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Copper bioavailability is a KRAS-specific vulnerability in colorectal cancer.

Despite its importance in human cancers, including colorectal cancers (CRC), oncogenic KRAS has been extremely challenging to target therapeutically. To identify potential vulnerabilities in KRAS-mutated CRC, we characterize the impact of oncogenic KRAS on the cell surface of intestinal epithelial cells. Here we show that oncogenic KRAS alters the expression of a myriad of cell-surface proteins implicated in diverse biological functions, and identify many potential surface-accessible therapeutic targets. Cell surface-based loss-of-function screens reveal that ATP7A, a copper-exporter upregulated by mutant KRAS, is essential for neoplastic growth. ATP7A is upregulated at the surface of KRAS-mutated CRC, and protects cells from excess copper-ion toxicity. We find that KRAS-mutated cells acquire copper via a non-canonical mechanism involving macropinocytosis, which appears to be required to support their growth. Together, these results indicate that copper bioavailability is a KRAS-selective vulnerability that could be exploited for the treatment of KRAS-mutated neoplasms.

Date de publication
24 juillet 2020
Chercheur(euse)s
Aubert L, Nandagopal N, Steinhart Z, Lavoie G, Nourreddine S, Berman J, Saba-El-Leil MK, Papadopoli D, Lin S, Hart T, Macleod G, Topisirovic I, Gaboury L, Fahrni CJ, Schramek D, Meloche S, Angers S, Roux PP
Référence PubMed
Nat Commun 2020;11(1):3701
ID PubMed
32709883
Affiliation
Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, 2950, Chemin de la Polytechnique, Montréal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada.