Metformin reverses PARP inhibitors-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and PD-L1 upregulation in triple-negative breast cancer

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have emerged as promising targeted therapies for BRCA-mutated cancers by blocking repair of DNA double-strand breaks. However, resistance to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) has been described in some patients lowering the overall response rates. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of PARPi resistance, we developed the adaptive resistant clones in triple negative breast cancer cell lines. We identified epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upregulation of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in resistant cells and further demonstrated the important role of Akt S473 phosphorylation in PARPi resistance. In addition, PARPi mediated EMT is independent of PD-L1 upregulation. Blocking the p-Akt S473 axis by metformin reversed EMT and PD-L1 expression which sensitized PARPi resistant cells to cytotoxic T cells. Thus, a combination of metformin and PARP inhibitors may be a promising therapeutic strategy to increase the efficacy of PARP inhibitors and tumor sensitivity to immunotherapy.