Volume 147, Issue 4 pp. 1163-1179
Cancer Therapy and Prevention

The novel proautophagy anticancer drug ABTL0812 potentiates chemotherapy in adenocarcinoma and squamous nonsmall cell lung cancer

Anna López-Plana

Anna López-Plana

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine Department, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

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Patricia Fernández-Nogueira

Patricia Fernández-Nogueira

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

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Pau Muñoz-Guardiola

Pau Muñoz-Guardiola

Protein Kinases and Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Sònia Solé-Sánchez

Sònia Solé-Sánchez

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Elisabet Megías-Roda

Elisabet Megías-Roda

Protein Kinases and Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Héctor Pérez-Montoyo

Héctor Pérez-Montoyo

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Patricia Jauregui

Patricia Jauregui

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

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Marc Yeste-Velasco

Marc Yeste-Velasco

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Mariana Gómez-Ferreria

Mariana Gómez-Ferreria

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Tatiana Erazo

Tatiana Erazo

Protein Kinases and Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

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Elisabet Ametller

Elisabet Ametller

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

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Leire Recalde-Percaz

Leire Recalde-Percaz

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine Department, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

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Núria Moragas-Garcia

Núria Moragas-Garcia

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

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Aleix Noguera-Castells

Aleix Noguera-Castells

Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

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Mario Mancino

Mario Mancino

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine Department, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

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Teresa Morán

Teresa Morán

Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology - Badalona, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona-Applied Research Group in Oncology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

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Ernest Nadal

Ernest Nadal

Department of Medical Oncology, Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Unit, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain

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José Alfón

José Alfón

Protein Kinases and Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

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Carles Domènech

Carles Domènech

Ability Pharmaceuticals, SL, Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

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Pere Gascon

Pere Gascon

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine Department, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain

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Jose M. Lizcano

Jose M. Lizcano

Protein Kinases and Signal Transduction Laboratory, Institut de Neurociències and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain

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Gemma Fuster

Corresponding Author

Gemma Fuster

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine Department, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Department of Biochemistry & Physiology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Vic, Vic, Spain

Correspondence to: Gemma Fuster, E-mail: [email protected]; or Paloma Bragado, E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Paloma Bragado

Corresponding Author

Paloma Bragado

Molecular and Translational Oncology Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain

Correspondence to: Gemma Fuster, E-mail: [email protected]; or Paloma Bragado, E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
First published: 14 January 2020
Citations: 22
A.L.-P., P.F.-N., G.F. and P.B. contributed equally to this work

Abstract

Around 40% of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients are Stage IV, where the improvement of survival and reduction of disease-related adverse events is the main goal for oncologists. In this scenario, we present preclinical evidence supporting the use of ABTL0812 in combination with chemotherapy for treating advanced and metastatic Nonsmall cell lung adenocarcinomas (NSCLC) and squamous carcinomas. ABTL0812 is a new chemical entity, currently in Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for advanced squamous NSCLC in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin (P/C), after successfully completing the first-in-human trial where it showed an excellent safety profile and signs of efficacy. We show here that ABTL0812 inhibits Akt/mTOR axis by inducing the overexpression of TRIB3 and activating autophagy in lung squamous carcinoma cell lines. Furthermore, treatment with ABTL0812 also induces AMPK activation and ROS accumulation. Moreover, combination of ABTL0812 with chemotherapy markedly increases the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy without increasing toxicity. We further show that combination of ABTL0812 and chemotherapy induces nonapoptotic cell death mediated by TRIB3 activation and autophagy induction. We also present preliminary clinical data indicating that TRIB3 could serve as a potential novel pharmacodynamic biomarker to monitor ABTL0812 activity administered alone or in combination with chemotherapy in squamous NSCLC patients. The safety profile of ABTL0812 and its good synergy with chemotherapy potentiate the therapeutic potential of current lines of treatment based on chemotherapy regimens, arising as a promising option for improving these patients therapeutic expectancy.

Abstract

What's new?

Non-small cell lung carcinoma is a common lung cancer with poor prognosis due to late diagnosis and frequent drug resistance of the tumor. Here the authors examined the cytotoxic effect of ABTL0812, a new AKT/mTOR inhibitor currently under clinical development, in combination with common chemotherapy regimens in lung squamous carcinoma cell lines. They demonstrate non-apoptotic cell death mediated by activation of the Tribbles-3 pseudokinase (TRIB3) and autophagy induction in response to ABTL0812 co-treatment, proposingTRIB3 as a potential new biomarker to monitor the activity of ABTL0812 treatment in human clinical trials.

Conflict of interest

ABTL0812 is a drug under development by Ability Pharmaceuticals. P.M-G., S.S-S., E.M-R., H.P-M., M.Y-V., C.D. and J.A. are Ability Pharmaceuticals employees; C.D. is a founder of Ability Pharmaceuticals and holds shares of the company; E.N. has received consultancy fees from Ability Pharmaceuticals; J.M.L. and P.G. are members of its Scientific Advisory Board.

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