The Ras inhibitor farnesylthiosalicylic acid as a potential therapy for neurofibromatosis type 1.

Purpose: Farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS) is a Ras inhibitor that dislodges all active Ras isoforms from the membrane. We assessed the ability of FTS to reverse the transformed phenotype of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-associated tumor cell lines of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST).

Experimental Design: nf1 mutations were genotyped, allelic losses were analyzed, and neurofibromin expression levels were determined in MPNST cell lines ST88-14, S265P21, and 90-8. The effects of FTS on GTP-bound Ras (Ras-GTP) and its prominent downstream targets, as well as on cell morphology, anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth, and tumor growth in mice, were assessed.

Results: The MPNST cell lines were biallelic, NF1 inactive, and neurofibromin deficient. We show that FTS treatment shortened the relatively long duration of Ras activation and signaling to extracellular signal-regulated kinase, Akt, and RalA in all NF1-deficient MPNST cell lines (NF1 cells) to that observed in a non-NF1, normally expressing neurofibromin MPNST cell line. These effects of FTS led to lower steady-state levels of Ras-GTP and its activated targets. Both anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth of NF1 cells were dose dependently inhibited by FTS, and the inhibition correlated positively with Ras-GTP levels. NF1 cells were found to possess strong actin stress fibers, and this phenotype was also corrected by FTS. NF1 tumor growth in a nude mouse model was inhibited by oral FTS.

Conclusions: FTS treatment of NF1 cells normalized Ras-GTP levels, resulting in reversal of the transformed phenotype and inhibition of tumor growth. FTS may therefore be considered as a potential drug for the treatment of NF1.