Myosin II Reactivation and Cytoskeletal Remodeling as a Hallmark and a Vulnerability in Melanoma Therapy Resistance Articles uri icon

authors

  • ORGAZ BUENO, JOSE LUIS
  • CROSAS MOLIST, EVA
  • Karagiannis, Panagiotis
  • LEE, REBECCA
  • Pandya, Pahini
  • BOEHME, LENA
  • WALLBERG, FREDRIK
  • TAPE, CHRIS
  • KARAGIANNIS, SOPHIA N.
  • MALANCHI, ILARIA
  • Sanz-Moreno, Victoria
  • SADOK, AMINE
  • PERDRIX ROSELL, ANNA
  • MAIQUES, OSCAR
  • RODRIGUEZ HERNANDEZ, IRENE
  • MONGER, JO
  • MELE, SILVIA
  • GEORGOULI, MIRELLA
  • BRIDGEMAN, VICTORIA

publication date

  • January 2020

start page

  • 85

end page

  • 103

issue

  • 1

volume

  • 37

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1535-6108

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1878-3686

abstract

  • Despite substantial clinical benefit of targeted and immune checkpoint blockade-based therapies in melanoma, resistance inevitably develops. We show cytoskeletal remodeling and changes in expression and activity of ROCK-myosin II pathway during acquisition of resistance to MAPK inhibitors. MAPK regulates myosin II activity, but after initial therapy response, drug-resistant clones restore myosin II activity to increase survival. High ROCK-myosin II activity correlates with aggressiveness, identifying targeted therapy- and immunotherapy-resistant melanomas. Survival of resistant cells is myosin II dependent, regardless of the therapy. ROCK-myosin II ablation specifically kills resistant cells via intrinsic lethal reactive oxygen species and unresolved DNA damage and limits extrinsic myeloid and lymphoid immunosuppression. Efficacy of targeted therapies and immunotherapies can be improved by combination with ROCK inhibitors.

subjects

  • Biology and Biomedicine