Targeting Src reactivates pyroptosis to reverse chemoresistance in lung and pancreatic cancer models

Pancreatic and lung cancers frequently develop resistance to chemotherapy-induced cell Apoptosis during the treatment, indicating that targeting nonapoptotic-related pathways, such as Pyroptosis, can be an alternative Cancer treatment strategy. Pyroptosis is a gasdermin-driven lytic programmed cell death triggered by inflammatory caspases when initiated by canonical or noncanonical pathways that has been recently seen as a potential therapeutic target in Cancer treatment. However, overcoming chemoresistance in cancers by modulating Pyroptosis has not been explored. Here, we demonstrate that β5-integrin represses chemotherapy-induced canonical Pyroptosis to confer Cancer chemoresistance through ASAH2-driven sphingolipid metabolic reprogramming. Clinically, high β5-integrin expression associates with poor patient prognosis and chemotherapeutic responses in cancers. In addition, chemoresistant cells in vitro fail to undergo chemotherapy-induced Pyroptosis, which is controlled by β5-integrin. Mechanistically, proteomic and lipidomic analyses indicate that β5-integrin up-regulates sphingolipid metabolic enzyme Ceramidase (ASAH2) expression through Src-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling, which then reduces the metabolite ceramide concentration and subsequent ROS production to prohibit chemotherapy-induced canonical Pyroptosis. Using Cancer cell lines, patient-derived tumor organoids, and orthotopic lung and pancreatic animal models, we show that administration of a Src or Ceramidase Inhibitor rescues the response of chemoresistant pancreatic and lung Cancer cells to chemotherapy by reactivating Pyroptosis in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our results suggest that pyroptosis-based therapy is a means to improve Cancer treatment and warrants further investigation.