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Ram T, Singh AK, Kumar A, Singh H, Pathak P, Grishina M, Khalilullah H, Jaremko M, Emwas AH, Verma A, Kumar P. MEK inhibitors in cancer treatment: structural insights, regulation, recent advances and future perspectives. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1837-1857. [PMID: 37859720 PMCID: PMC10583825 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00145h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
MEK1/2 are critical components of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK or MAPK signalling pathway that regulates a variety of cellular functions including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. In 1997, a lung cancer cell line was first found to have a MEK mutation (encoding MEK2P298L). MEK is involved in various human cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), spurious melanoma, and pancreatic, colorectal, basal, breast, and liver cancer. To date, 4 MEK inhibitors i.e., trametinib, cobimetinib, selumetinib, and binimetinib have been approved by the FDA and several are under clinical trials. In this review, we have highlighted structural insights into the MEK1/2 proteins, such as the αC-helix, catalytic loop, P-loop, F-helix, hydrophobic pocket, and DFG motif. We have also discussed current issues with all FDA-approved MEK inhibitors or drugs under clinical trials and combination therapies to improve the efficacy of clinical drugs. Finally, this study addressed recent developments on synthetic MEK inhibitors (from their discovery in 1997 to 2022), their unique properties, and their relevance to MEK mutant inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teja Ram
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Ankit Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Adarsh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Harshwardhan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
| | - Prateek Pathak
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University Chelyabinsk 454008 Russia
- Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, GITAM School of Pharmacy at "Hyderabad Campus", GITAM (Deemed to be University) India
| | - Maria Grishina
- Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University Chelyabinsk 454008 Russia
| | - Habibullah Khalilullah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University Unayzah 51911 Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Smart-Health Initiative (SHI) and Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul-Hamid Emwas
- Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal 23955-6900 Saudi Arabia
| | - Amita Verma
- Bioorganic and Med. Chem. Res., Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences Prayagraj 211007 India
| | - Pradeep Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab Ghudda Bathinda 151401 India
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Straehla JP, Reardon DA, Wen PY, Agar NYR. The Blood-Brain Barrier: Implications for Experimental Cancer Therapeutics. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY 2023; 7:265-289. [PMID: 38323268 PMCID: PMC10846865 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-061421-040433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier is critically important for the treatment of both primary and metastatic cancers of the central nervous system (CNS). Clinical outcomes for patients with primary CNS tumors are poor and have not significantly improved in decades. As treatments for patients with extracranial solid tumors improve, the incidence of CNS metastases is on the rise due to suboptimal CNS exposure of otherwise systemically active agents. Despite state-of-the art surgical care and increasingly precise radiation therapy, clinical progress is limited by the ability to deliver an effective dose of a therapeutic agent to all cancerous cells. Given the tremendous heterogeneity of CNS cancers, both across cancer subtypes and within a single tumor, and the range of diverse therapies under investigation, a nuanced examination of CNS drug exposure is needed. With a shared goal, common vocabulary, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the field is poised for renewed progress in the treatment of CNS cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joelle P Straehla
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David A Reardon
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick Y Wen
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathalie Y R Agar
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Schüssele LM, Koch-Heier J, Volk J, Löffler MW, Hoffmann K, Bruyns RM, Planz O. Establishment of a novel method to assess MEK1/2 inhibition in PBMCs for clinical drug development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1063692. [PMID: 36578787 PMCID: PMC9790982 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1063692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway plays a key role in regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, cytokine production, and immune responses. However, it is also involved in diseases such as cancer, and numerous viruses rely on an active Raf/MEK/ERK pathway for propagation. This pathway, and particularly MEK1/2, are therefore promising therapeutic targets. Assessment of target engagement is crucial to determine pharmacodynamics or the efficacy of a MEK1/2 inhibitor. In the field of infectious diseases, this is usually first determined in clinical trials with healthy volunteers. One method to detect MEK1/2 inhibitor target engagement is to assess the degree of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, as ERK1/2 is the only known substrate of MEK1/2. As healthy subjects, however, only feature a low baseline MEK1/2 activation and therefore low ERK1/2 phosphorylation in most tissues, assessing target engagement is challenging, and robust methods are urgently needed. We hence developed a method using PBMCs isolated from whole blood of healthy blood donors, followed by ex vivo treatment with the MEK1/2 inhibitor zapnometinib and stimulation with PMA to first inhibit and then induce MEK1/2 activation. As PMA cannot activate MEK1/2 upon MEK1/2 inhibition, MEK1/2 inhibition results in impaired MEK1/2 activation. In contrast, PMA stimulation without MEK1/2 inhibition results in high MEK1/2 activation. We demonstrated that, without MEK1/2 inhibitor treatment, MEK1/2 stimulation with PMA induces high MEK1/2 activation, which is clearly distinguishable from baseline MEK1/2 activation in human PBMCs. Furthermore, we showed that treatment with the MEK1/2 inhibitor zapnometinib maintains the MEK1/2 activation at approximately baseline level despite subsequent stimulation with PMA. As our protocol is easy to follow and preserves the cells in an in vivo-like condition throughout the whole handling process, this approach can be a major advance for the easy assessment of MEK1/2 inhibitor target engagement in healthy probands for clinical drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M. Schüssele
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia Koch-Heier
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julian Volk
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus W. Löffler
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Oliver Planz
- Department of Immunology, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany,*Correspondence: Oliver Planz,
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Xu Z, Chu M. Advances in Immunosuppressive Agents Based on Signal Pathway. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:917162. [PMID: 35694243 PMCID: PMC9178660 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.917162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune abnormality involves in various diseases, such as infection, allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, as well as transplantation. Several signal pathways have been demonstrated to play a central role in the immune response, including JAK/STAT, NF-κB, PI3K/AKT-mTOR, MAPK, and Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway, in which multiple targets have been used to develop immunosuppressive agents. In recent years, varieties of immunosuppressive agents have been approved for clinical use, such as the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib and the mTOR inhibitor everolimus, which have shown good therapeutic effects. Additionally, many immunosuppressive agents are still in clinical trials or preclinical studies. In this review, we classified the immunosuppressive agents according to the immunopharmacological mechanisms, and summarized the phase of immunosuppressive agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Xu
