Dataset Information

HDAC Inhibition Overcomes Acute Resistance to MEK Inhibition in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer by Downregulation of c-FLIPL.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:Activating mutations in the BRAF oncogene are found in 8% to 15% of colorectal cancer patients and have been associated with poor survival. In contrast with BRAF-mutant (MT) melanoma, inhibition of the MAPK pathway is ineffective in the majority of BRAFMT colorectal cancer patients. Therefore, identification of novel therapies for BRAFMT colorectal cancer is urgently needed. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:BRAFMT and wild-type (WT) colorectal cancer models were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Small-molecule inhibitors of MEK1/2, MET, and HDAC were used, overexpression and siRNA approaches were applied, and cell death was assessed by flow cytometry, Western blotting, cell viability, and caspase activity assays. RESULTS:Increased c-MET-STAT3 signaling was identified as a novel adaptive resistance mechanism to MEK inhibitors (MEKi) in BRAFMT colorectal cancer models in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, MEKi treatment resulted in acute increases in transcription of the endogenous caspase-8 inhibitor c-FLIPL in BRAFMT cells, but not in BRAFWT cells, and inhibition of STAT3 activity abrogated MEKi-induced c-FLIPL expression. In addition, treatment with c-FLIP-specific siRNA or HDAC inhibitors abrogated MEKi-induced upregulation of c-FLIPL expression and resulted in significant increases in MEKi-induced cell death in BRAFMT colorectal cancer cells. Notably, combined HDAC inhibitor/MEKi treatment resulted in dramatically attenuated tumor growth in BRAFMT xenografts. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings indicate that c-MET/STAT3-dependent upregulation of c-FLIPL expression is an important escape mechanism following MEKi treatment in BRAFMT colorectal cancer. Thus, combinations of MEKi with inhibitors of c-MET or c-FLIP (e.g., HDAC inhibitors) could be potential novel treatment strategies for BRAFMT colorectal cancer.

SUBMITTER: Carson R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4504978 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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HDAC Inhibition Overcomes Acute Resistance to MEK Inhibition in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer by Downregulation of c-FLIPL.

Carson Robbie R Celtikci Basak B Fenning Cathy C Javadi Arman A Crawford Nyree N Carbonell Lucia Perez LP Lawler Mark M Longley Daniel B DB Johnston Patrick G PG Van Schaeybroeck Sandra S

Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 20150326 14

<h4>Purpose</h4>Activating mutations in the BRAF oncogene are found in 8% to 15% of colorectal cancer patients and have been associated with poor survival. In contrast with BRAF-mutant (MT) melanoma, inhibition of the MAPK pathway is ineffective in the majority of BRAFMT colorectal cancer patients. Therefore, identification of novel therapies for BRAFMT colorectal cancer is urgently needed.<h4>Experimental design</h4>BRAFMT and wild-type (WT) colorectal cancer models were assessed in vitro and i ...[more]

PMID: 25813020

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Project description:Background Main drawback of BRAF/MEK inhibitors (BRAF/MEKi)-based targeted therapy in the management of BRAF- mutated cutaneous metastatic melanoma (MM) is the development of therapeutic resistance. We aimed to define in this context the specific role of mTORC2, a signaling complex defined by the presence of the essential RICTOR subunit and regarded as an oncogenic driver in several tumor types, including MM. Methods After analyzing the TCGA MM patients’ database to explore both overall survival and molecular signatures as a function of intra-tumor RICTOR levels, we investigated the effects of RICTOR downregulation in BRAF V600E MM cell lines on their response to BRAF/MEKi in vitro. We performed a proteomic screening to identify proteins modulated by changes in RICTOR expression and Seahorse analysis to evaluate the effects of RICTOR depletion on mitochondrial respiration. The combination of BRAFi with drugs targeting proteins and processes emerged in the proteomic screening was carried out on RICTOR-deficient cells in vitro and in a xenograft setting in vivo. Results We found that low RICTOR levels in MM correlate with an overall worse clinical outcome. GSEA of low- RICTOR tumors revealed a gene expression signature suggestive of activation of the mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain (ETC) energy producing pathway. RICTOR-deficient BRAF V600E cells are intrinsically tolerant to BRAFi/MEKi and anticipate the onset of resistance to BRAFi upon prolonged drug exposure. In RICTOR- depleted cells, both mitochondrial respiration and expression of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) are enhanced, while their pharmacological inhibition restores sensitivity to BRAFi. Conclusions Our work unveils a novel tumor suppressing role for mTORC2 in the responses of BRAF V600E melanoma cells to targeted therapy and identifies the NAMPT-ETC axis as a potential therapeutic vulnerability of low- RICTOR tumors. Importantly, our findings support the concept that the evaluation of intra-tumor RICTOR levels in MM has a prognostic value, and may help predicting the response of patients to targeted therapy.

Project description:Nearly 50% of cutaneous melanomas carry activating mutations on the BRAF oncogene, and the combination of BRAF- and MEK-inhibitors (BRAF/MEKi) is frequently used for their clinical management. One major drawback of BRAF/MEKi targeted therapy is the rapid development of therapeutic resistance, which can occur via multiple mechanisms, including the metabolic rewiring of cancer cells that often involves the upregulation of mitochondrial bionergetics and NAD+ biosynthetic pathways. mTORC2 is a signaling complex that requires the presence of its essential RICTOR subunit to play its regulatory functions in cell growth and metabolism. mTORC2 is believed to play mostly pro-oncogenic roles in several tumor types, including melanoma. However, bioinformatics analysis of TCGA melanoma patients’ database revealed that low RICTOR levels in tumors correlate with an overall worse clinical outcome. GSEA analysis of low-RICTOR tumors evidenced also a gene expression signature suggestive of activation of mitochondrial energy producing pathways. On these bases, we have hypothesized that inhibition of mTORC2 activity may render BRAFV600E melanoma cells resistant to BRAFi/MEKi. We show here that RICTOR/mTORC2-deficient cells are intrinsically tolerant to BRAFi/MEKi, and anticipate the onset of resistance to BRAFi after sustained drug exposure both in vitro and in vivo, indicating that mTORC2 activity normally opposes the acquisition of targeted therapy resistance in BRAFV600E melanomas. Mechanistically, RICTOR-deficient cells show an enhanced mitochondrial respiratory potential and increased expression of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) protein, the rate-limiting enzyme of NAD+ salvage pathway, and pharmacological inhibition of these processes in RICTOR-deficient cells is sufficient to restore sensitivity to BRAFi. Thus, our work identifies a novel role for mTORC2 in favoring the responses of BRAF-mutated melanoma cells to targeted therapy, and suggest that the evaluation of the intratumor level of RICTOR may help to predict the responses of melanoma patients to these treatments.

Dataset Information

HDAC Inhibition Overcomes Acute Resistance to MEK Inhibition in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer by Downregulation of c-FLIPL.

Publications

HDAC Inhibition Overcomes Acute Resistance to MEK Inhibition in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer by Downregulation of c-FLIPL.

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