1
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Klomp JA, Klomp JE, Stalnecker CA, Bryant KL, Edwards AC, Drizyte-Miller K, Hibshman PS, Diehl JN, Lee YS, Morales AJ, Taylor KE, Peng S, Tran NL, Herring LE, Prevatte AW, Barker NK, Hover LD, Hallin J, Chowdhury S, Coker O, Lee HM, Goodwin CM, Gautam P, Olson P, Christensen JG, Shen JP, Kopetz S, Graves LM, Lim KH, Wang-Gillam A, Wennerberg K, Cox AD, Der CJ. Defining the KRAS- and ERK-dependent transcriptome in KRAS-mutant cancers. Science 2024; 384:eadk0775. [PMID: 38843331 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk0775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
How the KRAS oncogene drives cancer growth remains poorly understood. Therefore, we established a systemwide portrait of KRAS- and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-dependent gene transcription in KRAS-mutant cancer to delineate the molecular mechanisms of growth and of inhibitor resistance. Unexpectedly, our KRAS-dependent gene signature diverges substantially from the frequently cited Hallmark KRAS signaling gene signature, is driven predominantly through the ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, and accurately reflects KRAS- and ERK-regulated gene transcription in KRAS-mutant cancer patients. Integration with our ERK-regulated phospho- and total proteome highlights ERK deregulation of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and other components of the cell cycle machinery as key processes that drive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) growth. Our findings elucidate mechanistically the critical role of ERK in driving KRAS-mutant tumor growth and in resistance to KRAS-ERK MAPK targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer E Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Clint A Stalnecker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kirsten L Bryant
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - A Cole Edwards
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kristina Drizyte-Miller
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Priya S Hibshman
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - J Nathaniel Diehl
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ye S Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Alexis J Morales
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Khalilah E Taylor
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sen Peng
- Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Nhan L Tran
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Laura E Herring
- Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Alex W Prevatte
- Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Natalie K Barker
- Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | - Jill Hallin
- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Saikat Chowdhury
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oluwadara Coker
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hey Min Lee
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Craig M Goodwin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Prson Gautam
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Olson
- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | - John P Shen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Scott Kopetz
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lee M Graves
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kian-Huat Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Andrea Wang-Gillam
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Krister Wennerberg
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Adrienne D Cox
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Channing J Der
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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2
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Klomp JE, Diehl JN, Klomp JA, Edwards AC, Yang R, Morales AJ, Taylor KE, Drizyte-Miller K, Bryant KL, Schaefer A, Johnson JL, Huntsman EM, Yaron TM, Pierobon M, Baldelli E, Prevatte AW, Barker NK, Herring LE, Petricoin EF, Graves LM, Cantley LC, Cox AD, Der CJ, Stalnecker CA. Determining the ERK-regulated phosphoproteome driving KRAS-mutant cancer. Science 2024; 384:eadk0850. [PMID: 38843329 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk0850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
To delineate the mechanisms by which the ERK1 and ERK2 mitogen-activated protein kinases support mutant KRAS-driven cancer growth, we determined the ERK-dependent phosphoproteome in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer. We determined that ERK1 and ERK2 share near-identical signaling and transforming outputs and that the KRAS-regulated phosphoproteome is driven nearly completely by ERK. We identified 4666 ERK-dependent phosphosites on 2123 proteins, of which 79 and 66%, respectively, were not previously associated with ERK, substantially expanding the depth and breadth of ERK-dependent phosphorylation events and revealing a considerably more complex function for ERK in cancer. We established that ERK controls a highly dynamic and complex phosphoproteome that converges on cyclin-dependent kinase regulation and RAS homolog guanosine triphosphatase function (RHO GTPase). Our findings establish the most comprehensive molecular portrait and mechanisms by which ERK drives KRAS-dependent pancreatic cancer growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - J Nathaniel Diehl
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - A Cole Edwards
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Runying Yang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Alexis J Morales
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Khalilah E Taylor
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kristina Drizyte-Miller
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kirsten L Bryant
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Antje Schaefer
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jared L Johnson
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emily M Huntsman
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Tomer M Yaron
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Elisa Baldelli
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Alex W Prevatte
- UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Natalie K Barker
- UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Laura E Herring
- UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | - Lee M Graves
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lewis C Cantley
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Adrienne D Cox
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Channing J Der
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Cell Biology and Physiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Clint A Stalnecker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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3
