Cited by 38Colorectal Cancer Treatments and StudiesPI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancerLung Cancer Treatments and Mutations

Methylglyoxal Scavengers Resensitize KRAS-Mutated Colorectal Tumors to Cetuximab

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Bellier, Justine, Nokin, Marie-Julie, Caprasse, Maurine, Tiamiou, Assia, Blomme, Arnaud, Scheijen, Jean L., Koopmansch, Benjamin, MacKay, Gillian M. +16 more·2020·Cell Reports

Abstract

The use of cetuximab anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) antibodies has opened the era of targeted and personalized therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC). Poor response rates have been unequivocally shown in mutant KRAS and are even observed in a majority of wild-type KRAS tumors. Therefore, patient selection based on mutational profiling remains problematic. We previously identified methylglyoxal (MGO), a by-product of glycolysis, as a metabolite promoting tumor growth and metastasis. Mutant KRAS cells under MGO stress show AKT-dependent survival when compared with wild-type KRAS isogenic CRC cells. MGO induces AKT activation through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin 2 (mTORC2) and Hsp27 regulation. Importantly, the sole induction of MGO stress in sensitive wild-type KRAS cells renders them resistant to cetuximab. MGO scavengers inhibit AKT and resensitize KRAS-mutated CRC cells to cetuximab in vivo. This study establishes a link between MGO and AKT activation and pinpoints this oncometabolite as a potential target to tackle EGFR-targeted therapy resistance in CRC.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.012

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  • Glycolytic KRAS-mutant cells produce increased amounts of methylglyoxal.

    “Moreover, glycolytic KRAS-mutant cells produce increased amounts of potentially toxic byproducts of glycolysis such as methylglyoxal40.”
  • Methylglyoxal-mediated stress is involved in cancer progression and activates AKT signaling, suggesting that methylglyoxal scavengers may be more effective with AKT inhibitors in KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer cells.

    “Methylglyoxal-mediated stress was shown to be involved in cancer progression41 and to be a potent activator of AKT signaling, suggesting that utilizing methylglyoxal scavengers in KRAS mutant colorectal cancer cells might be more effective when combined with AKT inhibitors40.”
  • Small chemical compounds such as KY7749 and methylglyoxal scavengers resensitize KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer cells to cetuximab in vivo.

    “In addition, small chemical compounds such as KY7749 and methylglyoxal scavengers resensitize KRAS-mutated CRC cells to cetuximab in vivo [48, 89].”
  • The methylglyoxal scavenger carnosine was confirmed to resensitize KRAS-mutated colorectal tumours to cetuximab in vivo.

    “The methylglyoxal scavenger carnosine was confirmed to resensitize KRAS-mutated colorectal tumours to cetuximab in vivo [48].”

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  1. Rodriguez-Viciana, P., Warne, P.H., Dhand, R., Vanhaesebroeck, B., Gout, I., Fry, M.J., Waterfield, M.D., and Downward, J. (1994). Phosphatidylinositol-3OH kinase as a direct target of Ras. Nature 370 , 527-532. http://refhub.elsevier.com/S2211-1247(2030021-8/sref62)

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Authors
Bellier, J., Nokin, M.-J., Caprasse, M., Tiamiou, A., Blomme, A., Scheijen, J. L., Koopmansch, B., MacKay, G. M., Chiavarina, B., Costanza, B., Rademaker, G., Durieux, F., Agirman, F., Maloujahmoum, N., Cusumano, P. G., Lovinfosse, P., Leung, H. Y., Lambert, F., Bours, V., Schalkwijk, C. G., Hustinx, R., Peulen, O., Castronovo, V., & Bellahcène, A.
Affiliations
  • University of Liège (BE)
  • Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute (GB)
  • Maastricht University (NL)
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (BE)
Corresponding author
Bellahcène, Akeila
Venue
Cell Reports
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-02
Volume
30
Issue
5
Pages
1400-1416.e6
ISSN
2211-1247 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3005078956
Cited by
38
References
82
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 1
FWCI
2.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
erratum (2026-07-28)
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Liège) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Beatson Institute for Cancer Research (C596/A17196)
  • Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS
  • Université de Liège
  • Fonds Léon Fredericq
  • Cancer Research UK (A22904)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancer
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Lung Cancer Treatments and Mutations
Keywords
methylglyoxal, cetuximab, KRAS mutation, colorectal cancer, anti-EGFR therapy resistance, Akt activation, HSP27, oncometabolites, drug re-sensitization
MeSH terms
Cetuximab, Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Carnosine, Clone Cells, Enzyme Activation, Glycolysis, Glycosylation, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Pyruvaldehyde, Stress, Physiological, Colorectal Neoplasms, Free Radical Scavengers, Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras), Mice, SCID, Mice, Inbred NOD, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases, Cell Line, Tumor, Cell Proliferation, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt, HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins

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