Characterizing the Role of PI3'-Kinase Signaling in BRAF-Mutated Melanoma

Phosphatidylinositide 3’ (PI3’)-lipid signaling cooperates with oncogenic BRAFV600E to promote melanomagenesis. Sustained PI3’-lipid production commonly occurs via silencing of the PI3’-lipid phosphatase PTEN or, less commonly, through mutational activation of PIK3CA, encoding the 110kDa catalytic subunit of PI3’-kinase-α (PI3Kα). To define the PI3K catalytic isoform dependency of BRAF-mutated melanoma, we utilized pharmacologic, isoform-selective PI3K inhibitors in conjunction with melanoma-derived cell lines and genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models. While BRAFV600E/PIK3CAH1047R melanomas were sensitive to the anti-proliferative effects of selective PI3Kblockade, inhibition of BRAFV600E/PTENNull melanoma proliferation required combined blockade of PI3Kα, δ and γ, and was insensitive to PI3Kβ blockade. In GEM models, isoform-selective PI3K inhibition elicited cytostatic effects, but significantly potentiated melanoma regression in response to BRAFV600E pathway-targeted inhibition. Interestingly, PI3K inhibition forestalled the onset of MEK inhibitor resistance in two independent GEM models of BRAFV600E-driven melanoma. These results suggest that combination therapy with PI3K inhibitors may be a useful strategy to extend the duration of clinical response of BRAF-mutated melanoma patients to BRAFV600E pathway-targeted therapies