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Perurena N, Situ L, Cichowski K. Combinatorial strategies to target RAS-driven cancers. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:316-337. [PMID: 38627557 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00679-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Although RAS was formerly considered undruggable, various agents that inhibit RAS or specific RAS oncoproteins have now been developed. Indeed, the importance of directly targeting RAS has recently been illustrated by the clinical success of mutant-selective KRAS inhibitors. Nevertheless, responses to these agents are typically incomplete and restricted to a subset of patients, highlighting the need to develop more effective treatments, which will likely require a combinatorial approach. Vertical strategies that target multiple nodes within the RAS pathway to achieve deeper suppression are being investigated and have precedence in other contexts. However, alternative strategies that co-target RAS and other therapeutic vulnerabilities have been identified, which may mitigate the requirement for profound pathway suppression. Regardless, the efficacy of any given approach will likely be dictated by genetic, epigenetic and tumour-specific variables. Here we discuss various combinatorial strategies to treat KRAS-driven cancers, highlighting mechanistic concepts that may extend to tumours harbouring other RAS mutations. Although many promising combinations have been identified, clinical responses will ultimately depend on whether a therapeutic window can be achieved and our ability to prospectively select responsive patients. Therefore, we must continue to develop and understand biologically diverse strategies to maximize our likelihood of success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiara Perurena
- Genetics Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lisa Situ
- Genetics Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karen Cichowski
- Genetics Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Zhang C, Peng K, Liu Q, Huang Q, Liu T. Adavosertib and beyond: Biomarkers, drug combination and toxicity of WEE1 inhibitors. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 193:104233. [PMID: 38103761 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
WEE1 kinase is renowned as an S-G2 checkpoint inhibitor activated by ATR-CHK1 in response to replication stress. WEE1 inhibition enhances replication stress and effectively circumvents checkpoints into mitosis, which triggers significant genetic impairs and culminates in cell death. This approach has been validated clinically for its promising anti-tumor efficacy across various cancer types, notably in cases of ovarian cancers. Nonetheless, the initial stage of clinical trials has shown that the first-in-human WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib is limited by dose-limiting adverse events. As a result, recent efforts have been made to explore predictive biomarkers and smart combination schedules to alleviate adverse effects. In this review, we focused on the exploration of therapeutic biomarkers, as well as schedules of combination utilizing WEE1 inhibitors and canonical anticancer drugs, according to the latest preclinical and clinical studies, indicating that the optimal application of WEE1 inhibitors will likely be as part of dose-reducing combination and be tailored to specific patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Peng
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Liu
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihong Huang
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Tianshu Liu
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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5
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Tang S, Duan Y, Yuan T, Hu Y, Yuan L, Shen N, Fu Y, Pu C, Wang X, Xu J, Lan X, Zheng Y, Zhou Y, Zhu H, Ding J, Geng M, Huang M. Tetrandrine synergizes with MAPK inhibitors in treating KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via collaboratively modulating the TRAIL-death receptor axis. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106955. [PMID: 37820855 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies lacking effective therapies. KRAS mutations that occur in over 90% of PDAC are major oncogenic drivers of PDAC. The MAPK signaling pathway plays a central role in KRAS-driven oncogenic signaling. However, pharmacological inhibitors of the MAPK pathway are poorly responded in KRAS-mutant PDAC, raising a compelling need to understand the mechanism behind and to seek new therapeutic solutions. Herein, we perform a screen utilizing a library composed of 800 naturally-derived bioactive compounds to identify natural products that are able to sensitize KRAS-mutant PDAC cells to the MAPK inhibition. We discover that tetrandrine, a natural bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, shows a synergistic effect with MAPK inhibitors in PDAC cells and xenograft models. Mechanistically, pharmacological inhibition of the MAPK pathway exhibits a double-edged impact on the TRAIL-death receptor axis, transcriptionally upregulating TRAIL yet downregulating its agonistic receptors DR4 and DR5, which may explain the limited therapeutic outcomes of MAPK inhibitors in KRAS-mutant PDAC. Of great interest, tetrandrine stabilizes DR4/DR5 protein via impairing ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation, thereby allowing a synergy with MAPK inhibition in inducing apoptosis in KRAS-mutant PDAC. Our findings identify a new combinatorial approach for treating KRAS-mutant PDAC and highlight the role of TRAIL-DR4/DR5 axis in dictating the therapeutic outcome in KRAS-mutant PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Tang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai 264117, China
| | - Yichen Duan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Tao Yuan
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuting Hu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Drug Discovery & Development Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Liang Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ning Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yixian Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Congying Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaojing Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ying Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Drug Discovery & Development Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jian Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai 264117, China
| | - Meiyu Geng
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai 264117, China.
