Publications de l’équipe

Résumé

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) remains an unmet medical challenge. Here, we unravel an unanticipated metabolic heterogeneity in HGSOC. By combining proteomic, metabolomic, and bioergenetic analyses, we identify two molecular subgroups, low- and high-OXPHOS. While low-OXPHOS exhibit a glycolytic metabolism, high-OXPHOS HGSOCs rely on oxidative phosphorylation, supported by glutamine and fatty acid oxidation, and show chronic oxidative stress. We identify an important role for the PML-PGC-1α axis in the metabolic features of high-OXPHOS HGSOC. In high-OXPHOS tumors, chronic oxidative stress promotes aggregation of PML-nuclear bodies, resulting in activation of the transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α. Active PGC-1α increases synthesis of electron transport chain complexes, thereby promoting mitochondrial respiration. Importantly, high-OXPHOS HGSOCs exhibit increased response to conventional chemotherapies, in which increased oxidative stress, PML, and potentially ferroptosis play key functions. Collectively, our data establish a stress-mediated PML-PGC-1α-dependent mechanism that promotes OXPHOS metabolism and chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer.

Résumé

High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOC) have been subdivided into molecular subtypes. The mesenchymal HGSOC subgroup, defined by stromal-related gene signatures, is invariably associated with poor patient survival. We demonstrate that stroma exerts a key function in mesenchymal HGSOC. We highlight stromal heterogeneity in HGSOC by identifying four subsets of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF-S1-4). Mesenchymal HGSOC show high content in CAF-S1 fibroblasts, which exhibit immunosuppressive functions by increasing attraction, survival, and differentiation of CD25⁺FOXP3⁺T lymphocytes. The beta isoform of the CXCL12 chemokine (CXCL12β) specifically accumulates in the immunosuppressive CAF-S1 subset through a miR-141/200a dependent-mechanism. Moreover, CXCL12β expression in CAF-S1 cells plays a crucial role in CAF-S1 immunosuppressive activity and is a reliable prognosis factor in HGSOC, in contrast to CXCL12α. Thus, our data highlight the differential regulation of the CXCL12α and CXCL12β isoforms in HGSOC, and reveal a CXCL12β-associated stromal heterogeneity and immunosuppressive environment in mesenchymal HGSOC.

Résumé

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are key players in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we characterize four CAF subsets in breast cancer with distinct properties and levels of activation. Two myofibroblastic subsets (CAF-S1, CAF-S4) accumulate differentially in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). CAF-S1 fibroblasts promote an immunosuppressive environment through a multi-step mechanism. By secreting CXCL12, CAF-S1 attracts CD4⁺CD25⁺T lymphocytes and retains them by OX40L, PD-L2, and JAM2. Moreover, CAF-S1 increases T lymphocyte survival and promotes their differentiation into CD25^HighFOXP3^High, through B7H3, CD73, and DPP4. Finally, in contrast to CAF-S4, CAF-S1 enhances the regulatory T cell capacity to inhibit T effector proliferation. These data are consistent with FOXP3+ T lymphocyte accumulation in CAF-S1-enriched TNBC and show how a CAF subset contributes to immunosuppression.

Résumé

SIGNIFICANCE:

In the last years, metabolic reprogramming, fluctuations in bioenergetic fuels, and modulation of oxidative stress became newkey hallmarks of tumor development. In cancer, elevated glucose uptake and high glycolytic rate, as a source of adenosine triphosphate, constitute a growth advantage for tumors. This represents the universally known Warburg effect, which gave rise to one major clinical application for detecting cancercells using glucose analogs: the positron emission tomography scan imaging. Recent Advances: Glucose utilization and carbon sources in tumors are much more heterogeneous than initially thought. Indeed, newstudies emerged and revealed a dual capacity of tumor cells for glycolytic and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) metabolism. OXPHOS metabolism, which relies predominantly on mitochondrial respiration, exhibits fine-tuned regulation of respiratory chain complexes and enhanced antioxidant response or detoxification capacity.

CRITICAL ISSUES:

OXPHOS-dependent cancercells use alternative oxidizable substrates, such as glutamine and fatty acids. The diversity of carbon substrates fueling neoplastic cells is indicative of metabolic heterogeneity, even within tumors sharing the same clinical diagnosis. Metabolic switch supports cancercell stemness and their bioenergy-consuming functions, such as proliferation, survival, migration, and invasion. Moreover, reactive oxygen species-induced mitochondrial metabolismand nutrient availability are important for interaction with tumor microenvironment components. Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts and immune cells participate in the metabolic interplay with neoplastic cells. They collectively adapt in a dynamic manner to the metabolic needs of cancercells, thus participating in tumorigenesis and resistance to treatments.

Résumé

The CXCR4 receptor and its ligand CXCL12 (also named stromal cell-derived factor 1, SDF1) have a critical role in chemotaxis and homing, key steps in cancer metastasis. Although myofibroblasts expressing CXCL12 are associated with the presence of axillary metastases in HER2 breast cancers (BC), the therapeutic interest of targeting CXCR4/CXCL12 axis in the different BC subtypes remains unclear. Here, we investigate this question by testing antitumor activity of CXCR4 inhibitors in patient-derived xenografts (PDX), which faithfully reproduce human tumor properties. We observed that two CXCR4 inhibitors, AMD3100 and TN14003, efficiently impair tumor growth and metastasis dissemination in both Herceptin-sensitive and Herceptin-resistant HER2 BC. Conversely, blocking CXCR4/CXCL12 pathway in triple-negative (TN) BC does not reduce tumor growth, and can even increase metastatic spread. Moreover, although CXCR4 inhibitors significantly reduce myofibroblast content in all BC subtypes, they decrease angiogenesis only in HER2 BC. Thus, our findings suggest that targeting CXCR4 could provide some therapeutic interest for HER2 BC patients, whereas it has no impact or could even be detrimental for TN BC patients.

Résumé

Anti-cancer drugs often increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cause DNA damage. Here, we highlight a new cross talk between chronic oxidative stress and the histone variant H2AX, a key player in DNA repair. We observe that persistent accumulation of ROS, due to a deficient JunD-/Nrf2-antioxidant response, reduces H2AX protein levels. This effect is mediated by an enhanced interaction of H2AX with the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF168, which is associated with H2AX poly-ubiquitination and promotes its degradation by the proteasome. ROS-mediated H2AX decrease plays a crucial role in chemosensitivity. Indeed, cycles of chemotherapy that sustainably increase ROS reduce H2AX protein levels in Triple-Negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. H2AX decrease by such treatment is associated with an impaired NRF2-antioxidant response and is indicative of the therapeutic efficiency and survival of TNBC patients. Thus, our data describe a novel ROS-mediated regulation of H2AX turnover, which provides new insights into genetic instability and treatment efficacy in TNBC patients.

Résumé

The miR-200 family members have been implicated in stress responses and ovarian tumorigenesis. Here, we find that miR-200c/141 transcription is intimately linked to the transcription of the proximal upstream gene PTPN6 (SHP1) in all physiological conditions tested. PTPN6 and miR-200c/141 are transcriptionally co-regulated by two complementary mechanisms. First, a bypass of the regular PTPN6 polyadenylation signal allows the transcription of the downstream miR-200c/141. Second, the promoters of the PTPN6 and miR-200c/141 transcription units physically interact through a 3-dimensional DNA loop and exhibit similar epigenetic regulation. Our findings highlight that transcription of intergenic miRNAs is a novel outcome of transcriptional read-through and reveal a yet unexplored type of DNA loop associating two closely located promoters. These mechanisms have significant relevance in ovarian cancers and stress response, pathophysiological conditions in which miR-200c/141 exert key functions.

Résumé

Ovarian cancer is a silent disease with a poor prognosis that urgently requires new therapeutic strategies. In low-grade ovarian tumours, mutations in the MAP3K BRAF gene constitutively activate the downstream kinase MEK. Here we demonstrate that an additional MAP3K, MAP3K8 (TPL-2/COT), accumulates in high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSCs) and is a potential prognostic marker for these tumours. By combining analyses on HGSC patient cohorts, ovarian cancer cells and patient-derived xenografts, we demonstrate that MAP3K8 controls cancer cell proliferation and migration by regulating key players in G1/S transition and adhesion dynamics. In addition, we show that the MEK pathway is the main pathway involved in mediating MAP3K8 function, and that MAP3K8 exhibits a reliable predictive value for the effectiveness of MEK inhibitor treatment. Our data highlight key roles for MAP3K8 in HGSC and indicate that MEK inhibitors could be a useful treatment strategy, in combination with conventional chemotherapy, for this disease.

Résumé

Compelling evidence show that reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels are finely regulated in the cell and can act as « second messengers » in response to diverse stimuli. In tumor epithelial cells, ROS accumulate abnormally and induce signaling cascades that mediate the oncogenic phenotype. In addition to their impact on tumor epithelial cells, ROS also affect the surrounding cells that constitute the tumor microenvironment. Indeed, ROS production increases tumor angiogenesis, drives the onset of inflammation and promotes conversion of fibroblast into myofibroblasts. These cells, initially identified upon wound healing, exhibit similar properties to those observed in fibroblasts associated with aggressive adenocarcinomas. Indeed, analyses of tumors with distinct severity revealed the existence of multiple distinct co-existing subtypes of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), with specific marker protein profiling. Chronic oxidative stress deeply modifies the proportion of these different fibroblast subtypes, further supporting tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. At last, ROS have been implicated in the metabolic reprogramming of both cancer cells and CAFs, allowing an adaptation to oxidative stress that ultimately promotes tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. In this review, we discuss the role of ROS in cancer cells and CAFs and their impact on tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis.