1
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Deng H, Han Y, Liu L, Zhang H, Liu D, Wen J, Huang M, Zhao L. Targeting Myeloid Leukemia-1 in Cancer Therapy: Advances and Directions. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5963-5998. [PMID: 38597264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
As a tripartite cell death switch, B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) family members precisely regulate the endogenous apoptosis pathway in response to various cell signal stresses through protein-protein interactions. Myeloid leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), a key anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, is positioned downstream in the endogenous apoptotic pathway and plays a central role in regulating mitochondrial function. Mcl-1 is highly expressed in a variety of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, contributing to tumorigenesis, poor prognosis, and chemoresistance, making it an attractive target for cancer treatment. This Perspective aims to discuss the mechanism by which Mcl-1 regulates apoptosis and non-apoptotic functions in cancer cells and to outline the discovery and optimization process of potent Mcl-1 modulators. In addition, we summarize the structural characteristics of potent inhibitors that bind to Mcl-1 through multiple co-crystal structures and analyze the cardiotoxicity caused by current Mcl-1 inhibitors, providing prospects for rational targeting of Mcl-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jiachen Wen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
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2
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Tantawy SI, Timofeeva N, Sarkar A, Gandhi V. Targeting MCL-1 protein to treat cancer: opportunities and challenges. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1226289. [PMID: 37601693 PMCID: PMC10436212 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1226289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Evading apoptosis has been linked to tumor development and chemoresistance. One mechanism for this evasion is the overexpression of prosurvival B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins, which gives cancer cells a survival advantage. Mcl-1, a member of the BCL-2 family, is among the most frequently amplified genes in cancer. Targeting myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) protein is a successful strategy to induce apoptosis and overcome tumor resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Various strategies to inhibit the antiapoptotic activity of MCL-1 protein, including transcription, translation, and the degradation of MCL-1 protein, have been tested. Neutralizing MCL-1's function by targeting its interactions with other proteins via BCL-2 interacting mediator (BIM)S2A has been shown to be an equally effective approach. Encouraged by the design of venetoclax and its efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, scientists have developed other BCL-2 homology (BH3) mimetics-particularly MCL-1 inhibitors (MCL-1i)-that are currently in clinical trials for various cancers. While extensive reviews of MCL-1i are available, critical analyses focusing on the challenges of MCL-1i and their optimization are lacking. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge regarding clinically relevant MCL-1i and focus on predictive biomarkers of response, mechanisms of resistance, major issues associated with use of MCL-1i, and the future use of and maximization of the benefits from these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shady I. Tantawy
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Natalia Timofeeva
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Aloke Sarkar
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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3
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Tantawy SI, Sarkar A, Hubner S, Tan Z, Wierda WG, Eldeib A, Zhang S, Kornblau S, Gandhi V. Mechanisms of MCL-1 Protein Stability Induced by MCL-1 Antagonists in B-Cell Malignancies. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:446-457. [PMID: 36346691 PMCID: PMC9852224 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-2088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Several MCL-1 inhibitors (MCL-1i), including AMG-176 and AZD5991, have shown promise in preclinical studies and are being tested for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. A unique feature of these agents is induction and stability of Mcl-1 protein; however, the precise mechanism is unknown. We aim to study the mechanism of MCL-1i-induced Mcl-1 protein stability. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Using several B-cell leukemia and lymphoma cell lines and primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) lymphocytes, we evaluated molecular events associated with Mcl-1 protein stability including protein half-life, reverse-phase protein array, protein-protein interaction, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and de-ubiquitination, followed by molecular simulation and modeling. RESULTS Using both in vivo and in vitro analysis, we demonstrate that MCL-1i-induced Mcl-1 protein stability is predominantly associated with defective Mcl-1 ubiquitination and concurrent apoptosis induction in both cell lines and primary CLL subjects. These MCL1i also induced ERK-mediated Mcl-1Thr163 phosphorylation, which partially contributed to Mcl-1 stability. Disruption of Mcl-1:Noxa interaction followed by Noxa degradation, enhanced Mcl-1 de-ubiquitination by USP9x, and Mule destabilization are the major effects of these inhibitors. However, unlike other BH3 proteins, Mule:Mcl-1 interaction was unaffected by MCL-1i. WP1130, a global deubiquitinase (DUB) inhibitor, abrogated Mcl-1 induction reaffirming a critical role of DUBs in the observed Mcl-1 protein stability. Further, in vitro ubiquitination studies of Mcl-1 showed distinct difference among these inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that MCL-1i blocked Mcl-1 ubiquitination via enhanced de-ubiquitination and dissociation of Mcl-1 from Noxa, Bak and Bax, and Mule de-stabilization. These are critical events associated with increased Mcl-1 protein stability with AMG-176 and AZD5991.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shady I. Tantawy
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas,Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Aloke Sarkar
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Stefan Hubner
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhi Tan
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - William G. Wierda
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Abdelraouf Eldeib
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine
| | - Shuxing Zhang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Steven Kornblau
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas,Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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4