| | - Min Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai 264117, China.
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6
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Lee YS, Klomp JE, Stalnecker CA, Goodwin CM, Gao Y, Droby GN, Vaziri C, Bryant KL, Der CJ, Cox AD. VCP/p97, a pleiotropic protein regulator of the DNA damage response and proteostasis, is a potential therapeutic target in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer. Genes Cancer 2023; 14:30-49. [PMID: 36923647 PMCID: PMC10010283 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
We and others have recently shown that proteins involved in the DNA damage response (DDR) are critical for KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell growth in vitro. However, the CRISPR-Cas9 library that enabled us to identify these key proteins had limited representation of DDR-related genes. To further investigate the DDR in this context, we performed a comprehensive, DDR-focused CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen. This screen identified valosin-containing protein (VCP) as an essential gene in KRAS-mutant PDAC cell lines. We observed that genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of VCP limited cell growth and induced apoptotic death. Addressing the basis for VCP-dependent growth, we first evaluated the contribution of VCP to the DDR and found that loss of VCP resulted in accumulation of DNA double-strand breaks. We next addressed its role in proteostasis and found that loss of VCP caused accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins. We also found that loss of VCP increased autophagy. Therefore, we reasoned that inhibiting both VCP and autophagy could be an effective combination. Accordingly, we found that VCP inhibition synergized with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine. We conclude that concurrent targeting of autophagy can enhance the efficacy of VCP inhibitors in KRAS-mutant PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye S. Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Clint A. Stalnecker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Craig M. Goodwin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Yanzhe Gao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gaith N. Droby
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Cyrus Vaziri
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kirsten L. Bryant
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Channing J. Der
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Adrienne D. Cox
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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7
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Goodwin CM, Waters AM, Klomp JE, Javaid S, Bryant KL, Stalnecker CA, Drizyte-Miller K, Papke B, Yang R, Amparo AM, Ozkan-Dagliyan I, Baldelli E, Calvert V, Pierobon M, Sorrentino JA, Beelen AP, Bublitz N, Lüthen M, Wood KC, Petricoin EF, Sers C, McRee AJ, Cox AD, Der CJ. Combination Therapies with CDK4/6 Inhibitors to Treat KRAS-Mutant Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Res 2023; 83:141-157. [PMID: 36346366 PMCID: PMC9812941 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mutational loss of CDKN2A (encoding p16INK4A) tumor-suppressor function is a key genetic step that complements activation of KRAS in promoting the development and malignant growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, pharmacologic restoration of p16INK4A function with inhibitors of CDK4 and CDK6 (CDK4/6) has shown limited clinical efficacy in PDAC. Here, we found that concurrent treatment with both a CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) and an ERK-MAPK inhibitor (ERKi) synergistically suppresses the growth of PDAC cell lines and organoids by cooperatively blocking CDK4/6i-induced compensatory upregulation of ERK, PI3K, antiapoptotic signaling, and MYC expression. On the basis of these findings, a Phase I clinical trial was initiated to evaluate the ERKi ulixertinib in combination with the CDK4/6i palbociclib in patients with advanced PDAC (NCT03454035). As inhibition of other proteins might also counter CDK4/6i-mediated signaling changes to increase cellular CDK4/6i sensitivity, a CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen was conducted that revealed a spectrum of functionally diverse genes whose loss enhanced CDK4/6i growth inhibitory activity. These genes were enriched around diverse signaling nodes, including cell-cycle regulatory proteins centered on CDK2 activation, PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, SRC family kinases, HDAC proteins, autophagy-activating pathways, chromosome regulation and maintenance, and DNA damage and repair pathways. Novel therapeutic combinations were validated using siRNA and small-molecule inhibitor-based approaches. In addition, genes whose loss imparts a survival advantage were identified (e.g., RB1, PTEN, FBXW7), suggesting possible resistance mechanisms to CDK4/6 inhibition. In summary, this study has identified novel combinations with CDK4/6i that may have clinical benefit to patients with PDAC. SIGNIFICANCE CRISPR-Cas9 screening and protein activity mapping reveal combinations that increase potency of CDK4/6 inhibitors and overcome drug-induced compensations in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig M. Goodwin
