Quantitative Phosphoproteomics Reveals Wee1 Kinase as a Therapeutic Target in a Model of Proneural Glioblastoma.

TitleQuantitative Phosphoproteomics Reveals Wee1 Kinase as a Therapeutic Target in a Model of Proneural Glioblastoma.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsLescarbeau, RS, Lei, L, Bakken, KK, Sims, PA, Sarkaria, JN, Canoll, P, White, FM
JournalMol Cancer Ther
Volume15
Issue6
Pagination1332-43
Date Published2016 Jun
ISSN1538-8514
Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain cancer. With a median survival of about a year, new approaches to treating this disease are necessary. To identify signaling molecules regulating GBM progression in a genetically engineered murine model of proneural GBM, we quantified phosphotyrosine-mediated signaling using mass spectrometry. Oncogenic signals, including phosphorylated ERK MAPK, PI3K, and PDGFR, were found to be increased in the murine tumors relative to brain. Phosphorylation of CDK1 pY15, associated with the G2 arrest checkpoint, was identified as the most differentially phosphorylated site, with a 14-fold increase in phosphorylation in the tumors. To assess the role of this checkpoint as a potential therapeutic target, syngeneic primary cell lines derived from these tumors were treated with MK-1775, an inhibitor of Wee1, the kinase responsible for CDK1 Y15 phosphorylation. MK-1775 treatment led to mitotic catastrophe, as defined by increased DNA damage and cell death by apoptosis. To assess the extensibility of targeting Wee1/CDK1 in GBM, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cell lines were also treated with MK-1775. Although the response was more heterogeneous, on-target Wee1 inhibition led to decreased CDK1 Y15 phosphorylation and increased DNA damage and apoptosis in each line. These results were also validated in vivo, where single-agent MK-1775 demonstrated an antitumor effect on a flank PDX tumor model, increasing mouse survival by 1.74-fold. This study highlights the ability of unbiased quantitative phosphoproteomics to reveal therapeutic targets in tumor models, and the potential for Wee1 inhibition as a treatment approach in preclinical models of GBM. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(6); 1332-43. ©2016 AACR.

DOI10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-15-0692-T
Alternate JournalMol. Cancer Ther.
PubMed ID27196784
Grant ListK01 EB016071 / EB / NIBIB NIH HHS / United States
P30 CA014051 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
P50 CA108961 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 CA184320 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 NS066955 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
R01 NS073610 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
T32 ES007020 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
U24 CA159988 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
U54 CA112967 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States