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Pearson AD, DuBois SG, Macy ME, de Rojas T, Donoghue M, Weiner S, Knoderer H, Bernardi R, Buenger V, Canaud G, Cantley L, Chung J, Fox E, Friend J, Glade-Bender J, Gorbatchevsky I, Gore L, Gupta A, Hawkins DS, Juric D, Lang LA, Leach D, Liaw D, Lesa G, Ligas F, Lindberg G, Lindberg W, Ludwinski D, Marshall L, Mazar A, McDonough J, Nysom K, Ours C, Pappo A, Parsons DW, Rosenfeld A, Scobie N, Smith M, Taylor D, Weigel B, Weinstein A, Karres D, Vassal G. Paediatric strategy forum for medicinal product development of PI3-K, mTOR, AKT and GSK3β inhibitors in children and adolescents with cancer. Eur J Cancer 2024; 207:114145. [PMID: 38936103 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.114145] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) signalling pathway is a crucial path in cancer for cell survival and thus represents an intriguing target for new paediatric anti-cancer drugs. However, the unique clinical toxicities of targeting this pathway (resulting in hyperglycaemia) difficulties combining with chemotherapy, rarity of mutations in childhood tumours and concomitant mutations have resulted in major barriers to clinical translation of these inhibitors in treating both adults and children. Mutations in PIK3CA predict response to PI3-K inhibitors in adult cancers. The same mutations occur in children as in adults, but they are significantly less frequent in paediatrics. In children, high-grade gliomas, especially diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), have the highest incidence of PIK3CA mutations. New mutation-specific PI3-K inhibitors reduce toxicity from on-target PI3-Kα wild-type activity. The mTOR inhibitor everolimus is approved for subependymal giant cell astrocytomas. In paediatric cancers, mTOR inhibitors have been predominantly evaluated by academia, without an overall strategy, in empiric, mutation-agnostic clinical trials with very low response rates to monotherapy. Therefore, future trials of single agent or combination strategies of mTOR inhibitors in childhood cancer should be supported by very strong biological rationale and preclinical data. Further preclinical evaluation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta inhibitors is required. Similarly, even where there is an AKT mutation (∼0.1 %), the role of AKT inhibitors in paediatric cancers remains unclear. Patient advocates strongly urged analysing and conserving data from every child participating in a clinical trial. A priority is to evaluate mutation-specific, central nervous system-penetrant PI3-K inhibitors in children with DMG in a rational biological combination. The choice of combination, should be based on the genomic landscape e.g. PTEN loss and resistance mechanisms supported by preclinical data. However, in view of the very rare populations involved, innovative regulatory approaches are needed to generate data for an indication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven G DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ronald Bernardi
- Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Vickie Buenger
- Coalition Against Childhood Cancer (CAC2), Philadelphia, USA
| | | | | | - John Chung
- Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Whippany, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Abha Gupta
- The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Princess Margaret Hospital Toronto, Canada
| | | | | | - Leigh Anna Lang
- Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | - Giovanni Lesa
- Paediatric Medicines Office, Scientific Evidence Generation Department, Human Division, European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Netherlands
| | - Franca Ligas
- Paediatric Medicines Office, Scientific Evidence Generation Department, Human Division, European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Lynley Marshall
- The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK; The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | | | - Joe McDonough
- The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | | | - Christopher Ours
- National Human Genome Research Institute/National Institutes of Health, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Amy Weinstein
- Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the US, Atlanta, USA
| | - Dominik Karres
- Paediatric Medicines Office, Scientific Evidence Generation Department, Human Division, European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Netherlands
| | - Gilles Vassal
- ACCELERATE, Europe, Belgium; Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre, Paris, France
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Chen Y, Steiner S, Hagedorn C, Kollar S, Pliego-Mendieta A, Haberecker M, Plock J, Britschgi C, Planas-Paz L, Pauli C. Acquired NF2 mutation confers resistance to TRK inhibition in an ex vivo LMNA::NTRK1-rearranged soft-tissue sarcoma cell model. J Pathol 2024; 263:257-269. [PMID: 38613194 DOI: 10.1002/path.6282] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Genomic rearrangements of the neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase genes (NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3) are the most common mechanism of oncogenic activation for this family of receptors, resulting in sustained cancer cell proliferation. Several targeted therapies have been approved for tumours harbouring NTRK fusions and a new generation of TRK inhibitors has already been developed due to acquired resistance. We established a patient-derived LMNA::NTRK1-rearranged soft-tissue sarcoma cell model ex vivo with an acquired resistance to targeted TRK inhibition. Molecular profiling of the resistant clones revealed an acquired NF2 loss of function mutation that was absent in the parental cell model. Parental cells showed continuous sensitivity to TRK-targeted treatment, whereas the resistant clones were insensitive. Furthermore, resistant clones showed upregulation of the MAPK and mTOR/AKT pathways in the gene expression based on RNA sequencing data and increased sensitivity to MEK and mTOR inhibitor therapy. Drug synergy was seen using trametinib and rapamycin in combination with entrectinib. Medium-throughput drug screening further identified small compounds as potential drug candidates to overcome resistance as monotherapy or in combination with entrectinib. In summary, we developed a comprehensive model of drug resistance in an LMNA::NTRK1-rearranged soft-tissue sarcoma and have broadened the understanding of acquired drug resistance to targeted TRK therapy. Furthermore, we identified drug combinations and small compounds to overcome acquired drug resistance and potentially guide patient care in a functional precision oncology setting. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjiang Chen
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Steiner
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Hagedorn
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Kollar
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alicia Pliego-Mendieta
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Haberecker
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Plock
- Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
- Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Britschgi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lara Planas-Paz
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Pauli
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Peacock BC, Tripathy S, Hanania HL, Wang HY, Sadighi Z, Patel AB. Cutaneous toxicities of mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors in children and young adults with neurofibromatosis-1. J Neurooncol 2024; 167:515-522. [PMID: 38443692 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-024-04617-2] [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: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder which commonly causes neoplasms leading to disfigurement or dysfunction. Mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors (MEKi) are generally well-tolerated treatments which target neural tumor progression in patients with NF1. However, cutaneous adverse events (CAEs) are common and may hinder patients' abilities to remain on treatment, particularly in children. We aim to characterize CAEs secondary to MEKi treatment in pediatric and young adult patients with NF1. METHODS We reviewed institutional medical records of patients under 30 years with a diagnosis of "NF1," "NF2," or "other neurofibromatoses" on MEKi therapy between January 1, 2019 and June 1, 2022. We recorded the time-to-onset, type, and distribution of CAEs, non-cutaneous adverse events (AEs), AE management, and tumor response. RESULTS Our cohort consisted of 40 patients with NF1 (median age, 14 years). Tumor types included low-grade gliomas (51%) and plexiform neurofibromas (38%). MEKi used included selumetinib (69%), trametinib (25%), and mirdametinib (6%). A total of 74 CAEs occurred, with 28 cases of acneiform rash (38%). Other common CAEs were paronychia, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, xerosis, and oral mucositis. The most common treatments included oral antibiotics and topical corticosteroids. Most patients had clinical (stable or improved) tumor response (71%) while 29% had tumor progression while on a MEKi. There was no significant association between CAE presence and tumor response (p = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS Improvement in characterization of MEKi toxicities and their management is important to develop treatment guidelines for pediatric and young adult patients with NF1 on MEKi therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna C Peacock
- Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sanjna Tripathy
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Zsila Sadighi
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anisha B Patel
- Department of Dermatology, Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Box 1452, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Fisher B, Meyer A, Brown A, Conway Keller M, McKeown T, Tiller J, Saylor KM, Duffy EA. Evidence-Based Recommendations for Education Provided to Patients and Families Regarding the Adverse Events of ALK and MEK Inhibitors: A Systematic Review From the Children's Oncology Group. JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY NURSING 2024; 41:114-128. [PMID: 38549368 PMCID: PMC11145517 DOI: 10.1177/27527530231206101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Background: Pediatric oncology patients receive multiple modalities of therapy to treat their malignancies. These modalities have the potential for acute toxicity and late effects. In the last decade, a new modality known as targeted biological therapy, has become an integral part of treatment for pediatric cancers. As targeted therapy use has increased, adverse events specific to these targeted agents have emerged, requiring a new effort focused on providing education to patients and families regarding how best to report, monitor, and manage these adverse events. Method: A clinical question was developed to guide the systematic literature review. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors were selected for review due to their frequency of use in pediatric oncology. The search was conducted to identify relevant articles published between January 1, 2000 and May 5, 2020. Articles were screened by two team members for inclusion/exclusion criteria using the web-based systematic review tool, Rayyan. Results: Twenty-seven articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion and were evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria. Adverse events for ALK and MEK inhibitors included manifestations of the gastrointestinal, hematologic, dermatologic, musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, and ocular systems. Recommendations for patient/family education were made for ALK and MEK inhibitors based on the reported adverse events. Conclusions: Adverse events of ALK and MEK inhibitors differ from the more common adverse events experienced with conventional treatment modalities used in pediatric oncology. It is important for nurses to include information regarding potential adverse events in patient/family education for children receiving these targeted agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Fisher
- Augusta University College of Nursing, Augusta University—Children's Hospital of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
- Augusta University College of Nursing, Augusta University—Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ashley Meyer
- St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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Tan YQ, Sun B, Zhang X, Zhang S, Guo H, Basappa B, Zhu T, Sethi G, Lobie PE, Pandey V. Concurrent inhibition of pBADS99 synergistically improves MEK inhibitor efficacy in KRAS G12D-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:173. [PMID: 38409090 PMCID: PMC10897366 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06551-7] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic targeting of KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has remained a significant challenge in clinical oncology. Direct targeting of KRAS has proven difficult, and inhibition of the KRAS effectors have shown limited success due to compensatory activation of survival pathways. Being a core downstream effector of the KRAS-driven p44/42 MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways governing intrinsic apoptosis, BAD phosphorylation emerges as a promising therapeutic target. Herein, a positive association of the pBADS99/BAD ratio with higher disease stage and worse overall survival of PDAC was observed. Homology-directed repair of BAD to BADS99A or small molecule inhibition of BADS99 phosphorylation by NCK significantly reduced PDAC cell viability by promoting cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. NCK also abrogated the growth of preformed colonies of PDAC cells in 3D culture. Furthermore, high-throughput screening with an oncology drug library to identify potential combinations revealed a strong synergistic effect between NCK and MEK inhibitors in PDAC cells harboring either wild-type or mutant-KRAS. Mechanistically, both mutant-KRAS and MEK inhibition increased the phosphorylation of BADS99 in PDAC cells, an effect abrogated by NCK. Combined pBADS99-MEK inhibition demonstrated strong synergy in reducing cell viability, enhancing apoptosis, and achieving xenograft stasis in KRAS-mutant PDAC. In conclusion, the inhibition of BADS99 phosphorylation enhances the efficacy of MEK inhibition, and their combined inhibition represents a mechanistically based and potentially effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of KRAS-mutant PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Qin Tan
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
- Food Science and Technology Program, Department of Life Sciences, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai, 519087, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Bowen Sun
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuwei Zhang
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Guo
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Basappa Basappa
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Studies in Organic Chemistry, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, 570006, Mysore, India
| | - Tao Zhu
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117600, Singapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Peter E Lobie
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Vijay Pandey
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering and Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
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Adamopoulos C, Cave DD, Papavassiliou AG. Inhibition of the RAF/MEK/ERK Signaling Cascade in Pancreatic Cancer: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1631. [PMID: 38338909 PMCID: PMC10855714 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer represents a formidable challenge in oncology, primarily due to its aggressive nature and limited therapeutic options. The prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the main form of pancreatic cancer, remains disappointingly poor with a 5-year overall survival of only 5%. Almost 95% of PDAC patients harbor Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) oncogenic mutations. KRAS activates downstream intracellular pathways, most notably the rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (RAF)/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling axis. Dysregulation of the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway is a crucial feature of pancreatic cancer and therefore its main components, RAF, MEK and ERK kinases, have been targeted pharmacologically, largely by small-molecule inhibitors. The recent advances in the development of inhibitors not only directly targeting the RAF/MEK/ERK pathway but also indirectly through inhibition of its regulators, such as Src homology-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) and Son of sevenless homolog 1 (SOS1), provide new therapeutic opportunities. Moreover, the discovery of allele-specific small-molecule inhibitors against mutant KRAS variants has brought excitement for successful innovations in the battle against pancreatic cancer. Herein, we review the recent advances in targeted therapy and combinatorial strategies with focus on the current preclinical and clinical approaches, providing critical insight, underscoring the potential of these efforts and supporting their promise to improve the lives of patients with PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Adamopoulos
