Abstract 381: Combined inhibition of Bcl-2 and MCL-1 in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is most effective in tumors with low Bcl-xL expression
Authors: Drapkin Benjamin J. , Sanghavi Sneha , Myers David T. , Zhong Jun , Phat Sarah , Wang Youzhen , Halilovic Ensar , Golji Javad , Farago Anna , Morris Erick , Dyson Nicholas J. 
Published: August 2019

Introduction: SCLC is an aggressive high-grade neuroendocrine malignancy in which targeting anti-apoptotic regulators such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL has shown efficacy in pre-clinical models but has not resulted in successful clinical trials (Rudin et al., Clin Cancer Res. 2012). Although SCLC cell-lines do not reflect the clinical impact of these inhibitors, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models may more accurately recapitulate Bcl-2 family expression profiles and BH3 mimetic efficacy. One promising hypothesis is that the fellow anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1 rescues viability in the presence of Bcl-2/Bcl-xL antagonists. Here we evaluate the efficacy of the MCL-1 inhibitor S63845 in combination with a novel specific inhibitor of Bcl-2, BCL201/S55746, in SCLC patient-derived xenografts. Methods: BH3 mimetic compounds were tested for synergy in vitro in SCLC cell lines. A set of ten cell lines was chosen based on relative expression of BCL2, MCL1, and BCL2L1 (Bcl-xL) mRNA. Single agent and and pair-wise combinations of Bcl2 family inhibitors were compared in three-day growth inhibition assays. Loewe synergy scores were plotted versus Bcl2 family mRNA expression to identify the determinants of drug sensitivity. Based on the cell line synergy assays, a combination of BCL201/S55746 and S63845 was selected to test in PDX models of SCLC. Bcl-2 family expression was profiled across a panel of 37 SCLC PDX models generated at MGH by quantitative western blot, and standardized to the most sensitive SCLC cell line, NCI-H211. Ten models were selected based on absolute expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and MCL-1. Mice were treated when subcutaneous tumors reached a volume of 400-800 cc, enabling precise measurement of tumor regression and time to tumor regrowth. Findings: Bcl-2 family dependency in SCLC cell lines was profiled with selective inhibitors as single agents or combinations. Maximum synergy was found between BCL201/S55746 and S63845 in cell lines with the highest Bcl-2:Bcl-xL expression ratio. Bcl-2 family expression was profiled across a panel of 37 PDX models of SCLC, and a representative set of 10 models was selected for in vivo testing. Consistent with cell line results, the two most sensitive models to BCL201/S55746+S63845 demonstrated the highest Bcl-2:Bcl-xL ratios, with moderate to high expression of MCL-1. In these models BCL201/S55746+S63845 resulted in a 44-70% tumor regression that was stable throughout 4 weeks of treatment. Efficacy was not dependent on MCL-1 expression, and was not strongly correlated with PDX sensitivity to platinum-etoposide. Conclusions: Combined inhibition of Bcl-2 with BCL201 and MCL-1 with S63845 is effective in SCLC tumors with relatively low Bcl-xL expression. This combination overcomes MCL-1 mediated resistance to Bcl-2 inhibitors, and represents a promising strategy to target anti-apoptotic dependency in SCLC.

Citation Format: Benjamin J. Drapkin, Sneha Sanghavi, David T. Myers, Jun Zhong, Sarah Phat, Youzhen Wang, Ensar Halilovic, Javad Golji, Anna Farago, Erick Morris, Nicholas J. Dyson. Combined inhibition of Bcl-2 and MCL-1 in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is most effective in tumors with low Bcl-xL expression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 381.