Genetic Drivers of Sensitivity or Resistance to RAS(ON) Multi-Selective Inhibitors in NRAS-Mutated Melanoma.
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| Abstract | Most patients with advanced BRAF or NRAS-driven melanoma receive front-line immunotherapy. However, if immunotherapy fails, BRAF-mutated patients have effective second-line therapies, whereas NRAS-mutated patients lack pathway-targeted options. Recently, RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitors like RMC-7977, and the investigational agent daraxonrasib, were described that inhibit RAS[GTP] signaling in partnership with cyclophilin A (CYPA). Here, we found that both compounds demonstrated potent anti-proliferative activity against NRAS-mutated melanoma cell lines and robust anti-tumor activity against preclinical melanoma models. However, in preclinical models, resistance to RMC-7977 monotherapy arose through mutations in Ppia (encoding CYPA) or Map2k1 (encoding MEK1). Moreover, two clinical case studies in patients with NRAS-mutated melanoma treated with daraxonrasib demonstrated clear anti-tumor activity in one patient, but progressive disease in another with co-occurring NRAS and MAP2K1 mutations at baseline. These findings support the potential for daraxonrasib in treatment of patients with NRAS-mutated melanoma, and reveal candidate mechanisms of monotherapy resistance, underscoring the need for combination therapies to improve outcomes. |
| Year of Publication | 2026
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| Journal | Cancer research
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| Date Published | 05/2026
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| ISSN | 1538-7445
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| DOI | 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-26-1313
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| PubMed ID | 42171647
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