of ki-67 and high tumour-initiating abilities are characteristic of invasive amoeboid melanoma cells. Mechanistically, we find that WNT11-FZD7-DAAM1 activates Rho-ROCK1/2-Myosin II and plays a crucial role in regulating tumour-initiating potential, local invasion and distant metastasis formation. Importantly, amoeboid melanoma cells express both proliferative and invasive gene signatures. As such, invasive fronts of human and mouse melanomas are enriched in amoeboid cells that are also ki-67 positive. This pattern is further enhanced in metastatic lesions. We propose eradication of amoeboid melanoma cells after surgical removal as a therapeutic strategy. Amoeboid cells are associated with melanoma invasive capacity. Here, the authors show that the WNT11-FZD7-DAAM1 pathway regulates tumour-initiating potential, invasion and metastasis lead by amoeboid cells in the invasive front of melanoma tumours

Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]

Evidence synthesis to inform model-based cost-effectiveness evaluations of diagnostic tests: a methodological systematic review of health technology assessments

Background: Evaluations of diagnostic tests are challenging because of the indirect nature of their impact on patient outcomes. Model-based health economic evaluations of tests allow different types of evidence from various sources to be incorporated and enable cost-effectiveness estimates to be made beyond the duration of available study data. To parameterize a health-economic model fully, all the ways a test impacts on patient health must be quantified, including but not limited to diagnostic test accuracy. Methods: We assessed all UK NIHR HTA reports published May 2009-July 2015. Reports were included if they evaluated a diagnostic test, included a model-based health economic evaluation and included a systematic review and meta-analysis of test accuracy. From each eligible report we extracted information on the following topics: 1) what evidence aside from test accuracy was searched for and synthesised, 2) which methods were used to synthesise test accuracy evidence and how did the results inform the economic model, 3) how/whether threshold effects were explored, 4) how the potential dependency between multiple tests in a pathway was accounted for, and 5) for evaluations of tests targeted at the primary care setting, how evidence from differing healthcare settings was incorporated. Results: The bivariate or HSROC model was implemented in 20/22 reports that met all inclusion criteria. Test accuracy data for health economic modelling was obtained from meta-analyses completely in four reports, partially in fourteen reports and not at all in four reports. Only 2/7 reports that used a quantitative test gave clear threshold recommendations. All 22 reports explored the effect of uncertainty in accuracy parameters but most of those that used multiple tests did not allow for dependence between test results. 7/22 tests were potentially suitable for primary care but the majority found limited evidence on test accuracy in primary care settings. Conclusions: The uptake of appropriate meta-analysis methods for synthesising evidence on diagnostic test accuracy in UK NIHR HTAs has improved in recent years. Future research should focus on other evidence requirements for cost-effectiveness assessment, threshold effects for quantitative tests and the impact of multiple diagnostic tests

Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]

Rho, ROCK and actomyosin contractility in metastasis as drug targets [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells around the body and the cause of the majority of cancer deaths. Metastasis is a very complex process in which cancer cells need to dramatically modify their cytoskeleton and cope with different environments to successfully colonize a secondary organ. In this review, we discuss recent findings pointing at Rho-ROCK or actomyosin force (or both) as major drivers of many of the steps required for metastatic success. We propose that these are important drug targets that need to be considered in the clinic to palliate metastatic disease

A preclinical pipeline to evaluate migrastatics as therapeutic agents in metastatic melanoma

Background Metastasis is a hallmark of cancer and responsible for most cancer deaths. Migrastatics were defined as drugs interfering with all modes of cancer cell invasion and thus cancers' ability to metastasise. First anti-metastatic treatments have recently been approved. Methods We used bioinformatic analyses of publicly available melanoma databases. Experimentally, we performed in vitro target validation (including 2.5D cell morphology analysis and mass spectrometric analysis of RhoA binding partners), developed a new traceable spontaneously metastasising murine melanoma model for in vivo validation, and employed histology (haematoxylin/eosin and phospho-myosin II staining) to confirm drug action in harvested tumour tissues. Results Unbiased and targeted bioinformatic analyses identified the Rho kinase (ROCK)-myosin II pathway and its various components as potentially relevant targets in melanoma. In vitro validation demonstrated redundancy of several RhoGEFs upstream of RhoA and confirmed ROCK as a druggable target downstream of RhoA. The anti-metastatic effects of two ROCK inhibitors were demonstrated through in vivo melanoma metastasis tracking and inhibitor effects also confirmed ex vivo by digital pathology. Conclusions We proposed a migrastatic drug development pipeline. As part of the pipeline, we provide a new traceable spontaneous melanoma metastasis model for in vivo quantification of metastasis and anti-metastatic effects by non-invasive imaging

