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Scardaci R, Berlinska E, Scaparone P, Vietti Michelina S, Garbo E, Novello S, Santamaria D, Ambrogio C. Novel RAF-directed approaches to overcome current clinical limits and block the RAS/RAF node. Mol Oncol 2024; 18:1355-1377. [PMID: 38362705 PMCID: PMC11161739 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway are frequent alterations in cancer and RASopathies, and while RAS oncogene activation alone affects 19% of all patients and accounts for approximately 3.4 million new cases every year, less frequent alterations in the cascade's downstream effectors are also involved in cancer etiology. RAS proteins initiate the signaling cascade by promoting the dimerization of RAF kinases, which can act as oncoproteins as well: BRAFV600E is the most common oncogenic driver, mutated in the 8% of all malignancies. Research in this field led to the development of drugs that target the BRAFV600-like mutations (Class I), which are now utilized in clinics, but cause paradoxical activation of the pathway and resistance development. Furthermore, they are ineffective against non-BRAFV600E malignancies that dimerize and could be either RTK/RAS independent or dependent (Class II and III, respectively), which are still lacking an effective treatment. This review discusses the recent advances in anti-RAF therapies, including paradox breakers, dimer-inhibitors, immunotherapies, and other novel approaches, critically evaluating their efficacy in overcoming the therapeutic limitations, and their putative role in blocking the RAS pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Scardaci
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology CenterUniversity of TorinoItaly
| | - Ewa Berlinska
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology CenterUniversity of TorinoItaly
| | - Pietro Scaparone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology CenterUniversity of TorinoItaly
| | - Sandra Vietti Michelina
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology CenterUniversity of TorinoItaly
| | - Edoardo Garbo
- Department of OncologyUniversity of Torino, San Luigi HospitalOrbassanoItaly
| | - Silvia Novello
- Department of OncologyUniversity of Torino, San Luigi HospitalOrbassanoItaly
| | - David Santamaria
- Centro de Investigación del CáncerCSIC‐Universidad de SalamancaSpain
| | - Chiara Ambrogio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology CenterUniversity of TorinoItaly
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2
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Chen YK, Kanouni T, Arnold LD, Cox JM, Gardiner E, Grandinetti K, Jiang P, Kaldor SW, Lee C, Li C, Martin ES, Miller N, Murphy EA, Timple N, Tyhonas JS, Vassar A, Wang TS, Williams R, Yuan D, Kania RS. The Discovery of Exarafenib (KIN-2787): Overcoming the Challenges of Pan-RAF Kinase Inhibition. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1747-1757. [PMID: 38230963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
RAF, a core signaling component of the MAPK kinase cascade, is often mutated in various cancers, including melanoma, lung, and colorectal cancers. The approved inhibitors were focused on targeting the BRAFV600E mutation that results in constitutive activation of kinase signaling through the monomeric protein (Class I). However, these inhibitors also paradoxically activate kinase signaling of RAF dimers, resulting in increased MAPK signaling in normal tissues. Recently, significant attention has turned to targeting RAF alterations that activate dimeric signaling (class II and III BRAF and NRAS). However, the discovery of a potent and selective inhibitor with biopharmaceutical properties suitable to sustain robust target inhibition in the clinical setting has proven challenging. Herein, we report the discovery of exarafenib (15), a highly potent and selective inhibitor that intercepts the RAF protein in the dimer compatible αC-helix-IN conformation and demonstrates anti-tumor efficacy in preclinical models with BRAF class I, II, and III and NRAS alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young K Chen
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Toufike Kanouni
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Lee D Arnold
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Jason M Cox
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Elisabeth Gardiner
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Kathryn Grandinetti
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Ping Jiang
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Stephen W Kaldor
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Catherine Lee
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Chun Li
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Eric S Martin
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Nichol Miller
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Eric A Murphy
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Noel Timple
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - John S Tyhonas
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Angie Vassar
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Tim S Wang
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Richard Williams
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Ding Yuan
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
| | - Robert S Kania
- Kinnate Biopharma, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 150, San Diego, California 92130, United States
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3
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Wang P, Laster K, Jia X, Dong Z, Liu K. Targeting CRAF kinase in anti-cancer therapy: progress and opportunities. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:208. [PMID: 38111008 PMCID: PMC10726672 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01903-x] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is commonly dysregulated in human malignancies by processes driven by RAS or RAF oncogenes. Among the members of the RAF kinase family, CRAF plays an important role in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway, as well as in the progression of cancer. Recent research has provided evidence implicating the role of CRAF in the physiological regulation and the resistance to BRAF inhibitors through MAPK-dependent and MAPK-independent mechanisms. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of solely targeting CRAF kinase activity remains controversial. Moreover, the kinase-independent function of CRAF may be essential for lung cancers with KRAS mutations. It is imperative to develop strategies to enhance efficacy and minimize toxicity in tumors driven by RAS or RAF oncogenes. The review investigates CRAF alterations observed in cancers and unravels the distinct roles of CRAF in cancers propelled by diverse oncogenes. This review also seeks to summarize CRAF-interacting proteins and delineate CRAF's regulation across various cancer hallmarks. Additionally, we discuss recent advances in pan-RAF inhibitors and their combination with other therapeutic approaches to improve treatment outcomes and minimize adverse effects in patients with RAF/RAS-mutant tumors. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted role of CRAF in cancers and highlighting the latest developments in RAF inhibitor therapies, we endeavor to identify synergistic targets and elucidate resistance pathways, setting the stage for more robust and safer combination strategies for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penglei Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Kyle Laster
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Xuechao Jia
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Zigang Dong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, AMS, College of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
| | - Kangdong Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- Tianjian Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, AMS, College of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
- Basic Medicine Sciences Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
- Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China.
