Omics analyses of a somatic Trp53R245W/+ breast cancer model identify cooperating driver events activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.

Alterations of the tumor suppressor TP53, one of the most common events in cancer, alone are insufficient for tumor development but serve as drivers of transformation. We sought to identify cooperating events through genomic analyses of a somatic Trp53R245W mouse model (equivalent to the TP53R248W hot spot mutation in human cancers) that recapitulates metastatic breast-cancer development. We identified cooperating lesions similar to those found in human breast cancers. Moreover, we identified activation of the Pi3k/Akt/mTOR pathway in most tumors via mutations in Pten, Erbb2, Kras, and/or a recurrent Pip5k1c mutation that stabilizes the Pip5k1c protein and activates Pi3k/Akt/mTOR signaling. Another PIP5K1C family member, PIP5K1A, is coamplified with PI4KB in 18% of human breast cancer patients; both encode kinases that are responsible for production of the PI3K substrate, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. Thus, the TP53R248W mutation and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling are major cooperative events driving breast-cancer development. Additionally, a combination of two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, tigecycline and metformin, which target oxidative phosphorylation downstream of PI3K signaling, inhibited tumor cell growth and may be repurposed for breast-cancer treatment. These findings advance our understanding of how mutant p53 drives breast-tumor development and pinpoint the importance of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, expanding combination therapies for breast-cancer treatment.

Oncogenic KRAS Recruits an Expansive Transcriptional Network through Mutant p53 to Drive Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is almost uniformly fatal and characterized by early metastasis. Oncogenic KRAS mutations prevail in 95% of PDAC tumors and co-occur with genetic alterations in the TP53 tumor suppressor in nearly 70% of patients. Most TP53 alterations are missense mutations that exhibit gain-of-function phenotypes that include increased invasiveness and metastasis, yet the extent of direct cooperation between KRAS effectors and mutant p53 remains largely undefined. We show that oncogenic KRAS effectors activate CREB1 to allow physical interactions with mutant p53 that hyperactivate multiple prometastatic transcriptional networks. Specifically, mutant p53 and CREB1 upregulate the prometastatic, pioneer transcription factor FOXA1, activating its transcriptional network while promoting WNT/ß-catenin signaling, together driving PDAC metastasis. Pharmacologic CREB1 inhibition dramatically reduced FOXA1 and ß-catenin expression and dampened PDAC metastasis, identifying a new therapeutic strategy to disrupt cooperation between oncogenic KRAS and mutant p53 to mitigate metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE: Oncogenic KRAS and mutant p53 are the most commonly mutated oncogene and tumor suppressor gene in human cancers, yet direct interactions between these genetic drivers remain undefined. We identified a cooperative node between oncogenic KRAS effectors and mutant p53 that can be therapeutically targeted to undermine cooperation and mitigate metastasis.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1861.

STAT3 and GR Cooperate to Drive Gene Expression and Growth of Basal-Like Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Breast cancers are divided into subtypes with different prognoses and treatment responses based on global differences in gene expression. Luminal breast cancer gene expression and proliferation are driven by estrogen receptor alpha, and targeting this transcription factor is the most effective therapy for this subtype. By contrast, it remains unclear which transcription factors drive the gene expression signature that defines basal-like triple-negative breast cancer, and there are no targeted therapies approved to treat this aggressive subtype. In this study, we utilized integrated genomic analysis of DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, transcription factor binding, and gene expression in large collections of breast cancer cell lines and patient tumors to identify transcription factors responsible for the basal-like gene expression program. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and STAT3 bind to the same genomic regulatory regions, which were specifically open and unmethylated in basal-like breast cancer. These transcription factors cooperated to regulate expression of hundreds of genes in the basal-like gene expression signature, which were associated with poor prognosis. Combination treatment with small-molecule inhibitors of both transcription factors resulted in synergistic decreases in cell growth in cell lines and patient-derived organoid models. This study demonstrates that GR and STAT3 cooperate to regulate the basal-like breast cancer gene expression program and provides the basis for improved therapy for basal-like triple-negative breast cancer through rational combination of STAT3 and GR inhibitors. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that GR and STAT3 cooperate to activate the canonical gene expression signature of basal-like triple-negative breast cancer and that combination treatment with STAT3 and GR inhibitors could provide synergistic therapeutic efficacy.

Genomic regulation of invasion by STAT3 in triple negative breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease comprised of four molecular subtypes defined by whether the tumor-originating cells are luminal or basal epithelial cells. Breast cancers arising from the luminal mammary duct often express estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2). Tumors expressing ER and/or PR are treated with anti-hormonal therapies, while tumors overexpressing HER2 are targeted with monoclonal antibodies. Immunohistochemical detection of ER, PR, and HER2 receptors/proteins is a critical step in breast cancer diagnosis and guided treatment. Breast tumors that do not express these proteins are known as "triple negative breast cancer" (TNBC) and are typically basal-like. TNBCs are the most aggressive subtype, with the highest mortality rates and no targeted therapy, so there is a pressing need to identify important TNBC tumor regulators. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) transcription factor has been previously implicated as a constitutively active oncogene in TNBC. However, its direct regulatory gene targets and tumorigenic properties have not been well characterized. By integrating RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data from 2 TNBC tumors and 5 cell lines, we discovered novel gene signatures directly regulated by STAT3 that were enriched for processes involving inflammation, immunity, and invasion in TNBC. Functional analysis revealed that STAT3 has a key role regulating invasion and metastasis, a characteristic often associated with TNBC. Our findings suggest therapies targeting STAT3 may be important for preventing TNBC metastasis.