Inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase suppresses fatty acid synthesis and tumor growth of non-small-cell lung cancer in preclinical models

Nat Med. 2016 Oct;22(10):1108-1119. doi: 10.1038/nm.4181. Epub 2016 Sep 19.

Abstract

Continuous de novo fatty acid synthesis is a common feature of cancer that is required to meet the biosynthetic demands of a growing tumor. This process is controlled by the rate-limiting enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), an attractive but traditionally intractable drug target. Here we provide genetic and pharmacological evidence that in preclinical models ACC is required to maintain the de novo fatty acid synthesis needed for growth and viability of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. We describe the ability of ND-646-an allosteric inhibitor of the ACC enzymes ACC1 and ACC2 that prevents ACC subunit dimerization-to suppress fatty acid synthesis in vitro and in vivo. Chronic ND-646 treatment of xenograft and genetically engineered mouse models of NSCLC inhibited tumor growth. When administered as a single agent or in combination with the standard-of-care drug carboplatin, ND-646 markedly suppressed lung tumor growth in the Kras;Trp53-/- (also known as KRAS p53) and Kras;Stk11-/- (also known as KRAS Lkb1) mouse models of NSCLC. These findings demonstrate that ACC mediates a metabolic liability of NSCLC and that ACC inhibition by ND-646 is detrimental to NSCLC growth, supporting further examination of the use of ACC inhibitors in oncology.

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Acetyltransferases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Allosteric Regulation
  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Fatty Acids / biosynthesis*
  • Humans
  • Lipid Metabolism / drug effects*
  • Lipid Metabolism / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics
  • Pyrimidinones / pharmacology*
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Fatty Acids
  • ND-646
  • Pyrimidinones
  • Thiophenes
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Acetyltransferases
  • aminoglycoside N1-acetyltransferase
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Stk11 protein, mouse
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Hras protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ACACB protein, human
  • Acacb protein, mouse
  • Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase