Cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition synergizes with AKT inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancer
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ABSTRACT: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is responsible for a disproportionate number of breast cancer deaths due to its molecular heterogeneity, high recurrence rate and lack of targeted therapies. Dysregulation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway occurs in approximately 50% of TNBC patients. We performed a genome-wide negative selection CRISPR/Cas9 screen with PI3K and AKT inhibitors to identify targetable synthetic lethalities in TNBC. We found that cholesterol homeostasis is a collateral vulnerability with AKT inhibition. Disruption of cholesterol homeostasis with pitavastatin synergized with AKT inhibition to induce TNBC cytotoxicity in vitro, in mouse TNBC xenografts and in patient-derived organoids of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer. Neither ER-positive breast cancer cell lines nor ER-positive organoids were sensitive to combined AKT inhibitor and pitavastatin. Mechanistically, TNBCs show dysregulated SREBP-2 activation in response to single agent or combination AKT inhibitor and pitavastatin, and this was rescued by inhibition of the cholesterol trafficking protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1). NPC1 loss promoted lysosomal cholesterol accumulation, decreased endoplasmic reticulum cholesterol levels and promoted SREBP-2 activation. Taken together, these data identify a TNBC-specific vulnerability to the combination of AKT inhibitors and pitavastatin mediated by dysregulated cholesterol trafficking. This work motivates combining AKT inhibitors with pitavastatin as a therapeutic modality in TNBC.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE252944 | GEO | 2024/01/14
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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