Auner Lab

Contact


Dr Holger Auner

  • CRUK Advanced Clinician Scientist
  • Clinical Reader in Molecular Haemato-Oncology

+44 (0)20 3313 4017
holger.auner04@imperial.ac.uk

Areas of research


Proteotoxic stress and metabolism

Myeloma cells are characterised by a unique sensitivity to inhibitors of the proteasome, which is responsible for the controlled degradation of most cellular proteins that have become damaged or are otherwise unwanted. Nevertheless, resistance to proteasome inhibitors occurs in essentially all patients to varying degrees. Accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which triggers proteotoxic ‘ER stress’, is widely believed to be the main mechanism of action of proteasome inhibitors. However, data from our lab and other research groups suggest complex interactions between proteasomal protein degradation and multiple metabolic processes. Our aim is to find metabolic and proteostatic vulnerabilities that we can exploit therapeutically.


Tissue biophysics in myeloma biology

Several important aspects of cancer cell biology are influenced by mechanical cues from the surrounding tissue. In particular, mechanical interactions and matrix remodelling have been shown to govern cancer cell metabolism. Tissue stiffness also impacts on normal haematopoiesis, and mechanical cues are known to modulate therapeutic responses. Moreover, we have shown that proteostasis-targeting drugs can alter tissue physical properties. We aim to understand how tissue stiffness and nutrient availability act together to rewire metabolic networks and regulate drug responses in myeloma.


Citation

BibTex format

@article{Karadimitris:2021:10.1038/s41467-021-25704-2,
author = {Karadimitris, A},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-021-25704-2},
journal = {Nature Communications},
pages = {1--16},
title = {Chromatin-based, in cis and in trans regulatory rewiring underpins distinct oncogenic transcriptomes in multiple myeloma},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25704-2},
volume = {12},
year = {2021}
}

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB - Multiple myeloma is a genetically heterogeneous cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells (PC). Distinct myeloma transcriptome profiles are primarily driven by myelomainitiating events (MIE) and converge into a mutually exclusive overexpression of the CCND1 and CCND2 oncogenes. Here, with reference to their normal counterparts, we find that myeloma PC enhanced chromatin accessibility combined with paired transcriptome profiling can classify MIE-defined genetic subgroups. Across and within different MM genetic subgroups, we ascribe regulation of genes and pathways critical for myeloma biology to unique or shared, developmentally activated or de novo formed candidate enhancers. Such enhancers co-opt recruitment of existing transcription factors, which although not transcriptionally deregulated per se, organise aberrant gene regulatory networks that help identify myeloma cell dependencies with prognostic impact. Finally, we identify and validate the critical super-enhancer that regulates ectopic expression of CCND2 in a subset of patients with MM and in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
AU - Karadimitris,A
DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-25704-2
EP - 16
PY - 2021///
SN - 2041-1723
SP - 1
TI - Chromatin-based, in cis and in trans regulatory rewiring underpins distinct oncogenic transcriptomes in multiple myeloma
T2 - Nature Communications
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25704-2
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25704-2
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/91279
VL - 12
ER -

Hugh and Josseline Langmuir Myeloma Centre