Combined inhibition of SHP2 and ERK enhances anti-tumor effects in preclinical models

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Combined inhibition of SHP2 and ERK enhances anti-tumor effects in preclinical models

Summary

MAPK signalling is frequently dysregulated in cancer. The pathway can Panel composition and the number of responding cell lines Examples of dose-response curves Anti-tumor activity of SHP2i, ASTX029 and combination in MIA PaCa-2 xenograft be targeted by inhibition of different nodes and is tightly regulated by feedback mechanisms. Resistance to single-agent therapies frequently occurs through several different mechanisms including upregulation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), therefore, combination therapies are of interest.

The Src homology region 2 (SH2)-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is a key regulator of MAPK pathway downstream of RTKs and upstream of RAS, whilst ERK acts at the bottom of the pathway phosphorylating multiple substrates.

We investigated the potential of targeting the MAPK pathway through a combination of SHP2 and ERK inhibition in preclinical models. Using a SHP2 inhibitor (SHP2i) discovered by our structure-based drug discovery programme and ASTX029, an ERK inhibitor in a Phase I-II clinical trial (NCT03520075), we tested panels of cell lines representing various indications and genetic backgrounds in vitro and confirmed enhanced tumor growth inhibition by the combination in a xenograft model.