The AhR-SRC axis as a therapeutic vulnerability in BRAFi-resistant melanoma
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE166617 | GEO | 2022/10/18
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Most BRAF-mutant melanoma tumors respond initially to BRAFi/MEKi therapy, although few patients have durable long-term responses to these agents. The goal of this study was to utilize an unbiased computational approach to identify inhibitors which reverse an experimentally derived BRAFi resistance gene expression signature. Using this approach, we predicted that ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, effectively reverses this signature, and we demonstrate experimentally that ibrutinib re-sensitizes a subset of BRAFi-resistant melanoma cells to vemurafenib. Ibrutinib is used clinically as a BTK inhibitor; however, neither BTK deletion nor treatment with acalabrutinib, an analog of ibrutinib with reduced off-target activity, re-sensitized cells to vemurafenib. These data suggest that ibrutinib acts through a BTK-independent mechanism in vemurafenib re-sensitization. To better understand this mechanism, we analyzed the transcriptional profile of ibrutinib-treated BRAFi-resistant melanoma cells and found that the transcriptional profile of ibrutinib was highly similar to that of multiple SRC kinase inhibitors. Since ibrutinib, but not acalabrutinib, has significant off-target activity against multiple SRC family kinases, it suggests that ibrutinib may be acting through this mechanism. Furthermore, genes either upregulated or downregulated by ibrutinib treatment are enriched with YAP1 target genes and we experimentally demonstrate that ibrutinib, but not acalabrutinib, reduces YAP1 activity in BRAFi-resistant melanoma cells. Taken together, these data suggest that ibrutinib, or other SRC family kinase inhibitors, may be useful for treating some BRAFi/MEKi-refractory melanoma tumors.
2020-02-27 | GSE145990 | GEO
Project description:The majority of BRAFV600 mutant melanomas regress in response to BRAF/MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi). Yet nearly all relapse within the first two years. Most BRAFi/MEKi-resistant tumors are cross-resistant to immunotherapies, highlighting the need to prevent and circumvent resistance. We recently showed that androgen receptor (AR) activity is required for sustained melanoma cells proliferation and tumorigenesis. Here we find that AR expression is markedly increased in BRAFi resistant melanoma cells as well as in sensitive cells already at very early times of BRAFi exposure. Proliferation and tumorigenicity of BRAFi resistant melanoma cells are blunted by genetic or pharmacologic suppression of AR activity, while AR overexpression is by itself sufficient to rendersmelanoma cells BRAFi/MEKi-resistant. Increased AR elicits transcriptional changes linked with AXL-positive BRAFi resistant subpopulations and induces expression of PAI-1 and EGFR, two determinants of melanoma progression that associate with elevated AR expression in clinical cohorts. Our results point to increased AR signaling as a determinant of melanoma BRAFi resistance, which can be counteracted by AR as well as PAI-1 and EGFR inhibitors.
2023-08-03 | GSE199405 | GEO
Project description:The majority of BRAFV600 mutant melanomas regress in response to BRAF/MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi). Yet nearly all relapse within the first two years. Most BRAFi/MEKi-resistant tumors are cross-resistant to immunotherapies, highlighting the need to prevent and circumvent resistance. We recently showed that androgen receptor (AR) activity is required for sustained melanoma cells proliferation and tumorigenesis. Here we find that AR expression is markedly increased in BRAFi resistant melanoma cells as well as in sensitive cells already at very early times of BRAFi exposure. Proliferation and tumorigenicity of BRAFi resistant melanoma cells are blunted by genetic or pharmacologic suppression of AR activity, while AR overexpression is by itself sufficient to rendersmelanoma cells BRAFi/MEKi-resistant. Increased AR elicits transcriptional changes linked with AXL-positive BRAFi resistant subpopulations and induces expression of PAI-1 and EGFR, two determinants of melanoma progression that associate with elevated AR expression in clinical cohorts. Our results point to increased AR signaling as a determinant of melanoma BRAFi resistance, which can be counteracted by AR as well as PAI-1 and EGFR inhibitors.
2023-08-03 | GSE232693 | GEO
Project description:The majority of BRAFV600 mutant melanomas regress in response to BRAF/MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi). Yet nearly all relapse within the first two years. Most BRAFi/MEKi-resistant tumors are cross-resistant to immunotherapies, highlighting the need to prevent and circumvent resistance. We recently showed that androgen receptor (AR) activity is required for sustained melanoma cells proliferation and tumorigenesis. Here we find that AR expression is markedly increased in BRAFi resistant melanoma cells as well as in sensitive cells already at very early times of BRAFi exposure. Proliferation and tumorigenicity of BRAFi resistant melanoma cells are blunted by genetic or pharmacologic suppression of AR activity, while AR overexpression is by itself sufficient to rendersmelanoma cells BRAFi/MEKi-resistant. Increased AR elicits transcriptional changes linked with AXL-positive BRAFi resistant subpopulations and induces expression of PAI-1 and EGFR, two determinants of melanoma progression that associate with elevated AR expression in clinical cohorts. Our results point to increased AR signaling as a determinant of melanoma BRAFi resistance, which can be counteracted by AR as well as PAI-1 and EGFR inhibitors.
