1
|
Dakkak BE, Taneera J, El-Huneidi W, Abu-Gharbieh E, Hamoudi R, Semreen MH, Soares NC, Abu-Rish EY, Alkawareek MY, Alkilany AM, Bustanji Y. Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of BCL-2 Associated Protein Family: Exploring BCL-2 Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2024; 32:267-280. [PMID: 38589288 PMCID: PMC11063480 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2023.149] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis, programmed cell death pathway, is a vital physiological mechanism that ensures cellular homeostasis and overall cellular well-being. In the context of cancer, where evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark, the overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 has been documented. Consequently, these proteins have emerged as promising targets for therapeutic interventions. The BCL-2 protein family is central to apoptosis and plays a significant importance in determining cellular fate serving as a critical determinant in this biological process. This review offers a comprehensive exploration of the BCL-2 protein family, emphasizing its dual nature. Specifically, certain members of this family promote cell survival (known as anti-apoptotic proteins), while others are involved in facilitating cell death (referred to as pro-apoptotic and BH3-only proteins). The potential of directly targeting these proteins is examined, particularly due to their involvement in conferring resistance to traditional cancer therapies. The effectiveness of such targeting strategies is also discussed, considering the tumor's propensity for anti-apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, the review highlights emerging research on combination therapies, where BCL-2 inhibitors are used synergistically with other treatments to enhance therapeutic outcomes. By understanding and manipulating the BCL-2 family and its associated pathways, we open doors to innovative and more effective cancer treatments, offering hope for resistant and aggressive cases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bisan El Dakkak
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jalal Taneera
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Waseem El-Huneidi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Eman Abu-Gharbieh
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rifat Hamoudi
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammad H. Semreen
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nelson C. Soares
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Lisbon 1649-016, Portugal
| | - Eman Y. Abu-Rish
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | | | | | - Yasser Bustanji
- Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hoch CC, Knoedler L, Knoedler S, Bashiri Dezfouli A, Schmidl B, Trill A, Douglas JE, Adappa ND, Stögbauer F, Wollenberg B. Integrated Molecular and Histological Insights for Targeted Therapies in Mesenchymal Sinonasal Tract Tumors. Curr Oncol Rep 2024; 26:272-291. [PMID: 38376625 PMCID: PMC10920452 DOI: 10.1007/s11912-024-01506-9] [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] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of mesenchymal sinonasal tract tumors (STTs), a distinct subset of STTs. Despite their rarity, mesenchymal STTs represent a unique clinical challenge, characterized by their rarity, often slow progression, and frequently subtle or overlooked symptoms. The complex anatomy of the sinonasal area, which includes critical structures such as the orbit, brain, and cranial nerves, further complicates surgical treatment options. This underscores an urgent need for more advanced and specialized therapeutic approaches. RECENT FINDINGS Advancements in molecular diagnostics, particularly in next-generation sequencing, have significantly enhanced our understanding of STTs. Consequently, the World Health Organization has updated its tumor classification to better reflect the distinct histological and molecular profiles of these tumors, as well as to categorize mesenchymal STTs with greater accuracy. The growing understanding of the molecular characteristics of mesenchymal STTs opens new possibilities for targeted therapeutic interventions, marking a significant shift in treatment paradigms. This review article concentrates on mesenchymal STTs, specifically addressing sinonasal tract angiofibroma, sinonasal glomangiopericytoma, biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma, and skull base chordoma. These entities are marked by unique histopathological and molecular features, which challenge conventional treatment approaches and simultaneously open avenues for novel targeted therapies. Our discussion is geared towards delineating the molecular underpinnings of mesenchymal STTs, with the objective of enhancing therapeutic strategies and addressing the existing shortcomings in the management of these intricate tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cosima C Hoch
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Leonard Knoedler
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samuel Knoedler
- Institute of Regenerative Biology and Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ali Bashiri Dezfouli
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
- Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research, Technical University of Munich (TranslaTUM), Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Schmidl
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Anskar Trill
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
- Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research, Technical University of Munich (TranslaTUM), Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
| | - Jennifer E Douglas
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nithin D Adappa
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fabian Stögbauer
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Wollenberg
