Li Q, Qin T, Bi Z, Hong H, Ding L, Chen J, Wu W, Lin X, Fu W, Zheng F, Yao Y, Luo ML, Saw PE, Wulf GM, Xu X, Song E, Yao H, Hu H. Rac1 activates non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway to induce chemoresistance of breast cancer.
Nat Commun 2020;
11:1456. [PMID:
32193458 PMCID:
PMC7081201 DOI:
10.1038/s41467-020-15308-7]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] [Imported: 12/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Resistance development to one chemotherapeutic reagent leads frequently to acquired tolerance to other compounds, limiting the therapeutic options for cancer treatment. Herein, we find that overexpression of Rac1 is associated with multi-drug resistance to the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Mechanistically, Rac1 activates aldolase A and ERK signaling which up-regulates glycolysis and especially the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). This leads to increased nucleotides metabolism which protects breast cancer cells from chemotherapeutic-induced DNA damage. To translate this finding, we develop endosomal pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) which deliver Rac1-targeting siRNA together with cisplatin and effectively reverses NAC-chemoresistance in PDXs from NAC-resistant breast cancer patients. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that targeting Rac1 is a potential strategy to overcome acquired chemoresistance in breast cancer.
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