Failure to induce apoptosis via BCL-2 family proteins underlies lack of efficacy of combined MEK and PI3K inhibitors for KRAS-mutant lung cancers.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Although several groups have demonstrated that concomitant use of MEK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors (MEKi/PI3Ki) can induce dramatic tumor regressions in mouse models of KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), ongoing clinical trials investigating this strategy have been underwhelming to date. While efficacy may be hampered by a narrow therapeutic index, the contribution of biologic heterogeneity in the response of KRAS-mutant NSCLCs to MEKi/PI3Ki has been largely unexplored. In this study, we find that most human KRAS-mutant NSCLC cell lines fail to undergo marked apoptosis in response to MEKi/PI3Ki, which is key for tumor responsiveness in vivo. This heterogeneity of apoptotic response occurs despite relatively uniform induction of growth arrest. Using a targeted short hairpin RNA screen of BCL-2 family members, we identify BIM, PUMA, and BCL-XL as key regulators of the apoptotic response induced by MEKi/PI3Ki, with decreased expression of BIM and PUMA relative to BCL-XL in cell lines with intrinsic resistance. In addition, by modeling adaptive resistance to MEKi/PI3Ki both in vitro and in vivo, we find that, upon the development of resistance, tumors have a diminished apoptotic response due to downregulation of BIM and PUMA. These results suggest that the inability to induce apoptosis may limit the effectiveness of MEKi/PI3Ki for KRAS-mutant NSCLCs by contributing to intrinsic and adaptive resistance to this therapy.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Hata, AN; Yeo, A; Faber, AC; Lifshits, E; Chen, Z; Cheng, KA; Walton, Z; Sarosiek, KA; Letai, A; Heist, RS; Mino-Kenudson, M; Wong, K-K; Engelman, JA

Published Date

  • June 1, 2014

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 74 / 11

Start / End Page

  • 3146 - 3156

PubMed ID

  • 24675361

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC4046322

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1538-7445

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-3728

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States