Combined inhibition of KRASG12C and mTORC1 kinase is synergistic in non-small cell lung cancer

Current KRAS(G12C) (OFF) inhibitors that target inactive GDP-bound KRAS(G12C) cause responses in less than half of patients and these responses are not durable. A class of RAS(G12C) (ON) inhibitors that targets active GTP-bound KRAS(G12C) blocks ERK signaling more potently than the inactive-state inhibitors. Sensitivity to either class of agents is strongly correlated with inhibition of mTORC1 activity. We have previously shown that PI3K/mTOR and ERK-signaling pathways converge on key cellular processes and that inhibition of both pathways is required for inhibition of these processes and for significant antitumor activity. We find here that the combination of a KRAS(G12C) inhibitor with a selective mTORC1 kinase inhibitor causes synergistic inhibition of Cyclin D1 expression and cap-dependent translation. Moreover, BIM upregulation by KRAS(G12C) inhibition and inhibition of MCL-1 expression by the mTORC1 inhibitor are both required to induce significant cell death. In vivo, this combination causes deep, durable tumor regressions and is well tolerated. This study suggests that the ERK and PI3K/mTOR pathways each mitigate the effects of inhibition of the other and that combinatorial inhibition is a potential strategy for treating KRAS(G12C)-dependent lung cancer.