Mechanistically, basroparib suppressed Wnt-mediated cancer stemness, a bypass mechanism for acquired resistance to MEK inhibitors in KRAS-mutated CRC. This study provides the first preclinical evidence of the relevance of basroparib in treating CRC with acquired resistance to MEK inhibitors due to APC and KRAS mutations, possibly by reducing the Wnt-mediated cancer stemness.
These results demonstrate that STP1002, a novel, orally active tankyrase inhibitor, shows preclinical antitumour efficacy without on-target toxicity in the GI tract. Our data provide a rationale for a clinical trial on STP1002 as a potential tankyrase-targeted drug in patients with APC-mutated CRC.