Abstract 5434: Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) as a potential target for glutamine addicted cancer cells

Glutamine, a non-essential amino acid, is an important nutrient which is involved in many biochemical pathways such as energy production, macromolecular synthesis, and oxidative stress scavenging. Glutamine metabolism is dysregulated in many cancers which mostly display glutamine addiction for cell proliferation. Thus, glutamine metabolism has become a potential target for treating cancer. Here we report that glutamine-dependent cancer cells are more susceptible for inhibiting cell proliferation with inhibitor treatment of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Protein 1 (TRAP1), a downstream factor of oncogenic c-Myc involved in glutamine metabolism. Using cell proliferation and cell viability assays, we examined growth inhibitory effects of TRAP1 inhibitor, gamitrinib-triphenylphosphonium (G-TPP), on two groups of cell lines, glutamine-deprivation sensitive versus resistant cell lines. Included are cell lines for each group: HCC827 acquired gefitinib resistance and A549 for the sensitive; HuH7 for the resistant group. Glutamine-deprivation sensitive cell lines showed significant growth inhibition with TRAP1 inhibitor treatment while the corresponding resistant group of cell lines showed no growth inhibitory effects in the same treatment condition. This suggests a potential mechanistic connection of TRAP1 to c-Myc regulation in glutamine metabolism. Taken together, this finding provides a better understanding of oncogene-driven glutamine metabolism as well as evidence that TRAP1 is a promising therapeutic target for glutamine addicted cancer cells. Citation Format: Vu T. Vo, Ai N. Phan, Tuyen N. Hua, Yangsik Jeong, Byoung Heon Kang, Hyun-Won Kim, Jong-Whan Choi. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) as a potential target for glutamine addicted cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5434. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5434