1
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Neeb A, Figueiredo I, Bogdan D, Cato L, Stober J, Jiménez-Vacas JM, Gourain V, Lee II, Seeger R, Muhle-Goll C, Gurel B, Welti J, Nava Rodrigues D, Rekowski J, Qiu X, Jiang Y, Di Micco P, Mateos B, Bielskutė S, Riisnaes R, Ferreira A, Miranda S, Crespo M, Buroni L, Ning J, Carreira S, Bräse S, Jung N, Gräßle S, Swain A, Salvatella X, Plymate SR, Al-Lazikani B, Long HW, Yuan W, Brown M, Cato ACB, de Bono JS, Sharp A. Thio-2 Inhibits Key Signaling Pathways Required for the Development and Progression of Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2024; 23:791-808. [PMID: 38412481 PMCID: PMC11148553 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Therapies that abrogate persistent androgen receptor (AR) signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remain an unmet clinical need. The N-terminal domain of the AR that drives transcriptional activity in CRPC remains a challenging therapeutic target. Herein we demonstrate that BCL-2-associated athanogene-1 (BAG-1) mRNA is highly expressed and associates with signaling pathways, including AR signaling, that are implicated in the development and progression of CRPC. In addition, interrogation of geometric and physiochemical properties of the BAG domain of BAG-1 isoforms identifies it to be a tractable but challenging drug target. Furthermore, through BAG-1 isoform mouse knockout studies, we confirm that BAG-1 isoforms regulate hormone physiology and that therapies targeting the BAG domain will be associated with limited "on-target" toxicity. Importantly, the postulated inhibitor of BAG-1 isoforms, Thio-2, suppressed AR signaling and other important pathways implicated in the development and progression of CRPC to reduce the growth of treatment-resistant prostate cancer cell lines and patient-derived models. However, the mechanism by which Thio-2 elicits the observed phenotype needs further elucidation as the genomic abrogation of BAG-1 isoforms was unable to recapitulate the Thio-2-mediated phenotype. Overall, these data support the interrogation of related compounds with improved drug-like properties as a novel therapeutic approach in CRPC, and further highlight the clinical potential of treatments that block persistent AR signaling which are currently undergoing clinical evaluation in CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Neeb
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Denisa Bogdan
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Cato
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jutta Stober
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems - Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | | | - Victor Gourain
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems - Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Irene I Lee
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca Seeger
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems - Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces 4 (IBG-4), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Bora Gurel
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jan Rekowski
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xintao Qiu
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yija Jiang
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Patrizio Di Micco
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
- MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas
| | - Borja Mateos
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stasė Bielskutė
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruth Riisnaes
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Ferreira
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mateus Crespo
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jian Ning
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Stefan Bräse
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Nicole Jung
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Simone Gräßle
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Amanda Swain
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xavier Salvatella
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stephen R Plymate
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center, VAPSHCS, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Henry W Long
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Myles Brown
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew C B Cato
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems - Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Johann S de Bono
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
- Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Sharp
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
- Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Basu S, Martínez-Cristóbal P, Frigolé-Vivas M, Pesarrodona M, Lewis M, Szulc E, Bañuelos CA, Sánchez-Zarzalejo C, Bielskutė S, Zhu J, Pombo-García K, Garcia-Cabau C, Zodi L, Dockx H, Smak J, Kaur H, Batlle C, Mateos B, Biesaga M, Escobedo A, Bardia L, Verdaguer X, Ruffoni A, Mawji NR, Wang J, Obst JK, Tam T, Brun-Heath I, Ventura S, Meierhofer D, García J, Robustelli P, Stracker TH, Sadar MD, Riera A, Hnisz D, Salvatella X. Rational optimization of a transcription factor activation domain inhibitor. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1958-1969. [PMID: 38049566 PMCID: PMC10716049 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01159-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors are among the most attractive therapeutic targets but are considered largely 'undruggable' in part due to the intrinsically disordered nature of their activation domains. Here we show that the aromatic character of the activation domain of the androgen receptor, a therapeutic target for castration-resistant prostate cancer, is key for its activity as transcription factor, allowing it to translocate to the nucleus and partition into transcriptional condensates upon activation by androgens. On the basis of our understanding of the interactions stabilizing such condensates and of the structure that the domain adopts upon condensation, we optimized the structure of a small-molecule inhibitor previously identified by phenotypic screening. The optimized compounds had more affinity for their target, inhibited androgen-receptor-dependent transcriptional programs, and had an antitumorigenic effect in models of castration-resistant prostate cancer in cells and in vivo. These results suggest that it is possible to rationally optimize, and potentially even to design, small molecules that target the activation domains of oncogenic transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaon Basu
