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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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Sananes A, Cohen I, Allon I, Ben‐David O, Abu Shareb R, Yegodayev KM, Stepensky D, Elkabets M, Papo N. Serine protease inhibitors decrease metastasis in prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:2337-2355. [PMID: 37609678 PMCID: PMC10620120 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13513] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapies for prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers are based on their activity against primary tumors rather than their anti-metastatic activity. Consequently, there is an urgent need for new agents targeting the metastatic process. Emerging evidence correlates in vitro and in vivo cancer invasion and metastasis with increased activity of the proteases mesotrypsin (prostate and breast cancer) and kallikrein 6 (KLK6; ovarian cancer). Thus, mesotrypsin and KLK6 are attractive putative targets for therapeutic intervention. As potential therapeutics for advanced metastatic prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers, we report novel mesotrypsin- and KLK6-based therapies, based on our previously developed mutants of the human amyloid β-protein precursor Kunitz protease inhibitor domain (APPI). These mutants, designated APPI-3M (prostate and breast cancer) and APPI-4M (ovarian cancer), demonstrated significant accumulation in tumors and therapeutic efficacy in orthotopic preclinical models, with the advantages of long retention times in vivo, high affinity and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. The applicability of the APPIs, as a novel therapy and for imaging purposes, is supported by their good safety profile and their controlled and scalable manufacturability in bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amiram Sananes
- Avram and Stella Goldstein‐Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the NegevBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Itay Cohen
- Avram and Stella Goldstein‐Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the NegevBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Irit Allon
- Institute of Pathology, Barzilai University Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel ad Faculty of Health SciencesBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Oshrit Ben‐David
- Avram and Stella Goldstein‐Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the NegevBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Raghda Abu Shareb
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Ksenia M. Yegodayev
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - David Stepensky
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health SciencesBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Moshe Elkabets
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
| | - Niv Papo
- Avram and Stella Goldstein‐Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the NegevBen‐Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShevaIsrael
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