Regina Dagher

Bio: Regina Dagher is an academic researcher from Harvard University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Centrosome & Microtubule. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 1241 citations. Previous affiliations of Regina Dagher include Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

DNA breaks and chromosome pulverization from errors in mitosis

Abstract: The involvement of whole-chromosome aneuploidy in tumorigenesis is the subject of debate, in large part because of the lack of insight into underlying mechanisms. Here we identify a mechanism by which errors in mitotic chromosome segregation generate DNA breaks via the formation of structures called micronuclei. Whole-chromosome-containing micronuclei form when mitotic errors produce lagging chromosomes. We tracked the fate of newly generated micronuclei and found that they undergo defective and asynchronous DNA replication, resulting in DNA damage and often extensive fragmentation of the chromosome in the micronucleus. Micronuclei can persist in cells over several generations but the chromosome in the micronucleus can also be distributed to daughter nuclei. Thus, chromosome segregation errors potentially lead to mutations and chromosome rearrangements that can integrate into the genome. Pulverization of chromosomes in micronuclei may also be one explanation for 'chromothripsis' in cancer and developmental disorders, where isolated chromosomes or chromosome arms undergo massive local DNA breakage and rearrangement.

Oncogene-like induction of cellular invasion from centrosome amplification

Abstract: Centrosome amplification has long been recognized as a feature of human tumours; however, its role in tumorigenesis remains unclear. Centrosome amplification is poorly tolerated by non-transformed cells and, in the absence of selection, extra centrosomes are spontaneously lost. Thus, the high frequency of centrosome amplification, particularly in more aggressive tumours, raises the possibility that extra centrosomes could, in some contexts, confer advantageous characteristics that promote tumour progression. Using a three-dimensional model system and other approaches to culture human mammary epithelial cells, we find that centrosome amplification triggers cell invasion. This invasive behaviour is similar to that induced by overexpression of the breast cancer oncogene ERBB2 (ref. 4) and indeed enhances invasiveness triggered by ERBB2. Our data indicate that, through increased centrosomal microtubule nucleation, centrosome amplification increases Rac1 activity, which disrupts normal cell-cell adhesion and promotes invasion. These findings demonstrate that centrosome amplification, a structural alteration of the cytoskeleton, can promote features of malignant transformation.

The causes and consequences of genetic heterogeneity in cancer evolution.

Abstract: Recent studies have revealed extensive genetic diversity both between and within tumours. This heterogeneity affects key cancer pathways, driving phenotypic variation, and poses a significant challenge to personalized cancer medicine. A major cause of genetic heterogeneity in cancer is genomic instability. This instability leads to an increased mutation rate and can shape the evolution of the cancer genome through a plethora of mechanisms. By understanding these mechanisms we can gain insight into the common pathways of tumour evolution that could support the development of future therapeutic strategies.

cGAS surveillance of micronuclei links genome instability to innate immunity

Abstract: DNA is strictly compartmentalized within the nucleus to prevent autoimmunity; despite this, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a cytosolic sensor of double-stranded DNA, is activated in autoinflammatory disorders and by DNA damage. Precisely how cellular DNA gains access to the cytoplasm remains to be determined. Here, we report that cGAS localizes to micronuclei arising from genome instability in a mouse model of monogenic autoinflammation, after exogenous DNA damage and spontaneously in human cancer cells. Such micronuclei occur after mis-segregation of DNA during cell division and consist of chromatin surrounded by its own nuclear membrane. Breakdown of the micronuclear envelope, a process associated with chromothripsis, leads to rapid accumulation of cGAS, providing a mechanism by which self-DNA becomes exposed to the cytosol. cGAS is activated by chromatin, and consistent with a mitotic origin, micronuclei formation and the proinflammatory response following DNA damage are cell-cycle dependent. By combining live-cell laser microdissection with single cell transcriptomics, we establish that interferon-stimulated gene expression is induced in micronucleated cells. We therefore conclude that micronuclei represent an important source of immunostimulatory DNA. As micronuclei formed from lagging chromosomes also activate this pathway, recognition of micronuclei by cGAS may act as a cell-intrinsic immune surveillance mechanism that detects a range of neoplasia-inducing processes.

