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Ruiz de Porras V, Bernat-Peguera A, Alcon C, Laguia F, Fernández-Saorin M, Jiménez N, Senan-Salinas A, Solé-Blanch C, Feu A, Marín-Aguilera M, Pardo JC, Ochoa-de-Olza M, Montero J, Mellado B, Font A. Dual inhibition of MEK and PI3Kβ/δ-a potential therapeutic strategy in PTEN-wild-type docetaxel-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1331648. [PMID: 38318136 PMCID: PMC10838968 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1331648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Docetaxel remains the standard treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, resistance frequently emerges as a result of hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT and the MEK/ERK pathways. Therefore, the inhibition of these pathways presents a potential therapeutic approach. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of simultaneous inhibition of the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways in docetaxel-resistant mCRPC, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Docetaxel-sensitive and docetaxel-resistant mCRPC cells were treated with selumetinib (MEK1/2 inhibitor), AZD8186 (PI3Kβ/δ inhibitor) and capivasertib (pan-AKT inhibitor) alone and in combination. Efficacy and toxicity of selumetinib+AZD8186 were tested in docetaxel-resistant xenograft mice. CRISPR-Cas9 generated a PTEN-knockdown docetaxel-resistant cell model. Changes in phosphorylation of AKT, ERK and downstream targets were analyzed by Western blot. Antiapoptotic adaptations after treatments were detected by dynamic BH3 profiling. Results: PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways were hyperactivated in PTEN-wild-type (wt) docetaxel-resistant cells. Selumetinib+AZD8186 decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in PTEN-wt docetaxel-resistant cells. This observation was further confirmed in vivo, where docetaxel-resistant xenograft mice treated with selumetinib+AZD8186 exhibited reduced tumor growth without additional toxicity. Conclusion: Our findings on the activity of selumetinib+AZD8186 in PTEN-wt cells and in docetaxel-resistant xenograft mice provide an excellent rationale for a novel therapeutic strategy for PTEN-wt mCRPC patients resistant to docetaxel, in whom, unlike PTEN-loss patients, a clinical benefit of treatment with single-agent PI3K and AKT inhibitors has not been demonstrated. A phase I-II trial of this promising combination is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicenç Ruiz de Porras
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- GRET and Toxicology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrià Bernat-Peguera
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Alcon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Laguia
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Fernández-Saorin
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Jiménez
- Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Lab, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona–Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FRCB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Senan-Salinas
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Solé-Blanch
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Feu
- Department of Pathology, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Marín-Aguilera
- Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Lab, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona–Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FRCB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Pardo
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Ochoa-de-Olza
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Montero
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Begoña Mellado
- Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Lab, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona–Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FRCB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Font
- CARE Program, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B·ARGO), Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
- Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
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