Combined Inhibition of Rad51 and Wee1 Enhances Cell Killing in HNSCC Through Induction of Apoptosis Associated With Excessive DNA Damage and Replication Stress.

Despite advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, there are limited treatment options for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and survival remains very poor. Therefore, effective therapies are desperately needed. Recently, selective exploitation of DNA damage and replication stress responses has become a novel approach for cancer treatment. Wee1 kinase and Rad51 recombinase are two proteins involved in regulating replication stress and homologous recombination repair in cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the combined effect of Rad51 inhibitor (B02) and Wee1 inhibitor (AZD1775) in vitro and in vivo in various HNSCC cell lines. Clonogenic survival assays demonstrated that B02 synergized with AZD1775 in vitro in all HNSCC cell lines tested. The synergy between these drugs was associated with forced CDK1 activation and reduced Chk1 phosphorylation leading to induction of excessive DNA damage and replication stress, culminating in aberrant mitosis and apoptosis. Our results showed that elevated Rad51 mRNA expression correlated with worse survival in HNSCC patients with HPV-positive tumors. The combination of B02 and AZD1775 significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo in mice bearing HPV-positive HNSCC tumors as compared to HPV-negative HNSCC. This differential sensitivity appears to be linked to HPV-positive tumors having more in vivo endogenous replication stress owing to transformation by E6 and E7 oncogenes. Furthermore, addition of B02 radiosensitized the HPV-negative HNSCC tumors in vitro and in vivo In conclusion, our data implicate that a novel rational combination with Rad51 and Wee1 inhibitors holds promise as synthetic lethal therapy, particularly in high-risk HPV-positive HNSCC.

Disruption of TP63-miR-27a* Feedback Loop by Mutant TP53 in Head and Neck Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in the epidermal growth factor receptor and PI3K pathways in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are frequent events that promote tumor progression. Ectopic expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting microRNA (miR), miR-27a* (miR-27a-5p), inhibits tumor growth. We sought to identify mechanisms mediating repression of miR-27a* in HNSCC, which have not been previously identified. METHODS: We quantified miR-27a* in 47 oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma patient samples along with analysis of miR-27a* in 73 oropharyngeal and 66 human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas. In vivo and in vitro TP53 models engineered to express mutant TP53, along with promoter analysis using chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays, were used to identify the role of TP53 and TP63 in miR-27a* transcription. An HNSCC cell line engineered to conditionally express miR-27a* was used in vitro to determine effects of miR-27a* on target genes and tumor cells. RESULTS: miR-27a* expression was repressed in 47 oral cavity tumor samples vs matched normal tissue (mean log2 difference = -0.023, 95% confidence interval = -0.044 to -0.002; two-sided paired t test, P = .03), and low miR-27a* levels were associated with poor survival in HPV+ and oropharyngeal HNSCC samples. Binding of ΔNp63α to the promoter led to an upregulation of miR-27a*. In vitro and in vivo findings showed that mutant TP53 represses the miR-27a* promoter, downregulating miR-27a* levels. ΔNp63α and nucleoporin 62, a protein involved in ΔNP63α transport, were validated as novel targets of miR-27a*. CONCLUSION: Our results characterize a negative feedback loop between TP63 and miR-27a*. Genetic alterations in TP53, a frequent event in HNSCC, disrupt this regulatory loop by repressing miR-27a* expression, promoting tumor survival.

COTI-2, A Novel Thiosemicarbazone Derivative, Exhibits Antitumor Activity in HNSCC through p53-dependent and -independent Mechanisms.

PURPOSE: TP53 mutations are highly prevalent in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and associated with increased resistance to conventional treatment primarily consisting of chemotherapy and radiation. Restoration of wild-type p53 function in TP53-mutant cancer cells represents an attractive therapeutic approach and has been explored in recent years. In this study, the efficacy of a putative p53 reactivator called COTI-2 was evaluated in HNSCC cell lines with different TP53 status.Experimental Design: Clonogenic survival assays and an orthotopic mouse model of oral cancer were used to examine in vitro and in vivo sensitivity of HNSCC cell lines with either wild-type, null, or mutant TP53 to COTI-2 alone, and in combination with cisplatin and/or radiation. Western blotting, cell cycle, live-cell imaging, RNA sequencing, reverse-phase protein array, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and apoptosis analyses were performed to dissect molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: COTI-2 decreased clonogenic survival of HNSCC cells and potentiated response to cisplatin and/or radiation in vitro and in vivo irrespective of TP53 status. Mechanistically, COTI-2 normalized wild-type p53 target gene expression and restored DNA-binding properties to the p53-mutant protein in HNSCC. In addition, COTI-2 induced DNA damage and replication stress responses leading to apoptosis and/or senescence. Furthermore, COTI-2 lead to activation of AMPK and inhibition of the mTOR pathways in vitro in HNSCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: COTI-2 inhibits tumor growth in vitro and in vivo in HNSCC likely through p53-dependent and p53-independent mechanisms. Combination of COTI-2 with cisplatin or radiation may be highly relevant in treating patients with HNSCC harboring TP53 mutations.

Head and neck cancer organoids established by modification of the CTOS method can be used to predict in vivo drug sensitivity.

OBJECTIVES: Currently there are no standard biomarkers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) response to therapy. This is, due to a lack of adequate predictive tumor models. To this end, we established cancer organoid lines from individual patient's tumors, and characterized their growth characteristics and response to different drug treatments with the objective of using these models for prediction of treatment response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients' samples were processed to establish organoids. To analyze the character of these organoids, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, drug sensitivity assays, clonogenic survival assays, and animal experiments were performed. The HPV status and TP53 mutational status were also confirmed in these lines. RESULTS: HNSCC organoids were successfully established with success rate of 30.2%. Corresponding two-dimensional cell lines were established from HNSCC organoids at higher success rate (53.8%). These organoids showed similar histological features and stem cell, epithelial and mesenchymal marker expression to the original tumors, thus recapitulating many of the characteristics of the original tumor cells. The cisplatin and docetaxel IC50 were determined for HNSCC organoids and the corresponding 2D cell lines using drug sensitivity and clonogenic survival assays. Responses to drug treatment in vivo were found to be similar to the IC50 calculated from organoids by drug sensitivity assays in vitro. CONCLUSION: We established novel in vitro HNSCC cancer organoid lines retaining many properties of the original tumors from they were derived. These organoids can predict in vivo drug sensitivity and may represent useful tools to develop precision treatments for HNSCC.

Gain-of-function mutant p53 promotes the oncogenic potential of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting the transcription factors FOXO3a and FOXM1.

Many mutant p53 proteins exert oncogenic gain-of-function (GOF) properties that promote cancer cell invasive growth and metastasis, yet the mechanisms mediating these functions still largely remain elusive. We show here that overexpression of the GOF mutant p53 G245D and other GOF p53 mutants enhances the invasive cell growth of p53-deficient head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) UM-SCC-1 cells both in in vitro three-dimensional culture and in an in vivo orthotopic nude mouse model of HNSCC through a novel transcription-independent mechanism. We demonstrate that the expression of the oncogenic forkhead transcription factor FOXM1 is upregulated by GOF mutant p53s. Moreover, we show that overexpression of GOF mutant p53 G245D decreases the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated phosphorylation of FOXO3a, a tumor suppressive forkhead transcription factor, leading to its cytoplasmic accumulation. This downregulation of FOXO3a's activity, in turn, leads to de-repression of FOXM1 expression. Importantly, we show that either overexpression of FOXO3a or downregulation of FOXM1 impairs both GOF mutant p53-mediated cell invasion in vitro and pulmonary metastases of UM-SCC-1 cells in vivo. Finally, not only do oral cancer patients with p53 mutations exhibit higher levels of FOXM1 expression than patients with wild-type p53, but also HNSCC patients with TP53 mutations and high levels of FOXM1 expression have the poorest survival outcomes. Given our prior demonstration that GOF mutant p53s inhibit AMPK, our current study, establishes and demonstrates a novel transcription-independent GOF mutant p53-AMPK-FOXO3a-FOXM1 signaling cascade that plays an important role in mediating mutant p53s' gain-of-function activities in HNSCCs.

Replication Stress Leading to Apoptosis within the S-phase Contributes to Synergism between Vorinostat and AZD1775 in HNSCC Harboring High-Risk TP53 Mutation.

Purpose: The cure rate for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains poor due to resistance to standard therapy primarily consisting of chemoradiation. As mutation of TP53 in HNSCC occurs in 60% to 80% of non-HPV-associated cases and is in turn associated with resistance to these treatments, more effective therapies are needed. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a regimen combining vorinostat and AZD1775 in HNSCC cells with a variety of p53 mutations.Experimental Design: Clonogenic survival assays and an orthotopic mouse model of oral cancer were used to examine the in vitro and in vivo sensitivity of high-risk mutant p53 HNSCC cell lines to vorinostat in combination with AZD1775. Cell cycle, replication stress, homologous recombination (HR), live cell imaging, RNA sequencing, and apoptosis analyses were performed to dissect molecular mechanisms.Results: We found that vorinostat synergizes with AZD1775 in vitro to inhibit growth of HNSCC cells harboring high-risk mutp53. These drugs interact synergistically to induce DNA damage, replication stress associated with impaired Rad51-mediated HR through activation of CDK1, and inhibition of Chk1 phosphorylation, culminating in an early apoptotic cell death during the S-phase of the cell cycle. The combination of vorinostat and AZD1775 inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model of oral cancer and prolongs animal survival.Conclusions: Vorinostat synergizes with AZD1775 in HNSCC cells with mutant p53 in vitro and in vivo A strategy combining HDAC and WEE1 inhibition deserves further clinical investigation in patients with advanced HNSCC. Clin Cancer Res; 23(21); 6541-54. ©2017 AACR.

Wee-1 Kinase Inhibition Sensitizes High-Risk HPV+ HNSCC to Apoptosis Accompanied by Downregulation of MCl-1 and XIAP Antiapoptotic Proteins.

