Project description:Activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program is a critical mechanism for initiating cancer progression and migration. Colorectal cancers (CRCs) contain many genetic and epigenetic alterations that can contribute to EMT. Mutations activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway are observed in >40% of patients with CRC contributing to increased invasion and metastasis. Little is known about how oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT synergize with chromatin modifiers to activate the EMT program. Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) is a chromatin-modifying enzyme that is overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and enhances cell migration. In this study we determine that LSD1 expression is significantly elevated in CRC patients with mutation of the catalytic subunit of PI3K, PIK3CA, compared to CRC patients with WT PIK3CA. LSD1 enhances activation of the AKT kinase in CRC cells through a non-catalytic mechanism, acting as a scaffolding protein for the transcription-repressing CoREST complex. Additionally, growth of PIK3CA mutant CRC cells is uniquely dependent on LSD1. Knockdown or CRISPR knockout of LSD1 blocks AKT-mediated stabilization of the EMT-promoting transcription factor Snail and effectively blocks AKT-mediated EMT and migration. Overall we uniquely demonstrate that LSD1 mediates AKT activation in response to growth factors and oxidative stress, and LSD1-regulated AKT activity promotes EMT-like characteristics in a subset of PIK3CA mutant cells.
Project description:Activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program is a critical mechanism for initiating cancer progression and migration. Colorectal cancers (CRCs) contain many genetic and epigenetic alterations that can contribute to EMT. Mutations activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway are observed in >40% of patients with CRC contributing to increased invasion and metastasis. Little is known about how oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT synergize with chromatin modifiers to activate the EMT program. Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) is a chromatin-modifying enzyme that is overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and enhances cell migration. In this study we determine that LSD1 expression is significantly elevated in CRC patients with mutation of the catalytic subunit of PI3K, PIK3CA, compared to CRC patients with WT PIK3CA. LSD1 enhances activation of the AKT kinase in CRC cells through a non-catalytic mechanism, acting as a scaffolding protein for the transcription-repressing CoREST complex. Additionally, growth of PIK3CA mutant CRC cells is uniquely dependent on LSD1. Knockdown or CRISPR knockout of LSD1 blocks AKT-mediated stabilization of the EMT-promoting transcription factor Snail and effectively blocks AKT-mediated EMT and migration. Overall we uniquely demonstrate that LSD1 mediates AKT activation in response to growth factors and oxidative stress, and LSD1-regulated AKT activity promotes EMT-like characteristics in a subset of PIK3CA mutant cells.
Project description:Activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program is a critical mechanism for initiating cancer progression and migration. Colorectal cancers contain many genetic and epigenetic alterations that can contribute to EMT. Mutations activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway are observed in >40% of patients with colorectal cancer contributing to increased invasion and metastasis. Little is known about how oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT synergize with chromatin modifiers to activate the EMT program. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is a chromatin-modifying enzyme that is overexpressed in colorectal cancer and enhances cell migration. In this study, we determine that LSD1 expression is significantly elevated in patients with colorectal cancer with mutation of the catalytic subunit of PI3K, PIK3CA, compared with patients with colorectal cancer with WT PIK3CA. LSD1 enhances activation of the AKT kinase in colorectal cancer cells through a noncatalytic mechanism, acting as a scaffolding protein for the transcription-repressing CoREST complex. In addition, growth of PIK3CA-mutant colorectal cancer cells is uniquely dependent on LSD1. Knockdown or CRISPR knockout of LSD1 blocks AKT-mediated stabilization of the EMT-promoting transcription factor Snail and effectively blocks AKT-mediated EMT and migration. Overall, we uniquely demonstrate that LSD1 mediates AKT activation in response to growth factors and oxidative stress, and LSD1-regulated AKT activity promotes EMT-like characteristics in a subset of PIK3CA-mutant cells. IMPLICATIONS: Our data support the hypothesis that inhibitors targeting the CoREST complex may be clinically effective in patients with colorectal cancer harboring PIK3CA mutations.
Project description:The normal colon epithelium is transformed into its neoplastic counterpart through a series of genetic alterations in driver genes including activating mutations in PIK3CA. Treatment often involves surgery followed by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based therapy, which has limited efficiency and serious side effects. We sought to determine whether fisetin, a dietary flavonoid, alone or in combination with 5-FU affected tumorigenesis in the mammalian intestine. We first determined the effect of fisetin, 5-FU or their combination on PIK3CA-mutant and PIK3CA wild-type colon cancer cells by assessing cell viability, colony formation, apoptosis and effects on PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Treatment of PIK3CA-mutant cells with fisetin and 5-FU reduced the expression of PI3K, phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, its target proteins, constituents of mTOR signaling complex and this treatment increased the phosphorylation of AMPKα. We then determined whether fisetin and 5-FU together or singly affected tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice that also express constitutively active PI3K in the distal small intestine and colon. Tumor incidence was markedly lower in fisetin-treated FC1 3K1 ApcMin/+ mice that also express constitutively active PI3K in distal small intestine and colon, as compared to control animals, indicating that fisetin is a strong preventive agent. In addition, the combination of fisetin and 5-FU also reduced the total number of intestinal tumors. Fisetin could be used as a preventive agent plus an adjuvant with 5-FU for the treatment of PIK3CA-mutant colorectal cancer.
Project description:BackgroundAlterations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signalling pathway are frequent in urothelial bladder cancer (BLCA) and thus provide a potential target for novel therapeutic strategies. We investigated the efficacy of the AKT inhibitor MK-2206 in BLCA and the molecular determinants that predict therapy response.MethodsBiochemical and functional effects of the AKT inhibitor MK-2206 were analysed on a panel of 11 BLCA cell lines possessing different genetic alterations. Cell viability (CellTiter-Blue, cell counts), apoptosis (caspase 3/7 activity) and cell cycle progression (EdU incorporation) were analysed to determine effects on cell growth and proliferation. cDNA or siRNA transfections were used to manipulate the expression of specific proteins such as wild-type or mutant PIK3CA, DUSP1 or CREB. For in vivo analysis, the chicken chorioallantoic membrane model was utilised and tumours were characterised by weight and biochemically for the expression of Ki-67 and AKT phosphorylation.ResultsTreatment with MK-2206 suppressed AKT and S6K1 but not 4E-BP1 phosphorylation in all cell lines. Functionally, only cell lines bearing mutations in the hotspot helical domain of PIK3CA were sensitive to the drug, independent of other genetic alterations in the PI3K or MAPK signalling pathway. Following MK-2206 treatment, the presence of mutant PIK3CA resulted in an increase in DUSP1 expression that induced a decrease in ERK 1/2 phosphorylation. Manipulating the expression of mutant or wild-type PIK3CA or DUSP1 confirmed that this mechanism is responsible for the induction of apoptosis and the inhibition of tumour proliferation in vitro and in vivo, to sensitise cells to AKT target therapy.Conclusion or interpretation:PIK3CA mutations confer sensitivity to AKT target therapy in BLCA by regulating DUSP1 expression and subsequent ERK1/2 dephosphorylation and can potentially serve as a stratifying biomarker for treatment.
Project description:BackgroundActivating mutations in the pathway of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) occur in 43-70% of breast cancer brain metastasis patients. To date, the treatment of these patients presents an ongoing challenge, mainly because of the lack of targeted agents that are able to sufficiently penetrate the blood-brain barrier. GDC-0068 is a pan-Akt inhibitor that has shown to be effective in various preclinical tumor models as well as in clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy of GDC-0068 in a breast cancer brain metastases model.MethodsIn in vitro studies, antitumor activity of GDC-0068 was assessed in breast cancer cells of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA)-mutant and PIK3CA-wildtype breast cancer cell lines using cell viability and apoptosis assays, cell cycle analysis, and western blots. In vivo, the efficacy of GDC-0068 was analyzed in a PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer brain metastasis orthotopic xenograft mouse model and evaluated by repeated bioluminescent imaging and immunohistochemistry.ResultsGDC-0068 decreased cell viability, induced apoptosis, and inhibited phosphorylation of proline rich Akt substrate 40 kDa and p70 S6 kinase in a dose-dependent manner in PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer brain metastatic cell lines compared with PIK3CA-wildtype cell lines. In vivo, treatment with GDC-0068 notably inhibited the growth of PIK3CA-mutant tumors and resulted in a significant survival benefit compared with sham, whereas no effect was detected in a PIK3CA-wildtype model.ConclusionsThis study suggests that the Akt inhibitor GDC-0068 may be an encouraging targeted treatment strategy for breast cancer brain metastasis patients with activating mutations in the PI3K pathway. These data provide a rationale to further evaluate the efficacy of GDC-0068 in patients with brain metastases.