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Wu G, Yang F, Cheng X, Mai Z, Wang X, Chen T. Live-cell imaging analysis on the anti-apoptotic function of the Bcl-xL transmembrane carboxyl terminal domain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 639:91-99. [PMID: 36476951 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The Transmembrane Carboxyl Terminal Domain (TMD) of some Bcl-2 family proteins has been demonstrated to play a key role in modulating apoptosis. We here ustilzed live-cell fluorescence imaging to evaluate how the Bcl-xL TMD (XT) regulate apoptosis. Cell viability assay revealed that XT had strong anti-apoptotic ability similarly to the full-length Bcl-xL. Fluorescence images of living cells co-expressing CFP-XT and Bad-YFP or YFP-Bax revealed that XT recruited Bad to mitochondria but prevented Bax translocation to mitochondria, and also significantly suppressed Bad/Bax-mediated apoptosis, indicating that XT prevents the pro-apoptotic function of Bad and Bax. Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) analyses determined that XT directly interacted with Bad and Bax, and deletion of XT completely eliminated the mitochondrial localization and homo-oligomerization of Bcl-xL. Fluorescence images of living cells co-expressing CFP-XT and YFP-Bax revealed that XT significantly prevented mitochondrial Bax oligomerization, resulting in cytosolic Bax distribution. Collectively, XT is necessary for the mitochondrial localization and anti-apoptotic capacity of Bcl-xL, and XT, similarly to the full-length Bcl-xL, forms homo-oligomers on mitochondria to directly interact with Bad and Bax to inhibit their apoptotic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Wu
- Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Ministry of Education, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Fangfang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Ministry of Education, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Xuecheng Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Ministry of Education, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Zihao Mai
- Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Ministry of Education, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Pain Management, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 5610632, China.
| | - Tongsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Ministry of Education, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China; SCNU Qingyuan Institute of Science and Technology Innovation Co., Ltd., South China Normal University, Qingyuan, 511517, China.
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5
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Sancho M, Leiva D, Lucendo E, Orzáez M. Understanding MCL1: from cellular function and regulation to pharmacological inhibition. FEBS J 2022; 289:6209-6234. [PMID: 34310025 PMCID: PMC9787394 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1), an antiapoptotic member of the BCL2 family characterized by a short half-life, functions as a rapid sensor that regulates cell death and other relevant processes that include cell cycle progression and mitochondrial homeostasis. In cancer, MCL1 overexpression contributes to cell survival and resistance to diverse chemotherapeutic agents; for this reason, several MCL1 inhibitors are currently under preclinical and clinical development for cancer treatment. However, the nonapoptotic functions of MCL1 may influence their therapeutic potential. Overall, the complexity of MCL1 regulation and function represent challenges to the clinical application of MCL1 inhibitors. We now summarize the current knowledge regarding MCL1 structure, regulation, and function that could impact the clinical success of MCL1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sancho
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Diego Leiva
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Estefanía Lucendo
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Mar Orzáez
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
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6
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Uthale A, Anantram A, Sulkshane P, Degani M, Teni T. Identification of bicyclic compounds that act as dual inhibitors of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Mol Divers 2022:10.1007/s11030-022-10494-6. [PMID: 35909144 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10494-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Elevated expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 contributes to poor prognosis and resistance to current treatment modalities in multiple cancers. Here, we report the design, synthesis and characterization of benzimidazole chalcone and flavonoid scaffold-derived bicyclic compounds targeting both Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 by optimizing the structural differences in the binding sites of both these proteins. Initial docking screen of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 with pro-apoptotic protein Bim revealed possible hits with optimal binding energies. All the optimized bicyclic compounds were screened for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against two oral cancer cell lines (AW8507 and AW13516) which express high levels of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Compound 4d from the benzimidazole chalcone series and compound 6d from the flavonoid series exhibited significant cytotoxic activity (IC50 7.12 μM and 17.18 μM, respectively) against AW13516 cell line. Time Resolved-Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) analysis further demonstrated that compound 4d and compound 6d could effectively inhibit the Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 proteins by displacing their BH3 binding partners. Both compounds exhibited potent activation of canonical pathway of apoptosis evident from appearance of cleaved Caspase-3 and PARP. Further, treatment of oral cancer cells with the inhibitors induced dissociation of the BH3 only protein Bim from Mcl-1 and Bak from Bcl-2 but failed to release Bax from Bcl-xL thereby confirming the nature of compounds as BH3-mimetics selectively targeting Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Our study thus identifies bicyclic compounds as promising candidates for anti-apoptotic Bcl-2/Mcl-1 dual inhibitors with a potential for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhay Uthale
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410 210, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Aarti Anantram
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400 019, India
| | - Prasad Sulkshane
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410 210, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Mariam Degani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, 400 019, India.
| | - Tanuja Teni
- Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410 210, India. .,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India.
