Lkb1 Loss Promotes Tumor Progression of BRAFV600E-Induced Lung Adenomas

Abstract

Aberrant activation of MAP kinase signaling pathway and loss of tumor suppressor LKB1 have been implicated in lung cancer development and progression. Although oncogenic KRAS mutations are frequent, BRAF mutations (BRAFV600E) are found in 3% of human non-small cell lung cancers. Contrary to KRAS mutant tumors, BRAFV600E-induced tumors are benign adenomas that fail to progess. Interestingly, loss of tumor supressor LKB1 coexists with KRAS oncogenic mutations and synergizes in tumor formation and progression, however, its cooperation with BRAFV600E oncogene is unknown. Our results describe a lung cell population in neonates mice where expression of BRAFV600E leads to lung adenoma development. Importantly, expression of BRAFV600E concomitant with the loss of only a single-copy of Lkb1, overcomes senencence-like features of BRAFV600E-mutant adenomas leading malignization to carcinomas. These results posit LKB1 haploinsufficiency as a risk factor for tumor progression of BRAFV600E mutated lung adenomas in human cancer patients. © 2013 González-Sánchez et al.