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Durable Suppression of Acquired MEK Inhibitor Resistance in Cancer by Sequestering MEK from ERK and Promoting Antitumor T-cell Immunity

Errata
  • The editors are publishing this note to alert readers. There are concerns about the assembly of figures involving the clonogenic growth experiments presented in Figs. 1–3. In Fig. 1B, the same images were used for SKMEL28 DDR1 cells treated with either DMSO/DMSO or DMSO/BGB-283 and SKMEL28 DDR1 cells treated with PLX-4032 + AZD-6244/BGB-283 and PLX-4032 + AZD-6244/DMSO, respectively. In Fig. 1F, images used for the M296 cell line treated with 0.0001 µmol/L MEK inhibitor trametinib, the M296 cell line treated with 0.0001 µmol/L ERK inhibitor SCH772984, and the M296 cell line treated with 0.1 µmol/L ERK inhibitor SCH772984 were duplicated for M296 cells treated with 0 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.1 µmol/L SCH772984, M296 cells treated with 0 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.01 µmol/L SCH772984, and M296 cells treated with 0.5 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.01 µmol/L SCH772984 in Fig. 1G, respectively. In Fig. 1G, images used for the M296 cell line treated with 0 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.001 µmol/L trametinib were also used for M296 cells treated with 0 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.2 µmol/L PLX-4032; the same images used for M296 cells treated with 0.5 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.001 µmol/L trametinib were also used for M296 cells treated with 0.5 µmol/L BGB-283 and 0.1 µmol/L SCH772984; and images used for M207 cells treated with 0 µmol/L or 0.5 µmol/L BGB-283 with 0.001 or 0.01 µmol/L trametinib were switched with 0 µmol/L or 0.5 µmol/L BGB-283 with 0.01 or 0.01 µmol/L SCH772984. In Figs. 2H and 3F, the same images were used for the M245 SDR3 cell line treated with shCRAF and 0 µmol/L trametinib, the M245 SDR3 cell line treated with shVector and 0.1 µmol/L trametinib in Fig. 2H, and the M245 SDR3 cell line treated with shVector and 0 µmol/L BGB-283 in Fig. 3F; and the same image for the M207 SDR1 cell line treated with shBRAF and 0, 0.1, and 1 µmol/L trametinib in Fig. 2H was used for the M207 SDR1 cell line treated with shVector and 0, 0.01, and 0.1 µmol/L BGB-283 in Fig. 3F, respectively. In Fig. 3F, the M245 parental cell shVector images were used for the M207 parental cell shVector images.
  • DOI : 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-24-0613
  • PMID : 38946326
Published inCancer discovery, vol. 11, no. 3, p. 714-735
Publication date2021-03
First online date2020-12-14
Abstract

MAPK targeting in cancer often fails due to MAPK reactivation. MEK inhibitor (MEKi) monotherapy provides limited clinical benefits but may serve as a foundation for combination therapies. Here, we showed that combining a type II RAF inhibitor (RAFi) with an allosteric MEKi durably prevents and overcomes acquired resistance among cancers with KRAS, NRAS, NF1, BRAF non-V600 , and BRAF V600 mutations. Tumor cell-intrinsically, type II RAFi plus MEKi sequester MEK in RAF complexes, reduce MEK/MEK dimerization, and uncouple MEK from ERK in acquired-resistant tumor subpopulations. Immunologically, this combination expands memory and activated/exhausted CD8+ T cells, and durable tumor regression elicited by this combination requires CD8+ T cells, which can be reinvigorated by anti-PD-L1 therapy. Whereas MEKi reduces dominant intratumoral T-cell clones, type II RAFi cotreatment reverses this effect and promotes T-cell clonotypic expansion. These findings rationalize the clinical development of type II RAFi plus MEKi and their further combination with PD-1/L1-targeted therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: Type I RAFi + MEKi are indicated only in certain BRAF V600MUT cancers. In contrast, type II RAFi + MEKi are durably active against acquired MEKi resistance across broad cancer indications, which reveals exquisite MAPK addiction. Allosteric modulation of MAPK protein/protein interactions and temporal preservation of intratumoral CD8+ T cells are mechanisms that may be further exploited.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 521 .

Keywords
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular / drug effects
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / drug effects
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / immunology
  • Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / etiology
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Stability
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
Affiliation entities Not a UNIGE publication
Funding
  • NCI NIH HHS [R21 CA215910]
  • NCI NIH HHS [R01 CA176111]
  • NCI NIH HHS [R35 CA197633]
  • NCI NIH HHS [P30 CA016042]
  • NCI NIH HHS [T32 CA009120]
  • NCI NIH HHS [P50 CA211015]
  • NCI NIH HHS [P01 CA244118]
  • NCI NIH HHS [P30 CA042014]
  • NCI NIH HHS [R01 CA236910]
  • NCI NIH HHS [P01 CA168585]
  • NIGMS NIH HHS [P20 GM121293]
  • HHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences [P20GM121293]
  • HHS | NIH | National Cancer Institute [1R21CA215910-01]
Citation (ISO format)
HONG, Aayoung et al. Durable Suppression of Acquired MEK Inhibitor Resistance in Cancer by Sequestering MEK from ERK and Promoting Antitumor T-cell Immunity. In: Cancer discovery, 2021, vol. 11, n° 3, p. 714–735. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-0873
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Identifiers
Journal ISSN2159-8274
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