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7
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Ji T, Margulis BA, Wang Z, Song T, Guo Y, Pan H, Zhang Z. Structure-Based Design and Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Small Molecules Inhibiting Bcl-2 Family Members. Pharm Chem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11094-022-02639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Benabderrahmane M, Bureau R, Voisin-Chiret AS, Santos JSDO. Cryptic Pockets Repository through Pocket Dynamics Tracking and Metadynamics on Essential Dynamics Space: Applications to Mcl-1. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:5581-5588. [PMID: 34748701 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Detection of cryptic pockets (hidden protein pockets) is a hot topic in structure-based drug discovery, especially for drugging the yet undruggable proteome. The experimental detection of cryptic pockets is still considered an expensive endeavor. Thus, computational methods, such as atomistic simulations, are used instead. These simulation methods can provide a perspective on protein dynamics that overpasses the experimental X-ray structures' static and average view. Nonetheless, unbiased molecular dynamics (MD) simulations fall short to detect transient and cryptic pockets requiring the crossing of high-energy barriers. Enhanced sampling methods, such as Metadynamics, provide a solution to overcome the time-scale problem faced by unbiased MD simulations. However, these methods are still limited by the availability of collective variable space to capture the intricate parameters, leading to the opening of cryptic pockets. Unfortunately, the design of such collective variables requires a priori knowledge of the binding site, information that is by definition lacking for cryptic pockets. In this work, we evaluated the use of the Metadynamics biasing scheme on essential coordinates space as a general method for cryptic pocket detection. This approach was applied to an antiapoptotic protein: Mcl-1 as a test model. In addition to providing a broader characterization of Mcl-1's conformational space, we show the effectiveness of this method in drawing the full repository of Mcl-1's known and novel cryptic pockets in an unsupervised manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Benabderrahmane
- Centre d'Etudes et Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN), Université Normandie, UNICAEN, Caen 14000, France
| | - Ronan Bureau
- Centre d'Etudes et Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN), Université Normandie, UNICAEN, Caen 14000, France
| | - Anne Sophie Voisin-Chiret
- Centre d'Etudes et Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN), Université Normandie, UNICAEN, Caen 14000, France
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9
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Zhu PJ, Yu ZZ, Lv YF, Zhao JL, Tong YY, You QD, Jiang ZY. Discovery of 3,5-Dimethyl-4-Sulfonyl-1 H-Pyrrole-Based Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 Inhibitors with High Affinity, Selectivity, and Oral Bioavailability. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11330-11353. [PMID: 34342996 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) protein is a key negative regulator of apoptosis, and developing Mcl-1 inhibitors has been an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, we describe the rational design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship study of 3,5-dimethyl-4-sulfonyl-1H-pyrrole-based compounds as Mcl-1 inhibitors. Stepwise optimizations of hit compound 11 with primary Mcl-1 inhibition (52%@30 μM) led to the discovery of the most potent compound 40 with high affinity (Kd = 0.23 nM) and superior selectivity over other Bcl-2 family proteins (>40,000 folds). Mechanistic studies revealed that 40 could activate the apoptosis signal pathway in an Mcl-1-dependent manner. 40 exhibited favorable physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic profiles (F% = 41.3%). Furthermore, oral administration of 40 was well tolerated to effectively inhibit tumor growth (T/C = 37.3%) in MV4-11 xenograft models. Collectively, these findings implicate that compound 40 is a promising antitumor agent that deserves further preclinical evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Ju Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ze-Zhou Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yi-Fei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jing-Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qi-Dong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zheng-Yu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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10
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Mittal P, Singh S, Sinha R, Shrivastava A, Singh A, Singh IK. Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1): Structural characteristics and application in cancer therapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 187:999-1018. [PMID: 34339789 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis, a major hallmark of cancer cells, regulates cellular fate and homeostasis. BCL-2 (B-cell CLL/Lymphoma 2) protein family is popularly known to mediate the intrinsic mode of apoptosis, of which MCL-1 is a crucial member. Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1) is an anti-apoptotic oncoprotein and one of the most investigated members of the BCL-2 family. It is commonly known to be genetically altered, aberrantly overexpressed, and primarily associated with drug resistance in various human cancers. Recent advancements in the development of selective MCL-1 inhibitors and evaluating their effectiveness in cancer treatment establish its popularity as a molecular target. The overall aim is the selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by using a single or combination of BCL-2 family inhibitors. Delineating the precise molecular mechanisms associated with MCL-1-mediated cancer progression will certainly improve the efficacy of clinical interventions aimed at MCL-1 and hence patient survival. This review is structured to highlight the structural characteristics of MCL-1, its specific interactions with NOXA, MCL-1-regulatory microRNAs, and at the same time focus on the emerging therapeutic strategies targeting our protein of interest (MCL-1), alone or in combination with other treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Mittal
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India
| | - Sujata Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India
| | - Rajesh Sinha
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35205, United States of America
| | - Anju Shrivastava
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Archana Singh
- Department of Botany, Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110007, India.
| | - Indrakant Kumar Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India.
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11
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Sosič I, Gobec M, Steinebach C, Schlesinger M, Bendas G, Gütschow M. Another structural correction for 1-oxo-1H-phenalene-2,3-dicarbonitriles: Synthesis of a potent BCL-2 inhibiting 7-phenoxy derivative. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2021; 354:e2100151. [PMID: 34173255 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202100151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Aromatic scaffolds are an important part of biologically active compounds and molecular probes used to study biochemical pathways and the involved targeted proteins of interest. 1-Oxo-1H-phenalene-2,3-dicarbonitrile-based compounds have been described as inhibitors of the BCL-2 family of proteins, and this core structure represents numerous possibilities for modifications that could lead to improved inhibitory potencies. Many studies demonstrated intriguing characteristics of these compounds in terms of reactivity and, interestingly, some contradictory literature reports appeared about reaction outcomes to synthesize them. Here, we initially provide a condensed overview of transformations performed on the phenalene scaffold, followed by the resynthesis of a 6-phenoxy-substituted derivative. We show that the initial determination of this particular structure was wrong and provide two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) evidence to assign the structure properly. When preparing new derivatives using the same synthetic route, we observed 6- and 7-substituted regioisomers. After confirming their structures by NMR experiments, the ability of these compounds to inhibit BCL-2 was evaluated. The most potent 1-oxo-1H-phenalene-2,3-dicarbonitrile derivatives inhibited BCL-2 in the nanomolar range and showed double-digit micromolar cytotoxicity against four different cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Christian Steinebach
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Schlesinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Cell Biological Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gerd Bendas
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Cell Biological Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Gütschow
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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12
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Domostegui A, Peddigari S, Mercer CA, Iannizzotto F, Rodriguez ML, Garcia-Cajide M, Amador V, Diepstraten ST, Kelly GL, Salazar R, Kozma SC, Kusnadi EP, Kang J, Gentilella A, Pearson RB, Thomas G, Pelletier J. Impaired ribosome biogenesis checkpoint activation induces p53-dependent MCL-1 degradation and MYC-driven lymphoma death. Blood 2021; 137:3351-3364. [PMID: 33512431 PMCID: PMC8212515 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020007452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MYC-driven B-cell lymphomas are addicted to increased levels of ribosome biogenesis (RiBi), offering the potential for therapeutic intervention. However, it is unclear whether inhibition of RiBi suppresses lymphomagenesis by decreasing translational capacity and/or by p53 activation mediated by the impaired RiBi checkpoint (IRBC). Here we generated Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells expressing inducible short hairpin RNAs to either ribosomal protein L7a (RPL7a) or RPL11, the latter an essential component of the IRBC. The loss of either protein reduced RiBi, protein synthesis, and cell proliferation to similar extents. However, only RPL7a depletion induced p53-mediated apoptosis through the selective proteasomal degradation of antiapoptotic MCL-1, indicating the critical role of the IRBC in this mechanism. Strikingly, low concentrations of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved anticancer RNA polymerase I inhibitor Actinomycin D (ActD) dramatically prolonged the survival of mice harboring Trp53+/+;Eμ-Myc but not Trp53-/-;Eμ-Myc lymphomas, which provides a rationale for treating MYC-driven B-cell lymphomas with ActD. Importantly, the molecular effects of ActD on Eμ-Myc cells were recapitulated in human B-cell lymphoma cell lines, highlighting the potential for ActD as a therapeutic avenue for p53 wild-type lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Domostegui
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Suresh Peddigari
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Carol A Mercer
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Flavia Iannizzotto
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta L Rodriguez
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Garcia-Cajide
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Amador
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah T Diepstraten
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Gemma L Kelly
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ramón Salazar
- Catalan Institute of Oncology, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara C Kozma
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric P Kusnadi
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jian Kang
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Antonio Gentilella
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Richard B Pearson
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; and
| | - George Thomas
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joffrey Pelletier
- Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Miles JA, Hobor F, Trinh CH, Taylor J, Tiede C, Rowell PR, Jackson BR, Nadat FA, Ramsahye P, Kyle HF, Wicky BIM, Clarke J, Tomlinson DC, Wilson AJ, Edwards TA. Selective Affimers Recognise the BCL-2 Family Proteins BCL-x L and MCL-1 through Noncanonical Structural Motifs*. Chembiochem 2021; 22:232-240. [PMID: 32961017 PMCID: PMC7821230 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The BCL-2 family is a challenging group of proteins to target selectively due to sequence and structural homologies across the family. Selective ligands for the BCL-2 family regulators of apoptosis are useful as probes to understand cell biology and apoptotic signalling pathways, and as starting points for inhibitor design. We have used phage display to isolate Affimer reagents (non-antibody-binding proteins based on a conserved scaffold) to identify ligands for MCL-1, BCL-xL , BCL-2, BAK and BAX, then used multiple biophysical characterisation methods to probe the interactions. We established that purified Affimers elicit selective recognition of their target BCL-2 protein. For anti-apoptotic targets BCL-xL and MCL-1, competitive inhibition of their canonical protein-protein interactions is demonstrated. Co-crystal structures reveal an unprecedented mode of molecular recognition; where a BH3 helix is normally bound, flexible loops from the Affimer dock into the BH3 binding cleft. Moreover, the Affimers induce a change in the target proteins towards a desirable drug-bound-like conformation. These proof-of-concept studies indicate that Affimers could be used as alternative templates to inspire the design of selective BCL-2 family modulators and more generally other protein-protein interaction inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Miles