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ismaningerstrasse 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ajay AK, Chu P, Patel P, Deban C, Roychowdhury C, Heda R, Halawi A, Saad A, Younis N, Zhang H, Jiang X, Nasr M, Hsiao LL, Lin G, Azzi JR. High-Throughput/High Content Imaging Screen Identifies Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors and Immunoproteasomes as Therapeutic Targets for Chordoma. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1274. [PMID: 37111759 PMCID: PMC10145398 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chordomas account for approximately 1-4% of all malignant bone tumors and 20% of primary tumors of the spinal column. It is a rare disease, with an incidence estimated to be approximately 1 per 1,000,000 people. The underlying causative mechanism of chordoma is unknown, which makes it challenging to treat. Chordomas have been linked to the T-box transcription factor T (TBXT) gene located on chromosome 6. The TBXT gene encodes a protein transcription factor TBXT, or brachyury homolog. Currently, there is no approved targeted therapy for chordoma. Here, we performed a small molecule screening to identify small chemical molecules and therapeutic targets for treating chordoma. We screened 3730 unique compounds and selected 50 potential hits. The top three hits were Ribociclib, Ingenol-3-angelate, and Duvelisib. Among the top 10 hits, we found a novel class of small molecules, including proteasomal inhibitors, as promising molecules that reduce the proliferation of human chordoma cells. Furthermore, we discovered that proteasomal subunits PSMB5 and PSMB8 are increased in human chordoma cell lines U-CH1 and U-CH2, confirming that the proteasome may serve as a molecular target whose specific inhibition may lead to better therapeutic strategies for chordoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amrendra K. Ajay
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Philip Chu
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
| | - Poojan Patel
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christa Deban
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
| | - Chitran Roychowdhury
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
| | - Radhika Heda
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
| | - Ahmad Halawi
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anis Saad
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nour Younis
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xiuju Jiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mahmoud Nasr
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Li-Li Hsiao
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gang Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jamil R. Azzi
- Transplant Research Centre, Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA (R.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhao C, Tan T, Zhang E, Wang T, Gong H, Jia Q, Liu T, Yang X, Zhao J, Wu Z, Wei H, Xiao J, Yang C. A chronicle review of new techniques that facilitate the understanding and development of optimal individualized therapeutic strategies for chordoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1029670. [PMID: 36465398 PMCID: PMC9708744 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1029670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor that mainly occurs in the sacrum and the clivus/skull base. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for chordoma, but the local recurrence rate is high with unsatisfactory prognosis. Compared with other common tumors, there is not much research and individualized treatment for chordoma, partly due to the rarity of the disease and the lack of appropriate disease models, which delay the discovery of therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in modern techniques have enabled gaining a better understanding of a number of rare diseases, including chordoma. Since the beginning of the 21st century, various chordoma cell lines and animal models have been reported, which have partially revealed the intrinsic mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression with the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. In this study, we performed a systematic overview of the chordoma models and related sequencing studies in a chronological manner, from the first patient-derived chordoma cell line (U-CH1) to diverse preclinical models such as the patient-derived organoid-based xenograft (PDX) and patient-derived organoid (PDO) models. The use of modern sequencing techniques has discovered mutations and expression signatures that are considered potential treatment targets, such as the expression of Brachyury and overactivated receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Moreover, computational and bioinformatics techniques have made drug repositioning/repurposing and individualized high-throughput drug screening available. These advantages facilitate the research and development of comprehensive and personalized treatment strategies for indicated patients and will dramatically improve their prognoses in the near feature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Zhao
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Tan
- Department of Orthopedics, 905 Hospital of People’s Liberation Army Navy, Shanghai, China
| | - E. Zhang
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyi Gong
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Jia
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Tielong Liu
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinghai Yang
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhipeng Wu
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifeng Wei
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianru Xiao
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- Spinal Tumor Center, Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Freed DM, Sommer J, Punturi N. Emerging target discovery and drug repurposing opportunities in chordoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1009193. [PMID: 36387127 PMCID: PMC9647139 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1009193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of effective and personalized treatment options for patients with rare cancers like chordoma is hampered by numerous challenges. Biomarker-guided repurposing of therapies approved in other indications remains the fastest path to redefining the treatment paradigm, but chordoma's low mutation burden limits the impact of genomics in target discovery and precision oncology efforts. As our knowledge of oncogenic mechanisms across various malignancies has matured, it's become increasingly clear that numerous properties of tumors transcend their genomes - leading to new and uncharted frontiers of therapeutic opportunity. In this review, we discuss how the implementation of cutting-edge tools and approaches is opening new windows into chordoma's vulnerabilities. We also note how a convergence of emerging observations in chordoma and other cancers is leading to the identification and evaluation of new therapeutic hypotheses for this rare cancer.
Collapse
|