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Perrone C, Angioli R, Luvero D, Giannini A, Di Donato V, Cuccu I, Muzii L, Raspagliesi F, Bogani G. Targeting BRAF pathway in low-grade serous ovarian cancer. J Gynecol Oncol 2024; 35:35.e104. [PMID: 38768941 DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2024.35.e104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in genes encoding for proteins along the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway have been detected in a variety of tumor entities including ovarian carcinomas. In the recent years, several inhibitors of this pathway have been developed, whose antitumor potential is currently being assessed in different clinical trials. Low grade serous ovarian carcinoma, is a rare gynecological tumor which shows favorable overall survival, compared to the general ovarian cancer population, but worrying resistance to conventional chemotherapies. The clinical behavior of low grade serous ovarian carcinoma reflects the different gene profile compared to high-grade serous carcinoma: KRAS/BRAF mutations. BRAF inhibitors as single agents were approved for the treatment of BRAF mutated tumors. Nevertheless, many patients face progressive disease. The understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to BRAF inhibitors therapy and preclinical studies showing that BRAF and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors combined therapy delays the onset of resistance compared to BRAF inhibitor single agent, led to the clinical investigation of combined therapy. The aim of this paper is to review the efficacy and safety of the combination of BRAF plus MEK inhibitors on ovarian carcinomas, in particularly focusing on low grade serous ovarian carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Perrone
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Angioli
- Department of Gynecology, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Luvero
- Department of Gynecology, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Giannini
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Violante Di Donato
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cuccu
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ludovico Muzii
- Department of Gynecological, Obstetrical and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Raspagliesi
- Gynecologic Oncologic Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bogani
- Gynecologic Oncologic Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
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McNamara B, Demirkiran C, Hartwich TMP, Bellone S, Manavella D, Mutlu L, Greenman M, Zipponi M, Yang-Hartwich Y, Yang K, Ratner E, Schwartz PE, Coma S, Pachter JA, Santin AD. Preclinical efficacy of RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib in combination with FAK inhibition in low grade serous ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2024; 183:133-140. [PMID: 38493021 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2024.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Low-grade-serous-ovarian-carcinoma (LGSOC) is characterized by a high recurrence rate and limited therapeutic options. About one-third of LGSOC contains mutations in MAPK pathway genes such as KRAS/NRAS/BRAF. Avutometinib is a dual RAF/MEK inhibitor while defactinib and VS-4718 are focal-adhesion-kinase-inhibitors (FAKi). We determined the preclinical efficacy of avutometinib±VS-4718 in LGSOC patient-derived-tumor-xenografts (PDX). METHODS Whole-exome-sequencing (WES) was used to evaluate the genetic fingerprint of 3 patient-derived LGSOC (OVA(K)250, PERIT(M)17 and A(PE)148). OVA(K)250 tissue was successfully xenografted as PDX into female CB17/lcrHsd-Prkdc/SCID-mice. Animals were treated with either control, avutometinib, VS-4718, or avutometinib/ VS-4718 once daily five days on and two days off through oral gavage. Mechanistic studies were performed ex vivo using avutometinib±defactinib treated LGSOC tumor samples by western blot. RESULTS WES results demonstrated wild-type KRAS in all 3 LGSOC. OVA(K)250 PDX showed gain-of-function mutations (GOF) in PTK2 and PTK2B genes, and loss-of-heterozygosity in ADRB2, potentially sensitizing to FAK and RAF/MEK inhibition. The combination of avutometinib/ VS-4718 demonstrated strong tumor-growth inhibition compared to controls starting at day 9 (p < 0.002) in OVA(K)250PDX. By 60 days, mice treated with avutometinib alone and avutometinib/VS-4718 were still alive; compared to median survival of 20 days in control-treated mice and of 35 days in VS-4718-treated mice (p < 0.0001). By western-blot assays exposure of OVA(K)250 to avutometinib, FAKi defactinib and their combination demonstrated decreased phosphorylated FAK (p-FAK) as well as decreased p-ERK. CONCLUSION Avutometinib, and to a larger extent its combination with FAK inhibitor VS-4718, demonstrated promising in vivo activity against a KRAS wild-type LGSOC-PDX. These data support the ongoing registration-directed study (RAMP201/NCT04625270).
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair McNamara
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cem Demirkiran
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tobias Max Philipp Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stefania Bellone
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Diego Manavella
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Levent Mutlu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michelle Greenman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Margherita Zipponi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yang Yang-Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kevin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elena Ratner
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter E Schwartz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Silvia Coma
- Verastem Oncology Inc, 117 Kendrick Street, Suite 500, Needham, MA 02494, USA
| | - Jonathan A Pachter
- Verastem Oncology Inc, 117 Kendrick Street, Suite 500, Needham, MA 02494, USA
| | - Alessandro D Santin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Shan KS, Rehman TU, Ivanov S, Domingo G, Raez LE. Molecular Targeting of the BRAF Proto-Oncogene/Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Pathway across Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:624. [PMID: 38203795 PMCID: PMC10779188 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is essential for cellular proliferation, growth, and survival. Constitutive activation of this pathway by BRAF mutations can cause downstream activation of kinases, leading to uncontrolled cellular growth and carcinogenesis. Therefore, inhibition of BRAF and the downstream substrate MEK has been shown to be effective in controlling tumor growth and proliferation. Over the last decade, several BRAF and MEK inhibitors have been investigated, ranging from primarily melanoma to various cancer types with BRAF alterations. This subsequently led to several Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals for BRAF/MEK inhibitors for melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, anaplastic thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, histiocytosis neoplasms, and finally, tumor-agnostic indications. Here, this comprehensive review will cover the developments of BRAF and MEK inhibitors from melanomas to tumor-agnostic indications, novel drugs, challenges, future directions, and the importance of those drugs in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khine S. Shan
- Memorial Health Care, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Pembroke Pines, FL 33328, USA; (T.U.R.); (S.I.); (G.D.)
| | - Tauseef U. Rehman
- Memorial Health Care, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Pembroke Pines, FL 33328, USA; (T.U.R.); (S.I.); (G.D.)
| | - Stan Ivanov
- Memorial Health Care, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Pembroke Pines, FL 33328, USA; (T.U.R.); (S.I.); (G.D.)
| | - Gelenis Domingo
- Memorial Health Care, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Pembroke Pines, FL 33328, USA; (T.U.R.); (S.I.); (G.D.)
| | - Luis E. Raez
- Memorial Health Care, Thoracic Oncology Program, Pembroke Pines, FL 33328, USA;
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