title: Co-targeting BRAF and cyclin dependent kinases 4/6 for BRAF mutant cancers.
abstract: Selective BRAF inhibitors have demonstrated significant clinical benefit in melanoma patients harboring oncogenic BRAF mutations. However, the majority of such patients either exhibit de novo resistance from the beginning of the treatment or acquire resistance and eventually relapse. Despite tremendous progress in understanding the underlying mechanisms of resistance, overcoming resistance to BRAF inhibitors remains an unmet medical need. Constitutive activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4/6 as a result of genetic aberrations including CDKN2A inactivation and CCND1 amplification is common across many cancer types and frequently co-occurs with oncogenic BRAF mutations. Also, cyclin D1 overexpression is a common feature of resistance to BRAF inhibitors. Here we review CDK4/6 as a therapeutic target in BRAF mutant cancers and discuss emerging evidence supporting a critical role of cyclin D1/CDK4/6 axis in de novo and acquired resistance to BRAF inhibitors. Co-targeting CDK4/6 and BRAF could be a more effective therapy to augment clinical response of BRAF inhibitors and overcome resistance in BRAF mutant cancers.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Vipin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Oncology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Shih-Hsun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Tailored Therapeutics, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Yong Gong
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Oncology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Oncology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Beckmann
authors.affiliation: Oncology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA. Electronic address: sbpeng@lilly.com.
authors.forename: Sheng-Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051361:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D051361:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6
keywords: Abemaciclib; BRAF V600E; CDK4/6 inhibitor; Cyclin D1; Melanoma; Resistance