CSIG-02. TARGETING CONSTITUTIVE ACTIVATION OF THE EGFR-STAT1 AXIS DECREASES PROLIFERATION OF MENINGIOMA TUMOUR CELLS

Abstract

Abstract Meningiomas are the most frequent primary brain tumours of the central nervous system. The standard of treatment is surgery and radiotherapy, but the lack of knowledge of their tumorigenesis contributes to delay the development of additional therapeutic options. We found STAT1 widely overexpressed in meningioma tumours and in patient-derived meningioma cells but not in the corresponding healthy controls. The protein showed a constitutive phosphorylation on both phosphosites (Y701 and S727), which was not dependent on the JAK/STAT pathway. STAT1 knocked down resulted in a significant reduction of cellular proliferation, showed as a decrease in Ki67-positive cells and Cyclin D1, and deactivation of AKT and ERK 1/2. By studying STAT1 binding partners we isolated a complex composed by STAT1, STAT2, PRMT5 and MEP50. As PRMT5 is known to interact with EGFR, we tested the tyrosine kinase and found that EGFR was constitutively active in meningioma and was responsible for the aberrant phosphorylation of STAT1 on both phosphosites. We tested different drugs inhibiting of EGFR phosphorylation, Canertinib was most effective. It caused a significant reduction in meningioma cells proliferation and a reduction of overall levels of Cyclin D1, phospho- AKT and phospho-ERK 1/2. Hence, STAT1 constitutive phosphorylation, initiated by EGFR activation, is responsible for inducing a positive feedback loop causing its own overexpression and consequently an increased proliferation of the tumour cells. These findings underline a pivotal role of the EGFR and STAT1 axis in meningioma and provides the rationale for further studies aiming to identify novel and effective therapeutic options.