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- School of ChemistryUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Fruzsina Hobor
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Chi H. Trinh
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - James Taylor
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Christian Tiede
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Philip R. Rowell
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Brian R. Jackson
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Protein Production FacilityUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Fatima A. Nadat
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Protein Production FacilityUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Pallavi Ramsahye
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Hannah F. Kyle
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Basile I. M. Wicky
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Jane Clarke
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Darren C. Tomlinson
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Andrew J. Wilson
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- School of ChemistryUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
| | - Thomas A. Edwards
- School of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Astbury Centre For Structural Molecular BiologyUniversity of LeedsWoodhouse LaneLeedsLS2 9JTUK
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14
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Haselager MV, Kielbassa K, Ter Burg J, Bax DJC, Fernandes SM, Borst J, Tam C, Forconi F, Chiodin G, Brown JR, Dubois J, Kater AP, Eldering E. Changes in Bcl-2 members after ibrutinib or venetoclax uncover functional hierarchy in determining resistance to venetoclax in CLL. Blood 2020; 136:2918-2926. [PMID: 32603412 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019004326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells cycle between lymph node (LN) and peripheral blood (PB) and display major shifts in Bcl-2 family members between those compartments. Specifically, Bcl-XL and Mcl-1, which are not targeted by the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax, are increased in the LN. Because ibrutinib forces CLL cells out of the LN, we hypothesized that ibrutinib may thereby affect expression of Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 and sensitize CLL cells to venetoclax. We investigated expression of Bcl-2 family members in patients under ibrutinib or venetoclax treatment, combined with dissecting functional interactions of Bcl-2 family members, in an in vitro model of venetoclax resistance. In the PB, recent LN emigrants had higher Bcl-XL and Mcl-1 expression than did cells immigrating back to the LN. Under ibrutinib treatment, this distinction collapsed; significantly, the pretreatment profile reappeared in patients who relapsed on ibrutinib. However, in response to venetoclax, Bcl-2 members displayed an early increase, underlining the different modes of action of these 2 drugs. Profiling by BH3 mimetics was performed in CLL cells fully resistant to venetoclax due to CD40-mediated induction of Bcl-XL, Mcl-1, and Bfl-1. Several dual or triple combinations of BH3 mimetics were highly synergistic in restoring killing of CLL cells. Lastly, we demonstrated that proapoptotic Bim interacts with antiapoptotic Bcl-2 members in a sequential manner: Bcl-2 > Bcl-XL > Mcl-1 > Bfl-1. Combined, the data indicate that Bcl-XL is more important in venetoclax resistance than is Mcl-1 and provide biological rationale for potential synergy between ibrutinib and venetoclax.
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MESH Headings
- Adenine/administration & dosage
- Adenine/analogs & derivatives
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/administration & dosage
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic/drug effects
- Humans
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Male
- Piperidines/administration & dosage
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/biosynthesis
- Sulfonamides/administration & dosage
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco V Haselager
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karoline Kielbassa
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna Ter Burg
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danique J C Bax
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stacey M Fernandes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Jannie Borst
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Constantine Tam
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and St. Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; and
| | - Francesco Forconi
- Cancer Sciences and Haematology Department, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Giorgia Chiodin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Jennifer R Brown
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Julie Dubois
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arnon P Kater
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Eldering
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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15
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Wang Z, Song T, Guo Z, Cao K, Chen C, Feng Y, Wang H, Yin F, Zhou S, Dai J, Zhang Z. Targeting the Allosteric Pathway That Interconnects the Core-Functional Scaffold and the Distal Phosphorylation Sites for Specific Dephosphorylation of Bcl-2. J Med Chem 2020; 63:13733-13744. [PMID: 33197310 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is the most significant post-translational modification for regulating cellular activities, but site-specific modulation of phosphorylation is still challenging. Using three-dimensional NMR spectra, molecular dynamics simulations, and alanine mutations, we identified that the interaction network between pT69/pS70 and R106/R109 residues prevents the phosphorylation sites from exposure to phosphatase and subsequent dephosphorylation. A Bcl-2-dephosphorylation probe, S1-6e, was designed by installing a carboxylic acid group to a Bcl-2 inhibitor. The carboxyl group competitively disrupts the interaction network between R106/R109 and pT69/pS70 and subsequently facilitates Bcl-2 dephosphorylation in living cells. As a result, S1-6e manifests a more effective apoptosis induction in pBcl-2-dependent cancer cells than other inhibitors exhibiting a similar binding affinity for Bcl-2. We believe that targeting the allosteric pathways interconnecting the core-functional domain and the phosphorylation site can be a general strategy for a rational design of site-specific dephosphorylating probes, since the allosteric pathway has been discovered in a variety of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Ting Song
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Zongwei Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Keke Cao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Yingang Feng
- Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong 266101, China
| | - Hang Wang
- School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Fangkui Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Sheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Jian Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Zhichao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
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16
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Negi A, Murphy PV. Development of Mcl-1 inhibitors for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 210:113038. [PMID: 33333396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (Mcl-1) is an anti-apoptotic protein of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, which regulates cellular apoptosis. Mcl-1 expression plays a key role in survival of cancer cells and therefore serves as a promising target in cancer therapy. Besides, its importance as a cancer target, various peptides and small-molecule inhibitors have been successfully designed and synthesized, yet no Mcl-1 inhibitor is approved for clinical use. However, recent development on the understanding of Mcl-1's role in key cellular processes in cancer and an upsurge of reports highlighting its association in various anticancer drug resistance supports the view that Mcl-1 is a key target in various cancers, especially hematological cancers. This review compiles structures of a variety of inhibitors of Mcl-1 reported to date. These include inhibitors based on a diverse range of heterocycles (e.g. indole, imidazole, thiophene, nicotinic acid, piperazine, triazine, thiazole, isoindoline), oligomers (terphenyl, quaterpyridine), polyphenol, phenalene, anthranilic acid, anthraquinone, macrocycles, natural products, and metal-based complexes. In addition, an effort has been made to summarize the structure activity relationships, based on a variety of assays, of some important classes of Mcl-1 inhibitors, giving affinities and selectivities for Mcl-1 compared to other Bcl-2 family members. A focus has been placed on categorizing the inhibitors based on their core frameworks (scaffolds) to appeal to the chemical biologist or medicinal chemist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Negi
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Paul V Murphy
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland.
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17
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Wan Y, Li Y, Yan C, Wen J, Tang Z. Discovery of novel indazole-acylsulfonamide hybrids as selective Mcl-1 inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2020; 104:104217. [PMID: 32911192 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Overexpressing myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) protein is an important way to confer the resistance of cancer cells to conventional anti-cancer treatments. Therefore, developing Mcl-1 inhibitors has become an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. In the studies, a series of new indazole-acylsulfonamide hybrids were designed, synthesized and evaluated as potent Mcl-1 inhibitors. Among them, the most potent compound 17 (Ki = 0.43 μM) showed a little better inhibitory activity against Mcl-1 protein than positive control AT-101 (Ki = 0.45 μM). Pleasingly, it displayed > 40-fold selectivity over Bcl-2 (Ki = 18 μM) and Bcl-xL (no activity). Furthermore, compound 17 had good inhibitory activities against PC-3, MDA-MB-231 and K562 cells (IC50 = 12.3, 10.6 and 6.62 μM, respectively) and could effectively induce apoptosis and the activation of caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner in K562 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichao Wan
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China.
| | - Yuanhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| | - Chunxing Yan
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| | - Jiajun Wen
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| | - Zilong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
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18
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Lu X, Liu YC, Orvig C, Liang H, Chen ZF. Discovery of a Copper-Based Mcl-1 Inhibitor as an Effective Antitumor Agent. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9154-9167. [PMID: 32794745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b02047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), which belongs to the Bcl-2 family of prosurvival proteins, is a key regulator of cancer cell survival. To date, few drug-like Mcl-1 inhibitors have been reported. Herein, we report the preparation of 10 copper complexes with 9-substituted β-carboline ligands that act as metal-based Mcl-1 inhibitors. Complex 14 was identified as a potent and selective Mcl-1 inhibitor with strong in vitro antitumor activity. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that complex 14 disrupted Mcl-1-Bax/Bak heterodimerization and induced Bax/Bak-dependent apoptosis. In addition, complex 14 significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited tumor growth in vivo, induced tumor necrosis, and extended survival time in an NCI-H460 xenograft model. Furthermore, complex 14 showed no apparent toxicity in mice. Together, these findings indicate that complex 14 is a copper-based Mcl-1 inhibitor with high efficacy and low toxicity that could be developed for the treatment of Mcl-1-related cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Cheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Chris Orvig
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z1, Canada
| | - Hong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Zhen-Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
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19
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Arai S, Varkaris A, Nouri M, Chen S, Xie L, Balk SP. MARCH5 mediates NOXA-dependent MCL1 degradation driven by kinase inhibitors and integrated stress response activation. eLife 2020; 9:54954. [PMID: 32484436 PMCID: PMC7297531 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
MCL1 has critical antiapoptotic functions and its levels are tightly regulated by ubiquitylation and degradation, but mechanisms that drive this degradation, particularly in solid tumors, remain to be established. We show here in prostate cancer cells that increased NOXA, mediated by kinase inhibitor activation of an integrated stress response, drives the degradation of MCL1, and identify the mitochondria-associated ubiquitin ligase MARCH5 as the primary mediator of this NOXA-dependent MCL1 degradation. Therapies that enhance MARCH5-mediated MCL1 degradation markedly enhance apoptosis in response to a BH3 mimetic agent targeting BCLXL, which may provide for a broadly effective therapy in solid tumors. Conversely, increased MCL1 in response to MARCH5 loss does not strongly sensitize to BH3 mimetic drugs targeting MCL1, but instead also sensitizes to BCLXL inhibition, revealing a codependence between MARCH5 and MCL1 that may also be exploited in tumors with MARCH5 genomic loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiji Arai
