Targeting STAT3 and Oxidative Phosphorylation in Oncogene-Addicted Tumors

Publication date: Available online 13 December 2018Source: Redox BiologyAuthor(s): Matilda Lee, Jayshree L. Hirpara, Jie-Qing Eu, Gautam Sethi, Lingzhi Wang, Boon-Cher Goh, Andrea L. WongAbstractDrug resistance invariably limits the response of oncogene-addicted cancer cells to targeted therapy. The upregulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been implicated as a mechanism of drug resistance in a range of oncogene-addicted cancers. However, the development of inhibitors against STAT3 has been fraught with challenges such as poor delivery or lack of specificity. Clinical experience with small molecule STAT3 inhibitors has seen efficacy signals, but this success has been tempered by drug limiting toxicities from off-target adverse events.It has emerged in recent years that, contrary to the Warburg theory, certain tumor types undergo metabolic reprogramming towards oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to satisfy their energy production. In particular, certain drug-resistant oncogene-addicted tumors have been found to rely on OXPHOS as a mechanism of survival. Multiple cellular signaling pathways converge on STAT3, hence the localization of STAT3 to the mitochondria may provide the link between oncogene-induced signaling pathways and cancer cell metabolism.In this article, we review the role of STAT3 and OXPHOS as targets of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring drug sensitivity in treatment-resistant oncogene-addicted tumor types. Apart...
Source: Redox Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research