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Andrew M. Waters
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer E. Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sehrish Javaid
- Program in Oral and Craniofacial Biomedicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kirsten L. Bryant
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Clint A. Stalnecker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kristina Drizyte-Miller
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Bjoern Papke
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology and Systems Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Anna-Louise-Karsch-Str. 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Runying Yang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Amber M. Amparo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | | | - Elisa Baldelli
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Valerie Calvert
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Mariaelena Pierobon
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | | | | | - Natalie Bublitz
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology and Systems Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Anna-Louise-Karsch-Str. 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mareen Lüthen
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology and Systems Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Anna-Louise-Karsch-Str. 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kris C. Wood
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Emanuel F. Petricoin
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Christine Sers
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology and Systems Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Anna-Louise-Karsch-Str. 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany
| | - Autumn J. McRee
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Adrienne D. Cox
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Channing J. Der
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
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8
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Tolani B, Celli A, Yao Y, Tan YZ, Fetter R, Liem CR, de Smith AJ, Vasanthakumar T, Bisignano P, Cotton AD, Seiple IB, Rubinstein JL, Jost M, Weissman JS. Ras-mutant cancers are sensitive to small molecule inhibition of V-type ATPases in mice. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1834-1844. [PMID: 35879364 PMCID: PMC9750872 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01386-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in Ras family proteins are implicated in 33% of human cancers, but direct pharmacological inhibition of Ras mutants remains challenging. As an alternative to direct inhibition, we screened for sensitivities in Ras-mutant cells and discovered 249C as a Ras-mutant selective cytotoxic agent with nanomolar potency against a spectrum of Ras-mutant cancers. 249C binds to vacuolar (V)-ATPase with nanomolar affinity and inhibits its activity, preventing lysosomal acidification and inhibiting autophagy and macropinocytosis pathways that several Ras-driven cancers rely on for survival. Unexpectedly, potency of 249C varies with the identity of the Ras driver mutation, with the highest potency for KRASG13D and G12V both in vitro and in vivo, highlighting a mutant-specific dependence on macropinocytosis and lysosomal pH. Indeed, 249C potently inhibits tumor growth without adverse side effects in mouse xenografts of KRAS-driven lung and colon cancers. A comparison of isogenic SW48 xenografts with different KRAS mutations confirmed that KRASG13D/+ (followed by G12V/+) mutations are especially sensitive to 249C treatment. These data establish proof-of-concept for targeting V-ATPase in cancers driven by specific KRAS mutations such as KRASG13D and G12V.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhairavi Tolani
- Thoracic Oncology Program, Department of Surgery, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Anna Celli
- Laboratory for Cell Analysis Core Facility, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yanmin Yao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yong Zi Tan
- Molecular Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Disease Intervention Technology Laboratory, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Richard Fetter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christina R Liem
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, the Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adam J de Smith
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thamiya Vasanthakumar
- Molecular Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paola Bisignano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adam D Cotton
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ian B Seiple
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John L Rubinstein
- Molecular Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marco Jost
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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9
