1
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Guarducci C, Nardone A, Russo D, Nagy Z, Heraud C, Grinshpun A, Zhang Q, Freelander A, Leventhal MJ, Feit A, Cohen Feit G, Feiglin A, Liu W, Hermida-Prado F, Kesten N, Ma W, De Angelis C, Morlando A, O'Donnell M, Naumenko S, Huang S, Nguyen QD, Huang Y, Malorni L, Bergholz JS, Zhao JJ, Fraenkel E, Lim E, Schiff R, Shapiro GI, Jeselsohn R. Selective CDK7 Inhibition Suppresses Cell Cycle Progression and MYC Signaling While Enhancing Apoptosis in Therapy-resistant Estrogen Receptor-positive Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1889-1905. [PMID: 38381406 PMCID: PMC11061603 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-2975] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Resistance to endocrine therapy (ET) and CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) is a clinical challenge in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (ER+) breast cancer. Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is a candidate target in endocrine-resistant ER+ breast cancer models and selective CDK7 inhibitors (CDK7i) are in clinical development for the treatment of ER+ breast cancer. Nonetheless, the precise mechanisms responsible for the activity of CDK7i in ER+ breast cancer remain elusive. Herein, we sought to unravel these mechanisms. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We conducted multi-omic analyses in ER+ breast cancer models in vitro and in vivo, including models with different genetic backgrounds. We also performed genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens to identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities in CDK4/6i-resistant models. RESULTS We found that the on-target antitumor effects of CDK7 inhibition in ER+ breast cancer are in part p53 dependent, and involve cell cycle inhibition and suppression of c-Myc. Moreover, CDK7 inhibition exhibited cytotoxic effects, distinctive from the cytostatic nature of ET and CDK4/6i. CDK7 inhibition resulted in suppression of ER phosphorylation at S118; however, long-term CDK7 inhibition resulted in increased ER signaling, supporting the combination of ET with a CDK7i. Finally, genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens identified CDK7 and MYC signaling as putative vulnerabilities in CDK4/6i resistance, and CDK7 inhibition effectively inhibited CDK4/6i-resistant models. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings support the clinical investigation of selective CDK7 inhibition combined with ET to overcome treatment resistance in ER+ breast cancer. In addition, our study highlights the potential of increased c-Myc activity and intact p53 as predictors of sensitivity to CDK7i-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Guarducci
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Agostina Nardone
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Douglas Russo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zsuzsanna Nagy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Capucine Heraud
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Albert Grinshpun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Allegra Freelander
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mathew Joseph Leventhal
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Computational and Systems Biology PhD program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Avery Feit
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gabriella Cohen Feit
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ariel Feiglin
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Weihan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Francisco Hermida-Prado
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nikolas Kesten
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wen Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carmine De Angelis
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Morlando
- Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy
| | - Madison O'Donnell
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sergey Naumenko
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shixia Huang
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Quang-Dé Nguyen
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Luca Malorni
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy
| | - Johann S. Bergholz
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jean J. Zhao
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Elgene Lim
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rachel Schiff
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Geoffrey I. Shapiro
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rinath Jeselsohn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
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2
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Song X, Fang C, Dai Y, Sun Y, Qiu C, Lin X, Xu R. Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) inhibitors as a novel therapeutic strategy for different molecular types of breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1239-1248. [PMID: 38355840 PMCID: PMC11014910 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02589-8] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 7 is aberrantly overexpressed in many types of cancer and is an attractive target for cancer therapy due to its dual role in transcription and cell cycle progression. Moreover, CDK7 can directly modulate the activities of estrogen receptor (ER), which is a major driver in breast cancer. Breast cancer cells have exhibited high sensitivity to CDK7 inhibition in pre-clinical studies. METHODS In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the latest insights into CDK7 biology and recent advancements in CDK7 inhibitor development for breast cancer treatment. We also discuss the current application of CDK7 inhibitors in different molecular types of breast cancer to provide potential strategies for the treatment of breast cancer. RESULTS Significant progress has been made in the development of selective CDK7 inhibitors, which show efficacy in both triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HR+). Moreover, combined with other agents, CDK7 inhibitors may provide synergistic effects for endocrine therapy and chemotherapy. Thus, high-quality studies for developing potent CDK7 inhibitors and investigating their applications in breast cancer therapy are rapidly emerging. CONCLUSION CDK7 inhibitors have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy and have demonstrated significant anti-cancer activity in different subtypes of breast cancer, especially those that have been resistant to current therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Song
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Chen Fang
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yan Dai
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Chang Qiu
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Xiaojie Lin
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
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3
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Gong Y, Li H. CDK7 in breast cancer: mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:226. [PMID: 38605321 PMCID: PMC11010440 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01577-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) serves as a pivotal regulator in orchestrating cellular cycle dynamics and gene transcriptional activity. Elevated expression levels of CDK7 have been ubiquitously documented across a spectrum of malignancies and have been concomitantly correlated with adverse clinical outcomes. This review delineates the biological roles of CDK7 and explicates the molecular pathways through which CDK7 exacerbates the oncogenic progression of breast cancer. Furthermore, we synthesize the extant literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the advancement of CDK7-specific small-molecule inhibitors, encapsulating both preclinical and clinical findings in breast cancer contexts. The accumulated evidence substantiates the conceptualization of CDK7 as a propitious therapeutic target in breast cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Gong
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Huiping Li
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Breast Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China.
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4
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Wang Z, Himanen SV, Haikala HM, Friedel CC, Vihervaara A, Barborič M. Inhibition of CDK12 elevates cancer cell dependence on P-TEFb by stimulation of RNA polymerase II pause release. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10970-10991. [PMID: 37811895 PMCID: PMC10639066 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad792] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
P-TEFb and CDK12 facilitate transcriptional elongation by RNA polymerase II. Given the prominence of both kinases in cancer, gaining a better understanding of their interplay could inform the design of novel anti-cancer strategies. While down-regulation of DNA repair genes in CDK12-targeted cancer cells is being explored therapeutically, little is known about mechanisms and significance of transcriptional induction upon inhibition of CDK12. We show that selective targeting of CDK12 in colon cancer-derived cells activates P-TEFb via its release from the inhibitory 7SK snRNP. In turn, P-TEFb stimulates Pol II pause release at thousands of genes, most of which become newly dependent on P-TEFb. Amongst the induced genes are those stimulated by hallmark pathways in cancer, including p53 and NF-κB. Consequently, CDK12-inhibited cancer cells exhibit hypersensitivity to inhibitors of P-TEFb. While blocking P-TEFb triggers their apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner, it impedes cell proliferation irrespective of p53 by preventing induction of genes downstream of the DNA damage-induced NF-κB signaling. In summary, stimulation of Pol II pause release at the signal-responsive genes underlies the functional dependence of CDK12-inhibited cancer cells on P-TEFb. Our study establishes the mechanistic underpinning for combinatorial targeting of CDK12 with either P-TEFb or the induced oncogenic pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijia Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Samu V Himanen
- Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heidi M Haikala
- Translational Immunology Research Program (TRIMM), Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Caroline C Friedel
- Institute of Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Anniina Vihervaara
- Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matjaž Barborič
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
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5
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Pluta AJ, Studniarek C, Murphy S, Norbury CJ. Cyclin-dependent kinases: Masters of the eukaryotic universe. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 15:e1816. [PMID: 37718413 PMCID: PMC10909489 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
A family of structurally related cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) drives many aspects of eukaryotic cell function. Much of the literature in this area has considered individual members of this family to act primarily either as regulators of the cell cycle, the context in which CDKs were first discovered, or as regulators of transcription. Until recently, CDK7 was the only clear example of a CDK that functions in both processes. However, new data points to several "cell-cycle" CDKs having important roles in transcription and some "transcriptional" CDKs having cell cycle-related targets. For example, novel functions in transcription have been demonstrated for the archetypal cell cycle regulator CDK1. The increasing evidence of the overlap between these two CDK types suggests that they might play a critical role in coordinating the two processes. Here we review the canonical functions of cell-cycle and transcriptional CDKs, and provide an update on how these kinases collaborate to perform important cellular functions. We also provide a brief overview of how dysregulation of CDKs contributes to carcinogenesis, and possible treatment avenues. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Processing > 3' End Processing RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shona Murphy
- Sir William Dunn School of PathologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Chris J. Norbury
- Sir William Dunn School of PathologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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6
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Ma J, Chan JJ, Toh CH, Yap YS. Emerging systemic therapy options beyond CDK4/6 inhibitors for hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2023; 9:74. [PMID: 37684290 PMCID: PMC10491615 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00578-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine therapy (ET) with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) is currently the standard first-line treatment for most patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) negative advanced breast cancer. However, resistance to ET and CDK4/6i inevitably ensues. The optimal post-progression treatment regimens and their sequencing continue to evolve in the rapidly changing treatment landscape. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of resistance to ET and CDK4/6i, which can be broadly classified as alterations affecting cell cycle mediators and activation of alternative signaling pathways. Recent clinical trials have been directed at the targets and pathways implicated, including estrogen and androgen receptors, PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways, tyrosine kinase receptors such as FGFR and HER2, homologous recombination repair pathway, other components of the cell cycle and cell death. We describe the findings from these clinical trials using small molecule inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapy, providing insights into how these novel strategies may circumvent treatment resistance, and discuss how some have not translated into clinical benefit. The challenges posed by tumor heterogeneity, adaptive rewiring of signaling pathways and dose-limiting toxicities underscore the need to elucidate the latest tumor biology in each patient, and develop treatments with improved therapeutic index in the era of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ma
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Boulevard, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
| | - Jack Junjie Chan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Boulevard, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
- Oncology Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Ching Han Toh
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Boulevard, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
| | - Yoon-Sim Yap
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Boulevard, Singapore, 168583, Singapore.