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4
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Murphy BM, Jensen DM, Arnold TE, Aguilar-Valenzuela R, Hughes J, Posada V, Nguyen KT, Chu VT, Tsai KY, Burd CJ, Burd CE. The OSUMMER lines: A series of ultraviolet-accelerated NRAS-mutant mouse melanoma cell lines syngeneic to C57BL/6. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2023; 36:365-377. [PMID: 37341054 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
An increasing number of cancer subtypes are treated with front-line immunotherapy. However, approaches to overcome primary and acquired resistance remain limited. Preclinical mouse models are often used to investigate resistance mechanisms, novel drug combinations, and delivery methods; yet most of these models lack the genetic diversity and mutational patterns observed in human tumors. Here we describe a series of 13 C57BL/6J melanoma cell lines to address this gap in the field. The Ohio State University-Moffitt Melanoma Exposed to Radiation (OSUMMER) cell lines are derived from mice expressing endogenous, melanocyte-specific, and clinically relevant Nras driver mutations (Q61R, Q61K, or Q61L). Exposure of these animals to a single, non-burning dose of ultraviolet B accelerates the onset of spontaneous melanomas with mutational patterns akin to human disease. Furthermore, in vivo irradiation selects against potent tumor antigens, which could prevent the outgrowth of syngeneic cell transfers. Each OSUMMER cell line possesses distinct in vitro growth properties, trametinib sensitivity, mutational signatures, and predicted antigenicity. Analysis of OSUMMER allografts shows a correlation between strong, predicted antigenicity and poor tumor outgrowth. These data suggest that the OSUMMER lines will be a valuable tool for modeling the heterogeneous responses of human melanomas to targeted and immune-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Murphy
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Daelin M Jensen
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Tiffany E Arnold
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Renan Aguilar-Valenzuela
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jase Hughes
- EMD Millipore Corporation, Temecula, California, USA
| | - Valentina Posada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kimberly T Nguyen
- Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine, Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Vi T Chu
- EMD Millipore Corporation, Temecula, California, USA
| | - Kenneth Y Tsai
- Departments of Pathology and Tumor Biology, The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Craig J Burd
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Christin E Burd
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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5
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Imoto H, Rauch N, Neve AJ, Khorsand F, Kreileder M, Alexopoulos LG, Rauch J, Okada M, Kholodenko BN, Rukhlenko OS. A Combination of Conformation-Specific RAF Inhibitors Overcome Drug Resistance Brought about by RAF Overexpression. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1212. [PMID: 37627277 PMCID: PMC10452107 DOI: 10.3390/biom13081212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells often adapt to targeted therapies, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive resistance remain only partially understood. Here, we explore a mechanism of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) pathway reactivation through the upregulation of RAF isoform (RAFs) abundance. Using computational modeling and in vitro experiments, we show that the upregulation of RAFs changes the concentration range of paradoxical pathway activation upon treatment with conformation-specific RAF inhibitors. Additionally, our data indicate that the signaling output upon loss or downregulation of one RAF isoform can be compensated by overexpression of other RAF isoforms. We furthermore demonstrate that, while single RAF inhibitors cannot efficiently inhibit ERK reactivation caused by RAF overexpression, a combination of two structurally distinct RAF inhibitors synergizes to robustly suppress pathway reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Imoto
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nora Rauch
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ashish J. Neve
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fahimeh Khorsand
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martina Kreileder
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Leonidas G. Alexopoulos
- Protavio Ltd., Demokritos Science Park, 153 43 Athens, Greece
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 106 82 Athens, Greece
| | - Jens Rauch
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mariko Okada
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (WPI-PRIMe), Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Boris N. Kholodenko
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Oleksii S. Rukhlenko
- Systems Biology Ireland, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
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6
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Dorard C, Madry C, Buhard O, Toifl S, Didusch S, Ratovomanana T, Letourneur Q, Dolznig H, Garnett MJ, Duval A, Baccarini M. RAF1 contributes to cell proliferation and STAT3 activation in colorectal cancer independently of microsatellite and KRAS status. Oncogene 2023; 42:1649-1660. [PMID: 37020037 PMCID: PMC10181936 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02683-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
More than 30% of all human cancers are driven by RAS mutations and activating KRAS mutations are present in 40% of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the two main CRC subgroups, MSS (Microsatellite Stable) and MSI (Microsatellite Instable). Studies in RAS-driven tumors have shown essential roles of the RAS effectors RAF and specifically of RAF1, which can be dependent or independent of RAF's ability to activate the MEK/ERK module. In this study, we demonstrate that RAF1, but not its kinase activity, plays a crucial role in the proliferation of both MSI and MSS CRC cell line-derived spheroids and patient-derived organoids, and independently of KRAS mutation status. Moreover, we could define a RAF1 transcriptomic signature which includes genes that contribute to STAT3 activation, and could demonstrate that RAF1 ablation decreases STAT3 phosphorylation in all CRC spheroids tested. The genes involved in STAT3 activation as well as STAT3 targets promoting angiogenesis were also downregulated in human primary tumors expressing low levels of RAF1. These results indicate that RAF1 could be an attractive therapeutic target in both MSI and MSS CRC regardless of their KRAS status and support the development of selective RAF1 degraders rather than RAF1 inhibitors for clinical use in combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Dorard
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Doktor-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 938 and SIRIC CURAMUS, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Equipe Instabilité des Microsatellites et Cancer, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-75012, Paris, France.
| | - Claire Madry
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 938 and SIRIC CURAMUS, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Equipe Instabilité des Microsatellites et Cancer, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Buhard
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 938 and SIRIC CURAMUS, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Equipe Instabilité des Microsatellites et Cancer, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Stefanie Toifl
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Doktor-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Didusch
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Doktor-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Toky Ratovomanana
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 938 and SIRIC CURAMUS, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Equipe Instabilité des Microsatellites et Cancer, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Letourneur
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 938 and SIRIC CURAMUS, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Equipe Instabilité des Microsatellites et Cancer, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Helmut Dolznig
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Straße 10, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Alex Duval
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Unité Mixte de Recherche Scientifique 938 and SIRIC CURAMUS, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine (CRSA), Equipe Instabilité des Microsatellites et Cancer, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, F-75012, Paris, France
| | - Manuela Baccarini
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Doktor-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
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7
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Lyon A, Tripathi R, Meeks C, He D, Wu Y, Liu J, Wang C, Chen J, Zhu H, Mukherjee S, Ganguly S, Plattner R. ABL1/2 and DDR1 Drive MEKi Resistance in NRAS-Mutant Melanomas by Stabilizing RAF/MYC/ETS1 and Promoting RAF Homodimerization. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:954. [PMID: 36765910 PMCID: PMC9913232 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanomas harboring NRAS mutations are a particularly aggressive and deadly subtype. If patients cannot tolerate or the melanomas are insensitive to immune checkpoint blockade, there are no effective 2nd-line treatment options. Drugs targeting the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway, which are used for BRAF-mutant melanomas, do little to increase progression-free survival (PFS). Here, using both loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches, we show that ABL1/2 and DDR1 are critical nodes during NRAS-mutant melanoma intrinsic and acquired MEK inhibitor (MEKi) resistance. In some acquired resistance cells, ABL1/2 and DDR1 cooperate to stabilize RAF proteins, activate ERK cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling, repress p27/KIP1 expression, and drive RAF homodimerization. In contrast, other acquired resistance cells depend solely on ABL1/2 for their survival, and are sensitive to highly specific allosteric ABL1/2 inhibitors, which prevent β-catenin nuclear localization and destabilize MYC and ETS1 in an ERK-independent manner. Significantly, targeting ABL1/2 and DDR1 with an FDA-approved anti-leukemic drug, reverses intrinsic MEKi resistance, delays acquisition of acquired resistance, and doubles the survival time in a NRAS-mutant mouse model. These data indicate that repurposing FDA-approved drugs targeting ABL1/2 and DDR1 may be a novel and effective strategy for treating patients with treatment-refractory NRAS-driven melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Lyon
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Rakshamani Tripathi
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Christina Meeks
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Daheng He
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, College of Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, College of Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Jinpeng Liu
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, College of Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Chi Wang
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, College of Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40508, USA
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Haining Zhu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Sujata Mukherjee
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Saptadwipa Ganguly
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Rina Plattner
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
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8
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Melanogenesis and the Targeted Therapy of Melanoma. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12121874. [PMID: 36551302 PMCID: PMC9775438 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigment production is a unique character of melanocytes. Numerous factors are linked with melanin production, including genetics, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and inflammation. Understanding the mechanism of melanogenesis is crucial to identify new preventive and therapeutic strategies in the treatment of melanoma. Here, we reviewed the current available literatures on the mechanisms of melanogenesis, including the signaling pathways of UVR-induced pigment production, MC1R's central determinant roles and MITF as a master transcriptional regulator in melanogenesis. Moreover, we further highlighted the role of targeting BRAF, NRAS and MC1R in melanoma prevention and treatment. The combination therapeutics of immunotherapy and targeted kinase inhibitors are becoming the newest therapeutic option in advanced melanoma.