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Toulany M. Targeting K-Ras-mediated DNA damage response in radiation oncology: Current status, challenges and future perspectives. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2022; 38:6-14. [PMID: 36313934 PMCID: PMC9596599 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctro.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 60% of cancer patients receive curative or palliative radiation. Despite the significant role of radiotherapy (RT) as a curative approach for many solid tumors, tumor recurrence occurs, partially because of intrinsic radioresistance. Accumulating evidence indicates that the success of RT is hampered by activation of the DNA damage response (DDR). The intensity of DDR signaling is affected by multiple parameters, e.g., loss-of-function mutations in tumor suppressor genes, gain-of-function mutations in protooncogenes as well as radiation-induced alterations in signal-transduction pathways. Therefore, the response to irradiation differs in tumors of different types, which makes the individualization of RT as a rational but challenging goal. One contributor to tumor cell radiation survival is signaling through the Ras pathway. Three RAS genes encode 4 Ras isoforms: K-Ras4A, K-Ras4B, H-Ras, and N-Ras. RAS family members are found to be mutated in approximately 19% of human cancers. Mutations in RAS lead to constitutive activation of the gene product and activation of multiple Ras-dependent signal-transduction cascades. Preclinical studies have shown that the expression of mutant KRAS affects DDR and increases cell survival after irradiation. Approximately 70% of RAS mutations occur in KRAS. Thus, applying targeted therapies directly against K-Ras as well as K-Ras upstream activators and downstream effectors might be a tumor-specific approach to overcome K-Ras-mediated RT resistance. In this review, the role of K-Ras in the activation of DDR signaling will be summarized. Recent progress in targeting DDR in KRAS-mutated tumors in combination with radiochemotherapy will be discussed.
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10
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Yang F, Wang M, Guan X. Exosomes and mimics as novel delivery platform for cancer therapy. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1001417. [PMID: 36313380 PMCID: PMC9602403 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1001417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are nano-sized biological extracellular vesicles transmitting information between cells and constituting a new intercellular communication mode. Exosomes have many advantages as an ideal drug delivery nanocarrier, including good biocompatibility, permeability, low toxicity, and low immunogenicity. Recently, exosomes have been used to deliver chemotherapeutic agents, natural drugs, nucleic acid drugs, and other antitumor drugs to treat many types of tumors. Due to the limited production of exosomes, synthetic exosome-mimics have been developed as an ideal platform for drug delivery. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of exosomes and exosome-mimics delivering therapeutic drugs in treating cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuxu Yang
- Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Bioengineering, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Mingyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Bioengineering, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine and Center of Prenatal Diagnosis, First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xingang Guan
- Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xingang Guan,
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11
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Fu L, Chen S, He G, Chen Y, Liu B. Targeting Extracellular Signal-Regulated Protein Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in Cancer: An Update on Pharmacological Small-Molecule Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13561-13573. [PMID: 36205714 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), the only known substrate of MEK1/2, is located downstream of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) pathway and is associated with the abnormal activation and poor prognosis of cancer. To date, several small-molecule inhibitors of RAS, RAF, and MEK have been reported to make rapid advances in cancer therapy; however, acquired resistance still occurs, thereby weakening the therapeutic efficacy of these inhibitors. Recently, selective inhibition of ERK1/2 has been regarded as a potential cancer therapeutic strategy that can not only effectively block the MAPK pathway but also overcome drug resistance caused by upstream mutations in RAS, RAF, and MEK. Herein, we summarize the oncogenic roles, key signaling network, and the single- and dual-target inhibitors of ERK1/2 in preclinical and clinical trials. Together, these inspiring findings shed new light on the discovery of more small-molecule inhibitors of ERK1/2 as candidate drugs to improve cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Fu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Gu He
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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12
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Identification of cell type-specific correlations between ERK activity and cell viability upon treatment with ERK1/2 inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102226. [PMID: 35787369 PMCID: PMC9358475 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased MAPK signaling is a hallmark of various cancers and is a central regulator of cell survival. Direct ERK1/2 inhibition is considered a promising approach to avoid ERK1/2 reactivation caused by upstream kinases BRAF, MEK1/2, and KRAS, as well as by receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but the dynamics and selectivity of ERK1/2 inhibitors are much less studied compared with BRAF or MEK inhibitors. Using ERK1/2 and downstream kinase ELK1 reporter cell lines of lung cancer (H1299; NRASQ61K), colon cancer (HCT-116; KRASG13D), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y), and leukemia (U937), we examined the relationship between ERK inhibition and drug-induced toxicity for five ERK inhibitors: SCH772984, ravoxertinib, LY3214996, ulixertinib, and VX-11e, as well as one MEK inhibitor, PD0325901. Comparing cell viability and ERK inhibition revealed different ERK dependencies for these cell lines. We identify several drugs, such as SCH772984 and VX-11e, which induce excessive toxicity not directly related to ERK1/2 inhibition in specific cell lines. We also show that PD0325901, LY3214996, and ulixertinib are prone to ERK1/2 reactivation over time. We distinguished two types of ERK1/2 reactivation: the first could be reversed by adding a fresh dose of inhibitors, while the second persists even after additional treatments. We also showed that cells that became resistant to the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD0325901 due to ERK1/2 reactivation remained sensitive to ERK1/2 inhibitor ulixertinib. Our data indicate that correlation of ERK inhibition with drug-induced toxicity in multiple cell lines may help to find more selective and effective ERK1/2 inhibitors.
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13
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Gupta K, Jones JC, Farias VDA, Mackeyev Y, Singh PK, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Krishnan S. Identification of Synergistic Drug Combinations to Target KRAS-Driven Chemoradioresistant Cancers Utilizing Tumoroid Models of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma and Recurrent Glioblastoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:840241. [PMID: 35664781 PMCID: PMC9158132 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.840241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment resistance is observed in all advanced cancers. Colorectal cancer (CRC) presenting as colorectal adenocarcinoma (COAD) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Multimodality treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies with selective utilization of immunotherapy and radiation therapy. Despite the early success of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) therapy, treatment resistance is common and often driven by mutations in APC, KRAS, RAF, and PI3K/mTOR and positive feedback between activated KRAS and WNT effectors. Challenges in the direct targeting of WNT regulators and KRAS have caused alternative actionable targets to gain recent attention. Utilizing an unbiased drug screen, we identified combinatorial targeting of DDR1/BCR-ABL signaling axis with small-molecule inhibitors of EGFR-ERBB2 to be potentially cytotoxic against multicellular spheroids obtained from WNT-activated and KRAS-mutant COAD lines (HCT116, DLD1, and SW480) independent of their KRAS mutation type. Based on the data-driven approach using available patient datasets (The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)), we constructed transcriptomic correlations between gene DDR1, with an expression of genes for EGFR, ERBB2-4, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway intermediates, BCR, and ABL and genes for cancer stem cell reactivation, cell polarity, and adhesion; we identified a positive association of DDR1 with EGFR, ERBB2, BRAF, SOX9, and VANGL2 in Pan-Cancer. The evaluation of the pathway network using the STRING database and Pathway Commons database revealed DDR1 protein to relay its signaling via adaptor proteins (SHC1, GRB2, and SOS1) and BCR axis to contribute to the KRAS-PI3K-AKT signaling cascade, which was confirmed by Western blotting. We further confirmed the cytotoxic potential of our lead combination involving EGFR/ERBB2 inhibitor (lapatinib) with DDR1/BCR-ABL inhibitor (nilotinib) in radioresistant spheroids of HCT116 (COAD) and, in an additional devastating primary cancer model, glioblastoma (GBM). GBMs overexpress DDR1 and share some common genomic features with COAD like EGFR amplification and WNT activation. Moreover, genetic alterations in genes like NF1 make GBMs have an intrinsically high KRAS activity. We show the combination of nilotinib plus lapatinib to exhibit more potent cytotoxic efficacy than either of the drugs administered alone in tumoroids of patient-derived recurrent GBMs. Collectively, our findings suggest that combinatorial targeting of DDR1/BCR-ABL with EGFR-ERBB2 signaling may offer a therapeutic strategy against stem-like KRAS-driven chemoradioresistant tumors of COAD and GBM, widening the window for its applications in mainstream cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kshama Gupta