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Donatella Delle Cave
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics ‘Adriano Buzzati-Traverso’, CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Athanasios G. Papavassiliou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
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Melillo N, Dickinson J, Tan L, Mistry HB, Huber HJ. Radius additivity score: a novel combination index for tumour growth inhibition in fixed-dose xenograft studies. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1272058. [PMID: 37900154 PMCID: PMC10603293 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1272058] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of combination therapies in many cancers has often been shown to be superior to that of monotherapies. This success is commonly attributed to drug synergies. Combinations of two (or more) drugs in xenograft tumor growth inhibition (TGI) studies are typically designed at fixed doses for each compound. The available methods for assessing synergy in such study designs are based on combination indices (CI) and model-based analyses. The former methods are suitable for screening exercises but are difficult to verify in in vivo studies, while the latter incorporate drug synergy in semi-mechanistic frameworks describing disease progression and drug action but are unsuitable for screening. In the current study, we proposed the empirical radius additivity (Rad-add) score, a novel CI for synergy detection in fixed-dose xenograft TGI combination studies. The Rad-add score approximates model-based analysis performed using the semi-mechanistic constant-radius growth TGI model. The Rad-add score was compared with response additivity, defined as the addition of the two response values, and the bliss independence model in combination studies derived from the Novartis PDX dataset. The results showed that the bliss independence and response additivity models predicted synergistic interactions with high and low probabilities, respectively. The Rad-add score predicted synergistic probabilities that appeared to be between those predicted with response additivity and the Bliss model. We believe that the Rad-add score is particularly suitable for assessing synergy in the context of xenograft combination TGI studies, as it combines the advantages of CI approaches suitable for screening exercises with those of semi-mechanistic TGI models based on a mechanistic understanding of tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Melillo
- Seda Pharmaceutical Developments Services Unit D Cheadle Royal Business Park, Stockport, United Kingdom
| | - Jake Dickinson
- Seda Pharmaceutical Developments Services Unit D Cheadle Royal Business Park, Stockport, United Kingdom
| | - Lu Tan
- Division Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hitesh B. Mistry
- Seda Pharmaceutical Developments Services Unit D Cheadle Royal Business Park, Stockport, United Kingdom
- Division of Pharmacy, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Heinrich J. Huber
- Division Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
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8
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Mir SA, Dar A, Alshehri SA, Wahab S, Hamid L, Almoyad MAA, Ali T, Bader GN. Exploring the mTOR Signalling Pathway and Its Inhibitory Scope in Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1004. [PMID: 37513916 PMCID: PMC10384750 DOI: 10.3390/ph16071004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein kinase that regulates cellular growth, development, survival, and metabolism through integration of diverse extracellular and intracellular stimuli. Additionally, mTOR is involved in interplay of signalling pathways that regulate apoptosis and autophagy. In cells, mTOR is assembled into two complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. While mTORC1 is regulated by energy consumption, protein intake, mechanical stimuli, and growth factors, mTORC2 is regulated by insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). mTOR signalling pathways are considered the hallmark in cancer due to their dysregulation in approximately 70% of cancers. Through downstream regulators, ribosomal protein S6 kinase β-1 (S6K1) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), mTORC1 influences various anabolic and catabolic processes in the cell. In recent years, several mTOR inhibitors have been developed with the aim of treating different cancers. In this review, we will explore the current developments in the mTOR signalling pathway and its importance for being targeted by various inhibitors in anti-cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhail Ahmad Mir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ashraf Dar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Saad Ali Alshehri
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shadma Wahab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Laraibah Hamid
- Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Mohammad Ali Abdullah Almoyad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences in Khamis Mushyt, King Khalid University, Abha 61412, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tabasum Ali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ghulam Nabi Bader
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
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Mahmoud L, Cougnoux A, Bekiari C, Araceli Ruiz de Castroviejo Teba P, El Marrahi A, Panneau G, Gsell L, Hausser J. Microscopy-based phenotypic monitoring of MDA-MB-231 spheroids allows the evaluation of phenotype-directed therapy. Exp Cell Res 2023; 425:113527. [PMID: 36889574 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. Prognosis has improved over the years, to a large extent, owing to personalized therapy informed by molecular profiling of hormone receptors. However, there is a need for new therapeutic approaches for a subgroup of BCs lacking molecular markers, the Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) subgroup. TNBC is the most aggressive type of BC, lacks an effective standard of care, shows high levels of resistance and relapse is often inevitable. High resistance to therapy has been hypothesized to be associated with high intratumoral phenotypic heterogeneity. To characterize and treat this phenotypic heterogeneity, we optimized a whole-mount staining and image analysis protocol for three-dimensions (3D) spheroids. Applying this protocol to TNBC spheroids located in the outer region of the spheroid the cells with selected phenotypes: dividing, migrating, and high mitochondrial mass phenotypes. To evaluate the relevance of phenotype-based targeting these cell populations were targeted with Paclitaxel, Trametinib, and Everolimus, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. Single agents cannot specifically target all phenotypes at the same time. Therefore, we combined drugs that should target independent phenotype. With this rationale we observed that combining Trametinib and Everolimus achieves the highest cytotoxicity at lower doses from all the tested combinations. These findings suggest a rational approach to design treatments can be evaluated in spheroids prior to pre-clinical models and potentially reduce adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loay Mahmoud
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Antony Cougnoux
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Christina Bekiari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | | | - Anissa El Marrahi
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Guilhem Panneau
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Louise Gsell
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
| | - Jean Hausser
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, and Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden.
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Lam KK, Wong SH, Cheah PY. Targeting the 'Undruggable' Driver Protein, KRAS, in Epithelial Cancers: Current Perspective. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040631. [PMID: 36831298 PMCID: PMC9954350 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This review summarizes recent development in synthetic drugs and biologics targeting intracellular driver genes in epithelial cancers, focusing on KRAS, and provides a current perspective and potential leads for the field. Compared to biologics, small molecule inhibitors (SMIs) readily penetrate cells, thus being able to target intracellular proteins. However, SMIs frequently suffer from pleiotropic effects, off-target cytotoxicity and invariably elicit resistance. In contrast, biologics are much larger molecules limited by cellular entry, but if this is surmounted, they may have more specific effects and less therapy-induced resistance. Exciting breakthroughs in the past two years include engineering of non-covalent KRAS G12D-specific inhibitor, probody bispecific antibodies, drug-peptide conjugate as MHC-restricted neoantigen to prompt immune response by T-cells, and success in the adoptive cell therapy front in both breast and pancreatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuen Kuen Lam
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | | | - Peh Yean Cheah
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- Correspondence:
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11
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Yang H, Zhou X, Fu D, Le C, Wang J, Zhou Q, Liu X, Yuan Y, Ding K, Xiao Q. Targeting RAS mutants in malignancies: successes, failures, and reasons for hope. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2023; 43:42-74. [PMID: 36316602 PMCID: PMC9859734 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS genes are the most frequently mutated oncogenes and play critical roles in the development and progression of malignancies. The mutation, isoform (KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS), position, and type of substitution vary depending on the tissue types. Despite decades of developing RAS-targeted therapies, only small subsets of these inhibitors are clinically effective, such as the allele-specific inhibitors against KRASG12C . Targeting the remaining RAS mutants would require further experimental elucidation of RAS signal transduction, RAS-altered metabolism, and the associated immune microenvironment. This study reviews the mechanisms and efficacy of novel targeted therapies for different RAS mutants, including KRAS allele-specific inhibitors, combination therapies, immunotherapies, and metabolism-associated therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and OncologyKey Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionMinistry of EducationThe Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310009P. R. China
| | - Xinyi Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and OncologyKey Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionMinistry of EducationThe Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310009P. R. China
| | - Dongliang Fu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and OncologyKey Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionMinistry of EducationThe Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310009P. R. China
| | - Chenqin Le
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and OncologyKey Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionMinistry of EducationThe Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310009P. R. China
| | - Jiafeng Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Quan Zhou
- Department of Cell BiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Xiangrui Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Ying Yuan
- Department of Medical Oncologythe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Kefeng Ding
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and OncologyKey Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionMinistry of EducationThe Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310009P. R. China
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Qian Xiao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and OncologyKey Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionMinistry of EducationThe Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiang310009P. R. China
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12
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Mohapatra T, Dixit M. IQ Motif Containing GTPase Activating Proteins (IQGAPs), A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) and Kinase Suppressor of Ras Proteins (KSRs) in Scaffolding Oncogenic Pathways and Their Therapeutic Potential. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:45837-45848. [PMID: 36570181 PMCID: PMC9773950 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Scaffolding proteins colocalize interacting partners on their surface and facilitate complex formation. They have multiple domains and motifs, which provide binding sites for various molecules. This property of scaffolding proteins helps in the orderly transduction of signals. Abnormal signal transduction is frequently observed in cancers, which can also be attributed to the altered functionality of scaffolding proteins. IQ motif containing GTPase activating proteins (IQGAPs), kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), and A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) tether oncogenic pathways RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK, PI3K/AKT, Hippo, Wnt, and CDC42/RAC to them. Scaffolding proteins are attractive drug targets as they are the controlling hub for multiple pathways and regulate crosstalk between them. The first part of this review describes the human scaffolding proteins known to play a role in oncogenesis, pathways altered by them, and the impact on oncogenic processes. The second part provides information on the therapeutic potential of scaffolding proteins and future possibilities. The information on the explored and unexplored areas of the therapeutic potential of scaffolding proteins will be equally helpful for biologists and chemists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talina Mohapatra
- National
Institute of Science Education and Research, School of Biological Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India
- Homi
Bhabha National Institute, Training School
Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Manjusha Dixit
- National
Institute of Science Education and Research, School of Biological Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India
- Homi
Bhabha National Institute, Training School
Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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13
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Mechanisms of Resistance in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246114. [PMID: 36551599 PMCID: PMC9776394 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246114] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), although curable when localized, frequently metastasize and require management with systemic therapies, including somatostatin analogues, peptide receptor radiotherapy, small-molecule targeted therapies, and chemotherapy. Although effective for disease control, these therapies eventually fail as a result of primary or secondary resistance. For small-molecule targeted therapies, the feedback activation of the targeted signaling pathways and activation of alternative pathways are prominent mechanisms, whereas the acquisition of additional genetic alterations only rarely occurs. For somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-targeted therapy, the heterogeneity of tumor SSTR expression and dedifferentiation with a downregulated expression of SSTR likely predominate. Hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment and stromal constituents contribute to resistance to all modalities. Current studies on mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance and options for management in human GEP-NETs are scant; however, preclinical and early-phase human studies have suggested that combination therapy targeting multiple pathways or novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors with broader kinase inhibition may be promising.
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14
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Diehl AC, Hannan LM, Zhen DB, Coveler AL, King G, Cohen SA, Harris WP, Shankaran V, Wong KM, Green S, Ng N, Pillarisetty VG, Sham JG, Park JO, Reddi D, Konnick EQ, Pritchard CC, Baker K, Redman M, Chiorean EG. KRAS Mutation Variants and Co-occurring PI3K Pathway Alterations Impact Survival for Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas. Oncologist 2022; 27:1025-1033. [PMID: 36124727 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyac179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND KRAS variant alleles may have differential biological properties which impact prognosis and therapeutic options in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDA). MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively identified patients with advanced PDA who received first-line therapy and underwent blood and/or tumor genomic sequencing at the University of Washington between 2013 and 2020. We examined the incidence of KRAS mutation variants with and without co-occurring PI3K or other genomic alterations and evaluated the association of these mutations with clinicopathological characteristics and survival using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS One hundred twenty-six patients had genomic sequencing data; KRAS mutations were identified in 111 PDA and included the following variants: G12D (43)/G12V (35)/G12R (23)/other (10). PI3K pathway mutations (26% vs. 8%) and homologous recombination DNA repair (HRR) defects (35% vs. 12.5%) were more common among KRAS G12R vs. non-G12R mutated cancers. Patients with KRAS G12R vs. non-G12R cancers had significantly longer overall survival (OS) (HR 0.55) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 0.58), adjusted for HRR pathway co-mutations among other covariates. Within the KRAS G12R group, co-occurring PI3K pathway mutations were associated with numerically shorter OS (HR 1.58), while no effect was observed on PFS. CONCLUSIONS Patients with PDA harboring KRAS G12R vs. non-G12R mutations have longer survival, but this advantage was offset by co-occurring PI3K alterations. The KRAS/PI3K genomic profile could inform therapeutic vulnerabilities in patients with PDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Diehl
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lindsay M Hannan
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David B Zhen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew L Coveler
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gentry King
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stacey A Cohen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William P Harris
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Veena Shankaran
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kit M Wong
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Natasha Ng
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan G Sham
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James O Park
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deepti Reddi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eric Q Konnick
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Colin C Pritchard
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Mary Redman
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - E Gabriela Chiorean
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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15
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Frank KJ, Mulero-Sánchez A, Berninger A, Ruiz-Cañas L, Bosma A, Görgülü K, Wu N, Diakopoulos KN, Kaya-Aksoy E, Ruess DA, Kabacaoğlu D, Schmidt F, Kohlmann L, van Tellingen O, Thijssen B, van de Ven M, Proost N, Kossatz S, Weber WA, Sainz B, Bernards R, Algül H, Lesina M, Mainardi S. Extensive preclinical validation of combined RMC-4550 and LY3214996 supports clinical investigation for KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100815. [PMID: 36384095 PMCID: PMC9729824 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Over 90% of pancreatic cancers present mutations in KRAS, one of the most common oncogenic drivers overall. Currently, most KRAS mutant isoforms cannot be targeted directly. Moreover, targeting single RAS downstream effectors induces adaptive resistance mechanisms. We report here on the combined inhibition of SHP2, upstream of KRAS, using the allosteric inhibitor RMC-4550 and of ERK, downstream of KRAS, using LY3214996. This combination shows synergistic anti-cancer activity in vitro, superior disruption of the MAPK pathway, and increased apoptosis induction compared with single-agent treatments. In vivo, we demonstrate good tolerability and efficacy of the combination, with significant tumor regression in multiple pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) mouse models. Finally, we show evidence that 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to assess early drug responses in animal models. Based on these results, we will investigate this drug combination in the SHP2 and ERK inhibition in pancreatic cancer (SHERPA; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04916236) clinical trial, enrolling patients with KRAS-mutant PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin J Frank
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Antonio Mulero-Sánchez
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Berninger
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Ruiz-Cañas
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Chronic Diseases and Cancer, Area 3, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Astrid Bosma
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kıvanç Görgülü
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Nan Wu
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Kalliope N Diakopoulos
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Ezgi Kaya-Aksoy
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Dietrich A Ruess
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Center of Surgery, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Derya Kabacaoğlu
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Fränze Schmidt
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Larissa Kohlmann
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Olaf van Tellingen
- Division of Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bram Thijssen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke van de Ven
- Mouse Clinic for Cancer and Aging Research, Preclinical Intervention Unit, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Natalie Proost
- Mouse Clinic for Cancer and Aging Research, Preclinical Intervention Unit, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne Kossatz
- Department of Nuclear Medicine at Klinikum Rechts der Isar and Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität München, 85748 Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Weber
- Department of Nuclear Medicine at Klinikum Rechts der Isar and Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Chronic Diseases and Cancer, Area 3, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rene Bernards
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hana Algül
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Marina Lesina
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sara Mainardi
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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16
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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: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [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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17
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Song Z, Lu L, Gao Z, Zhou Q, Wang Z, Sun L, Zhou Y. Immunotherapy for liposarcoma: emerging opportunities and challenges. Future Oncol 2022; 18:3449-3461. [PMID: 36214331 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2021-1549] [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: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Liposarcoma (LPS) is a rare adipocyte-derived malignancy accounting for 20% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Although surgery and chemotherapy are the standard treatment for LPS, the large tumor burden and high recurrence rate make it difficult to treat, especially when the disease progresses. With the progress of immunotherapies in other tumors such as melanoma and lung cancer, interest has been risen in exploring immunotherapy for LPS. This review discusses the understanding of the tumor microenvironment of LPS; the current status of immunotherapy in LPS, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses and combination therapies; and the future directions for exploiting strategies to make the effect of immunotherapy stronger and more durable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqing Song
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lili Lu
- Biotherapy Centre, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zixu Gao
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qiwen Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhiming Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lei Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute of Developmental Biology and Molecular Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuhong Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Biotherapy Centre, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
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18
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Oncogenic RAS commandeers amino acid sensing machinery to aberrantly activate mTORC1 in multiple myeloma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5469. [PMID: 36115844 PMCID: PMC9482638 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33142-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic RAS mutations are common in multiple myeloma (MM), an incurable malignancy of plasma cells. However, the mechanisms of pathogenic RAS signaling in this disease remain enigmatic and difficult to inhibit therapeutically. We employ an unbiased proteogenomic approach to dissect RAS signaling in MM. We discover that mutant isoforms of RAS organize a signaling complex with the amino acid transporter, SLC3A2, and MTOR on endolysosomes, which directly activates mTORC1 by co-opting amino acid sensing pathways. MM tumors with high expression of mTORC1-dependent genes are more aggressive and enriched in RAS mutations, and we detect interactions between RAS and MTOR in MM patient tumors harboring mutant RAS isoforms. Inhibition of RAS-dependent mTORC1 activity synergizes with MEK and ERK inhibitors to quench pathogenic RAS signaling in MM cells. This study redefines the RAS pathway in MM and provides a mechanistic and rational basis to target this mode of RAS signaling. RAS mutations are commonly found in multiple myeloma (MM). Here, the authors show that oncogenic RAS mutations activate mTORC1 signalling in MM and combining mTORC1 and MEK/ERK inhibitors synergize to improve survival in preclinical models.
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19
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Rudloff U. Emerging kinase inhibitors for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2022; 27:345-368. [PMID: 36250721 PMCID: PMC9793333 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2022.2134346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest solid organ cancers. In the absence of specific warning symptoms pancreatic cancer is diagnosed notoriously late. Current systemic chemotherapy regimens extend survival by a mere few months. With the advances in genetic, proteomic, and immunological profiling there is strong rationale to test kinase inhibitors to improve outcome. AREAS COVERED This review article provides a comprehensive summary of approved treatments and past, present, and future developments of kinase inhibitors in pancreatic cancer. Emerging roles of protein kinase inhibitors are discussed in the context of the unique stroma, the lack of high-prevalence therapeutic targets and rapid emergence of acquired resistance, novel immuno-oncology kinase targets, and recent medicinal chemistry advances. EXPERT OPINION Due to the to-date frequent failure of protein kinase inhibitors indiscriminately administered to unselected pancreatic cancer patients, there is a shift toward the development of these agents in molecularly defined subgroups which are more likely to respond. The development of accurate biomarkers to select patients who are the best candidates based on a detailed understanding of mechanism of action, pro-survival roles, and mediation of resistance of targeted kinases will be critical for the future development of protein kinase inhibitors in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udo Rudloff
- Rare Tumor Initiative, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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20
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Li F, Bondra KM, Ghilu S, Studebaker A, Liu Q, Michalek JE, Kogiso M, Li XN, Kalapurakal JA, James CD, Burma S, Kurmasheva RT, Houghton PJ. Regulation of TORC1 by MAPK Signaling Determines Sensitivity and Acquired Resistance to Trametinib in Pediatric BRAFV600E Brain Tumor Models. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3836-3849. [PMID: 35797217 PMCID: PMC10230442 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigated why three patient-derived xenograft (PDX) childhood BRAFV600E-mutant brain tumor models are highly sensitive to trametinib. Mechanisms of acquired resistance selected in situ, and approaches to prevent resistance were also examined, which may translate to both low-grade glioma (LGG) molecular subtypes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Sensitivity to trametinib [MEK inhibitor (MEKi)] alone or in combination with rapamycin (TORC1 inhibitor), was evaluated in pediatric PDX models. The effect of combined treatment of trametinib with rapamycin on development of trametinib resistance in vivo was examined. PDX tissue and tumor cells from trametinib-resistant xenografts were characterized. RESULTS In pediatric models TORC1 is activated through ERK-mediated inactivation of the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC): consequently inhibition of MEK also suppressed TORC1 signaling. Trametinib-induced tumor regression correlated with dual inhibition of MAPK/TORC1 signaling, and decoupling TORC1 regulation from BRAF/MAPK control conferred trametinib resistance. In mice, acquired resistance to trametinib developed within three cycles of therapy in all three PDX models. Resistance to trametinib developed in situ is tumor-cell-intrinsic and the mechanism was tumor line specific. Rapamycin retarded or blocked development of resistance. CONCLUSIONS In these three pediatric BRAF-mutant brain tumors, TORC1 signaling is controlled by the MAPK cascade. Trametinib suppressed both MAPK/TORC1 pathways leading to tumor regression. While low-dose intermittent rapamycin to enhance inhibition of TORC1 only modestly enhanced the antitumor activity of trametinib, it prevented or retarded development of trametinib resistance, suggesting future therapeutic approaches using rapamycin analogs in combination with MEKis that may be therapeutically beneficial in both KIAA1549::BRAF- and BRAFV600E-driven gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyang Li
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Kathryn M. Bondra
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Samson Ghilu
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Adam Studebaker
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Qianqian Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Joel E. Michalek
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Mari Kogiso
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiao-Nan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - John A. Kalapurakal
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - C. David James
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sandeep Burma
- Department of Neurosurgery, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Peter J. Houghton
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, UT Health, San Antonio, Texas
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21
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Middleton G, Robbins H, Andre F, Swanton C. A state-of-the-art review of stratified medicine in cancer: towards a future precision medicine strategy in cancer. Ann Oncol 2022; 33:143-157. [PMID: 34808340 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Building on the success of targeted therapy in certain well-defined cancer genotypes, three platform studies-NCI-MATCH, LUNG-MAP and The National Lung Matrix Trial (NLMT)-have attempted to discover new genotype-matched therapies for people with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS We review the outputs from these platform studies. This review led us to propose a series of recommendations and considerations that we hope will inform future precision medicine programmes in cancer. RESULTS The three studies collectively screened over 13 000 patients. Across 37 genotype-matched cohorts, there have been 66/875 responders, with an overall response rate of 7.5%. Targeting copy number gain yielded 5/199 responses across nine biomarker-drug matched cohorts, with a response rate of 2.5%. CONCLUSIONS The majority of these studies used single-agent targeted therapies. Whilst preclinical data can suggest rational combination treatment to reverse adaptive resistance or block parallel activated pathways, there is an essential need for accurate modelling of the toxicity-activity trade-off of combinations. Agent selection is often suboptimal; dose expansion should only be carried out with agents with clear clinical proof of mechanism and high target selectivity. Targeting copy number change has been disappointing; it is crucial to define the drivers on shared amplicons that include the targeted aberration. Maximising outcomes with currently available targeted therapies requires moving towards a more contextualised stratified medicine acknowledging the criticality of the genomic, transcriptional and immunological context on which the targeted aberration is inscribed. Genomic complexity and instability is likely to be a leading cause of targeted therapy failure in genomically complex cancers. Preclinical models must be developed that more accurately capture the genomic complexity of human disease. The degree of attrition of studies carried out after standard-of-care therapy suggests that serious efforts be made to develop a suite of precision medicine studies in the minimal residual disease setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Middleton
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - H Robbins
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - F Andre
- Institut Gustave Roussy, INSERM Unité 981, Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France; PRISM Center for Precision Medicine
| | - C Swanton
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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22
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Ferrara MG, Stefani A, Pilotto S, Carbone C, Vita E, Di Salvatore M, D'Argento E, Sparagna I, Monaca F, Valente G, Vitale A, Piro G, Belluomini L, Milella M, Tortora G, Bria E. The Renaissance of KRAS Targeting in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: New Opportunities Following Old Failures. Front Oncol 2022; 11:792385. [PMID: 35004317 PMCID: PMC8733471 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.792385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the perfect paradigm of ‘precision medicine’ due to its complex intratumoral heterogeneity. It is truly characterized by a range of molecular alterations that can deeply influence the natural history of this disease. Several molecular alterations have been found over time, paving the road to biomarker-driven therapy and radically changing the prognosis of ‘oncogene addicted’ NSCLC patients. Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutations are present in up to 30% of NSCLC (especially in adenocarcinoma histotype) and have been identified decades ago. Since its discovery, its molecular characteristics and its marked affinity to a specific substrate have led to define KRAS as an undruggable alteration. Despite that, many attempts have been made to develop drugs capable of targeting KRAS signaling but, until a few years ago, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Comprehensive genomic profiling and wide-spectrum analysis of genetic alterations have only recently allowed to identify different types of KRAS mutations. This tricky step has finally opened new frontiers in the treatment approach of KRAS-mutant patients and might hopefully increase their prognosis and quality of life. In this review, we aim to highlight the most interesting aspects of (epi)genetic KRAS features, hoping to light the way to the state of art of targeting KRAS in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Grazia Ferrara
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessio Stefani
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Sara Pilotto
- Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona School of Medicine and Verona University Hospital Trust, Verona, Italy
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Emanuele Vita
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Ettore D'Argento
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Ileana Sparagna
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Federico Monaca
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Giustina Valente
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Vitale
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Geny Piro
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Belluomini
- Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona School of Medicine and Verona University Hospital Trust, Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Section of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona School of Medicine and Verona University Hospital Trust, Verona, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Tortora
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
| | - Emilio Bria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy.,Section of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy
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23
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MTOR/4EBP1 signaling and MMR status in colorectal cancer: New correlations and arising perspectives. Pathol Res Pract 2021; 228:153655. [PMID: 34749209 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2021.153655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This is the first study aiming to investigate mTOR signaling and its relation to mismatch repair status (MMR status) in colorectal cancer (CRC). MMR status and the phosphorylated proteins, pmTOR and p4EBP1, have been immunohistochemically analyzed in 108 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded CRC specimens. The correlations between them and with clinicopathological data, MAPK pathway (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF) as well as their impact on patients' overall survival have been statistically analyzed. Our results indicated that positive pmTOR expression was significantly associated with KRAS mutations (p = 0.004). From multivariate survival analysis, only p4EBP1 expression emerged as independent adverse prognostic factor for overall survival (HR, 3.322; 95%CI, 1.110-9.945; p = 0.032). Furthermore, MMR deficient carcinomas tend to express low p4EBP1 protein levels (p = 0.002). A survival analysis stratified by MMR status and p4EBP1 expression, showed that MMR proficient tumours with high p4EBP1 expression had the worst overall survival compared with the other examined subgroups (p = 0.019). In conclusion, MAPK and PI3k/Akt pathways seem to be simultaneously overactivated in CRC. P4EBP1 could be used as a prognostic biomarker. By further analyzing the significant association between MMR status and p4EBP1 expression, we suggest that MMR deficient tumours could represent a subpopulation most likely to derive treatment benefit from mTOR inhibition.
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24
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Chowdhury P, Ghosh U, Samanta K, Jaggi M, Chauhan SC, Yallapu MM. Bioactive nanotherapeutic trends to combat triple negative breast cancer. Bioact Mater 2021; 6:3269-3287. [PMID: 33778204 PMCID: PMC7970221 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The management of aggressive breast cancer, particularly, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a formidable challenge, despite treatment advancement. Although newer therapies such as atezolizumab, olaparib, and sacituzumab can tackle the breast cancer prognosis and/or progression, but achieved limited survival benefit(s). The current research efforts are aimed to develop and implement strategies for improved bioavailability, targetability, reduce systemic toxicity, and enhance therapeutic outcome of FDA-approved treatment regimen. This review presents various nanoparticle technology mediated delivery of chemotherapeutic agent(s) for breast cancer treatment. This article also documents novel strategies to employ cellular and cell membrane cloaked (biomimetic) nanoparticles for effective clinical translation. These technologies offer a safe and active targeting nanomedicine for effective management of breast cancer, especially TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallabita Chowdhury
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Upasana Ghosh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Kamalika Samanta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Meena Jaggi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
| | - Subhash C. Chauhan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
| | - Murali M. Yallapu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX, USA
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25
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Bratslavsky G, Sokol ES, Daneshvar M, Necchi A, Shapiro O, Jacob J, Liu N, Sanford TS, Pinkhasov R, Goldberg H, Killian JK, Ramkissoon S, Severson EA, Huang RSP, Danziger N, Mollapour M, Ross JS, Pacak K. Clinically Advanced Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas: A Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Study. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133312. [PMID: 34282751 PMCID: PMC8268679 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Clinically advanced pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are a rare form of endocrine malignancy which can occur in familial and sporadic clinical settings and feature a variety of genomic alterations. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) was performed to characterize the genomic alterations (GA) in clinically advanced disease to enable the search for potential therapy targets. Although the GA/tumor is relatively low for clinically advanced disease, CGP can reveal important potential targets for therapy in the metastatic setting including RET, NF1 and FGFR1. Based on this data, further study of CGP as a method of developing precision therapies for clinically advanced disease appears warranted. Abstract Patients with clinically advanced paragangliomas (CA-Para) and pheochromocytomas (CA-Pheo) have limited surgical or systemic treatments. We used comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to compare genomic alterations (GA) in CA-Para and CA-Pheo to identify potential therapeutic targets. Eighty-three CA-Para and 45 CA-Pheo underwent hybrid-capture-based CGP using a targeted panel of 324 genes. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) were determined. The GA/tumor frequencies were low for both tumor types (1.9 GA/tumor for CA-Para, 2.3 GA/tumor for CA-Pheo). The most frequent potentially targetable GA in CA-Para were in FGFR1 (7%, primarily amplifications), NF1, PTEN, NF2, and CDK4 (all 2%) and for CA-Pheo in RET (9%, primarily fusions), NF1 (11%) and FGFR1 (7%). Germline mutations in known cancer predisposition genes were predicted in 13 (30%) of CA-Pheo and 38 (45%) of CA-Para cases, predominantly involving SDHA/B genes. Both CA-Para and CA-Para had low median TMB, low PD-L1 expression levels and none had MSI high status. While similar GA frequency is seen in both CA-Para and CA-Para, germline GA were seen more frequently in CA-Para. Low PD-L1 expression levels and no MSI high status argue against strong potential for novel immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, several important potential therapeutic targets in both CA-Para and CA-Para are identified using CGP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Bratslavsky
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-315-464-4473
| | - Ethan S. Sokol
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Michael Daneshvar
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | | | - Oleg Shapiro
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Joseph Jacob
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Nick Liu
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Tom S. Sanford
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Ruben Pinkhasov
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Hanan Goldberg
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Jonathan K. Killian
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Shakti Ramkissoon
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Eric A. Severson
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Richard S. P. Huang
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Natalie Danziger
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Mehdi Mollapour
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
| | - Jeffrey S. Ross
- Departments of Urology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; (M.D.); (O.S.); (J.J.); (N.L.); (T.S.S.); (R.P.); (H.G.); (M.M.); (J.S.R.)
- Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA 021411, USA; (E.S.S.); (J.K.K.); (S.R.); (E.A.S.); (R.S.P.H.); (N.D.)
| | - Karel Pacak
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
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26
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Wang T, Zhang Q, Wang N, Liu Z, Zhang B, Zhao Y. Research Progresses of Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:3107-3146. [PMID: 33050856 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666201013162144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, with nearly one million new cases and deaths every year. Owing to the complex pathogenesis, hidden early symptoms, rapidly developing processes, and poor prognosis, the morbidity and mortality of HCC are increasing yearly. With the progress being made in modern medicine, the treatment of HCC is no longer limited to traditional methods. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have emerged to treat advanced and metastatic HCC in recent years. Since Sorafenib is the first molecular targeting drug against angiogenesis, targeted drugs for HCC are continually emerging. Moreover, immunotherapy plays a vital role in clinical trials. In particular, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have received increasing attention in the field of cancer treatment, is a possible research path. Interestingly, these two therapies generally complement each other at some stages of HCC, bringing new hope for patients with advanced HCC. In this paper, we discuss the research progress of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for HCC in recent years, which will provide a reference for the further development of drugs for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Qiting Zhang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Ziqi Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, the PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Yufen Zhao
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
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27
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Molina-Arcas M, Samani A, Downward J. Drugging the Undruggable: Advances on RAS Targeting in Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:899. [PMID: 34200676 PMCID: PMC8228461 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Around 20% of all malignancies harbour activating mutations in RAS isoforms. Despite this, there is a deficiency of RAS-targeting agents licensed for therapeutic use. The picomolar affinity of RAS for GTP, and the lack of suitable pockets for high-affinity small-molecule binding, precluded effective therapies despite decades of research. Recently, characterisation of the biochemical properties of KRAS-G12C along with discovery of its 'switch-II pocket' have allowed development of effective mutant-specific inhibitors. Currently seven KRAS-G12C inhibitors are in clinical trials and sotorasib has become the first one to be granted FDA approval. Here, we discuss historical efforts to target RAS directly and approaches to target RAS effector signalling, including combinations that overcome limitations of single-agent targeting. We also review pre-clinical and clinical evidence for the efficacy of KRAS-G12C inhibitor monotherapy followed by an illustration of combination therapies designed to overcome primary resistance and extend durability of response. Finally, we briefly discuss novel approaches to targeting non-G12C mutant isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Samani
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK;
- Department of Medical Oncology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London W2 1NY, UK
| | - Julian Downward
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK;
- Lung Cancer Group, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK
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28
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Metrock LK, Lobbous M, Korf B. An evaluation of selumetinib for the treatment of neurofibromatosis type 1-associated symptomatic, inoperable plexiform neurofibromas. EXPERT REVIEW OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23808993.2021.1917989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura K. Metrock
- Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Mina Lobbous
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Bruce Korf
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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29
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Baumgartner A, Stepien N, Mayr L, Madlener S, Dorfer C, Schmook MT, Traub-Weidinger T, Lötsch-Gojo D, Kirchhofer D, Reisinger D, Hedrich C, Arshad S, Irschik S, Boztug H, Engstler G, Bernkopf M, Rifatbegovic F, Höller C, Slavc I, Berger W, Müllauer L, Haberler C, Azizi AA, Peyrl A, Gojo J. Novel Insights into Diagnosis, Biology and Treatment of Primary Diffuse Leptomeningeal Melanomatosis. J Pers Med 2021; 11:292. [PMID: 33921303 PMCID: PMC8069125 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11040292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanomatosis (PDLMM) is an extremely rare and aggressive cancer type for which best treatment strategies remain to be elucidated. Herein, we present current and prospective diagnostic strategies and treatment management of PDLMM. Against the background of an extensive literature review of published PDLMM cases and currently employed therapeutic strategies, we present an illustrative case of a pediatric patient suffering from PDLMM. We report the first case of a pediatric patient with PDLMM who received combination treatment including trametinib and everolimus, followed by intravenous nivolumab and ipilimumab with concomitant intensive intraventricular chemotherapy, resulting in temporary significant clinical improvement and overall survival of 7 months. Following this clinical experience, we performed a comprehensive literature review, identifying 26 additional cases. By these means, we provide insight into current knowledge on clinical and molecular characteristics of PDLMM. Analysis of these cases revealed that the unspecific clinical presentation, such as unrecognized increased intracranial pressure (present in 67%), is a frequent reason for the delay in diagnosis. Mortality remains substantial despite diverse therapeutic approaches with a median overall survival of 4 months from diagnosis. On the molecular level, to date, the only oncogenic driver reported so far is mutation of NRAS (n = 3), underlining a close biological relation to malignant melanoma and neurocutaneous melanosis. We further show, for the first time, that this somatic mutation can be exploited for cerebrospinal fluid liquid biopsy detection, revealing a novel potential biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of PDLMM. Last, we use a unique patient derived PDLMM cell model to provide first insights into in vitro drug sensitivities. In summary, we provide future diagnostic and therapeutic guidance for PDLMM and first insights into the use of liquid biopsy and in vitro models for this orphan cancer type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Baumgartner
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Natalia Stepien
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Lisa Mayr
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.L.-G.); (W.B.)
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Sibylle Madlener
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Christian Dorfer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Maria T. Schmook
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.T.S.); (T.T.-W.)
| | - Tatjana Traub-Weidinger
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.T.S.); (T.T.-W.)
| | - Daniela Lötsch-Gojo
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.L.-G.); (W.B.)
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Dominik Kirchhofer
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Dominik Reisinger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Cora Hedrich
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Saleha Arshad
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Stefan Irschik
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Heidrun Boztug
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, St. Anna Children’s Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (H.B.); (G.E.)
| | - Gernot Engstler
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, St. Anna Children’s Hospital, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (H.B.); (G.E.)
| | - Marie Bernkopf
- Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (M.B.); (F.R.)
| | | | - Christoph Höller
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Irene Slavc
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Walter Berger
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (D.L.-G.); (W.B.)
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Christine Haberler
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Amedeo A. Azizi
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Andreas Peyrl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
| | - Johannes Gojo
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (A.B.); (N.S.); (L.M.); (S.M.); (D.R.); (C.H.); (S.A.); (S.I.); (I.S.); (A.A.A.); (A.P.)
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Bratslavsky G, Gleicher S, Jacob JM, Sanford TH, Shapiro O, Bourboulia D, Gay LM, Andrea Elvin J, Vergilio JA, Suh J, Ramkissoon S, Severson EA, Killian JK, Schrock AB, Chung JH, Miller VA, Mollapour M, Ross JS. Comprehensive genomic profiling of metastatic collecting duct carcinoma, renal medullary carcinoma, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Urol Oncol 2021; 39:367.e1-367.e5. [PMID: 33775530 DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Unlike clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC), collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) and renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) are rare tumors that progress rapidly and appear resistant to current systemic therapies. We queried comprehensive genomic profiling to uncover opportunities for targeted therapy and immunotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS DNA was extracted from 40 microns of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimen from relapsed, mCDC (n = 46), mRMC (n = 24), and refractory and metastatic (m) mCCRCC (n = 626). Comprehensive genomic profiling was performed, and Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) were calculated. We analyzed all classes of genomic alterations. RESULTS mCDC had 1.7 versus 2.7 genomic alterations/tumor in mCCRCC ( = 0.04). Mutations in VHL (P < 0.0001) and TSC1 (P = 0.04) were more frequent in mCCRCC. SMARCB1 (P < 0.0001), NF2 (P = 0.0007), RB1 (P = 0.02) and RET (P = 0.0003) alterations were more frequent in mCDC versus mCCRCC. No VHL alterations in mRMC and mCDC were identified. SMARCB1 genomic alterations were significantly more frequent in mRMC than mCDC (P = 0.0002), but were the most common alterations in both subtypes. Mutations to EGFR, RET, NF2, and TSC2 were more frequently identified in mCDC versus mRMC. The median TMB and MSI-High status was low with <1% of mCCRC, mCDC, and mRMC having ≥ 20 mut/Mb. CONCLUSION Genomic alteration patterns in mCDC and mRMC differ significantly from mCCRCC. Targeted therapies for mCDC and mRMC appear limited with rare opportunities to target alterations in receptor tyrosine kinase and MTOR pathways. Similarly, TMB and absence of MSI-High status in mCDC and mRMC suggest resistance to immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jeffrey S Ross
- Upstate Medical University, Syracuse NY; Foundation Medicine, Cambridge MA
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Chesnokov MS, Khan I, Park Y, Ezell J, Mehta G, Yousif A, Hong LJ, Buckanovich RJ, Takahashi A, Chefetz I. The MEK1/2 Pathway as a Therapeutic Target in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1369. [PMID: 33803586 PMCID: PMC8003094 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the deadliest of gynecological cancers due to its high recurrence rate and acquired chemoresistance. RAS/MEK/ERK pathway activation is linked to cell proliferation and therapeutic resistance, but the role of MEK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway in HGSOC is poorly investigated. We evaluated MEK1/2 pathway activity in clinical HGSOC samples and ovarian cancer cell lines using immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and RT-qPCR. HGSOC cell lines were used to assess immediate and lasting effects of MEK1/2 inhibition with trametinib in vitro. Trametinib effect on tumor growth in vivo was investigated using mouse xenografts. MEK1/2 pathway is hyperactivated in HGSOC and is further stimulated by cisplatin treatment. Trametinib treatment causes cell cycle arrest in G1/0-phase and reduces tumor growth rate in vivo but does not induce cell death or reduce fraction of CD133+ stem-like cells, while increasing expression of stemness-associated genes instead. Transient trametinib treatment causes long-term increase in a subpopulation of cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)1 activity that can survive and grow in non-adherent conditions. We conclude that MEK1/2 inhibition may be a promising approach to suppress ovarian cancer growth as a maintenance therapy. Promotion of stem-like properties upon MEK1/2 inhibition suggests a possible mechanism of resistance, so a combination with CSC-targeting drugs should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail S. Chesnokov
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA; (M.S.C.); (I.K.); (A.Y.); (A.T.)
| | - Imran Khan
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA; (M.S.C.); (I.K.); (A.Y.); (A.T.)
| | - Yeonjung Park
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.P.); (J.E.); (R.J.B.)
| | - Jessica Ezell
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.P.); (J.E.); (R.J.B.)
| | - Geeta Mehta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Abdelrahman Yousif
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA; (M.S.C.); (I.K.); (A.Y.); (A.T.)
| | - Linda J. Hong
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Ronald J. Buckanovich
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.P.); (J.E.); (R.J.B.)