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9
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Identification of NRAS Diagnostic Biomarkers and Drug Targets for Endometrial Cancer-An Integrated in Silico Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214285. [PMID: 36430761 PMCID: PMC9692821 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of endometrial cancer involves sequential, invasive tests to assess the thickness of the endometrium by a transvaginal ultrasound scan. In 6−33% of cases, endometrial biopsy results in inadequate tissue for a conclusive pathological diagnosis and 6% of postmenopausal women with non-diagnostic specimens are later discovered to have severe endometrial lesions. Thus, identifying diagnostic biomarkers could offer a non-invasive diagnosis for community or home-based triage of symptomatic or asymptomatic women. Herein, this study identified high-risk pathogenic nsSNPs in the NRAS gene. The nsSNPs of NRAS were retrieved from the NCBI database. PROVEAN, SIFT, PolyPhen-2, SNPs&GO, PhD-SNP and PANTHER were used to predict the pathogenicity of the nsSNPs. Eleven nsSNPs were identified as “damaging”, and further stability analysis using I-Mutant 2.0 and MutPred 2 indicated eight nsSNPs to cause decreased stability (DDG scores < −0.5). Post-translational modification and protein−protein interactions (PPI) analysis showed putative phosphorylation sites. The PPI network indicated a GFR-MAPK signalling pathway with higher node degrees that were further evaluated for drug targets. The P34L, G12C and Y64D showed significantly lower binding affinity towards GTP than wild-type. Furthermore, the Kaplan−Meier bioinformatics analyses indicated that the NRAS gene deregulation affected the overall survival rate of patients with endometrial cancer, leading to prognostic significance. Findings from this could be considered novel diagnostic and therapeutic markers.
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10
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Caksa S, Baqai U, Aplin AE. The future of targeted kinase inhibitors in melanoma. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 239:108200. [PMID: 35513054 PMCID: PMC10187889 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma is a cancer of the pigment-producing cells of the body and its incidence is rising. Targeted inhibitors that act against kinases in the MAPK pathway are approved for BRAF-mutant metastatic cutaneous melanoma and increase patients' survival. Response to these therapies is limited by drug resistance and is less durable than with immune checkpoint inhibition. Conversely, rare melanoma subtypes have few therapeutic options for advanced disease and MAPK pathway targeting agents show minimal anti-tumor effects. Nevertheless, there is a future for targeted kinase inhibitors in melanoma: in new applications such as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy and in novel combinations with immunotherapies or other targeted therapies. Pre-clinical studies continue to identify tumor dependencies and their corresponding actionable drug targets, paving the way for rational targeted kinase inhibitor combinations as a personalized medicine approach for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe Caksa
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Usman Baqai
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Andrew E Aplin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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11
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Bok I, Angarita A, Douglass SM, Weeraratna AT, Karreth FA. A Series of BRAF- and NRAS-Driven Murine Melanoma Cell Lines with Inducible Gene Modulation Capabilities. JID INNOVATIONS 2022; 2:100076. [PMID: 35146482 PMCID: PMC8819036 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Murine cancer cell lines are powerful research tools to complement studies in genetically engineered mouse models. We have established 21 melanoma cell lines from embryonic stem cell-genetically engineered mouse models driven by alleles that model the most frequent genetic alterations in human melanoma. In addition, these cell lines harbor regulatory alleles for the genomic integration of transgenes and the regulation of expression of such transgenes. In this study, we report a comprehensive characterization of these cell lines. Specifically, we validated melanocytic origin, driver allele recombination and expression, and activation of the oncogenic MAPK and protein kinase B pathways. We further tested tumor formation in syngeneic immunocompetent recipients as well as the functionality of the integrated Tet-ON system and recombination-mediated cassette exchange homing cassette. Finally, by deleting the transcription factor MAFG with an inducible CRISPR/Cas9 approach, we show the utility of the regulatory alleles for candidate gene modulation. These cell lines will be a valuable resource for studying melanoma biology and therapy.
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Key Words
- BCC, BrafV600E Cdkn2aΔ/Δ
- BPP, BrafV600E PtenΔ/Δ
- CHC, collagen homing cassette
- Dox, doxycycline
- ESC, embryonic stem cell
- FBS, fetal bovine serum
- GEMM, genetically engineered mouse model
- NCC, NrasQ61R Cdkn2aΔ/Δ
- NPP, NrasQ61R PtenΔ/Δ
- RMCE, recombination-mediated cassette exchange
- sgRNA, single-guide RNA
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilah Bok
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Cancer Biology PhD program, Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Ariana Angarita
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Stephen M. Douglass
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ashani T. Weeraratna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Florian A. Karreth
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
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12
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MITF activity is regulated by a direct interaction with RAF proteins in melanoma cells. Commun Biol 2022; 5:101. [PMID: 35091687 PMCID: PMC8799692 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03049-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The MITF transcription factor and the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway are two interconnected main players in melanoma. Understanding how MITF activity is regulated represents a key question since its dynamic modulation is involved in the phenotypic plasticity of melanoma cells and their resistance to therapy. By investigating the role of ARAF in NRAS-driven mouse melanoma through mass spectrometry experiments followed by a functional siRNA-based screen, we unexpectedly identified MITF as a direct ARAF partner. Interestingly, this interaction is conserved among the RAF protein kinase family since BRAF/MITF and CRAF/MITF complexes were also observed in the cytosol of NRAS-mutated mouse melanoma cells. The interaction occurs through the kinase domain of RAF proteins. Importantly, endogenous BRAF/MITF complexes were also detected in BRAF-mutated human melanoma cells. RAF/MITF complexes modulate MITF nuclear localization by inducing an accumulation of MITF in the cytoplasm, thus negatively controlling its transcriptional activity. Taken together, our study highlights a new level of regulation between two major mediators of melanoma progression, MITF and the MAPK/ERK pathway, which appears more complex than previously anticipated. The MITF transcription factor directly binds to the kinase domain of RAF kinases, including ARAF, BRAF and CRAF in melanoma cells. RAF/MITF complex promotes cytoplasmic accumulation of MITF and thus negatively regulates its transcriptional activity.
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13
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Hirata AS, Rezende-Teixeira P, Machado-Neto JA, Jimenez PC, Clair JJL, Fenical W, Costa-Lotufo LV. Seriniquinones as Therapeutic Leads for Treatment of BRAF and NRAS Mutant Melanomas. Molecules 2021; 26:7362. [PMID: 34885944 PMCID: PMC8658889 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Isolated from the marine bacteria Serinicoccus sp., seriniquinone (SQ1) has been characterized by its selective activity in melanoma cell lines marked by its modulation of human dermcidin and induction of autophagy and apoptosis. While an active lead, the lack of solubility of SQ1 in both organic and aqueous media has complicated its preclinical evaluation. In response, our team turned its effort to explore analogues with the goal of returning synthetically accessible materials with comparable selectivity and activity. The analogue SQ2 showed improved solubility and reached a 30-40-fold greater selectivity for melanoma cells. Here, we report a detailed comparison of the activity of SQ1 and SQ2 in SK-MEL-28 and SK-MEL-147 cell lines, carrying the top melanoma-associated mutations, BRAFV600E and NRASQ61R, respectively. These studies provide a definitive report on the activity, viability, clonogenicity, dermcidin expression, autophagy, and apoptosis induction following exposure to SQ1 or SQ2. Overall, these studies showed that SQ1 and SQ2 demonstrated comparable activity and modulation of dermcidin expression. These studies are further supported through the evaluation of a panel of basal expression of key-genes related to autophagy and apoptosis, providing further insight into the role of these mutations. To explore this rather as a survival or death mechanism, autophagy inhibition sensibilized BRAF mutants to SQ1 and SQ2, whereas the opposite happened to NRAS mutants. These data suggest that the seriniquinones remain active, independently of the melanoma mutation, and suggest the future combination of their application with inhibitors of autophagy to treat BRAF-mutated tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S. Hirata
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil; (A.S.H.); (P.R.-T.); (J.A.M.-N.)
| | - Paula Rezende-Teixeira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil; (A.S.H.); (P.R.-T.); (J.A.M.-N.)
| | - João Agostinho Machado-Neto
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil; (A.S.H.); (P.R.-T.); (J.A.M.-N.)
| | - Paula C. Jimenez
- Institute of Marine Science, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos 11070-100, SP, Brazil;
| | - James J. La Clair
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093-0358, USA;
| | - William Fenical
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093-0204, USA;
| | - Leticia V. Costa-Lotufo
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil; (A.S.H.); (P.R.-T.); (J.A.M.-N.)
