Targeting the LKB1-AMPK PATHWAY in Melanoma: Mechanism and Preclinical Evaluation

靶向黑色素瘤中的 LKB1-AMPK 通路：机制和临床前评估

• 批准号: 8275994
• 负责人: Bin Zheng
• 金额: $ 33.2万
• 依托单位: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-07-01 至 2017-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8275994
• 关键词: 5' -AMP-activated protein kinase; AMP-activated protein kinase kinase; Address; American; Attenuated; BRAF gene; Biochemical; Breast Cancer Treatment; Cancer Cell Growth Regulation; Cell Culture Techniques; Cell Line; Cell Proliferation; Cell Proliferation Regulation; Cell Survival; Cells; Clinical; Clinical Trials; Combined Modality Therapy; Data; Diabetes Mellitus; Dimerization; Drug Prescriptions; Drug resistance; Family; Feedback; Genes; Genetically Engineered Mouse; Goals; Homeostasis; Human; Incidence; Intervention; Lead; MEKs; Maintenance; Malignant - descriptor; Malignant Neoplasms; Malignant neoplasm of prostate; Melanoma Cell; Metformin; Modeling; Molecular; Monitor; Mutate; Neoplasm Metastasis; Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus; Oncogenic; Pathogenesis; Pathway interactions; Patients; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmacologic Substance; Phenformin; Phosphorylation; Phosphotransferases; Pigments; Play; Predisposition; Protein Kinase; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases; Regulation; Reporting; Resistance; Resistance development; Role; STK11 gene; Side; Signal Pathway; Signal Transduction; Skin Cancer; Stress; Study models; Syndrome; Therapeutic; Time; Tumor Suppressor Proteins; Woman; Xenograft Model; Xenograft procedure; analog; attenuation; base; cell growth; improved; inhibitor/antagonist; interest; melanocyte; melanoma; member; men; mortality; mouse model; mutant; novel; preclinical evaluation; preclinical study; response; sensor; therapeutic target; tumor; tumor growth

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Melanoma is a major form of skin cancer and arises from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. One of the most commonly mutated genes in melanoma is B-RAF (~50%), which encodes a member of the RAF protein kinase family and an intermediate in the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade. Findings from recent clinical trials using B-RAF inhibitors in malignant melanoma have shown great promise for B-RAF-targeted therapy. However, the clinical findings also revealed development of resistance to B-RAF inhibitor as a major therapeutic challenge. We have recently discovered a novel bi-directional crosstalk between B-RAF and the tumor suppressor LKB1-AMPK pathway, another important signaling pathway involved in the regulation of cancer cell growth, proliferation and survival. Activators of the LKB1-AMPK pathway (such as metformin, a common anti-diabetes drug, and its analog phenformin) have recently shown anti-tumor activities in cell culture studies and mouse models. Based on our recent findings, we hypothesize that combination treatment of B- RAF inhibitors and AMPK activators will offer therapeutic advantages for the treatment of melanoma over the B-RAF inhibitor single agent therapy, and holds the potential for overcoming drug resistance to B-RAF inhibitors. The goal of this proposal is to define the biochemical mechanism underlying the attenuation of BRAF-MEK-ERK signaling by AMPK and to assess pre-clinically the therapeutic benefit of combining AMPK activators with B-RAF inhibitors for melanoma treatment. In aim 1, we will further elucidate the biochemical mechanism underlying the regulation of ERK signaling by AMPK and study its role in the regulation of cell proliferation and survival in response to energy stress. In aim 2, we will evaluate the combinatory effect of AMPK activators and B-RAF inhibitors on inhibiting tumor growth in xenografts of human melanoma cell lines and in a B-RAF-driven genetically engineered mouse model. Finally, in aim 3, we will investigate the role of the LKB1-AMPK signaling in defining both acquired and intrinsic resistance to B-RAF inhibitors in melanoma therapy and assess the potential of AMPK activators on delaying the emergence of resistance to B-RAF inhibitors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in American men and the seventh in American women based on estimated new cases for 2010. B-RAF kinase is a major oncogenic driver and therapeutic target in malignant melanoma. Our preclinical studies to assess the benefits of combination therapy using B-RAF inhibitors together with AMPK activators will provide important rational basis to develop better targeted therapy of malignant melanoma. If our hypothesis is proven true, this novel rational combinatory strategy may lead to an improved melanoma treatment with better patient survival.

描述（由申请人提供）：黑色素瘤是皮肤癌的一种主要形式，由黑色素细胞的恶性转化引起。黑色素瘤中最常见的突变基因之一是B-RAF（约50%），它编码RAF蛋白激酶家族的一个成员和RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK信号级联的中间产物。最近在恶性黑色素瘤中使用B-RAF抑制剂的临床试验结果显示，B-RAF靶向治疗大有希望。然而，临床结果也显示对B-RAF抑制剂的耐药性是一个主要的治疗挑战。我们最近发现了B-RAF与肿瘤抑制因子LKB1-AMPK通路之间的一种新的双向串扰，这是另一种参与调节癌细胞生长、增殖和存活的重要信号通路。LKB1-AMPK通路的激活剂（如二甲双胍，一种常见的抗糖尿病药物，及其类似物苯双胍）最近在细胞培养研究和小鼠模型中显示出抗肿瘤活性。基于我们最近的发现，我们假设B-RAF抑制剂和AMPK激活剂的联合治疗将比B-RAF抑制剂单一药物治疗提供治疗黑色素瘤的优势，并具有克服B-RAF抑制剂耐药性的潜力。本提案的目标是确定AMPK抑制BRAF-MEK-ERK信号的生化机制，并评估AMPK激活剂与B-RAF抑制剂联合治疗黑色素瘤的临床前治疗效果。在aim 1中，我们将进一步阐明AMPK调控ERK信号的生化机制，并研究其在能量应激下调控细胞增殖和存活中的作用。在目标2中，我们将评估AMPK激活剂和B-RAF抑制剂在抑制人类黑色素瘤细胞系异种移植物和B-RAF驱动的基因工程小鼠模型中肿瘤生长的组合作用。最后，在目标3中，我们将研究LKB1-AMPK信号在黑色素瘤治疗中对B-RAF抑制剂的获得性和内在耐药性的作用，并评估AMPK激活剂在延迟B-RAF抑制剂耐药性出现方面的潜力。