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Department of Urology, Gunma University Hospital, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Andreas Varkaris
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Mannan Nouri
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Sen Chen
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Lisha Xie
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Steven P Balk
- Hematology-Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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20
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D’Aguanno S, Del Bufalo D. Inhibition of Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Proteins in Preclinical and Clinical Studies: Current Overview in Cancer. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051287. [PMID: 32455818 PMCID: PMC7291206 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic interplay between pro-death and pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins is responsible for a cell’s fate. Due to the recognized relevance of this family in cancer progression and response to therapy, different efforts have made in recent years in order to develop small molecules able to target anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1. The limitations of the first Bcl-2 family targeted drugs, regarding on-target and off-target toxicities, have been overcome with the development of venetoclax (ABT-199), the first BH3 mimetic inhibitor approved by the FDA. The purpose of this review is to discuss the state-of-the-art in the development of drugs targeting Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic proteins and to highlight the potential of their application as single agents or in combination for improving anti-cancer therapy, focusing in particular on solid tumors.
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Pervushin NV, Senichkin VV, Zhivotovsky B, Kopeina GS. Mcl-1 as a "barrier" in cancer treatment: Can we target it now? INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 351:23-55. [PMID: 32247581 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
During the last two decades, the study of Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, attracted researchers due to its important role in cancer cell survival and tumor development. The significance of Mcl-1 protein in resistance to chemotherapeutics makes it an attractive target in cancer therapy. Here, we discuss the diverse possibilities for indirect Mcl-1 inhibition through its downregulation, for example, via targeting for proteasomal degradation or blockage of translation and transcription. We also provide an overview of the direct blocking of protein-protein interactions with pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, including examples of the most promising regulators of Mcl-1 and selective BH3-mimetics, which at present are under clinical evaluation. Moreover, several approaches for the co-targeting of Mcl-1 and other proteins (e.g., CDKs) are also presented. In addition, we highlight the broad spectrum of problems that accompanied the discovery and development of effective Mcl-1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Boris Zhivotovsky
- Faculty of Medicine, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Gelina S Kopeina
- Faculty of Medicine, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
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Lu X, Liu YC, Orvig C, Liang H, Chen ZF. Discovery of β-carboline copper(II) complexes as Mcl-1 inhibitor and in vitro and in vivo activity in cancer models. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 181:111567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Bourafai-Aziez A, Sebban M, Benabderrahmane M, Marekha B, Denis C, Paysant H, Weiswald LB, Carlier L, Bureau R, Coadou G, Ravault D, Voisin-Chiret AS, Sopková-de Oliveira Santos J, Oulyadi H. Binding mode of Pyridoclax to myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) revealed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, docking and molecular dynamics approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 38:4162-4178. [PMID: 31612791 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1680434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) is an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family proteins. Its amplification is one of the most frequent genetic aberrations found in human cancers. Pyridoclax, a promising BH3 mimetic inhibitor, interacts directly with Mcl-1 and induces massive apoptosis at a concentration of 15 µM in combination with anti-Bcl-xL strategies in chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. In this study, a combined experimental and theoretical approach was used to investigate the binding mode of Pyridoclax to Mcl-1. The representative poses generated from dynamics simulations compared with NMR data revealed: (i) Pyridoclax bound to P1 and P2 pockets of Mcl-1 BH3 binding groove through its styryl and methyl groups establishing mainly hydrophobic contacts, (ii) one of the ending pyridines interacts through electrostatic interaction with K234 side chain, a negatively charged residue present only in this position in Mcl-1. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bourafai-Aziez
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France.,Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - M Sebban
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | | | - B Marekha
- Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - C Denis
- Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - H Paysant
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE « Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancer Prevention and Treatment », Biologie et Thérapies Innovantes des Cancers de l'ovaire (BioTICLA), Caen, France.,Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, Unicancer, Caen, France
| | - L B Weiswald
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE « Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancer Prevention and Treatment », Biologie et Thérapies Innovantes des Cancers de l'ovaire (BioTICLA), Caen, France.,Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, Unicancer, Caen, France
| | - L Carlier
- Laboratoire Des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - R Bureau
- Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - G Coadou
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - D Ravault
- Laboratoire Des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | | | - H Oulyadi
