Abstract
Melanomas are characterized by activating "driver" mutations in BRAF, NRAS, KIT, GNAQ, and GNA11. Resultant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway signaling makes some melanomas susceptible to BRAF (BRAF V600 mutations), MEK1/2 (BRAF V600, L597, fusions; NRAS mutations), or other kinase inhibitors (KIT), respectively. Among driver-negative ("pan-negative") patients, an unexplained heterogeneity of response to MEK1/2 inhibitors has been observed. Analysis of 16 pan-negative melanoma cell lines revealed that 8 (50%; termed Class I) are sensitive to the MEK1/2 inhibitor, trametinib, similar to BRAF V600E melanomas. A second set (termed Class II) display reduced trametinib sensitivity, paradoxical activation of MEK1/2 and basal activation of ERBBs 1, 2, and 3 (4 lines, 25%). In 3 of these lines, PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathway signaling is abrogated using the ERBB inhibitor, afatinib, and proliferation is even further reduced upon the addition of trametinib. A potential mechanism of ERBB activation in Class II melanomas is minimal expression of the ERK1/2 phosphatase, DUSP4, as ectopic restoration of DUSP4 attenuated ERBB signaling through potential modulation of the ERBB ligand, amphiregulin (AREG). Consistent with these data, immunohistochemical analysis of patient melanomas revealed a trend towards lower overall DUSP4 expression in pannegative versus BRAF- and NRAS-mutant tumors. This study is the first to demonstrate that differential ERBB activity in pan-negative melanoma may modulate sensitivity to clinically-available MEK1/2 inhibitors and provides rationale for the use of ERBB inhibitors, potentially in combination with MEK1/2 inhibitors, in subsets of this disease.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 22348-22360 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Oncotarget |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 26 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Afatinib
- DUSP4
- ERBB
- Melanoma
- Trametinib
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
Cite this
ERBB activation modulates sensitivity to MEK1/2 inhibition in a subset of driver-negative melanoma. / Hutchinson, Katherine E.; Johnson, Douglas B.; Johnson, Adam S.; Sanchez, Violeta; Kuba, Maria; Lu, Pengcheng; Chen, Xi; Kelley, Mark C.; Wang, Qingguo; Zhao, Zhongming; Kris, Mark; Berger, Michael F.; Sosman, Jeffrey A.; Pao, William.
In: Oncotarget, Vol. 6, No. 26, 01.01.2015, p. 22348-22360.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - ERBB activation modulates sensitivity to MEK1/2 inhibition in a subset of driver-negative melanoma
AU - Hutchinson, Katherine E.
AU - Johnson, Douglas B.
AU - Johnson, Adam S.
AU - Sanchez, Violeta
AU - Kuba, Maria
AU - Lu, Pengcheng
AU - Chen, Xi
AU - Kelley, Mark C.
AU - Wang, Qingguo
AU - Zhao, Zhongming
AU - Kris, Mark
AU - Berger, Michael F.
AU - Sosman, Jeffrey A.
AU - Pao, William
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - Melanomas are characterized by activating "driver" mutations in BRAF, NRAS, KIT, GNAQ, and GNA11. Resultant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway signaling makes some melanomas susceptible to BRAF (BRAF V600 mutations), MEK1/2 (BRAF V600, L597, fusions; NRAS mutations), or other kinase inhibitors (KIT), respectively. Among driver-negative ("pan-negative") patients, an unexplained heterogeneity of response to MEK1/2 inhibitors has been observed. Analysis of 16 pan-negative melanoma cell lines revealed that 8 (50%; termed Class I) are sensitive to the MEK1/2 inhibitor, trametinib, similar to BRAF V600E melanomas. A second set (termed Class II) display reduced trametinib sensitivity, paradoxical activation of MEK1/2 and basal activation of ERBBs 1, 2, and 3 (4 lines, 25%). In 3 of these lines, PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathway signaling is abrogated using the ERBB inhibitor, afatinib, and proliferation is even further reduced upon the addition of trametinib. A potential mechanism of ERBB activation in Class II melanomas is minimal expression of the ERK1/2 phosphatase, DUSP4, as ectopic restoration of DUSP4 attenuated ERBB signaling through potential modulation of the ERBB ligand, amphiregulin (AREG). Consistent with these data, immunohistochemical analysis of patient melanomas revealed a trend towards lower overall DUSP4 expression in pannegative versus BRAF- and NRAS-mutant tumors. This study is the first to demonstrate that differential ERBB activity in pan-negative melanoma may modulate sensitivity to clinically-available MEK1/2 inhibitors and provides rationale for the use of ERBB inhibitors, potentially in combination with MEK1/2 inhibitors, in subsets of this disease.
AB - Melanomas are characterized by activating "driver" mutations in BRAF, NRAS, KIT, GNAQ, and GNA11. Resultant mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway signaling makes some melanomas susceptible to BRAF (BRAF V600 mutations), MEK1/2 (BRAF V600, L597, fusions; NRAS mutations), or other kinase inhibitors (KIT), respectively. Among driver-negative ("pan-negative") patients, an unexplained heterogeneity of response to MEK1/2 inhibitors has been observed. Analysis of 16 pan-negative melanoma cell lines revealed that 8 (50%; termed Class I) are sensitive to the MEK1/2 inhibitor, trametinib, similar to BRAF V600E melanomas. A second set (termed Class II) display reduced trametinib sensitivity, paradoxical activation of MEK1/2 and basal activation of ERBBs 1, 2, and 3 (4 lines, 25%). In 3 of these lines, PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathway signaling is abrogated using the ERBB inhibitor, afatinib, and proliferation is even further reduced upon the addition of trametinib. A potential mechanism of ERBB activation in Class II melanomas is minimal expression of the ERK1/2 phosphatase, DUSP4, as ectopic restoration of DUSP4 attenuated ERBB signaling through potential modulation of the ERBB ligand, amphiregulin (AREG). Consistent with these data, immunohistochemical analysis of patient melanomas revealed a trend towards lower overall DUSP4 expression in pannegative versus BRAF- and NRAS-mutant tumors. This study is the first to demonstrate that differential ERBB activity in pan-negative melanoma may modulate sensitivity to clinically-available MEK1/2 inhibitors and provides rationale for the use of ERBB inhibitors, potentially in combination with MEK1/2 inhibitors, in subsets of this disease.
KW - Afatinib
KW - DUSP4
KW - ERBB
KW - Melanoma
KW - Trametinib
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941243540&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84941243540&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.18632/oncotarget.4255
DO - 10.18632/oncotarget.4255
M3 - Article
C2 - 26084293
AN - SCOPUS:84941243540
VL - 6
SP - 22348
EP - 22360
JO - Oncotarget
JF - Oncotarget
SN - 1949-2553
IS - 26
ER -