title: Therapeutic targeting of Chk1 in NSCLC stem cells during chemotherapy.
abstract: Cancer stem cell (SC) chemoresistance may be responsible for the poor clinical outcome of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. In order to identify the molecular events that contribute to NSCLC chemoresistance, we investigated the DNA damage response in SCs derived from NSCLC patients. We found that after exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs NSCLC-SCs undergo cell cycle arrest, thus allowing DNA damage repair and subsequent cell survival. Activation of the DNA damage checkpoint protein kinase (Chk) 1 was the earliest and most significant event detected in NSCLC-SCs treated with chemotherapy, independently of their p53 status. In contrast, a weak Chk1 activation was found in differentiated NSCLC cells, corresponding to an increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs as compared with their undifferentiated counterparts. The use of Chk1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy dramatically reduced NSCLC-SC survival in vitro by inducing premature cell cycle progression and mitotic catastrophe. Consistently, the co-administration of the Chk1 inhibitor AZD7762 and chemotherapy abrogated tumor growth in vivo, whereas chemotherapy alone was scarcely effective. Such increased efficacy in the combined use of Chk1 inhibitors and chemotherapy was associated with a significant reduction of NSCLC-SCs in mouse xenografts. Taken together, these observations support the clinical evaluation of Chk1 inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy for a more effective treatment of NSCLC.
authors: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bartucci
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Svensson
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Romania
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Dattilo
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Patrizii
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Signore
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Navarra
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Lotti
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Biffoni
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Pilozzi
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Duranti
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Martinelli
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Rinaldo
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Zeuner
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Maugeri-Saccà
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Eramo
authors: R
authors: R
authors: De Maria
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D011494:Protein Kinases; C000605867:CHEK1 protein, human; D000071877:Checkpoint Kinase 1; C000605869:Chek1 protein, mouse; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine