International experience in the development of patient-derived xenograft models of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (original) (raw)

High Grade Gliomas and Dipg

Neuro-Oncology, 2014

In contrast to most other malignant diseases, especially in children, up to now glioblastoma multiforma (GBM) is a lethal diagnosis for most of the patients. Operation and radiotherapy are very effective to reduce the tumor burden, however, a strong adjuvant treatment is lacking. To target glioblastoma cells more effectively, it is crucial to understand the cellular signaling and regulation, particularly in the EGF and VEGF dependent pathways. Since it has been shown that glioblastomas are extremely heterogeneous regarding genetic, epigenetic or signaling regulation, receptor expression etc., analysis of individual patient derived tumor cells is particularly important. We established a collection of well-characterized heterogeneous early-passage brain tumor cell lines. Since August 2009, more than 26 clinical samples from patients with WHO grade IV GBM and Anaplastic Astrocytoma, WHO grade III, were collected. Cell lines were established that were in depth analysed both for genetic and epigenetic regulation, receptor expression, and sensitivity to cytostatic or targeted drugs. We found that cells in monolayer and spheroid cultures, and cells grown using standard and stem cell selective culture medium, respectively, or, further, tumors grown in xenograft models behave differently with regard to the receptor dependent signaling pathways. Establishment of such models is crucial to design targeted therapy approaches that allow direct transfer from the laboratory system to the clinical application.

DIPG-57. A Comprehensive Gene/Protein Investigation of the Tumour Microenvironment in Diffuse Midline Glioma in Children

Neuro-oncology, 2018

Although radiotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for children with diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG), fewer than 10% of patients survive past two years from diagnosis despite 30 years of clinical trials. ONC201 is an oral, selective DRD2 antagonist that induces p53-independent apoptosis and has been reported to produce a durable response in an adult with a H3 K27M mutant recurrent glioblastoma. In April 2017, a 33 month old female presented with headaches, right 6 th nerve palsy and MRI findings consistent with a DIPG. A biopsy revealed an H3.3 K27M mutant glioblastoma. A patient-derived DIPG tumorsphere cell line was created from the biopsy sample and in vitro studies revealed a potent reduction in cell viability following 5 days of treatment with ONC201, with an IC50 of approximately 600nM. She received involved field irradiation (54Gy). Starting one month following irradiation, single agent, oral ONC201 125mg (11mg/kg) was given weekly on a compassionate use protocol. An MRI, 4 months later revealed stable disease. Clinically, her 6 th nerve palsy and left hemiparesis have improved. She is otherwise asymptomatic. Pharmacokinetic studies are being analyzed. She has had no side effects detected. Based on our in vitro and clinical findings as well as other experience in vitro and in adults, ONC201 is currently being investigated with a phase 1 trial in pediatric patients with H3 K27M mutant gliomas.

Clinicopathology & Molecular Analysis of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) in Children - Insights from Past, Present, and Future Directions

Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, is a rare, highly aggressive, heterogeneous group of brainstem tumors. Around 10-20% of primary brain tumors are considered pediatric brain tumors, of which 10-15% are diffuse brainstem tumors. It is considered untreatable and surgically unremovable due to its intrinsic position within the brain. Over the years, applying radiotherapy and chemotherapy has not shown a better outcome. However, gene-targeted therapy has proven successful, but it is still in the developing phase. This article covers the various aspects of DIPG, from clinical and molecular definitions to a vision for a universally accepted novel approach to beat this severe condition by joining fundamental science and translational research.

A High-Throughput In Vitro Drug Screen in a Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Identifies BMS-754807 as a Promising Therapeutic Agent

PLOS ONE, 2015

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) represent a particularly lethal type of pediatric brain cancer with no effective therapeutic options. Our laboratory has previously reported the development of genetically engineered DIPG mouse models using the RCAS/tv-a system, including a model driven by PDGF-B, H3.3K27M, and p53 loss. These models can serve as a platform in which to test novel therapeutics prior to the initiation of human clinical trials. In this study, an in vitro high-throughput drug screen as part of the DIPG preclinical consortium using cell-lines derived from our DIPG models identified BMS-754807 as a drug of interest in DIPG. BMS-754807 is a potent and reversible small molecule multi-kinase inhibitor with many targets including IGF-1R, IR, MET, TRKA, TRKB, AURKA, AURKB. In vitro evaluation showed significant cytotoxic effects with an IC 50 of 0.13 μM, significant inhibition of proliferation at a concentration of 1.5 μM, as well as inhibition of AKT activation. Interestingly, IGF-1R signaling was absent in serum-free cultures from the PDGF-B; H3.3K27M; p53 deficient model suggesting that the antitumor activity of BMS-754807 in this model is independent of IGF-1R. In vivo, systemic administration of BMS-754807 to DIPG-bearing mice did not prolong survival. Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that tumor tissue drug concentrations of BMS-754807 were well below the identified IC 50 , suggesting that inadequate drug delivery may limit in vivo efficacy. In summary, an unbiased in vitro drug screen identified BMS-754807 as a potential therapeutic agent in DIPG, but BMS

An experimental xenograft mouse model of diffuse pontine glioma designed for therapeutic testing

Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 2012

The prognosis for diffuse infiltrating pontine gliomas (DIPG) remains extremely poor, with the majority of patients surviving less than 2 years. Here, we have adapted standard xenograft techniques to study glioma growth in the mouse brainstem, and have utilized the mouse model for studying a relevant therapeutic for treating DIPGs. bioluminescence imaging monitoring revealed a progressive increase in signal following the injection of either of two tumor cell types into the brainstem. Mice with orthotopic GS2 tumors, and receiving a single 100 mg/kg dose of temozolomide showed a lengthy period of decreased tumor luminescence, with substantially increased survival relative to untreated mice (P<0.001). A small molecule inhibitor that targets cdk4/6 was used to test AM-38 brainstem xenograft response to treatment. Drug treatment resulted in delayed tumor growth, and significantly extended survival. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using an orthotopic brainstem tumor model in athymic mice, and for application to testing therapeutic agents in treating DIPG.