- Oncology Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
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7
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Constantin TA, Varela-Carver A, Greenland KK, de Almeida GS, Olden E, Penfold L, Ang S, Ormrod A, Leach DA, Lai CF, Ainscow EK, Bahl AK, Carling D, Fuchter MJ, Ali S, Bevan CL. The CDK7 inhibitor CT7001 (Samuraciclib) targets proliferation pathways to inhibit advanced prostate cancer. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:2326-2337. [PMID: 37076563 PMCID: PMC10241923 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02252-8] [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: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current strategies to inhibit androgen receptor (AR) are circumvented in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) promotes AR signalling, in addition to established roles in cell cycle and global transcription, providing a rationale for its therapeutic targeting in CRPC. METHODS The antitumour activity of CT7001, an orally bioavailable CDK7 inhibitor, was investigated across CRPC models in vitro and in xenograft models in vivo. Cell-based assays and transcriptomic analyses of treated xenografts were employed to investigate the mechanisms driving CT7001 activity, alone and in combination with the antiandrogen enzalutamide. RESULTS CT7001 selectively engages with CDK7 in prostate cancer cells, causing inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle arrest. Activation of p53, induction of apoptosis, and suppression of transcription mediated by full-length and constitutively active AR splice variants contribute to antitumour efficacy in vitro. Oral administration of CT7001 represses growth of CRPC xenografts and significantly augments growth inhibition achieved by enzalutamide. Transcriptome analyses of treated xenografts indicate cell cycle and AR inhibition as the mode of action of CT7001 in vivo. CONCLUSIONS This study supports CDK7 inhibition as a strategy to target deregulated cell proliferation and demonstrates CT7001 is a promising CRPC therapeutic, alone or in combination with AR-targeting compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora A Constantin
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Anabel Varela-Carver
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Kyle K Greenland
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Gilberto Serrano de Almeida
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Ellen Olden
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Lucy Penfold
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Simon Ang
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Alice Ormrod
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Damien A Leach
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Chun-Fui Lai
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Edward K Ainscow
- Carrick Therapeutics, Nova UCD, Bellfield Innovation Park, Dublin, 4, Ireland
| | - Ash K Bahl
- Carrick Therapeutics, Nova UCD, Bellfield Innovation Park, Dublin, 4, Ireland
| | - David Carling
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Fuchter
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, London, UK
| | - Simak Ali
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Charlotte L Bevan
- Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK.
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8
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Du X, Wang H, Xu J, Zhang Y, Chen T, Li G. Profiling and integrated analysis of transcriptional addiction gene expression and prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204676. [PMID: 37171044 PMCID: PMC10188332 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204676] [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: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation caused by genomic and epigenetic alterations in cancer is called "transcriptional addiction". Transcriptional addiction is an important pathogenic factor of tumor malignancy. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genomes are highly heterogeneous, with many dysregulated genes. Our study analyzed the possibility that transcriptional addiction-related genes play a significant role in HCC. All data sources for conducting this study were public cancer databases and tissue microarrays. We identified 38 transcriptional addiction genes, and most were differentially expressed genes. Among patients of different groups, there were significant differences in overall survival rates. Both nomogram and risk score were independent predictors of HCC outcomes. Transcriptional addiction gene expression characteristics determine the sensitivity of patients to immunotherapy, cisplatin, and sorafenib. Besides, HDAC2 was identified as an oncogene, and its expression was correlated with patient survival time. Our study conclusively demonstrated that transcriptional addiction is crucial in HCC. We provided biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients, which can more precisely guide the patient's treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Du
- First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Second Department of Oncology, Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Second Department of Oncology, Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- Second Department of Oncology, Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingsong Chen
- Second Department of Oncology, Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gao Li
- Second Department of Oncology, Seventh People’s Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Wang Z, Mačáková M, Bugai A, Kuznetsov SG, Hassinen A, Lenasi T, Potdar S, Friedel CC, Barborič M. P-TEFb promotes cell survival upon p53 activation by suppressing intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:1687-1706. [PMID: 36727434 PMCID: PMC9976905 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) is the crucial player in RNA polymerase II (Pol II) pause release that has emerged as a promising target in cancer. Because single-agent therapy may fail to deliver durable clinical response, targeting of P-TEFb shall benefit when deployed as a combination therapy. We screened a comprehensive oncology library and identified clinically relevant antimetabolites and Mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) inhibitors as top compounds eliciting p53-dependent death of colorectal cancer cells in synergy with selective inhibitors of P-TEFb. While the targeting of P-TEFb augments apoptosis by anti-metabolite 5-fluorouracil, it switches the fate of cancer cells by the non-genotoxic MDM2 inhibitor Nutlin-3a from cell-cycle arrest to apoptosis. Mechanistically, the fate switching is enabled by the induction of p53-dependent pro-apoptotic genes and repression of P-TEFb-dependent pro-survival genes of the PI3K-AKT signaling cascade, which stimulates caspase 9 and intrinsic apoptosis pathway in BAX/BAK-dependent manner. Finally, combination treatments trigger apoptosis of cancer cell spheroids. Together, co-targeting of P-TEFb and suppressors of intrinsic apoptosis could become a viable strategy to eliminate cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijia Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Monika Mačáková
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Andrii Bugai
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Sergey G Kuznetsov
- High-Throughput Biomedicine Unit (HTB), Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Antti Hassinen
- High Content Imaging and Analysis Unit (HCA), Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Tina Lenasi
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Swapnil Potdar
- High-Throughput Biomedicine Unit (HTB), Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Caroline C Friedel
- Institute for Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Matjaž Barborič
- Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
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10
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Sher S, Whipp E, Walker J, Zhang P, Beaver L, Williams K, Orwick S, Ravikrishnan J, Walker B, Perry E, Gregory C, Purcell M, Pan A, Yan P, Alinari L, Johnson AJ, Frigault MM, Greer JM, Hamdy A, Izumi R, Mo X, Sampath D, Woyach J, Blachly J, Byrd JC, Lapalombella R. VIP152 is a selective CDK9 inhibitor with pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leukemia 2023; 37:326-338. [PMID: 36376377 PMCID: PMC9898036 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01758-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is effectively treated with targeted therapies including Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors and BCL2 antagonists. When these become ineffective, treatment options are limited. Positive transcription elongation factor complex (P-TEFb), a heterodimeric protein complex composed of cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) and cyclin T1, functions to regulate short half-life transcripts by phosphorylation of RNA Polymerase II (POLII). These transcripts are frequently dysregulated in hematologic malignancies; however, therapies targeting inhibition of P-TEFb have not yet achieved approval for cancer treatment. VIP152 kinome profiling revealed CDK9 as the main enzyme inhibited at 100 nM, with over a 10-fold increase in potency compared with other inhibitors currently in development for this target. VIP152 induced cell death in CLL cell lines and primary patient samples. Transcriptome analysis revealed inhibition of RNA degradation through the AU-Rich Element (ARE) dysregulation. Mechanistically, VIP152 inhibits the assembly of P-TEFb onto the transcription machinery and disturbs binding partners. Finally, immune competent mice engrafted with CLL-like cells of Eµ-MTCP1 over-expressing mice and treated with VIP152 demonstrated reduced disease burden and improvement in overall survival compared to vehicle-treated mice. These data suggest that VIP152 is a highly selective inhibitor of CDK9 that represents an attractive new therapy for CLL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Sher
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ethan Whipp
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Janek Walker
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Pu Zhang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Larry Beaver
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Katie Williams
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shelley Orwick
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Janani Ravikrishnan
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Brandi Walker
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth Perry
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Charles Gregory
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Matthew Purcell
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alexander Pan
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Pearlly Yan
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lapo Alinari
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiaokui Mo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Deepa Sampath
- Department of Hematopoietic Biology & Malignancy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer Woyach
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - James Blachly
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John C Byrd
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Rosa Lapalombella
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
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11
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Li ZM, Liu G, Gao Y, Zhao MG. Targeting CDK7 in oncology: The avenue forward. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108229. [PMID: 35700828 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 7 is best characterized for the ability to regulate biological processes, including the cell cycle and gene transcription. Abnormal CDK7 activity is observed in various tumours and represents a driving force for tumourigenesis. Therefore, CDK7 may be an appealing target for cancer treatment. Whereas, the enthusiasm for CDK7-targeted therapeutic strategy is mitigated due to the widely possessed belief that this protein is essential for normal cells. Indeed, the fact confronts the consensus. This is the first review to introduce the role of CDK7 in pan-cancers via a combined analysis of comprehensive gene information and (pre)clinical research results. We also discuss the recent advances in protein structure and summarize the understanding of mechanisms underlying CDK7 function. These endeavours highlight the pivotal roles of CDK7 in tumours and may contribute to the development of effective CDK7 inhibitors within the strategy of structure-based drug discovery for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Mei Li
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Guan Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xinsi Road 1, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Ya Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, Institute of Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, PR China.
| | - Ming-Gao Zhao
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, Shaanxi, PR China; Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xinsi Road 1, Xi'an 710038, Shaanxi, PR China.
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12
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van der Noord VE, van de Water B, Le Dévédec SE. Targeting the Heterogeneous Genomic Landscape in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer through Inhibitors of the Transcriptional Machinery. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4353. [PMID: 36139513 PMCID: PMC9496798 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14184353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer defined by lack of the estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. Although TNBC tumors contain a wide variety of oncogenic mutations and copy number alterations, the direct targeting of these alterations has failed to substantially improve therapeutic efficacy. This efficacy is strongly limited by interpatient and intratumor heterogeneity, and thereby a lack in uniformity of targetable drivers. Most of these genetic abnormalities eventually drive specific transcriptional programs, which may be a general underlying vulnerability. Currently, there are multiple selective inhibitors, which target the transcriptional machinery through transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13 and bromodomain extra-terminal motif (BET) proteins, including BRD4. In this review, we discuss how inhibitors of the transcriptional machinery can effectively target genetic abnormalities in TNBC, and how these abnormalities can influence sensitivity to these inhibitors. These inhibitors target the genomic landscape in TNBC by specifically suppressing MYC-driven transcription, inducing further DNA damage, improving anti-cancer immunity, and preventing drug resistance against MAPK and PI3K-targeted therapies. Because the transcriptional machinery enables transcription and propagation of multiple cancer drivers, it may be a promising target for (combination) treatment, especially of heterogeneous malignancies, including TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sylvia E. Le Dévédec
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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13
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Wang Y, Zhang Z, Mi X, Li M, Huang D, Song T, Qi X, Yang M. Elevation of effective p53 expression sensitizes wild-type p53 breast cancer cells to CDK7 inhibitor THZ1. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:96. [PMID: 36058938 PMCID: PMC9442925 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00837-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) inhibitor THZ1 represses multiple cancer cells. However, its tumor-repressive efficiency in wild-type p53 breast cancer cells remains controversial. Methods We conducted various assays, including CCK8, colony formation, flow cytometry, western blotting, and lactate dehydrogenase release detection, to clarify whether p53 elevation sensitizes breast cancer cells to THZ1. Results We found that upregulating functional p53 contributes to the increased sensitivity of breast cancer cells to THZ1. Increased THZ1 sensitivity requires active p53 and an intact p53 pathway, which was confirmed by introducing exogenous wild-type p53 and the subsequent elevation of THZ1-mediated tumor suppression in breast cancer cells carrying mutant p53. We confirmed that p53 accumulates in the nucleus and mitochondria during cell death. Furthermore, we identified extensive transcriptional disruption, rather than solely CDK7 inhibition, as the mechanism underlying the nutlin-3 and THZ1-induced death of breast cancer cells. Finally, we observed the combined nutlin-3 and THZ1 treatment amplified gasdermin E cleavage. Conclusion Enhanced sensitivity of breast cancer cells to THZ1 can be achieved by increasing effective p53 expression. Our approach may serve as a potential treatment for patients with breast cancer resistant to regular therapies. Video Abstract
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-022-00837-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyuan Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuguang Mi
- Tumor Biotherapy Center, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, Republic of China
| | - Mingxi Li
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Song
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Qi
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Mattinzoli D, Cacioppo M, Ikehata M, Armelloni S, Alfieri CM, Castellano G, Barilani M, Arcudi F, Messa P, Prato M. Carbon dots conjugated to SN38 for improved colorectal anticancer therapy. Mater Today Bio 2022; 16:100286. [PMID: 36186846 PMCID: PMC9523396 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100286] [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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Irinotecan (CTP-11) is one of the standard therapies for colorectal cancer (CRC). CTP-11 is enzymatically converted to the hydrophobic 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN38), a one hundred-fold more active metabolite. Conjugation of hydrophobic anticancer drugs to nanomaterials is a strategy to improve their solubility, efficacy, and selectivity. Carbon dots (CDs) have garnered interest for their small sizes (<10 nm), low toxicity, high water solubility, and bright fluorescence. This paper describes the use of CDs to improve drug vehiculation, stability, and chemotherapeutic efficiency of SN38 through a direct intracellular uptake in CRC. The covalent conjugation of SN38 to CDs via a carbamate bond provides a CD-SN38 hybrid material for slow, sustained, and pH-responsive drug release. CD-SN38 successfully penetrates the CRC cells with a release in the nucleus affecting first the cell cycle and then the cytoskeleton. Moreover, CD-SN38 leads to a deregulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), one of the major components of the cancer niche considered a possible target therapy for reducing the cancer progression. This work shows the combined therapeutic and imaging potential of CD-based hybrid materials for the treatment of CRC. Future efforts for targeted therapy of chronic diseases characterized by altered ECM deposition, such as chronic kidney disease and chronic allograft nephropathy in kidney transplant patients are envisaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Mattinzoli
- Renal Research Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, Milan, 20122, Italy
- Corresponding author.
| | - Michele Cacioppo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, Trieste, 34127, Italy
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC BiomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 182, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Masami Ikehata
- Renal Research Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, Milan, 20122, Italy
| | - Silvia Armelloni
- Renal Research Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Pace 9, Milan, 20122, Italy
| | - Carlo Maria Alfieri
- Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplant Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Della Commenda 15, Milan, 20122, Italy
- University of Study of Milan, Via Festa Del Perdono 7, 20122, Milan, Italy
- Corresponding author. University of Study of Milan, via Festa Del Perdono 7, 20122, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Castellano
- Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplant Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Della Commenda 15, Milan, 20122, Italy
- University of Study of Milan, Via Festa Del Perdono 7, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Barilani
- EPIGET LAB, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, 20122, Italy
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Cell Factory, Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, 20122, Italy
| | - Francesca Arcudi
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, Trieste, 34127, Italy
- Corresponding author.
| | - Piergiorgio Messa
- Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplant Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Della Commenda 15, Milan, 20122, Italy
- University of Study of Milan, Via Festa Del Perdono 7, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Prato
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, Trieste, 34127, Italy
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC BiomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramón 182, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, 48013, Spain
- Corresponding author. Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, via Licio Giorgieri 1, Trieste, 34127, Italy.
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15
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Targeting transcription in heart failure via CDK7/12/13 inhibition. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4345. [PMID: 35896549 PMCID: PMC9329381 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31541-8] [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: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is associated with high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. As stress-activated cardiac signaling cascades converge on the nucleus to drive maladaptive gene programs, interdicting pathological transcription is a conceptually attractive approach for HFrEF therapy. Here, we demonstrate that CDK7/12/13 are critical regulators of transcription activation in the heart that can be pharmacologically inhibited to improve HFrEF. CDK7/12/13 inhibition using the first-in-class inhibitor THZ1 or RNAi blocks stress-induced transcription and pathologic hypertrophy in cultured rodent cardiomyocytes. THZ1 potently attenuates adverse cardiac remodeling and HFrEF pathogenesis in mice and blocks cardinal features of disease in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. THZ1 suppresses Pol II enrichment at stress-transactivated cardiac genes and inhibits a specific pathologic gene program in the failing mouse heart. These data identify CDK7/12/13 as druggable regulators of cardiac gene transactivation during disease-related stress, suggesting that HFrEF features a critical dependency on transcription that can be therapeutically exploited.
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16
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Cyclin-dependent kinases as potential targets for colorectal cancer: past, present and future. Future Med Chem 2022; 14:1087-1105. [PMID: 35703127 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2022-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer in the world and its prevalence is increasing in developing countries. Deregulated cell cycle traverse is a hallmark of malignant transformation and is often observed in CRC as a result of imprecise activity of cell cycle regulatory components, viz. cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Apart from cell cycle regulation, some CDKs also regulate processes such as transcription and have also been shown to be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis. This article aims to review cyclin-dependent kinases as potential targets for CRC. Furthermore, therapeutic candidates to target CDKs are also discussed.
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17
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Transcription associated cyclin-dependent kinases as therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. Oncogene 2022; 41:3303-3315. [PMID: 35568739 PMCID: PMC9187515 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02347-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional deregulation has emerged as a hallmark of several cancer types. In metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, a stage in which systemic androgen deprivation therapies fail to show clinical benefit, transcriptional addiction to the androgen receptor is maintained in most patients. This has led to increased efforts to find novel therapies that prevent oncogenic transactivation of the androgen receptor. In this context, a group of druggable protein kinases, known as transcription associated cyclin-dependent kinases (tCDKs), show great potential as therapeutic targets. Despite initial reservations about targeting tCDKs due to their ubiquitous and prerequisite nature, preclinical studies showed that selectively inhibiting such kinases could provide sufficient therapeutic window to exert antitumour effects in the absence of systemic toxicity. As a result, several highly specific inhibitors are currently being trialled in solid tumours, including prostate cancer. This article summarises the roles of tCDKs in regulating gene transcription and highlights rationales for their targeting in prostate cancer. It provides an overview of the most recent developments in this therapeutic area, including the most recent clinical advances, and discusses the utility of tCDK inhibitors in combination with established cancer agents.
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18
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Funke K, Düster R, Wilson PDG, Arévalo L, Geyer M, Schorle H. Transcriptional CDK Inhibitors as Potential Treatment Option for Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071690. [PMID: 35406461 PMCID: PMC8997165 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Type II testicular germ cell tumors are a severe type of cancer in young men demanding alternative treatment options to conventional chemotherapy with less side effects. In particular, patients with chemotherapy-resistant tumors face a bad prognosis and low survival rates. In other tumor entities, transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (7/8/9/12/13) have been demonstrated to be effective targets. Here, we studied the effects of transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors on a cellular and molecular level. We found several inhibitors to be highly cytotoxic for certain testicular germ cell tumor cell lines while leaving a somatic (fibroblast) control cell line unaffected. This opens up a novel field for effective and specified treatment of type II testicular germ cell tumors. Abstract Type II testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most frequently diagnosed solid malignancy in young men. Up to 15% of patients with metastatic non-seminomas show cisplatin resistance and a very poor survival rate due to lacking treatment options. Transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) have been shown to be effective targets in the treatment of different types of cancer. Here, we investigated the effects of the CDK inhibitors dinaciclib, flavopiridol, YKL-5-124, THZ1, NVP2, SY0351 and THZ531. An XTT viability assay revealed a strong cytotoxic impact of CDK7/12/13 inhibitor SY0351 and CDK9 inhibitor NVP2 on the TGCT wild-type cell lines (2102EP, NCCIT, TCam2) and the cisplatin-resistant cell lines (2102EP-R, NCCIT-R). The CDK7 inhibitor YKL-5-124 showed a strong impact on 2102EP, 2102EP-R, NCCIT and NCCIT-R cell lines, leaving the MPAF control cell line mostly unaffected. FACS-based analysis revealed mild effects on the cell cycle of 2102EP and TCam2 cells after SY0351, YKL-5-124 or NVP2 treatment. Molecular analysis showed a cell-line-specific response for SY0351 and NVP2 inhibition while YKL-5-124 induced similar molecular changes in 2102EP, TCam2 and MPAF cells. Thus, after TGCT subtype determination, CDK inhibitors might be a potential alternative for optimized and individualized therapy independent of chemotherapy sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Funke
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (K.F.); (P.D.-G.W.); (L.A.)
| | - Robert Düster
- The Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.D.); (M.G.)
| | - Prince De-Graft Wilson
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (K.F.); (P.D.-G.W.); (L.A.)
| | - Lena Arévalo
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (K.F.); (P.D.-G.W.); (L.A.)
| | - Matthias Geyer
- The Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.D.); (M.G.)
| | - Hubert Schorle
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (K.F.); (P.D.-G.W.); (L.A.)
- Correspondence:
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Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Synthetic Lethality Partners in DNA Damage Response. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073555. [PMID: 35408915 PMCID: PMC8998982 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are pivotal mediators and effectors of the DNA damage response (DDR) that regulate both the pathway components and proteins involved in repair processes. Synthetic lethality (SL) describes a situation in which two genes are linked in such a way that the lack of functioning of just one maintains cell viability, while depletion of both triggers cell death. Synthetic lethal interactions involving CDKs are now emerging, and this can be used to selectively target tumor cells with DNA repair defects. In this review, SL interactions of CDKs with protooncogene products MYC, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), and cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53) are discussed. The individual roles of each of the SL partners in DDR are described.
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20
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Xie Z, Hou S, Yang X, Duan Y, Han J, Wang Q, Liao C. Lessons Learned from Past Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Drug Discovery Efforts. J Med Chem 2022; 65:6356-6389. [PMID: 35235745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) has become an effective therapeutic strategy for treating various diseases, especially cancer. Over almost three decades, although great efforts have been made to discover CDK inhibitors, many of which have entered clinical trials, only four CDK inhibitors have been approved. In the process of CDK inhibitor development, many difficulties and misunderstandings have hampered their discovery and clinical applications, which mainly include inadequate understanding of the biological functions of CDKs, less attention paid to pan- and multi-CDK inhibitors, nonideal isoform selectivity of developed selective CDK inhibitors, overlooking the metabolic stability of early discovered CDK inhibitors, no effective resistance solutions, and a lack of available combination therapy and effective biomarkers for CDK therapies. After reviewing the mechanisms of CDKs and the research progress of CDK inhibitors, this perspective summarizes and discusses these difficulties or lessons, hoping to facilitate the successful discovery of more useful CDK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouling Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P. R. China
| | - Shuzeng Hou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P. R. China
| | - Yajun Duan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P. R. China
| | - Jihong Han
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P. R. China
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology─Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, P. R. China
| | - Chenzhong Liao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P. R. China
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21
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Wong CH, Li CH, Man Tong JH, Zheng D, He Q, Luo Z, Lou UK, Wang J, To KF, Chen Y. The Establishment of CDK9/ RNA PolII/H3K4me3/DNA Methylation Feedback Promotes HOTAIR Expression by RNA Elongation Enhancement in Cancer. Mol Ther 2022; 30:1597-1609. [PMID: 35121112 PMCID: PMC9077372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNA HOX Transcript Antisense RNA (HOTAIR) is overexpressed in multiple cancers with diverse genetic profiles. Importantly, since HOTAIR heavily contributes to cancer progression by promoting tumor growth and metastasis, HOTAIR becomes a potential target for cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanism leading to HOTAIR deregulation is largely unexplored. Here, we performed a pan-cancer analysis using more than 4,200 samples and found that intragenic exon CpG island (Ex-CGI) was hypermethylated and was positively correlated to HOTAIR expression. Also, we revealed that Ex-CGI methylation promotes HOTAIR expression through enhancing the transcription elongation process. Furthermore, we linked up the aberrant intragenic tri-methylation on H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) and Ex-CGI DNA methylation in promoting transcription elongation of HOTAIR. Targeting the oncogenic CDK7-CDK9-H3K4me3 axis downregulated HOTAIR expression and inhibited cell growth in many cancers. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a positive feedback loop that involved CDK9-mediated phosphorylation of RNA Polymerase II Serine 2 (RNA PolII Ser2), H3K4me3, and intragenic DNA methylation, which induced robust transcriptional elongation and heavily contributed to the upregulation of oncogenic lncRNA in cancer has been demonstrated. Targeting the oncogenic CDK7-CDK9-H3K4me3 axis could be a novel therapy in many cancers through inhibiting the HOTAIR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Hin Wong
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Chi Han Li
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Joanna Hung Man Tong
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Duo Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qifang He
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Zhiyuan Luo
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Ut Kei Lou
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Jiatong Wang
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong
| | - Ka-Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Yangchao Chen
- A School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518087, China.
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22
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Yuan J, Li X, Yu S. CDK7-dependent transcriptional addiction in bone and soft tissue sarcomas: Present and Future. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188680. [PMID: 35051528 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer arises from genetic alterations that invariably contribute to dysregulated transcriptional programs. These dysregulated programs establish and maintain specific cancer cell states, leading to an intensive dependence on a set of certain regulators of gene expression. The CDK7 functions as the core of transcription, and governs RNA polymerase II and the downstream oncogenes expression in cancers. CDK7 inhibition leads to reduced recruitment of super-enhancers-driven oncogenic transcription factors, and the depression of these associated oncogenes expression, which indicates the dependence of transcriptional addiction of cancers on CDK7. Given that specified oncoproteins of sarcomas commonly function at oncogenic transcription, targeting CDK7-denpendent transcriptional addiction may be of guiding significance for the treatment of sarcomas. In this review, we summarize the advances in mechanism of targeted CDK7-dependent transcriptional addiction and discuss the path ahead to potential application discovery in bone and soft tissue sarcomas, providing theoretical considerations for bio-orthogonal therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yuan
- Department of Orthopedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Department of Orthopedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Shengji Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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23
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Liu Y, Fu L, Wu J, Liu M, Wang G, Liu B, Zhang L. Transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases: Potential drug targets in cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 229:114056. [PMID: 34942431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.114056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In the wake of the development of the concept of cell cycle and its limiting points, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are considered to play a central role in regulating cell cycle progression. Recent studies have strongly demonstrated that CDKs also has multiple functions, especially in response to extracellular and intracellular signals by interfering with transcriptional events. Consequently, how to inhibit their function has been a hot research topic. It is worth noting that the key role of CDKs in regulating transcription has been explored in recent years, but its related pharmacological targets are less developed, and most inhibitors have not entered the clinical stage. Accordingly, this perspective focus on the biological functions of transcription related CDKs and their complexes, some key upstream and downstream signals, and inhibitors for cancer treatment in recent years. In addition, some corresponding combined treatment strategies will provide a more novel perspective for future cancer remedy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031, Chengdu, China
| | - Leilei Fu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031, Chengdu, China
| | - Junhao Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031, Chengdu, China.
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24
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Jiang J, Lu Y, Zhang F, Huang J, Ren XL, Zhang R. The Emerging Roles of Long Noncoding RNAs as Hallmarks of Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:761582. [PMID: 34692550 PMCID: PMC8529012 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.761582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) are closely associated with tumor initiation, growth, and progress in lung cancer. Long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), as one of the three subclasses of ncRNAs, play important roles in chromatin modification, transcription, and post-transcriptional processing. Various lncRNAs have recently been reported to be dysfunctional or dysregulated in cancers and have pro- or anti-tumor potential. Importantly, as a new class of cancer biomarkers, studies have demonstrated the plausibility of using certain subsets of lncRNAs as promising diagnostic, therapeutic, or prognostic strategies to manage cancers. This review focuses on lncRNAs associated with hallmarks of lung cancer, especially those discovered in the last five years. The expression levels of these lncRNAs in tumor samples are discussed, alongside their mechanisms of action, drug resistance, and potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jiang
- Department of Health Service, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin-Ling Ren
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Shenzhen General Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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25
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Fink A, Hung E, Singh I, Ben-Neriah Y. Immunity in acute myeloid leukemia: Where the immune response and targeted therapy meet. Eur J Immunol 2021; 52:34-43. [PMID: 34648664 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202048945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly aggressive disease with high relapse and mortality rates. Recent years have shown a surge in novel therapeutic development for AML, both in clinical and preclinical stages. These developments include targeted therapies based on AML-specific molecular signatures as well as more general immune modulation and vaccination studies. In this review, we will explore the evolving arena of AML therapy and suggest some intriguing connections between immune system modulation and targeted therapy. Improved understanding of the immune system involvement in various stages of the disease and the crosstalk between immune effectors, targeted therapy, and AML cells can provide a better framework for designing the next generation of AML therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avner Fink
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eric Hung
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Indranil Singh
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yinon Ben-Neriah
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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26
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Wang Y, Peng J, Mi X, Yang M. p53-GSDME Elevation: A Path for CDK7 Inhibition to Suppress Breast Cancer Cell Survival. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:697457. [PMID: 34490348 PMCID: PMC8417410 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.697457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK7) expression is a character of breast cancer and indicates poor prognosis. Inhibiting CDK7 exhibited effective cancer cell suppression which implies the potential of CDK7 inhibition to be a method for anti-cancer treatment. Our study aimed to explore a novel mechanism of CDK7 inhibition for suppressing breast cancer cell survival. Here, we proved inhibiting CDK7 repressed breast cancer cell proliferation and colony formation and increased the apoptotic cell rate, with p53 and GSDME protein level elevation. When p53 was suppressed in MCF-7 cells, the decline of GSDME expression and associated stronger proliferation and colony formation could be observed. Since downregulation of GSDME was of benefit to breast cancer cells, p53 inhibition blocked the elevation of GSDME induced by CDK7 inhibition and retrieved cells from the tumor suppressive effect of CDK7 inhibition. Therefore, CDK7 inhibition exerted a negative effect on breast cancer cell proliferation and colony formation in a p53–GSDME dependent manner. These results revealed the CDK7–p53–GSDME axis could be a pathway affecting breast cancer cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyuan Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingyu Peng
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuguang Mi
- Tumor Biotherapy Center, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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27
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Cyclin-dependent kinases-based synthetic lethality: Evidence, concept, and strategy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:2738-2748. [PMID: 34589394 PMCID: PMC8463275 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic lethality is a proven effective antitumor strategy that has attracted great attention. Large-scale screening has revealed many synthetic lethal genetic phenotypes, and relevant small-molecule drugs have also been implemented in clinical practice. Increasing evidence suggests that CDKs, constituting a kinase family predominantly involved in cell cycle control, are synthetic lethal factors when combined with certain oncogenes, such as MYC, TP53, and RAS, which facilitate numerous antitumor treatment options based on CDK-related synthetic lethality. In this review, we focus on the synthetic lethal phenotype and mechanism related to CDKs and summarize the preclinical and clinical discoveries of CDK inhibitors to explore the prospect of CDK inhibitors as antitumor compounds for strategic synthesis lethality in the future.
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28
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Kim W, LeBlanc B, Matthews WL, Zhang ZY, Zhang Y. Advancements in chemical biology targeting the kinases and phosphatases of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 63:68-77. [PMID: 33714893 PMCID: PMC8384638 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) coordinates the temporal progression of eukaryotic transcription. The development and application of chemical genetic methods have enhanced our ability to investigate the intricate and intertwined pathways regulated by the kinases and phosphatases targeting RNAP II to ensure transcription accuracy and efficiency. Although identifying small molecules that modulate these enzymes has been challenging due to their highly conserved structures, powerful new chemical biology strategies such as targeted covalent inhibitors and small molecule degraders have significantly improved chemical probe specificity. The recent success in discovering phosphatase holoenzyme activators and inhibitors, which demonstrates the feasibility of selective targeting of individual phosphatase complexes, opens up new avenues into the study of transcription. Herein, we summarize how chemical biology is used to delineate kinases' identities involved in RNAP II regulation and new concepts in inhibitor/activator design implemented for kinases/phosphatases involved in modulating RNAP II-mediated transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wantae Kim
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Blase LeBlanc
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Wendy L Matthews
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Zhong-Yin Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Chemistry, and Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; The Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology. University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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29
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Kuchur OA, Kuzmina DO, Dukhinova MS, Shtil AA. The p53 Protein Family in the Response of Tumor Cells to Ionizing Radiation: Problem Development. Acta Naturae 2021; 13:65-76. [PMID: 34707898 PMCID: PMC8526179 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Survival mechanisms are activated in tumor cells in response to therapeutic ionizing radiation. This reduces a treatment's effectiveness. The p53, p63, and p73 proteins belonging to the family of proteins that regulate the numerous pathways of intracellular signal transduction play a key role in the development of radioresistance. This review analyzes the p53-dependent and p53-independent mechanisms involved in overcoming the resistance of tumor cells to radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. A. Kuchur
- ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, 191002 Russia
| | | | | | - A. A. Shtil
- ITMO University, Saint-Petersburg, 191002 Russia
- Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, 115478 Russia
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30
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Peng J, Yang M, Bi R, Wang Y, Wang C, Wei X, Zhang Z, Xie X, Wei W. Targeting Mutated p53 Dependency in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Through CDK7 Inhibition. Front Oncol 2021; 11:664848. [PMID: 34109118 PMCID: PMC8183379 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.664848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is crucial for cell cycle progression and gene expression transcriptional regulation, which are often not assessed in cancer developing process. CDK7 inhibitors have emerged as promising drugs for treating diverse cancers, including breast cancer. However, the mechanism behind its anticancer effect has not been well investigated. Here, the possible mechanism of CDK7 inhibitors for treating human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been studied. Methods The effects of CDK7 inhibitors on breast cancer cells have been identified by measuring cell viability (Cell Counting Kit-8) and cell proliferation and calculating colony formation. The short hairpin RNA and short interfering RNA were used for the construction of knockdown cells. To assess the expression of associated proteins, western blot was used. Results This study confirmed that, compared to hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells, TNBC cells were more sensitive to THZ1, a novel CDK7 inhibitor. THZ1 treatment specifically downregulated mutated p53 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in TNBC cells with p53 mutation. Another CDK7 inhibitor, LDC4297, also potently interfered with the expression of mutated p53. Furthermore, endogenous CDK7 expression was positively correlated with the levels of mutated p53 in TNBC cells with p53 mutation. Downregulating mutated p53 expression significantly suppressed the proliferation of TNBC cells with p53 mutation. Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that targeting CDK7 was an effective approach for the treatment of TNBC with p53 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Peng
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ran Bi
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yueyuan Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chunxi Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xue Wei
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiao Xie
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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31
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Zhang L, Zhang Y, Hu X. Targeting the transcription cycle and RNA processing in cancer treatment. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 58:69-75. [PMID: 33964728 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The transcriptional program and RNA splicing machinery are highly and frequently dysregulated in human cancers due to genomic and epigenomic alterations during tumorigenesis. This leads to cancer-specific dependencies on components of the transcriptional program and RNA splicing machinery, providing alternative and targetable 'Achilles' heels' for cancer treatment in the clinic. To target these vulnerabilities in cancer cells, potent and specific transcriptional CDK inhibitors and chemical compounds that impair splicing have been developed and evaluated in preclinical cancer models. Several novel combination approaches with immune or targeted therapies have also been proposed for cancer treatment. More recently, inhibitors targeting transcriptional CDKs, splicing, or PRMT5 have shown promising therapeutic potential in preclinical studies, and many of them have rapidly advanced into early clinical trials for treatment of human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Youyou Zhang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaowen Hu
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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32
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Shan W, Yuan J, Hu Z, Jiang J, Wang Y, Loo N, Fan L, Tang Z, Zhang T, Xu M, Pan Y, Lu J, Long M, Tanyi JL, Montone KT, Fan Y, Hu X, Zhang Y, Zhang L. Systematic Characterization of Recurrent Genomic Alterations in Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Reveals Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Cancer Treatment. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107884. [PMID: 32668240 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent copy-number alterations, mutations, and transcript fusions of the genes encoding CDKs/cyclins are characterized in >10,000 tumors. Genomic alterations of CDKs/cyclins are dominantly driven by copy number aberrations. In contrast to cell-cycle-related CDKs/cyclins, which are globally amplified, transcriptional CDKs/cyclins recurrently lose copy numbers across cancers. Although mutations and transcript fusions are relatively rare events, CDK12 exhibits recurrent mutations in multiple cancers. Among the transcriptional CDKs, CDK7 and CDK12 show the most significant copy number loss and mutation, respectively. Their genomic alterations are correlated with increased sensitivities to DNA-damaging drugs. Inhibition of CDK7 preferentially represses the expression of genes in the DNA-damage-repair pathways and impairs the activity of homologous recombination. Low-dose CDK7 inhibitor treatment sensitizes cancer cells to PARP inhibitor-induced DNA damage and cell death. Our analysis provides genomic information for identification and prioritization of drug targets for CDKs and reveals rationales for treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Shan
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiao Yuan
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhongyi Hu
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Junjie Jiang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yueying Wang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nicki Loo
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lingling Fan
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhaoqing Tang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tianli Zhang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mu Xu
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yutian Pan
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiaqi Lu
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Meixiao Long
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Janos L Tanyi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathleen T Montone
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yi Fan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiaowen Hu
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Youyou Zhang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Lin Zhang
- Center for Research on Reproduction & Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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33
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Cossa G, Parua PK, Eilers M, Fisher RP. Protein phosphatases in the RNAPII transcription cycle: erasers, sculptors, gatekeepers, and potential drug targets. Genes Dev 2021; 35:658-676. [PMID: 33888562 PMCID: PMC8091971 DOI: 10.1101/gad.348315.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In this review, Cossa et al. discuss the current knowledge and outstanding questions about phosphatases in the context of the RNAPII transcription cycle. The transcription cycle of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is governed at multiple points by opposing actions of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and protein phosphatases, in a process with similarities to the cell division cycle. While important roles of the kinases have been established, phosphatases have emerged more slowly as key players in transcription, and large gaps remain in understanding of their precise functions and targets. Much of the earlier work focused on the roles and regulation of sui generis and often atypical phosphatases—FCP1, Rtr1/RPAP2, and SSU72—with seemingly dedicated functions in RNAPII transcription. Decisive roles in the transcription cycle have now been uncovered for members of the major phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPP) family, including PP1, PP2A, and PP4—abundant enzymes with pleiotropic roles in cellular signaling pathways. These phosphatases appear to act principally at the transitions between transcription cycle phases, ensuring fine control of elongation and termination. Much is still unknown, however, about the division of labor among the PPP family members, and their possible regulation by or of the transcriptional kinases. CDKs active in transcription have recently drawn attention as potential therapeutic targets in cancer and other diseases, raising the prospect that the phosphatases might also present opportunities for new drug development. Here we review the current knowledge and outstanding questions about phosphatases in the context of the RNAPII transcription cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Cossa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pabitra K Parua
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Martin Eilers
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Robert P Fisher
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
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Abudureheman T, Xia J, Li MH, Zhou H, Zheng WW, Zhou N, Shi RY, Zhu JM, Yang LT, Chen L, Zheng L, Xue K, Qing K, Duan CW. CDK7 Inhibitor THZ1 Induces the Cell Apoptosis of B-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia by Perturbing Cellular Metabolism. Front Oncol 2021; 11:663360. [PMID: 33889549 PMCID: PMC8056175 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.663360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) is a malignant blood cancer that develops in children and adults and leads to high mortality. THZ1, a covalent cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) inhibitor, shows anti-tumor effects in various cancers by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, whether THZ1 has an inhibitory effect on B-ALL cells and the underlying mechanism remains obscure. In this study, we showed that THZ1 arrested the cell cycle of B-ALL cells in vitro in a low concentration, while inducing the apoptosis of B-ALL cells in vitro in a high concentration by activating the apoptotic pathways. In addition, RNA-SEQ results revealed that THZ1 disrupted the cellular metabolic pathways of B-ALL cells. Moreover, THZ1 suppressed the cellular metabolism and blocked the production of cellular metabolic intermediates in B-ALL cells. Mechanistically, THZ1 inhibited the cellular metabolism of B-ALL by downregulating the expression of c-MYC-mediated metabolic enzymes. However, THZ1 treatment enhanced cell apoptosis in over-expressed c-MYC B-ALL cells, which was involved in the upregulation of p53 expression. Collectively, our data demonstrated that CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 induced the apoptosis of B-ALL cells by perturbing c-MYC-mediated cellular metabolism, thereby providing a novel treatment option for B-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuersunayi Abudureheman
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xia
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Ming-Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Blood Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Wei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Neng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong-Yi Shi
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Min Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li-Ting Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital Affiliated to Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Qing
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cai-Wen Duan
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7), along with cyclin H and MAT1, forms the CDK-activating complex (CAK), which directs progression through the cell cycle via T-loop phosphorylation of cell cycle CDKs. CAK is also a component of the general transcription factor, TFIIH. CDK7-mediated phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) at active gene promoters permits transcription. Cell cycle dysregulation is an established hallmark of cancer, and aberrant control of transcriptional processes, through diverse mechanisms, is also common in many cancers. Furthermore, CDK7 levels are elevated in a number of cancer types and are associated with clinical outcomes, suggestive of greater dependence on CDK7 activity, compared with normal tissues. These findings identify CDK7 as a cancer therapeutic target, and several recent publications report selective CDK7 inhibitors (CDK7i) with activity against diverse cancer types. Preclinical studies have shown that CDK7i cause cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and repression of transcription, particularly of super-enhancer-associated genes in cancer, and have demonstrated their potential for overcoming resistance to cancer treatments. Moreover, combinations of CDK7i with other targeted cancer therapies, including BET inhibitors, BCL2 inhibitors and hormone therapies, have shown efficacy in model systems. Four CDK7i, ICEC0942 (CT7001), SY-1365, SY-5609 and LY3405105, have now progressed to Phase I/II clinical trials. Here we describe the work that has led to the development of selective CDK7i, the current status of the most advanced clinical candidates, and discuss their potential importance as cancer therapeutics, both as monotherapies and in combination settings. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT03363893; NCT03134638; NCT04247126; NCT03770494.