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14
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Khaddour K, Maahs L, Avila-Rodriguez AM, Maamar Y, Samaan S, Ansstas G. Melanoma Targeted Therapies beyond BRAF-Mutant Melanoma: Potential Druggable Mutations and Novel Treatment Approaches. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5847. [PMID: 34831002 PMCID: PMC8616477 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanomas exhibit the highest rate of somatic mutations among all different types of cancers (with the exception of BCC and SCC). The accumulation of a multimode of mutations in the driver oncogenes are responsible for the proliferative, invasive, and aggressive nature of melanomas. High-resolution and high-throughput technology has led to the identification of distinct mutational signatures and their downstream alterations in several key pathways that contribute to melanomagenesis. This has enabled the development of individualized treatments by targeting specific molecular alterations that are vital for cancer cell survival, which has resulted in improved outcomes in several cancers, including melanomas. To date, BRAF and MEK inhibitors remain the only approved targeted therapy with a high level of evidence in BRAFV600E/K mutant melanomas. The lack of approved precision drugs in melanomas, relative to other cancers, despite harboring one of the highest rates of somatic mutations, advocates for further research to unveil effective therapeutics. In this review, we will discuss potential druggable mutations and the ongoing research of novel individualized treatment approaches targeting non-BRAF mutations in melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam Khaddour
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (L.M.); (A.M.A.-R.)
| | - Lucas Maahs
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (L.M.); (A.M.A.-R.)
| | - Ana Maria Avila-Rodriguez
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (L.M.); (A.M.A.-R.)
| | - Yazan Maamar
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Tishreen Lattakia, Lattakia 2217, Syria;
| | - Sami Samaan
- Department of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107, Lebanon;
| | - George Ansstas
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
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15
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Abdul Mahdi S, Ali Kadhim A, Albukhaty S, Nikzad S, Haider AJ, Ibraheem S, Ali Kadhim H, Al-Musawi S. Gene expression and apoptosis response in hepatocellular carcinoma cells induced by biocompatible polymer/magnetic nanoparticles containing 5-fluorouracil. ELECTRON J BIOTECHN 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
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16
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Garcia-Alvarez A, Ortiz C, Muñoz-Couselo E. Current Perspectives and Novel Strategies of NRAS-Mutant Melanoma. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:3709-3719. [PMID: 34135599 PMCID: PMC8202735 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s278095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the deadliest cutaneous cancer. Activating mutations in NRAS are found in 20% of melanomas. NRAS-mutant melanoma is more aggressive and, therefore, has poorer outcomes, compared to non-NRAS-mutant melanoma. Despite promising preclinical data, to date immune checkpoint inhibitors remain the standard of care for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic NRAS melanoma. Data for efficacy of immunotherapy for NRAS melanoma mainly come from retrospective cohorts with divergent conclusions. MEK inhibitors have been the most developed targeted therapy approach. Although associated with an increase in progression-free survival, MEK inhibitors do not provide any benefit in terms of overall survival. Combination strategies with PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and CDK4/6 inhibitors seem to increase MEK inhibitors' benefit. Nevertheless, results from clinical trials are still prelaminar. A greater comprehension of the biology and intracellular interactions of NRAS-mutant melanoma will outline novel impactful strategies which could improve prognosis of these subgroup of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Garcia-Alvarez
- Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Medical Oncology Department, Melanoma and Other Skin Tumors Unit, Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, 08035, Spain
| | - Carolina Ortiz
- Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Medical Oncology Department, Melanoma and Other Skin Tumors Unit, Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, 08035, Spain
| | - Eva Muñoz-Couselo
- Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Medical Oncology Department, Melanoma and Other Skin Tumors Unit, Vall Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, 08035, Spain
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17
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Yen I, Shanahan F, Lee J, Hong YS, Shin SJ, Moore AR, Sudhamsu J, Chang MT, Bae I, Dela Cruz D, Hunsaker T, Klijn C, Liau NPD, Lin E, Martin SE, Modrusan Z, Piskol R, Segal E, Venkatanarayan A, Ye X, Yin J, Zhang L, Kim JS, Lim HS, Kim KP, Kim YJ, Han HS, Lee SJ, Kim ST, Jung M, Hong YH, Noh YS, Choi M, Han O, Nowicka M, Srinivasan S, Yan Y, Kim TW, Malek S. ARAF mutations confer resistance to the RAF inhibitor belvarafenib in melanoma. Nature 2021; 594:418-423. [PMID: 33953400 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03515-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although RAF monomer inhibitors (type I.5, BRAF(V600)) are clinically approved for the treatment of BRAFV600-mutant melanoma, they are ineffective in non-BRAFV600 mutant cells1-3. Belvarafenib is a potent and selective RAF dimer (type II) inhibitor that exhibits clinical activity in patients with BRAFV600E- and NRAS-mutant melanomas. Here we report the first-in-human phase I study investigating the maximum tolerated dose, and assessing the safety and preliminary efficacy of belvarafenib in BRAFV600E- and RAS-mutated advanced solid tumours (NCT02405065, NCT03118817). By generating belvarafenib-resistant NRAS-mutant melanoma cells and analysing circulating tumour DNA from patients treated with belvarafenib, we identified new recurrent mutations in ARAF within the kinase domain. ARAF mutants conferred resistance to belvarafenib in both a dimer- and a kinase activity-dependent manner. Belvarafenib induced ARAF mutant dimers, and dimers containing mutant ARAF were active in the presence of inhibitor. ARAF mutations may serve as a general resistance mechanism for RAF dimer inhibitors as the mutants exhibit reduced sensitivity to a panel of type II RAF inhibitors. The combination of RAF plus MEK inhibition may be used to delay ARAF-driven resistance and suggests a rational combination for clinical use. Together, our findings reveal specific and compensatory functions for the ARAF isoform and implicate ARAF mutations as a driver of resistance to RAF dimer inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Yen
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frances Shanahan
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeeyun Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Intelligence Precision Healthcare Convergence, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Yong Sang Hong
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang Joon Shin
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Amanda R Moore
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jawahar Sudhamsu
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew T Chang
- Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Inhwan Bae
- Department of New Chemical Entity Discovery, Hanmi Research Center, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Darlene Dela Cruz
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Hunsaker
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christiaan Klijn
- Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas P D Liau
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eva Lin
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Scott E Martin
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zora Modrusan
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robert Piskol
- Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ehud Segal
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Xin Ye
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jianping Yin
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Liangxuan Zhang
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jin-Soo Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeong-Seok Lim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyu-Pyo Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yu Jung Kim
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Hye Sook Han
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Soo Jung Lee
- Department of Oncology/Hematology, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Seung Tae Kim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minkyu Jung
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoon-Hee Hong
- Department of Clinical Research and Development, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Su Noh
- Department of Clinical Research and Development, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Munjeong Choi
- Department of Clinical Research and Development, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Oakpil Han
- Department of Clinical Research and Development, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Malgorzata Nowicka
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shrividhya Srinivasan
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yibing Yan
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tae Won Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Shiva Malek
- Department of Discovery Oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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18
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NRAS mutant melanoma: Towards better therapies. Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 99:102238. [PMID: 34098219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Genetic alterations affecting RAS proteins are commonly found in human cancers. Roughly a fourth of melanoma patients carry activating NRAS mutations, rendering this malignancy particularly challenging to treat. Although the development of targeted as well as immunotherapies led to a substantial improvement in the overall survival of non-NRASmut melanoma patients (e.g. BRAFmut), patients with NRASmut melanomas have an overall poorer prognosis due to the high aggressiveness of RASmut tumors, lack of efficient targeted therapies or rapidly emerging resistance to existing treatments. Understanding how NRAS-driven melanomas develop therapy resistance by maintaining cell cycle progression and survival is crucial to develop more effective and specific treatments for this group of melanoma patients. In this review, we provide an updated summary of currently available therapeutic options for NRASmut melanoma patients with a focus on combined inhibition of MAPK signaling and CDK4/6-driven cell cycle progression and mechanisms of the inevitably developing resistance to these treatments. We conclude with an outlook on the most promising novel therapeutic approaches for melanoma patients with constitutively active NRAS. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: An estimated 75000 patients are affected by NRASmut melanoma each year and these patients still have a shorter progression-free survival than BRAFmut melanomas. Both intrinsic and acquired resistance occur in NRAS-driven melanomas once treated with single or combined targeted therapies involving MAPK and CDK4/6 inhibitors and/or checkpoint inhibiting immunotherapy. Oncolytic viruses, mRNA-based vaccinations, as well as targeted triple-agent therapy are promising alternatives, which could soon contribute to improved progression-free survival of the NRASmut melanoma patient group.