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Akimasa Takahashi
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA; (M.S.C.); (I.K.); (A.Y.); (A.T.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 5202152, Japan
| | - Ilana Chefetz
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA; (M.S.C.); (I.K.); (A.Y.); (A.T.)
- Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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32
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Yip HYK, Papa A. Signaling Pathways in Cancer: Therapeutic Targets, Combinatorial Treatments, and New Developments. Cells 2021; 10:659. [PMID: 33809714 PMCID: PMC8002322 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular alterations in cancer genes and associated signaling pathways are used to inform new treatments for precision medicine in cancer. Small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies directed at relevant cancer-related proteins have been instrumental in delivering successful treatments of some blood malignancies (e.g., imatinib with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)) and solid tumors (e.g., tamoxifen with ER positive breast cancer and trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer). However, inherent limitations such as drug toxicity, as well as acquisition of de novo or acquired mechanisms of resistance, still cause treatment failure. Here we provide an up-to-date review of the successes and limitations of current targeted therapies for cancer treatment and highlight how recent technological advances have provided a new level of understanding of the molecular complexity underpinning resistance to cancer therapies. We also raise three basic questions concerning cancer drug discovery based on molecular markers and alterations of selected signaling pathways, and further discuss how combination therapies may become the preferable approach over monotherapy for cancer treatments. Finally, we consider novel therapeutic developments that may complement drug delivery and significantly improve clinical response and outcomes of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonella Papa
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia;
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33
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Mayr L, Guntner AS, Madlener S, Schmook MT, Peyrl A, Azizi AA, Dieckmann K, Reisinger D, Stepien NM, Schramm K, Laemmerer A, Jones DTW, Ecker J, Sahm F, Milde T, Pajtler KW, Blattner-Johnson M, Strbac M, Dorfer C, Czech T, Kirchhofer D, Gabler L, Berger W, Haberler C, Müllauer L, Buchberger W, Slavc I, Lötsch-Gojo D, Gojo J. Cerebrospinal Fluid Penetration and Combination Therapy of Entrectinib for Disseminated ROS1/NTRK-Fusion Positive Pediatric High-Grade Glioma. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E290. [PMID: 33353026 PMCID: PMC7766483 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10040290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting oncogenic fusion-genes in pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGG) with entrectinib has emerged as a highly promising therapeutic approach. Despite ongoing clinical studies, to date, no reports on the treatment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) disseminated fusion-positive pHGG exist. Moreover, clinically important information of combination with other treatment modalities such as intrathecal therapy, radiotherapy and other targeted agents is missing. We report on our clinical experience of entrectinib therapy in two CSF disseminated ROS1/NTRK-fusion-positive pHGG cases. Combination of entrectinib with radiotherapy or intrathecal chemotherapy appears to be safe and has the potential to act synergistically with entrectinib treatment. In addition, we demonstrate CSF penetrance of entrectinib for the first time in patient samples suggesting target engagement even upon CSF dissemination. Moreover, in vitro analyses of two novel cell models derived from one case with NTRK-fusion revealed that combination therapy with either a MEK (trametinib) or a CDK4/6 (abemaciclib) inhibitor synergistically enhances entrectinib anticancer effects. In summary, our comprehensive study, including clinical experience, CSF penetrance and in vitro data on entrectinib therapy of NTRK/ROS1-fusion-positive pHGG, provides essential clinical and preclinical insights into the multimodal treatment of these highly aggressive tumors. Our data suggest that combined inhibition of NTRK/ROS1 and other therapeutic vulnerabilities enhances the antitumor effect, which should be followed-up in further preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mayr
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.G.); (W.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Armin S. Guntner
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University, 4020 Linz, Austria; (A.S.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Sibylle Madlener
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria T. Schmook
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Andreas Peyrl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
| | - Amedeo A. Azizi
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
| | - Karin Dieckmann
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Dominik Reisinger
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
| | - Natalia M. Stepien
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
| | - Kathrin Schramm
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.S.); (D.T.W.J.); (T.M.); (K.W.P.); (M.B.-J.)
- Pediatric Glioma Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Laemmerer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.G.); (W.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - David T. W. Jones
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.S.); (D.T.W.J.); (T.M.); (K.W.P.); (M.B.-J.)
- Pediatric Glioma Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Ecker
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Felix Sahm
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuropathology, German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Till Milde
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.S.); (D.T.W.J.); (T.M.); (K.W.P.); (M.B.-J.)
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology, Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Kristian W. Pajtler
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.S.); (D.T.W.J.); (T.M.); (K.W.P.); (M.B.-J.)
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mirjam Blattner-Johnson
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.S.); (D.T.W.J.); (T.M.); (K.W.P.); (M.B.-J.)
- Pediatric Glioma Research Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Miroslav Strbac
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Tree Top Hospital, Hulhumale 23000, Maldives;
| | - Christian Dorfer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (C.D.); (T.C.)
| | - Thomas Czech
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (C.D.); (T.C.)
| | - Dominik Kirchhofer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.G.); (W.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Gabler
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.G.); (W.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Berger
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.G.); (W.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Haberler
- Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Wolfgang Buchberger
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University, 4020 Linz, Austria; (A.S.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Irene Slavc
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
| | - Daniela Lötsch-Gojo
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.G.); (W.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (C.D.); (T.C.)
| | - Johannes Gojo
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (L.M.); (S.M.); (A.P.); (A.A.A.); (D.R.); (N.M.S.); (A.L.); (D.K.); (I.S.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center-Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (K.S.); (D.T.W.J.); (T.M.); (K.W.P.); (M.B.-J.)
- Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Ramanathan RK, Von Hoff DD, Eskens F, Blumenschein G, Richards D, Genvresse I, Reschke S, Granvil C, Skubala A, Peña C, Mross K. Phase Ib Trial of the PI3K Inhibitor Copanlisib Combined with the Allosteric MEK Inhibitor Refametinib in Patients with Advanced Cancer. Target Oncol 2020; 15:163-174. [PMID: 32314268 PMCID: PMC7591420 DOI: 10.1007/s11523-020-00714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Dual inhibition of PI3K and MAPK signaling is conceptually a promising anticancer therapy. Objective This phase 1b trial investigated the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), recommended phase II dose, pharmacokinetics, tumor response, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) pharmacodynamics, and biomarker explorations for the combination of pan-PI3K inhibitor copanlisib and allosteric MEK inhibitor refametinib in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients and methods This was an adaptive trial with eight dose cohorts combining dose escalation and varying schedules in repeated 28-day cycles. Patients received copanlisib (0.2–0.8 mg/kg intravenously) intermittently (days 1, 8, 15) or weekly (days 1, 8, 15, 22) each cycle, and refametinib (30–50 mg twice daily orally) continuously or 4 days on/3 days off. Patients with KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, or PI3KCA mutations were eligible for the expansion cohort. Results In the dose-escalation (n = 49) and expansion (n = 15) cohorts, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events included diarrhea (59.4%), nausea, acneiform rash, and fatigue (51.6% each). Dose-limiting toxicities included oral mucositis (n = 4), increased alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (n = 3), acneiform rash, hypertension (n = 2 each), and diarrhea (n = 1). MTD was copanlisib 0.4 mg/kg weekly and refametinib 30 mg twice daily. No pharmacokinetic interactions were identified. Decreased tumor FDG uptake and MEK-ERK signaling inhibition were demonstrated during treatment. Best response was stable disease (n = 21); median treatment duration was 6 weeks. Conclusions Despite sound rationale and demonstrable pharmacodynamic tumor activity in relevant tumor populations, a dose and schedule could not be identified for this drug combination that were both tolerable and offered clear efficacy in the population assessed. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01392521. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11523-020-00714-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ferry Eskens
- Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, PO Box 2040, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - George Blumenschein
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 432, PO Box 301402, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Donald Richards
- US Oncology Research, Texas Oncology, 910 E. Houston St., Suite 100, Tyler, TX, 75702, USA
| | - Isabelle Genvresse
- Pharmaceutical Division, Bayer AG, Müllerstraße 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Reschke
- Pharmaceutical Division, Bayer AG, Müllerstraße 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Camille Granvil
- Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 100 Bayer Blvd, Whippany, NJ, 07981, USA
| | - Adam Skubala
- Chrestos Concept GmbH & Co. KG, Girardetstr. 1-5, 45131, Essen, Germany
| | - Carol Peña
- Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 100 Bayer Blvd, Whippany, NJ, 07981, USA
| | - Klaus Mross
- KTB Klinik für Tumorbiologie, Breisacher Str. 117, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Tolcher AW. The Evolution of Antibody-Drug Conjugates: A Positive Inflexion Point. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2020; 40:1-8. [PMID: 32223669 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_281103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In 2019, an important inflection point occurred when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved three new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of malignancies, including urothelial cancer (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (polatuzumab vedotin-piiq), and HER2 breast cancer (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki), and expanded the indication for ado-trastuzumab emtansine to early breast cancer. This near doubling in the number of approved ADCs within 1 year validates the ADC platform and represents a successful evolution over the past 30 years. ADCs were born in an era when systemic therapy for cancer was largely cytotoxic chemotherapy. Many of the investigational cytotoxic agents were determined to be too toxic for oral and intravenous use. The agents were especially potent, with inhibitory concentrations that inhibited 50% of cells in the nanomolar and picomolar range but had poor therapeutic indexes when administered systemically. Now, over the last 30 years, we have seen an evolution of the many aspects of this complex platform with better antigen target selection, more sophisticated chemistry for the linkers, a growing diversity of payloads from cytotoxic chemotherapy to targeted therapies and immunostimulants, and, with the recent series of regulatory approvals, a buoyed sense of optimism for the technology. Nonetheless, we have not fully realized the full potential of this platform. In this review, the many components of ADCs will be discussed, the difficulties encountered will be highlighted, the innovative strategies that are being used to improve them will be assessed, and the direction that the field is going will be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W Tolcher
- New Experimental Therapeutics (NEXT), San Antonio, TX.,Texas Oncology, San Antonio, TX
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Wang J, Pollard K, Calizo A, Pratilas CA. Activation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Mediates Acquired Resistance to MEK Inhibition in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors. Cancer Res 2020; 81:747-762. [PMID: 33203698 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors often arise in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 and are among the most treatment-refractory types of sarcoma. Overall survival in patients with relapsed disease remains poor, and thus novel therapeutic approaches are needed. NF1 is essential for negative regulation of RAS activity and is altered in about 90% of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). A complex interplay of upstream signaling and parallel RAS-driven pathways characterizes NF1-driven tumorigenesis, and inhibiting more than one RAS effector pathway is therefore necessary. To devise potential combination therapeutic strategies, we identified actionable alterations in signaling that underlie adaptive and acquired resistance to MEK inhibitor (MEKi). Using a series of proteomic, biochemical, and genetic approaches in an in vitro model of MEKi resistance provided a rationale for combination therapies. HGF/MET signaling was elevated in the MEKi-resistant model. HGF overexpression conferred resistance to MEKi in parental cells. Depletion of HGF or MET restored sensitivity of MEKi-resistant cells to MEKi. Finally, a combination of MEK and MET inhibition demonstrated activity in models of MPNST and may therefore be effective in patients with MPNST harboring genetic alterations in NF1. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that MEKi plus MET inhibitor may delay or prevent a novel mechanism of acquired MEKi resistance, with clinical implications for MPNST patients harboring NF1 alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawan Wang
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kai Pollard
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ana Calizo
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christine A Pratilas
- Division of Pediatric Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Abstract
PURPOSE Mitogen-activates protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, particularly MEK inhibitors, have shifted the treatment paradigm for metastatic BRAF-mutant cutaneous melanoma; however, oncologists, ophthalmologists, and patients have noticed different toxicities of variable importance. This review aims to provide an update of the ocular adverse events (OAEs), especially retinal toxicity, associated with the use of MEK inhibitors. METHODS We conducted a scientific literature search using the PubMed database up to July 2018 with the terms "MEK inhibitors" with a "review" filter and "MEK inhibitors" with a "clinical trials" filter. Phase I-III experimental studies and reviews were selected. Current principles and techniques for diagnosing and managing MEK inhibitor retinopathy and other OAEs are discussed. RESULTS In patients treated with MEK inhibitors, including asymptomatic patients, OAEs occur with an incidence of up to 90%. Mild to severe ophthalmic toxicities are described, including visual disturbances, a 2-line decrease in Snellen visual acuity, dry eye symptoms, ocular adnexal abnormalities, visual field defects, panuveitis, and retinal toxicities, such as different degrees of MEK-associated retinopathy, vascular injury, and retinal vein occlusion. CONCLUSION MEK inhibitors can lead to different degrees of retinal, uveal, and adnexal OAE, causing visual disturbances or discomfort. One of the most relevant OAE of MEK therapy is MEK inhibitor-associated retinopathy (MEKAR), which is usually mild, self-limited, and may subside after continuous use of the drug for weeks or months, or discontinuation, thereby restoring the normal visual function of the retina, with some exceptions. Ocular adverse events are often associated with other systemic adverse effects that can modify the dosage of treatment, so the communication with the oncologist is fundamental.
