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Regua AT, Najjar M, Lo HW. RET signaling pathway and RET inhibitors in human cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:932353. [PMID: 35957881 PMCID: PMC9359433 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.932353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rearranged during transfection (RET) receptor tyrosine kinase was first identified over thirty years ago as a novel transforming gene. Since its discovery and subsequent pathway characterization, RET alterations have been identified in numerous cancer types and are most prevalent in thyroid carcinomas and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In other tumor types such as breast cancer and salivary gland carcinomas, RET alterations can be found at lower frequencies. Aberrant RET activity is associated with poor prognosis of thyroid and lung carcinoma patients, and is strongly correlated with increased risk of distant metastases. RET aberrations encompass a variety of genomic or proteomic alterations, most of which confer constitutive activation of RET. Activating RET alterations, such as point mutations or gene fusions, enhance activity of signaling pathways downstream of RET, namely PI3K/AKT, RAS/RAF, MAPK, and PLCγ pathways, to promote cell proliferation, growth, and survival. Given the important role that mutant RET plays in metastatic cancers, significant efforts have been made in developing inhibitors against RET kinase activity. These efforts have led to FDA approval of Selpercatinib and Pralsetinib for NSCLC, as well as, additional selective RET inhibitors in preclinical and clinical testing. This review covers the current biological understanding of RET signaling, the impact of RET hyperactivity on tumor progression in multiple tumor types, and RET inhibitors with promising preclinical and clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina T. Regua
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Mariana Najjar
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Hui-Wen Lo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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Saha D, Ryan KR, Lakkaniga NR, Acharya B, Garcia NG, Smith EL, Frett B. Targeting Rearranged during Transfection in Cancer: A Perspective on Small-Molecule Inhibitors and Their Clinical Development. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11747-11773. [PMID: 34402300 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Rearranged during transfection (RET) is a receptor tyrosine kinase essential for the normal development and maturation of a diverse range of tissues. Aberrant RET signaling in cancers, due to RET mutations, gene fusions, and overexpression, results in the activation of downstream pathways promoting survival, growth, and metastasis. Pharmacological manipulation of RET is effective in treating RET-driven cancers, and efforts toward developing RET-specific therapies have increased over the last 5 years. In 2020, RET-selective inhibitors pralsetinib and selpercatinib achieved clinical approval, which marked the first approvals for kinase inhibitors specifically developed to target the RET oncoprotein. This Perspective discusses current development and clinical applications for RET precision medicine by providing an overview of the incremental improvement of kinase inhibitors for use in RET-driven malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasmita Saha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
| | - Katie Rose Ryan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
| | - Naga Rajiv Lakkaniga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
| | - Baku Acharya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
| | - Noemi Garcia Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
| | - Erica Lane Smith
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
| | - Brendan Frett
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 United States
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Ding S, Wang R, Peng S, Luo X, Zhong L, Yang H, Ma Y, Chen S, Wang W. Targeted therapies for RET-fusion cancer: Dilemmas and breakthrough. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 132:110901. [PMID: 33125973 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110901] [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: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic profiling has revolutionized treatment options for patients with oncogene-driven cancers, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant carcinoma. Rearranged during transfection (RET) rearrangement, as one of the main activated oncogenes, has been well studied and found to be involved in the malignant behavior of carcinogenesis, resulting in acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and inducing an intrinsic resistance to immunotherapy. Thus, targeted therapies have been investigated against RET arrangement cancers, including several multi-kinase inhibitors and selective RET inhibitors. However, modest efficacy, a relatively high rate of toxicity, and poor effectiveness against brain metastasis are common limitations of multi-targeted novel molecular inhibitors. A promising prospect was shown recently in selective RET inhibitors in several ongoing clinical trials. In this review, we reviewed the concurrent dilemmas of targeted therapies against RET arrangement cancer from preclinical and clinical studies and proposed several clinical considerations for clinical practice prospectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- SiJie Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - ShunLi Peng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Xiaoqing Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - LongHui Zhong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Hong Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Oncology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - YueYun Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - ShiYu Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
