Abstract PO2-04-14: Dual Inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 Synergistically Overcomes CDK4/6 Inhibitor Resistance in Breast Cancer
Authors: Chen Mei-Kuang , DeAlessandro Grace , Bui Tuyen , Keyomarsi Khandan 
Published: May 2024

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) are approved for the treatment of advanced estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative (ER+ve) breast cancer when combined with endocrine therapy. However, the emergence of resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors poses a significant clinical challenge. This study investigates the mechanisms underlying CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance and identifies a common occurrence of high replication stress in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant ER+ve breast cancers. While ER+ve breast cancer patients have benefited from targeted therapy, TNBC patients, particularly those without germline BRCA1/2 or PALB2 mutations, lack effective treatment options. TNBC and CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant ER+ve breast cancer cells exhibit an increased dependence on cell cycle arrest to repair replication stress-induced DNA damage. Failure to exit the cell cycle results in excessive DNA damage, thereby limiting their proliferative potential.

Based on these findings, we hypothesize that dual inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1, two kinases involved in G2/M cell cycle transition and crucial for cell cycle arrest and DNA damage repair, could synergistically inhibit tumor growth. Although WEE1 and PKMYT1 share a common function in promoting G2/M cell cycle transition through CDK1 phosphorylation, their functions are not entirely redundant, suggesting that targeting both kinases may elicit a synergistic response. Recent clinical trials have shown resistance to WEE1-targeted monotherapies, emphasizing the need for combining WEE1 inhibitors with other agents, such as PKMYT1 inhibitors.

We demonstrate the synergistic effects of WEE1 inhibitor (MK1775/AZD1775) and PKMYT1 inhibitor (RP6306) in a panel of TNBC and ER+ve breast cancer cells with acquired palbociclib resistance (PalboR). Combination treatment with both inhibitors leads to excessive unrepaired DNA damage, as indicated by increased γH2AX foci following 48 hours of combination treatment, whereas single-agent treatments induce significantly lower levels of DNA damage. Furthermore, we observed the AZD1775/RP6306 combination decreases the expression of the DNA repair protein Rad51 in PalboR cells.

To evaluate the clinical potential of dual WEE1 and PKMYT1 inhibition, we generated organoids from metastatic breast cancer lesions of patients who had progressed on CDK4/6 inhibitors for ex vivo studies. Our results demonstrate that dual inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 is more effective than single-agent treatments in eliminating CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant organoids. Additionally, using patient-derived xenograft mouse models from patients who had progressed on palbociclib and endocrine treatment, we show that the AZD1775/RP6306 combination exhibits superior tumor suppression effects compared to single agents.

Overall, this study highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of dual inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 in overcoming CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance in TNBC and ER+ve breast cancer patients. These findings provide a rationale for future clinical trials aimed at exploring the clinical utility of this combination therapy.

Citation Format: Mei-Kuang Chen, Grace DeAlessandro, Tuyen Bui, Khandan Keyomarsi. Dual Inhibition of WEE1 and PKMYT1 Synergistically Overcomes CDK4/6 Inhibitor Resistance in Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-04-14.