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Ebrahimnezhad M, Valizadeh A, Majidinia M, Tabnak P, Yousefi B. Unveiling the potential of FOXO3 in lung cancer: From molecular insights to therapeutic prospects. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 176:116833. [PMID: 38843589 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116833] [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: 02/24/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer poses a significant challenge regarding molecular heterogeneity, as it encompasses a wide range of molecular alterations and cancer-related pathways. Recent discoveries made it feasible to thoroughly investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer, giving rise to the possibility of novel therapeutic strategies relying on molecularly targeted drugs. In this context, forkhead box O3 (FOXO3), a member of forkhead transcription factors, has emerged as a crucial protein commonly dysregulated in cancer cells. The regulation of the FOXO3 in reacting to external stimuli plays a key role in maintaining cellular homeostasis as a component of the molecular machinery that determines whether cells will survive or dies. Indeed, various extrinsic cues regulate FOXO3, affecting its subcellular location and transcriptional activity. These regulations are mediated by diverse signaling pathways, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and protein interactions that eventually drive post-transcriptional modification of FOXO3. Nevertheless, while it is no doubt that FOXO3 is implicated in numerous aspects of lung cancer, it is unclear whether they act as tumor suppressors, promotors, or both based on the situation. However, FOXO3 serves as an intriguing possible target in lung cancer therapeutics while widely used anti-cancer chemo drugs can regulate it. In this review, we describe a summary of recent findings on molecular mechanisms of FOXO3 to clarify that targeting its activity might hold promise in lung cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ebrahimnezhad
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Amir Valizadeh
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Maryam Majidinia
- Solid Tumor Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Peyman Tabnak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Bahman Yousefi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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2
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Zhang H, Read A, Cataisson C, Yang HH, Lee WC, Turk BE, Yuspa SH, Luo J. Protein phosphatase 6 activates NF-κB to confer sensitivity to MAPK pathway inhibitors in KRAS- and BRAF-mutant cancer cells. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadd5073. [PMID: 38743809 PMCID: PMC11238902 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.add5073] [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: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a major target for cancer treatment. To better understand the genetic pathways that modulate cancer cell sensitivity to MAPK pathway inhibitors, we performed a CRISPR knockout screen with MAPK pathway inhibitors on a colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line carrying mutant KRAS. Genetic deletion of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 6 (PP6), encoded by PPP6C, rendered KRAS- and BRAF-mutant CRC and BRAF-mutant melanoma cells more resistant to these inhibitors. In the absence of MAPK pathway inhibition, PPP6C deletion in CRC cells decreased cell proliferation in two-dimensional (2D) adherent cultures but accelerated the growth of tumor spheroids in 3D culture and tumor xenografts in vivo. PPP6C deletion enhanced the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in CRC and melanoma cells and circumvented the cell cycle arrest and decreased cyclin D1 abundance induced by MAPK pathway blockade in CRC cells. Inhibiting NF-κB activity by genetic and pharmacological means restored the sensitivity of PPP6C-deficient cells to MAPK pathway inhibition in CRC and melanoma cells in vitro and in CRC cells in vivo. Furthermore, a R264 point mutation in PPP6C conferred loss of function in CRC cells, phenocopying the enhanced NF-κB activation and resistance to MAPK pathway inhibition observed for PPP6C deletion. These findings demonstrate that PP6 constrains the growth of KRAS- and BRAF-mutant cancer cells, implicates the PP6-NF-κB axis as a modulator of MAPK pathway output, and presents a rationale for cotargeting the NF-κB pathway in PPP6C-mutant cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Zhang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Abigail Read
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Current affiliation: Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Christophe Cataisson
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Howard H. Yang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wei-Chun Lee
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Benjamin E. Turk
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stuart H. Yuspa
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ji Luo
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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3
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Mason M, Lapuente-Santana Ó, Halkola AS, Wang W, Mall R, Xiao X, Kaufman J, Fu J, Pfeil J, Banerjee J, Chung V, Chang H, Chasalow SD, Lin HY, Chai R, Yu T, Finotello F, Mirtti T, Mäyränpää MI, Bao J, Verschuren EW, Ahmed EI, Ceccarelli M, Miller LD, Monaco G, Hendrickx WRL, Sherif S, Yang L, Tang M, Gu SS, Zhang W, Zhang Y, Zeng Z, Das Sahu A, Liu Y, Yang W, Bedognetti D, Tang J, Eduati F, Laajala TD, Geese WJ, Guinney J, Szustakowski JD, Vincent BG, Carbone DP. A community challenge to predict clinical outcomes after immune checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer. J Transl Med 2024; 22:190. [PMID: 38383458 PMCID: PMC10880244 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04705-3] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predictive biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy are currently lacking for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we describe the results from the Anti-PD-1 Response Prediction DREAM Challenge, a crowdsourced initiative that enabled the assessment of predictive models by using data from two randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of ICIs in first-line metastatic NSCLC. METHODS Participants developed and trained models using public resources. These were evaluated with data from the CheckMate 026 trial (NCT02041533), according to the model-to-data paradigm to maintain patient confidentiality. The generalizability of the models with the best predictive performance was assessed using data from the CheckMate 227 trial (NCT02477826). Both trials were phase III RCTs with a chemotherapy control arm, which supported the differentiation between predictive and prognostic models. Isolated model containers were evaluated using a bespoke strategy that considered the challenges of handling transcriptome data from clinical trials. RESULTS A total of 59 teams participated, with 417 models submitted. Multiple predictive models, as opposed to a prognostic model, were generated for predicting overall survival, progression-free survival, and progressive disease status with ICIs. Variables within the models submitted by participants included tumor mutational burden (TMB), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, and gene-expression-based signatures. The best-performing models showed improved predictive power over reference variables, including TMB or PD-L1. CONCLUSIONS This DREAM Challenge is the first successful attempt to use protected phase III clinical data for a crowdsourced effort towards generating predictive models for ICI clinical outcomes and could serve as a blueprint for similar efforts in other tumor types and disease states, setting a benchmark for future studies aiming to identify biomarkers predictive of ICI efficacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION CheckMate 026; NCT02041533, registered January 22, 2014. CheckMate 227; NCT02477826, registered June 23, 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike Mason
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Óscar Lapuente-Santana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Anni S Halkola
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raghvendra Mall
- Qatar Computing Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, P.O. Box 34110, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 38105, Memphis, TN, USA
- Biotechnology Research Center, Technology Innovation Institute, P.O. Box 9639, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Xu Xiao
- School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jacob Kaufman
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jingxin Fu
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Han Chang
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Francesca Finotello
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Digital Science Center (DiSC), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Tuomas Mirtti
