Abstract
Although inhibitors of oncogenic KRAS have shown clinical efficacy(1), resistance to KRAS inhibition is common(2), and its molecular basis remains unclear. Here we show that KRASi-resistant cancer cells sustain mitochondrial bioenergetics through enhanced fatty acid (FA) metabolism, despite suppression of canonical KRAS signaling. Specifically, KRASi-resistant pancreatic cancer cells exploit macropinocytosis to scavenge FA released from adipose tissue, fueling beta-oxidation independently of KRAS-PI3Kα signaling. This adaptive metabolic program is driven by the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor ADGRB1, which activates non-canonical PI3Kγ-PAK1 signaling to stimulate macropinocytosis and maintain metabolic homeostasis under KRASi. Disruption of ADGRB1-PI3Kγ signaling dismantles this metabolic program and restores KRASi sensitivity. This pathway operates across multiple KRAS-mutated cancers and is associated with poor therapeutic response and outcome. These findings offer a promising strategy for overcoming KRASi resistance.