Cyst(e)inase-Rapamycin Combination Induces Ferroptosis in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer

Baris Kerimoglu, Candice Lamb, Ryan D. McPherson, Ergul Ergen, Everett M. Stone, Aikseng Ooi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Renal cell carcinomas associated with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) are notoriously aggressive and represent the leading cause of death among patients with HLRCC. To date, a safe and effective standardized therapy for this tumor type is lacking. Here we show that the engineered synthetic therapeutic enzyme, Cyst(e)inase, when combined with rapamycin, can effectively induce ferroptosis in HLRCC cells in vivo. The drug combination promotes lipid peroxidation to a greater degree than cysteine deprivation or Cyst(e)inase treatment alone, while rapamycin treatment alone does not induce ferroptosis. Mechanistically, Cyst(e)inase induces ferroptosis by depleting the exogenous cysteine/ cystine supply, while rapamycin reduces cellular ferritin level by promoting ferritins' destruction via ferritinophagy. Since both Cyst (e)inase and rapamycin are well tolerated clinically, the combination represents an opportunity to exploit ferroptosis induction as a cancer management strategy. Accordingly, using a xenograft mouse model, we showed that the combination treatment resulted in tumor growth suppression without any notable side effects. In contrast, both Cyst(e)inase only and rapamycin only treatment groups failed to induce a significant change when compared with the vehicle control group. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of Cyst(e) inase-rapamycin combination in inducing ferroptotic cell death in vivo, supporting the potential translation of the combination therapy into clinical HLRCC management.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)419-426
Number of pages8
JournalMolecular Cancer Therapeutics
Volume21
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cyst(e)inase-Rapamycin Combination Induces Ferroptosis in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this