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Kenneth K W To, Cho WCS. Drug repurposing for cancer therapy in the era of precision medicine. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2022; 15:895-903. [PMID: 35156588 DOI: 10.2174/1874467215666220214104530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Drug repurposing refers to the identification of clinically approved drugs, with the known safety profiles and defined pharmacokinetic properties, to new indications. Despite the advances in oncology research, cancers are still associated with the most unmet medical needs. Drug repurposing has emerged as a useful approach for the search for effective and durable cancer treatment. It may also represent a promising strategy to facilitate precision cancer treatment and to overcome drug resistance. The repurposing of non-cancer drugs for precision oncology effectively extends the inventory of actionable molecular targets and thus increases the number of patients who may benefit from precision cancer treatment. In cancer types where genetic heterogeneity is so high that it is not feasible to identify strong repurposed drug candidates for standard treatment, the precision oncology approach offers individual patients access to novel treatment options. For repurposed candidates with low potency, a combination of multiple repurposed drugs may produce a synergistic therapeutic effect. Precautions should be taken when combining repurposed drugs with anticancer agents to avoid detrimental drug-drug interactions and unwanted side effects. New multifactorial data analysis and artificial intelligence methods are needed to untangle the complex association of molecular signatures influencing specific cancer subtypes to facilitate drug repurposing in precision oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth K W To
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - William C S Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
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2
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A Novel Nanobody Precisely Visualizes Phosphorylated Histone H2AX in Living Cancer Cells under Drug-Induced Replication Stress. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133317. [PMID: 34282773 PMCID: PMC8267817 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary γ-H2AX, a phosphorylated variant of histone H2A, is a widely used biomarker of DNA replication stress. To develop an immunological probe able to detect and track γ-H2AX in live cancer cells, we have isolated single domain antibodies (called nanobodies) that are easily expressed as functional recombinant proteins and here we report the extensive characterization of a novel nanobody that specifically recognizes γ-H2AX. The interaction of this nanobody with the C-terminal end of γ-H2AX was determined by X-ray crystallography. Moreover, the generation of a bivalent nanobody allowed us to precisely detect γ-H2AX foci in drug-treated cells as efficiently as with commercially available conventional antibodies. Furthermore, we tracked γ-H2AX foci in live cells upon intracellular delivery of the bivalent nanobody fused to the red fluorescent protein dTomato, making, consequently, this new cost-effective reagent useful for studying drug-induced replication stress in both fixed and living cancer cells. Abstract Histone H2AX phosphorylated at serine 139 (γ-H2AX) is a hallmark of DNA damage, signaling the presence of DNA double-strand breaks and global replication stress in mammalian cells. While γ-H2AX can be visualized with antibodies in fixed cells, its detection in living cells was so far not possible. Here, we used immune libraries and phage display to isolate nanobodies that specifically bind to γ-H2AX. We solved the crystal structure of the most soluble nanobody in complex with the phosphopeptide corresponding to the C-terminus of γ-H2AX and show the atomic constituents behind its specificity. We engineered a bivalent version of this nanobody and show that bivalency is essential to quantitatively visualize γ-H2AX in fixed drug-treated cells. After labelling with a chemical fluorophore, we were able to detect γ-H2AX in a single-step assay with the same sensitivity as with validated antibodies. Moreover, we produced fluorescent nanobody-dTomato fusion proteins and applied a transduction strategy to visualize with precision γ-H2AX foci present in intact living cells following drug treatment. Together, this novel tool allows performing fast screenings of genotoxic drugs and enables to study the dynamics of this particular chromatin modification in individual cancer cells under a variety of conditions.