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19
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Patton EE, Mueller KL, Adams DJ, Anandasabapathy N, Aplin AE, Bertolotto C, Bosenberg M, Ceol CJ, Burd CE, Chi P, Herlyn M, Holmen SL, Karreth FA, Kaufman CK, Khan S, Kobold S, Leucci E, Levy C, Lombard DB, Lund AW, Marie KL, Marine JC, Marais R, McMahon M, Robles-Espinoza CD, Ronai ZA, Samuels Y, Soengas MS, Villanueva J, Weeraratna AT, White RM, Yeh I, Zhu J, Zon LI, Hurlbert MS, Merlino G. Melanoma models for the next generation of therapies. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:610-631. [PMID: 33545064 PMCID: PMC8378471 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
There is a lack of appropriate melanoma models that can be used to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutic modalities. Here, we discuss the current state of the art of melanoma models including genetically engineered mouse, patient-derived xenograft, zebrafish, and ex vivo and in vitro models. We also identify five major challenges that can be addressed using such models, including metastasis and tumor dormancy, drug resistance, the melanoma immune response, and the impact of aging and environmental exposures on melanoma progression and drug resistance. Additionally, we discuss the opportunity for building models for rare subtypes of melanomas, which represent an unmet critical need. Finally, we identify key recommendations for melanoma models that may improve accuracy of preclinical testing and predict efficacy in clinical trials, to help usher in the next generation of melanoma therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Elizabeth Patton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit and Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - Kristen L Mueller
- Melanoma Research Alliance, 730 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
| | - David J Adams
- Experimental Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Niroshana Anandasabapathy
- Department of Dermatology, Meyer Cancer Center, Program in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10026, USA
| | - Andrew E Aplin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Corine Bertolotto
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France; INSERM, Biology and Pathologies of Melanocytes, Team 1, Equipe Labellisée Ligue 2020, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
| | - Marcus Bosenberg
- Departments of Dermatology, Pathology, and Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Craig J Ceol
- Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Christin E Burd
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, Cancer Biology, and Genetics, The Ohio State University, Biomedical Research Tower, Room 918, 460 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ping Chi
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Sheri L Holmen
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Florian A Karreth
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Charles K Kaufman
- Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Department of Developmental Biology, McDonnell Science Building, 4518 McKinley Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shaheen Khan
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sebastian Kobold
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU, Munich, Germany; Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Eleonora Leucci
- Laboratory for RNA Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, LKI, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Trace, Department of Oncology, LKI, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carmit Levy
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David B Lombard
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Gerontology, and Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Amanda W Lund
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology and Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kerrie L Marie
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Marine
- Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Richard Marais
- CRUK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Alderley Park, Macclesfield SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Martin McMahon
- Department of Dermatology & Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Carla Daniela Robles-Espinoza
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Santiago de Querétaro 76230, Mexico; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ze'ev A Ronai
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yardena Samuels
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Maria S Soengas
- Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jessie Villanueva
- The Wistar Institute, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ashani T Weeraratna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Richard M White
- Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics and Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iwei Yeh
- Departments of Dermatology and Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jiyue Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Leonard I Zon
- Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc S Hurlbert
- Melanoma Research Alliance, 730 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA
| | - Glenn Merlino
- Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, 37 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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20
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Assenmacher CA, Santagostino SF, Oyama MA, Marine JC, Bonvin E, Radaelli E. Classification and Grading of Melanocytic Lesions in a Mouse Model of NRAS-driven Melanomagenesis. J Histochem Cytochem 2020; 69:203-218. [PMID: 33283624 DOI: 10.1369/0022155420977970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse line carrying the Tg(Tyr-NRAS*Q61K)1Bee transgene is widely used to model in vivo NRAS-driven melanomagenesis. Although the pathological features of this model are well described, classification and interpretation of the resulting proliferative lesions-including their origin, evolution, grading, and pathobiological significance-are still unclear and not supported by molecular and biological evidence. Focusing on their classification and grading, this work combines histopathology and expression analysis (using both immunohistochemistry [IHC] and quantitative PCR) of selected biomarkers to study the full spectrum of cutaneous and lymph nodal melanocytic proliferations in the Tg(Tyr-NRAS*Q61K)1Bee mouse. The analysis of cutaneous and lymph nodal melanocytic proliferations has demonstrated that a linear correlation exists between tumor grade and Ki-67, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), gp100, and nestin IHC, with a significantly increased expression in high-grade lesions compared with low-grade lesions. The accuracy of the assessment of MITF IHC in melanomas was also confirmed by quantitative PCR analysis. In conclusion, we believe the incorporation of MITF, Ki-67, gp100, and nestin analysis into the histopathological classification/grading scheme of melanocytic proliferations described for this model will help to assess with accuracy the nature and evolution of the phenotype, monitor disease progression, and predict response to experimental treatment or other preclinical manipulations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mark A Oyama
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Elise Bonvin
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Research Center, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Enrico Radaelli
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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21
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Scalia P, Giordano A, Martini C, Williams SJ. Isoform- and Paralog-Switching in IR-Signaling: When Diabetes Opens the Gates to Cancer. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10121617. [PMID: 33266015 PMCID: PMC7761347 DOI: 10.3390/biom10121617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin receptor (IR) and IR-related signaling defects have been shown to trigger insulin-resistance in insulin-dependent cells and ultimately to give rise to type 2 diabetes in mammalian organisms. IR expression is ubiquitous in mammalian tissues, and its over-expression is also a common finding in cancerous cells. This latter finding has been shown to associate with both a relative and absolute increase in IR isoform-A (IR-A) expression, missing 12 aa in its EC subunit corresponding to exon 11. Since IR-A is a high-affinity transducer of Insulin-like Growth Factor-II (IGF-II) signals, a growth factor is often secreted by cancer cells; such event offers a direct molecular link between IR-A/IR-B increased ratio in insulin resistance states (obesity and type 2 diabetes) and the malignant advantage provided by IGF-II to solid tumors. Nonetheless, recent findings on the biological role of isoforms for cellular signaling components suggest that the preferential expression of IR isoform-A may be part of a wider contextual isoform-expression switch in downstream regulatory factors, potentially enhancing IR-dependent oncogenic effects. The present review focuses on the role of isoform- and paralog-dependent variability in the IR and downstream cellular components playing a potential role in the modulation of the IR-A signaling related to the changes induced by insulin-resistance-linked conditions as well as to their relationship with the benign versus malignant transition in underlying solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Scalia
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (A.G.); (C.M.); (S.J.W.)
- ISOPROG-Somatolink EPFP Network, Functional Research Unit, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and 93100 Caltanissetta, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (A.G.); (C.M.); (S.J.W.)
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 52100 Siena, Italy
| | - Caroline Martini
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (A.G.); (C.M.); (S.J.W.)
| | - Stephen J. Williams
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; (A.G.); (C.M.); (S.J.W.)
