Abstract
Diffuse hemispheric gliomas, H3G34R/V-mutant (DHG-H3G34), are lethal brain tumors lacking targeted therapies. They originate from interneuronal precursors; however, leveraging this origin for therapeutic insights remains unexplored. Here, we delineate a cellular hierarchy along the interneuron lineage development continuum, revealing that DHG-H3G34 mirror spatial patterns of progenitor streams surrounding interneuron nests, as seen during human brain development. Integrating these findings with genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens identifies genes upregulated in interneuron lineage progenitors as major dependencies. Among these, CDK6 emerges as a targetable vulnerability: DHG-H3G34 tumor cells show enhanced sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors and a CDK6-specific degrader, promoting a shift toward more mature interneuron-like states, reducing tumor growth, and prolonging xenograft survival. Notably, a patient with progressive DHG-H3G34 treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor achieved 17 months of stable disease. This study underscores interneuronal progenitor-like states, organized in characteristic niches, as a distinct vulnerability in DHG-H3G34, highlighting CDK6 as a promising clinically actionable target.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1528-1548.e17 |
Journal | Cancer Cell |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 9 Sep 2024 |
Externally published | Yes |
Funding
Funders | Funder number |
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Bonnie Feldman of National Brain Tumor Society | |
AMGEN | |
CHILDREN with CANCER UK | |
Billie Butterfly Fund | |
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity | |
Cuming Family Fund for Pediatric Brain Tumor Research | |
Caroline Mortimer Fund for Pediatric Neuro-Oncology | |
Director’s New Innovator Award | |
Brain Tumour Charity | |
Hall-Hunter Foundation | |
Eli Lilly and Company | |
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin | |
Helen Gurley Brown Foundation | |
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer | |
Royal Marsden Cancer Charity | |
Sontag Foundation | |
Forschungsgesellschaft für zerebrale Tumore | |
Claudia Adams Barr Fund | |
Deutsche Krebshilfe | |
CRIS Cancer Foundation | |
Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited | |
NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre | |
Burroughs Wellcome Fund | |
British Microcirculation Society | |
Medizinische Universität Wien | |
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft | EXC-2049 - 390688087, -3486/1-1, 3486/2-1 |
Berlin Institute of Health | T32CA272386-01A1 |
National Cancer Institute | 2P50CA165962 |
DKH | 70114214 |
National Institutes of Health | DP2NS127705 |
Austrian Science Fund | J-4311 |
Cancer Research UK | C13468/A23536, DRCRPG-Nov21∖100002 |