Echevarría‐Vargas, Ileabett MReyes‐Uribe, Patricia IGuterres, Adam NYin, XiangfanKossenkov, Andrew VLiu, QinZhang, GaoKrepler, ClemensCheng, ChaoranWei, ZhiSomasundaram, RajasekharanKarakousis, GiorgosXu, WeiMorrissette, Jennifer JDLu, YilingMills, Gordon BSullivan, RyanBenchun, MiaoFrederick, Dennie TBoland, GenevieveFlaherty, KeithWeeraratna, Ashani THerlyn, MeenhardAmaravadi, RaviSchuchter, Lynn MBurd, Christin EAplin, Andrew EXu, XiaoweiVillanueva, Jessie2018-06-272018Echevarría‐Vargas, I. M., P. I. Reyes‐Uribe, A. N. Guterres, X. Yin, A. V. Kossenkov, Q. Liu, G. Zhang, et al. 2018. “Co‐targeting BET and MEK as salvage therapy for MAPK and checkpoint inhibitor‐resistant melanoma.” EMBO Molecular Medicine 10 (5): e8446. doi:10.15252/emmm.201708446. http://dx.doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201708446.http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:37160047Abstract Despite novel therapies for melanoma, drug resistance remains a significant hurdle to achieving optimal responses. NRAS‐mutant melanoma is an archetype of therapeutic challenges in the field, which we used to test drug combinations to avert drug resistance. We show that BET proteins are overexpressed in NRAS‐mutant melanoma and that high levels of the BET family member BRD4 are associated with poor patient survival. Combining BET and MEK inhibitors synergistically curbed the growth of NRAS‐mutant melanoma and prolonged the survival of mice bearing tumors refractory to MAPK inhibitors and immunotherapy. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealed that combining BET and MEK inhibitors mitigates a MAPK and checkpoint inhibitor resistance transcriptional signature, downregulates the transcription factor TCF19, and induces apoptosis. Our studies demonstrate that co‐targeting MEK and BET can offset therapy resistance, offering a salvage strategy for melanomas with no other therapeutic options, and possibly other treatment‐resistant tumor types.en-USBETcombination therapydrug resistancemelanomamutantCancerPharmacology & Drug DiscoverySkinCo‐targeting BET and MEK as salvage therapy for MAPK and checkpoint inhibitor‐resistant melanomaJournal Article2018-06-2710.15252/emmm.201708446