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CDK12 Loss Promotes Prostate Cancer Development While Exposing Vulnerabilities to Paralog-Based Synthetic Lethality [scRNA-Seq]

ABSTRACT: Biallelic loss of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) defines a unique molecular subtype of metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). It remains unclear, however, whether CDK12 loss per se is sufficient to drive prostate cancer development—either alone, or in the context of other genetic alterations—and whether CDK12-mutant tumors exhibit sensitivity to specific pharmacotherapies. Here, we demonstrate that tissue-specific Cdk12 ablation is sufficient to induce preneoplastic lesions in the mouse prostate. Allograft-based CRISPR screening demonstrated that Cdk12 loss is positively associated with p53 inactivation, but negatively associated with Pten inactivation—similar to what is seen in human mCRPC. Consistent with this, ablation of Cdk12 in prostate organoids with concurrent p53 loss promotes their proliferation and ability to form tumors in mice, while Cdk12 knockout in the Pten-null prostate cancer mouse model abrogates tumor growth. Bigenic CDK12 and p53 loss allografts represent a new syngeneic model for the study of prostate cancer. Cdk12-null organoids (either with or without p53 co-ablation) and patient-derived xenografts from tumors with CDK12 inactivation are highly sensitive to inhibition or degradation of its paralog kinase, CDK13. Together, these data identify CDK12 as a bona fide tumor suppressor gene with impact on tumor progression and paralog-based synthetic lethality is a promising strategy for treating CDK12 mutant mCRPC.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE254387 | GEO | 2024/04/17

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Purpose: PTEN loss-of-function occurs in ~50% of metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients, and associated with poor prognosis and responsiveness to standard-of-care therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. While PTEN loss-of-function hyperactivates PI3K signaling, combinatorial PI3K/AKT pathway and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has demonstrated limited anti-cancer efficacy in clinical trials. Here, we aimed to elucidate mechanism(s) of resistance to ADT/PI3K-AKT axis blockade, and to develop rational combinatorial strategies to effectively treat this molecular subset of mCRPC. Experimental design: Prostate-specific PTEN/p53-deficient genetically engineered mice (GEM) with established 150-200 mm3 tumors, as assessed by ultrasound, were treated with either ADT (degarelix), PI3K inhibitor (copanlisib), or anti-PD-1 antibody (aPD-1), as single agents or their combinations, and tumors were monitored by MRI and harvested for immune, transcriptomic and proteomic profiling, or ex vivo co-culture studies. Single-cell RNAseq on human mCRPC samples was performed using 10X Genomics platform. Results: Co-clinical trials in PTEN/p53-deficient GEM revealed that recruitment of PD-1-expressing tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) thwarts ADT/PI3Ki combination-induced tumor control. The addition of aPD-1 to ADT/PI3Ki combination led to TAM-dependent ~3-fold increase in anti-cancer responses. Mechanistically, decreased lactate production from PI3Ki-treated tumor cells suppressed histone lactylation within TAM, resulting in their anti-cancer phagocytic activation, which was augmented by ADT/aPD-1 treatment and abrogated by feedback activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis in mCRPC patient biopsy samples revealed a direct correlation between high glycolytic activity and TAM phagocytosis suppression. Conclusions: Immunometabolic strategies that reverse lactate and PD-1-mediated TAM immunosuppression, in combination with ADT, warrant further investigation in PTEN-deficient mCRPC patients.

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CDK12 Loss Promotes Prostate Cancer Development While Exposing Vulnerabilities to Paralog-Based Synthetic Lethality [scRNA-Seq]

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