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Novoplansky O, Shnerb AB, Marripati D, Jagadeeshan S, Abu Shareb R, Conde-López C, Zorea J, Prasad M, Ben Lulu T, Yegodayev KM, Benafsha C, Li Y, Kong D, Kuo F, Morris LGT, Kurth I, Hess J, Elkabets M. Activation of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway limits the efficacy of trametinib treatment in head and neck cancer. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:2618-2636. [PMID: 37501404 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Blocking the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway with the MEK1/2 inhibitor trametinib has produced promising results in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In the current study, we showed that trametinib treatment leads to overexpression and activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in HNSCC cell lines and patient-derived xenografts. Knockdown of EGFR improved trametinib treatment efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that trametinib-induced EGFR overexpression hyperactivates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. In vitro, blocking the PI3K pathway with GDC-0941 (pictilisib), or BYL719 (alpelisib), prevented AKT pathway hyperactivation and enhanced the efficacy of trametinib in a synergistic manner. In vivo, a combination of trametinib and BYL719 showed superior antitumor efficacy vs. the single agents, leading to tumor growth arrest. We confirmed our findings in a syngeneic murine head and neck cancer cell line in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings show that trametinib treatment induces hyperactivation of EGFR/PI3K/AKT; thus, blocking of the EGFR/PI3K pathway is required to improve trametinib efficacy in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofra Novoplansky
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Avital B Shnerb
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Divyasree Marripati
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Sankar Jagadeeshan
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Raghda Abu Shareb
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Cristina Conde-López
- Division of Radiooncology-Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonathan Zorea
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Manu Prasad
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Talal Ben Lulu
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ksenia M Yegodayev
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Chen Benafsha
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Yushi Li
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dexin Kong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengshen Kuo
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Luc G T Morris
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ina Kurth
- Division of Radiooncology-Radiobiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Hess
- Section Experimental and Translational Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moshe Elkabets
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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Vitale SG, Palumbo M, Rapisarda AMC, Carugno J, Conde-López C, Mendoza N, Mendoza-Tesarik R, Tesarik J. Use of pentoxifylline during ovarian stimulation to improve oocyte and embryo quality: A retrospective study. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod 2022; 51:102398. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jogoh.2022.102398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Vitale SG, Palumbo M, Conde-López C, Mendoza N, Mendoza-Tesarik R, Tesarik J. Effect of growth hormone administration on ICSI outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and recurrent implantation failure: A retrospective cross-over study. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2021; 153:357-358. [PMID: 33336369 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.13547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Giovanni Vitale
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Palumbo
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Cristina Conde-López
- Molecular Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, MAR&Gen Clinic, Granada, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Nicolas Mendoza
- Molecular Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, MAR&Gen Clinic, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Jan Tesarik
- Molecular Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, MAR&Gen Clinic, Granada, Spain
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Tesarik J, Conde-López C, Galán-Lázaro M, Mendoza-Tesarik R. Luteal Phase in Assisted Reproductive Technology. Front Reprod Health 2020; 2:595183. [PMID: 36304702 PMCID: PMC9580649 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2020.595183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Luteal phase (LP) is the period of time beginning shortly after ovulation and ending either with luteolysis, shortly before menstrual bleeding, or with the establishment of pregnancy. During the LP, the corpus luteum (CL) secretes progesterone and some other hormones that are essential to prepare the uterus for implantation and further development of the embryo, the function known as uterine receptivity. LP deficiency (LPD) can occur when the secretory activity of the CL is deficient, but also in cases of normal CL function, where it is caused by a defective endometrial response to normal levels of progesterone. LPD is particularly frequent in treatments using assisted reproductive technology (ART). Controlled ovarian stimulation usually aims to obtain the highest number possible of good-quality oocytes and requires the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs, to prevent premature ovulation, as well as an ovulation trigger to achieve timed final oocyte maturation. Altogether, these treatments suppress pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), required for the formation and early activity of the CL. In addition to problems of endometrial receptivity for embryos, LPD also leads to dysfunction of the local uterine immune system, with an increased risk of embryo rejection, abnormally high uterine contractility, and restriction of uterine blood flow. There are two alternatives of LPD prevention: a direct administration of exogenous progesterone to restore the physiological progesterone serum concentration independently of the CL function, on the one hand, and treatments aimed to stimulate the CL activity so as to increase endogenous progesterone production, on the other hand. In case of pregnancy, some kind of LP support is often needed until the luteal-placental shift occurs. If LPD is caused by defective response of the endometrium and uterine immune cells to normal concentrations of progesterone, a still poorly defined condition, symptomatic treatments are the only available solution currently available.
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Tesarik J, Galán-Lázaro M, Conde-López C, Chiara-Rapisarda AM, Mendoza-Tesarik R. The Effect of GH Administration on Oocyte and Zygote Quality in Young Women With Repeated Implantation Failure After IVF. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:519572. [PMID: 33117271 PMCID: PMC7552188 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.519572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) has been shown to improve implantation and live birth rates in women of >40 years of age treated by in vitro fertilization (IVF). This effect was initially attributed to a GH effect on oocyte quality, but later studies showed that GH can also improve uterine receptivity for embryo implantation. As to younger women with previous failures of embryo implantation after IVF, data reported in the literature are ambiguous. This retrospective study focused on this latter category of women, comparing the numbers and morphological appearance of oocytes recovered from women with two previous IVF failures, aged between 30 and 39 years and treated with GH, with a comparable group of women without GH treatment. These results were complemented with the analysis of morphological markers of zygote and embryo quality and IVF clinical outcomes in both groups. The oocytes, zygotes and embryos from women treated with GH showed better morphological scores, and their uterine transfer resulted in more implantations, pregnancies and live births, as compared with the untreated group. It is concluded that the improvement of IVF outcomes in women with previous repeated IVF failures by exogenous GH administration is, at least partly, related to an increase in oocyte developmental potential. The statistically evident improvement of oocyte and embryo quality is the main finding of this study. Its weakness is its retrospective nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Tesarik
- MARGen Clinic, Granada, Spain
- *Correspondence: Jan Tesarik
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