Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It is also one of the most treatable. But people with advanced cases of the disease often experience only a temporary response to the drug vismodegib, and their tumors recur within a few months as the cancer becomes resistant to the drug.
Now dermatologists Anthony Oro, MD, PhD; Jean Tang, MD, PhD; and Anne Chang, MD, have identified the specific mutations involved in the development of vismodegib resistance, and identified another treatment that may be successful even on vismodegib resistant tumors. They've recently published their findings in Cancer Cell (with an accompanying companion paper and commentary).
From our release:
Approximately 2 million new cases of basal cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year in the United States, making it the most common cancer in the country. About half of patients with advanced basal cell carcinomas will respond to vismodegib, which belongs to a class of drug compounds called Smoothened inhibitors. About 20 percent of these responders will go on to quickly develop resistance to the drug.
Basal cell carcinomas are uniquely dependent on the inappropriate activation of a cellular signaling cascade called the Hedgehog pathway. Blocking signaling along this pathway will stop the growth and spread of the cancer cells. The Hedgehog pathway plays a critical role in normal development. It's also been found to be abnormally active in many other cancers, including pancreatic, colon, lung and breast cancers, as well as in a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma.
The researchers found two classes of mutations in the Smoothened gene that inhibit vismodegib's effectiveness by keeping the Smoothened protein active. Treating the cells with inhibitors that target a portion of the pathway downstream of Smoothened blocked the activation of the pathway even in cells with the mutations. These inhibitors, called Gli antagonists, could be an effective way to treat vismodegib-resistant tumors, the researchers said.
As Oro told me, "This research sheds new light on mechanisms of how tumors evolve to develop drug resistance, and has already helped us with personalized cancer genetics and therapy for our patients. It is now possible for us to identify those people who may benefit from a combination therapy even before they begin treatment."
Previously: Studies show new drug may treat and prevent basal cell carcinoma, New skin cancer target identified by Stanford researchers and Another blow to the Hedgehog pathway? New hope for patients with drug-resistant cancers
Photo of Anthony Oro by Steve Fisch
