posted on 2024-03-26, 14:20authored byGiorgia Maroni, Indira Krishnan, Roberta Alfieri, Valerie A. Maymi, Nicole Pandell, Eva Csizmadia, Junyan Zhang, Marla Weetall, Art Branstrom, Giulia Braccini, Eva Cabrera San Millán, Barbara Storti, Ranieri Bizzarri, Olivier Kocher, Daniela S. Daniela Sanchez Bassères, Robert S. Welner, Maria Cristina Magli, Ivan Merelli, John G. Clohessy, Azhar Ali, Daniel G. Tenen, Elena Levantini
Deconvolution of healthy and diseased epithelial clusters highlights the malignant stem cell nature of C0epi and C4epi. A, UMAP cluster distribution of epithelial cells from healthy lungs (n = 3, dark blue), Vehicle- (n = 10, red), and Unesbulin-treated tumors (n = 3, light blue), up to 30 days. B, Split distribution of the 17 epithelial transcriptional clusters (C0–C16) identified in healthy lungs (left), Vehicle- (middle), and Unesbulin-treated tumors (right). Each color represents a defined transcriptomic cluster. C, Histograms representing C0–C16 percentage distribution per sample (healthy lungs, Vehicle-, and Unesbulin-treated tumors). D, Histograms representing the percentage contributions of C0–C16 clusters per sample (healthy lungs, Vehicle-, and Unesbulin-treated tumors). E, UMAP cluster annotation of epithelial cells from healthy lungs, and Vehicle- and Unesbulin-treated tumors. Each color represents a different epithelial subpopulation. F, STREAM analysis on the AT2/AT1 subpopulations identifies states S0–S11. G, STREAM analysis on the AT2/AT1-annotating clusters depicts trajectories of differentiation. H, Heat map showing GSEA of Vehicle- and Unesbulin-treated C0epi-C4epi identifies signaling pathways enriched in each sample and affected upon treatment.
Funding
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC)
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Regione Toscana (Tuscany Region)
Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca (MIUR)
PTC Therapeutics (PTC)
Fondazione AIRC per la ricerca sul cancro ETS (AIRC)
Ministero dell'Economia e delle Finanze (MEF)
National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF)
Ministry of Health -Singapore (MOH)
HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NUS | Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore (CSI)
FAPESP | Centros de Pesquisa, Inovação e Difusão, Fundação Amazônia Paraense de Amparo à Pesquisa (RIDC)
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
History
ARTICLE ABSTRACT
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Lethal pulmonary adenocarcinomas (ADC) present with frequent mutations in the EGFR. Genetically engineered murine models of lung cancer expedited comprehension of the molecular mechanisms driving tumorigenesis and drug response. Here, we systematically analyzed the evolution of tumor heterogeneity in the context of dynamic interactions occurring with the intermingled tumor microenvironment (TME) by high-resolution transcriptomics. Our effort identified vulnerable tumor-specific epithelial cells, as well as their cross-talk with niche components (endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells), whose symbiotic interface shapes tumor aggressiveness and is almost completely abolished by treatment with Unesbulin, a tubulin binding agent that reduces B cell–specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (BMI-1) activity. Simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis demonstrated decreased tumor growth, setting the stage for future investigations into the potential of novel therapeutic strategies for EGFR-mutant ADCs.
Targeting the TME is an attractive strategy for treatment of solid tumors. Here we revealed how EGFR-mutant landscapes are affected at the single-cell resolution level during Unesbulin treatment. This novel drug, by targeting cancer cells and their interactions with crucial TME components, could be envisioned for future therapeutic advancements.
