Abstract IA06: Molecular mechanisms of lung cancer development: Between metabolic reprogramming and genomic instability in the field of cancerization

Airway epithelial cells are prone to assault by risk factors and considered to be the primary cell type involved in the field of cancerization. To investigate risk-associated changes in the bronchial epithelium proteome that may offer new insights into molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer, proteins were identified in the airway epithelial cells of bronchial brushings specimens from risk-stratified individuals by shotgun proteomics. Differential expression of selected proteins was validated by parallel reaction monitoring mass spectrometry in an independent set of individual bronchial brushings. We identified over 300 proteins with a significant trend in expression. Pathway analysis revealed enrichment of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes in high-risk individuals. Glucose consumption and lactate production were increased in human bronchial epithelial BEAS2B cells treated with cigarette smoke condensate for seven months. Increased lipid biosynthetic capacity and net reductive carboxylation were revealed by metabolic flux analyses of [U-13C5] glutamine in this in vitro model, suggesting profound metabolic reprogramming in the airway epithelium of high-risk individuals. These results also pointed towards a fundamental role of glutamine and cysteine metabolism in lung cancer progression. Two amino acid transporters, specifically SLC1A5 and SLC7A11, captured our attention for their high level of expression in lung cancer. These transporters are associated with worse survival in lung cancer. A small-molecular inhibitor of SLC1A5 prevents tumor progression in nude mice, and a glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 exhibits radiosensitization to lung cancer cells, an effect that may be mediated by decreased GSH production. Taken together, these studies provide a rationale for new chemopreventive strategies, selection of patients for surveillance programs, and determining how metabolic reprogramming may contribute genomic instability a requirement to cancer development. Further investigation into how glutamine and cystine metabolism contribute to lung cancer development and progression may lead to novel early-interception strategies in lung cancer. This work is supported by NCI CA186145, CA152662, and DoD W81XWH-11-2-0161. Citation Format: Jamshed Rahman, Xiangming Ji, Chirayu Patel, Jamey Young, Pierre P. Massion. Molecular mechanisms of lung cancer development: Between metabolic reprogramming and genomic instability in the field of cancerization [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR-IASLC International Joint Conference: Lung Cancer Translational Science from the Bench to the Clinic; Jan 8-11, 2018; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(17_Suppl):Abstract nr IA06.