Dual PI3K/mTOR inhibition is required to combat resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitor and endocrine therapy in PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer

Sci Transl Med. 2025 Dec 17;17(829):eadp5088. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adp5088. Epub 2025 Dec 17.

Abstract

Combined CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) and endocrine therapy (ET) improves outcomes in advanced estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, but emergence of resistance to this combination underscores the pressing need for alternative therapeutic strategies. A promising approach involves adding an inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to the standard combined CDK4/6i and ET, but selecting the most effective inhibitors and their optimal combinations has proven to be challenging. Here, we compared the efficacy of various triple combinations using single- or dual-point PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors in breast cancer cell lines, cell line xenografts, patient-derived xenografts, and organoids resistant to CDK4/6i and ET and exhibiting PIK3CA, PTEN, or AKT1 mutations. PIK3CA-mutant, PTEN-wild type, CDK4/6i-resistant, and ET-resistant models required the addition of the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor gedatolisib to effectively impede tumor growth by blocking the HIF-1α pathway through both mTORC1 inhibition and PI3K/AKT-mediated modulation of GSK3α/β activity. Conversely, PIK3CA-wild type, PTEN-null cells benefited from triple combinations incorporating either the AKT inhibitor capivasertib or the dual mTORC1/2 inhibitor sapanisertib to block tumor growth. In addition, gedatolisib reduced viability of PIK3CA- or AKT1-mutant and PTEN-wild type CDK4/6i-resistant patient-derived organoids compared with the α-specific PI3K inhibitor alpelisib. Our data support the higher efficacy of gedatolisib over alpelisib in ER+ breast tumors harboring alterations of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway including PIK3CA or AKT1 mutations.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases* / genetics
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases* / metabolism
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4* / metabolism
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6* / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm* / drug effects
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm* / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • MTOR Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • MTOR Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Mice
  • Morpholines
  • Mutation* / genetics
  • Organoids / drug effects
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Purines / pharmacology
  • Purines / therapeutic use
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases* / metabolism
  • Triazines
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4
  • PIK3CA protein, human
  • MTOR Inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Purines
  • gedatolisib
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Morpholines
  • Triazines