Senescence as a therapeutically relevant response to CDK4/6 inhibitors
File(s)CDK46reviewfinal.pdf (1.76 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Gil, Jesus
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) phosphorylate and inhibit retinoblastoma (RB) family proteins. Hyperphosphorylated RB releases E2F transcription factors, activating a transcriptional program that initiates S phase. Due to the critical role that this pathway has in regulating cell cycle progression, inhibiting CDK4/6 is an attractive therapeutic strategy. Indeed, CDK4/6 inhibitors in combination with antiestrogens produce a significant benefit in patients with ER+/HER2− breast cancer. Clinical trials are currently investigating if the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors alone or in combination can be extended to other cancer types. Inhibition of CDK4/6 can result in different cell fates such as quiescence, senescence, or apoptosis. Senescence is a stress response that can be induced by stimuli that include oncogenic activation, chemotherapy, irradiation, and targeted therapies such as CDK4/6 inhibitors. Senescent cells undergo a stable cell cycle arrest and produce a bioactive secretome that remodels their microenvironment and engages the immune system. In this review, we analyze the therapeutic relevance of senescence induction by CDK4/6 inhibitors. We also discuss how different therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors and drugs targeting MEK or PI3K, can be used in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors to reinforce or exploit senescence. Recently, a lot of effort has been put into identifying compounds that selectively kill senescent cells (termed senolytics). Thus, sequential treatment with senolytics might be an additional strategy to potentiate the antitumor effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors.
Date Issued
2020-06-15
Date Acceptance
2020-06-03
Citation
Oncogene, 2020, 39, pp.5165-5176
ISSN
0950-9232
Publisher
Springer Nature [academic journals on nature.com]
Start Page
5165
End Page
5176
Journal / Book Title
Oncogene
Volume
39
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2020. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-020-1354-9
Identifier
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41388-020-1354-9
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oncology
Cell Biology
Genetics & Heredity
DEPENDENT KINASE 4/6
CELLULAR SENESCENCE
BREAST-CANCER
TUMOR-CELLS
STROMAL SENESCENCE
LUNG-CANCER
GROWTH
CDK6
P53
PROLIFERATION
Oncology & Carcinogenesis
1103 Clinical Sciences
1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-06-15