PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to increase anticancer activities and reduce cardiotoxicity during doxorubicin and trastuzumab, as sequential treatment, through MyD88/NF-kB/mTORC1 pathways.

Authors

null

Vincenzo Quagliariello

Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy

Vincenzo Quagliariello , Simona Buccolo , Martina Iovine , Andrea Paccone , Annamaria Bonelli , Ernesta Cavalcanti , Domenica Rea , Michelino De Laurentiis , Gerardo Botti , Nicola Maurea

Organizations

Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy, Division of Cardiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori –IRCCS- Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione “G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”-IRCCS, Naples, Animal Facility, Naples, Italy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale"-Breast Oncology Unit, Naples, Italy, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Napoli Irccs Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”-IRCCS, Naples, Division of Cardiology, Naples, Italy

Research Funding

Other
Italian Ministry of Health

Background: Inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has emerged as a novel therapy to treat hypercholesterolaemia and related cardiovascular diseases. Evolocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases when added to maximally tolerated statin therapy (± ezetimibe), and recent data from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial indicate that alirocumab added to maximally tolerated statin therapy (± other lipid-lowering drugs) reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome. Methods: Human fetal cardiomyocytes (HFC cell line), human HER2+ breast cancer cells were exposed to subclinical concentration of doxorubicin, trastuzumab, sequential treatment of both (all 100 nM), alone or in combination with evolocumab (50 nM) for 24 and 48h. After the incubation period, we performed the following tests: determination of cell viability, through analysis of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, study of lipid peroxidation (quantifying cellular Malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal), intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Moreover, pro-inflammatory studied were also performed (activation of NLRP3 inflammasome; expression of TLR4/MyD88; mTORC1 Fox01/3a; transcriptional activation of p65/NF-κB and secretion of cytokines involved in cardiotoxicity (Interleukins 1β, 8, 6). Results: Evolocumab co-incubated with doxorubicin alone or in sequence with trastuzumab exerts cardioprotective effects, enhancing cell viability of 35-43% compared to untreated cells (p < 0,05 for all); in cardiomyocytes Evolocumab reduced significantly the cardiotoxicity through MyD88/NF-KB/cytokines axis and mTORC1 Fox01/3α mediated mechanisms. In human HER2+ breast cancer cells, co-exposure of Evolocumab with doxorubicin and trastuzumab increased significantly cell apoptosis and necrosis through the involvement of key cytokines involved in chemoresistence. Conclusions: We demonstrated, for the first time, that the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab exerts direct effects in cardiomyocytes and human HER2+ breast cancer cells during doxorubicin and trastuzumab exposure turning on a new light on its possible use in the management of breast cancer therapies.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2021 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Publication Only

Session Title

Publication Only: Developmental Therapeutics—Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology

Track

Developmental Therapeutics—Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology

Sub Track

New Targets and New Technologies (non-IO)

Citation

J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr e15039)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.e15039

Abstract #

e15039

Abstract Disclosures