Kinome-wide analysis of the effect of statins in colorectal cancer

• Published in: British journal of cancer 2021-06, Vol.124 (12), p.1978-1987
• Main Authors: Ouahoud, Sarah, Jacobs, Rutger J., Peppelenbosch, Maikel P., Fühler, G. M., Heijmans, Jarom, Diks, Sander, Wildenberg, Manon E., Hawinkels, Lukas J. A. C., Kodach, Liudmila L., Voorneveld, Philip W., Hardwick, James C. H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; 692/308/575; 692/4017; 692/4028/67/1504/1885; AKT protein; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bone morphogenetic proteins; Cancer; Cancer Research; Cell Line, Tumor; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Female; HCT116 Cells; HT29 Cells; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Immunoblotting; Kinases; Lovastatin; Lovastatin - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Nude; Molecular Medicine; Noggin protein; Oncology; Phosphoproteins - drug effects; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Phosphotransferases - drug effects; Phosphotransferases - metabolism; Protein Processing, Post-Translational - drug effects; Proteome - drug effects; Proteome - metabolism; PTEN protein; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Simvastatin; siRNA; Statins; TOR protein; Transfection; Xenografts
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01318-9

Background Epidemiological studies and meta-analyses show an association between statin use and a reduced incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). We have shown that statins act on CRC through bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling, but the exact cellular targets and underlying mechanism of statin action remain elusive. In this study, we set out to assess the influence of statins on global cancer cell signalling by performing an array-based kinase assay using immobilised kinase substrates spanning the entire human kinome. Methods CRC cells with or without Lovastatin treatment were used for kinome analysis. Findings on kinome arrays were further confirmed by immunoblotting with activity-specific antibodies. Experiments in different CRC cell lines using immunoblotting, siRNA-mediated knockdown and treatment with specific BMP inhibitor Noggin were performed. The relevance of in vitro findings was confirmed in xenografts and in CRC patients treated with Simvastatin. Results Kinome analysis can distinguish between non-specific, toxic effects caused by 10 µM of Lovastatin and specific effects on cell signalling caused by 2 µM Lovastatin. Statins induce upregulation of PTEN activity leading to downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling. Treatment of cells with the specific BMP inhibitor Noggin as well as PTEN knockdown and transfection of cells with a constitutively active form of AKT abolishes the effect of Lovastatin on mTOR phosphorylation. Experiments in xenografts and in patients treated with Simvastatin confirm statin-mediated BMP pathway activation, activation of PTEN and downregulation of mTOR signalling. Conclusions Statins induce BMP-specific activation of PTEN and inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling in CRC.