PI3K inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy resistant oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Sarah D Edge, Isaline Renard, Emily Pyne, Chun Li, Hannah Moody, Rajarshi Roy, Andrew W Beavis, Stephen J Archibald, Christopher J Cawthorne, Stephen G Maher, Isabel M Pires*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neo-CRT) prior to surgery is the standard of care for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) patients. Unfortunately, most patients fail to respond to treatment. MiR-187 was previously shown to be downregulated in neo-CRT non-responders, whist in vitro miR-187 overexpression enhanced radiosensitivity and upregulated PTEN. This study evaluates the role of miR-187 and downstream PI3K signalling in radiation response in OAC.

METHODS: The effect of miR-187 overexpression on downstream PI3K signalling was evaluated in OAC cell lines by qPCR and Western blotting. PTEN expression was analysed in OAC pre-treatment biopsies of neo-CRT responders and non-responders. Pharmacological inhibition of PI3K using GDC-0941 was evaluated in combination with radiotherapy in two-dimensional and three-dimensional OAC models in vitro and as a single agent in vivo. Radiation response in vitro was assessed via clonogenic assay.

RESULTS: PTEN expression was significantly decreased in neo-CRT non-responders. MiR-187 overexpression significantly upregulated PTEN expression and inhibited downstream PI3K signalling in vitro. GDC-0941 significantly reduced viability and enhanced radiation response in vitro and led to tumour growth inhibition as a single agent in vivo.

CONCLUSION: Targeting of PI3K signalling is a promising therapeutic strategy for OAC patients who have repressed miR-187 expression and do not respond to conventional neo-CRT.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This is the first study evaluating the effect of PI3K inhibition on radiosensitivity in OAC, with a particular focus on patients that do not respond to neo-CRT. We have shown for the first time that targeting of PI3K signalling is a promising alternative therapeutic strategy for OAC patients who do not respond to conventional neo-CRT.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20201191
Number of pages8
JournalBritish Journal of Radiology
Volume94
Issue number1119
Early online date12 Jan 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding:
SE, SGM, CJC, EP, and IMP were supported by University of Hull PhD studentships. SE, SGM, and CJC were supported by a Cancer and Polio Research Fund grant. We would also like to thank Dr Assem Allam and his family for their generous donation to help fund the PET Research Centre at the University of Hull and for funding a PhD scholarship for IR.

Keywords

  • Adenocarcinoma/therapy
  • Animals
  • Esophageal Neoplasms/therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism
  • Treatment Outcome

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