- ISOPROG-Somatolink EPFP Network, Functional Research Unit, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA and 93100 Caltanissetta, Italy
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22
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Watanabe S, Shimomura A, Kubo T, Sekimizu M, Seo T, Watanabe SI, Kawai A, Yamamoto N, Tamura K, Kohno T, Ichikawa H, Yoshida A. BRAF V600E mutation is a potential therapeutic target for a small subset of synovial sarcoma. Mod Pathol 2020; 33:1660-1668. [PMID: 32238877 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-020-0530-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive tumor that most often affects the deep soft tissues in young adults. Intrathoracic SS is rare and is associated with poor outcome, highlighting the urgent need for a novel therapeutic strategy. In the process of clinical sequencing, we identified two patients with intrathoracic SS harboring the BRAF V600E mutation. The patients were women aged 32 and 23 years, and both presented with SS18-SSX2-positive monophasic SS in the thoracic cavity. BRAF V600E mutations were detected by next generation sequencing, and validated immunohistochemically by diffuse intense positivity to BRAF V600E mutation-specific antibodies. The phosphorylated ERK (pERK) immunohistochemistry result was also positive. One patient received a combination therapy of dabrafenib and trametinib, which led to tumor shrinkage. However, the tumor growth progressed 7.5 months later with an additional NRAS Q61K mutation. Immunohistochemical screening of 67 archival SS tumor samples failed to identify additional samples with BRAF V600E mutation. However, 32% of BRAF V600E-negative cases was positive for pERK, and one of the six tumors showing the highest pERK expression harbored an FGFR2-activating mutation. This is the first report of targetable BRAF mutation in a small subset of SS. Our study suggests involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and the potential clinical implication of BRAF mutation screening in SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Watanabe
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute/Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center East, Chiba, Japan
| | - Akihiko Shimomura
- Department of Breast and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kubo
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Clinical Genomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaya Sekimizu
- Department of Clinical Genomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuji Seo
- Department of Breast and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Watanabe
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Kawai
- Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Rare Cancer Center, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noboru Yamamoto
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Tamura
- Department of Breast and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kohno
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ichikawa
- Division of Translational Genomics, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Clinical Genomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yoshida
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. .,Rare Cancer Center, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
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23
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Drosten M, Barbacid M. Targeting the MAPK Pathway in KRAS-Driven Tumors. Cancer Cell 2020; 37:543-550. [PMID: 32289276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
KRAS mutations occur in a quarter of all of human cancers, yet no selective drug has been approved to treat these tumors. Despite the recent development of drugs that block KRASG12C, the majority of KRAS oncoproteins remain undruggable. Here, we review recent efforts to validate individual components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway as targets to treat KRAS-mutant cancers by comparing genetic information derived from experimental mouse models of KRAS-driven lung and pancreatic tumors with the outcome of selective MAPK inhibitors in clinical trials. We also review the potential of RAF1 as a key target to block KRAS-mutant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Drosten
- Molecular Oncology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mariano Barbacid
- Molecular Oncology Programme, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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24
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Pathria G, Lee JS, Hasnis E, Tandoc K, Scott DA, Verma S, Feng Y, Larue L, Sahu AD, Topisirovic I, Ruppin E, Ronai ZA. Translational reprogramming marks adaptation to asparagine restriction in cancer. Nat Cell Biol 2019; 21:1590-1603. [PMID: 31740775 PMCID: PMC7307327 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0415-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
While amino acid restriction remains an attractive strategy for cancer therapy, metabolic adaptations limit its effectiveness. Here we demonstrate a role of translational reprogramming in the survival of asparagine-restricted cancer cells. Asparagine limitation in melanoma and pancreatic cancer cells activates RTK-MAPK as part of a feedforward mechanism involving mTORC1-dependent increase in MNK1 and eIF4E, resulting in enhanced translation of ATF4 mRNA. MAPK inhibition attenuates translational induction of ATF4 and the expression of its target asparagine biosynthesis enzyme ASNS, sensitizing melanoma and pancreatic tumors to asparagine restriction, reflected in their growth inhibition. Correspondingly, low ASNS expression is among the top predictors of response to MAPK signaling inhibitors in melanoma patients and is associated with favorable prognosis, when combined with low MAPK signaling activity. While unveiling a previously unknown axis of adaptation to asparagine deprivation, these studies offer the rationale for clinical evaluation of MAPK inhibitors in combination with asparagine restriction approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Pathria
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Joo Sang Lee
- Cancer Data Science Lab (CDSL), National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Erez Hasnis
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kristofferson Tandoc
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Lady Davis Institute, SMBD Jewish General Hospital, and Departments of Experimental Medicine and Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David A Scott
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sachin Verma
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yongmei Feng
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lionel Larue
- Normal and Pathological Development of Melanocytes, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, INSERM U1021, Orsay, France.,Universitê Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR 3347, Orsay, France.,Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Orsay, France
| | - Avinash D Sahu
- Harvard School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ivan Topisirovic
- Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Lab (CDSL), National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ze'ev A Ronai
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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25
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Atypical BRAF and NRAS Mutations in Mucosal Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081133. [PMID: 31398831 PMCID: PMC6721527 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary mucosal melanomas represent a minority of melanomas, but have a significantly worse prognosis than cutaneous melanomas. A better characterization of the molecular pathogenesis of this melanoma subtype could help us understand the risk factors associated with the development of mucosal melanomas and highlight therapeutic targets. Because the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway plays such a significant role in melanoma development, we explore v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) and neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) mutations in mucosal melanoma and compare them to the mutation profiles in cutaneous melanoma and other tumors with BRAF and NRAS mutations. We show that in addition to being less frequent, BRAF and NRAS mutations are different in mucosal melanoma compared to cutaneous melanomas. Strikingly, the BRAF and NRAS mutation profiles in mucosal melanoma are closer to those found in cancers such as lung cancer, suggesting that mutations in mucosal melanoma could be linked to some genotoxic agents that remain to be identified. We also show that the atypical BRAF and NRAS mutations found in mucosal melanomas have particular effects on protein activities, which could be essential for the transformation of mucosal melanocytes.
