Targeting heat shock protein 90 in pancreatic cancer impairs insulin-like growth factor-I receptor signaling, disrupts an interleukin-6/signal-transducer and activator of transcription 3/hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha autocrine loop, and reduces orthotopic tumor growth.
OBJECTIVE
Inhibitors of heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) may interfere with oncogenic signaling pathways, including Erk, Akt, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha). Because insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways are implicated in the progression of pancreatic cancer, we hypothesized that blocking Hsp90 with geldanamycin derivates [17-allylamino-geldanamycin (17-AAG), 17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG)] would impair IGF-I- and interleukin-6-mediated signaling and thus reduce pancreatic tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo.


METHODS
Human pancreatic cancer cells (HPAF-II, L3.6pl) were used for experiments. Changes in signaling pathway activation upon Hsp90 blockade were investigated by Western blotting. Effects of Hsp90 inhibition (17-AAG) on vascular endothelial growth factor were determined by ELISA and real-time PCR. Effects of 17-DMAG (25 mg/kg; thrice a week; i.p.) on tumor growth and vascularization were investigated in a s.c. xenograft model and in an orthotopic model of pancreatic cancer.


RESULTS
17-AAG inhibited IGF-IR signaling by down-regulating IGF-IRbeta and directly impairing IGF-IR phosphorylation. Hypoxia- and IL-6-mediated activation of HIF-1alpha or STAT3/STAT5 were substantially inhibited by 17-AAG. Moreover, a novel IL-6/STAT3/HIF-1alpha autocrine loop was effectively disrupted by Hsp90 blockade. In vivo, 17-DMAG significantly reduced s.c. tumor growth and diminished STAT3 phosphorylation and IGF-IRbeta expression in tumor tissues. In an orthotopic model, pancreatic tumor growth and vascularization were both significantly reduced upon Hsp90 inhibition, as reflected by final tumor weights and CD31 staining, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Blocking Hsp90 disrupts IGF-I and IL-6-induced proangiogenic signaling cascades by targeting IGF-IR and STAT3 in pancreatic cancer, leading to significant growth-inhibitory effects. Therefore, we suggest that Hsp90 inhibitors could prove to be valuable in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Lang
Sven A
SA
Department of Surgery, University of Regensburg Medical Center, Regensburg, Germany.
Moser
Christian
C
Gaumann
Andreas
A
Klein
Dagmar
D
Glockzin
Gabriel
G
Popp
Felix C
FC
Dahlke
Marc H
MH
Piso
Pompiliu
P
Schlitt
Hans J
HJ
Geissler
Edward K
EK
Stoeltzing
Oliver
O
D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D016227:Benzoquinones; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D015850:Interleukin-6; D047029:Lactams, Macrocyclic; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C448659:17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin; C112765:tanespimycin; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1