Targeting Pancreatic Cancer by TAK-981, a SUMOylation Inhibitor that Activates the Immune System and Blocks Cancer Cell Cycle Progression in a Preclinical Model
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ABSTRACT: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the characteristics of high-density desmoplastic stroma, a distinctive immunosuppressive microenvironment and is profoundly resistant to all forms of chemo and immunotherapy, leading to a 5-year survival rate of 9%. Our study aims to add novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of PDAC. We have studied whether TAK-981, a novel highly selective and potent small molecule inhibitor of the SUMO activating enzyme E1 (SAE) could be used to treat a preclinical syngeneic PDAC mouse model. We found that SUMOylation, a reversible post-translational modification required for cell cycle progression, is increased in PDAC patient samples compared to normal pancreatic tissue. TAK-981 decreased SUMOylation in PDAC cells at the nanomolar range, thereby causing a G2/M cell cycle arrest, mitotic failure and chromosomal segregation defects. TAK-981 efficiently limited tumor burden in the KPC3 syngeneic mouse model without evidence of systemic toxicity. In vivo treatment with TAK-981 enhanced the proportions of activated CD8 T cells and NK cells but transiently decreased B cell numbers in peripheral blood, spleen and lymph nodes. ScRNA sequencing revealed activation of the interferon response upon TAK-981 treatment in lymphocytes including T, B and NK cells. TAK-981 treatment of CD8 T cells ex vivo induced activation of STAT1 and interferon target genes. Our findings indicate that pharmacological inhibition of the SUMO pathway represents a potential strategy to target PDAC via a dual mechanism: inhibiting cancer cell cycle progression and activating anti-tumor immunity by inducing interferon signaling.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE189576 | GEO | 2022/01/11
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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