KRAS or BRAF mutation status is a useful predictor of sensitivity to MEK inhibition in ovarian cancer.
This study examined the status of KRAS and BRAF mutations, in relation to extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation in 58 ovarian carcinomas to clarify the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of KRAS/BRAF mutations. Somatic mutations of either KRAS or BRAF were identified in 12 (20.6%) out of 58 ovarian carcinomas. The frequency of KRAS/BRAF mutations in conventional serous high-grade carcinomas (4.0% : 1/25) was significantly lower than that in the other histological type (32.3% : 10/31). Phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) expression was identified in 18 (38.2%) out of 45 ovarian carcinomas. KRAS/BRAF mutation was significantly correlated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I, II (P<0.001), and p-ERK1/2 (P<0.001). No significant correlations between KRAS/BRAF mutations or p-ERK1/2 expression and overall survival were found in patients with ovarian carcinoma treated with platinum and taxane chemotherapy (P=0.2460, P=0.9339, respectively). Next, to clarify the roles of ERK1/2 activation in ovarian cancers harbouring KRAS or BRAF mutations, we inactivated ERK1/2 in ovarian cancer cells using CI-1040. Cl-1040 is a compound that selectively inhibits MAP kinase kinase (MEK), an upstream regulator of ERK1/2, and thus prevents ERK1/2 activation. Profound growth inhibition and apoptosis were observed in CI-1040-treated cancer cells with mutations in either KRAS or BRAF in comparison with the ovarian cancer cells containing wild-type sequences. This was evident in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The findings in this study indicate that an activated ERK1/2 pathway is critical to tumour growth and survival of ovarian cancers with KRAS or BRAF mutations. Furthermore, they suggest that the CI-1040-induced phenotypes depend on the mutational status of KRAS and BRAF in ovarian cancers. Therefore, ovarian cancer patients with KRAS or BRAF mutations may benefit from CI-1040 treatment.
Nakayama
N
N
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo, Japan.
Nakayama
K
K
Yeasmin
S
S
Ishibashi
M
M
Katagiri
A
A
Iida
K
K
Fukumoto
M
M
Miyazaki
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D013379:Substrate Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C117307:KRAS protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins