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Algar S, Vázquez-Villa H, Aguilar-Garrido P, Navarro-Aguadero MÁ, Velasco-Estévez M, Sánchez-Merino A, Arribas-Álvarez I, Paradela A, Giner-Arroyo RL, Tamargo-Azpilicueta J, Díaz-Moreno I, Martínez-López J, Gallardo M, López-Rodríguez ML, Benhamú B. Cancer-Stem-Cell Phenotype-Guided Discovery of a Microbiota-Inspired Synthetic Compound Targeting NPM1 for Leukemia. JACS AU 2024; 4:1786-1800. [PMID: 38818079 PMCID: PMC11134387 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The human microbiota plays an important role in human health and disease, through the secretion of metabolites that regulate key biological functions. We propose that microbiota metabolites represent an unexplored chemical space of small drug-like molecules in the search of new hits for drug discovery. Here, we describe the generation of a set of complex chemotypes inspired on selected microbiota metabolites, which have been synthesized using asymmetric organocatalytic reactions. Following a primary screening in CSC models, we identified the novel compound UCM-13369 (4b) whose cytotoxicity was mediated by NPM1. This protein is one of the most frequent mutations of AML, and NPM1-mutated AML is recognized by the WHO as a distinct hematopoietic malignancy. UCM-13369 inhibits NPM1 expression, downregulates the pathway associated with mutant NPM1 C+, and specifically recognizes the C-end DNA-binding domain of NPM1 C+, avoiding the nucleus-cytoplasm translocation involved in the AML tumorological process. The new NPM1 inhibitor triggers apoptosis in AML cell lines and primary cells from AML patients and reduces tumor infiltration in a mouse model of AML with NPM1 C+ mutation. The disclosed phenotype-guided discovery of UCM-13369, a novel small molecule inspired on microbiota metabolites, confirms that CSC death induced by NPM1 inhibition represents a promising therapeutic opportunity for NPM1-mutated AML, a high-mortality disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Algar
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Henar Vázquez-Villa
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Aguilar-Garrido
- Department
of Haematology, Hospital Universitario 12
de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12
de Octubre (imas12), E-28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO
Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Navarro-Aguadero
- Department
of Haematology, Hospital Universitario 12
de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12
de Octubre (imas12), E-28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO
Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Velasco-Estévez
- Department
of Haematology, Hospital Universitario 12
de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12
de Octubre (imas12), E-28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO
Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anabel Sánchez-Merino
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Arribas-Álvarez
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Rafael L. Giner-Arroyo
- Institute
for Chemical Research, cicCartuja, University
of Seville, CSIC, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Irene Díaz-Moreno
- Institute
for Chemical Research, cicCartuja, University
of Seville, CSIC, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joaquín Martínez-López
- Department
of Haematology, Hospital Universitario 12
de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12
de Octubre (imas12), E-28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO
Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Gallardo
- Department
of Haematology, Hospital Universitario 12
de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12
de Octubre (imas12), E-28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO
Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, E-28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María L. López-Rodríguez
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bellinda Benhamú
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
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Florio D, Marasco D. Could Targeting NPM1c+ Misfolding Be a Promising Strategy for Combating Acute Myeloid Leukemia? Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:811. [PMID: 38255885 PMCID: PMC10815591 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020811] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous group of diseases classified into various types on the basis of distinct features concerning the morphology, cytochemistry and cytogenesis of leukemic cells. Among the different subtypes, the group "AML with gene mutations" includes the variations of the gene of the multifunctional protein nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1). These mutations are the most frequent (~30-35% of AML adult patients and less in pediatric ones) and occur predominantly in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of NPM1. The most important mutation is the insertion at W288, which determines the frame shift W288Cfs12/Ffs12/Lfs*12 and leads to the addition of 2-12 amino acids, which hamper the correct folding of NPM1. This mutation leads to the loss of the nuclear localization signal (NoLS) and to aberrant cytoplasmic localization, denoted as NPM1c+. Many investigations demonstrated that interfering with the cellular location and oligomerization status of NPM1 can influence its biological functions, including the proper buildup of the nucleolus, and therapeutic strategies have been proposed to target NPM1c+, particularly the use of drugs able to re-direct NPM1 localization. Our studies unveiled a direct link between AML mutations and the neat amyloidogenic character of the CTDs of NPM1c+. Herein, with the aim of exploiting these conformational features, novel therapeutic strategies are proposed that rely on the induction of the selective self-cytotoxicity of leukemic blasts by focusing on agents such as peptides, peptoids or small molecules able to enhance amyloid aggregation and targeting selectively AML-NPM1c+ mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniela Marasco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy;
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Insights into Network of Hot Spots of Aggregation in Nucleophosmin 1. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314704. [PMID: 36499032 PMCID: PMC9736328 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In a protein, point mutations associated with diseases can alter the native structure and provide loss or alteration of functional levels, and an internal structural network defines the connectivity among domains, as well as aggregate/soluble states' equilibria. Nucleophosmin (NPM)1 is an abundant nucleolar protein, which becomes mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. NPM1-dependent leukemogenesis, which leads to its aggregation in the cytoplasm (NPMc+), is still obscure, but the investigations have outlined a direct link between AML mutations and amyloid aggregation. Protein aggregation can be due to the cooperation among several hot spots located within the aggregation-prone regions (APR), often predictable with bioinformatic tools. In the present study, we investigated potential APRs in the entire NPM1 not yet investigated. On the basis of bioinformatic predictions and experimental structures, we designed several protein fragments and analyzed them through typical aggrsegation experiments, such as Thioflavin T (ThT), fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) experiments, carried out at different times; in addition, their biocompatibility in SHSY5 cells was also evaluated. The presented data clearly demonstrate the existence of hot spots of aggregation located in different regions, mostly in the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the entire NPM1 protein, and provide a more comprehensive view of the molecular details potentially at the basis of NPMc+-dependent AML.
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