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN-Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mikko I Mäyränpää
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jie Bao
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emmy W Verschuren
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eiman I Ahmed
- Human Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Michele Ceccarelli
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DIETI), University of Naples "Federico II", 80125, Naples, Italy
- BIOGEM Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Via Camporeale, Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Lance D Miller
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Gianni Monaco
- BIOGEM Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Via Camporeale, Ariano Irpino, Italy
| | - Wouter R L Hendrickx
- Human Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shimaa Sherif
- Human Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Lin Yang
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ming Tang
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Yi Zhang
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zexian Zeng
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Yang Liu
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Davide Bedognetti
- Human Immunology Department, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Jing Tang
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Federica Eduati
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Teemu D Laajala
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN-Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
- FICAN West Cancer Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pharmacology, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Computational Medicine Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David P Carbone
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Huffman KE, Li LS, Carstens R, Park H, Girard L, Avila K, Wei S, Kollipara R, Timmons B, Sudderth J, Bendris N, Kim J, Villalobos P, Fujimoto J, Schmid S, Deberardinis RJ, Wistuba I, Heymach J, Kittler R, Akbay EA, Posner B, Wang Y, Lam S, Kliewer SA, Mangelsdorf DJ, Minna JD. Glucocorticoid mediated inhibition of LKB1 mutant non-small cell lung cancers. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1025443. [PMID: 37035141 PMCID: PMC10078807 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1025443] [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: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is an important anti-cancer target in lymphoid cancers but has been understudied in solid tumors like lung cancer, although glucocorticoids are often given with chemotherapy regimens to mitigate side effects. Here, we identify a dexamethasone-GR mediated anti-cancer response in a subset of aggressive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) that harbor Serine/Threonine Kinase 11 (STK11/LKB1) mutations. High tumor expression of carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) was strongly linked to the presence of LKB1 mutations, was the best predictor of NSCLC dexamethasone (DEX) sensitivity (p < 10-16) but was not mechanistically involved in DEX sensitivity. Subcutaneous, orthotopic and metastatic NSCLC xenografts, biomarker-selected, STK11/LKB1 mutant patient derived xenografts, and genetically engineered mouse models with KRAS/LKB1 mutant lung adenocarcinomas all showed marked in vivo anti-tumor responses with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin. Mechanistically, GR activation triggers G1/S cell cycle arrest in LKB1 mutant NSCLCs by inducing the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, CDKN1C/p57(Kip2). All findings were confirmed with functional genomic experiments including CRISPR knockouts and exogenous expression. Importantly, DEX-GR mediated cell cycle arrest did not interfere with NSCLC radiotherapy, or platinum response in vitro or with platinum response in vivo. While DEX induced LKB1 mutant NSCLCs in vitro exhibit markers of cellular senescence and demonstrate impaired migration, in vivo DEX treatment of a patient derived xenograft (PDX) STK11/LKB1 mutant model resulted in expression of apoptosis markers. These findings identify a previously unknown GR mediated therapeutic vulnerability in STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLCs caused by induction of p57(Kip2) expression with both STK11 mutation and high expression of CPS1 as precision medicine biomarkers of this vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth E. Huffman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Long Shan Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ryan Carstens
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Hyunsil Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Luc Girard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Kimberley Avila
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Shuguang Wei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Rahul Kollipara
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Brenda Timmons
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jessica Sudderth
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Nawal Bendris
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jiyeon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Urology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Pamela Villalobos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sandra Schmid
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ralph J. Deberardinis
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - John Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ralf Kittler
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Esra A. Akbay
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Bruce Posner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- British Columbia Cancer Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stephen Lam
- British Columbia Cancer Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Steven A. Kliewer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - David J. Mangelsdorf
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - John D. Minna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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Ndembe G, Intini I, Perin E, Marabese M, Caiola E, Mendogni P, Rosso L, Broggini M, Colombo M. LKB1: Can We Target an Hidden Target? Focus on NSCLC. Front Oncol 2022; 12:889826. [PMID: 35646638 PMCID: PMC9131655 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.889826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
LKB1 (liver kinase B1) is a master regulator of several processes such as metabolism, proliferation, cell polarity and immunity. About one third of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) present LKB1 alterations, which almost invariably lead to protein loss, resulting in the absence of a potential druggable target. In addition, LKB1-null tumors are very aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy, targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this review, we report and comment strategies that exploit peculiar co-vulnerabilities to effectively treat this subgroup of NSCLCs. LKB1 loss leads to an enhanced metabolic avidity, and treatments inducing metabolic stress were successful in inhibiting tumor growth in several preclinical models. Biguanides, by compromising mitochondria and reducing systemic glucose availability, and the glutaminase inhibitor telaglenastat (CB-839), inhibiting glutamate production and reducing carbon intermediates essential for TCA cycle progression, have provided the most interesting results and entered different clinical trials enrolling also LKB1-null NSCLC patients. Nutrient deprivation has been investigated as an alternative therapeutic intervention, giving rise to interesting results exploitable to design specific dietetic regimens able to counteract cancer progression. Other strategies aimed at targeting LKB1-null NSCLCs exploit its pivotal role in modulating cell proliferation and cell invasion. Several inhibitors of LKB1 downstream proteins, such as mTOR, MEK, ERK and SRK/FAK, resulted specifically active on LKB1-mutated preclinical models and, being molecules already in clinical experimentation, could be soon proposed as a specific therapy for these patients. In particular, the rational use in combination of these inhibitors represents a very promising strategy to prevent the activation of collateral pathways and possibly avoid the potential emergence of resistance to these drugs. LKB1-null phenotype has been correlated to ICIs resistance but several studies have already proposed the mechanisms involved and potential interventions. Interestingly, emerging data highlighted that LKB1 alterations represent positive determinants to the new KRAS specific inhibitors response in KRAS co-mutated NSCLCs. In conclusion, the absence of the target did not block the development of treatments able to hit LKB1-mutated NSCLCs acting on several fronts. This will give patients a concrete chance to finally benefit from an effective therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloriana Ndembe