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paula Martínez-Cristóbal
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Frigolé-Vivas
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Pesarrodona
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael Lewis
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elzbieta Szulc
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C Adriana Bañuelos
- Genome Sciences, BC Cancer and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Carolina Sánchez-Zarzalejo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stasė Bielskutė
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jiaqi Zhu
- Dartmouth College, Department of Chemistry, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Karina Pombo-García
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carla Garcia-Cabau
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Levente Zodi
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jordann Smak
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Harpreet Kaur
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Cristina Batlle
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Borja Mateos
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mateusz Biesaga
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Escobedo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lídia Bardia
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Verdaguer
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alessandro Ruffoni
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nasrin R Mawji
- Genome Sciences, BC Cancer and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jun Wang
- Genome Sciences, BC Cancer and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jon K Obst
- Genome Sciences, BC Cancer and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Teresa Tam
- Genome Sciences, BC Cancer and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Isabelle Brun-Heath
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - David Meierhofer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Mass Spectrometry Facility, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jesús García
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul Robustelli
- Dartmouth College, Department of Chemistry, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Travis H Stracker
- Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marianne D Sadar
- Genome Sciences, BC Cancer and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Antoni Riera
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Denes Hnisz
- Department of Genome Regulation, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Xavier Salvatella
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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Ruoff R, Weber H, Wang Y, Huang H, Shapiro E, Fenyö D, Garabedian MJ. MED19 encodes two unique protein isoforms that confer prostate cancer growth under low androgen through distinct gene expression programs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18227. [PMID: 37880276 PMCID: PMC10600210 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45199-9] [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] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
MED19, a component of the mediator complex and a co-regulator of the androgen receptor (AR), is pivotal in prostate cancer cell proliferation. MED19 has two isoforms: a full-length "canonical" and a shorter "alternative" variant. Specific antibodies were developed to investigate these isoforms. Both exhibit similar expression in normal prostate development and adult prostate tissue, but the canonical isoform is elevated in prostate adenocarcinomas. Overexpression of canonical MED19 in LNCaP cells promotes growth under conditions of androgen deprivation in vitro and in vivo, mirroring earlier findings with alternative MED19-overexpressing LNCaP cells. Interestingly, alternative MED19 cells displayed strong colony formation in clonogenic assays under conditions of androgen deprivation, while canonical MED19 cells did not, suggesting distinct functional roles. These isoforms also modulated gene expression differently. Canonical MED19 triggered genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling while suppressing those involved in androgen-inactivating glucuronidation. In contrast, alternative MED19 elevated genes tied to cell movement and reduced those associated with cell adhesion and differentiation. The ratio of MED19 isoform expression in prostate cancers shifts with the disease stage. Early-stage cancers exhibit higher canonical MED19 expression than alternative MED19, consistent with canonical MED19's ability to promote cell proliferation under androgen deprivation. Conversely, alternative MED19 levels were higher in later-stage metastatic prostate cancer than in canonical MED19, reflecting alternative MED19's capability to enhance cell migration and autonomous cell growth. Our findings suggest that MED19 isoforms play unique roles in prostate cancer progression and highlights MED19 as a potential therapeutic target for both early and late-stage prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Ruoff
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Hannah Weber
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Hongying Huang
- Department of Urology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Ellen Shapiro
- Department of Urology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - David Fenyö
- Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Michael J Garabedian
