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Oncologist
ABSTRACT
The phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) pathway has
been identified as an important target in breast cancer
research for a number of years, but is new to most clinicians responsible for the daily challenges of breast
cancer management. In fact, the PI3K pathway is probably one of the most important pathways in cancer metabolism and growth. Mutations in the PI3K pathway
are frequent in breast cancer, causing resistance to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2targeted
agents and, possibly, to hormonal agents as well. Available agents that affect the PI3K pathway include monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, as well
as PI3K inhibitors, Akt inhibitors, rapamycin analogs,
and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) catalytic
inhibitors. Multiple PI3K inhibitors are currently under development, including pure PI3K inhibitors, compounds that block both PI3K and mTOR (dual
inhibitors), pure catalytic mTOR inhibitors, and inhibitors that block Akt. It is likely that these agents will
have to be given in combination with other signal inhibitors because anti-mTOR agents and PI3K inhibitors
may result in the activation of compensatory feedback
loops that would in turn result in decreased efficacy.
This article reviews current data related to the PI3K
pathway, its role in breast cancer, the frequency with
which PI3K is aberrant in breast cancer, and the potential clinical implications of using agents that target the
PI3K pathway. The Oncologist 2011;16(suppl 1):1219
INTRODUCTION
The PI3Ks are a family of lipid kinases whose primary biochemical function is to phosphorylate the 3-hydroxyl group
of phosphoinositides [1]. Class IA PI3Ks, deregulated in
cancer, are heterodimers comprised of a regulatory subunit
(referred to as p85) and a catalytic subunit (p110). Activation of PI3Ks is initiated when a growth factor or ligand
binds to its cognate receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK). These
receptors include members of the human epidermal growth
factor receptor (HER) family, and the insulin and insulin-
Correspondence: Jos Baselga, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. Telephone: 617-643-2438; Fax: 617-643-9686; e-mail: jbaselga@partners.org, AlphaMed Press
1083-7159/2011/$30.00/0 doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2011-S1-12
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Table 1. Frequency of mutations in the PIK3CA and PTEN genes in 547 human breast cancers
Mutation
Breast cancer subtype
PIK3CA other
PIK3CA total
PTEN
HR
ERPR
ERPR
ERPR
HER2
Triple negative
73/547 (13.3%)
48/232 (20.7%)
39/186 (21%)
9/41 (22%)
0/5 (0%)
13/75 (17.3%)
12/240 (5.0%)
44/547 (8.0%)
32/232 (13.8%)
22/186 (11.8%)
10/41 (24.4%)
0/5 (0%)
4/75 (5.3%)
8/240 (3.3%)
117/547 (21.4%)
80/232 (34.5%)
61/186 (32.8%)
19/41 (46.3%)
0/5 (0%)
17/75 (22.7%)
20/240 (8.3%)
2/88 (2.3%)
2/58 (3.4%)
1/48 (2.1%)
1/8 (12.5%)
0/2 (0%)
0/10 (0%)
0/20 (0%)
From Stemke-Hale K, Gonzalez-Angulo AM, Lluch A et al. An integrative genomic and proteomic analysis of PIK3CA,
PTEN, and AKT mutations in breast cancer. Cancer Res 2008;68:6084 6091, with permission.
Baselga
www.TheOncologist.com
tion is more efficient at blocking proliferation and correlates with the observed greater clinical benefit of the
combination treatment.
Based on these data, a number of ongoing phase III studies are exploring the efficacy of everolimus in patients with
metastatic ER breast cancer. Although fewer data are
available with trastuzumab and mTOR blockade, a phase I
study was conducted in patients who were largely resistant
to paclitaxel and had prior exposure to trastuzumab. With
the addition of everolimus, the activity demonstrated was
quite remarkable [9]. Based on these findings, additional
studies are being conducted in the HER2 metastatic setting.
