Inducing Melanoma Cell Apoptosis by ERp57/PDIA3 Antibody in the Presence of CPI-613 and Hydroxychloroquine

The combination of the cancer mitochondrial metabolic inhibitor CPI-613 and hydroxychloroquine has tumor-suppressive effects on clear cell sarcoma, which shares pathobiological properties with melanoma. Therefore, we intended to examine the effects of a combination of CPI-613 and hydroxychloroquine on the growth of melanoma cells in the present study. However, cell death was not induced in melanoma cells. Therefore, a monoclonal antibody, ICT, that induced apoptosis in melanoma cells in combination with CPI-613 and hydroxychloroquine was developed. Immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing demonstrated that ICT targeted Endoplasmic Reticulum Resident Protein 57/ Protein Disulfide Isomerase Family A Member 3 (ERp57/PDIA3), which was first identified as being upregulated by metabolic depletion stress and is localized on the cell surface during immunogenic cell death. The combination of CPI-613 and hydroxychloroquine enhanced the localization of ERp57/PDIA3 to the surface of melanoma cells. siRNA-mediated downregulation of ERp57/PDIA3 did not significantly induce ICT-mediated apoptosis in melanoma cells in the presence of CPI-613 and hydroxychloroquine. Therefore, the ICT antibody acts as a tumor suppressor in melanoma cells by targeting the cell membrane ERp57/PDIA3, expression of which was enhanced by the combination of CPI-613 and hydroxychloroquine.