Developmental basis of SHH medulloblastoma heterogeneity

Maxwell P. Gold, Winnie Ong, Andrew M. Masteller, David R. Ghasemi, Julie Anne Galindo, Noel R. Park, Nhan C. Huynh, Aneesh Donde, Veronika Pister, Raul A. Saurez, Maria C. Vladoiu, Grace H. Hwang, Tanja Eisemann, Laura K. Donovan, Adam D. Walker, Joseph Benetatos, Christelle Dufour, Livia Garzia, Rosalind A. Segal, Robert J. Wechsler-ReyaJill P. Mesirov, Andrey Korshunov, Kristian W. Pajtler, Scott L. Pomeroy, Olivier Ayrault, Shawn M. Davidson, Jennifer A. Cotter, Michael D. Taylor, Ernest Fraenkel

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Many genes that drive normal cellular development also contribute to oncogenesis. Medulloblastoma (MB) tumors likely arise from neuronal progenitors in the cerebellum, and we hypothesized that the heterogeneity observed in MBs with sonic hedgehog (SHH) activation could be due to differences in developmental pathways. To investigate this question, here we perform single-nucleus RNA sequencing on highly differentiated SHH MBs with extensively nodular histology and observed malignant cells resembling each stage of canonical granule neuron development. Through innovative computational approaches, we connect these results to published datasets and find that some established molecular subtypes of SHH MB appear arrested at different developmental stages. Additionally, using multiplexed proteomic imaging and MALDI imaging mass spectrometry, we identify distinct histological and metabolic profiles for highly differentiated tumors. Our approaches are applicable to understanding the interplay between heterogeneity and differentiation in other cancers and can provide important insights for the design of targeted therapies.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number270
    JournalNature Communications
    Volume15
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2024

    Cite this