Meanwhile, an important pharmacodynamic finding in
the initial metastatic and neoadjuvant studies was the observation that, upon mTOR blockade with everolimus,
there was an increase in the activated phosphorylated form
of Akt (pAkt). Figure 5 shows Akt phosphorylation status
prior to and during therapy, demonstrating an increase in
pAkt in everolimus-treated patients [10] (Fig. 5). We had
identified a potential explanation for what was at first a
counterintuitive finding: S6, a molecule that is immediately
downstream from and activated by mTOR, suppresses signaling of IGF-1R via suppression of IRS1. The blockade of
mTOR and the resulting inhibition of S6 causes a negative
feedback loop effect, and IGF-1R becomes activated,
which in turns results in increased PI3K signaling and activation of Akt (Fig. 6). The activation of this compensatory
pathway (Fig. 7) could be, in part, responsible for the limited activity that this class of agents has shown against
breast cancer to date [11]. In preclinical models, the activation of this compensatory pathway is totally prevented by
anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibodies and there is strong evidence that combining antiIGF-1R monoclonal antibodies
and mTOR inhibitors results in synergism [12]. This combination is currently being explored in a phase I clinical
trial, and remarkable activity has been observed in patients
with ER luminal B breast cancer [13]. Another equally appealing approach would be the use of PI3K inhibitors in
combination with mTOR inhibitors.
15
16
Figure 4. Phase 2 neoadjuvant everolimus (RAD001) breast cancer study: Change in Ki67.
The agent, which can be administered orally, does not inhibit mTOR or the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signalrelated kinase kinase pathway, and has
demonstrated preclinical efficacy in PI3K, PTEN, and
KRAS mutant xenografts. Initial phase I studies have demonstrated an adequate safety profile.
In a single-agent dose-escalation study, two XL147 dosing
schedules were investigated. These include 20 days on and 7
days off (21/7) and a continuous daily schedule. The first study
also included a cohort expansion in patients with non-small
cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and lymphoma [14]. A second
study in NSCLC patients is being expanded, combining
XL147 with erlotinib [15]. A third study is combining XL147
with paclitaxel and carboplatin, with cohort expansions in patients with endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and NSCLC [16].
In the first study, 48 patients were enrolled by the time
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the 21/7 dosing schedule. The trial is still ongoing with continuous daily dosing. A dose-limiting toxicity of rash was
reported. For the most part, however, the compound is well
tolerated. There is excellent pharmacodynamic clinical evidence of inhibition of the pathway, in addition to evidence
of clinical activity [14].
Clinical responses have been reported in a patient with
NSCLC and also in a proportion of patients with longstanding, stable disease 12 weeks.
Interestingly, the compound also inhibits extracellular signalrelated kinase (ERK) signaling, as seen by immunochemistry [14]. Inhibition of ERK signaling is not
seen with mTOR inhibitors, which actually activate the
pERK pathway, and likewise has not been reported with
other PI3K inhibitors. Potential mechanisms leading to
this lack of ERK activation are unknown.
Another compound, XL765, is a dual mTOR and PI3K in-
18
REFERENCES
Eichhorn PJ, Gili M, Scaltriti M et al. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase hyperactivation results in lapatinib resistance that is reversed by the mTOR/
phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor NVP-BEZ235. Cancer Res 2008;
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC). Available at: http://www.sanger.ac.uk/genetics/CGP/
cosmic/, accessed March 9, 2010.
CONCLUSIONS
Mutations in the PI3K pathway are frequent in breast
cancer and result in resistance to HER2-targeted agents
and, possibly, to hormonal agents as well. Anti-mTOR
agents have clinical activity against breast cancer, but activation of feedback loops may result in decreased efficacy.
In phase I studies, the PI3K inhibitors XL147 and
XL765 have been shown to effectively block the PI3K and
ERK pathways, and they have demonstrated signs of clinical activity. Phase II clinical trials with XL147 are under
way in two settingsin hormone-refractory disease and
also in patients who have failed trastuzumab. Trial results
are awaited to determine the role of these new agents in
clinical practice.