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Department of Urology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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4
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Sun R, Yan B, Li H, Ding D, Wang L, Pang J, Ye D, Huang H. Androgen Receptor Variants Confer Castration Resistance in Prostate Cancer by Counteracting Antiandrogen-Induced Ferroptosis. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3192-3204. [PMID: 37527336 PMCID: PMC10543964 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) inhibition by androgen deprivation and/or antiandrogen administration is the mainstay therapy for advanced prostate cancer. However, most prostate cancers ultimately become resistant to these therapies, indicating the importance of identifying mechanisms driving resistance to improve patient outcomes. Here we demonstrated that acute treatment with the antiandrogen enzalutamide (ENZ) decreased glutathione (GSH) production, increased lipid peroxidation, and induced ferroptosis in prostate cancer cells. Consistently, meta-analysis of transcriptomic data linked the androgen-AR axis to metabolism-related biological processes, including lipid metabolism. The cystine transporter gene SLC7A11 was a key AR target, and full-length AR (AR-FL) transactivated SLC7A11 transcription by directly occupying the SLC7A11 promoter and putative enhancer regions. AR variants (AR-V) preferentially bound the SLC7A11 enhancer and upregulated SLC7A11 expression, thereby conferring resistance to ferroptosis induced by ENZ treatment. However, this effect was abolished following downregulation of AR-Vs using the dual CBP/p300 and BET inhibitor NEO2734. These findings reveal ferroptosis induction as an anticancer mechanism of antiandrogens and SLC7A11 as a direct target gene of AR-FL and AR-Vs. AR-V-mediated SLC7A11 expression represents a mechanism coupling ferroptosis resistance to prostate cancer progression. SIGNIFICANCE Upregulation of SLC7A11 can be induced by androgen receptor variants to inhibit antiandrogen-induced prostate cancer cell ferroptosis and to drive castration resistance in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sun
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Binyuan Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Urology, Kidney and Urology Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Donglin Ding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Liguo Wang
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Jun Pang
- Department of Urology, Kidney and Urology Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dingwei Ye
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
- Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota
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5
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Hung CL, Liu HH, Fu CW, Yeh HH, Hu TL, Kuo ZK, Lin YC, Jhang MR, Hwang CS, Hsu HC, Kung HJ, Wang LY. Targeting androgen receptor and the variants by an orally bioavailable Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras compound in castration resistant prostate cancer. EBioMedicine 2023; 90:104500. [PMID: 36893587 PMCID: PMC10011747 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104500] [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: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the advent of improved therapeutic options for advanced prostate cancer, the durability of clinical benefits is limited due to inevitable development of resistance. By constitutively sustaining androgen receptor (AR) signaling, expression of ligand-binding domain truncated AR variants (AR-V(ΔLBD)) accounts for the major mechanism underlying the resistance to anti-androgen drugs. Strategies to target AR and its LBD truncated variants are needed to prevent the emergence or overcome drug resistance. METHODS We utilize Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTAC) technology to achieve induced degradation of both full-length AR (AR-FL) and AR-V(ΔLBD) proteins. In the ITRI-PROTAC design, an AR N-terminal domain (NTD) binding moiety is appended to von-Hippel-Lindau (VHL) or Cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase binding ligand with linker. FINDINGS In vitro studies demonstrate that ITRI-PROTAC compounds mechanistically degrade AR-FL and AR-V(ΔLBD) proteins via ubiquitin-proteasome system, leading to impaired AR transactivation on target gene expression, and inhibited cell proliferation accompanied by apoptosis activation. The compounds also significantly inhibit enzalutamide-resistant growth of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. In castration-, enzalutamide-resistant CWR22Rv1 xenograft model without hormone ablation, ITRI-90 displays a pharmacokinetic profile with decent oral bioavailability and strong antitumor efficacy. INTERPRETATION AR NTD that governs the transcriptional activities of all active variants has been considered attractive therapeutic target to block AR signaling in prostate cancer cells. We demonstrated that utilizing PROTAC for induced AR protein degradation via NTD represents an efficient alternative therapeutic strategy for CRPC to overcome anti-androgen resistance. FUNDING The funding detail can be found in the Acknowledgements section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiu-Lien Hung
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Hsuan Liu
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Fu
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Hsun-Hao Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Tsan-Lin Hu
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Zong-Keng Kuo
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chin Lin
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Ru Jhang
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Chrong-Shiong Hwang
- Department of Preclinical Drug Discovery Technology, Biomedical Technology and Devices Research Labs, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chih Hsu
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Jien Kung
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan; Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Yu Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan.
