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Rana S, Dranchak P, Dahlin JL, Lamy L, Li W, Oliphant E, Shrimp JH, Rajacharya GH, Tharakan R, Holland DO, Whitten AS, Wilson KM, Singh PK, Durum SK, Tao D, Rai G, Inglese J. Methotrexate-based PROTACs as DHFR-specific chemical probes. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:221-233.e14. [PMID: 37875111 PMCID: PMC10922102 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Methotrexate (MTX) is a tight-binding dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor, used as both an antineoplastic and immunosuppressant therapeutic. MTX, like folate undergoes folylpolyglutamate synthetase-mediated γ-glutamylation, which affects cellular retention and target specificity. Mechanisms of MTX resistance in cancers include a decrease in MTX poly-γ-glutamylation and an upregulation of DHFR. Here, we report a series of potent MTX-based proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) to investigate DHFR degradation pharmacology and one-carbon biochemistry. These on-target, cell-active PROTACs show proteasome- and E3 ligase-dependent activity, and selective degradation of DHFR in multiple cancer cell lines. By comparison, treatment with MTX increases cellular DHFR protein expression. Importantly, these PROTACs produced distinct, less-lethal phenotypes compared to MTX. The chemical probe set described here should complement conventional DHFR inhibitors and serve as useful tools for studying one-carbon biochemistry and dissecting complex polypharmacology of MTX and related drugs. Such compounds may also serve as leads for potential autoimmune and antineoplastic therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Rana
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Patricia Dranchak
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Jayme L Dahlin
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Laurence Lamy
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Wenqing Li
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Erin Oliphant
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Jonathan H Shrimp
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Girish H Rajacharya
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Ravi Tharakan
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - David O Holland
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Apryl S Whitten
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Kelli M Wilson
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; OU Health Stephenson Center, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Scott K Durum
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Dingyin Tao
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Ganesha Rai
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
| | - James Inglese
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; Metabolic Medicine Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Kesari S, Wang F, Juarez T, Ashili S, Patro CPK, Carrillo J, Nguyen M, Truong J, Levy J, Sommer J, Freed DM, Xiu J, Takasumi Y, Bouffet E, Gill JM. Activity of pemetrexed in pre-clinical chordoma models and humans. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7317. [PMID: 37147496 PMCID: PMC10163028 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34404-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chordomas are rare slow growing tumors, arising from embryonic remnants of notochord with a close predilection for the axial skeleton. Recurrence is common and no effective standard medical therapy exists. Thymidylate synthase (TS), an intracellular enzyme, is a key rate-limiting enzyme of DNA biosynthesis and repair which is primarily active in proliferating and metabolically active cells. Eighty-four percent of chordoma samples had loss of TS expression which may predict response to anti-folates. Pemetrexed suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting enzymes involved in folate metabolism, resulting in decreased availability of thymidine which is necessary for DNA synthesis. Pemetrexed inhibited growth in a preclinical mouse xenograft model of human chordoma. We report three cases of metastatic chordoma that had been heavily treated previously with a variety of standard therapies with poor response. In two cases, pemetrexed was added and objective responses were observed on imaging with one patient on continuous treatment for > 2 years with continued shrinkage. One case demonstrated tumor growth after treatment with pemetrexed. The two cases which had a favorable response had a loss of TS expression, whereas the one case with progressive disease had TS present. These results demonstrate the activity of pemetrexed in recurrent chordoma and warrant a prospective clinical trial which is ongoing (NCT03955042).
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Kesari
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
- Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Sichuan, Chengdu, China.
| | - Tiffany Juarez
- Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | | | - C Pawan K Patro
- CureScience, San Diego, CA, USA
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jose Carrillo
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Minhdan Nguyen
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Judy Truong
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Joan Levy
- Chordoma Foundation, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yuki Takasumi
- Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Eric Bouffet
- The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jaya M Gill
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Santa Monica, CA, USA
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Amano Y, Ohta S, Sakura KL, Ito T. Pemetrexed-conjugated hyaluronan for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 138:105008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.105008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Raz S, Stark M, Assaraf YG. Folylpoly-γ-glutamate synthetase: A key determinant of folate homeostasis and antifolate resistance in cancer. Drug Resist Updat 2016; 28:43-64. [PMID: 27620954 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Mammalians are devoid of autonomous biosynthesis of folates and hence must obtain them from the diet. Reduced folate cofactors are B9-vitamins which play a key role as donors of one-carbon units in the biosynthesis of purine nucleotides, thymidylate and amino acids as well as in a multitude of methylation reactions including DNA, RNA, histone and non-histone proteins, phospholipids, as well as intermediate metabolites. The products of these S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methylations are involved in the regulation of key biological processes including transcription, translation and intracellular signaling. Folate-dependent one-carbon metabolism occurs in several subcellular compartments including the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and nucleus. Since folates are essential for DNA replication, intracellular folate cofactors play a central role in cancer biology and inflammatory autoimmune disorders. In this respect, various folate-dependent enzymes catalyzing nucleotide biosynthesis have been targeted by specific folate antagonists known as antifolates. Currently, antifolates are used in drug treatment of multiple human cancers, non-malignant chronic inflammatory disorders as well as bacterial and parasitic infections. An obligatory key component of intracellular folate retention and intracellular homeostasis is (anti)folate polyglutamylation, mediated by the unique enzyme folylpoly-γ-glutamate synthetase (FPGS), which resides in both the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Consistently, knockout of the FPGS gene in mice results in embryonic lethality. FPGS catalyzes the addition of a long polyglutamate chain to folates and antifolates, hence rendering them polyanions which are efficiently retained in the cell and are now bound with enhanced affinity by various folate-dependent enzymes. The current review highlights the crucial role that FPGS plays in maintenance of folate homeostasis under physiological conditions and delineates the plethora of the molecular mechanisms underlying loss of FPGS function and consequent antifolate resistance in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shachar Raz
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Michal Stark
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yehuda G Assaraf
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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Essam Eldin N, Elnahas HM, Mahdy MAE, Ishida T. Liposomal Pemetrexed: Formulation, Characterization and in Vitro Cytotoxicity Studies for Effective Management of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Biol Pharm Bull 2015; 38:461-9. [PMID: 25757929 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b14-00769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noha Essam Eldin
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima
| | - Hanan Mohamed Elnahas
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University
| | | | - Tatsuhiro Ishida
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima
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