Mcam Modulates Small Cell Lung Cancer Chemoresistance Via Pi3k/Akt/Sox2 Signaling Pathway

Abstract Despite favorable responses to initial therapy SCLC relapse occurs within a year exhibiting a multidrug resistant phenotype. Due to limited accessibility of patient tissues for research purpose, SCLC patient derived xenografts (PDXs) have provided the best opportunity to address this limitation. We sought to identify novel mechanisms involved in SCLC chemoresistance. Through in-depth proteomic profiling, we identified MCAM as a markedly upregulated surface receptor in chemoresistant SCLC cell lines that exhibited a mesenchymal phenotype and in chemoresistant PDXs compared to matched treatment-naïve tumors. MCAM is a cell membrane protein whose expression has been implicated in multiple human cancers. MCAM expression is also detected in lung adenocarcinoma; however, its expression and role in SCLC is still not been explored. MCAM knockdown in chemoresistant cells reduced cell proliferation and decreased the IC50 inhibitory concentration of chemotherapeutic drugs. MCAM was found to modulate sensitivity of SCLC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs through up-regulation of MRP1/ABCC1 expression and of the PI3K/AKT pathway in a SOX2 dependent manner. Metabolomic profiling revealed that MCAM can modulate glutamic acid and lactate production in chemoresistant cells with a distinct metabolic phenotype sustaining low oxidative phosphorylation. MCAM may serve as a novel therapeutic target to overcome chemoresistance in SCLC. Citation Format: Satyendra C. Tripathi, Johannes F. Fahrmann, Muge Celiktas, Mitzi Aguilar, Kieren D. Marini, Mohit K. Jolly, Hiroyuki Katayama, Hong Wang, Eunice N. Murage, Jennifer B. Dennison, D. Neil Watkins, Herbert Levine, Edwin J. Ostrin, Ayumu Taguchi, Samir M. Hanash. MCAM modulates small cell lung cancer chemoresistance via PI3k/Akt/Sox2 signaling pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3170. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3170