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6
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Gao L, Han B, Dong X. The Androgen Receptor and Its Crosstalk With the Src Kinase During Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer Progression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:905398. [PMID: 35832549 PMCID: PMC9271573 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.905398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While the androgen receptor (AR) signalling is the mainstay therapeutic target for metastatic prostate cancers, these tumours will inevitably develop therapy resistance to AR pathway inhibitors suggesting that prostate tumour cells possess the capability to develop mechanisms to bypass their dependency on androgens and/or AR to survive and progress. In many studies, protein kinases such as Src are reported to promote prostate tumour progression. Specifically, the pro-oncogene tyrosine Src kinase regulates prostate cancer cell proliferation, adhesion, invasion, and metastasis. Not only can Src be activated under androgen depletion, low androgen, and supraphysiological androgen conditions, but also through crosstalk with other oncogenic pathways. Reciprocal activations between Src and AR proteins had also been reported. These findings rationalize Src inhibitors to be used to treat castrate-resistant prostate tumours. Although several Src inhibitors had advanced to clinical trials, the failure to observe patient benefits from these studies suggests that further evaluation of the roles of Src in prostate tumours is required. Here, we summarize the interplay between Src and AR signalling during castrate-resistant prostate cancer progression to provide insights on possible approaches to treat prostate cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Gao
- Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- The Key Laboratory of Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education and Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Bo Han
- The Key Laboratory of Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education and Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xuesen Dong
- Department of Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Xuesen Dong,
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7
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Cole RN, Chen W, Pascal LE, Nelson JB, Wipf P, Wang Z. (+)-JJ-74-138 is a novel non-competitive androgen receptor antagonist. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:483-492. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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8
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Tien AH, Sadar MD. Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in combination with ralaniten analogues for the treatment of androgen receptor-positive prostate and breast cancers. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 21:294-309. [PMID: 34815359 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) has essential roles in the growth of prostate cancer and some breast cancers. Inhibition of AR transcriptional activity by targeting its N-terminal domain with ralaniten or an analogue such as EPI-7170 causes accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 with palbociclib also leads to accumulation of cells in the G1 phase. Here a combination of EPI-7170 with palbociclib attenuated the in vivo growth of human castration-resistant prostate cancer xenografts that are resistant to antiandrogens. Cell-cycle tracing experiments in cultured cells revealed that EPI-7170 targeted cells in S phase, possibly through inducing DNA damage or impairing the DNA damage response, whereas palbociclib targeted the G1-S transition to delay the cell cycle. Combination treatment prevented cells in G1 and G2/M from progressing in the cell cycle and caused a portion of cells in S phase to arrest which contributed to a two-fold increase in doubling time to >63 hours compared to 25 hours in control cells. Importantly, sequential combination treatments with palbociclib administered first then followed by EPI-7170, resulted in more cells accumulating in G1 and less cells in S phase than concomitant combination which was presumably because each inhibitor has a unique mechanism in modulating the cell cycle in cancer cells. Together these data support that the combination therapy was more effective than individual monotherapies to reduce tumor growth by targeting different phases of the cell cycle.
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Leung JK, Imamura Y, Kato M, Wang J, Mawji NR, Sadar MD. Pin1 inhibition improves the efficacy of ralaniten compounds that bind to the N-terminal domain of androgen receptor. Commun Biol 2021; 4:381. [PMID: 33753863 PMCID: PMC7985297 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01927-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapies for lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are an unmet medical need. One mechanism underlying CRPC and resistance to hormonal therapies is the expression of constitutively active splice variant(s) of androgen receptor (AR-Vs) that lack its C-terminus ligand-binding domain. Transcriptional activities of AR-Vs and full-length AR reside in its N-terminal domain (NTD). Ralaniten is the only drug proven to bind AR NTD, and it showed promise of efficacy in Phase 1 trials. The peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1 is frequently overexpressed in prostate cancer. Here we show that Pin1 interacted with AR NTD. The inhibition of Pin1 expression or its activity selectively reduced the transcriptional activities of full-length AR and AR-V7. Combination of Pin1 inhibitor with ralaniten promoted cell cycle arrest and had improved antitumor activity against CRPC xenografts in vivo compared to individual monotherapies. These findings support the rationale for therapy that combines a Pin1 inhibitor with ralaniten for treating CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacky K Leung
- Department of Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yusuke Imamura
- Department of Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Minoru Kato
- Department of Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nasrin R Mawji
- Department of Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marianne D Sadar
- Department of Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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