- Department of Immunology, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology (Peking University), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Chu
- Department of Immunology, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology (Peking University), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Ullah R, Yin Q, Snell AH, Wan L. RAF-MEK-ERK pathway in cancer evolution and treatment. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 85:123-154. [PMID: 33992782 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade is a well-characterized MAPK pathway involved in cell proliferation and survival. The three-layered MAPK signaling cascade is initiated upon RTK and RAS activation. Three RAF isoforms ARAF, BRAF and CRAF, and their downstream MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 kinases constitute a coherently orchestrated signaling module that directs a range of physiological functions. Genetic alterations in this pathway are among the most prevalent in human cancers, which consist of numerous hot-spot mutations such as BRAFV600E. Oncogenic mutations in this pathway often override otherwise tightly regulated checkpoints to open the door for uncontrolled cell growth and neoplasia. The crosstalk between the RAF-MEK-ERK axis and other signaling pathways further extends the proliferative potential of this pathway in human cancers. In this review, we summarize the molecular architecture and physiological functions of the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway with emphasis on its dysregulations in human cancers, as well as the efforts made to target the RAF-MEK-ERK module using small molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahim Ullah
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Qing Yin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Aidan H Snell
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Lixin Wan
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA; Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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Liu Z, Rabadan R. Computing the Role of Alternative Splicing in Cancer. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:347-358. [PMID: 33500226 PMCID: PMC7969404 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Most human genes undergo alternative splicing (AS), and dysregulation of alternative splicing contributes to tumor initiation and progression. Computational analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data enables the systematic characterization of alternative splicing and its functional role in cancer. In this review, we summarize the latest computational approaches to studying alternative splicing in cancer and the current limitations of the most popular tools in this field. Finally, we describe some of the current computational challenges in the characterization of the role of alternative splicing in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqi Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Raul Rabadan
- Program for Mathematical Genomics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Departments of Systems Biology and Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Fraisse J, Dinart D, Tosi D, Bellera C, Mollevi C. Optimal biological dose: a systematic review in cancer phase I clinical trials. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:60. [PMID: 33441097 PMCID: PMC7805102 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-07782-z] [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: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classical phase 1 dose-finding designs based on a single toxicity endpoint to assess the maximum tolerated dose were initially developed in the context of cytotoxic drugs. With the emergence of molecular targeted agents and immunotherapies, the concept of optimal biological dose (OBD) was subsequently introduced to account for efficacy in addition to toxicity. The objective was therefore to provide an overview of published phase 1 cancer clinical trials relying on the concept of OBD. METHODS We performed a systematic review through a computerized search of the MEDLINE database to identify early phase cancer clinical trials that relied on OBD. Relevant publications were selected based on a two-step process by two independent readers. Relevant information (phase, type of therapeutic agents, objectives, endpoints and dose-finding design) were collected. RESULTS We retrieved 37 articles. OBD was clearly mentioned as a trial objective (primary or secondary) for 22 articles and was traditionally defined as the smallest dose maximizing an efficacy criterion such as biological target: biological response, immune cells count for immunotherapies, or biological cell count for targeted therapies. Most trials considered a binary toxicity endpoint defined in terms of the proportion of patients who experienced a dose-limiting toxicity. Only two articles relied on an adaptive dose escalation design. CONCLUSIONS In practice, OBD should be a primary objective for the assessment of the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) for a targeted therapy or immunotherapy phase I cancer trial. Dose escalation designs have to be adapted accordingly to account for both efficacy and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Fraisse
- Unité de Biométrie, Institut du Cancer Montpellier (ICM), Université de Montpellier, 208 rue des Apothicaire, 34298, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - D Dinart
- Inserm CIC1401, Module Epidémiologie clinique, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - D Tosi
- Unité de Biométrie, Institut du Cancer Montpellier (ICM), Université de Montpellier, 208 rue des Apothicaire, 34298, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - C Bellera
- Inserm CIC1401, Module Epidémiologie clinique, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - C Mollevi
- Unité de Biométrie, Institut du Cancer Montpellier (ICM), Université de Montpellier, 208 rue des Apothicaire, 34298, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. .,Institut Desbrest d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, UMR Inserm - Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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Kim C, Giaccone G. MEK inhibitors under development for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2017; 27:17-30. [DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2018.1415324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chul Kim
- Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Giuseppe Giaccone
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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Current Development Status of MEK Inhibitors. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22101551. [PMID: 28954413 PMCID: PMC6151813 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22101551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The current development status of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors, including the preclinical data and clinical study progress, has been summarized in this review. Different MEK inhibitors, possessing specific physicochemical properties and bioactivity characteristics, may provide different options for patients seeking treatment for cancer. Moreover, the combination of the MEK inhibitors with other therapies-such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy-may be a promising approach for clinical use.
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