68:92219230.
hibitor. In terms of mTOR inhibition, this is a catalytic inhibitor of TORC1 and TORC2, as opposed to the rapamycin
analogs described above that target solely TORC1. Like
XL147, the agent is designed for oral administration and has
demonstrated clinical efficacy in a variety of models.
There are a number of phase I clinical trials currently
under way with XL765. The first study is looking at different dosing schedules daily or twice a day [17]. Other
studies are investigating XL765 in combination with temozolomide in glioblastoma multiforme patients [18], and in
combination with erlotinib, with expansions in NSCLC patients [19]. At the time of the last report at the 2009 ASCO
meeting, 51 patients had been enrolled. An MTD of 50 mg
twice daily was identified, and the first study is still enrolling on a daily schedule.
With XL765, dose-limiting toxicities have included
transaminase elevations at higher dose levels. These were reversible and not seen at lower levels. Excellent pharmacodynamic activity has been observed in normal and tumor tissue,
and some evidence of clinical antitumor activity has been observed as well, including in patients with KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer. Impressive inhibition of the pathway was seen
by examining pAkt and pEBP1. Similar findings were also observed with respect to ERK inhibition.
Based on these promising initial clinical data, phase II
studies are now open or about to be open to enrollment for
patients with ER/progesterone receptor (PR) breast cancer, and in those with HER2 disease. Although these trials
will initially enroll a wide patient population, potential enrollees will eventually undergo real-time advanced tumor
genotyping in order to select for patients with tumors with
either PI3K mutations or PTEN deletions. Hence, it is anticipated that a number of patients in each cohort will have
PI3K mutations, so that patients with a higher likelihood of
benefiting may be included in the study.
A phase I/II randomized study of letrozole and XL147
versus letrozole and XL765 is also planned. This interesting
design will pose the question of whether it is better to inhibit
PI3K alone or PI3K and mTOR when given in combination
with hormonal therapy. Although the study design was still
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11 Tabernero J, Rojo F, Calvo E et al. Dose- and schedule-dependent inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway with everolimus: A
phase I tumor pharmacodynamic study in patients with advanced solid tumors. J Clin Oncol 2008;26:16031610.
12 Di Cosimo S, Scaltriti M, Val D et al. The PI3-K/AKT/mTOR pathway as
a target for breast cancer therapy. J Clin Oncol 2007;25(suppl 18):3511.
13 Di Cosimo S, Bendell JC, Cervantes-Ruiperez et al. A phase I study of the
oral mTOR inhibitor ridaforolimus (RIDA) in combination with the
www.TheOncologist.com
16 Wheler JJ, Traynor AM, Bailey HH et al. A phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) study of the PI3K inhibitor XL147 (SAR245408) in combination with paclitaxel (P) and carboplatin (C) in patients with advanced solid
tumors. Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(suppl 1):B247.
17 LoRusso P. A phase I dose-escalation study of the safety, pharmacokinetics
(PK), and pharmacodynamics of XL765, a PI3K/TORC1/TORC2 inhibitor
administered orally to patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors. J Clin Oncol 2009;27(15 suppl):3502.
18 Wen PY, Omuro AM, Batchelor TT et al. A Phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetic study of XL765 (SAR245409), a novel PI3K/TORC1/TORC2 inhibitor, in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) in patients (pts) with
malignant glioma. Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(suppl 1):B265.
19 Janne PA, Felip E, Cedres S et al. A phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetic
(PK) study of PI3K/TORC1/TORC2 inhibitor, XL765 (SAR245409), in
combination with erlotinib in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumors.
Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(suppl 1):A254.
15 Faulkner N, LoRusso PM, Guthrie T et al. A phase 1 safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) study of the PI3K inhibitor XL147 (SAR245408) in combination with erlotinib in patients with advanced solid tumors. Mol Cancer Ther
2009;8(suppl 1):C197.