ABSTRACT
Broad-spectrum RAS inhibition has the potential to benefit roughly a quarter of human patients with cancer whose tumours are driven by RAS mutations1,2. RMC-7977 is a highly selective inhibitor of the active GTP-bound forms of KRAS, HRAS and NRAS, with affinity for both mutant and wild-type variants3. More than 90% of cases of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are driven by activating mutations in KRAS4. Here we assessed the therapeutic potential of RMC-7977 in a comprehensive range of PDAC models. We observed broad and pronounced anti-tumour activity across models following direct RAS inhibition at exposures that were well-tolerated in vivo. Pharmacological analyses revealed divergent responses to RMC-7977 in tumour versus normal tissues. Treated tumours exhibited waves of apoptosis along with sustained proliferative arrest, whereas normal tissues underwent only transient decreases in proliferation, with no evidence of apoptosis. In the autochthonous KPC mouse model, RMC-7977 treatment resulted in a profound extension of survival followed by on-treatment relapse. Analysis of relapsed tumours identified Myc copy number gain as a prevalent candidate resistance mechanism, which could be overcome by combinatorial TEAD inhibition in vitro. Together, these data establish a strong preclinical rationale for the use of broad-spectrum RAS-GTP inhibition in the setting of PDAC and identify a promising candidate combination therapeutic regimen to overcome monotherapy resistance.
Subject(s)
Apoptosis , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal , Cell Proliferation , Guanosine Triphosphate , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Animals , Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics , Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism , Mice , Humans , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics , Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism , Female , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Guanosine Triphosphate/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Male , ras Proteins/metabolism , ras Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , ras Proteins/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/antagonists & inhibitors , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Xenograft Model Antitumor AssaysABSTRACT
Broad-spectrum RAS inhibition holds the potential to benefit roughly a quarter of human cancer patients whose tumors are driven by RAS mutations. However, the impact of inhibiting RAS functions in normal tissues is not known. RMC-7977 is a highly selective inhibitor of the active (GTP-bound) forms of KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS, with affinity for both mutant and wild type (WT) variants. As >90% of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases are driven by activating mutations in KRAS, we assessed the therapeutic potential of RMC-7977 in a comprehensive range of PDAC models, including human and murine cell lines, human patient-derived organoids, human PDAC explants, subcutaneous and orthotopic cell-line or patient derived xenografts, syngeneic allografts, and genetically engineered mouse models. We observed broad and pronounced anti-tumor activity across these models following direct RAS inhibition at doses and concentrations that were well-tolerated in vivo. Pharmacological analyses revealed divergent responses to RMC-7977 in tumor versus normal tissues. Treated tumors exhibited waves of apoptosis along with sustained proliferative arrest whereas normal tissues underwent only transient decreases in proliferation, with no evidence of apoptosis. Together, these data establish a strong preclinical rationale for the use of broad-spectrum RAS inhibition in the setting of PDAC.