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Jeremy C Jones
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | | | - Yuri Mackeyev
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States.,Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Sunil Krishnan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
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14
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Abstract
Upon DNA damage, complex transduction cascades are unleashed to locate, recognise and repair affected lesions. The process triggers a pause in the cell cycle until the damage is resolved. Even under physiologic conditions, this deliberate interruption of cell division is essential to ensure orderly DNA replication and chromosomal segregation. WEE1 is an established regulatory protein in this vast fidelity-monitoring machinery. Its involvement in the DNA damage response and cell cycle has been a subject of study for decades. Emerging studies have also implicated WEE1 directly and indirectly in other cellular functions, including chromatin remodelling and immune response. The expanding role of WEE1 in pathophysiology is matched by the keen surge of interest in developing WEE1-targeted therapeutic agents. This review summarises WEE1 involvement in the cell cycle checkpoints, epigenetic modification and immune signalling, as well as the current state of WEE1 inhibitors in cancer therapeutics.
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15
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Drosten M, Barbacid M. Targeting KRAS mutant lung cancer: light at the end of the tunnel. Mol Oncol 2021; 16:1057-1071. [PMID: 34951114 PMCID: PMC8895444 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, KRAS mutant lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) have been refractory to therapeutic strategies based on personalized medicine owing to the complexity of designing inhibitors to selectively target KRAS and downstream targets with acceptable toxicities. The recent development of selective KRASG12C inhibitors represents a landmark after 40 years of intense research efforts since the identification of KRAS as a human oncogene. Here, we discuss the mechanisms responsible for the rapid development of resistance to these inhibitors, as well as potential strategies to overcome this limitation. Other therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting KRAS oncogenic signaling by targeting either upstream activators or downstream effectors are also reviewed. Finally, we discuss the effect of targeting the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, both based on the failure of MEK and ERK inhibitors in clinical trials, as well as on the recent identification of RAF1 as a potential target due to its MAPK‐independent activity. These new developments, taken together, are likely to open new avenues to effectively treat KRAS mutant LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Drosten
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariano Barbacid
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
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16
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5- epi-Sinuleptolide from Soft Corals of the Genus Sinularia Exerts Cytotoxic Effects on Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines via the Inhibition of JAK2/STAT3, AKT, and ERK Activity. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26226932. [PMID: 34834023 PMCID: PMC8623039 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most lethal malignancies: more than half of patients are diagnosed with a metastatic disease, which is associated with a five-year survival rate of only 3%. 5-epi-Sinuleptolide, a norditerpene isolated from Sinularia sp., has been demonstrated to possess cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. However, the cytotoxicity against pancreatic cancer cells and the related mechanisms are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-pancreatic cancer potential of 5-epi-sinuleptolide and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The inhibitory effects of 5-epi-sinuleptolide treatment on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells were determined and the results showed that 5-epi-sinuleptolide treatment inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest, and suppressed the invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The results of western blotting further revealed that 5-epi-sinuleptolide could inhibit JAK2/STAT3, AKT, and ERK phosphorylation, which may account for the diverse cytotoxic effects of 5-epi-sinuleptolide. Taken together, our present investigation unveils a new therapeutic and anti-metastatic potential of 5-epi-sinuleptolide for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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