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilenia Intini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Perin
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirko Marabese
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Caiola
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Mendogni
- Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation Unit, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Rosso
- Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation Unit, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Broggini
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Marika Colombo
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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6
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Pierce SE, Granja JM, Corces MR, Brady JJ, Tsai MK, Pierce AB, Tang R, Chu P, Feldser DM, Chang HY, Bassik MC, Greenleaf WJ, Winslow MM. LKB1 inactivation modulates chromatin accessibility to drive metastatic progression. Nat Cell Biol 2021; 23:915-924. [PMID: 34341533 PMCID: PMC8355205 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-021-00728-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and enables cancer cells to compromise organ function by expanding in secondary sites. Since primary tumours and metastases often share the same constellation of driver mutations, the mechanisms that drive their distinct phenotypes are unclear. Here we show that inactivation of the frequently mutated tumour suppressor gene LKB1 (encoding liver kinase B1) has evolving effects throughout the progression of lung cancer, which leads to the differential epigenetic re-programming of early-stage primary tumours compared with late-stage metastases. By integrating genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screening with bulk and single-cell multi-omic analyses, we unexpectedly identify LKB1 as a master regulator of chromatin accessibility in lung adenocarcinoma primary tumours. Using an in vivo model of metastatic progression, we further show that loss of LKB1 activates the early endoderm transcription factor SOX17 in metastases and a metastatic-like sub-population of cancer cells within primary tumours. The expression of SOX17 is necessary and sufficient to drive a second wave of epigenetic changes in LKB1-deficient cells that enhances metastatic ability. Overall, our study demonstrates how the downstream effects of an individual driver mutation can change throughout cancer development, with implications for stage-specific therapeutic resistance mechanisms and the gene regulatory underpinnings of metastatic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Pierce
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Jeffrey M Granja
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M Ryan Corces
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer J Brady
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Min K Tsai
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Aubrey B Pierce
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rui Tang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Pauline Chu
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David M Feldser
- Department of Cancer Biology and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- HHMI, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Bassik
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Monte M Winslow
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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7
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Koenig MJ, Agana BA, Kaufman JM, Sharpnack MF, Wang WZ, Weigel C, Navarro FCP, Amann JM, Cacciato N, Arasada RR, Gerstein MB, Wysocki VH, Oakes C, Carbone DP. STK11/LKB1 Loss of Function Is Associated with Global DNA Hypomethylation and S-Adenosyl-Methionine Depletion in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 2021; 81:4194-4204. [PMID: 34045189 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
STK11 (liver kinase B1, LKB1) is the fourth most frequently mutated gene in lung adenocarcinoma, with loss of function observed in up to 30% of all cases. Our previous work identified a 16-gene signature for LKB1 loss of function through mutational and nonmutational mechanisms. In this study, we applied this genetic signature to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) lung adenocarcinoma samples and discovered a novel association between LKB1 loss and widespread DNA demethylation. LKB1-deficient tumors showed depletion of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM-e), which is the primary substrate for DNMT1 activity. Lower methylation following LKB1 loss involved repetitive elements (RE) and altered RE transcription, as well as decreased sensitivity to azacytidine. Demethylated CpGs were enriched for FOXA family consensus binding sites, and nuclear expression, localization, and turnover of FOXA was dependent upon LKB1. Overall, these findings demonstrate that a large number of lung adenocarcinomas exhibit global hypomethylation driven by LKB1 loss, which has implications for both epigenetic therapy and immunotherapy in these cancers. SIGNIFICANCE: Lung adenocarcinomas with LKB1 loss demonstrate global genomic hypomethylation associated with depletion of SAM-e, reduced expression of DNMT1, and increased transcription of repetitive elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Koenig
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
| | - Bernice A Agana
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jacob M Kaufman
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Walter Z Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Christoph Weigel
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Fabio C P Navarro
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Joseph M Amann
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Nicole Cacciato
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Mark B Gerstein
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Vicki H Wysocki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Christopher Oakes
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - David P Carbone
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
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8
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Froesch P, Mark M, Rothschild SI, Li Q, Godar G, Rusterholz C, Oppliger Leibundgut E, Schmid S, Colombo I, Metaxas Y, König D, Sessa C, Gautschi O, Früh M. Binimetinib, pemetrexed and cisplatin, followed by maintenance of binimetinib and pemetrexed in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and KRAS mutations. The phase 1B SAKK 19/16 trial. Lung Cancer 2021; 156:91-99. [PMID: 33933896 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND KRAS mutations are found in 20-25 % of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and therapies targeting the RAS/MEK/ERK pathway are in development. We performed a multicenter open-label phase 1B trial to determine the recommended phase 2 dose and early antitumor activity of the MEK-inhibitor binimetinib combined with cisplatin and pemetrexed. METHODS Eligible patients (pts) had stage III-IV NSCLC unsuitable for curative treatment, KRAS exon 2 or 3 (codon 12, 13 or 61) mutations, no prior systemic therapy. Pts were enrolled into part 1: 3 + 3 design with dose escalation in 2 dose levels (DL) of binimetinib and part 2: expansion cohort at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Pts received 4 cycles of cisplatin 75 mg/m2, pemetrexed 500 mg/m2and binimetinib 30 (DL1)/45 mg (DL2) orally twice a day (bid) d1-14 q3w followed by pemetrexed and binimetinib until progressive disease (PD) or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS From May 2017 to Dec 2019, 18 pts (13 dose escalation, 5 expansion cohort) were enrolled. Median age was 60 (48-73, range). KRAS mutations were 87.5 % at codon 12. No DLT occurred in the dose escalation cohort. Median number of cycles was 2 (1-17, range). Treatment discontinuation was mainly due to PD (33 %) or pts/physicians' decision (27 %). Together with the expansion cohort, 16 pts were evaluable for safety. Most frequent treatment-related grade 3 AEs were lung infection (25 %), fatigue (19 %), anemia (19 %). Overall response rate among 9 evaluable pts receiving binimetinib at MTD (45 mg bid) was 33 % (7-70 %, 95 % CI). Median progression-free survival was 5.7 months (1.1-14.0, 95 % CI) and overall survival 6.5 months (1.8-NR, 95 % CI). CONCLUSIONS Pts treated with combination of cisplatin, pemetrexed and binimetinib presented no unexpected toxicity. No early signal of increased antitumor activity of binimetinib added to chemotherapy was observed in our pts population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Froesch
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Via Ospedale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
| | - Michael Mark
- Department of Medical Oncology/Hematology, Cantonal Hospital Graubünden, Loëstrasse 170, 7000 Chur, Switzerland.
