Combined Omipalisib and MAPK Inhibition Suppress PDAC Growth

<b>Background</b>: Oncogenic KRAS mutations are nearly ubiquitous in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), yet therapeutic attempts to target KRAS, as well as downstream MAPK pathway effectors, have shown limited clinical success. While KRAS canonically drives MAPK signaling via RAF-MEK-ERK, it is also known to play a role in PI3K-AKT signaling. <b>Methods</b>: Our therapeutic study targeted the PI3K pathway with the drug Omipalisib (p110α/β/δ/γ and mTORC1/2 inhibitor) in combination with two different MAPK pathway inhibitors: Trametinib (MEK1/2 inhibitor) or SHP099-HCL (SHP099; SHP2 inhibitor). Western blot analysis demonstrated that the application of Trametinib or SHP099 alone selectively blocked ERK phosphorylation (pERK) but failed to suppress phosphorylated AKT (pAKT). Conversely, Omipalisib alone successfully inhibited pAKT but failed to suppress pERK. Therefore, we hypothesized that a combination therapeutic comprised of Omipalisib with either Trametinib or SHP099 would inhibit two prominent mitogenic pathways, MAPK and PI3K-AKT, and effectively suppress PDAC growth. <b>Results</b>: In vitro studies demonstrated that, in several cell lines, both Omipalisib/Trametinib and Omipalisib/SHP099 combination therapeutic strategies were more effective than treatment with each drug individually at reducing proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration compared to vehicle controls. In vivo oral administration of combined Omipalisib/Trametinib treatment was significantly more effective than Omipalisib/SHP099 in reducing implanted tumor growth, and the Omipalisib/Trametinib treatment more effectively reduced tumor progression and prolonged survival in an aggressive genetically engineered mouse model of PDAC than either Omipalisib or Trametinib alone. <b>Conclusions</b>: Altogether, our data support a rationale for a dual treatment strategy targeting both PI3K and MAPK pathways in pancreatic cancers.