Abstract Early biomarkers and effective therapeutic strategies are desperately needed to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which has a dismal 5-year patient survival rate. Here, we report that the novel tyrosine kinase PEAK1 is upregulated in human malignancies, including human PDACs and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). Oncogenic KRas induced a PEAK1-dependent kinase amplification loop between Src, PEAK1, and ErbB2 to drive PDAC tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Surprisingly, blockade of ErbB2 expression increased Src-dependent PEAK1 expression, PEAK1-dependent Src activation, and tumor growth in vivo, suggesting a mechanism for the observed resistance of patients with PDACs to therapeutic intervention. Importantly, PEAK1 inactivation sensitized PDAC cells to trastuzumab and gemcitabine therapy. Our findings, therefore, suggest that PEAK1 is a novel biomarker, critical signaling hub, and new therapeutic target in PDACs. Cancer Res; 72(10); 2554–64. ©2012 AACR.
<p>Western blots showing PEAk1 and YAP1 depletion in PDAC cells treated with two independent shRNAs</p>
List of PEAK1 regulated proteins involved in cytoskeleton organization
Contains additional data on the growth of PDAC cells with eIF5A knockdown or overexpression.
<p>List of PEAK1 regulated proteins involved in translation</p>
<p>Western blots showing PEAk1 and YAP1 depletion in PDAC cells treated with two independent shRNAs</p>
Informatics analyses of cytoskeleton proteins altered in PEAK1-depleted PDAC cells
Supplementary Figure 2 from KRas Induces a Src/PEAK1/ErbB2 Kinase Amplification Loop That Drives Metastatic Growth and Therapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer
Schematic showing experimental strategy to identify altered proteins in PEAK1-depleted PDAC cells
<p>List of PEAK1 regulated proteins involved in cytoskeleton organization</p>
Contains additional data on in vitro and in vivo growth of PDAC cells with eIF5A knockdown or overexpression.