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Ishigami-Yuasa M, Kagechika H. Chemical Screening of Nuclear Receptor Modulators. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5512. [PMID: 32752136 PMCID: PMC7432305 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptors are ligand-inducible transcriptional factors that control multiple biological phenomena, including proliferation, differentiation, reproduction, metabolism, and the maintenance of homeostasis. Members of the nuclear receptor superfamily have marked structural and functional similarities, and their domain functionalities and regulatory mechanisms have been well studied. Various modulators of nuclear receptors, including agonists and antagonists, have been developed as tools for elucidating nuclear receptor functions and also as drug candidates or lead compounds. Many assay systems are currently available to evaluate the modulation of nuclear receptor functions, and are useful as screening tools in the discovery and development of new modulators. In this review, we cover the chemical screening methods for nuclear receptor modulators, focusing on assay methods and chemical libraries for screening. We include some recent examples of the discovery of nuclear receptor modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroyuki Kagechika
- Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan;
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Naineni SK, Itoua Maïga R, Cencic R, Putnam AA, Amador LA, Rodriguez AD, Jankowsky E, Pelletier J. A comparative study of small molecules targeting eIF4A. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:541-549. [PMID: 32014999 PMCID: PMC7161356 DOI: 10.1261/rna.072884.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The PI3K/Akt/mTOR kinase pathway is extensively deregulated in human cancers. One critical node under regulation of this signaling axis is eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4F, a complex involved in the control of translation initiation rates. eIF4F-dependent addictions arise during tumor initiation and maintenance due to increased eIF4F activity-generally in response to elevated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling flux. There is thus much interest in exploring eIF4F as a small molecule target for the development of new anticancer drugs. The DEAD-box RNA helicase, eIF4A, is an essential subunit of eIF4F, and several potent small molecules (rocaglates, hippuristanol, pateamine A) affecting its activity have been identified and shown to demonstrate anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo in preclinical models. Recently, a number of new small molecules have been reported as having the capacity to target and inhibit eIF4A. Here, we undertook a comparative analysis of their biological activity and specificity relative to the eIF4A inhibitor, hippuristanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Kiran Naineni
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Rayelle Itoua Maïga
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Regina Cencic
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Andrea A Putnam
- School of Medicine, Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Luis A Amador
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, 00931-3346, Puerto Rico
| | - Abimael D Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, 00931-3346, Puerto Rico
| | - Eckhard Jankowsky
- School of Medicine, Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Jerry Pelletier
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H4A 3T2, Canada
- Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Québec H3A 1A3, Canada
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Normand A, Rivière E, Renodon-Cornière A. Identification and characterization of human Rad51 inhibitors by screening of an existing drug library. Biochem Pharmacol 2014; 91:293-300. [PMID: 25124703 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2014.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Homologous Recombination (HR) plays an essential role in cellular proliferation and in maintaining genomic stability by repairing DNA double-stranded breaks that appear during replication. Rad51, a key protein of HR in eukaryotes, can have an elevated expression level in tumor cells, which correlates with their resistance to anticancer therapies. Therefore, targeted inhibition of Rad51 through inhibitor may improve the tumor response to these therapies. In order to identify small molecules that inhibit Rad51 activity, we screened the Prestwick Library (1120 molecules) for their effect on the strand exchange reaction catalyzed by Rad51. We found that Chicago Sky Blue (CSB) is a potent inhibitor of Rad51, showing IC₅₀ values in the low nanomolar range (400 nM). Biochemical analysis demonstrated that the inhibitory mechanism probably occurs by disrupting the Rad51 association with the single-stranded DNA, which prevents the nucleoprotein filament formation, the first step of the protein activity. Structure Activity Relationship analysis with a number of compounds that shared structure homology with CSB was also performed. The sensitivity of Rad51 inhibition to CSB modifications suggests specific interactions between the molecule and Rad51 nucleofilament. CSB and some of its analogs open up new perspectives in the search for agents capable of potentiating chemo- and radio-therapy treatments for cancer. Moreover, these compounds may be excellent tools to analyze Rad51 cellular functions. Our study also highlights how CSB and its analogs, which are frequently used in colorants, stains and markers, could be responsible of unwanted side effects by perturbing the DNA repair process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Normand
- Research Unit UFIP UMR 6286, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & University of Nantes, F-44322 Nantes cedex 3, France
| | - Emmanuelle Rivière
- Research Unit UFIP UMR 6286, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & University of Nantes, F-44322 Nantes cedex 3, France
| | - Axelle Renodon-Cornière
- Research Unit UFIP UMR 6286, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & University of Nantes, F-44322 Nantes cedex 3, France.
