Employing CRISPR-Cas9 to Generate CD133 Synthetic Lethal Melanoma Stem Cells

Malignant melanoma is a lethal skin cancer containing melanoma-initiating cells (MIC) implicated in tumorigenesis, invasion, and drug resistance, and is characterized by the elevated expression of stem cell markers, including CD133. The siRNA knockdown of CD133 enhances apoptosis induced by the MEK inhibitor trametinib in melanoma cells. This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of CD133’s anti-apoptotic activity in patient-derived BAKP and POT cells, harboring difficult-to-treat NRAS^Q61K and NRAS^Q61R drivers, after CRISPR-Cas9 CD133 knockout or Dox-inducible expression of CD133. MACS-sorted CD133(+) BAKP cells were conditionally reprogrammed to derive BAKR cells with sustained CD133 expression and MIC features. Compared to BAKP, CD133(+) BAKR exhibit increased cell survival and reduced apoptosis in response to trametinib or the chemotherapeutic dacarbazine (DTIC). CRISPR-Cas9-mediated CD133 knockout in BAKR cells (BAKR-KO) re-sensitized cells to trametinib. CD133 knockout in BAKP and POT cells increased trametinib-induced apoptosis by reducing anti-apoptotic BCL-xL, p-AKT, and p-BAD and increasing pro-apoptotic BAX. Conversely, Dox-induced CD133 expression diminished apoptosis in both trametinib-treated cell lines, coincident with elevated p-AKT, p-BAD, BCL-2, and BCL-xL and decreased activation of BAX and caspases-3 and -9. AKT1/2 siRNA knockdown or inhibition of BCL-2 family members with navitoclax (ABT-263) in BAKP-KO cells further enhanced caspase-mediated apoptotic PARP cleavage. CD133 may therefore activate a survival pathway where (1) increased AKT phosphorylation and activation induces (2) BAD phosphorylation and inactivation, (3) decreases BAX activation, and (4) reduces caspases-3 and -9 activity and caspase-mediated PARP cleavage, leading to apoptosis suppression and drug resistance in melanoma. Targeting nodes of the CD133, AKT, or BCL-2 survival pathways with trametinib highlights the potential for combination therapies for NRAS-mutant melanoma stem cells for the development of more effective treatments for patients with high-risk melanoma.     

BRAF and MEK Inhibitors Affect Dendritic-Cell Maturation and T-Cell Stimulation

BRAF and MEK inhibitor (BRAFi/MEKi) combinations are currently the standard treatment for patients with BRAF^V600 mutant metastatic melanoma. Since the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK-pathway is crucial for the function of different immune cells, we postulated an effect on their function and thus interference with anti-tumor immunity. Therefore, we examined the influence of BRAFi/MEKi, either as single agent or in combination, on the maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) and their interaction with T cells. DCs matured in the presence of vemurafenib or vemurafenib/cobimetinib altered their cytokine secretion and surface marker expression profile. Upon the antigen-specific stimulation of CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells with these DCs or with T2.A1 cells in the presence of BRAFi/MEKi, we detected a lower expression of activation markers on and a lower cytokine secretion by these T cells. However, treatment with any of the inhibitors alone or in combination did not change the avidity of CD8⁺ T cells in peptide titration assays with T2.A1 cells. T-helper cell/DC interaction is a bi-directional process that normally results in DC activation. Vemurafenib and vemurafenib/cobimetinib completely abolished the helper T-cell-mediated upregulation of CD70, CD80, and CD86 but not CD25 on the DCs. The combination of dabrafenib/trametinib affected DC maturation and activation as well as T-cell activation less than combined vemurafenib/cobimetinib did. Hence, for a potential combination with immunotherapy, our data indicate the superiority of dabrafenib/trametinib treatment.     

同源盒基因2在黑色素瘤细胞对于曲美替尼耐药中的作用

目的:研究同源盒基因2（MSX2）在黑色素瘤细胞A375对于曲美替尼耐药中的作用机制。方法:构建曲美替尼耐药的A375细胞株（A375-AR）,曲美替尼干预A375和A375-AR后采用CCK-8检测细胞活力,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率,蛋白免疫印迹法（Western blot）检测细胞中Bcl-2、Bax、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的表达以及MSX2的表达。采用小干扰RNA（siRNA）沉默A375-AR中MSX2基因,设计A375、A375-AR、A375-AR-MSX2,曲美替尼干预后,CCK-8检测细胞活力,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率,Western blot检测细胞中Bcl-2、Bax、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的表达以及MSX2的表达。构建MSX2过表达的A375细胞系（A375-OE）,设置A375、A375-OE和A375-AR组,曲美替尼干预后,CCK-8检测细胞活力,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率,Western blot检测细胞中Bcl-2、Bax、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的表达以及MSX2的表达。结果:A375-AR对1.8 nmol/L的曲美替尼耐药,采用1.8 nmol/L曲美替尼干预后,A375细胞活力和细胞凋亡率显著高于A375-AR,A375细胞中Bcl-2基因表达水平低于A375-AR,而Bax、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的表达水平高于A375-AR。A375-AR沉默MSX2后,细胞对于曲美替尼敏感性显著增高,且细胞活力下调,凋亡率上调,细胞中Bcl-2表达下调,Bax、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的表达上调。A375过表达MSX2后,细胞对于曲美替尼敏感性显著下调,细胞活力上调,凋亡率下调,细胞中Bcl-2表达上调,Bax、Caspase-3、Caspase-9的表达下调。结论:MSX2基因可以诱导黑色素瘤细胞对于曲美替尼的耐药,是治疗黑色素瘤耐药的潜在靶点。