PXR Modulates the Prostate Cancer Cell Response to Afatinib by Regulating the Expression of the Monocarboxylate Transporter SLC16A1

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Many kinase inhibitors have been tested as potential alternatives for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancers. However, none of these clinical trials led to drug approval despite interesting responses. Our study reveals that genes involved in drug metabolism and their master regulator PXR (Pregnane X Receptor) could be responsible, at least in part, for these disappointing results as they can modulate tumor cell response to specific kinase inhibitors. We found that stable expression of PXR sensitized prostate cancer cells to erlotinib, dabrafenib, and afatinib, while it rendered cells resistant to dasatinib and had no effect for other inhibitors tested. We also report for the first time that sensitization to afatinib is due to an alteration in drug transport that involves the SLC16A1 monocarboxylate transporter. Together, our results further indicate that PXR might be considered as a biomarker of response to kinase inhibitors in castration-resistant prostate cancers. ABSTRACT: Resistance to castration is a crucial issue in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Kinase inhibitors (KIs) have been tested as potential alternatives, but none of them are approved yet. KIs are subject of extensive metabolism at both the hepatic and the tumor level. Here, we studied the role of PXR (Pregnane X Receptor), a master regulator of metabolism, in the resistance to KIs in a prostate cancer setting. We confirmed that PXR is expressed in prostate tumors and is more frequently detected in advanced forms of the disease. We showed that stable expression of PXR in 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells conferred a resistance to dasatinib and a higher sensitivity to erlotinib, dabrafenib, and afatinib. Higher sensitivity to afatinib was due to a ~ 2-fold increase in its intracellular accumulation and involved the SLC16A1 transporter as its pharmacological inhibition by BAY-8002 suppressed sensitization of 22Rv1 cells to afatinib and was accompanied with reduced intracellular concentration of the drug. We found that PXR could bind to the SLC16A1 promoter and induced its transcription in the presence of PXR agonists. Together, our results suggest that PXR could be a biomarker of response to kinase inhibitors in castration-resistant prostate cancers.