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Schulz B, Leitner E, Schreiber T, Lindner T, Schwarz R, Aboutara N, Ma Y, Escobar HM, Palme R, Hinz B, Vollmar B, Zechner D. Sex Matters-Insights from Testing Drug Efficacy in an Animal Model of Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1901. [PMID: 38791980 PMCID: PMC11120498 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Preclinical studies rarely test the efficacy of therapies in both sexes. The field of oncology is no exception in this regard. In a model of syngeneic, orthotopic, metastasized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma we evaluated the impact of sex on pathological features of this disease as well as on the efficacy and possible adverse side effects of a novel, small molecule-based therapy inhibiting KRAS:SOS1, MEK1/2 and PI3K signaling in male and female C57BL/6J mice. Male mice had less tumor infiltration of CD8-positive cells, developed bigger tumors, had more lung metastasis and a lower probability of survival compared to female mice. These more severe pathological features in male animals were accompanied by higher distress at the end of the experiment. The evaluated inhibitors BI-3406, trametinib and BKM120 showed synergistic effects in vitro. This combinatorial therapy reduced tumor weight more efficiently in male animals, although the drug concentrations were similar in the tumors of both sexes. These results underline the importance of sex-specific preclinical research and at the same time provide a solid basis for future studies with the tested compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Schulz
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (B.S.)
| | - Emily Leitner
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (B.S.)
| | - Tim Schreiber
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (B.S.)
| | - Tobias Lindner
- Core Facility Multimodal Small Animal Imaging, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany;
| | - Rico Schwarz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Nadine Aboutara
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Yixuan Ma
- Department of Medicine Clinic III, Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Hugo Murua Escobar
- Department of Medicine Clinic III, Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Burkhard Hinz
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Brigitte Vollmar
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (B.S.)
| | - Dietmar Zechner
- Rudolf-Zenker-Institute of Experimental Surgery, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057 Rostock, Germany; (B.S.)
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Martin-Vega A, Cobb MH. Navigating the ERK1/2 MAPK Cascade. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1555. [PMID: 37892237 PMCID: PMC10605237 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The RAS-ERK pathway is a fundamental signaling cascade crucial for many biological processes including proliferation, cell cycle control, growth, and survival; common across all cell types. Notably, ERK1/2 are implicated in specific processes in a context-dependent manner as in stem cells and pancreatic β-cells. Alterations in the different components of this cascade result in dysregulation of the effector kinases ERK1/2 which communicate with hundreds of substrates. Aberrant activation of the pathway contributes to a range of disorders, including cancer. This review provides an overview of the structure, activation, regulation, and mutational frequency of the different tiers of the cascade; with a particular focus on ERK1/2. We highlight the importance of scaffold proteins that contribute to kinase localization and coordinate interaction dynamics of the kinases with substrates, activators, and inhibitors. Additionally, we explore innovative therapeutic approaches emphasizing promising avenues in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Martin-Vega
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
| | - Melanie H. Cobb
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 6001 Forest Park Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Houde N, Espéli M, Charron J. Implication des kinases MEK1 et MEK2 dans la maturation du système immunitaire chez la souris. Med Sci (Paris) 2022; 38:529-532. [DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2022071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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