2023-08-03 | GSE232690 | GEO
Project description:Tumor-associated stromal cells can enable cancer cells to become insensitive to therapy. They can promote aggressive phenotype in cancer cells, which become less responsive to drugs such as BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) used to treat melanomas. To clarify potential mechanism behind stromal influence on melanoma, we analyzed gene expression in Melmet 5 melanoma cells grown as mono-cultures or co-cultures with lung fibroblasts with/without BRAFi. We have shown that Melmet 5 growing as co-cultures gained a de-differentiated, invasive transcriptional state, which is known to be linked to BRAFi-resistance. The transcriptional changes induced by BRAFi were much larger in Melmet 5 mono-cultures compared to co-cultures, indicating a much dampened transcriptional response to BRAFi in melanoma under the influence of fibroblasts. We conclude that interaction with the stromal cells stimulate melanoma cell transition to the invasive de-differentiated phenotype, leading to a worse response to BRAF inhibitors. Total RNA was isolated from Melmet 5 cell line growing as mono- or co-cultures with fibroblasts for 72 hours and treated with BRAFi for the last 24 hours.
2015-08-01 | E-GEOD-67637 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Pre- and post-BRAFi melanoma FFPE samples were macrodissected for enrichment of tumor cellularity and analyzed for gene expression to identify transcriptional changes related to resistance to BRAFi therapy
2020-10-02 | GSE141484 | GEO
Project description:BRAF oncogene is mutated in ~50% of human cutaneous melanomas. The BRAF V600E mutation leads to constitutive activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway fuelling cancer growth. The inhibitors of BRAF V600E (BRAFi), lead to massive and high response rate. However, BRAFi-resistant cells that operate as a cellular reservoir for relapses severely limits the duration of the clinical response. The recent depiction of these resistant cells did not identify druggable targets to ensure long-term survival under BRAFi. Here, we identify the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as a target to eradicate resistant cells. We show that BRAFi bind to AhR on a new site, named beta-pocket, and reprogram gene expression independently of its partner ARNT. beta-pocket activation induces a pigmentation signature, which is associated to BRAFi-induced cell death of sensitive BRAF V600E melanoma cells and tumour shrinkage. Intriguingly, in resistant cells, BRAFi does not induced a pigmentation signature since these cells display another AhR program; AhR-ARNT dependant. By this way, AhR directs several key BRAFi-resistant genes. At single cell level, this constitutive activation of AhR-ARNT is identified in rare cells before BRAFi-treatment of melanoma tumours and an enrichment of these alpha-cells is observed under BRAFi. Our data strongly suggest that an endogenous AhR ligand activates AhR-ARNT via the canonical AhR pocket (alpha-pocket), thus favouring BRAFi-resistant gene expression. Importantly, we identify the clinically compatible AhR antagonist, the resveratrol (RSV), able to abrogate the deleterious constitutive activation of AhR and to reduce the cellular reservoir for the relapse. Taken together, this work reveals that constitutive AhR signalling drives BRAFi resistance and constitutes a therapeutic target to achieve long-term patient survival under BRAFi. More broadly, the constitutive activation of AhR by endogenous ligands is in line with the ability of UV radiations to generate potent AhR ligands and to favour melanoma onset.
2018-11-29 | GSE104869 | GEO
Project description:Most genetic events that drive melanoma development and resistance to targeted therapy have been uncovered. In contrast, and despite their increasingly recognized contribution, little is known about the non-genetic mechanisms that drive these processes. Here, we performed in vivo gain-of-function CRISPR screens and identified SMAD3, BIRC3 and SLC9A5 as key drivers of BRAFi-resistance and the tumor growth capability of persister cells. We show that their expression levels increase during acquisition of BRAFi-resistance, and remain high in persister cells and during relapse. Critically, chemical inhibition of SMAD3 or BIRC3 efficiently abrogates melanoma tumor growth and persister cells proliferation. Genetic inhibition of these targets efficiently restored the sensitivity of persister cells to BRAFi. Our work expands our understanding of the biology of persister cells and highlight novel drug vulnerabilities that can be exploited to develop long-lasting anti-melanoma therapies.
2021-02-03 | E-MTAB-8595 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Acquired resistance to MAPK inhibitors limits the clinical efficacy in melanoma treatment. We and others have recently shown that BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi)-resistant melanoma cells can develop a dependency on the therapeutic drugs to which they have acquired resistance, creating a vulnerability for these cells that can potentially be exploited in cancer treatment. In drug addicted melanoma cells, it was shown that this induction of cell death was preceded by a specific ERK2-dependent phenotype switch, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely lacking. To increase the molecular understanding of this drug dependency, we applied a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach on BRAFi-resistant BRAFMUT 451Lu cells, in which ERK1, ERK2 and JUNB were silenced separately using CRISPR–Cas9. Inactivation of ERK2 and, to a lesser extent, JUNB prevents drug addiction in these melanoma cell while, conversely, knock out of ERK1 fails to reverse this phenotype, showing a response similar to control cells. Our analysis reveals that ERK2 and JUNB share comparable proteome responses dominated by reactivation of cell division. Importantly, we find that EMT activation in drug addicted melanoma cells upon drug withdrawal is affected by silencing ERK2 but not ERK1. Moreover, transcription factor (regulator) enrichment shows that PIR acts as an effector of ERK2 and phosphoproteome analysis reveals that silencing of ERK2 but not ERK1 leads to amplification of GSK3 kinase activity. Our results depict possible mechanisms of drug addiction in melanoma, which may provide a guide for strategies in drug-resistant melanoma.
2022-02-17 | PXD026557 | Pride
Project description:Genome variation profiling of BRAFi resistant melanoma cell lines comapered to the original ones by Affymetrix CytoScan 750K microarray
2019-01-31 | GSE114488 | GEO