Abstract LB-244: Amino acid deprivation selectively targets multidrug-resistant breast cancer cells

Abstract

Abstract Tumor recurrence and metastasis underlie the majority of cancer-related deaths. Cancer cells that recur or metastasize are often both de-differentiated and multidrug resistant, but the mechanistic basis for this has been poorly understood. We have recently shown that de-differentiation promotes multidrug resistance by activating Nrf2, which stimulates transcription of drug efflux pumps and enzymes that scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). De-differentiation activates Nrf2 by a non-canonical mechanism involving its phosphorylation by the ER membrane kinase PERK. PERK-Nrf2 signaling protects de-differentiated cells from chemotherapy, and inhibiting this signaling axis re-sensitizes de-differentiated cancer cells to treatment. To further explore this pathway we profiled the effects of PERK inhibition on global gene expression in both differentiated and de-differentiated cells upon treatment with chemotherapy. This analysis showed that PERK inhibition results in an amino acid deprivation phenotype, and suggested that de-differentiated cells may be sensitive to perturbations in amino acid availability. Consistent with this, we found that the aminopeptidase inhibitor Tosedostat was selectively toxic to de-differentiated breast cancer cells when given in combination with chemotherapy. Our findings identify a novel vulnerability of therapy-resistant breast cancer cells, and suggest that targeting amino acid availability in combination with chemotherapy could be an effective treatment for aggressive breast cancers that are multidrug resistant. Citation Format: Catherine A. Del Vecchio, Yuxiong Feng, Ethan S. Sokol, Erik J. Tillman, Sandhya Sanduja, Ferenc Reinhardt, Piyush B. Gupta. Amino acid deprivation selectively targets multidrug-resistant breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-244. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-244