| | - Sacha I Rothschild
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Qiyu Li
- SAKK Coordinating Center, Effingerstrasse 33, 3008 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Gilles Godar
- SAKK Coordinating Center, Effingerstrasse 33, 3008 Bern, Switzerland.
| | | | - Elisabeth Oppliger Leibundgut
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital Bern, and Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Bern University, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Sabine Schmid
- Department of Oncology/Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, Rorschacher Strasse 95, 9007 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
| | - Ilaria Colombo
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Via Ospedale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
| | - Yannis Metaxas
- Department of Medical Oncology/Hematology, Cantonal Hospital Graubünden, Loëstrasse 170, 7000 Chur, Switzerland.
| | - David König
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Cristiana Sessa
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Via Ospedale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
| | - Oliver Gautschi
- Medical Oncology, Cantonal Hospital Lucerne, Spitalstrasse, 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland; University of Berne, Hochschulstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Martin Früh
- University of Berne, Hochschulstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Department of Oncology/Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, Rorschacher Strasse 95, 9007 St.Gallen, Switzerland.
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9
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LKB1 Down-Modulation by miR-17 Identifies Patients With NSCLC Having Worse Prognosis Eligible for Energy-Stress-Based Treatments. J Thorac Oncol 2021; 16:1298-1311. [PMID: 33887464 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2021.04.005] [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: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preclinical models recently unveiled the vulnerability of LKB1/KRAS comutated NSCLC to metabolic stress-based treatments. Because miR-17 is a potential epigenetic regulator of LKB1, we hypothesized that wild-type LKB1 (LKB1WT) NSCLC with high miR-17 expression may be sensitive to an energetic stress condition, and eligible for metabolic frailties-based therapeutic intervention. METHODS We took advantage of NSCLC cell lines with different combinations of KRAS mutation and LKB1 deletion and of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with high (LKB1WT/miR-17 high) or low (LKB1WT/miR-17 low) miR-17 expression. We evaluated LKB1 pathway impairment and apoptotic response to metformin. We retrospectively evaluated LKB1 and miR-17 expression levels in tissue specimens of patients with NSCLC and PDXs. In addition, a lung cancer series from The Cancer Genome Atlas data set was analyzed for miR-17 expression and potential correlation with clinical features. RESULTS We identified miR-17 as an epigenetic regulator of LKB1 in NSCLC and confirmed targeting of miR-17 to LKB1 3' untranslated region by luciferase reporter assay. We found that miR-17 overexpression functionally impairs the LKB1/AMPK pathway. Metformin treatment prompted apoptosis on miR-17 overexpression only in LKB1WT cell lines, and in LKB1WT/miR-17 high PDXs. A retrospective analysis in patients with NSCLC revealed an inverse correlation between miR-17 and LKB1 expression and highlighted a prognostic role of miR-17 expression in LKB1WT patients, which was further confirmed by The Cancer Genome Atlas data analysis. CONCLUSIONS We identified miR-17 as a mediator of LKB1 expression in NSCLC tumors. This study proposes a miR-17 expression score potentially exploitable to discriminate LKB1WT patients with NSCLC with impaired LKB1 expression and poor outcome, eligible for energy-stress-based treatments.
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10
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Karthikeyan SK, Gimbrone NT, Percy TR, Cress WD. Loss of cellular identity in common pre-clinical models of serine‑threonine kinase 11 (Liver kinase B1) loss. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2021; 26:100286. [PMID: 33338855 PMCID: PMC10022640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2020.100286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nearly 1/3 of lung adenocarcinomas have loss of STK11 (LKB1) function. Herein, a bioinformatics approach was used to determine how accurately preclinical model systems reflect the in vivo biology of STK11 loss in human patients. Hierarchical and K-mean clustering, principle component, and gene set enrichment analyses were employed to model gene expression due to STK11 loss in patient cohorts representing nearly 1000 lung adenocarcinoma patients. K-means clustering classified STK11 loss patient tumors into three distinct sub-groups; positive (54%), neuroendocrine (NE) (35%) and negative (11%). The positive and NE groups are both defined by the expression of NKX2-1. In addition to NKX2-1, NE patients express neuroendocrine markers such as ASCL1 and CALCA. In contrast, the negative group does not express NKX2-1 (or neuroendocrine markers) and is characterized by significantly reduced survival relative to the two other groups. Two gene expression signatures were derived to explain both neuroendocrine features and differentiation (NKX2-1 loss) and were validated through two public datasets involving chemical differentiation (DCI) and NKX2-1 reconstitution. Patients results were then compared with established cell lines, transgenic mice, and patient-derived xenograft models of STK11 loss. Interestingly, all cell line and PDX models cluster and show expression patterns similar with the NKX2-1 negative subset of STK11-loss human tumors. Surprisingly, even mouse models of STK11 loss do not resemble patient tumors based on gene expression patterns. Results suggest pre-clinical models of STK11 loss are pronounced by marked elimination of type II pneumocyte identity, opposite of most in vivo human tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas T Gimbrone
- Program in Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Trent R Percy
- Program in Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - W Douglas Cress
- Program in Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
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11
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Beyond LKB1 Mutations in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Defining LKB1less Phenotype to Optimize Patient Selection and Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13110385. [PMID: 33202760 PMCID: PMC7697441 DOI: 10.3390/ph13110385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
LKB1 is frequently mutated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). LKB1-mutated NSCLCs often have a dismal prognosis and receive lower benefit from the currently available therapies. LKB1 acts as a cell emergency brake in low-energy conditions, by modulating the activity of crucial anabolic enzymes. Thus, loss of LKB1 activity leads to the enhancement of tumor cell proliferation also under conditions of energy shortage. This unrestrained growth may be exploited as an Achilles heel in NSCLC, i.e., by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration. Recently, clinical trials have started to investigate the efficacy of metabolism-based treatments in NSCLCs. To date, enrollment of patients within these trials is based on LKB1 loss of function status, defined by mutation in the gene or by complete absence of immunohistochemical staining. However, LKB1 impairment could be the consequence of epigenetic regulations that partially or completely abrogate protein expression. These epigenetic regulations result in LKB1 wild-type tumors with aggressiveness and vulnerabilities similar to those of LKB1-mutated ones. In this review, we introduced the definition of the “LKB1less phenotype”, and we summarized all currently known features linked to this status, in order to optimize selection and treatment of NSCLC patients with impaired LKB1 function.
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12
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Daemen A, Cooper JE, Myrta S, Wongchenko MJ, Lin E, Long JE, Foreman O, Modrusan Z, Tremayne JR, de la Cruz CC, Merchant M, Martin SE, Yan Y, Junttila MR. Transcriptional Subtypes Resolve Tumor Heterogeneity and Identify Vulnerabilities to MEK Inhibition in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 27:1162-1173. [PMID: 33023953 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-1835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Lung adenocarcinomas comprise the largest fraction of non-small cell lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Seventy-five percent of adenocarcinomas lack targeted therapies because of scarcity of druggable drivers. Here, we classified tumors on the basis of signaling similarities and discovered subgroups within this unmet patient population. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We leveraged transcriptional data from >800 early- and advanced-stage patients. RESULTS We identified three robust subtypes dubbed mucinous, proliferative, and mesenchymal with respective pathway phenotypes. These transcriptional states lack discrete and causative mutational etiology as evidenced by similarly distributed oncogenic drivers, including KRAS and EGFR. The subtypes capture heterogeneity even among tumors lacking known oncogenic drivers. Paired multi-regional intratumoral biopsies demonstrated unified subtypes despite divergently evolved prooncogenic mutations, indicating subtype stability during selective pressure. Heterogeneity among in vitro and in vivo preclinical models is expounded by the human lung adenocarcinoma subtypes and can be leveraged to discover subtype-specific vulnerabilities. As proof of concept, we identified differential subtype response to MEK pathway inhibition in a chemical library screen of 89 lung cancer cell lines, which reproduces across model systems and a clinical trial. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support forward translational relevance of transcriptional subtypes, where further exploration therein may improve lung adenocarcinoma treatment.See related commentary by Skoulidis, p. 913.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneleen Daemen
- Department of Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California.
| | - Jonathan E Cooper
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Szymon Myrta
- Roche Global IT Solution Centre, Roche, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Matthew J Wongchenko
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Eva Lin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jason E Long
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Oded Foreman
- Department of Research Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Zora Modrusan
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Jarrod R Tremayne
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Cecile C de la Cruz
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Mark Merchant
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Scott E Martin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Yibing Yan
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Melissa R Junttila
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California.
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13
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Imyanitov EN, Levchenko EV, Kuligina ES, Orlov SV. Treating non-small cell lung cancer with selumetinib: an up-to-date drug evaluation. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2020; 21:1943-1953. [DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2020.1798930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny N. Imyanitov
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, 197758, Russia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, St.-Petersburg Pediatric Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 194100, Russia
- Department of Oncology, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 191015, Russia
- Department of Oncology, I.P. Pavlov St.-Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 197022, Russia
- Institute of Medical Primatology, Sochi, 354376, Russia
| | - Evgeny V. Levchenko
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, 197758, Russia
- Department of Oncology, I.I. Mechnikov North-Western Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 191015, Russia
| | - Ekatherina S. Kuligina
- Department of Tumor Growth Biology, N.N. Petrov Institute of Oncology, St.-Petersburg, 197758, Russia
| | - Sergey V. Orlov
- Department of Oncology, I.P. Pavlov St.-Petersburg State Medical University, St.-Petersburg, 197022, Russia
- Institute of Medical Primatology, Sochi, 354376, Russia
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14
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Macaya I, Entrialgo-Cadierno R, Valencia K, Vicent S. Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1) Loss Has its p-ERKs: ERK Inactivation as a Vulnerability in NSCLC With LKB1 Mutations. J Thorac Oncol 2020; 15:311-313. [PMID: 32093851 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irati Macaya
- Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Entrialgo-Cadierno
- Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Karmele Valencia
- Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvestre Vicent
- Program in Solid Tumors, Center for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Madrid, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Physiology, Pamplona, Spain.
