Similar Datasets
Project description:The high frequency of aberrant PI3K pathway activation in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer has led to the development, clinical testing, and approval of the p110a-selective PI3K inhibitor alpelisib. The limited clinical efficacy of alpelisib and other PI3K inhibitors is partially attributed to the functional antagonism between PI3K and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling, which is mitigated via combined PI3K inhibition and endocrine therapy. We and others have previously demonstrated chromatin-associated mechanisms by which PI3K supports cancer development and antagonizes ER signaling through the modulation of the H3K4 methylation axis; inhibition of KDM5A promoter H3K4 demethylation and KMT2D/MLL4-directed enhancer H3K4 methylation. Here we show that inhibition of the H3K4 histone methyltransferase MLL1 in combination with PI3K inhibition impairs HR+ breast cancer clonogenicity and cell proliferation. While combined PI3K/MLL1 inhibition reduces PI3K/AKT signaling and H3K4 methylation, MLL1 inhibition increases PI3K/AKT signaling and dysregulates the expression of processes that lead to AKT activation. These data reveal a feedback loop between MLL1 and AKT whereby MLL1 inhibition reactivates AKT. We show that combined PI3K and MLL1 inhibition synergizes to cause cell death in in vitro and in vivo models of HR+ breast cancer, which is enhanced by the additional genetic ablation of the H3K4 methyltransferase and AKT target KMT2D/MLL4. Together, our data provide evidence of a feedback mechanism connecting histone methylation with AKT and may support the preclinical development and testing of pan-MLL inhibitors.
2022-10-01 | GSE214331 | GEO
Project description:The high frequency of aberrant PI3K pathway activation in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer has led to the development, clinical testing, and approval of the p110a-selective PI3K inhibitor alpelisib. The limited clinical efficacy of alpelisib and other PI3K inhibitors is partially attributed to the functional antagonism between PI3K and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling, which is mitigated via combined PI3K inhibition and endocrine therapy. We and others have previously demonstrated chromatin-associated mechanisms by which PI3K supports cancer development and antagonizes ER signaling through the modulation of the H3K4 methylation axis; inhibition of KDM5A promoter H3K4 demethylation and KMT2D/MLL4-directed enhancer H3K4 methylation. Here we show that inhibition of the H3K4 histone methyltransferase MLL1 in combination with PI3K inhibition impairs HR+ breast cancer clonogenicity and cell proliferation. While combined PI3K/MLL1 inhibition reduces PI3K/AKT signaling and H3K4 methylation, MLL1 inhibition increases PI3K/AKT signaling and dysregulates the expression of processes that lead to AKT activation. These data reveal a feedback loop between MLL1 and AKT whereby MLL1 inhibition reactivates AKT. We show that combined PI3K and MLL1 inhibition synergizes to cause cell death in in vitro and in vivo models of HR+ breast cancer, which is enhanced by the additional genetic ablation of the H3K4 methyltransferase and AKT target KMT2D/MLL4. Together, our data provide evidence of a feedback mechanism connecting histone methylation with AKT and may support the preclinical development and testing of pan-MLL inhibitors.