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Subbiah V, Velcheti V, Tuch BB, Ebata K, Busaidy NL, Cabanillas ME, Wirth LJ, Stock S, Smith S, Lauriault V, Corsi-Travali S, Henry D, Burkard M, Hamor R, Bouhana K, Winski S, Wallace RD, Hartley D, Rhodes S, Reddy M, Brandhuber BJ, Andrews S, Rothenberg SM, Drilon A. Selective RET kinase inhibition for patients with RET-altered cancers. Ann Oncol 2018; 29:1869-1876. [PMID: 29912274 PMCID: PMC6096733 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alterations involving the RET kinase are implicated in the pathogenesis of lung, thyroid and other cancers. However, the clinical activity of multikinase inhibitors (MKIs) with anti-RET activity in RET-altered patients appears limited, calling into question the therapeutic potential of targeting RET. LOXO-292 is a selective RET inhibitor designed to inhibit diverse RET fusions, activating mutations and acquired resistance mutations. Patients and methods Potent anti-RET activity, high selectivity, and central nervous system coverage were confirmed preclinically using a variety of in vitro and in vivo RET-dependent tumor models. Due to clinical urgency, two patients with RET-altered, MKI-resistant cancers were treated with LOXO-292, utilizing rapid dose-titration guided by real-time pharmacokinetic assessments to achieve meaningful clinical exposures safely and rapidly. Results LOXO-292 demonstrated potent and selective anti-RET activity preclinically against human cancer cell lines harboring endogenous RET gene alterations; cells engineered to express a KIF5B-RET fusion protein -/+ the RET V804M gatekeeper resistance mutation or the common RET activating mutation M918T; and RET-altered human cancer cell line and patient-derived xenografts, including a patient-derived RET fusion-positive xenograft injected orthotopically into the brain. A patient with RET M918T-mutant medullary thyroid cancer metastatic to the liver and an acquired RET V804M gatekeeper resistance mutation, previously treated with six MKI regimens, experienced rapid reductions in tumor calcitonin, CEA and cell-free DNA, resolution of painful hepatomegaly and tumor-related diarrhea and a confirmed tumor response. A second patient with KIF5B-RET fusion-positive lung cancer, acquired resistance to alectinib and symptomatic brain metastases experienced a dramatic response in the brain, and her symptoms resolved. Conclusions These results provide proof-of-concept of the clinical actionability of RET alterations, and identify selective RET inhibition by LOXO-292 as a promising treatment in heavily pretreated, multikinase inhibitor-experienced patients with diverse RET-altered tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Subbiah
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - V Velcheti
- The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, USA
| | - B B Tuch
- Loxo Oncology, Inc., Stamford, USA
| | - K Ebata
- Loxo Oncology, Inc., Stamford, USA
| | - N L Busaidy
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - M E Cabanillas
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - L J Wirth
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, USA
| | - S Stock
- The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, USA
| | - S Smith
- Loxo Oncology, Inc., Stamford, USA
| | | | | | - D Henry
- Loxo Oncology, Inc., Stamford, USA
| | | | - R Hamor
- Array BioPharma, Inc., Boulder, USA
| | | | - S Winski
- Array BioPharma, Inc., Boulder, USA
| | | | | | - S Rhodes
- Array BioPharma, Inc., Boulder, USA
| | - M Reddy
- Array BioPharma, Inc., Boulder, USA
| | | | | | | | - A Drilon
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
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Saiki M, Kitazono S, Yoshizawa T, Dotsu Y, Ariyasu R, Koyama J, Sonoda T, Uchibori K, Nishikawa S, Yanagitani N, Horiike A, Ohyanagi F, Oikado K, Ninomiya H, Takeuchi K, Ishikawa Y, Nishio M. Characterization of Computed Tomography Imaging of Rearranged During Transfection-rearranged Lung Cancer. Clin Lung Cancer 2018; 19:435-440.e1. [PMID: 29885946 DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rearranged during transfection (RET)-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is relatively rare and the clinical and computed tomography (CT) image characteristics of patients with an advanced disease stage have not been well documented. PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified patients with advanced-stage RET-rearranged NSCLC treated in the Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, and analyzed the clinical and CT imaging characteristics. RESULTS In 21 patients with advanced RET-rearranged NSCLC, RET rearrangements were identified using fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The fusion partner genes were identified as KIF5B (57%), CCDC6 (19%), and unknown (24%). CT imaging showed that 12 primary lesions (92%) were peripherally located and all were solid tumors without ground-glass, air bronchograms, or cavitation. The median size of the primary lesions was 30 mm (range, 12-63 mm). Of the 18 patients with CT images before initial chemotherapy, 12 (67%) showed an absence of lymphadenopathy. Distant metastasis included 13 with pleural dissemination (72%), 10 with lung metastasis (56%), 8 with bone metastasis (44%), and 2 with brain metastasis (11%). CONCLUSION Advanced RET-rearranged NSCLC manifested as a relatively small and peripherally located solid primary lesion with or without small solitary lymphadenopathy. Pleural dissemination was frequently observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masafumi Saiki
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoru Kitazono
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yoshizawa
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yosuke Dotsu
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Ariyasu
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junji Koyama
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Sonoda
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Uchibori
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shingo Nishikawa
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Yanagitani
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Horiike
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumiyoshi Ohyanagi
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama-City, Japan
| | - Katsunori Oikado
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hironori Ninomiya
- Division of Pathology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kengo Takeuchi
- Division of Pathology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ishikawa
- Division of Pathology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Nishio
- Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan.
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Remon J, Besse B. Brain Metastases in Oncogene-Addicted Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: Incidence and Treatment. Front Oncol 2018; 8:88. [PMID: 29696132 PMCID: PMC5904204 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases (BM) are common in non-small cell lung cancer patients including in molecularly selected populations, such as EGFR-mutant and ALK-rearranged tumors. They are associated with a reduced quality of life, and are commonly the first site of progression for patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). In this review, we summarize incidence of BM and intracranial efficacy with TKI agents according to oncogene driver mutations, focusing on important clinical issues, notably optimal first-line treatment in oncogene-addicted lung tumors with upfront BM (local therapies followed by TKI vs. TKI monotherapy). We also discuss the potential role of newly emerging late-generation TKIs as new standard treatment in oncogene-addicted lung cancer tumors compared with sequential strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Remon
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Benjamin Besse
- Cancer Medicine Department, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
- University Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
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Targeting RET-driven cancers: lessons from evolving preclinical and clinical landscapes. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2017; 15:151-167. [PMID: 29134959 DOI: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2017.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The gene encoding the receptor-tyrosine kinase RET was first discovered more than three decades ago, and activating RET rearrangements and mutations have since been identified as actionable drivers of oncogenesis. Several multikinase inhibitors with activity against RET have been explored in the clinic, and confirmed responses to targeted therapy with these agents have been observed in patients with RET-rearranged lung cancers or RET-mutant thyroid cancers. Nevertheless, response rates to RET-directed therapy are modest compared with those achieved using targeted therapies matched to other oncogenic drivers of solid tumours, such as sensitizing EGFR or BRAFV600E mutations, or ALK or ROS1 rearrangements. To date, no RET-directed targeted therapeutic has received regulatory approval for the treatment of molecularly defined populations of patients with RET-mutant or RET-rearranged solid tumours. In this Review, we discuss how emerging data have informed the debate over whether the limited success of multikinase inhibitors with activity against RET can be attributed to the tractability of RET as a drug target or to the lack, until 2017, of highly specific inhibitors of this oncoprotein in the clinic. We emphasize that novel approaches to targeting RET-dependent tumours are necessary to improve the clinical efficacy of single-agent multikinase inhibition and, thus, hasten approvals of RET-directed targeted therapies.
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