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15
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Dong Y, Tu R, Liu H, Qing G. Regulation of cancer cell metabolism: oncogenic MYC in the driver's seat. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:124. [PMID: 32651356 PMCID: PMC7351732 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00235-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells must rewire cellular metabolism to satisfy the demands of unbridled growth and proliferation. As such, most human cancers differ from normal counterpart tissues by a plethora of energetic and metabolic reprogramming. Transcription factors of the MYC family are deregulated in up to 70% of all human cancers through a variety of mechanisms. Oncogenic levels of MYC regulates almost every aspect of cellular metabolism, a recently revisited hallmark of cancer development. Meanwhile, unrestrained growth in response to oncogenic MYC expression creates dependency on MYC-driven metabolic pathways, which in principle provides novel targets for development of effective cancer therapeutics. In the current review, we summarize the significant progress made toward understanding how MYC deregulation fuels metabolic rewiring in malignant transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Dong
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology & Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Rongfu Tu
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology & Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Hudan Liu
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.,Frontier Science Center for Immunology & Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Guoliang Qing
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China. .,Frontier Science Center for Immunology & Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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16
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LKB1/AMPK Pathway and Drug Response in Cancer: A Therapeutic Perspective. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:8730816. [PMID: 31781355 PMCID: PMC6874879 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8730816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Inactivating mutations of the tumor suppressor gene Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1) are frequently detected in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and cervical carcinoma. Moreover, LKB1 expression is epigenetically regulated in several tumor types. LKB1 has an established function in the control of cell metabolism and oxidative stress. Clinical and preclinical studies support a role of LKB1 as a central modifier of cellular response to different stress-inducing drugs, suggesting LKB1 pathway as a highly promising therapeutic target. Loss of LKB1-AMPK signaling confers sensitivity to energy depletion and to redox homeostasis impairment and has been associated with an improved outcome in advanced NSCLC patients treated with chemotherapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the interplay between LKB1 and its downstream targets in cancer and focus on potential therapeutic strategies whose outcome could depend from LKB1.
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17
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Patel CH, Leone RD, Horton MR, Powell JD. Targeting metabolism to regulate immune responses in autoimmunity and cancer. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2019; 18:669-688. [PMID: 31363227 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-019-0032-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic programming is emerging as a critical mechanism to alter immune cell activation, differentiation and function. Targeting metabolism does not completely suppress or activate the immune system but selectively regulates immune responses. The different metabolic requirements of the diverse cells that constitute an immune response provide a unique opportunity to separate effector functions from regulatory functions. Likewise, cells can be metabolically reprogrammed to promote either their short-term effector functions or long-term memory capacity. Studies in the growing field of immunometabolism support a paradigm of 'cellular selectivity based on demand', in which generic inhibitors of ubiquitous metabolic processes selectively affect cells with the greatest metabolic demand and have few effects on other cells of the body. Targeting metabolism, rather than particular cell types or cytokines, in metabolically demanding processes such as autoimmunity, graft rejection, cancer and uncontrolled inflammation could lead to successful strategies in controlling the pathogenesis of these complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirag H Patel
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert D Leone
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maureen R Horton
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan D Powell
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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18
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Kutkowska J, Strzadala L, Rapak A. Sorafenib in Combination with Betulinic Acid Synergistically Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Inhibits Clonogenic Activity in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19103234. [PMID: 30347681 PMCID: PMC6214124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19103234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most deadly cancers in the world due to late diagnosis and poor response to available treatments. It is important to identify treatment strategies that will increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of the currently used therapeutics. In this study, the PDAC cell lines AsPC-1, BxPC-3, and Capan-1 were treated with sorafenib and betulinic acid alone and in combination. We examined the effect of combined treatments on viability (MTS test), proliferation and apoptosis (annexin V staining), cell cycle arrest (PI staining), alterations in signaling pathways (Western blotting), and colony-forming ability. The combination of sorafenib with betulinic acid inhibited the viability and proliferation of PDAC cells without the induction of apoptosis. The antiproliferative effect, caused by G2 cell cycle arrest, was strongly associated with increased expression of p21 and decreased expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1, and was induced only by combined treatment. Additionally, decreased proliferation could also be associated with the inhibition of the P13K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways. Importantly, combination treatment reduced the colony-forming ability of PDAC cells, as compared to both compounds alone. Collectively, we showed that combined treatment with low concentrations of sorafenib and betulinic acid had the capacity to inhibit proliferation and abolish clonogenic activity in PDAC cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Kutkowska
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Science, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Leon Strzadala
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Science, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Andrzej Rapak
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy Polish Academy of Science, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland.
