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Low JL, Lau DP, Zhang X, Kwang XL, Rohatgi N, Chan JV, Chong FT, Wong SQR, Leong HS, Thangavelu MT, Rikka S, Skanderup AMJ, Tan DSW, Periyasamy G, Koh JLY, Iyer NG, DasGupta R. A chemical genetic screen identifies Aurora kinases as a therapeutic target in EGFR T790M negative, gefitinib-resistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). EBioMedicine 2021; 64:103220. [PMID: 33529999 PMCID: PMC7851772 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and downstream pathway activation appears to be a common oncogenic driver in the majority of head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCCs); yet targeting EGFR for the treatment of HNSCC has met with limited success. Apart from the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab, no small molecule EGFR/tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have progressed to routine clinical use. The aim of this study was to determine factors contributing to the lack of response to TKIs and identify alternative therapeutic vulnerabilities. METHODS Genomic and transcriptomic sequencing, high-throughput compound screens, overexpression and siRNA knockdown, western blot, in vivo xenograft studies. FINDINGS We derived three pairs of isogenic gefitinib (TKI)-sensitive and resistant patient-derived HNSCC cell lines. Genomic sequencing of gefitinib-resistant cell lines identified a lack of activating and resistance-associated EGFR mutations. Instead, transcriptomic sequencing showed upregulated EMT gene signature in the gefitinib-resistant cells with a corresponding increase in their migratory phenotype. Additionally, the resistant cell displayed reduced growth rate. Surprisingly, while gefitinib-resistant cells were independent of EGFR for survival, they nonetheless displayed activation of downstream ERK and AKT signalling. High-throughput screening (HTS) of druggable, small molecule libraries revealed that the gefitinib-resistant cells were particularly sensitive to inhibitors of genes involved in cell cycle and mitosis, such as Aurora kinase inhibitors (AKIs), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, and microtubule inhibitors. Notably our results showed that in the EGFR inhibited state, Aurora kinases are essential for cell survival. INTERPRETATION Our study demonstrates that in the absence of activating EGFR mutations, HNSCCs may gain resistance to gefitinib through decreased cell proliferation, which makes them exceptionally vulnerable to cell-cycle inhibitors. FUNDING Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), National Medical Research Council (NMRC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Leng Low
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome #02-01, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Dawn Pingxi Lau
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Crescent, Singapore 169610, Singapore
| | - Xiaoqian Zhang
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome #02-01, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Xue-Lin Kwang
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Crescent, Singapore 169610, Singapore
| | - Neha Rohatgi
- Laboratory of Computational Cancer Genomics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Jane Vin Chan
- Computational Phenomics Platform, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Fui-Teen Chong
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Crescent, Singapore 169610, Singapore
| | - Stephen Qi Rong Wong
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome #02-01, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Hui-Sun Leong
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Crescent, Singapore 169610, Singapore
| | - Matan Thangavelu Thangavelu
- Centre for High Throughput Phenomics (CHiP-GIS), Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Shivaji Rikka
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome #02-01, Singapore 138672, Singapore; Centre for High Throughput Phenomics (CHiP-GIS), Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Anders Martin Jacobsen Skanderup
- Laboratory of Computational Cancer Genomics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Daniel Shao Weng Tan
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Crescent, Singapore 169610, Singapore
| | - Giridharan Periyasamy
- Centre for High Throughput Phenomics (CHiP-GIS), Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Judice Lie Yong Koh
- Computational Phenomics Platform, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - N Gopalakrishna Iyer
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Crescent, Singapore 169610, Singapore.
| | - Ramanuj DasGupta
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Street, Genome #02-01, Singapore 138672, Singapore.
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