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Huang TL, Mayence A, Vanden Eynde JJ. Some non-conventional biomolecular targets for diamidines. A short survey. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:1983-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Peng M, Zhang Y, Shi S, Peng S. Simultaneous ligand fishing and identification of human serum albumin binders from Eucommia ulmoides bark using surface plasmon resonance-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2013; 940:86-93. [PMID: 24141043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2013.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Revised: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Eucommia ulmoides bark has long been known as tonic herb, however, the systematic biochemical fingerprint analysis and corresponding structural identification are inadequate so far. Here we describe on-line surface plasmon resonance-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPR-HPLC-MS/MS) to fish out and identify human serum albumin (HSA) binders from E. ulmoides bark. A total of 22 HSA binders, including 4 iridoids, 11 lignans, 3 flavonoids and 4 phenolic acids, were identified or tentatively characterized based on their retention times, UV spectra and MS/MS spectrum with references or literature data, among which, geniposidic acid, geniposide and chlorogenic acid were the predominant HSA binders. In addition, the major characteristic fragmentation pathways of iridoids and lignans were investigated. The higher reusability and stability of the immobilized HSA allow the method cost-effective and high-throughput. Compared with conventional HPLC-MS/MS for chemical fingerprint analysis, SPR-HPLC-MS/MS is simple and easy to provide biochemical fingerprint, moreover, it is easy to identify low-content HSA binders because of the sample clean-up/concentration procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijun Peng
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Forest Products and Chemical Industry Engineering, Jishou University, Zhangjiajie 427000, China
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Choulier L, Nominé Y, Zeder-Lutz G, Charbonnier S, Didier B, Jung ML, Altschuh D. Chemical Library Screening Using a SPR-Based Inhibition in Solution Assay: Simulations and Experimental Validation. Anal Chem 2013; 85:8787-95. [DOI: 10.1021/ac4019445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Choulier
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation
Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ESBS, Boulevard Sébastien Brant BP10413, 67412 Illkirch,
France
| | - Yves Nominé
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation
Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ESBS, Boulevard Sébastien Brant BP10413, 67412 Illkirch,
France
| | - Gabrielle Zeder-Lutz
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation
Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ESBS, Boulevard Sébastien Brant BP10413, 67412 Illkirch,
France
| | - Sebastian Charbonnier
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation
Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ESBS, Boulevard Sébastien Brant BP10413, 67412 Illkirch,
France
| | - Bruno Didier
- Prestwick Chemical, Bd Gonthier d’Andernach, Parc d’Innovation,
67400
Illkirch, France
| | - Marie-Louise Jung
- Prestwick Chemical, Bd Gonthier d’Andernach, Parc d’Innovation,
67400
Illkirch, France
| | - Danièle Altschuh
- Biotechnologie et Signalisation
Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, ESBS, Boulevard Sébastien Brant BP10413, 67412 Illkirch,
France
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Separation and purification of bovine serum albumin binders from Fructus polygoni orientalis using off-line two-dimensional complexation high-speed counter-current chromatography target-guided by ligand fishing. J Chromatogr A 2013; 1304:183-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2013.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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10
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Hogan M, Bahta M, Cherry S, Lountos GT, Tropea JE, Zhao BM, Burke TR, Waugh DS, Ulrich RG. Biomolecular Interactions of small-molecule inhibitors affecting the YopH protein tyrosine phosphatase. Chem Biol Drug Des 2013; 81:323-33. [PMID: 23241354 PMCID: PMC3573263 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We have developed competitive and direct binding methods to examine small-molecule inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. Focusing on the Yersinia pestis outer protein H, a potent bacterial protein tyrosine phosphatase, we describe how an understanding of the kinetic interactions involving Yersinia pestis outer protein H, peptide substrates, and small-molecule inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity can be beneficial for inhibitor screening, and we further translate these results into a microarray assay for high-throughput screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Hogan
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Medhanit Bahta
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Scott Cherry
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Lab, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - George T. Lountos
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Lab, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Basic Science Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Lab, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Joseph E. Tropea
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Lab, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Bryan M. Zhao
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Terrence R. Burke
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - David S. Waugh
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Lab, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Robert G. Ulrich
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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Abstract
Human diseases can be caused by complex mechanisms involving aberrations in numerous proteins and pathways. With recent advances in genomics, elucidating the molecular basis of disease on a personalized level has become an attainable goal. In many cases, relevant molecular targets will be identified for which approved drugs already exist, and the potential repositioning of these drugs to a new indication can be investigated. Repositioning is an accelerated route for drug discovery because existing drugs have established clinical and pharmacokinetic data. Personalized medicine and repositioning both aim to improve the productivity of current drug discovery pipelines, which expend enormous time and cost to develop new drugs, only to have them fail in clinical trials because of lack of efficacy or toxicity. Here, we discuss the current state of research in these two fields, focusing on recent large-scale efforts to systematically find repositioning candidates and elucidate individual disease mechanisms in cancer. We also discuss scenarios in which personalized drug repositioning could be particularly rewarding, such as for diseases that are rare or have specific mutations, as well as current challenges in this field. With an increasing number of drugs being approved for rare cancer subtypes, personalized medicine and repositioning approaches are poised to significantly alter the way we diagnose diseases, infer treatments and develop new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Y Li
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4S6, Canada
| | - Steven Jm Jones
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4S6, Canada
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