Targeting cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) is a successful therapeutic approach against breast and other solid tumors. Inhibition of CDK4/6 halts cell cycle progression and promotes antitumor immunity. However, the mechanisms underlying the antitumor activity of CDK4/6 inhibitors are not fully understood. We found that CDK4/6 bind and phosphorylate the p53 family member p73 at threonine 86, which sequesters p73 in the cytoplasm. Inhibition of CDK4/6 led to dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p73, which transcriptionally activated death receptor 5 (DR5), a cytokine receptor and key component of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. p73-mediated induction of DR5 by CDK4/6 inhibitors promoted immunogenic cell death of cancer cells. Deletion of DR5 in cancer cells in vitro and in vivo abrogated the potentiating effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors on immune cytokine TRAIL, 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Together, these results reveal a previously unrecognized consequence of CDK4/6 inhibition, which may be critical for potentiating the killing and immunogenic effects on cancer cells.
Significance: This work demonstrates how inhibition of CDK4/6 sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade and may provide a new molecular marker for improving CDK4/6-targeted cancer therapies. See related commentary by Frank, p. 1170.
©2022 American Association for Cancer Research.