LASS2 enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin by inhibiting PP2A-mediated β-catenin dephosphorylation in a subset of stem-like bladder cancer cells

Background: The benefits of first-line, cisplatin-based chemotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer are limited due to intrinsic or acquired resistance to cisplatin. Increasing evidence has revealed the implication of cancer stem cells in the development of chemoresistance. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study investigates the role of LASS2, a ceramide synthase, in regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling in a subset of stem-like bladder cancer cells and explores strategies to sensitize bladder cancer to cisplatin treatment.

Methods: Data from cohorts of our center and published datasets were used to evaluate the clinical characteristics of LASS2. Flow cytometry was used to sort and analyze bladder cancer stem cells (BCSCs). Tumor sphere formation, soft agar colony formation assay, EdU assay, apoptosis analysis, cell viability, and cisplatin sensitivity assay were used to investigate the functional roles of LASS2. Immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, coimmunoprecipitation, LC-MS, PCR array, luciferase reporter assays, pathway reporter array, chromatin immunoprecipitation, gain-of-function, and loss-of-function approaches were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Cell- and patient-derived xenograft models were used to investigate the effect of LASS2 overexpression and a combination of XAV939 on cisplatin sensitization and tumor growth.

Results: Patients with low expression of LASS2 have a poorer response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Loss of LASS2 confers a stem-like phenotype and contributes to cisplatin resistance. Overexpression of LASS2 results in inhibition of self-renewal ability of BCSCs and increased their sensitivity to cisplatin. Mechanistically, LASS2 inhibits PP2A activity and dissociates PP2A from β-catenin, preventing the dephosphorylation of β-catenin and leading to the accumulation of cytosolic phospho-β-catenin, which decreases the transcription of the downstream genes ABCC2 and CD44 in BCSCs. Overexpression of LASS2 combined with a tankyrase inhibitor (XAV939) synergistically inhibits tumor growth and restores cisplatin sensitivity.

Conclusions: Targeting the LASS2 and β-catenin pathways may be an effective strategy to overcome cisplatin resistance and inhibit tumor growth in bladder cancer patients.