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Venetoclax is a small molecule inhibitor of the prosurvival protein BCL-2 that has gained market approval in BCL-2–dependent hematologic cancers including chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. Neuroblastoma is a heterogenous pediatric cancer with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50% for high-risk patients, which includes nearly all cases with amplified MYCN. We previously demonstrated that venetoclax is active in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma but has limited single-agent activity in most models, presumably the result of other pro-survival BCL-2 family protein expression or insufficient prodeath protein mobilization. As the relative tolerability of venetoclax makes it amenable to combining with other therapies, we evaluated the sensitivity of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma models to rational combinations of venetoclax with agents that have both mechanistic complementarity and active clinical programs. First, the MDM2 inhibitor NVP-CGM097 increases the prodeath BH3-only protein NOXA to sensitize p53-wild-type, MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas to venetoclax. Second, the MCL-1 inhibitor S63845 sensitizes MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma through neutralization of MCL-1, inducing synergistic cell killing when combined with venetoclax. Finally, the standard-of-care drug cocktail cyclophosphamide and topotecan reduces the apoptotic threshold of neuroblastoma, thus setting the stage for robust combination efficacy with venetoclax. In all cases, these rational combinations translated to in vivo tumor regressions in MYCN-amplified patient-derived xenograft models. Venetoclax is currently being evaluated in pediatric patients in the clinic, including neuroblastoma (NCT03236857). Although establishment of safety is still ongoing, the data disclosed herein indicate rational and clinically actionable combination strategies that could potentiate the activity of venetoclax in patients with amplified MYCN with neuroblastoma.

MYCN is amplified in 20% to 25% of neuroblastoma, and MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma contributes to a large percent of pediatric cancer–related deaths. Therapy improvements for this subtype of cancer are a high priority. Here we uncover a MYCN-dependent therapeutic vulnerability in neuroblastoma. Namely, amplified MYCN rewires the cell through expression of key receptors, ultimately enhancing iron influx through increased expression of the iron import transferrin receptor 1. Accumulating iron causes reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas show enhanced reliance on the system Xc- cystine/glutamate antiporter for ROS detoxification through increased transcription of this receptor. This dependence creates a marked vulnerability to targeting the system Xc-/glutathione (GSH) pathway with ferroptosis inducers. This reliance can be exploited through therapy with FDA-approved rheumatoid arthritis drugs sulfasalazine (SAS) and auranofin: in MYCN-amplified, patient-derived xenograft models, both therapies blocked growth and induced ferroptosis. SAS and auranofin activity was largely mitigated by the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1, antioxidants like N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or by the iron scavenger deferoxamine (DFO). DFO reduced auranofin-induced ROS, further linking increased iron capture in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma to a therapeutic vulnerability to ROS-inducing drugs. These data uncover an oncogene vulnerability to ferroptosis caused by increased iron accumulation and subsequent reliance on the system Xc-/GSH pathway. Significance: This study shows how MYCN increases intracellular iron levels and subsequent GSH pathway activity and demonstrates the antitumor activity of FDA-approved SAS and auranofin in patient-derived xenograft models of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) confers the poorest prognosis of the major subtypes of breast cancers, and often inflicts young, African-American and Hispanic women. Steadily improving survival in other subsets of breast cancers are attributed to the implementation of effective targeted therapies, which are non-chemotherapy drugs that target a specific gene in a cancer. For instance, hormone positive BCs are treated effectively with anti-hormone targeted therapy, and HER2 amplified BCs are treated effectively with anti-HER2 targeted therapy. The CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9) system, which enables specific gene editing to occur throughout the genome, allows for broad and unbiased discovery of new drug targets. We took advantage of this system to ask whether it may identify new druggable targets to treat TNBC and performed whole genome CRISPR/cas9 screening in two TNBC cell lines, BT549 and MDA-MB-468. To account for the heterogeneity found in TNBC, we further expanded the screen into seven other TNBC cell lines, by focusing on a select number of hits from the initial screen. This helped us identify a novel druggable target in TNBC, the ubiquitin activating enzyme 1 (UBA1). We took advantage of a recently reported small molecule inhibitor of UBA1, TAK-243, which is already in clinical trial evaluation in hematological cancers. Characterization of TAK-243 in cell culture models of TNBC and ex-vivo patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) demonstrated nanomolar IC50 toxicity, which was significantly lower than for tissue-derived normal cells. Mechanistically, TAK-243 therapy induced ER stress and the unfolded protein response in TNBC both in vitro and in vivo, leading to upregulation of activation transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and ATF6. Blocking ATF4 led to loss of NOXA and TAK-243 efficacy. TAK-243 induced tumor regressions in two PDX models of TNBC. Overall, these data demonstrate UBA1 is a novel drug target in TNBC. Citation Format: Sheeba Jacob, Tia H. Turner, Ann K. Yu, Colin M. Coon, Mohammad A. Alzubi, Charles T. Jakubik, Ynes Bouck, Mikhail G. Dozmorov, Sosipatros A. Boikos, Jennifer Koblinski, Joshua C. Harrell, Cyril H. Benes, Carlotta Costa, Anthony C. Faber. Genomic screening reveals UBA1 as a potent and druggable target in diverse models of triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-19-28.

