GSK-3? Can Regulate the Sensitivity of MIA-PaCa-2 Pancreatic and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Targeted Therapeutics and Nutraceuticals

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a regulator of signaling pathways. KRas is frequently mutated in pancreatic cancers. The growth of certain pancreatic cancers is KRas-dependent and can be suppressed by GSK-3 inhibitors, documenting a link between KRas and GSK-3. To further elucidate the roles of GSK-3? in drug-resistance, we transfected KRas-dependent MIA-PaCa-2 pancreatic cells with wild-type (WT) and kinase-dead (KD) forms of GSK-3?. Transfection of MIA-PaCa-2 cells with WT-GSK-3? increased their resistance to various chemotherapeutic drugs and certain small molecule inhibitors. Transfection of cells with KD-GSK-3? often increased therapeutic sensitivity. An exception was observed with cells transfected with WT-GSK-3? and sensitivity to the BCL2/BCLXL ABT737 inhibitor. WT-GSK-3? reduced glycolytic capacity of the cells but did not affect the basal glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. KD-GSK-3? decreased both basal glycolysis and glycolytic capacity and reduced mitochondrial respiration in MIA-PaCa-2 cells. As a comparison, the effects of GSK-3 on MCF-7 breast cancer cells, which have mutant PIK3CA, were examined. KD-GSK-3? increased the resistance of MCF-7 cells to chemotherapeutic drugs and certain signal transduction inhibitors. Thus, altering the levels of GSK-3? can have dramatic effects on sensitivity to drugs and signal transduction inhibitors which may be influenced by the background of the tumor.