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Zhuang JJ, Liu Q, Wu DL, Tie L. Current strategies and progress for targeting the "undruggable" transcription factors. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:2474-2481. [PMID: 35132191 PMCID: PMC9525275 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00852-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) specifically bind to DNA, recruit cofactor proteins and modulate target gene expression, rendering them essential roles in the regulation of numerous biological processes. Meanwhile, mutated or dysregulated TFs are involved in a variety of human diseases. As multiple signaling pathways ultimately converge at TFs, targeting these TFs directly may prove to be more specific and cause fewer side effects, than targeting the upfront conventional targets in these pathways. All these features together endue TFs with great potential and high selectivity as therapeutic drug targets. However, TFs have been historically considered "undruggable", mainly due to their lack of structural information, especially about the appropriate ligand-binding sites and protein-protein interactions, leading to relatively limited choices in the TF-targeting drug design. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of TF-targeting drugs and highlight certain strategies used for targeting TFs, with a number of representative drugs that have been approved or in the clinical trials as examples. Various approaches in targeting TFs directly or indirectly have been developed. Common direct strategies include aiming at defined binding pockets, proteolysis-targeting chimaera (PROTAC), and mutant protein reactivation. In contrast, the indirect ones comprise inhibition of protein-protein interactions between TF and other proteins, blockade of TF expression, targeting the post-translational modifications, and targeting the TF-DNA interactions. With more comprehensive structural information about TFs revealed by the powerful cryo-electron microscopy technology and predicted by machine-learning algorithms, plus more efficient compound screening platforms and a deeper understanding of TF-disease relationships, the development of TF-targeting drugs will certainly be accelerated in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Zhuang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209, China
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University and Beijing Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Da-Lei Wu
- Helmholtz International Lab, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Lu Tie
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University and Beijing Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Zhao R, Fu J, Zhu L, Chen Y, Liu B. Designing strategies of small-molecule compounds for modulating non-coding RNAs in cancer therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:14. [PMID: 35123522 PMCID: PMC8817562 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01230-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been defined as a class of RNA molecules transcribed from the genome but not encoding proteins, such as microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, Circular RNAs, and Piwi-interacting RNAs. Accumulating evidence has recently been revealing that ncRNAs become potential druggable targets for regulation of several small-molecule compounds, based on their complex spatial structures and biological functions in cancer therapy. Thus, in this review, we focus on summarizing some new emerging designing strategies, such as high-throughput screening approach, small-molecule microarray approach, structure-based designing approach, phenotypic screening approach, fragment-based designing approach, and pharmacological validation approach. Based on the above-mentioned approaches, a series of representative small-molecule compounds, including Bisphenol-A, Mitoxantrone and Enoxacin have been demonstrated to modulate or selectively target ncRNAs in different types of human cancers. Collectively, these inspiring findings would provide a clue on developing more novel avenues for pharmacological modulations of ncRNAs with small-molecule drugs for future cancer therapeutics.
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Guo Z, Cheng Z, Wang J, Liu W, Peng H, Wang Y, Rao AVS, Li R, Ying X, Korangath P, Liberti MV, Li Y, Xie Y, Hong SY, Schiene‐Fischer C, Fischer G, Locasale JW, Sukumar S, Zhu H, Liu JO. Discovery of a Potent GLUT Inhibitor from a Library of Rapafucins by Using 3D Microarrays. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201905578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zufeng Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
| | - Zhiqiang Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
| | - Jingxin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Current address: Department of Medicinal ChemistryThe University of Kansas KS USA
| | - Wukun Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Current address: Institute of Chinese MedicineNanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Hanjing Peng
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
| | - Yuefan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
| | - A. V. Subba Rao
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
| | - Ruo‐jing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Current address: Food and Drug Administration Silver Spring MD USA
| | - Xue Ying
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Current address: School of Pharmaceutical SciencesShihezi University Shihezi China
| | - Preethi Korangath
- Department of OncologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine USA
| | - Maria V. Liberti
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer BiologyDuke University School of Medicine USA
| | - Yingjun Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
| | - Yongmei Xie
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Current address: Cancer CenterWest China HospitalSichuan University Chengdu China
| | - Sam Y. Hong
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Current address: Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals Baltimore MD USA
| | - Cordelia Schiene‐Fischer
- Department of Enzymology, Institute for Biochemistry and BiotechnologyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Germany
| | - Gunter Fischer
- Department of Enzymology, Institute for Biochemistry and BiotechnologyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Germany
| | - Jason W. Locasale
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer BiologyDuke University School of Medicine USA
| | - Saraswati Sukumar
- Department of OncologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine USA
| | - Heng Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine USA
| | - Jun O. Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular SciencesThe SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical BiologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street Baltimore MD USA
- Department of OncologyJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine USA
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5
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Guo Z, Cheng Z, Wang J, Liu W, Peng H, Wang Y, Rao AVS, Li RJ, Ying X, Korangath P, Liberti MV, Li Y, Xie Y, Hong SY, Schiene-Fischer C, Fischer G, Locasale JW, Sukumar S, Zhu H, Liu JO. Discovery of a Potent GLUT Inhibitor from a Library of Rapafucins by Using 3D Microarrays. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:17158-17162. [PMID: 31591797 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201905578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Glucose transporters play an essential role in cancer cell proliferation and survival and have been pursued as promising cancer drug targets. Using microarrays of a library of new macrocycles known as rapafucins, which were inspired by the natural product rapamycin, we screened for new inhibitors of GLUT1. We identified multiple hits from the rapafucin 3D microarray and confirmed one hit as a bona fide GLUT1 ligand, which we named rapaglutin A (RgA). We demonstrate that RgA is a potent inhibitor of GLUT1 as well as GLUT3 and GLUT4, with an IC50 value of low nanomolar for GLUT1. RgA was found to inhibit glucose uptake, leading to a decrease in cellular ATP synthesis, activation of AMP-dependent kinase, inhibition of mTOR signaling, and induction of cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. Moreover, RgA was capable of inhibiting tumor xenografts in vivo without obvious side effects. RgA could thus be a new chemical tool to study GLUT function and a promising lead for developing anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zufeng Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jingxin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Current address: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Wukun Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Current address: Institute of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanjing Peng
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuefan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A V Subba Rao
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ruo-Jing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Current address: Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Xue Ying
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Current address: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Preethi Korangath
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Maria V Liberti
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Yingjun Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yongmei Xie
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Current address: Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sam Y Hong
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Current address: Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cordelia Schiene-Fischer
- Department of Enzymology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Gunter Fischer
- Department of Enzymology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Jason W Locasale
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Saraswati Sukumar
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Heng Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Jun O Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The SJ Yan and HJ Mao Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Room 516, Hunterian Building, 725 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
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