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Targeted therapies in melanoma beyond BRAF: targeting NRAS-mutated and KIT-mutated melanoma. Curr Opin Oncol 2020; 32:79-84. [PMID: 31833955 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000000606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Melanoma treatment have been revolutionized since 2010 by the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and, for BRAF-mutated melanoma, targeted therapies based on BRAF and MEK inhibitors, which is a model of effective targeted therapy in cancer. However, patients with BRAF wild type cannot benefit for such treatments. In this review, we will focus on the current clinical development of targeted therapies beyond BRAF, in NRAS-mutated and KIT-altered melanoma. RECENT FINDINGS In NRAS-mutated melanoma, targeted therapies based on MEK inhibition are being developed as monotherapy or in combination with MAPK, PI3K or CDK4/6 inhibitor. Targeted therapies of KIT-altered melanoma patients is based in KIT inhibitor (mostly imatinib, nilotinib), although for both melanoma subtypes, results are for now disappointing as compared with BRAF and MEK inhibitors in BRAF-mutated melanoma. SUMMARY Combined therapeutic targeted strategies are awaited in NRAS-mutated and KIT-altered melanoma and could provide additional benefit.
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Soffietti R, Ahluwalia M, Lin N, Rudà R. Management of brain metastases according to molecular subtypes. Nat Rev Neurol 2020; 16:557-574. [PMID: 32873927 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-0391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of brain metastases has markedly increased in the past 20 years owing to progress in the treatment of malignant solid tumours, earlier diagnosis by MRI and an ageing population. Although local therapies remain the mainstay of treatment for many patients with brain metastases, a growing number of systemic options are now available and/or are under active investigation. HER2-targeted therapies (lapatinib, neratinib, tucatinib and trastuzumab emtansine), alone or in combination, yield a number of intracranial responses in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases. New inhibitors are being investigated in brain metastases from ER-positive or triple-negative breast cancer. Several generations of EGFR and ALK inhibitors have shown activity on brain metastases from EGFR and ALK mutant non-small-cell lung cancer. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) hold promise in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer without druggable mutations and in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. The survival of patients with brain metastases from melanoma has substantially improved after the advent of BRAF inhibitors and ICIs (ipilimumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab). The combination of targeted agents or ICIs with stereotactic radiosurgery could further improve the response rates and survival but the risk of radiation necrosis should be monitored. Advanced neuroimaging and liquid biopsy will hopefully improve response evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Soffietti
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, University and City of Health and Science Hospital, Turin, Italy.
| | - Manmeet Ahluwalia
- Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, Taussig Center Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Nancy Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Roberta Rudà
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, University and City of Health and Science Hospital, Turin, Italy
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Uras IZ, Moll HP, Casanova E. Targeting KRAS Mutant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Past, Present and Future. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4325. [PMID: 32560574 PMCID: PMC7352653 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer with an aggressive clinical course and high mortality rates. Most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages when treatment options are limited and the efficacy of chemotherapy is poor. The disease has a complex and heterogeneous background with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for 85% of patients and lung adenocarcinoma being the most common histological subtype. Almost 30% of adenocarcinomas of the lung are driven by an activating Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutation. The ability to inhibit the oncogenic KRAS has been the holy grail of cancer research and the search for inhibitors is immensely ongoing as KRAS-mutated tumors are among the most aggressive and refractory to treatment. Therapeutic strategies tailored for KRAS+ NSCLC rely on the blockage of KRAS functional output, cellular dependencies, metabolic features, KRAS membrane associations, direct targeting of KRAS and immunotherapy. In this review, we provide an update on the most recent advances in anti-KRAS therapy for lung tumors with mechanistic insights into biological diversity and potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Z. Uras
- Department of Pharmacology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology & Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Herwig P. Moll
- Department of Physiology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology & Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (H.P.M.); (E.C.)
| | - Emilio Casanova
- Department of Physiology, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology & Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (H.P.M.); (E.C.)
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research (LBI-CR), 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Kato S, Okamura R, Sicklick JK, Daniels GA, Hong DS, Goodman A, Weihe E, Lee S, Khalid N, Collier R, Mareboina M, Riviere P, Whitchurch TJ, Fanta PT, Lippman SM, Kurzrock R. Prognostic implications of RAS alterations in diverse malignancies and impact of targeted therapies. Int J Cancer 2020; 146:3450-3460. [PMID: 31782524 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
RAS alterations are often found in difficult-to-treat malignancies and are considered "undruggable." To better understand the clinical correlates and coaltered genes of RAS alterations, we used targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze 1,937 patients with diverse cancers. Overall, 20.9% of cancers (405/1,937) harbored RAS alterations. Most RAS-altered cases had genomic coalterations (95.3%, median: 3, range: 0-51), often involving genes implicated in oncogenic signals: PI3K pathway (31.4% of 405 cases), cell cycle (31.1%), tyrosine kinase families (21.5%) and MAPK signaling (18.3%). Patients with RAS-altered versus wild-type RAS malignancies had significantly worse overall survival (OS; p = 0.02 [multivariate]), with KRAS alterations, in particular, showing shorter survival. Moreover, coalterations in both RAS and PI3K signaling or cell-cycle-associated genes correlated with worse OS (p = 0.004 and p < 0.0001, respectively [multivariate]). Among RAS-altered patients, MEK inhibitors alone did not impact progression-free survival (PFS), while matched targeted therapy against non-MAPK pathway coalterations alone showed a trend toward longer PFS (vs. patients who received unmatched therapy) (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.61-1.03, p = 0.07). Three of nine patients (33%) given tailored combination therapies targeting both MAPK and non-MAPK pathways achieved objective responses. In conclusion, RAS alterations correlated with poor survival across cancers. The majority of RAS alterations were accompanied by coalterations impacting other oncogenic pathways. MEK inhibitors alone were ineffective against RAS-altered cancers while matched targeted therapy against coalterations alone correlated with a trend toward improved PFS. A subset of the small number of patients given MEK inhibitors plus tailored non-MAPK-targeting agents showed responses, suggesting that customized combinations warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumei Kato
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Ryosuke Okamura
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Jason K Sicklick
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Gregory A Daniels
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - David S Hong
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Aaron Goodman
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Elizabeth Weihe
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Suzanna Lee
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Noor Khalid
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Rachel Collier
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Manvita Mareboina
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Paul Riviere
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Theresa J Whitchurch
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Paul T Fanta
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Scott M Lippman
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
| | - Razelle Kurzrock
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, California
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Abstract
RAS (KRAS, NRAS and HRAS) is the most frequently mutated gene family in cancers, and, consequently, investigators have sought an effective RAS inhibitor for more than three decades. Even 10 years ago, RAS inhibitors were so elusive that RAS was termed 'undruggable'. Now, with the success of allele-specific covalent inhibitors against the most frequently mutated version of RAS in non-small-cell lung cancer, KRASG12C, we have the opportunity to evaluate the best therapeutic strategies to treat RAS-driven cancers. Mutation-specific biochemical properties, as well as the tissue of origin, are likely to affect the effectiveness of such treatments. Currently, direct inhibition of mutant RAS through allele-specific inhibitors provides the best therapeutic approach. Therapies that target RAS-activating pathways or RAS effector pathways could be combined with these direct RAS inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors or T cell-targeting approaches to treat RAS-mutant tumours. Here we review recent advances in therapies that target mutant RAS proteins and discuss the future challenges of these therapies, including combination strategies.
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43
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Chen K, Shang Z, Dai AL, Dai PL. Novel PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors plus radiotherapy: Strategy for non-small cell lung cancer with mutant RAS gene. Life Sci 2020; 255:117816. [PMID: 32454155 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with RAS -mutant gene has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Over 25% of muted lung adenocarcinomas have RAS mutation. The prognosis of NSCLC patients with RAS-mutant genes is always poor because there is no effective drug to suppress RAS-mutant genes. NSCLC patients with RAS-mutant usually develop resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which in some cases leads to a 5-10% survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As little clinical symptom of NSCLC was presented at its early stages, thus it always brings in disappointing treatment outcome. Currently, NSCLC presents the highest morbidity and mortality all over the world. The combination of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors with radiotherapy is a novel strategy to improve radiosensitivity and therapeutic outcome of NSCLC with a RAS-mutant gene. There have been many preclinical studies and clinical trials on the effect of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors combined with radiotherapy in NSCLC with a RAS-mutant gene have been reported in the past years. This review provides current knowledge of the combination of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors with radiotherapy, which prove to be a significant improvement for the treatment of NSCLC patients with RAS mutations and will benefit NSCLC patients with RAS mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Zhongjun Shang
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Ai-Lin Dai
- Kunming Medical University Haiyuan School, Kunming 650100, China; Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Service Center of Wenshan state, 663000, China
| | - Pei-Ling Dai
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650118, China; Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650100, China.