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France
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Wang Z, He N, Guo Z, Niu C, Song T, Guo Y, Cao K, Wang A, Zhu J, Zhang X, Zhang Z. Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras for the Selective Degradation of Mcl-1/Bcl-2 Derived from Nonselective Target Binding Ligands. J Med Chem 2019; 62:8152-8163. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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25
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Senichkin VV, Streletskaia AY, Zhivotovsky B, Kopeina GS. Molecular Comprehension of Mcl-1: From Gene Structure to Cancer Therapy. Trends Cell Biol 2019; 29:549-562. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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26
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Papatzimas JW, Gorobets E, Maity R, Muniyat MI, MacCallum JL, Neri P, Bahlis NJ, Derksen DJ. From Inhibition to Degradation: Targeting the Antiapoptotic Protein Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 (MCL1). J Med Chem 2019; 62:5522-5540. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- James W. Papatzimas
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Evgueni Gorobets
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ranjan Maity
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - Paola Neri
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nizar J. Bahlis
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Darren J. Derksen
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, T2N 4Z6 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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BH3-mimetic toolkit guides the respective use of BCL2 and MCL1 BH3-mimetics in myeloma treatment. Blood 2018; 132:2656-2669. [PMID: 30309889 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2018-03-836718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BH3 mimetics are promising drugs for hematologic malignancies that trigger cell death by promoting the release of proapoptotic BCL2 family members from antiapoptotic proteins. Multiple myeloma is considered to be a disease dependent mainly on MCL1 for survival, based mostly on studies using cell lines. We used a BH3-mimetic toolkit to study the dependency on BCL2, BCLXL, or MCL1 in malignant plasma cells from 60 patients. Dependencies were analyzed using an unbiased BH3 mimetics cell-death clustering by k-means. In the whole cohort of patients, BCL2 dependency was mostly found in the CCND1 subgroup (83%). Of note, MCL1 dependence significantly increased from 33% at diagnosis to 69% at relapse, suggesting a plasticity of the cellular dependency favoring MCL1 dependencies at relapse. In addition, 35% of overall patient samples showed codependencies on either BCL2/MCL1 or BCLXL/MCL1. Finally, we identified a group of patients not targeted by any of the BH3 mimetics, predominantly at diagnosis in patients not presenting the common recurrent translocations. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that BAK is crucial for cell death induced by MCL1 mimetic A1210477, according to the protection from cell death observed by BAK knock-down, as well as the complete and early disruption of MCL1/BAK complexes on A1210477 treatment. Interestingly, this complex was also dissociated in A1210477-resistant cells, but free BAK was simultaneously recaptured by BCLXL, supporting the role of BCLXL in A1210477 resistance. In conclusion, our study opens the way to rationally use venetoclax and/or MCL1 BH3 mimetics for clinical evaluation in myeloma at both diagnosis and relapse.
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Small-molecule Mcl-1 inhibitors: Emerging anti-tumor agents. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 146:471-482. [PMID: 29407973 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.01.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The anti-apoptotic members of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins family, such as Bcl-2 and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), are the key regulators of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis and overexpressed in many tumor cells, which have been confirmed as potential drug targets for cancers. A number of Bcl-2 proteins inhibitors have been developed and conducted clinical trials, but no Mcl-1 inhibitors are presented in the clinics. In addition, Mcl-1 is an important reason for the resistance to radio- and chemotherapies, including inhibitors that target other Bcl-2 family members. For example, the recently launched Bcl-2-selective inhibitor ABT-199 displays highly potency in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but it cannot induce the apoptosis controlled by Mcl-1 in some tumor cell lines. Therefore, developing potent Mcl-1 inhibitors become urgently needed in clinical therapy. This review briefly introduces the structure of Mcl-1 protein, the role in cancers and focuses on the progress of small-molecule Mcl-1 inhibitors from 2012 to 2017.
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29
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Progress in targeting the BCL-2 family of proteins. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 39:133-142. [PMID: 28735187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The network of protein-protein interactions among the BCL-2 protein family plays a critical role in regulating cellular commitment to mitochondrial apoptosis. Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins are considered promising targets for drug discovery and exciting clinical progress has stimulated intense investigations in the broader family. Here, we discuss recent developments in small molecules targeting anti-apoptotic proteins and alternative approaches to targeting BCL-2 family interactions. These studies advance our understanding of the role of BCL-2 family proteins in physiology and disease, providing unique tools for dissecting these functions. The BCL-2 family of proteins is a prime example of targeting protein-protein interactions and further chemical biology approaches will increase opportunities for novel targeted therapies in cancer, autoimmune and aging-associated diseases.
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Guikema JE, Amiot M, Eldering E. Exploiting the pro-apoptotic function of NOXA as a therapeutic modality in cancer. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:767-779. [DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1349754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen E Guikema
- Department of Pathology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), The Netherlands
| | - Martine Amiot
- CRCINA, INSERM, CNRS, Université d’Angers, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Eric Eldering
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lymphoma and Myeloma Center Amsterdam (LYMMCARE), The Netherlands
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