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Ge H, Yao Y, Jiang Y, Wu X, Wang Y. Pharmacological inhibition of CDK7 by THZ1 impairs tumor growth in p53-mutated HNSCC. Oral Dis 2021; 28:611-620. [PMID: 33503275 DOI: 10.1111/odi.13783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) has been critically linked to human cancer. However, the roles of CDK7 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain incompletely known. Here, we sought to dissect the functions of CDK7 underlying HNSCC tumorigenesis and explore whether pharmacological inhibition of CDK7 could induce anti-cancer effects. METHODS CDK7 expression was measured in a panel of HNSCC cell lines with p53 mutation and 20 pairs of HNSCC samples and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Genetic targeting and pharmacological inhibition of CDK7 were conducted to dissect the biological roles of CDK7 in p53-mutated HNSCC cells. An HNSCC xenograft model was developed to determine the therapeutic effects of THZ1 in vivo. Potential genes and pathways responsible for therapeutic effects of THZ1 were identified by genome-wide RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics interrogations. RESULTS CDK7 expression was significantly elevated in cancerous cells and samples as compared with their adjacent non-tumor counterparts. Impaired cell proliferation, migration, and invasion as well increased apoptosis were observed in cells upon CDK7 knockdown or THZ1 exposure. THZ1 administration potently inhibited tumor overgrowth in vivo. Mechanistically, hundreds of genes enriched in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cancer-related categories were identified to be potentially mediated the therapeutic effects of THZ1 in HNSCC. CONCLUSION Our findings reveal that CDK7 might serve as a novel putative pro-oncogenic gene underlying HNSCC tumorigenesis and therapeutic targeting of CDK7 might be a promising strategy for p53-mutated HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Ge
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China PRC.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China PRC
| | - Yuan Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China PRC.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China PRC
| | - Yue Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China PRC.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China PRC
| | - Xiang Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China PRC.,Department of Oral Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China PRC
| | - Yanling Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China PRC.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China PRC
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Liang H, Du J, Elhassan RM, Hou X, Fang H. Recent progress in development of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitors for cancer therapy. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:61-76. [PMID: 33183110 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1850693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) is a part of the CDK-activating kinase family (CAK) which has a key role in the cell cycle and transcriptional regulation. Several lines of evidence suggest that CDK7 is a promising therapeutic target for cancer. CDK7 selective inhibitors such as SY-5609 and CT7001 are in clinical development. Areas covered: We explore the biology of CDK7 and its role in cancer and follow this with an evaluation of the preclinical and clinical progress of CDK7 inhibitors, and their potential in the clinic. We searched PubMed and ClinicalTrials to identify relevant data from the database inception to 14 October 2020. Expert opinion: CDK7 inhibitors are next generation therapeutics for cancer. However, there are still challenges which include selectively, side effects, and drug resistance. Nevertheless, with ongoing clinical development of these inhibitors and greater analysis of their target, CDK7 inhibitors will become a promising approach for treatment of cancer in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanzhi Liang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jintong Du
- Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University , Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Reham M Elhassan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xuben Hou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Fang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University , Jinan, Shandong, China
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Somarelli JA, Roghani RS, Moghaddam AS, Thomas BC, Rupprecht G, Ware KE, Altunel E, Mantyh JB, Kim SY, McCall SJ, Shen X, Mantyh CR, Hsu DS. A Precision Medicine Drug Discovery Pipeline Identifies Combined CDK2 and 9 Inhibition as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:2516-2527. [PMID: 33158998 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and responsible for over 50,000 deaths each year. Therapeutic options for advanced colorectal cancer are limited, and there remains an unmet clinical need to identify new treatments for this deadly disease. To address this need, we developed a precision medicine pipeline that integrates high-throughput chemical screens with matched patient-derived cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) to identify new treatments for colorectal cancer. High-throughput screens of 2,100 compounds were performed across six low-passage, patient-derived colorectal cancer cell lines. These screens identified the CDK inhibitor drug class among the most effective cytotoxic compounds across six colorectal cancer lines. Among this class, combined targeting of CDK1, 2, and 9 was the most effective, with IC50s ranging from 110 nmol/L to 1.2 μmol/L. Knockdown of CDK9 in the presence of a CDK2 inhibitor (CVT-313) showed that CDK9 knockdown acted synergistically with CDK2 inhibition. Mechanistically, dual CDK2/9 inhibition induced significant G2-M arrest and anaphase catastrophe. Combined CDK2/9 inhibition in vivo synergistically reduced PDX tumor growth. Our precision medicine pipeline provides a robust screening and validation platform to identify promising new cancer therapies. Application of this platform to colorectal cancer pinpointed CDK2/9 dual inhibition as a novel combinatorial therapy to treat colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Roham Salman Roghani
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ali Sanjari Moghaddam
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Beatrice C Thomas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Gabrielle Rupprecht
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kathryn E Ware
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Erdem Altunel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - John B Mantyh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - So Young Kim
- Duke Functional Genomics Core, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Shannon J McCall
- Department of Pathology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Xiling Shen
- Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - David S Hsu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. .,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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39
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A review on kinases phosphorylating the carboxyl-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II-Biological functions and inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2020; 104:104318. [PMID: 33142427 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) plays a major role in gene transcription for eukaryote. One of the major modes of regulation in eukaryotes is the phosphorylation of the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA Pol II. The current study found that the phosphorylation of Ser2, Ser5, Ser7, Thr4 and Tyr1 among the heptapeptide repeats of CTD plays a key role in the transcription process. We therefore review the biological functions and inhibitors of kinases that phosphorylate these amino acid residues including transcriptional cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs), bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), Polo-like kinases 3 (Plk3) and Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene 1 and 2 (c-Abl1/2).
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40
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Dissecting the Pol II transcription cycle and derailing cancer with CDK inhibitors. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:716-724. [PMID: 32572259 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Largely non-overlapping sets of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) regulate cell division and RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-dependent transcription. Here we review the molecular mechanisms by which specific CDKs are thought to act at discrete steps in the transcription cycle and describe the recent emergence of transcriptional CDKs as promising drug targets in cancer. We emphasize recent advances in understanding the transcriptional CDK network that were facilitated by development and deployment of small-molecule inhibitors with increased selectivity for individual CDKs. Unexpectedly, several of these compounds have also shown selectivity in killing cancer cells, despite the seemingly universal involvement of their target CDKs during transcription in all cells. Finally, we describe remaining and emerging challenges in defining functions of individual CDKs in transcription and co-transcriptional processes and in leveraging CDK inhibition for therapeutic purposes.
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41
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Zhang C, Mi J, Deng Y, Deng Z, Long D, Liu Z. DNMT1 Enhances the Radiosensitivity of HPV-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas via Downregulating SMG1. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:4201-4211. [PMID: 32523356 PMCID: PMC7237113 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s227395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which rank the 7th malignant tumors worldwide, is closely related to methylation and HPV infection. Ionizing radiation therapy is the main strategy for HNSCC patients in advanced stage. Previously, HPV-positive HNSCC predict better prognosis than HPV-negative HNSCCs under radiotherapy, however its molecular mechanism is unresolved. SMG1 serves as a potential tumor suppressor in various cancers, including HNSCC. Methods The mRNAs and proteins expression of HPV E6/E7, p16, p53, DNMT1, SMG1 were detected after different treatments by qPCR and Western blot. The clone formation ability was measured in radiation dose after different treatments. Results In our study, the expression of HPV16 E6, DNA Methyltransferase 1(DNMT1) and SMG1 in head and neck carcinomas cell lines was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Forced E6 level in HPV-negative cells by overexpression plasmid promoted the expression of DNMT1, which resulted in decreased SMG1 expression. Silenced SMG1 in HPV-negative HNSCC cells elicited increased radiation sensitivity, suggesting that SMG1 may be an effective switch to regulate the effect of radiotherapy in HNSCC. Conclusion Our study indicated that DNMT1 enhances the radiosensitivity of HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas via downregulating SMG1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlin Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaoping Mi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sun University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Deng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeyi Deng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Long
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China.,The Graduate School of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohui Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
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42
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Diab S, Yu M, Wang S. CDK7 Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy: The Sweet Smell of Success? J Med Chem 2020; 63:7458-7474. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Diab
- School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box 36, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Mingfeng Yu
- Drug Discovery and Development, University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Shudong Wang
- Drug Discovery and Development, University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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43
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Zhang B, Zhong X, Sauane M, Zhao Y, Zheng ZL. Modulation of the Pol II CTD Phosphorylation Code by Rac1 and Cdc42 Small GTPases in Cultured Human Cancer Cells and Its Implication for Developing a Synthetic-Lethal Cancer Therapy. Cells 2020; 9:cells9030621. [PMID: 32143485 PMCID: PMC7140432 DOI: 10.3390/cells9030621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho GTPases, including Rho, Cdc42, Rac and ROP subfamilies, are key signaling molecules in RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcriptional control. Our prior work has shown that plant ROP and yeast Cdc42 GTPases similarly modulate Ser2 and Ser5 phosphorylation status of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the Pol II largest subunit by regulating CTD phosphatase degradation. Here, we present genetic and pharmacological evidence showing that Cdc42 and Rac1 GTPase signaling modulates a similar CTD Ser2 and Ser5 phosphorylation code in cultured human cancer cells. While siRNA knockdown of Cdc42 and Rac1, respectively, in HeLa cells increased the level of CTD Ser phosphatases RPAP2 and FCP1, they both decreased the level of CTD kinases CDK7 and CDK13. In addition, the protein degradation inhibitor MG132 reversed the effect of THZ1, a CDK7 inhibitor which could decrease the cell number and amount of CDK7 and CDK13, accompanied by a reduction in the level of CTD Ser2 and Ser5 phosphorylation and DOCK4 and DOCK9 (the activators for Rac1 and Cdc42, respectively). Conversely, treatments of Torin1 or serum deprivation, both of which promote protein degradation, could enhance the effect of THZ1, indicating the involvement of protein degradation in controlling CDK7 and CDK13. Our results support an evolutionarily conserved signaling shortcut model linking Rho GTPases to Pol II transcription across three kingdoms, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia, and could lead to the development of a potential synthetic-lethal strategy in controlling cancer cell proliferation or death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Department of Biology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325060, China
