title: BET and BRAF inhibitors act synergistically against BRAF-mutant melanoma.
abstract: Despite major advances in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, treatment failure is still inevitable in most cases. Manipulation of key epigenetic regulators, including inhibition of Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family members impairs cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo in different cancers, including melanoma. Here, we investigated the effect of combining the BET inhibitor JQ1 with the BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib in in vitro and in vivo models of BRAF-mutant melanoma. We performed cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays, and a xenograft mouse model to determine the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of JQ1 in combination with Vemurafenib against BRAF-mutant melanoma cell lines. Further, to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of combined treatment, we conducted antibody arrays of in vitro drug-treated cell lines and RNA sequencing of drug-treated xenograft tumors. The combination of JQ1 and Vemurafenib acted synergistically in BRAF-mutant cell lines, resulting in marked apoptosis in vitro, with upregulation of proapoptotic proteins. In vivo, combination treatment suppressed tumor growth and significantly improved survival compared to either drug alone. RNA sequencing of tumor tissues revealed almost four thousand genes that were uniquely modulated by the combination, with several anti-apoptotic genes significantly down-regulated. Collectively, our data provide a rationale for combined BET and BRAF inhibition as a novel strategy for the treatment of melanoma.
authors.affiliation: New York University Cancer Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.|Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paoluzzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hanniford
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sokolova
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.|Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Farbod
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Darvishian
authors.affiliation: New York University Cancer Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.|NYU Center for Health Informatics and Bioinformatics, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bradner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.|Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group, NYU Cancer Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernando
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077484:Vemurafenib; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: C561695:(+)-JQ1 compound; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001381:Azepines; D007211:Indoles; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014230:Triazoles; D000077484:Vemurafenib; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
keywords: BET inhibition; BRAF inhibition; JQ1; Melanoma; Vemurafenib