Oncology, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Oncology, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Nat Cancer. 2024 Mar;5(3):481-499. doi: 10.1038/s43018-023-00710-z. Epub 2024 Jan 17.
Activating mutations in GNAQ/GNA11 occur in over 90% of uveal melanomas (UMs), the most lethal melanoma subtype; however, targeting these oncogenes has proven challenging and inhibiting their downstream effectors show limited clinical efficacy. Here, we performed genome-scale CRISPR screens along with computational analyses of cancer dependency and gene expression datasets to identify the inositol-metabolizing phosphatase INPP5A as a selective dependency in GNAQ/11-mutant UM cells in vitro and in vivo. Mutant cells intrinsically produce high levels of the second messenger inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3) that accumulate upon suppression of INPP5A, resulting in hyperactivation of IP3-receptor signaling, increased cytosolic calcium and p53-dependent apoptosis. Finally, we show that GNAQ/11-mutant UM cells and patients' tumors exhibit elevated levels of IP4, a biomarker of enhanced IP3 production; these high levels are abolished by GNAQ/11 inhibition and correlate with sensitivity to INPP5A depletion. Our findings uncover INPP5A as a synthetic lethal vulnerability and a potential therapeutic target for GNAQ/11-mutant-driven cancers.
GNAQ/GNA11 的激活突变发生在超过 90%的葡萄膜黑素瘤(UM)中,这是最致命的黑素瘤亚型;然而,针对这些癌基因的治疗一直具有挑战性,抑制其下游效应器的效果也有限。在这里,我们进行了全基因组规模的 CRISPR 筛选,并结合癌症依赖性和基因表达数据集的计算分析,鉴定出肌醇代谢磷酸酶 INPP5A 是体外和体内 GNAQ/11 突变 UM 细胞的选择性依赖性。突变细胞内在地产生高水平的第二信使肌醇 1,4,5 三磷酸(IP3),当 INPP5A 受到抑制时会积累,导致 IP3 受体信号过度激活、细胞溶质钙增加和 p53 依赖性细胞凋亡。最后,我们表明 GNAQ/11 突变的 UM 细胞和患者的肿瘤表现出增强的 IP4 水平,这是 IP3 产生增强的生物标志物;这些高水平通过 GNAQ/11 抑制而消除,并与 INPP5A 耗竭的敏感性相关。我们的发现揭示了 INPP5A 作为一种合成致死脆弱性和针对 GNAQ/11 驱动的癌症的潜在治疗靶点。