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Skoulidis F, Goldberg ME, Greenawalt DM, Hellmann MD, Awad MM, Gainor JF, Schrock AB, Hartmaier RJ, Trabucco SE, Gay L, Ali SM, Elvin JA, Singal G, Ross JS, Fabrizio D, Szabo PM, Chang H, Sasson A, Srinivasan S, Kirov S, Szustakowski J, Vitazka P, Edwards R, Bufill JA, Sharma N, Ou SHI, Peled N, Spigel DR, Rizvi H, Aguilar EJ, Carter BW, Erasmus J, Halpenny DF, Plodkowski AJ, Long NM, Nishino M, Denning WL, Galan-Cobo A, Hamdi H, Hirz T, Tong P, Wang J, Rodriguez-Canales J, Villalobos PA, Parra ER, Kalhor N, Sholl LM, Sauter JL, Jungbluth AA, Mino-Kenudson M, Azimi R, Elamin YY, Zhang J, Leonardi GC, Jiang F, Wong KK, Lee JJ, Papadimitrakopoulou VA, Wistuba II, Miller VA, Frampton GM, Wolchok JD, Shaw AT, Jänne PA, Stephens PJ, Rudin CM, Geese WJ, Albacker LA, Heymach JV. STK11/LKB1 Mutations and PD-1 Inhibitor Resistance in KRAS-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:822-835. [PMID: 29773717 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-18-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1044] [Impact Index Per Article: 174.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
KRAS is the most common oncogenic driver in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC). We previously reported that STK11/LKB1 (KL) or TP53 (KP) comutations define distinct subgroups of KRAS-mutant LUAC. Here, we examine the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in these subgroups. Objective response rates to PD-1 blockade differed significantly among KL (7.4%), KP (35.7%), and K-only (28.6%) subgroups (P < 0.001) in the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) cohort (174 patients) with KRAS-mutant LUAC and in patients treated with nivolumab in the CheckMate-057 phase III trial (0% vs. 57.1% vs. 18.2%; P = 0.047). In the SU2C cohort, KL LUAC exhibited shorter progression-free (P < 0.001) and overall (P = 0.0015) survival compared with KRASMUT;STK11/LKB1WT LUAC. Among 924 LUACs, STK11/LKB1 alterations were the only marker significantly associated with PD-L1 negativity in TMBIntermediate/High LUAC. The impact of STK11/LKB1 alterations on clinical outcomes with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors extended to PD-L1-positive non-small cell lung cancer. In Kras-mutant murine LUAC models, Stk11/Lkb1 loss promoted PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor resistance, suggesting a causal role. Our results identify STK11/LKB1 alterations as a major driver of primary resistance to PD-1 blockade in KRAS-mutant LUAC.Significance: This work identifies STK11/LKB1 alterations as the most prevalent genomic driver of primary resistance to PD-1 axis inhibitors in KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Genomic profiling may enhance the predictive utility of PD-L1 expression and tumor mutation burden and facilitate establishment of personalized combination immunotherapy approaches for genomically defined LUAC subsets. Cancer Discov; 8(7); 822-35. ©2018 AACR.See related commentary by Etxeberria et al., p. 794This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 781.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinandos Skoulidis
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | | | - Matthew D Hellmann
- Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mark M Awad
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Justin F Gainor
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | - Laurie Gay
- Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Siraj M Ali
- Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Han Chang
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Princeton, New Jersey
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Neelesh Sharma
- Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research, East Hanover, New Jersey
| | - Sai-Hong I Ou
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, Orange, California
| | - Nir Peled
- Thoracic Cancer Unit, Davidoff Cancer Center, Petach Tiqwa, Israel.,Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Hira Rizvi
- Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elizabeth Jimenez Aguilar
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brett W Carter
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jeremy Erasmus
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Darragh F Halpenny
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Andrew J Plodkowski
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Niamh M Long
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mizuki Nishino
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Warren L Denning
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ana Galan-Cobo
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Haifa Hamdi
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Taghreed Hirz
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pan Tong
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jaime Rodriguez-Canales
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pamela A Villalobos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Edwin R Parra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Neda Kalhor
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lynette M Sholl
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer L Sauter
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Achim A Jungbluth
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mari Mino-Kenudson
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Roxana Azimi
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yasir Y Elamin
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Giulia C Leonardi
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fei Jiang
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - J Jack Lee
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Vassiliki A Papadimitrakopoulou
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | | | | | - Jedd D Wolchok
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Alice T Shaw
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pasi A Jänne
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Charles M Rudin
- Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research and Department of Medicine, Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | | | - John V Heymach
- Department of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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20
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Yamada T, Amann JM, Tanimoto A, Taniguchi H, Shukuya T, Timmers C, Yano S, Shilo K, Carbone DP. Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Enhances the Antitumor Activity of a MEK Inhibitor in Lung Cancer Cells Harboring RAS Mutations. Mol Cancer Ther 2017; 17:17-25. [PMID: 29079711 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-17-0146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be identified by precise molecular subsets based on genomic alterations that drive tumorigenesis and include mutations in EGFR, KRAS, and various ALK fusions. However, despite effective treatments for EGFR and ALK, promising therapeutics have not been developed for patients with KRAS mutations. It has been reported that one way the RAS-ERK pathway contributes to tumorigenesis is by affecting stability and localization of FOXO3a protein, an important regulator of cell death and the cell cycle. This is through regulation of apoptotic proteins BIM and FASL and cell-cycle regulators p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 We now show that an HDAC inhibitor affects the expression and localization of FOXO proteins and wanted to determine whether the combination of a MEK inhibitor with an HDAC inhibitor would increase the sensitivity of NSCLC with KRAS mutation. Combined treatment with a MEK inhibitor and an HDAC inhibitor showed synergistic effects on cell metabolic activity of RAS-mutated lung cancer cells through activation of FOXOs, with a subsequent increase in BIM and cell-cycle inhibitors. Moreover, in a mouse xenograft model, the combination of belinostat and trametinib significantly decreases tumor formation through FOXOs by increasing BIM and the cell-cycle inhibitors p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 These results demonstrate that control of FOXOs localization and expression is critical in RAS-driven lung cancer cells, suggesting that the dual molecular-targeted therapy for MEK and HDACs may be promising as novel therapeutic strategy in NSCLC with specific populations of RAS mutations. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(1); 17-25. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadaaki Yamada
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.,Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Joseph M Amann
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Azusa Tanimoto
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Taniguchi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takehito Shukuya
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Cynthia Timmers
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Seiji Yano
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Konstantin Shilo
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - David P Carbone
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio.
