Selective killing of K-ras mutant cancer cells by small molecule inducers of oxidative stress

AT Shaw, MM Winslow… - Proceedings of the …, 2011 - National Acad Sciences
AT Shaw, MM Winslow, M Magendantz, C Ouyang, J Dowdle, A Subramanian, TA Lewis…
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011National Acad Sciences
Activating K-RAS mutations are the most frequent oncogenic mutations in human cancer.
Numerous downstream signaling pathways have been shown to be deregulated by
oncogenic K-ras. However, to date there are still no effective targeted therapies for this
genetically defined subset of patients. Here we report the results of a small molecule,
synthetic lethal screen using mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from a mouse model
harboring a conditional oncogenic K-rasG12D allele. Among the> 50,000 compounds …
Activating K-RAS mutations are the most frequent oncogenic mutations in human cancer. Numerous downstream signaling pathways have been shown to be deregulated by oncogenic K-ras. However, to date there are still no effective targeted therapies for this genetically defined subset of patients. Here we report the results of a small molecule, synthetic lethal screen using mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from a mouse model harboring a conditional oncogenic K-rasG12D allele. Among the >50,000 compounds screened, we identified a class of drugs with selective activity against oncogenic K-ras–expressing cells. The most potent member of this class, lanperisone, acts by inducing nonapoptotic cell death in a cell cycle- and translation-independent manner. The mechanism of cell killing involves the induction of reactive oxygen species that are inefficiently scavenged in K-ras mutant cells, leading to oxidative stress and cell death. In mice, treatment with lanperisone suppresses the growth of K-ras–driven tumors without overt toxicity. Our findings establish the specific antitumor activity of lanperisone and reveal oxidative stress pathways as potential targets in Ras-mediated malignancies.
National Acad Sciences