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26
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Boned Del Río I, Young LC, Sari S, Jones GG, Ringham-Terry B, Hartig N, Rejnowicz E, Lei W, Bhamra A, Surinova S, Rodriguez-Viciana P. SHOC2 complex-driven RAF dimerization selectively contributes to ERK pathway dynamics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:13330-13339. [PMID: 31213532 PMCID: PMC6613145 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902658116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the crucial role of RAF kinases in cell signaling and disease, we still lack a complete understanding of their regulation. Heterodimerization of RAF kinases as well as dephosphorylation of a conserved "S259" inhibitory site are important steps for RAF activation but the precise mechanisms and dynamics remain unclear. A ternary complex comprised of SHOC2, MRAS, and PP1 (SHOC2 complex) functions as a RAF S259 holophosphatase and gain-of-function mutations in SHOC2, MRAS, and PP1 that promote complex formation are found in Noonan syndrome. Here we show that SHOC2 complex-mediated S259 RAF dephosphorylation is critically required for growth factor-induced RAF heterodimerization as well as for MEK dissociation from BRAF. We also uncover SHOC2-independent mechanisms of RAF and ERK pathway activation that rely on N-region phosphorylation of CRAF. In DLD-1 cells stimulated with EGF, SHOC2 function is essential for a rapid transient phase of ERK activation, but is not required for a slow, sustained phase that is instead driven by palmitoylated H/N-RAS proteins and CRAF. Whereas redundant SHOC2-dependent and -independent mechanisms of RAF and ERK activation make SHOC2 dispensable for proliferation in 2D, KRAS mutant cells preferentially rely on SHOC2 for ERK signaling under anchorage-independent conditions. Our study highlights a context-dependent contribution of SHOC2 to ERK pathway dynamics that is preferentially engaged by KRAS oncogenic signaling and provides a biochemical framework for selective ERK pathway inhibition by targeting the SHOC2 holophosphatase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Boned Del Río
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Lucy C Young
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Sibel Sari
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Greg G Jones
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Benjamin Ringham-Terry
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Nicole Hartig
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Ewa Rejnowicz
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Winnie Lei
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms
| | - Amandeep Bhamra
- Proteomics Research Core Facility, University College London Cancer Institute, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Surinova
- Proteomics Research Core Facility, University College London Cancer Institute, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Rodriguez-Viciana
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, WC1E 6DD London, United Kingdoms;
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27
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Beneker CM, Rovoli M, Kontopidis G, Röring M, Galda S, Braun S, Brummer T, McInnes C. Design and Synthesis of Type-IV Inhibitors of BRAF Kinase That Block Dimerization and Overcome Paradoxical MEK/ERK Activation. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3886-3897. [PMID: 30977659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the clinical success of BRAF inhibitors like vemurafenib in treating metastatic melanoma, resistance has emerged through "paradoxical MEK/ERK signaling" where transactivation of one protomer occurs as a result of drug inhibition of the other partner in the activated dimer. The importance of the dimerization interface in the signaling potential of wild-type BRAF in cells expressing oncogenic Ras has recently been demonstrated and proposed as a site of therapeutic intervention in targeting cancers resistant to adenosine triphosphate competitive drugs. The proof of concept for a structure-guided approach targeting the dimerization interface is described through the design and synthesis of macrocyclic peptides that bind with high affinity to BRAF and that block paradoxical signaling in malignant melanoma cells occurring through this drug target. The lead compounds identified are type-IV kinase inhibitors and represent an ideal framework for conversion into next-generation BRAF inhibitors through macrocyclic drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M Beneker
- Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences , College of Pharmacy , Columbia , South Carolina 29208 , United States
| | - Magdalini Rovoli
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Thessaly , Karditsa 43131 , Greece
| | - George Kontopidis
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Thessaly , Karditsa 43131 , Greece
| | - Michael Röring
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine , University of Freiburg , Freiburg 79085 , Germany
| | - Simeon Galda
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine , University of Freiburg , Freiburg 79085 , Germany
| | - Sandra Braun
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine , University of Freiburg , Freiburg 79085 , Germany
| | - Tilman Brummer
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine , University of Freiburg , Freiburg 79085 , Germany.,Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, BIOSS , University of Freiburg , Schänzlestrasse 18 , Freiburg 79104 , Germany.,German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research DKTK, Partner Site Freiburg , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) , Heidelberg 69120 , Germany
| | - Campbell McInnes
- Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences , College of Pharmacy , Columbia , South Carolina 29208 , United States
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28
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Wei CY, Zhu MX, Yang YW, Zhang PF, Yang X, Peng R, Gao C, Lu JC, Wang L, Deng XY, Lu NH, Qi FZ, Gu JY. Downregulation of RNF128 activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling to induce cellular EMT and stemness via CD44 and CTTN ubiquitination in melanoma. J Hematol Oncol 2019; 12:21. [PMID: 30832692 PMCID: PMC6399928 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-019-0711-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ring finger proteins (RNFs) were involved in carcinogenesis. Here, we aimed to explore the detailed mechanism of RNF128 in the progression of melanoma. METHODS We reanalyzed several gene expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and obtained the overlapped differential expressed RNF genes. Among them, RNF128 was selected to further explore its expression, the biological significance, and the underlying molecular mechanism, as well as the clinical relevance in melanoma patients. RESULTS RNF128 was found to be significantly downregulated in the selected datasets, which was further verified in our melanoma tissues. Moreover, RNF128 downregulation was shown to correlate with the malignant phenotype of melanoma, and further functional assays demonstrated that low levels of RNF128 promoted melanoma progression via inducing cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the acquisition of stemness. Mechanistically, RNF128 interference activated the Wnt pathway via simultaneously ubiquitinating CD44/cortactin (CTTN), resulting in CD44 and c-Myc transcription, thus revealed that RNF128 participated in a positive feedback of the Wnt pathway-CD44 loop. Clinically, we found that patients expressing low RNF128 and high CD44/CTTN levels had a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION Downregulated RNF128 activates Wnt signaling to induce cellular EMT and stemness by ubiquitinating and degrading CD44/CTTN, and RNF128 is a reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, and a deeper understanding of RNF128 may contribute to the treatment of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Yuan Wei
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.,Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng-Xuan Zhu
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Wen Yang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng-Fei Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Peng
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Gao
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Cheng Lu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Yi Deng
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan-Hang Lu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Fa-Zhi Qi
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Ying Gu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
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29
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Yang S, Gao X, He Y, Hu Y, Xu B, Cheng Z, Xiang M, Xie Y. Applying an innovative biodegradable self-assembly nanomicelles to deliver α-mangostin for improving anti-melanoma activity. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:146. [PMID: 30770785 PMCID: PMC6377678 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1323-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
α-Mangostin (αM), a traditional natural product with promising application of treating a series of diseases, was limited use in clinical due to its hydrophobicity. Herein, MPEG-PCL nanomicelles were used to embed the αM for resolving hydrophobicity and improving the anti-melanoma effect of the αM. The anti-melanoma activity and potential mechanisms of biodegradable αM/MPEG-PCL nanomicelles were investigated. The αM/MPEG-PCL nanomicelles possessed a stronger effect on anti-melanoma compared to the free αM both in vitro and in vivo with a low cytotoxicity in non-tumor cell lines. In the research of mechanisms, the αM/MPEG-PCL nanomicelles inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cell, induced apoptosis via both apoptosis pathways of intrinsic and exogenous in vitro, as well as suppressed tumor growth and restrained angiogenesis in vivo, which implied that the αM/MPEG-PCL nanomicelles have potential application as a novel chemotherapeutic agent in melanoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuping Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
| | - Yihong He
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Yuzhu Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Bocheng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China
| | - Zhiqiang Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Mingli Xiang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
| | - Yongmei Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery and Institute of Neurosurgery, State Key Lab of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, PR China.
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30
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MAP kinase and autophagy pathways cooperate to maintain RAS mutant cancer cell survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:4508-4517. [PMID: 30709910 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817494116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations in the small GTPase KRAS are frequently found in human cancers, and, currently, there are no effective targeted therapies for these tumors. Using a combinatorial siRNA approach, we analyzed a panel of KRAS mutant colorectal and pancreatic cancer cell lines for their dependency on 28 gene nodes that represent canonical RAS effector pathways and selected stress response pathways. We found that RAF node knockdown best differentiated KRAS mutant and KRAS WT cancer cells, suggesting RAF kinases are key oncoeffectors for KRAS addiction. By analyzing all 376 pairwise combination of these gene nodes, we found that cotargeting the RAF, RAC, and autophagy pathways can improve the capture of KRAS dependency better than targeting RAF alone. In particular, codepletion of the oncoeffector kinases BRAF and CRAF, together with the autophagy E1 ligase ATG7, gives the best therapeutic window between KRAS mutant cells and normal, untransformed cells. Distinct patterns of RAS effector dependency were observed across KRAS mutant cell lines, indicative of heterogeneous utilization of effector and stress response pathways in supporting KRAS addiction. Our findings revealed previously unappreciated complexity in the signaling network downstream of the KRAS oncogene and suggest rational target combinations for more effective therapeutic intervention.
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Translational control of tumor immune escape via the eIF4F-STAT1-PD-L1 axis in melanoma. Nat Med 2018; 24:1877-1886. [PMID: 30374200 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0217-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Preventing the immune escape of tumor cells by blocking inhibitory checkpoints, such as the interaction between programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor, is a powerful anticancer approach. However, many patients do not respond to checkpoint blockade. Tumor PD-L1 expression is a potential efficacy biomarker, but the complex mechanisms underlying its regulation are not completely understood. Here, we show that the eukaryotic translation initiation complex, eIF4F, which binds the 5' cap of mRNAs, regulates the surface expression of interferon-γ-induced PD-L1 on cancer cells by regulating translation of the mRNA encoding the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) transcription factor. eIF4F complex formation correlates with response to immunotherapy in human melanoma. Pharmacological inhibition of eIF4A, the RNA helicase component of eIF4F, elicits powerful antitumor immune-mediated effects via PD-L1 downregulation. Thus, eIF4A inhibitors, in development as anticancer drugs, may also act as cancer immunotherapies.
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32
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Schneider T, Martinez-Martinez A, Cubillos-Rojas M, Bartrons R, Ventura F, Rosa JL. The E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC1 controls the ERK signaling pathway targeting C-RAF for degradation. Oncotarget 2018; 9:31531-31548. [PMID: 30140388 PMCID: PMC6101136 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The RAF/MEK/ERK cascade is a conserved intracellular signaling pathway that controls fundamental cellular processes including growth, proliferation, differentiation, survival and migration. Aberrant regulation of this signaling pathway has long been associated with human cancers. A major point of regulation of this pathway occurs at the level of the serine/threonine protein kinase C-RAF. Here, we show how the E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC1 regulates ERK signaling. HERC1 knockdown induced cellular proliferation, which is associated with an increase in ERK phosphorylation and in C-RAF protein levels. We demonstrate that overexpression of wild-type C-RAF is sufficient to increase ERK phosphorylation. Experiments with pharmacological inhibitors of RAF activity, or with interference RNA, show that the regulation of ERK phosphorylation by HERC1 is RAF-dependent. Immunoprecipitation, pull-down and confocal fluorescence microscopy experiments demonstrate an interaction between HERC1 and C-RAF proteins. Mechanistically, HERC1 controls C-RAF stability by regulating its polyubiquitylation in a lysine 48-linked chain. In vitro ubiquitylation assays indicate that C-RAF is a substrate of the E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC1. Altogether, we show how HERC1 can regulate cell proliferation through the activation of ERK signaling by a mechanism that affects C-RAF’s stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiane Schneider
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, IDIBELL, Campus Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arturo Martinez-Martinez
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, IDIBELL, Campus Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Monica Cubillos-Rojas
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, IDIBELL, Campus Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Bartrons
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, IDIBELL, Campus Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Ventura
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, IDIBELL, Campus Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Rosa
- Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques, IDIBELL, Campus Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Del Curatolo A, Conciatori F, Cesta Incani U, Bazzichetto C, Falcone I, Corbo V, D'Agosto S, Eramo A, Sette G, Sperduti I, De Luca T, Marabese M, Shirasawa S, De Maria R, Scarpa A, Broggini M, Del Bufalo D, Cognetti F, Milella M, Ciuffreda L. Therapeutic potential of combined BRAF/MEK blockade in BRAF-wild type preclinical tumor models. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2018; 37:140. [PMID: 29986755 PMCID: PMC6038340 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-018-0820-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Mounting evidence suggests that RAF-mediated MEK activation plays a crucial role in paradox MAPK (re)activation, leading to resistance and therapeutic failure with agents hitting a single step along the MAPK cascade. Methods We examined the molecular and functional effects of single and combined BRAF (dabrafenib), pan-RAF (RAF265), MEK (trametinib) and EGFR/HER2 (lapatinib) inhibition, using Western Blot and conservative isobologram analysis to assess functional synergism, and explored genetic determinants of synergistic interactions. Immunoprecipitation based assays were used to detect the interaction between BRAF and CRAF. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparing quantitative variables. Results Here we demonstrated that a combination of MEK and BRAF inhibitors overcomes paradoxical MAPK activation (induced by BRAF inhibitors) in BRAF-wt/RAS-mut NSCLC and PDAC in vitro. This results in growth inhibitory synergism, both in vitro and in vivo, in the majority (65%) of the cellular models analyzed, encompassing cell lines and patient-derived cancer stem cells and organoids. However, RAS mutational status is not the sole determinant of functional synergism between RAF and MEK inhibitors, as demonstrated in KRAS isogenic tumor cell line models. Moreover, in EGFR-driven contexts, paradoxical MAPK (re)activation in response to selective BRAF inhibition was dependent on EGFR family signaling and could be offset by simultaneous EGFR/HER-2 blockade. Conclusions Overall, our data indicate that RAF inhibition-induced paradoxical MAPK activation could be exploited for therapeutic purposes by simultaneously targeting both RAF and MEK (and potentially EGFR family members) in appropriate molecular contexts. KRAS mutation per se does not effectively predict therapeutic synergism and other biomarkers need to be developed to identify patients potentially deriving benefit from combined BRAF/MEK targeting. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-018-0820-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anais Del Curatolo
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.,ARC-Net Research Centre and Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Fabiana Conciatori
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.,University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Ursula Cesta Incani
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Bazzichetto
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.,University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Italia Falcone
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Corbo
- ARC-Net Research Centre and Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Sabrina D'Agosto
- ARC-Net Research Centre and Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Adriana Eramo
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sette
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa De Luca
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Mirko Marabese
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy
| | - Senji Shirasawa
- Central Research Institute for Advanced Molecular Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Institute of General Pathology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- ARC-Net Research Centre and Department of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Massimo Broggini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Oncology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy
| | - Donatella Del Bufalo
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Cognetti
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
| | - Ludovica Ciuffreda
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Abravanel DL, Nishino M, Sholl LM, Ambrogio C, Awad MM. An Acquired NRAS Q61K Mutation in BRAF V600E-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma Resistant to Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib. J Thorac Oncol 2018; 13:e131-e133. [PMID: 29631033 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2018.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Abravanel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mizuki Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lynette M Sholl
- Center for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chiara Ambrogio
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mark M Awad
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
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35
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[What's new in dermatological research?]. Ann Dermatol Venereol 2017; 144 Suppl 4:IVS16-IVS22. [PMID: 29249248 DOI: 10.1016/s0151-9638(17)31061-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This manuscript provides a selection of dermatological research manuscripts published from September 2016 to August 2017. It is not an exhaustive review but rather a selection of manuscripts susceptible to modify the dermatological practice or affording new pathophysiologic mechanisms and new therapeutic approaches. The following areas of interest are concerned: recognition of dermatological images by artificial intelligence, new concepts in atopic dermatitis, wound repair and hair growth cycle. New data concerning melanomagenesis, epidermolysis bullosa simplex and drug eruption are also highlighted.
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Druillennec S, Pouponnot C, Eychène A. NRAS-driven melanoma: A RAF can hide another. Mol Cell Oncol 2017; 4:e1344758. [PMID: 29209643 PMCID: PMC5706944 DOI: 10.1080/23723556.2017.1344758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Using mouse genetics, we recently showed that BRAF has a critical role in initiation of NRAS-driven melanoma that cannot be compensated by CRAF. In contrast, RAF proteins display compensatory functions in fully established tumors and ARAF can sustain proliferation in the absence of BRAF and CRAF, highlighting an addiction to RAF signaling in NRAS-driven melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Druillennec
- Institut Curie, Orsay, France.,INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France.,CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France.,Université Paris Sud-11, Orsay, France.,Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Celio Pouponnot
- Institut Curie, Orsay, France.,INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France.,CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France.,Université Paris Sud-11, Orsay, France.,Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Alain Eychène
- Institut Curie, Orsay, France.,INSERM U1021, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France.,CNRS UMR 3347, Centre Universitaire, Orsay, France.,Université Paris Sud-11, Orsay, France.,Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
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