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Ahmad S, He Q, Williams KP, Scott JE. Identification of a Triple Drug Combination That Is Synergistically Cytotoxic for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Using a Novel Combination Discovery Approach. SLAS DISCOVERY 2020; 25:923-938. [PMID: 32441190 DOI: 10.1177/2472555220924478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive form of breast cancer with few molecularly targeted therapies. We used a novel unbiased approach to identify higher-order synergistic or enhancer combinations of marketed kinase inhibitor drugs that inhibit cell viability of TNBC cell lines. We mixed all 33 kinase-targeted drugs on the market at the time of this study, which allowed for all possible combinations to exist in the initial mixture. A kinase inhibitor group dropout approach was used to identify active groups and then single active drugs. After only three rounds of deconvolution, we identified five single drugs to test further. After further testing, we focused on one novel subset consisting of three kinase inhibitor drugs: dasatinib, afatinib, and trametinib (DAT) that target src family kinases, HER2/EGFR, and MEK, respectively. The DAT combination potently inhibited the proliferation of three TNBC cell lines and modestly inhibited a fourth. However, it was not significantly more potent or synergistic than other two drug combinations of these drugs. The cytotoxic activities of all possible combinations of these three drugs were also analyzed. Compared with all two-way combinations, the three-way DAT combination generated the most cytotoxicity and the highest synergies for two of the four cell lines tested, with possibly mild synergy in a third cell line. These data indicated that the DAT combination should be evaluated for efficacy in an in vivo model of TNBC and may provide a novel combination of existing drugs for the treatment of a subset of TNBC cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Qingping He
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kevin P Williams
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John E Scott
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
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Liu Y, Feng M, Chen H, Yang G, Qiu J, Zhao F, Cao Z, Luo W, Xiao J, You L, Zheng L, Zhang T. Mechanistic target of rapamycin in the tumor microenvironment and its potential as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2020; 485:1-13. [PMID: 32428662 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer(PC) is a devastating disease with a poor prognosis; however, few treatment options are available and the search continues for feasible molecular therapeutic targets, both in the tumor itself and in the tumor microenvironment. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway has emerged as an attractive target due to its regulatory role in multiple cellular processes, including metabolism, proliferation, survival, and differentiation, under physiological and pathological conditions. Although mTOR-regulated events in tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment are known to restrict the development and growth of tumor cells, monotherapy with mTOR inhibitors has shown limited efficacy against PC to date, suggesting the need for alternative approaches. In this review, we describe the mechanisms by which mTOR modulates the PC microenvironment and suggest ways its function in immune cells might be exploited for the treatment of PC. We also discuss preclinical and clinical studies with mTOR inhibitors in combination with other therapeutic strategies, most notably immunotherapy. Finally, we highlight the promise that mTOR combinatorial therapy may hold for the treatment of PC in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueze Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Mengyu Feng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, 100142, China; Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Gang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Jiangdong Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Fangyu Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Zhe Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Wenhao Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Jianchun Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Lei You
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Lianfang Zheng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Taiping Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China; Clinical Immunology Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
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Shin MH, Kim J, Lim SA, Kim J, Lee KM. Current Insights into Combination Therapies with MAPK Inhibitors and Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2531. [PMID: 32260561 PMCID: PMC7177307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent development of high-throughput genomics has revolutionized personalized medicine by identifying key pathways and molecular targets controlling tumor progression and survival. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are examples of such targets, and inhibitors against these pathways have shown promising clinical responses in patients with melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid cancer. Although MAPK pathway-targeted therapies have resulted in significant clinical responses in a large proportion of cancer patients, the rate of tumor recurrence is high due to the development of resistance. Conversely, immunotherapies have shown limited clinical responses, but have led to durable tumor regression in patients, and complete responses. Recent evidence indicates that MAPK-targeted therapies may synergize with immune cells, thus providing rationale for the development of combination therapies. Here, we review the current status of ongoing clinical trials investigating MAPK pathway inhibitors, such as BRAF and MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitors, in combination with checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T cell associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4). A better understanding of an individual drug's mechanism of action, patterns of acquired resistance, and the influence on immune cells will be critical for the development of novel combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kyung-Mi Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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Bhaoighill MN, Dunlop EA. Mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors: successes and challenges as cancer therapeutics. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2019; 2:1069-1085. [PMID: 35582282 PMCID: PMC9019212 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2019.87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Delineating the contributions of specific cell signalling cascades to the development and maintenance of tumours has greatly informed our understanding of tumorigenesis and has advanced the modern era of targeted cancer therapy. It has been revealed that one of the key pathways regulating cell growth, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR) signalling axis, is commonly dysregulated in cancer. With a specific, well-tolerated inhibitor of mTOR available, the impact of inhibiting this pathway at the level of mTOR has been tested clinically. This review highlights some of the promising results seen with mTOR inhibitors in the clinic and assesses some of the challenges that remain in predicting patient outcome following mTOR-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elaine A Dunlop
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
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Pedroza-Torres A, Romero-Córdoba SL, Justo-Garrido M, Salido-Guadarrama I, Rodríguez-Bautista R, Montaño S, Muñiz-Mendoza R, Arriaga-Canon C, Fragoso-Ontiveros V, Álvarez-Gómez RM, Hernández G, Herrera LA. MicroRNAs in Tumor Cell Metabolism: Roles and Therapeutic Opportunities. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1404. [PMID: 31921661 PMCID: PMC6917641 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated metabolism is a common feature of cancer cells and is considered a hallmark of cancer. Altered tumor-metabolism confers an adaptive advantage to cancer cells to fulfill the high energetic requirements for the maintenance of high proliferation rates, similarly, reprogramming metabolism confers the ability to grow at low oxygen concentrations and to use alternative carbon sources. These phenomena result from the dysregulated expression of diverse genes, including those encoding microRNAs (miRNAs) which are involved in several metabolic and tumorigenic pathways through its post-transcriptional-regulatory activity. Further, the identification of key actionable altered miRNA has allowed to propose novel targeted therapies to modulated tumor-metabolism. In this review, we discussed the different roles of miRNAs in cancer cell metabolism and novel miRNA-based strategies designed to target the metabolic machinery in human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Pedroza-Torres
- Cátedra CONACyT-Clínica de Cáncer Hereditario, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sandra L Romero-Córdoba
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Montserrat Justo-Garrido
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología - Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Iván Salido-Guadarrama
- Biología Computacional, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias "Ismael Cosío Villegas", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rubén Rodríguez-Bautista
- Unidad de Oncología Torácica y Laboratorio de Medicina Personalizada, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sarita Montaño
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (FCQB-UAS), Culiacán, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Muñiz-Mendoza
- Clínica de Cáncer Hereditario, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Cristian Arriaga-Canon
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología - Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | - Greco Hernández
- Laboratorio de Traducción y Cáncer, Unidad de Investigaciones Biomedicas en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerolgía, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis A Herrera
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología - Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
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Magaway C, Kim E, Jacinto E. Targeting mTOR and Metabolism in Cancer: Lessons and Innovations. Cells 2019; 8:cells8121584. [PMID: 31817676 PMCID: PMC6952948 DOI: 10.3390/cells8121584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells support their growth and proliferation by reprogramming their metabolism in order to gain access to nutrients. Despite the heterogeneity in genetic mutations that lead to tumorigenesis, a common alteration in tumors occurs in pathways that upregulate nutrient acquisition. A central signaling pathway that controls metabolic processes is the mTOR pathway. The elucidation of the regulation and functions of mTOR can be traced to the discovery of the natural compound, rapamycin. Studies using rapamycin have unraveled the role of mTOR in the control of cell growth and metabolism. By sensing the intracellular nutrient status, mTOR orchestrates metabolic reprogramming by controlling nutrient uptake and flux through various metabolic pathways. The central role of mTOR in metabolic rewiring makes it a promising target for cancer therapy. Numerous clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the efficacy of mTOR inhibition for cancer treatment. Rapamycin analogs have been approved to treat specific types of cancer. Since rapamycin does not fully inhibit mTOR activity, new compounds have been engineered to inhibit the catalytic activity of mTOR to more potently block its functions. Despite highly promising pre-clinical studies, early clinical trial results of these second generation mTOR inhibitors revealed increased toxicity and modest antitumor activity. The plasticity of metabolic processes and seemingly enormous capacity of malignant cells to salvage nutrients through various mechanisms make cancer therapy extremely challenging. Therefore, identifying metabolic vulnerabilities in different types of tumors would present opportunities for rational therapeutic strategies. Understanding how the different sources of nutrients are metabolized not just by the growing tumor but also by other cells from the microenvironment, in particular, immune cells, will also facilitate the design of more sophisticated and effective therapeutic regimen. In this review, we discuss the functions of mTOR in cancer metabolism that have been illuminated from pre-clinical studies. We then review key findings from clinical trials that target mTOR and the lessons we have learned from both pre-clinical and clinical studies that could provide insights on innovative therapeutic strategies, including immunotherapy to target mTOR signaling and the metabolic network in cancer.
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Zhou S, Ren M, Xu H, Xia H, Tang Q, Liu M. Inhibition of ISG15 Enhances the Anti-Cancer Effect of Trametinib in Colon Cancer Cells. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:10239-10250. [PMID: 32063716 PMCID: PMC6884973 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s226395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), a ubiquitin-like molecule, is strongly up-regulated by type I interferon as a crucial response to a variety of microbial and cellular stress stimuli. However, the role of ISG15 in colon cancer remains unclear. Methods The expression of ISG15 in colon cancer tissues and cell lines was detected by using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. ISG15 expression levels of colon cancer cells treated with trametinib was verified by using the data downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, quantitative real-time PCR analysis and Western blots assays. ISG15-siRNA was used to silence ISG15 in colon cancer cell line to determine the roles of ISG15 in colon cancer cell proliferation. Results ISG15 was highly expressed in colon cancer tissues and ISG15 upregulation was closely associated with poor prognoses in colon cancer patients. Enhanced ISG15 expression promoted the migration and proliferation of colon cancer cells in vitro, while ISG15 knockdown decreased cell proliferation and metastasis. In addition, we first found that the mRNA and protein expression of ISG15 were up-regulated following trametinib treatment. Further investigation showed that ISG15 knockdown could enhance the anti-cancer effect of trametinib in colon cancer cells. Conclusion We proposed an interesting possibility that ISG15 may be a prognostic bio-marker, and the combined targeting of ISG15 and MEK might be a promising therapeutic strategy for colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhou
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Meilin Ren
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Huanji Xu
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China.,Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongwei Xia
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiulin Tang
- Laboratory of Molecular Targeted Therapy in Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610041, People's Republic of China
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