USP7 sustains PAX3::FOXO1 enhancer reprogramming and represents a therapeutic vulnerability in Rhabdomyosarcoma

Abstract

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and is often associated with dismal outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. RMS arises from embryonic skeletal muscle precursor cells that fail to complete the myogenic differentiation program. Fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS), defined by the presence of recurrent gene fusions such as PAX3::FOXO1 or PAX7::FOXO1, is associated with the poorest overall survival. The encoded fusion oncoprotein cause epigenetic reprogramming that defines the biology and behavior of FP-RMS. Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1)-mediated chromatin regulation contributes to the control of developmental gene programs. Here, we investigate the dependency of RMS on epigenetic remodeling mediated by the PRC1.1 subunits ubiquitin specific protease 7 (USP7) and really interesting new gene 1B (RING1B). We found that USP7 is overexpressed in RMS samples, and that high expression correlates with poor patient prognosis. USP7 and RING1B bind to H3K27ac-enriched regions and colocalize with PAX3::FOXO1 at active enhancers controlling key tumorigenic genes in FP-RMS. Moreover, both shRNA-mediated depletion and pharmacological inhibition of USP7 downregulate PAX3::FOXO1 enhancer-driven genes, induce skeletal muscle differentiation and significantly inhibit FP-RMS tumor growth in vivo. Altogether, our findings identify USP7 as a critical regulator of PAX3::FOXO1-bound enhancers and highlight a novel therapeutic opportunity in RMS based on epigenetic dependencies.