HNF1A is a novel BRD4 target and critical for BET-inhibitor response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an exceedingly lethal cancer that lacks actionable molecular drivers, limiting precision treatment options. We previously identified the transcription factor, HNF1A, as a novel driver of tumorigenesis and pancreatic cancer stem cell (PCSC) properties in PDAC; however, HNF1A-targeting modalities do not currently exist. Here we show that HNF1A is a direct target of the epigenetic reader protein, BRD4, and its expression is exquisitely sensitive to BET-inhibitors (BETi), which inhibit PDAC cell proliferation and block PCSC-properties in a panel of HNF1A-expressing cell lines and patient-derived xenograft cells. Remarkably, we report that the antineoplastic activity of BETi/BRD4 knockdown can be overcome by restoration of HNF1A expression, but not by re-expression of canonical BETi target MYC. RNA-sequencing analyses revealed that a subset of BETi-responsive transcripts is dependent on HNF1A expression, including receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), regulators and ligands. Consistent with these data, we found that HNF1A restoration rescued EGFR/ERBB3-signaling and the protective effects of HNF1A restoration could be overcome with EGFR-inhibitors. Furthermore, we found that expressions of HNF1A, BRD4, and ERBB3 were strongly correlated across PDAC patient samples using multispectral immunofluorescence, supporting a connection between these players in PDAC biology, and high expression of ERBB3 associated with better survival, supporting the clinical importance of this network in patient outcomes. These findings demonstrate that BETi can be used to ablate HNF1A expression and that the inhibition of HNF1A is critical for BETi activity, while supporting HNF1A as novel therapeutic target in PDAC. SignificanceThis study demonstrates that the oncogenic transcription factor HNF1A is a direct target of BRD4, and that the ablation of HNF1A by BET-inhibitors is central to their antineoplastic activity in PDAC.