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21
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STK38L kinase ablation promotes loss of cell viability in a subset of KRAS-dependent pancreatic cancer cell lines. Oncotarget 2017; 8:78556-78572. [PMID: 29108249 PMCID: PMC5667982 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are highly aggressive malignancies, associated with poor clinical prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Oncogenic KRAS mutations are found in over 90% of PDACs, playing a central role in tumor progression. Global gene expression profiling of PDAC reveals 3-4 major molecular subtypes with distinct phenotypic traits and pharmacological vulnerabilities, including variations in oncogenic KRAS pathway dependencies. PDAC cell lines of the aberrantly differentiated endocrine exocrine (ADEX) subtype are robustly KRAS-dependent for survival. The KRAS gene is located on chromosome 12p11-12p12, a region amplified in 5-10% of primary PDACs. Within this amplicon, we identified co-amplification of KRAS with the STK38L gene in a subset of primary human PDACs and PDAC cell lines. Therefore, we determined whether PDAC cell lines are dependent on STK38L expression for proliferation and viability. STK38L encodes a serine/threonine kinase, which shares homology with Hippo pathway kinases LATS1/2. We show that STK38L expression is elevated in a subset of primary PDACs and PDAC cell lines displaying ADEX subtype characteristics, including overexpression of mutant KRAS. RNAi-mediated depletion of STK38L in a subset of ADEX subtype cell lines inhibits cellular proliferation and induces apoptosis. Concomitant with these effects, STK38L depletion causes increased expression of the LATS2 kinase and the cell cycle regulator p21. LATS2 depletion partially rescues the cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of STK38L depletion. Lastly, high STK38L mRNA expression is associated with decreased overall patient survival in PDACs. Collectively, our findings implicate STK38L as a candidate targetable vulnerability in a subset of molecularly-defined PDACs.
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22
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Facchinetti F, Bluthgen MV, Tergemina-Clain G, Faivre L, Pignon JP, Planchard D, Remon J, Soria JC, Lacroix L, Besse B. LKB1/STK11 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer patients: Descriptive analysis and prognostic value. Lung Cancer 2017; 112:62-68. [PMID: 29191602 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND LKB1/STK11 (STK11) is among the most inactivated tumor-suppressor genes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While evidence concerning the biologic role of STK11 is accumulating, its prognostic significance in advanced NSCLC has not been envisaged yet. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective analysis included consecutive NSCLC patients with available STK11 information who underwent a platinum-based chemotherapy. STK11 mutational status was correlated to clinico-pathological and mutational features. Kaplan-Meier and Cox models were used for survival curves and multivariate analyses, respectively. RESULTS Among the 302 patients included, 267 (89%) were diagnosed with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC and 25 (8%) harbored a STK11 mutation (STK11mut). No statistical differences were observed between STK11 status and clinico-pathological variables. We detected a significant correlation between STK11 and KRAS status (p=0.008); among the 25 STK11mut patients, 13 (52%) harbored a concomitant KRAS mutation. Overall survival (OS) was shorter for STK11mut (median OS=10.4months) compared to wild-type patients (STK11wt; median OS=17.3months) in univariate analysis (p=0.085). STK11 status did not impact upon OS in multivariate analysis (p=0.45) and non-significant results were observed for progression-free survival. The co-occurrence of KRAS and STK11 mutations suggest a trend toward detrimental effect in OS (p=0.12). CONCLUSIONS In our cohort enriched for advanced NSCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy, STK11 mutations were not specifically associated with clinico-pathological features and they did not impact upon survival. We confirm the positive correlation between STK11 and KRAS mutations. The co-occurrence of KRAS and STK11 mutations could label a more aggressive molecular subtype of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Facchinetti
- Medical Oncology Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; INSERM U981, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | | | - Gabrielle Tergemina-Clain
- Service de Biostatistique et Epidémiologie, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and INSERM U1018, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France.
| | - Laura Faivre
- Service de Biostatistique et Epidémiologie, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and INSERM U1018, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Pignon
- Service de Biostatistique et Epidémiologie, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and INSERM U1018, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France.
| | - David Planchard
- Medical Oncology Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.
| | - Jordi Remon
- Medical Oncology Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.
| | - Jean-Charles Soria
- INSERM U981, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; University Paris-Sud Kremlin Bicetre/Chatenay-Malabry, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
| | - Ludovic Lacroix
- University Paris-Sud Kremlin Bicetre/Chatenay-Malabry, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Medical Biology and Pathology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Genomic platform, Molecular Biopathology Unit and Biological Resource Center, AMMICA, INSERM US23/CNRS UMS3655, University Paris XI, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
| | - Benjamin Besse
- Medical Oncology Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; University Paris-Sud Kremlin Bicetre/Chatenay-Malabry, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
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23
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Liu Y, Li Y, Wang X, Liu F, Gao P, Quinn MM, Li F, Merlino AA, Benes C, Liu Q, Gray NS, Wong KK. Gemcitabine and Chk1 Inhibitor AZD7762 Synergistically Suppress the Growth of Lkb1-Deficient Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res 2017; 77:5068-5076. [PMID: 28754670 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-0567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cells lacking the tumor suppressor gene LKB1/STK11 alter their metabolism to match the demands of accelerated growth, leaving them highly vulnerable to stress. However, targeted therapy for LKB1-deficient cancers has yet to be reported. In both Kras/p53/Lkb1 cell lines and a genetically engineered mouse model of Kras/p53/Lkb1-induced lung cancer, much higher rates of DNA damage occur, resulting in increased dependence on Chk1 checkpoint function. Here we demonstrate that short-term treatment with the Chk1 inhibitor AZD7762 reduces metabolism in pembrolizumab tumors, synergizing with the DNA-damaging drug gemcitabine to reduce tumor size in these models. Our results offer preclinical proof of concept for use of a Chk1 inhibitor to safely enhance the efficacy of gemcitabine, particularly in aggressive KRAS-driven LKB1-deficient lung adenocarcinomas. Cancer Res; 77(18); 5068-76. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yuyang Li
- Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoen Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Feiyang Liu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Peng Gao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Max M Quinn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fei Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ashley A Merlino
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Cyril Benes
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Qingsong Liu
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Laura & Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Medical Center New York, New York.
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