Mitotic progression following DNA damage enables pattern recognition within micronuclei

Abstract: Inflammatory gene expression following genotoxic cancer therapy is well documented, yet the events underlying its induction remain poorly understood. Inflammatory cytokines modify the tumour microenvironment by recruiting immune cells and are critical for both local and systemic (abscopal) tumour responses to radiotherapy. A poorly understood feature of these responses is the delayed onset (days), in contrast to the acute DNA-damage responses that occur in minutes to hours. Such dichotomous kinetics implicate additional rate-limiting steps that are essential for DNA-damage-induced inflammation. Here we show that cell cycle progression through mitosis following double-stranded DNA breaks leads to the formation of micronuclei, which precede activation of inflammatory signalling and are a repository for the pattern-recognition receptor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS). Inhibiting progression through mitosis or loss of pattern recognition by stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-cGAS impaired interferon signalling. Moreover, STING loss prevented the regression of abscopal tumours in the context of ionizing radiation and immune checkpoint blockade in vivo. These findings implicate temporal modulation of the cell cycle as an important consideration in the context of therapeutic strategies that combine genotoxic agents with immune checkpoint blockade.

Tumor aneuploidy correlates with markers of immune evasion and with reduced response to immunotherapy

Abstract: INTRODUCTION Aneuploidy, also known as somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs), is widespread in human cancers and has been proposed to drive tumorigenesis. The relationship between SCNAs and the characteristic functional features or “hallmarks” of cancer is not well understood. Among these cancer hallmarks is immune evasion, which is accomplished by neoantigen editing, defects in antigen presentation and inhibition of tumor infiltration, and/or cytotoxic activities of immune cells. Whether and how tumor SCNA levels influence immune evasion is of particular interest as this information could potentially be used to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade, a therapy that has produced durable responses in a subset of cancer patients. RATIONALE Understanding how SCNAs and mutation load affect tumor evolution, and through what mechanisms, is a key objective in cancer research. To explore the relationships between SCNA levels, tumor mutations, and cancer hallmarks, we examined data from 5255 tumor/normal samples representing 12 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas project. We assigned each tumor an SCNA score and looked for correlations with the number and types of tumor mutations. We also compared the gene expression profiles of tumors with high versus low SCNA levels to identify differences in cellular signaling pathways. RESULTS First, we found that, for most tumors, there was a positive correlation between SCNA levels and the total number of mutations. Second, tumors harboring activating oncogenic mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase–RAS–phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway showed fewer SCNAs, a finding at odds with the hypothesis of oncogene-driven genomic instability. Third, we found that tumors with high levels of SCNAs showed elevated expression of cell cycle and cell proliferation markers (cell cycle signature) and reduced expression of markers for cytotoxic immune cell infiltrates (immune signature). The increased expression level of the cell cycle signature was primarily predicted by focal SCNAs, with a lesser contribution of arm and whole-chromosome SCNAs. In contrast, the lower expression level of the immune signature was primarily predicted by high levels of arm and whole-chromosome SCNAs. SCNA levels were a stronger predictor of markers of cytotoxic immune cell infiltration than tumor mutational load. Finally, through analysis of data from two published clinical trials of immunotherapy in melanoma patients, we found that high SCNA levels in tumors correlated with poorer survival of patients. The combination of the tumor SCNA score and the tumor mutational load was a better predictor of survival after immunotherapy than either biomarker alone. CONCLUSION We found that two hallmarks of cancer, cell proliferation and immune evasion, are predicted by distinct types of aneuploidy that likely act through distinct mechanisms. Proliferation markers mainly correlated with focal SCNAs, implying a mechanism related to the action of specific genes targeted by these SCNAs. Immune evasion markers mainly correlated with arm- and chromosome-level SCNAs, consistent with a mechanism related to general gene dosage imbalance rather than the action of specific genes. A retrospective analysis of melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint blockade anti–CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated protein 4) therapy revealed that high SCNA levels were associated with a poorer response, suggesting that tumor aneuploidy might be a useful biomarker for predicting which patients are most likely to benefit from this therapy.