In vivo genome-wide CRISPR screen reveals breast cancer vulnerabilities and synergistic mTOR/Hippo targeted combination therapy

Nat Commun. 2021 May 24;12(1):3055. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23316-4.

Abstract

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients exhibit poor survival outcomes and lack effective targeted therapies. Using unbiased in vivo genome-wide CRISPR screening, we interrogated cancer vulnerabilities in TNBC and identified an interplay between oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways. This study reveals tumor regulatory functions for essential components of the mTOR and Hippo pathways in TNBC. Using in vitro drug matrix synergy models and in vivo patient-derived xenografts, we further establish the therapeutic relevance of our findings and show that pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1/2 and oncoprotein YAP efficiently reduces tumorigenesis in TNBC. At the molecular level, we find that while verteporfin-induced YAP inhibition leads to apoptosis, torin1-mediated mTORC1/2 inhibition promotes macropinocytosis. Torin1-induced macropinocytosis further facilitates verteporfin uptake, thereby greatly enhancing its pro-apoptotic effects in cancer cells. Overall, our study underscores the power and robustness of in vivo CRISPR genome-wide screens in identifying clinically relevant and innovative therapeutic modalities in cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • Carcinogenesis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats*
  • Combined Modality Therapy / methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hippo Signaling Pathway
  • Humans
  • Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
  • Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2
  • Mice
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Verteporfin
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Verteporfin
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
  • Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

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