Paclitaxel-induced mitotic arrest results in a convergence of apoptotic dependencies that can be safely exploited by BCL-XL degradation to overcome cancer chemoresistance

Abstract

Paclitaxel and other microtubule-targeting agents are cornerstone therapies for diverse cancers, including lung, breast, cervical, pancreatic, and ovarian malignancies. Paclitaxel induces tumor cell apoptosis during mitosis by disrupting microtubule dynamics required for chromosome segregation. However, despite initial responsiveness, many tumors develop resistance, limiting therapeutic durability. Here, we used high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), the most common and lethal subtype of ovarian cancer, as a model to dissect the mechanisms underlying this resistance. We find that paclitaxel-induced mitotic arrest triggers degradation of the pro-survival protein MCL-1 and upregulation of BCL-XL, followed by inactivating phosphorylation of BCL-XL at Ser62 to promote apoptosis. In resistant cells, this MCL-1 downregulation is insufficient to commit cells to apoptosis but instead results in a transient convergence of apoptotic dependencies by forcing BCL-XL to sequester the pro-apoptotic proteins BIM, BAX, and BAK. During this state, BCL-XL inhibition induces synergistic apoptosis, even in chemoresistant cells. Surprisingly, we also discover that loss of substrate attachment recapitulates this apoptotic convergence both in vitro and in vivo, with HGSOC cells growing in metastasis-promoting malignant ascites displaying heightened apoptotic priming and dependence on BCL-XL relative to solid tumors. In HGSOC xenografts, targeted degradation of BCL-XL using the platelet-sparing proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) DT2216 matches the efficacy of paclitaxel monotherapy while avoiding the chronic thrombocytopenia induced by BCL-XL inhibitors such as navitoclax (ABT-263). Strikingly, combination therapy leveraging the synergy between paclitaxel and DT2216 leads to complete eradication of HGSOC cell line and patient-derived xenografts. Moreover, DT2216 treatment blunts the rapid apoptotic adaptation caused by other BCL-XL inhibitors, indicating that targeted degradation of pro-survival proteins may yield more durable responses than inhibition alone. These findings uncover a mechanistic framework for safely exploiting the apoptotic dependency convergence caused by mitotic arrest and substrate detachment and support the clinical development of BCL-XL-targeting PROTACs to overcome chemoresistance in ovarian cancer and other solid tumors.