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Inhibition of BRAF and ERK1/2 has synergistic effects on thyroid cancer growth in vitro and in vivo
Author(s) -
Hicks Hannah M.,
McKenna Logan R.,
Espinoza Veronica L.,
Pozdeyev Nikita,
Pike Laura A.,
Sams Sharon B.,
LaBarbera Daniel,
Reigan Philip,
Raeburn Christopher D.,
Schweppe Rebecca
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular carcinogenesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.254
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1098-2744
pISSN - 0899-1987
DOI - 10.1002/mc.23284
Subject(s) - anaplastic thyroid cancer , in vivo , cancer research , mapk/erk pathway , biology , growth inhibition , thyroid cancer , cancer , in vitro , dabrafenib , oncogene , clonogenic assay , thyroid , vemurafenib , pharmacology , signal transduction , melanoma , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , cell cycle , biochemistry , genetics , metastatic melanoma
Mutations in the BRAF gene are highly prevalent in thyroid cancer. However, the response rate of thyroid tumors to BRAF‐directed therapies has been mixed. Increasingly, combination therapies inhibiting the MAPK pathway at multiple nodes have shown promise. Recently developed ERK1/2 inhibitors are of interest for use in combination therapies as they have the advantage of inhibiting the most downstream node of the MAPK pathway, therefore preventing pathway reactivation. Here, we examined the effect of combined BRAF inhibition (dabrafenib) and ERK1/2 inhibition (SCH772984) on the growth and survival of a panel of BRAF ‐mutant thyroid cancer cell lines using in vitro and in vivo approaches. We found that resistance due to MAPK pathway reactivation occurs quickly with single‐agent BRAF inhibition, but can be prevented with combined BRAF and ERK1/2 inhibition. Combined inhibition also results in synergistic growth inhibition, decreased clonogenic survival, and enhanced induction of apoptosis in a subset of BRAF ‐mutant thyroid cancer cells. Finally, combined inhibition of BRAF and ERK1/2 results in enhanced inhibition of tumor growth in an anaplastic thyroid cancer in vivo model. These results provide key rationale to pursue combined BRAF and ERK1/2 inhibition as an alternative therapeutic strategy for BRAF ‐mutant advanced thyroid cancer patients.