Imatinib facilitates gemcitabine sensitivity by targeting epigenetically activated PDGFC signaling in pancreatic cancer

Autor: Yin-Hao Shi, Qiong-Cong Xu, Ying-Qin Zhu, Zhi-De Liu, Guang-Yin Zhao, Qi Liu, Xi-Yu Wang, Jie-Qin Wang, Xiang Xu, Qiao Su, Jia-Ming Lai, Chen-Song Huang, Xiao-Yu Yin
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy.
ISSN: 1525-0024
Popis: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy has become one of the main modalities of its management. However, gemcitabine resistance frequently occurs, leading to failure of PDAC therapy. Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their receptors play important roles in cancer progression and chemoresistance. We aimed to investigate the biological function and therapeutic significance of platelet-derived growth factor C (PDGFC) in drug-resistant PDAC. Our study showed that PDGFC was abnormally highly expressed in gemcitabine-resistant PDAC. Silencing PDGFC expression can enhance the therapeutic effect of gemcitabine on PDAC. Mechanistically, the transcription of PDGFC is mediated by H3K27 acetylation, and PDGFC promotes gemcitabine resistance by activating the PDGFR-PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. The PDGFR inhibitor imatinib inhibits the PDGFR pathway. Imatinib and gemcitabine have a synergistic effect on the treatment of PDAC, and imatinib can significantly enhance the anti-tumor effect of gemcitabine in a drug-resistant PDAC patient-derived xenograft model. In conclusion, PDGFC is a potential predictor of gemcitabine-resistant PDAC. Imatinib inhibits PDGFR activation to promote gemcitabine sensitivity in PDAC. Combined modality regimen of imatinib and gemcitabine is likely to translate into clinical trial for the treatment of PDGFC-associated gemcitabine-resistant patients.
Databáze: OpenAIRE