• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: LGG-27. Molecular implications of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibition by the MEK inhibitor trametinib in BRAF-fusion-driven pediatric pilocytic astrocytoma
  • Contributor: Sigaud, Romain; Stefanski, Anja; Selt, Florian; Hielscher, Thomas; Usta, Diren; Kocher, Daniela; Picard, Daniel; Büdenbender, Isabel; Remke, Marc; Pfister, Stefan M; Jones, David T W; Brummer, Tilman; Witt, Olaf; Milde, Till
  • imprint: Oxford University Press (OUP), 2022
  • Published in: Neuro-Oncology
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac079.341
  • ISSN: 1523-5866; 1522-8517
  • Keywords: Cancer Research ; Neurology (clinical) ; Oncology
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Pilocytic astrocytomas (PA) are the most common pediatric brain tumors. They are characterized by driving alterations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, leading to its constitutive activation and modulating the balance between cell proliferation and oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) sustained by senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors. This makes PA susceptible to MAPK inhibitor (MAPKi) therapies, which show encouraging results in phase 1/2 clinical trials. However, little is known about the molecular implications of MAPK inhibition in PA. The DKFZ-BT66 cell line, derived from a primary KIAA:BRAF-fusion positive PA, was used as a model system. DKFZ-BT66 were treated with the MEKi trametinib for different durations in both proliferative and senescent states. Gene expression was analyzed by gene expression profiling and protein expression/phospho-regulation by data-dependent mass spectrometry followed by label-free quantitative analysis. A time course analysis based on differentially expressed genes and phosphorylated proteins was performed, followed by a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and kinase substrate enrichment analysis, respectively. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that MEK inhibition led to the inhibition of the OIS/SASP gene programs in senescent DKFZ-BT66, with downregulation of key OIS/SASP partners such as IL1B on the protein level. This functionally translated into a de-sensitization of these cells towards the senolytic agent navitoclax. ssGSEA showed that most MAPK-related signatures were downregulated upon MEKi treatment, while pathways related to upstream MAPK activators (including FGFR, NTRK and TGFB pathways) were upregulated, in both proliferating and senescent DKFZ-BT66. This data indicates that MAPKi reverses OIS in senescent PA cells, while inducing the activation of MAPK upstream regulators in proliferating and senescent PA cells, identifying putative co-targets that could help increase treatment’s efficacy. Validation of these targets by post-translational modification enrichment analysis of the phospho-proteomics dataset is ongoing.</jats:p>
  • Access State: Open Access