Multidimensional Characterization of Soft-Tissue Sarcomas with FUS-TFCP2 or EWSR1-TFCP2 Fusions
Linking clinical multi-omics analyses with mechanistic studies provides opportunities to explore the pathogenesis of rare cancers. We leveraged two precision oncology programs to investigate rhabdomyosarcoma with FUS/EWSR1-TFCP2 fusions, an orphan malignancy without effective systemic therapies. All tumors exhibited outlier expression of the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase, which was partly accompanied by intragenic deletions and aberrant splicing, resulting in truncated ALK variants that were oncogenic and sensitive to ALK inhibitors. Additional recurrent alterations included CKDN2A/MTAP co-deletions, providing a rationale for therapies targeting CDK4/6 and PRMT5. Functional studies showed that FUS-TFCP2 blocks myogenic differentiation and induces transcription of ALK and a truncated form of TERT through binding outside their regular promoters. Furthermore, FUS-TFCP2 inhibited DNA double-strand break repair. Consistent with this, and unlike other fusion-driven sarcomas, TFCP2-rearranged tumors exhibited marked genomic instability and signs of defective homologous recombination. DNA methylation profiling indicated a close relationship with undifferentiated sarcomas rather than rhabdomyosarcoma. Finally, we identified patients in whom overt disease was preceded by benign lesions carrying TFCP2 fusions, providing insight into stepwise sarcomagenesis and suggesting new approaches to early detection and interception. SIGNIFICANCEMost rare cancers are poorly understood, and pathogenesis-directed therapies are often lacking, resulting in poor patient outcomes. This study illustrates the potential of linking precision oncology programs with preclinical research to gain insight into the classification, pathogenesis, and therapeutic vulnerabilities of rare cancers that could improve the clinical management of such diseases.