ERK and p38 MAPK Activities Determine Sensitivity to PI3K/mTOR Inhibition via Regulation of MYC and YAP.

ABSTRACT: Aberrant activation of the PI3K/mTOR pathway is a common feature of many cancers and an attractive target for therapy, but resistance inevitably evolves as is the case for any cancer cell-targeted therapy. In animal tumor models, chronic inhibition of PI3K/mTOR initially inhibits tumor growth, but over time, tumor cells escape inhibition. In this study, we identified a context-dependent mechanism of escape whereby tumor cells upregulated the proto-oncogene transcriptional regulators c-MYC and YAP1. This mechanism was dependent on both constitutive ERK activity as well as inhibition of the stress kinase p38. Inhibition of p38 relieved proliferation arrest and allowed upregulation of MYC and YAP through stabilization of CREB. These data provide new insights into cellular signaling mechanisms

SUBMITTER: Muranen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5161652 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature