Abstract A47: Self-renewing cellular compartments in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma are modulated by hedgehog signaling

Abstract

Abstract Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a heterogeneous group of malignancies with features of impaired skeletal muscle differentiation and represents the majority of soft tissue cancers in the pediatric age group. Current treatment regimens show clinical benefit but this has reached a plateau. Since there is significant risk of adverse side effects and secondary tumors later in life, identifying and targeting sub-populations with higher tumorigenic potential and self renewal capacity would not only decrease tumor burden but also lower the probability of relapse. Using in vitro self renewal assays we could identify self-renewing cellular compartments within embryonal RMS (eRMS) cell lines. These compartments showed upregulation of several components of the sonic hedgehog pathway. Here, we now show using both genetic loss- and gain-of-function experiments and clinically relevant small molecule modulators that Hedgehog signalling is important for determining the self-renewal, tumor initiation capability both in vitro as well as in vivo. In addition, the hedgehog pathway can also influence chemoresistance of eRMS cells and altered the differentiation status of the cells by directly modulating the expression of various stem cell associated transcription factors. The pathway was found to be heterogeneously activated within eRMS patient samples in a comprehensive tissue microarray analysis. Importantly, the presence of Hedgehog-active cells identified using effector transcription factors could negatively predict patient survival in a retrospective analysis of this patient cohort. This work elucidates both a novel and central role played by the Hedgehog pathway in eRMS and underscores the importance of studying tumor heterogeneity in pediatric cancer. Citation Format: Sampoorna Satheesha, Amandine Bovay, Gabriele Manzella, Peter Bode, Simone Feuchtgruber, Ewa Koscielniak, Reka Belle, Elisa Casanova, Nurhak Dogan, Beat W. Schäfer. Self-renewing cellular compartments in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma are modulated by hedgehog signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pediatric Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Discovery into Improved Outcomes; Nov 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;74(20 Suppl):Abstract nr A47.