Prader-Willi Critical Region, a non-translated, imprinted central regulator of bone mass: Possible role in skeletal abnormalities in Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a maternally imprinted disorder and leading cause of obesity, is characterised by insatiable appetite, poor muscle development, cognitive impairment, endocrine disturbance, short stature and osteoporosis. A number of causative loci have been located within the imprinted Prader-Willi Critical Region (PWCR), including a set of small non-translated nucleolar RNA’s (snoRNA). Recently, micro-deletions in humans identified the snoRNA Snord116 as a critical contributor to the development of PWS exhibiting many of the classical symptoms of PWS. Here we show that loss of the PWCR which includes Snord116 in mice leads to a reduced bone mass phenotype, similar to that observed in humans. Consistent with reduced stature in PWS, PWCR KO mice showed delayed skeletal development, with shorter femurs and vertebrae, reduced bone size and mass in both sexes. The reduction in bone mass in PWCR KO mice was associated with deficiencies in cortical bone volume and cortical mineral apposition rate, with no change in cancellous bone. Importantly, while the length difference was corrected in aged mice, consistent with continued growth in rodents, reduced cortical bone formation was still evident, indicating continued osteoblastic suppression by loss of PWCR expression in skeletally mature mice. Interestingly, deletion of this region included deletion of the exclusively brain expressed Snord116 cluster and resulted in an upregulation in expression of both NPY and POMC mRNA in the arcuate nucleus. Importantly, the selective deletion of the PWCR only in NPY expressing neurons replicated the bone phenotype of PWCR KO mice. Taken together, PWCR deletion in mice, and specifically in NPY neurons, recapitulates the short stature and low BMD and aspects of the hormonal imbalance of PWS individuals. Moreover, it demonstrates for the first time, that a region encoding non-translated RNAs, expressed solely within the brain, can regulate bone mass in health and disease

Role of miR-195 in aortic aneurysmal disease

Rationale: Abdominal aortic aneurysms constitute a degenerative process in the aortic wall. Both the miR-29 and miR-15 families have been implicated in regulating the vascular extracellular matrix. Objective: Our aim was to assess the effect of the miR-15 family on aortic aneurysm development. Methods and Results: Among the miR-15 family members, miR-195 was differentially expressed in aortas of apolipoprotein E–deficient mice on angiotensin II infusion. Proteomics analysis of the secretome of murine aortic smooth muscle cells, after miR-195 manipulation, revealed that miR-195 targets a cadre of extracellular matrix proteins, including collagens, proteoglycans, elastin, and proteins associated with elastic microfibrils, albeit miR-29b showed a stronger effect, particularly in regulating collagens. Systemic and local administration of cholesterol-conjugated antagomiRs revealed better inhibition of miR-195 compared with miR-29b in the uninjured aorta. However, in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice receiving angiotensin II, silencing of miR-29b, but not miR-195, led to an attenuation of aortic dilation. Higher aortic elastin expression was accompanied by an increase of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in mice treated with antagomiR-195. In human plasma, an inverse correlation of miR-195 was observed with the presence of abdominal aortic aneurysms and aortic diameter. Conclusions: We provide the first evidence that miR-195 may contribute to the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysmal disease. Although inhibition of miR-29b proved more effective in preventing aneurysm formation in a preclinical model, miR-195 represents a potent regulator of the aortic extracellular matrix. Notably, plasma levels of miR-195 were reduced in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms suggesting that microRNAs might serve as a noninvasive biomarker of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Role of miR-195 in Aortic Aneurysmal Disease

Rationale: Abdominal aortic aneurysms constitute a degenerative process in the aortic wall. Both the miR-29 and miR-15 families have been implicated in regulating the vascular extracellular matrix. Objective: Our aim was to assess the effect of the miR-15 family on aortic aneurysm development. Methods and Results: Among the miR-15 family members, miR-195 was differentially expressed in aortas of apolipoprotein E–deficient mice on angiotensin II infusion. Proteomics analysis of the secretome of murine aortic smooth muscle cells, after miR-195 manipulation, revealed that miR-195 targets a cadre of extracellular matrix proteins, including collagens, proteoglycans, elastin, and proteins associated with elastic microfibrils, albeit miR-29b showed a stronger effect, particularly in regulating collagens. Systemic and local administration of cholesterol-conjugated antagomiRs revealed better inhibition of miR-195 compared with miR-29b in the uninjured aorta. However, in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice receiving angiotensin II, silencing of miR-29b, but not miR-195, led to an attenuation of aortic dilation. Higher aortic elastin expression was accompanied by an increase of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in mice treated with antagomiR-195. In human plasma, an inverse correlation of miR-195 was observed with the presence of abdominal aortic aneurysms and aortic diameter. Conclusions: We provide the first evidence that miR-195 may contribute to the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysmal disease. Although inhibition of miR-29b proved more effective in preventing aneurysm formation in a preclinical model, miR-195 represents a potent regulator of the aortic extracellular matrix. Notably, plasma levels of miR-195 were reduced in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms suggesting that microRNAs might serve as a noninvasive biomarker of abdominal aortic aneurysms