Purpose: It was recently demonstrated that the EWSR1-FLI1 t(11;22)(q24;12) translocation contributes to the hypersensitivity of Ewing sarcoma to PARP inhibitors, prompting clinical evaluation of olaparib in a cohort of heavily pretreated Ewing sarcoma tumors. Unfortunately, olaparib activity was disappointing, suggesting an underappreciated resistance mechanism to PARP inhibition in patients with Ewing sarcoma. We sought to elucidate the resistance factors to PARP inhibitor therapy in Ewing sarcoma and identify a rational drug combination capable of rescuing PARP inhibitor activity. Experimental Design: We employed a pair of cell lines derived from the same patient with Ewing sarcoma prior to and following chemotherapy, a panel of Ewing sarcoma cell lines, and several patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and cell line xenograft models. Results: We found olaparib sensitivity was diminished following chemotherapy. The matched cell line pair revealed increased expression of the antiapoptotic protein BCL-2 in the chemotherapy-resistant cells, conferring apoptotic resistance to olaparib. Resistance to olaparib was maintained in this chemotherapy-resistant model in vivo, whereas the addition of the BCL-2/XL inhibitor navitoclax led to tumor growth inhibition. In 2 PDXs, olaparib and navitoclax were minimally effective as monotherapy, yet induced dramatic tumor growth inhibition when dosed in combination. We found that EWS-FLI1 increases BCL-2 expression; however, inhibition of BCL-2 alone by venetoclax is insufficient to sensitize Ewing sarcoma cells to olaparib, revealing a dual necessity for BCL-2 and BCL-XL in Ewing sarcoma survival. Conclusions: These data reveal BCL-2 and BCL-XL act together to drive olaparib resistance in Ewing sarcoma and reveal a novel, rational combination therapy that may be put forward for clinical trial testing.

Simple Summary Synovial sarcoma is a soft-tissue sarcoma that lacks effective systemic therapy and carries poor prognosis due to frequent late local recurrence and metastases. The cancer is known to be driven in part by increased expression of the pro-survival protein BCL-2. Surprisingly, synovial sarcoma proved resistant to BCL-2 inhibitors in pre-clinical trials. We identified increased activity of a second pro-survival protein, MCL-1, as responsible for this resistance. We showed that co-targeting both BCL-2 and MCL-1 proves to be an effective therapeutic approach both in cell culture and animal models of synovial sarcoma, supporting translation into clinical trials. Abstract Synovial sarcoma (SS) is frequently diagnosed in teenagers and young adults and continues to be treated with polychemotherapy with variable success. The SS18-SSX gene fusion is pathognomonic for the disease, and high expression of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 pathologically supports the diagnosis. As the oncogenic SS18-SSX fusion gene itself is not druggable, BCL-2 inhibitor-based therapies are an appealing therapeutic opportunity. Venetoclax, an FDA-approved BCL-2 inhibitor that is revolutionizing care in some BCL-2-expressing hematological cancers, affords an intriguing therapeutic possibility to treat SS. In addition, there are now dozens of venetoclax-based combination therapies in clinical trials in hematological cancers, attributing to the limited toxicity of venetoclax. However, preclinical studies of venetoclax in SS have demonstrated an unexpected ineffectiveness. In this study, we analyzed the response of SS to venetoclax and the underlying BCL-2 family biology in an effort to understand venetoclax treatment failure and find a therapeutic strategy to sensitize SS to venetoclax. We found remarkably depressed levels of the endogenous MCL-1 inhibitor, NOXA, in SS compared to other sarcomas. Expressing NOXA led to sensitization to venetoclax, as did the addition of the MCL-1 BH3 mimetic, S63845. Importantly, the venetoclax/S63845 combination induced tumor regressions in SS patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. As a very close analog of S63845 (S64315) is now in clinical trials with venetoclax in AML (NCT03672695), the combination of MCL-1 BH3 mimetics and venetoclax should be considered for SS patients as a new therapy.

Purpose: EGFR inhibitors (EGFRi) are effective against EGFR-mutant lung cancers. The efficacy of these drugs, however, is mitigated by the outgrowth of resistant cells, most often driven by a secondary acquired mutation in EGFR, T790M. We recently demonstrated that T790M can arise de novo during treatment; it follows that one potential therapeutic strategy to thwart resistance would be identifying and eliminating these cells [referred to as drug-tolerant cells (DTC)] prior to acquiring secondary mutations like T790M. Experimental Design: We have developed DTCs to EGFRi in EGFR-mutant lung cancer cell lines. Subsequent analyses of DTCs included RNA-seq, high-content microscopy, and protein translational assays. Based on these results, we tested the ability of MCL-1 BH3 mimetics to combine with EGFR inhibitors to eliminate DTCs and shrink EGFR-mutant lung cancer tumors in vivo. Results: We demonstrate surviving EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells upregulate the antiapoptotic protein MCL-1 in response to short-term EGFRi treatment. Mechanistically, DTCs undergo a protein biosynthesis enrichment resulting in increased mTORC1-mediated mRNA translation of MCL-1, revealing a novel mechanism in which lung cancer cells adapt to short-term pressures of apoptosis-inducing kinase inhibitors. Moreover, MCL-1 is a key molecule governing the emergence of early EGFR-mutant DTCs to EGFRi, and we demonstrate it can be effectively cotargeted with clinically emerging MCL-1 inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Altogether, these data reveal that this novel therapeutic combination may delay the acquisition of secondary mutations, therefore prolonging therapy efficacy. Clin Cancer Res; 24(22); 5658–72. ©2018 AACR.

e23561 Background: While Synovial Sarcoma (SS) only accounts for about 10% of soft tissue sarcomas (STS), or ~10,000 cases/year, ~4,000 of these will be fatal. Little benefit has been seen with newer combination chemotherapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. SS is a transcription factor-driven cancer characterized by an t(X;18) chromosomal translocation resulting in the SS18-SSX fusion gene. SS is also known to overexpress the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2, which has been used as a diagnostic marker for SS. Venetoclax, the FDA approved BH3 mimetic which specifically inhibits BCL-2, has been used to treat BCL-2-driven hematological cancers. Yet, preclinical studies of venetoclax, currently in clinical use for BCL-2 related hematologic malignancies, have failed in SS, raising the possibility of other BCL-2 family members playing a role in resistance. Methods: Publicly available gene expression databases of SS were queried for expression of BCL-2 family member expression, including the endogenous MCL-1 inhibitor, NOXA. Six SS cell lines, including ASKA, HS-SY-II, Yamato, SW982, SYO.1, and an ex vivo line from a SS patient-derived xenograft (PDX) were tested in vitro with combinations of venetoclax and the MCL-1 inhibitor S63845, using cell viability assays. In vivo testing employed both a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of SS and a cell line derived (SYO.1) xenograft model. Results: Queries of published gene expression data for SS demonstrated that SS expresses low levels of the endogenous MCL-1 inhibitor, NOXA, nominating a mechanism for intrinsic venetoclax resistance in these tumors, and suggesting rational combination of venetoclax and the MCL-1 inhibitor, S63845. In vitro, SS all cell lines possessing the SS18-SSX fusion gene demonstrated synergistic sensitivity to combined S63845 and venetoclax, despite generally insensitivity to either drug as monotherapy. Importantly, in an SS PDX, we demonstrated S63845 and venetoclax synergize to induce tumor regression. In the SYO.1 xenograft model, combination therapy significantly reduced tumor growth compared to no treatment or single agent groups. Conclusions: These findings provide the preclinical rationale for translation of the rational combination of BCL-2 and MCL-1 inhibitors into clinical trials for SS.