RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas

Abstract DICER1-associated sarcomas commonly exhibit cooperating mutations involving RAS signaling pathways, but the efficacy of therapies that target these mutations is unknown. Here we report two children with DICER1 tumor predisposition who presented with DICER1-associated sarcomas with cooperati...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lindy Zhang, Paige H. R. Mallinger, Serena Zhou, Stavriani C. Makri, John M. Gross, Calixto-Hope G. Lucas, Ying S. Zou, William Mize, Damon R. Olson, Senna R. Munnikhuysen, Jawhar Rawwas, Yoav Messinger, Kenneth S. Chen, Kris Ann P. Schultz, Christine A. Pratilas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:npj Precision Oncology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-025-01026-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849238020201381888
author Lindy Zhang
Paige H. R. Mallinger
Serena Zhou
Stavriani C. Makri
John M. Gross
Calixto-Hope G. Lucas
Ying S. Zou
William Mize
Damon R. Olson
Senna R. Munnikhuysen
Jawhar Rawwas
Yoav Messinger
Kenneth S. Chen
Kris Ann P. Schultz
Christine A. Pratilas
author_facet Lindy Zhang
Paige H. R. Mallinger
Serena Zhou
Stavriani C. Makri
John M. Gross
Calixto-Hope G. Lucas
Ying S. Zou
William Mize
Damon R. Olson
Senna R. Munnikhuysen
Jawhar Rawwas
Yoav Messinger
Kenneth S. Chen
Kris Ann P. Schultz
Christine A. Pratilas
author_sort Lindy Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract DICER1-associated sarcomas commonly exhibit cooperating mutations involving RAS signaling pathways, but the efficacy of therapies that target these mutations is unknown. Here we report two children with DICER1 tumor predisposition who presented with DICER1-associated sarcomas with cooperating, targetable mutations in HRAS or BRAF. Both had relapsed/progressed disease despite upfront multimodal therapy and were subsequently treated with molecularly targeted agents. In the first case, mutant BRAF became amplified after dual dabrafenib/trametinib therapy, presumably as a driver of acquired resistance. In the second case, a subclonal HRAS variant at diagnosis became the predominant clone at autopsy, suggesting its importance in therapy resistance. Together, these two cases provide molecular evidence of the significance of RAS/ERK signaling in DICER1-driven tumorigenesis and highlight the potential for targeting these cooperating mutations.
format Article
id doaj-art-c53e5cd8176d4b43a93159d95052684c
institution Kabale University
issn 2397-768X
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series npj Precision Oncology
spelling doaj-art-c53e5cd8176d4b43a93159d95052684c2025-08-20T04:01:47ZengNature Portfolionpj Precision Oncology2397-768X2025-07-01911710.1038/s41698-025-01026-0RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomasLindy Zhang0Paige H. R. Mallinger1Serena Zhou2Stavriani C. Makri3John M. Gross4Calixto-Hope G. Lucas5Ying S. Zou6William Mize7Damon R. Olson8Senna R. Munnikhuysen9Jawhar Rawwas10Yoav Messinger11Kenneth S. Chen12Kris Ann P. Schultz13Christine A. Pratilas14Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineCancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s MinnesotaDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDepartment of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Radiology, Children’s MinnesotaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s MinnesotaDepartment of Pediatrics, University of KentuckyCancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s MinnesotaCancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s MinnesotaDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterCancer and Blood Disorders, Children’s MinnesotaDepartment of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineAbstract DICER1-associated sarcomas commonly exhibit cooperating mutations involving RAS signaling pathways, but the efficacy of therapies that target these mutations is unknown. Here we report two children with DICER1 tumor predisposition who presented with DICER1-associated sarcomas with cooperating, targetable mutations in HRAS or BRAF. Both had relapsed/progressed disease despite upfront multimodal therapy and were subsequently treated with molecularly targeted agents. In the first case, mutant BRAF became amplified after dual dabrafenib/trametinib therapy, presumably as a driver of acquired resistance. In the second case, a subclonal HRAS variant at diagnosis became the predominant clone at autopsy, suggesting its importance in therapy resistance. Together, these two cases provide molecular evidence of the significance of RAS/ERK signaling in DICER1-driven tumorigenesis and highlight the potential for targeting these cooperating mutations.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-025-01026-0
spellingShingle Lindy Zhang
Paige H. R. Mallinger
Serena Zhou
Stavriani C. Makri
John M. Gross
Calixto-Hope G. Lucas
Ying S. Zou
William Mize
Damon R. Olson
Senna R. Munnikhuysen
Jawhar Rawwas
Yoav Messinger
Kenneth S. Chen
Kris Ann P. Schultz
Christine A. Pratilas
RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas
npj Precision Oncology
title RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas
title_full RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas
title_fullStr RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas
title_full_unstemmed RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas
title_short RAS pathway targeted therapy in patients with DICER1-associated sarcomas
title_sort ras pathway targeted therapy in patients with dicer1 associated sarcomas
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-025-01026-0
work_keys_str_mv AT lindyzhang raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT paigehrmallinger raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT serenazhou raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT stavrianicmakri raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT johnmgross raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT calixtohopeglucas raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT yingszou raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT williammize raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT damonrolson raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT sennarmunnikhuysen raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT jawharrawwas raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT yoavmessinger raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT kennethschen raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT krisannpschultz raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas
AT christineapratilas raspathwaytargetedtherapyinpatientswithdicer1associatedsarcomas