Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) resistance is a major cause of treatment failure in cancers that use definitive RT as their primary treatment modality. This study identifies the cancer/testis (CT) antigen G antigen (GAGE) as a mediator of radio resistance in cervical cancers. Elevated GAGE expression positively associates with de novo RT resistance in clinical samples. GAGE, specifically the GAGE12 protein variant, confers RT resistance through synemin-dependent chromatin localization, promoting the association of histone deacetylase 1/2 (HDAC1/2) to its inhibitor actin. This cumulates to elevated histone 3 lysine 56 acetylation (H3K56Ac) levels, increased chromatin accessibility, and improved DNA repair efficiency. Molecular or pharmacological disruption of the GAGE-associated complex restores radiosensitivity. Molecularly, this study demonstrates the role of GAGE in the regulation of chromatin dynamics. Clinically, this study puts forward the utility of GAGE as a pre-screening biomarker to identify poor responders at initial diagnosis and the therapeutic potential of agents that target GAGE and its associated complex in combination with radiotherapy to improve outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 109621 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-26 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Cell Reports |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Aug 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by grants from the Terry Fox Foundation Singapore ( NF15TFR051 ) to B.A.C., National University Hospital, Singapore, Junior Pitch for Fund to C.W., National University Health System, Singapore ( R-183-000-461-733 ) to D.S.N., and the Ministry of Education, Taiwan ; ( MOE-AcRF-Tier 2 and R-183-000-459-112 ) and National University Cancer Institute, Singapore ( NR15NMR229 and NR18NMR119 ) to L.-W.D.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s)
Keywords
- CT antigens
- DNA damage response
- DNA repair
- GAGE
- GAGE12
- cancer testis antigens
- cervical cancer
- chromatin dynamics
- radioresistance
- radiotherapy