| | - Xuelin Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Biology PhD Program, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Moira Sauane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Biology PhD Program, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yihong Zhao
- Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies and Department of Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Zhi-Liang Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
- Correspondence:
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44
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Tang L, Chen R, Xu X. Synthetic lethality: A promising therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2020; 476:120-128. [PMID: 32070778 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main cause of liver cancer-related death, is one of the main cancers in terms of incidence and mortality. However, HCC is difficult to target and develops strong drug resistance. Therefore, a new treatment strategy is urgently needed. The clinical application of the concept of synthetic lethality in recent years provides a new therapeutic direction for the accurate treatment of HCC. Here, we introduce the concept of synthetic lethality, the screening used to study synthetic lethality, and the identified and potential genetic interactions that induce synthetic lethality in HCC. In addition, we propose opportunities and challenges for translating synthetic lethal interactions to the clinical treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linsong Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China; NHFPC Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Ronggao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China; NHFPC Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China; NHFPC Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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45
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Lai CH, Chen RY, Hsieh HP, Tsai SJ, Chang KC, Yen CJ, Huang YC, Liu YW, Lee JC, Lai YC, Hung LY, Lin BW. A selective Aurora-A 5'-UTR siRNA inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. Cancer Lett 2019; 472:97-107. [PMID: 31875524 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Many Aurora-A inhibitors have been developed for cancer therapy; however, the specificity and safety of Aurora-A inhibitors remain uncertain. The Aurora-A mRNA yields nine different 5'-UTR isoforms, which result from mRNA alternative splicing. Interestingly, we found that the exon 2-containing Aurora-A mRNA isoforms are predominantly expressed in cancer cell lines as well as human colorectal cancer tissues, making the Aurora-A mRNA exon 2 a promising treatment target in Aurora-A-overexpressing cancers. In this study, a selective siRNA, siRNA-2, which targets Aurora-A mRNA exon 2, was designed to translationally inhibit the expression of Aurora-A in cancer cells but not normal cells; locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified siRNA-2 showed improved efficacy in inhibiting Aurora-A mRNA translation and tumor growth. Xenograft animal models combined with noninvasion in vivo imaging system (IVIS) analysis further confirmed the anticancer effect of LNA-siRNA-2 with improved efficiency and safety and reduced side effects. Mice orthotopically injected with colorectal cancer cells, LNA-siRNA-2 treatment not only inhibited the tumor growth but also blocked liver and lung metastasis. The results of our study suggest that LNA-siRNA-2 has the potential to be a novel therapeutic agent for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Hsien Lai
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Ruo-Yu Chen
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Pang Hsieh
- Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053, Taiwan
| | - Shaw-Jenq Tsai
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Kung-Chao Chang
- Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Jui Yen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chuan Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Wen Liu
- Department of Pathology, Kuo General Hospital, Tainan, 70054, Taiwan
| | - Jenq-Chang Lee
- Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chien Lai
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Yi Hung
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
| | - Bo-Wen Lin
- Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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Recent advances in the development of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 183:111641. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Kim J, Cho YJ, Ryu JY, Hwang I, Han HD, Ahn HJ, Kim WY, Cho H, Chung JY, Hewitt SM, Kim JH, Kim BG, Bae DS, Choi CH, Lee JW. CDK7 is a reliable prognostic factor and novel therapeutic target in epithelial ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2019; 156:211-221. [PMID: 31776040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) engages tumor growth by acting as a direct link between the regulation of transcription and the cell cycle. Here, we investigated the clinical significance of CDK7 expression and its potential as a therapeutic target in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS CDK7 expression was examined in 436 ovarian tissues including normal to metastatic ovarian tumors using immunohistochemistry, and its clinical implications were analyzed. Furthermore, we performed in vitro and in vivo experiments using CDK7 siRNA or a covalent CDK7 inhibitor (THZ1) to elucidate the effect of CDK7 inhibition on tumorigenesis in EOC cells. RESULTS The patient incidence of high CDK7 expression (CDK7High) gradually increased from normal ovarian epithelium to EOC (P < 0.001). Moreover, CDK7High was associated with an advanced stage and high-grade histology (P = 0.035 and P = 0.011, respectively) in EOC patients and had an independent prognostic significance in EOC recurrence (P = 0.034). CDK7 inhibition with siRNA or THZ1 decreased cell proliferation and migration, and increased apoptosis in EOC cells, and this anti-cancer mechanism is caused by G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. In in vivo therapeutic experiments using cell-line xenograft and PDX models, CDK7 inhibition significantly decreased the tumor weight, which was mediated by cell proliferation and apoptosis. CONCLUSION Mechanistic interrogation of CDK7 revealed that it is significantly associated with an aggressive phenotype of EOC, and it has independent prognostic power for EOC recurrence. Furthermore, CDK7 may be a potential therapeutic target for patients with EOC, whether platinum sensitive or resistant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Jae Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yoon Ryu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ilseon Hwang
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA; Department of Pathology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Dong Han
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Jun Ahn
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 136-791, South Korea
| | - Woo Young Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hanbyoul Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon-Yong Chung
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Stephen M Hewitt
- Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Jae-Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung-Gie Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Duk-Soo Bae
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chel Hun Choi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jeong-Won Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Li BB, Wang B, Zhu CM, Tang D, Pang J, Zhao J, Sun CH, Qiu MJ, Qian ZR. Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitor THZ1 in cancer therapy. Chronic Dis Transl Med 2019; 5:155-169. [PMID: 31891127 PMCID: PMC6926117 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdtm.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Current cancer therapies have encountered adverse response due to poor therapeutic efficiency, severe side effects and acquired resistance to multiple drugs. Thus, there are urgent needs for finding new cancer-targeted pharmacological strategies. In this review, we summarized the current understanding with THZ1, a covalent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7), which demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity against different cancer types. By introducing the anti-tumor behaviors and the potential targets for different cancers, this review aims to provide more effective approaches to CDK7 inhibitor-based therapeutic agents and deeper insight into the diverse tumor proliferation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin-Bin Li
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Cheng-Ming Zhu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Di Tang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Jun Pang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Chun-Hui Sun
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
- Equipe Communication Intercellulaire et Infections Microbiennes, Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie (CIRB), College de France, Paris 75005, France
| | - Miao-Juan Qiu
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
| | - Zhi-Rong Qian
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518107, China
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Wu KH, Lee WJ, Cheng TC, Chang HW, Chen LC, Chen CC, Lien HM, Lin TN, Ho YS. Study of the antitumor mechanisms of apiole derivatives (AP-02) from Petroselinum crispum through induction of G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest in human COLO 205 cancer cells. Altern Ther Health Med 2019; 19:188. [PMID: 31351461 PMCID: PMC6660667 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2590-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Apiole was isolated from the leaves of various plants and vegetables and has been demonstrated to inhibit human colon cancer cell (COLO 205 cells) growth through induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death. This study further explored the antitumor effects of apiole derivatives AP-02, 04, and 05 in COLO 205 cancer cells. Methods Human breast (MDA-MB-231, ZR75), lung (A549, PE089), colon (COLO 205, HT 29), and hepatocellular (Hep G2, Hep 3B) cancer cells were treated with apiole and its derivatives in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis was subsequently performed to determine the mechanism of AP-02-induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. The in vivo antitumor effect of AP-02 (1 and 5 mg/kg, administered twice per week) was examined by treating athymic nude mice bearing COLO 205 tumor xenografts. The molecular mechanisms of AP-02-induced antitumor effects were determined using western blot analysis. Results AP-02 was the most effective compound, especially for inhibition of COLO 205 colon cancer cell growth. The cytotoxicity of AP-02 in normal colon epithelial (FHC) cells was significantly lower than that in other normal cells derived from the breast, lung or liver. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that AP-02-induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in COLO 205 cells but not in HT 29 cells (< 5 μM for 24 h, **p < 0.01). Tumor growth volume was also significantly inhibited in AP-02 (> 1 mg/kg)-treated athymic nude mice bearing COLO 205 tumor xenografts compared to control mice (*p < 0.05). Furthermore, G0/G1 phase regulatory proteins (p53 and p21/Cip1) and an invasion suppressor protein (E-cadherin) were significantly upregulated, while cyclin D1 was significantly downregulated, in AP-02-treated tumor tissues compared to the control group (> 1 mg/kg, *p < 0.05). Conclusions Our results provide in vitro and in vivo molecular evidence of AP-02-induced anti-proliferative effects on colon cancer, indicating that this compound might have potential clinical applications. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2590-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Steinbach N, Hasson D, Mathur D, Stratikopoulos EE, Sachidanandam R, Bernstein E, Parsons RE. PTEN interacts with the transcription machinery on chromatin and regulates RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:5573-5586. [PMID: 31169889 PMCID: PMC6582409 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-mediated transcription controls cellular phenotypes such as cancer. Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), one of the most commonly altered tumor suppressors in cancer, affects transcription via its role in antagonizing the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Using co-immunoprecipitations and proximal ligation assays we provide evidence that PTEN interacts with AFF4, RNAPII, CDK9, cyclin T1, XPB and CDK7. Using ChIP-seq, we show that PTEN co-localizes with RNAPII and binds to chromatin in promoter and putative enhancer regions identified by histone modifications. Furthermore, we show that loss of PTEN affects RNAPII occupancy in gene bodies and further correlates with gene expression changes. Interestingly, PTEN binds to promoters and negatively regulates the expression of genes involved in transcription including AFF4 and POL2RA, which encodes a subunit of RNAPII. Loss of PTEN also increased cells' sensitivity to transcription inhibition via small molecules, which could provide a strategy to target PTEN-deficient cancers. Overall, our work describes a previously unappreciated role of nuclear PTEN, which by interacting with the transcription machinery in the context of chromatin exerts an additional layer of regulatory control on RNAPII-mediated transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Steinbach
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Dan Hasson
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Deepti Mathur
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Elias E Stratikopoulos
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ravi Sachidanandam
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Emily Bernstein
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ramon E Parsons
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Author afMadison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
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