PURPOSE: Although the majority of patients with HPV(+) oropharyngeal cancers have a favorable prognosis, there are some patients with tumors that are resistant to aggressive chemoradiotherapy with unusual patterns of locoregional and systemic recurrences. Therefore, more effective therapies are needed. In this study, we investigated the chemosensitizing efficacy of the selective Wee-1 kinase inhibitor, AZD-1775, in HPV(+) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Clonogenic survival assays and an orthotopic mouse model of HPV(+) oral cancer were used to examine the in vitro and in vivo sensitivity of HPV(+) HNSCC cell lines to AZD-1775 in combination with cisplatin, respectively. Cell-cycle analysis, DNA damage (γH2AX), homologous recombination (HR), and apoptosis were examined to dissect molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: We found that AZD-1775 displays single-agent activity and enhances the response of HPV(+) HNSCC cells to cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. The sensitivity of the HPV(+) HNSCC cells to AZD-1775 alone or in combination with cisplatin was associated with G2 checkpoint abrogation, persistent DNA damage, and apoptosis induction. This finding of AZD-1775 increasing the sensitivity of HPV(+) HNSCC cells to cisplatin through apoptosis was not seen previously in the HPV(-) HNSCC cancer cells and is accompanied by a decreased expression of the antiapoptotic proteins, MCl-1and XIAP, which appear to be cleaved following AZD-1775 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: AZD-1775 selectively sensitizes HPV(+) HNSCC cells and orthotopic oral xenografts to cisplatin through apoptosis and support the clinical investigation of AZD-1775 in combination with cisplatin particularly in patients with advanced and recurrent metastatic HPV(+) HNSCC tumors.

Evolutionary Action Score of TP53 Coding Variants Is Predictive of Platinum Response in Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

TP53 is the most frequently altered gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with mutations occurring in over two thirds of cases; however, the predictive response of these mutations to cisplatin-based therapy remains elusive. In the current study, we evaluate the ability of the Evolutionary Action score of TP53-coding variants (EAp53) to predict the impact of TP53 mutations on response to chemotherapy. The EAp53 approach clearly identifies a subset of high-risk TP53 mutations associated with decreased sensitivity to cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo in preclinical models of HNSCC. Furthermore, EAp53 can predict response to treatment and, more importantly, a survival benefit for a subset of head and neck cancer patients treated with platinum-based therapy. Prospective evaluation of this novel scoring system should enable more precise treatment selection for patients with HNSCC.

Wee-1 kinase inhibition overcomes cisplatin resistance associated with high-risk TP53 mutations in head and neck cancer through mitotic arrest followed by senescence.

Although cisplatin has played a role in "standard-of-care" multimodality therapy for patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC), the rate of treatment failure remains particularly high for patients receiving cisplatin whose tumors have mutations in the TP53 gene. We found that cisplatin treatment of HNSCC cells with mutant TP53 leads to arrest of cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, leading us to hypothesize that the wee-1 kinase inhibitor MK-1775 would abrogate the cisplatin-induced G2 block and thereby sensitize isogenic HNSCC cells with mutant TP53 or lacking p53 expression to cisplatin. We tested this hypothesis using clonogenic survival assays, flow cytometry, and in vivo tumor growth delay experiments with an orthotopic nude mouse model of oral tongue cancer. We also used a novel TP53 mutation classification scheme to identify which TP53 mutations are associated with limited tumor responses to cisplatin treatment. Clonogenic survival analyses indicate that nanomolar concentration of MK-1775 sensitizes HNSCC cells with high-risk mutant p53 to cisplatin. Consistent with its ability to chemosensitize, MK-1775 abrogated the cisplatin-induced G2 block in p53-defective cells leading to mitotic arrest associated with a senescence-like phenotype. Furthermore, MK-1775 enhanced the efficacy of cisplatin in vivo in tumors harboring TP53 mutations. These results indicate that HNSCC cells expressing high-risk p53 mutations are significantly sensitized to cisplatin therapy by the selective wee-1 kinase inhibitor, supporting the clinical evaluation of MK-1775 in combination with cisplatin for the treatment of patients with TP53 mutant HNSCC.

Gain-of-function mutant p53 promotes cell growth and cancer cell metabolism via inhibition of AMPK activation.

Many mutant p53 proteins (mutp53s) exert oncogenic gain-of-function (GOF) properties, but the mechanisms mediating these functions remain poorly defined. We show here that GOF mutp53s inhibit AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in head and neck cancer cells. Conversely, downregulation of GOF mutp53s enhances AMPK activation under energy stress, decreasing the activity of the anabolic factors acetyl-CoA carboxylase and ribosomal protein S6 and inhibiting aerobic glycolytic potential and invasive cell growth. Under conditions of energy stress, GOF mutp53s, but not wild-type p53, preferentially bind to the AMPKα subunit and inhibit AMPK activation. Given the importance of AMPK as an energy sensor and tumor suppressor that inhibits anabolic metabolism, our findings reveal that direct inhibition of AMPK activation is an important mechanism through which mutp53s can gain oncogenic function.