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Smith AE, Chan S, Wang Z, McCloskey A, Reilly Q, Wang JZ, Patel HV, Koshizuka K, Soifer HS, Kessler L, Dayoub A, Villaflor V, Adkins DR, Bruce JY, Ho AL, Perez CA, Hanna GJ, Gascó Hernández A, Saunders A, Dale S, Gutkind JS, Burrows F, Malik S. Tipifarnib Potentiates the Antitumor Effects of PI3Kα Inhibition in PIK3CA- and HRAS-Dysregulated HNSCC via Convergent Inhibition of mTOR Activity. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3252-3263. [PMID: 37339176 PMCID: PMC10543974 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Outcomes for patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are poor, with median overall survival (OS) ranging from 6 to 18 months. For those who progress on standard-of-care (chemo)immunotherapy, treatment options are limited, necessitating the development of rational therapeutic strategies. Toward this end, we targeted the key HNSCC drivers PI3K-mTOR and HRAS via the combination of tipifarnib, a farnesyltransferase (FTase) inhibitor, and alpelisib, a PI3Kα inhibitor, in multiple molecularly defined subsets of HNSCC. Tipifarnib synergized with alpelisib at the level of mTOR in PI3Kα- or HRAS-dependent HNSCCs, leading to marked cytotoxicity in vitro and tumor regression in vivo. On the basis of these findings, the KURRENT-HN trial was launched to evaluate the effectiveness of this combination in PIK3CA-mutant/amplified and/or HRAS-overexpressing R/M HNSCC. Preliminary evidence supports the clinical activity of this molecular biomarker-driven combination therapy. Combined alpelisib and tipifarnib has potential to benefit >45% of patients with R/M HNSCC. By blocking feedback reactivation of mTORC1, tipifarnib may prevent adaptive resistance to additional targeted therapies, enhancing their clinical utility. SIGNIFICANCE The mechanistically designed, biomarker-matched strategy of combining alpelisib and tipifarnib is efficacious in PIK3CA- and HRAS-dysregulated head and neck squamous carcinoma and could improve outcomes for many patients with recurrent, metastatic disease. See related commentary by Lee et al., p. 3162.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhiyong Wang
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | | | | | - Keiichi Koshizuka
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alan L. Ho
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Cesar A. Perez
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Florida Cancer Specialists, Orlando, Florida
| | | | | | | | | | - J. Silvio Gutkind
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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Combinatorial approaches for mitigating resistance to KRAS-targeted therapies. Biochem J 2022; 479:1985-1997. [PMID: 36065754 PMCID: PMC9555794 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 15% of all cancer patients harbor mutated KRAS. Direct inhibitors of KRAS have now been generated and are beginning to make progress through clinical trials. These include a suite of inhibitors targeting the KRASG12C mutation commonly found in lung cancer. We investigated emergent resistance to representative examples of different classes of Ras targeted therapies. They all exhibited rapid reactivation of Ras signaling within days of exposure and adaptive responses continued to change over long-term treatment schedules. Whilst the gene signatures were distinct for each inhibitor, they commonly involved up-regulation of upstream nodes promoting mutant and wild-type Ras activation. Experiments to reverse resistance unfortunately revealed frequent desensitization to members of a panel of anti-cancer therapeutics, suggesting that salvage approaches are unlikely to be feasible. Instead, we identified triple inhibitor combinations that resulted in more durable responses to KRAS inhibitors and that may benefit from further pre-clinical evaluation.
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Khan I, Darido C. Squamous Cell Carcinoma—A Summary of Novel Advances in Pathogenesis and Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14102523. [PMID: 35626124 PMCID: PMC9140102 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are cancers of epithelial cells lining the aerodigestive and genitourinary tract [...]
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Charbel Darido
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
- The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-3-8559-7111; Fax: +61-3-8559-5489
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