Acquired resistance to combined BET and CDK4/6 inhibition in triple-negative breast cancer.
| Authors | |
| Abstract | BET inhibitors are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but the rapid emergence of resistance necessitates investigation of combination therapies and their effects on tumor evolution. Here, we show that palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, and paclitaxel, a microtubule inhibitor, synergize with the BET inhibitor JQ1 in TNBC lines. High-complexity DNA barcoding and mathematical modeling indicate a high rate of de novo acquired resistance to these drugs relative to pre-existing resistance. We demonstrate that the combination of JQ1 and palbociclib induces cell division errors, which can increase the chance of developing aneuploidy. Characterizing acquired resistance to combination treatment at a single cell level shows heterogeneous mechanisms including activation of G1-S and senescence pathways. Our results establish a rationale for further investigation of combined BET and CDK4/6 inhibition in TNBC and suggest novel mechanisms of action for these drugs and new vulnerabilities in cells after emergence of resistance. |
| Year of Publication | 2020
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| Journal | Nat Commun
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| Volume | 11
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| Issue | 1
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| Pages | 2350
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| Date Published | 2020 May 11
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| ISSN | 2041-1723
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| DOI | 10.1038/s41467-020-16170-3
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| PubMed ID | 32393766
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| PubMed Central ID | PMC7214447
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| Links | |
| Grant list | R35 CA197623 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
P01 CA080111 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
F30 CA228208 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
CA168504 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)
CA228208 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)
CA202634 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)
P50 CA168504 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 CA202634 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
U54 CA193461 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
CA193461 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)
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