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BRAF V600 and ErbB inhibitors directly activate GCN2 in an off-target manner to limit cancer cell proliferation

Ill, C. R.; Marikar, N. C.; Nguyen, V.; Nangia, V.; Darnell, A. M.; Vander Heiden, M. G.; Reigan, P.; Spencer, S. L.

2024-12-20 cancer biology
10.1101/2024.12.19.629301 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Targeted kinase inhibitors are well known for their promiscuity and off-target effects. Herein, we define an off-target effect in which several clinical BRAFV600 inhibitors, including the widely used dabrafenib and encorafenib, interact directly with GCN2 to activate the Integrated Stress Response and ATF4. Blocking this off-target effect by co-drugging with a GCN2 inhibitor in A375 melanoma cells causes enhancement rather than suppression of cancer cell outgrowth, suggesting that the off-target activation of GCN2 is detrimental to these cells. This result is mirrored in PC9 lung cancer cells treated with erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor, that shares the same off-target activation of GCN2. Using an in silico kinase inhibitor screen, we identified dozens of FDA-approved drugs that appear to share this off-target activation of GCN2 and ATF4. Thus, GCN2 activation may modulate the therapeutic efficacy of some kinase inhibitors, depending on the cancer context.

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