Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and represents a paradigm for chemo-resistance.
We aim to understand resistance mechanisms in melanoma in order to provide the basis for improved targeted therapeutic strategies. The serine/threonine kinase, B-RAF, is somatically mutated in 40-60% of melanomas. Mutant B- RAF hyper-activates MEK-ERK1/2 signaling and is required for melanoma growth and invasion. A phase I clinical trial with the RAF inhibitor, PLX4032 (RG7204/Vemurafenib) yielded promising results in mutant B-RAF melanoma patients. However, 19% of patients were intrinsically resistant to B-RAF inhibitors and most initial responders are now relapsing from acquired drug resistance. An inability to eradicate tumors is also evident using in vivo models in which RAF/MEK inhibitors potently inhibit mutant B-RAF-driven melanoma growth but treatment cessation results in rapid tumor re-growth. The mechanisms underlying resistance to B-RAF inhibitors are unknown and must be elucidated to optimize future clinical trials. Our studies will focus on the stemness factor, FOXD3, which is up-regulated following B-RAF inhibition in mutant B-RAF melanoma cells.
In Aim 1 of this application, we will determine the role of FOXD3 in melanoma growth and resistance to B-RAF inhibitors in vivo.
In Aim 2, we will identify mechanisms regulating FOXD3 in mutant B-RAF melanomas.
In Aim 3, we will determine the role of ERBB3, a direct target of FOXD3, in eliciting the effects of RAF inhibitors. Our experimental approaches are innovative in that we modulate B-RAF activity using clinical grade inhibitors and molecular biology approaches in physiologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models. At the completion of our experiments, we expect to have identified a novel resistance-promoting mechanism and provided evidence for utilizing FOXD3 and/or ERBB3 as a biomarker for B-RAF inhibitor resistant melanoma cells.

Public Health Relevance

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and current treatment options are poor. Our application focuses on recent advances in therapeutics designed to target a signaling protein, B-RAF that is expressed in a mutant form in approximately 40-60% of melanomas. An inhibitor of RAF elicits short term clinical benefit in the majority of melanoma patients; however, mechanisms of intrinsic (primary) resistance and acquired (secondary) resistance are apparent. We expect that our results will lead to an understanding of resistance mechanisms in this highly aggressive cancer.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA160495-04
Application #
8827699
Study Section
Tumor Cell Biology Study Section (TCB)
Program Officer
Arya, Suresh
Project Start
2012-06-01
Project End
2017-03-31
Budget Start
2015-04-01
Budget End
2016-03-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
$321,625
Indirect Cost
$114,125
Name
Thomas Jefferson University
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
053284659
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19107
Romano, Gabriele; Chen, Pei-Ling; Song, Ping et al. (2018) A Preexisting Rare PIK3CAE545K Subpopulation Confers Clinical Resistance to MEK plus CDK4/6 Inhibition in NRAS Melanoma and Is Dependent on S6K1 Signaling. Cancer Discov 8:556-567
Hartsough, Edward J; Kugel 3rd, Curtis H; Vido, Michael J et al. (2018) Response and Resistance to Paradox-Breaking BRAF Inhibitor in Melanomas In Vivo and Ex Vivo. Mol Cancer Ther 17:84-95
Teh, Jessica L F; Aplin, Andrew E (2018) Arrested Developments: CDK4/6 Inhibitor Resistance and Alterations in the Tumor Immune Microenvironment. Clin Cancer Res :
Teh, Jessica L F; Aplin, Andrew E (2018) Playing the Melanoma Endgame. Clin Cancer Res 24:4629-4630
Behera, Reeti; Kaur, Amanpreet; Webster, Marie R et al. (2017) Inhibition of Age-Related Therapy Resistance in Melanoma by Rosiglitazone-Mediated Induction of Klotho. Clin Cancer Res 23:3181-3190
Vu, Ha Linh; Aplin, Andrew E (2016) Targeting mutant NRAS signaling pathways in melanoma. Pharmacol Res 107:111-116
Hartsough, Edward J; Aplin, Andrew E (2016) Of Mice and Melanoma: PDX System for Modeling Personalized Medicine. Clin Cancer Res 22:1550-2
Talati, Pooja G; Gu, Lei; Ellsworth, Elyse M et al. (2015) Jak2-Stat5a/b Signaling Induces Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Stem-Like Cell Properties in Prostate Cancer. Am J Pathol 185:2505-22
Kubic, Jennifer D; Lui, Jason W; Little, Elizabeth C et al. (2015) PAX3 and FOXD3 Promote CXCR4 Expression in Melanoma. J Biol Chem 290:21901-14
Capparelli, Claudia; Rosenbaum, Sheera; Berger, Adam C et al. (2015) Fibroblast-derived neuregulin 1 promotes compensatory ErbB3 receptor signaling in mutant BRAF melanoma. J Biol Chem 290:24267-77

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