140 A High-Throughput In Vitro Drug Screen in a Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Identifies BMS-754807 as a Promising Therapeutic Agent

Neurosurgery, 2015

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) represent a particularly lethal type of pediatric brain cancer with no effective therapeutic options. Our laboratory has previously reported the development of genetically engineered DIPG mouse models using the RCAS/tv-a system, including a model driven by PDGF-B, H3.3K27M, and p53 loss. These models can serve as a platform in which to test novel therapeutics prior to the initiation of human clinical trials. In this study, an in vitro high-throughput drug screen as part of the DIPG preclinical consortium using cell-lines derived from our DIPG models identified BMS-754807 as a drug of interest in DIPG. BMS-754807 is a potent and reversible small molecule multi-kinase inhibitor with many targets including IGF-1R, IR, MET, TRKA, TRKB, AURKA, AURKB. In vitro evaluation showed significant cytotoxic effects with an IC 50 of 0.13 μM, significant inhibition of proliferation at a concentration of 1.5 μM, as well as inhibition of AKT activation. Interestingly, IGF-1R signaling was absent in serum-free cultures from the PDGF-B; H3.3K27M; p53 deficient model suggesting that the antitumor activity of BMS-754807 in this model is independent of IGF-1R. In vivo, systemic administration of BMS-754807 to DIPG-bearing mice did not prolong survival. Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that tumor tissue drug concentrations of BMS-754807 were well below the identified IC 50 , suggesting that inadequate drug delivery may limit in vivo efficacy. In summary, an unbiased in vitro drug screen identified BMS-754807 as a potential therapeutic agent in DIPG, but BMS

Drug screening linked to molecular profiling identifies novel dependencies in patient-derived primary cultures of paediatric high grade glioma and DIPG

2020

ABSTRACTPaediatric high grade glioma and diffuse midline glioma (including DIPG) are comprised of multiple biological and clinical subgroups, the majority of which urgently require novel therapies. Patient-derived in vitro primary cell cultures represent potentially useful tools for mechanistic and preclinical investigation based upon their retention of key features of tumour subgroups under experimental conditions amenable to high-throughput approaches. We present 17 novel primary cultures derived from patients in London, Dublin and Belfast, and together with cultures established or shared from Barcelona, Brisbane, Rome and Stanford, assembled a panel of 52 models under 2D (laminin matrix) and/or 3D (neurospheres) conditions, fully credentialed by phenotypic and molecular comparison to the original tumour sample (methylation BeadArray, panel/exome sequencing, RNAseq). In screening a subset of these against a panel of ~400 approved chemotherapeutics and small molecules, we identifie...

Patient-derived DIPG cells preserve stem-like characteristics and generate orthotopic tumors

Oncotarget

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a devastating brain tumor, with a median survival of less than one year. Due to enormous difficulties in the acquisition of DIPG specimens and the sophisticated technique required to perform brainstem orthotopic injection, only a handful of DIPG pre-clinical models are available. In this study, we successfully established eight patient-derived DIPG cell lines, mostly derived from treatment-naïve surgery or biopsy specimens. These patient-derived cell lines can be stably passaged in serum-free neural stem cell media and displayed distinct morphologies, growth rates and chromosome abnormalities. In addition, these cells retained genomic hallmarks identical to original human DIPG tumors. Notably, expression of several neural stem cell lineage markers was observed in DIPG cell lines. Moreover, three out of eight cell lines can form orthotopic tumors in mouse brainstem by stereotactic injection and these tumors faithfully represented the characteristics of human DIPG by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathological staining. Taken together, we established DIPG pre-clinical models resembling human DIPG and they provided a valuable resource for future biological and therapeutic studies.

Towards Standardisation of a Diffuse Midline Glioma Patient-Derived Xenograft Mouse Model Based on Suspension Matrices for Preclinical Research

Biomedicines

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is an aggressive brain tumour with high mortality and limited clinical therapeutic options. Although in vitro research has shown the effectiveness of medication, successful translation to the clinic remains elusive. A literature search highlighted the high variability and lack of standardisation in protocols applied for establishing the commonly used HSJD-DIPG-007 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model, based on animal host, injection location, number of cells inoculated, volume, and suspension matrices. This study evaluated the HSJD-DIPG-007 PDX model with respect to its ability to mimic human disease progression for therapeutic testing in vivo. The mice received intracranial injections of HSJD-DIPG-007 cells suspended in either PBS or Matrigel. Survival, tumour growth, and metastases were assessed to evaluate differences in the suspension matrix used. After cell implantation, no severe side effects were observed. Additionally, no differences were detect...