LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) and p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) are often over-expressed in breast tumors, which causes aggressive cancer phenotypes and unfavorable clinical outcomes. In addition to the well-defined role in regulating cell division, proliferation and invasion, the two kinases promote activation of the MAPK pathway and cause endocrine resistance through phosphorylating estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). PAK4 specifically phosphorylates LIMK1 and its functional partners, indicating possible value of suppressing both kinases in cancers that over-express PAK4 and/or LIMK1. Here, for the first time, we assessed the impact of combining LIMK1 inhibitor LIMKi 3 and PAK4 inhibitor PF-3758309 in preclinical breast cancer models. LIMK1 and PAK4 pharmacological inhibition synergistically reduced the survival of various cancer cell lines, exhibiting specific efficacy in luminal and HER2-enriched models, and suppressed development and ERα-driven signals in a BT474 xenograft model. In silico analysis demonstrated the cell lines with reliance on LIMK1 were the most prone to be susceptible to PAK4 inhibition. Double LIMK1 and PAK4 targeting therapy can be a successful therapeutic strategy for breast cancer, with a unique efficiency in the subtypes of luminal and HER2-enriched tumors.
Keywords: Breast cancer; Estrogen receptor alpha; LIM kinase 1; Targeted therapy; p21-activated kinase 4.
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