2022-10-01 | GSE214329 | GEO
Project description:Activating mutations of PIK3CA are the most frequent genomic alterations in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast tumors and selective PI3Kα inhibitors are in clinical development. The activity of these agents, however, is not homogenous and only a fraction of patients bearing PIK3CA-mutant ER-positive tumors benefit from single agent administration. Searching for mechanisms of resistance, we observed that suppression of PI3K signaling with different agents results in induction of ER-dependent transcriptional activity as demonstrated by changes in expression in genes containing ER binding sites, enhanced ER transcription and increased occupancy by the ER of promoter regions of upregulated genes. Furthermore, expression of ESR1 mRNA and ER protein levels themselves were also increased upon PI3K inhibition. These changes in gene expression were confirmed in vivo in xenograft and patient derived models and in tumors from patients undergoing treatment with the PI3Kα inhibitor BYL719. The observed effects on transcription were enhanced by the addition of estradiol and suppressed by the anti-ER therapies fulvestrant and tamoxifen. Fulvestrant markedly sensitized ER-positive tumors to PI3Kα inhibition. We propose that increased ER transcriptional activity may be a compensatory mechanism that limits the activity of PI3K inhibitors and that combined PI3K and ER inhibition is a rational approach to target these tumors. The aim of our study was to explore the mechanism by which combination of PI3K pathway inhibitors and estrogen receptor function blockade results in superior antitumor activity. We aimed to evaluate whether changes in ER function were influencing the clinical response to anti-PI3K therapy in ER-positive breast tumors that harbor PI3K pathway activation. For this purpose, we planned to use various specific PI3K inhibitors, namely: BYL719 (p110α specific catalytic inhibitor), GDC0941 (pan-PI3K inhibitor), GDC0032 and BAY80-6946 (p110sparing PI3K inhibitors) in a panel of ER-positive breast cancer cell lines and xenografts that harbor PIK3CA activating mutations. We also used MK2206 (pan-AKT allosteric inhibitor) to inhibit the PI3K pathway in ER-positive cell lines which activate this pathway through PTEN loss. Finally, in order to evaluate the role of ER up-regulation as a pro-survival signal in our in vitro and in vivo models, we planned to use the selective ER modulator 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4-OHT) and degrader fulvestrant. For the in vivo experiments, the number of animals in each group was calculated to measure a 25% difference between the means of placebo and treatment groups with a power of 80% and a p value of 0.01. Host mice carrying xenografts were randomly and equally assigned to either control or treatment groups. Animal experiments were conducted in a controlled and non-blinded manner. Moreover, we evaluated by means of RNAseq gene expression changes breast cancer patients that underwent BYL719 based therapy to validate our in vitro findings in terms of ER expression. In vitro experiments were performed at least two times and at least in triplicate for each replica.
2015-04-29 | E-GEOD-64033 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC4433148 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC6314865 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Activating mutations of PIK3CA are the most frequent genomic alterations in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast tumors and selective PI3Kα inhibitors are in clinical development. The activity of these agents, however, is not homogenous and only a fraction of patients bearing PIK3CA-mutant ER-positive tumors benefit from single agent administration. Searching for mechanisms of resistance, we observed that suppression of PI3K signaling with different agents results in induction of ER-dependent transcriptional activity as demonstrated by changes in expression in genes containing ER binding sites, enhanced ER transcription and increased occupancy by the ER of promoter regions of upregulated genes. Furthermore, expression of ESR1 mRNA and ER protein levels themselves were also increased upon PI3K inhibition. These changes in gene expression were confirmed in vivo in xenograft and patient derived models and in tumors from patients undergoing treatment with the PI3Kα inhibitor BYL719. The observed effects on transcription were enhanced by the addition of estradiol and suppressed by the anti-ER therapies fulvestrant and tamoxifen. Fulvestrant markedly sensitized ER-positive tumors to PI3Kα inhibition. We propose that increased ER transcriptional activity may be a compensatory mechanism that limits the activity of PI3K inhibitors and that combined PI3K and ER inhibition is a rational approach to target these tumors.
2015-04-29 | GSE64033 | GEO
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7572750 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC8584833 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC7427086 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hyperactivation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) promotes escape from hormone dependence in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. A significant fraction of breast cancers exhibit de novo or acquired resistance to estrogen deprivation. We used gene expression microarrays to identify genes and pathways that are commonly dysregulated in ER+ cell lines with acquired hormone-independent growth. MCF-7, ZR75-1, MDA-361, and HCC-1428 ER+, estrogen-responsive breast cancer cells were cultured under hormone-depleted conditions (10% DCC-FBS) for several months until sustainable hormone-independent cell populations emerged.
2010-06-15 | GSE19639 | GEO