Abstract 4417: Synergy of cyclin dependentkinase 4/6 inhibitors with cytotoxic chemotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Arora Mansi , Bogenberger James , Bolni Nagalo , Zhou Yumei , Kannan Latha , Egan Jan , Yokoda Raquel , Ahn Daniel H. , Borad Mitesh J. 
Published: August 2019

Purpose: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly lethal malignancy that often presents at advanced stages. Gemcitabine/cisplatin (GP) represents the standard-of-care but provides only a modest response rate and survival benefit. Loss of the CDK4/6 inhibitor CDKN2A is a prevalent genetic event in CCA, thus CDK4/6 inhibitors, FDA-approved in some breast cancer regimens, are hypothesized to have a role in treating CCA. Clinical challenges to target cell cycle dysregulation and exploit cytotoxic chemotherapy include predictive biomarkers for selecting patients most likely to respond. We hypothesized autophagy is involved in therapeutic resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors, and plays a role in the activity of GP in CCA. Thus, we investigated CDK4/6 inhibitors as monotherapy, and combined with GP in CCA, measuring multiple readouts pertaining to drug synergy, putative pathway biomarkers and autophagy.

Methods: The activity of 3 FDA approved CDK4/6 inhibitors, palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib, as monotherapy (N=24), and combined with GP (N=10), was assessed in CCA cell lines by measuring relative cell number with Cell TiterGlo, and apoptosis with Annexin/PI and cleaved caspase3 quantification via flow cytometry. To characterize RB status for biomarker potential, protein levels of CCND1, CDK4, CDK6, RB, and CDKN2A were measured by western blot. Autophagy was measured using an autophagy flux assay, LysoTracker confocal staining, and by quantifying protein levels of LC3B, p62 and Beclin1A.

Results: 22/24 (92%) of CCA cell lines were found to have at least one defect likely relevant to CDK4/6 inhibition: CDKN2A (92%), Rb1 (63%), CDK4 (23%) and cyclin D1 (32%). Protein levels of CDKN2A and RB1 showed moderate correlation with CDK4/6 inhibitor activity. Abemaciclib was the most potent CDK inhibitor in vitro (IC50≤0.5uM; palbociclib IC50&gt;1uM; ribociclib IC50&gt;5uM). Combined abemaciclib and GP showed higher cytotoxicity and synergy at lower doses compared to chemotherapy alone or single-agent abemaciclib. Compared to CDK4/6 inhibitors or chemotherapy alone, combination therapy enhanced growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. Abemaciclib triggered autophagy mediated by significant increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Combination therapy reduced ROS production and thus autophagy, as seen by reduced autophagic flux, reduced LysoTracker mean fluorescence intensity, a decrease in the expression of LC3B-II, Beclin1A and an increase in p62.

Conclusion: These results suggest CDK4/6 inhibitors interact synergistically with GP in CCA and mechanistically disrupt autophagy. This suggests potential to further explore CDKN2A and RB as biomarkers for preclinical sensitivity in CCA. Pre-clinical data supports ongoing clinical studies of this concept, as well as planned clinical studies of GP and alternative CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Citation Format: Mansi Arora, James Bogenberger, Nagalo Bolni, Yumei Zhou, Latha Kannan, Jan Egan, Raquel Yokoda, Daniel H. Ahn, Mitesh J. Borad. Synergy of cyclin dependentkinase 4/6 inhibitors with cytotoxic chemotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma [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 4417.