1
|
Baird AM, Easty D, Jarzabek M, Shiels L, Soltermann A, Klebe S, Raeppel S, MacDonagh L, Wu C, Griggs K, Kirschner MB, Stanfill B, Nonaka D, Goparaju CM, Murer B, Fennell DA, O'Donnell DM, Barr MP, Mutti L, Reid G, Finn S, Cuffe S, Pass HI, Opitz I, Byrne AT, O'Byrne KJ, Gray SG. When RON MET TAM in Mesothelioma: All Druggable for One, and One Drug for All? Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:89. [PMID: 30863365 PMCID: PMC6399142 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive inflammatory cancer with a poor survival rate. Treatment options are limited at best and drug resistance is common. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets in this disease in order to improve patient outcomes and survival times. MST1R (RON) is a trans-membrane receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), which is part of the c-MET proto-oncogene family. The only ligand recognized to bind MST1R (RON) is Macrophage Stimulating 1 (MST1), also known as Macrophage Stimulating Protein (MSP) or Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Like Protein (HGFL). In this study, we demonstrate that the MST1-MST1R (RON) signaling axis is active in MPM. Targeting this pathway with a small molecule inhibitor, LCRF-0004, resulted in decreased proliferation with a concomitant increase in apoptosis. Cell cycle progression was also affected. Recombinant MST1 treatment was unable to overcome the effect of LCRF-0004 in terms of either proliferation or apoptosis. Subsequently, the effect of an additional small molecular inhibitor, BMS-777607 (which targets MST1R (RON), MET, Tyro3, and Axl) also resulted in a decreased proliferative capacity of MPM cells. In a cohort of MPM patient samples, high positivity for total MST1R by IHC was an independent predictor of favorable prognosis. Additionally, elevated expression levels of MST1 also correlated with better survival. This study also determined the efficacy of LCRF-0004 and BMS-777607 in xenograft MPM models. Both LCRF-0004 and BMS-777607 demonstrated significant anti-tumor efficacy in vitro, however BMS-777607 was far superior to LCRF-0004. The in vivo and in vitro data generated by this study indicates that a multi-TKI, targeting the MST1R/MET/TAM signaling pathways, may provide a more effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of MPM as opposed to targeting MST1R alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Baird
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Cancer and Ageing Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David Easty
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Monika Jarzabek
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics and Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Liam Shiels
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics and Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alex Soltermann
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Klebe
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | | | - Lauren MacDonagh
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Chengguang Wu
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kim Griggs
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Michaela B. Kirschner
- Asbestos Diseases Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bryan Stanfill
- The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Daisuke Nonaka
- Department of Histopathology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chandra M. Goparaju
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Bruno Murer
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Ospedale dell'Angelo, Venice, Italy
| | - Dean A. Fennell
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester and Leicester University Hospitals, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Martin P. Barr
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Luciano Mutti
- Center for Biotechnology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Glen Reid
- Asbestos Diseases Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen Finn
- Department of Histopathology and Morbid Anatomy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sinead Cuffe
- HOPE Directorate, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Harvey I. Pass
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Isabelle Opitz
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annette T. Byrne
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics and Centre for Systems Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kenneth J. O'Byrne
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Cancer and Ageing Research Program, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- HOPE Directorate, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Steven G. Gray
- Thoracic Oncology Research Group, Labmed Directorate, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- *Correspondence: Steven G. Gray
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Erstad DJ, Cusack JC. Mutational analysis of merkel cell carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2014; 6:2116-36. [PMID: 25329450 PMCID: PMC4276959 DOI: 10.3390/cancers6042116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine malignancy that is associated with a poor prognosis. The pathogenesis of MCC is not well understood, and despite a recent plethora of mutational analyses, we have yet to find a set of signature mutations implicated in the majority of cases. Mutations, including TP53, Retinoblastoma and PIK3CA, have been documented in subsets of patients. Other mechanisms are also likely at play, including infection with the Merkel cell polyomavirus in a subset of patients, dysregulated immune surveillance, epigenetic alterations, aberrant protein expression, posttranslational modifications and microRNAs. In this review, we summarize what is known about MCC genetic mutations and chromosomal abnormalities, and their clinical significance. We also examine aberrant protein function and microRNA expression, and discuss the therapeutic and prognostic implications of these findings. Multiple clinical trials designed to selectively target overexpressed oncogenes in MCC are currently underway, though most are still in early phases. As we accumulate more molecular data on MCC, we will be better able to understand its pathogenic mechanisms, develop libraries of targeted therapies, and define molecular prognostic signatures to enhance our clinicopathologic knowledge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Derek J Erstad
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - James C Cusack
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| |
Collapse
|